Argentina's Milei marks one year in office. Here's how his shock measures are reshaping the economyNone
Southern California defense contractors optimistic Trump administration could create jobs locallyAllspring Utilities and High Income Fund (NYSEAMERICAN:ERH) Short Interest Up 130.8% in December
DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria's prime minister said Monday that most cabinet ministers were back at work after rebels overthrew President Bashar Assad, but some state workers failed to return to their jobs, and a United Nations official said the country's public sector came "to a complete and abrupt halt." Meanwhile, streams of refugees crossed back into Syria from neighboring countries, hoping for a more peaceful future and looking for relatives who disappeared during Assad's brutal rule. The rebel alliance now in control of much of the country is led by a former senior al-Qaida militant who severed ties with the extremist group years ago and promises representative government and religious tolerance. The rebel command said Monday they would not tell women how to dress. Syrian citizens stand on a government forces tank that was left on a street Monday as they celebrate in Damascus, Syria. "It is strictly forbidden to interfere with women's dress or impose any request related to their clothing or appearance, including requests for modesty," the command said on social media. Nearly two days after rebels entered the capital, some key government services shut down after state workers ignored calls to go back to their jobs, the U.N. official said, causing issues at airports and borders and slowing the flow of humanitarian aid. Rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was long known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, also met for the first time with Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi Jalali, who stayed in Syria when Assad fled. Israel said it carried out airstrikes on suspected chemical weapons sites and long-range rockets to keep them from falling into the hands of extremists. Israel also seized a buffer zone inside Syria after Syrian troops withdrew. Syrians wait to cross into Syria from Turkey on Monday at the Oncupinar border gate near the town of Kilis, southern Turkey. In northern Syria, Turkey said allied opposition forces seized the town of Manbij from Kurdish-led forces backed by the United States, a reminder that even after Assad's departure, the country remains split among armed groups that have fought in the past. The Kremlin said Russia granted political asylum to Assad, a decision made by President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on Assad's specific whereabouts and said Putin did not plan to meet with him. Damascus was quiet Monday, with life slowly returning to normal, though most shops and public institutions were closed. In public squares, some people still celebrated. Civilian traffic resumed, but there was no public transport. Long lines formed in front of bakeries and other food stores. There was little sign of any security presence, though in some areas small groups of armed men were stationed in the streets. Syrian citizens celebrate Monday during the second day of the takeover of the city by the insurgents in Damascus, Syria. Across swathes of Syria, families are now waiting outside prisons, security offices and courts, hoping for news of loved ones who were imprisoned or who disappeared. Just north of Damascus in the feared Saydnaya military prison, women detainees, some with their children, screamed as rebels broke locks off their cell doors. Amnesty International and other groups say dozens of people were secretly executed every week in Saydnaya, and they estimate that up to 13,000 Syrians were killed between 2011 and 2016. "Don't be afraid," one rebel said as he ushered women from packed cells. "Bashar Assad has fallen!" In southern Turkey, Mustafa Sultan was among hundreds of Syrian refugees waiting at border crossings to head home. He was searching for his older brother, who was imprisoned under Assad. "I haven't seen him for 13 years," he said. "I am going to go see whether he's alive." Jalali, the prime minister, sought to project normalcy since Assad fled. "We are working so that the transitional period is quick and smooth," he told Sky News Arabia TV on Monday, saying the security situation already improved from the day before. Israeli soldiers sit on top of a tank Monday along the so-called Alpha Line that separates the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights from Syria, in the town of Majdal Shams. At the court of Justice in Damascus, which was stormed by the rebels to free detainees, Judge Khitam Haddad, an aide to the justice minister in the outgoing government, said Sunday that judges were ready to resume work quickly. "We want to give everyone their rights," Haddad said outside the courthouse. "We want to build a new Syria and to keep the work, but with new methods." But a U.N. official said some government services were paralyzed as worried state employees stayed home. The public sector "has just come to a complete and abrupt halt," said U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria Adam Abdelmoula, noting, for example, that an aid flight carrying urgently needed medical supplies was put on hold after aviation employees abandoned their jobs. "This is a country that has had one government for 53 years and then suddenly all of those who have been demonized by the public media are now in charge in the nation's capital," Abdelmoula told The Associated Press. "I think it will take a couple of days and a lot of assurance on the part of the armed groups for these people to return to work again." People wave Syrian opposition flags at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) People attend a rally celebrating the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, at central Syntagma square, in Athens, Greece, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) People wave Syrian opposition flags at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) People gather to react following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government, in Trafalgar Square, in London, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) People wave Syrian opposition flags at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) People gather to react following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government, in Trafalgar Square, in London, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) People attend a rally celebrating the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, at central Syntagma square, in Athens, Greece, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) Members of the Syrian community in Finland wave a Syrian flag and celebrate in Helsinki, Finland, Dec. 8, 2024. (Roni Rekomaa/Lehtikuva via AP) People attend a rally celebrating the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, at central Syntagma square, in Athens, Greece, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) Syrians wave opposition flags and give out sweets during a spontaneous rally in Wuppertal, Germany, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa/dpa via AP) Syrians celebrate the fall of the Assad regime in Syria at a demonstration in Stockholm, Sweden, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Jonas Ekstroemer/TT News Agency via AP) A Syrian man waves a flag during a spontaneous demonstration celebrating the fall of the Assad regime, in Nicosia, Cyprus, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government fall at Faith mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) Syrians wave Syrian opposition flags at a rally in Wuppertal, Germany, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa/dpa via AP) People wave Syrian opposition flags at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) Syrians living in France gather on Republique square after the Syrian government fell early today in a stunning end to the 50-year rule of the Assad family, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government fall at Faith mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government fall at Faith mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government's fall, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) Syrians living in France hug during a rally on Republique square after the Syrian government fell early today in a stunning end to the 50-year rule of the Assad family, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard) People gather to react following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government, in Trafalgar Square, in London, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government fall at Faith mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) People attend a rally celebrating the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, at central Syntagma square, in Athens, Greece, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) A Syrian man waves a flag during a spontaneous demonstration celebrating the fall of the Assad regime in Nicosia, Cyprus, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!Brainy, 'normal guy': the suspect in US insurance CEO's slayingTopline Luigi Mangione—the 26-year-old suspect in last week’s fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson—will plead not guilty to the charges he faces in Pennsylvania, his defense attorney Tom Dickey told reporters Tuesday, adding he expects Mangione to do the same in response to murder and other charges out of New York. Key Facts Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here . What We Know About Brian Thompson’s Murder Thompson, 50, was the CEO of the health insurance division of the $550 billion UnitedHealth Group and was in New York City on Wednesday for UnitedHealth Group’s investor meeting. He was shot from behind just before 7 a.m. on Dec. 4 outside of the New York Hilton Midtown—where the meeting was being held—and was hit in the back and right calf, after which the suspect fled the area on foot and on an electric bike. A Minnesota resident, Thompson had served as chief executive since April 2021 and had been with UnitedHealth Group since 2004. A video of the shooting showed the suspect walk out behind Thompson—who did not have a security detail—before firing multiple times. Prior to Mangione’s arrest, police said they believed the shooting was “a brazen targeted attack” and searched New York City before saying they believed the suspect had left the city on a bus. Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News “there had been some threats,” but didn’t provide details on what the threats were. Thompson had two sons, one who just graduated from high school and one still in high school. Police had been searching for the gunman by utilizing diving teams in Central Park, flying helicopters, searching through security cameras in the area, maintaining drones and using dogs. They released several photos of the suspected shooter since Wednesday. How Was Luigi Mangione Caught? New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Mangione was recognized in a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and was reported to local police, who then found he had “multiple fraudulent IDs,” a U.S. passport, a firearm and suppressor similar to what was used in the murder and a “handwritten document that speaks to both his motivation and mindset.” Officers reportedly asked Mangione if he was in New York recently, which resulted in him becoming quiet and shaking, according to a description of his arrest. Though his face was largely covered in most pictures law enforcement released, officials credited the images that were circulating of Mangion for him eventually being spotted and taken into custody. Pennsylvania State Police released a new photo Tuesday morning of Mangione eating what appears to be a McDonald’s hash brown with his mask down and wearing a beanie and dark coat. They are asking for help and information about Mangione’s “travel and recent whereabouts in Pennsylvania.” A man named Larry who said he was a regular at the McDonald’s told Fox News his friend recognized Mangione and said he “looks like the shooter from New York,” but Larry thought he was kidding—“but then as it turned out, it was him.” What Has Luigi Mangione Been Charged With? He faces second-degree murder , gun and forgery charges in New York state. In New York, first-degree murder charges are reserved for killings with aggravated circumstances, such as those involving police officers, torture or if someone is hired to kill. Mangione was also initially charged in Pennsylvania with forgery, carrying firearms without a license, tampering with records or identification, possessing instruments of a crime and providing false identification to law enforcement. He was ordered in his arraignment Monday night to be held without bail, and has been placed in a single cell at the “maximum custody level,” Maria Bivens, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, told CNN . The New York Times reported Tuesday afternoon that Mangione will be moved from a prison in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, to Blair County Prison, where he will wait for his New York arrest warrant to be executed. When Will Luigi Mangione Appear In Court Next? Mangione appeared in court in Pennsylvania shortly after 1:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday for an extradition hearing and said he would be fighting extradition. He was arraigned on the Pennsylvania charges Monday night, and a preliminary hearing in that state is scheduled for Dec. 23. The court docket says he requested a public defender, and the Associated Press reported Thomas Dickey, a local defense lawyer, represented Mangione at his extradition hearing. What’s Known About Luigi Mangione's Alleged Ghost Gun? A description of Mangione’s arrest notes officers found a 3D-printed pistol and 3D-printed silencer in his backpack. The pistol was loaded with a Glock magazine containing six nine-millimeter full metal jacket rounds. A loose nine-millimeter hollow point round was also found in the backpack. Authorities have said the gun and silencer are consistent with the firearm used in the shooting of Thompson. Have Police Named A Motive? Police have not named a formal motive in the killing of Thompson. Officers found three 9mm rounds at the scene and bullet casings had the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” on them, which echo a phrase commonly used to criticize tactics insurance companies use to reject claims. At Monday’s press conference, Kenny said the three-page handwritten manifesto found on Mangione when he was arrested is in the possession of the Altoona Police Department, but that “it does seem that he has some ill will toward corporate America.” Kenny also said there were no other “specific threats” to people in the document. Citing an unnamed law enforcement official, the Associated Press reported that in the document mentioned Mangione admitted to working alone, stating: “To the Feds, I’ll keep this short, because I do respect what you do for our country. To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anyone.” The note added, “I do apologize for any strife or traumas but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming.” Was Luigi Mangione Reported Missing? Mangione’s mother, Kathleen Mangione, reported him missing to the San Francisco police last month. According to the San Francisco Standard, the missing person report was filed on Nov. 18 although it is unclear if Mangione was supposed to be present in the city when his mother filed the report. Although he was born and raised in Maryland, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said he has “ties to San Francisco” and most recently resided in Honolulu. What Do We Know About Luigi Mangione’s Life At Penn? Mangione graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020 with bachelor's and master's degrees in computer and information science, according to social media accounts appearing to belong to him and the university’s alumni database. The Daily Pennsylvanian—Penn’s student newspaper— reported that Mangione founded the school’s Game Research and Development Environment club and that he was inducted into the Eta Kappa Nu honor society for excellence in electrical and computer engineering before graduating in 2020. A post on an Instagram account seeming to belong to him as well shows him affiliated with the fraternity Phi Kappa Psi. What Do We Know About Luigi Mangione’s Time At The Gilman School? Mangione attended the prestigious, all-boys K-12 Gilman School in Baltimore, Maryland, and graduated in 2016 as the valedictorian. The New York Times reported his valedictorian speech described his class as “coming up with new ideas and challenging the world around it.” Mangione reportedly wrestled and played soccer while he was a student there and was captain of the school’s robotics team. A number of Mangione’s former classmates from the Gilman School told CBS News he was a “nice” kid, and one former classmate told The New York Times Mangione was “a big believer in the power of technology to change the world.” The Gilman School lists its tuition for 2024-25 high school students as $37,690 and describes its mission as working to “unlock the greatness within each boy by educating the entire boy — mind, body, and spirit.” What Do We Know About Luigi Mangione’s Time In Hawaii? In Honolulu, where police said Mangione’s last known address was, he was a member of a co-working space called Hub Coworking Hawaii, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported . Mangione would reportedly come and work at the location with his roommates from a nearby co-living space called Surfbreak. On its website, Surfbreak describes itself as a “co-living and co-working community for digital nomads and remote workers.” Surfbreak founder and CEO R.J. Martin expressed shock about Mangione’s arrest and told the Honolulu Civil Beat , “I loved this guy...In some ways I feel like my members are my kids.” According to the report, other residents of the co-living space described Mangione as a “natural leader” and said he helped found a book club in the community. Martin and another resident told the outlet that they had suggested the book club should read “Industrial Society and Its Future”—a book written by Unabomber Ted Kaczynski —as “a joke.” What Did Mangione Say About The Unabomber’s Book? A Goodreads account seeming to belong to Mangione gave the book a four-star review in January. The review written by the account—which was made private on Monday—said “It's easy to quickly and thoughtless write this off as the manifesto of a lunatic, in order to avoid facing some of the uncomfortable problems it identifies. But it's simply impossible to ignore how prescient many of his predictions about modern society turned out.” The review also quoted another person’s take about how “violence is necessary to survive.” The New York Times reported Tuesday that Mangione told a writer in England, Gurwinder Bhogal, he disapproved of the Unabomber’s actions, but Bhogal said Mangione “was fascinated by [the Unabomber’s] ideology, and shared his concerns about rampant consumerism gradually eroding our agency and alienating us from ourselves.” Are Mangione’s Social Media Accounts Still Up? Shortly after his arrest, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X and Goodreads accounts that may have belonged to him were discovered. He also appeared to be active on Reddit, writing about back pain issues, Forbes reported . Nearly all social media accounts with reported ties to Mangione had been switched to private or taken down by platforms—with one notable exception. Mangione’s account on X, formerly known as Twitter, was briefly taken down Monday evening, but X owner Elon Musk said it was done “without his knowledge” and he was looking into it. Shortly after, the account was reinstated. Mangione’s X account—which has a cover photo featuring an apparent spinal injury—had more than 300,000 followers as of Tuesday morning. Did Luigi Mangione Have A Youtube Account? A YouTube account with Mangione’s name posted a video Monday that said “If you see this, I’m already under arrest” and had a countdown that ended by hinting at more information or videos to be released Wednesday. YouTube confirmed to Forbes the page was not associated with Mangione, though, saying “the channel’s metadata was updated following widespread reporting of Luigi Mangione’s arrest, including updates made to the channel name and handle.” YouTube added it terminated three other accounts that were linked to Mangione, but said they hadn’t been active in more than seven months. What Do We Know About Mangione’s Health Issues? Mangione’s friends in Hawaii told various news outlets that he was suffering from a serious back problem that caused him significant pain. Mangione left Hawaii to get back surgery last year and then returned to Honolulu to rent an apartment. Surfbreak’s Martin told The New York Times that Mangione said his spine was misaligned and “said his lower vertebrae were almost like a half-inch off, and I think it pinched a nerve.” Martin added that Mangione had confided to him about not being able to date people because of his back problem as “being physically intimate with his back condition wasn’t possible.” Martin told the Times he texted Mangione after his surgery asking how it had gone and got the response “long story” without further details. Although the two had promised to catch up over the phone later, Mangione eventually went “ radio silent. ” An account on Reddit that is believed to have belonged to Mangione was active in the subreddit “r/spondylolisthesis,” where people discussed the condition in which vertebrae in the spine slip out of place. “When my spondy went bad on me last year (23M) it was completely devastating as a young athletic person,” the alleged Mangione account wrote, Forbes reported. What Is Known About The Mangione Family? The Baltimore Banner reported Mangione comes “from a prominent Baltimore family.” According to the Banner, his grandfather was a self-made real estate developer who owned country clubs, nursing homes and a radio station, and that his grandmother was “a supporter of the Greater Baltimore Medical Center” and the Baltimore Opera Company. The Mangione family has owned Hayfields Country Club in Hunt Valley, Maryland—northwest of the city of Baltimore—since 1986, according to the Banner. Who Is Nino Mangione? Luigi Mangione is related to Nino Mangione , a Republican representative in the Maryland House of Delegates, The Baltimore Sun reported Monday. The Sun reported the two are cousins who are friends on social media. Forbes has reached out to Mangione for comment. A statement issued on his social media accounts on behalf of the Mangione family said they could not comment on the news reports. “We only know what we have read in the media. Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.” Further Reading
Always find yourself pulled into Green Street’s cosy vintage shop on your way to Mainsburys? Emma Jameson-Dake speaks to Goldrush’s manager Dave to learn about all things vintage After the horrors of Week 5, there’s nothing like a bit of retail therapy. When the sun’s already setting on your post-supo trek to Mainsburys, Goldrush Vintage’s glowing storefront display is more tempting than ever (and more of a threat to my dwindling bank balance!). I spoke to Goldrush’s manager, Dave, about what goes on behind the scenes. “When I started, if you wore vintage or second-hand clothes, you were a little bit alternative. Now it doesn’t seem to be like that anymore” “We opened here last December, so we’re nearly a year old now. And, yeah, it’s going good.” Dave tells me he’s been in the vintage business for over 25 years now, which he jokes is “too long”. Starting on London’s Portobello Road, he moved to Camden Town before finally settling in Cambridge, where business is thriving. “When I started, if you wore vintage or second-hand clothes, you were a little bit alternative. You were a little bit out there. You know? Now it doesn’t seem to be like that anymore”. When I ask what kind of vintage pieces he sells most often, Dave doesn’t hesitate in telling me, “it’s probably anything Carhartt”. The rail of jackets beside us is a treasure-trove of suede, leather, and wool, perfect for the winter weather. As I mention the seasonal wardrobe shift, Dave tells me “knitwear does really well in this shop which is quite surprising because other places I’ve been to, not so much, but Cambridge folk like proper knitwear [...] that you wouldn’t necessarily associate with students or young people”. It seems that the majority of customers are students, though Dave tells me this is actually only by a small margin. “We get a lot of regular people that just... like the whole vintage selling thing. It’s just like, oh, it’s a Ralph Lauren shirt. It’s 15 quid. Why wouldn’t I?” — the joys of a good bargain are evidently universal, we laugh. Goldrush certainly knows a thing or two about the joys of thrift finds; you need only see the staff wardrobes to recognise this. “My absolute favourite piece is a genuine 1977 Sex Pistols T-Shirt [...] rare as hen’s teeth”, which Dave scored for just “a fiver”. He reveals the shop is similarly a hit with school pupils and “exchange students” from France and Germany, smiling when he says that it’s nice to see “youngsters” appreciating all things vintage. It’s clear that Dave and his team value customers greatly and are always looking for the best finds for shoppers. When I ask where Goldrush sources their incredible variety of stock, the answer surprises me: it’s mostly from the States. Dave explains how 75% of stock comes from across the Atlantic, and then “we get some of the sportswear from mainland Europe, Holland mainly... track tops, track pants. There’s European workwear as well, which is completely different to the sort of American Carhartt”. Dave looks to trends for his pricing, buying in bulk and seeking out the hidden gems: “in that mix of work jackets, about a hundred work jackets, 10 are going to be Carhartt... the rest sell very well as well, but not for anywhere near as much. So you kind of have to, you know, get that little bit extra the way you can.” “So what they’re selling in Sweden now, this time next year, we’ll be selling it here.” Though it seems to me that Dave is an expert in his field by now, when I ask if he’s able to predict next season’s trends based on consumer habits, he’s bashful in admitting “I don’t necessarily spend my time looking at styles or fashion or that sort of thing” on social media, so can’t divulge much! Joking about screen time, Dave moves on to tell me that social media is far from the all-powerful style oracle: “one of my biggest suppliers has got a few shops around the place, and he’s got one in Sweden. And, he’s done it twice as long as I have. So I take a little bit of advice from him, and he always says Sweden is ahead of the curve. So what they’re selling in Sweden now, this time next year, we’ll be selling it here.” Despite the insider intel, Dave admits “it’s really difficult. I’ve done it or I’ve tried it before where you think you know what’s coming and you jump on it and you’re too early and it just doesn’t work”, citing the Carhartt jackets he’s been selling since the nineties, which only saw a boom post-lockdown. “It’s things like this, just actual vintage. You know, somebody wore that to school in 1979” Dave tells me that jackets are by far his favourite thing to sell, bringing me over to a rail bursting with history: “if the shop could be filled with this, happy days. I would love it”. The pull of these items seems unquestionable, “the thing is that it’s things like this, just actual vintage. You know, somebody wore that to school in 1979. So, I was 2”, Dave remarks, yet surprisingly reveals “this doesn’t sell. Sold one of these today, but that’s the only one I think sold this week”. We look at German fishermen’s jackets, army apparel from Korea, Vietnam, and the Second World War. The rails are heavy with history, which Dave explains makes them all the more special: “the pattern’s called Cowichan” he says, as we look at a beautiful horseshoe print cardigan which owes its pattern to “traditional Native American” culture. READ MORE Formalwear finds and the art of the thrift flip Dave is tireless in his research of clothes’ history, though divulges that nowadays, technology is offering a helping hand: “thanks to Google Lens, you don’t have to buy all the books anymore. You just snapshot it, and it tells you what it is. So that was quite interesting”. Technology holds a surprising place in the future of something so nestled in the past, and Dave is privy to the future of online shopping (spoiler alert: Vinted has new competition). Whatnot, Dave tells me, is “an American thing, and they’ve not long launched over here, and it’s livestream selling. You can start at whatever price you want, but it’s more like an auction. Fifteen seconds. And then if somebody bids, it goes up ten seconds. [...] I’ve not done one yet, but we’re going to go live with that very soon.” On the topic of the store’s future, I wryly ask Dave about the newly sprung-up competition in Cambridge. He’s humble and laughs in response, “I’m fairly new myself so I can’t get too possessive!” Speaking of large-scale chains, and the “big boys”, he admits “they’ve got a big budget, which I don’t necessarily. But no, since they opened it, to be honest, it’s been as good as ever”. There’s something about the appeal of a smaller business which we both agree on. Sustainability, for instance, is always at the forefront of Goldrush’s mind. Dave tells me that “we get very little waste in the sense of damaged product”, which accounts for around 5% of stock. Modern clothes also find their way into vintage stock bundles, which don’t sell as well. Dave puts brands like Zara, H&M and ASOS on marked-down sale rails (“it’s too good to throw away”) and reveals a further secret in the shop’s ethical sustainability: “we do donate quite a bit as well. We’ve worked with charities in Gambia”. My final question to him is about any extra secrets of the vintage store he’s willing to share: “I would say that one of the things we do that — I’m not saying the others don’t — but a lot of vintage stores don’t launder everything. [...] If it can be laundered, it’s laundered. If it can’t, such as leather or suede, it’s hand cleaned.” He’s keen to make sure the “loft style” smell of vintage shops is replaced with cleanliness in Goldrush, and certifies every item is top quality. Dave’s parting words to me are emphatic of the energy he puts into selling vintage: “if you were looking for a tracksuit top today, you went through all of them and you thought, you know, ‘there’s not one I quite like. I’ll go and check again next week or the week after.’ I want them all to be different”. There’s something for everyone to be found on the rails at Goldrush Vintage.Artificial Intelligence Technology Solutions Inc. (OTCMKTS:AITX) Short Interest Update
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s false claims linking autism to childhood vaccinations are receiving new scrutiny now that President-elect Donald Trump has selected him to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, a sprawling agency with a budget of $1.7 trillion that oversees research into both autism and vaccines. The myth that autism is caused by childhood vaccines — proposed in 1998 by a British doctor who was later banned from practicing medicine in the United Kingdom — has been thoroughly debunked . Hundreds of studies have found vaccines to be safe . The World Health Organization estimates that over the past 50 years, immunizations have saved 154 million lives around the world. Kennedy, who espouses a number of health-related conspiracy theories , has pointed to vaccines to explain the substantial rise in autism diagnoses in recent decades, which have ballooned from an estimated 1 in 150 children in 2000 to 1 in 36 today. Research suggests that much of that increase is due to increasing awareness and screening for the condition; changing definitions of autism to include milder conditions on the spectrum that weren’t recognized in previous years; as well as advances in diagnostic technology. “For a very long time, the anti-vaccine movement has been exploiting families of autistic people, promoting a market for pseudo-scientific treatments that don’t provide the answers they’re looking for and that can expose autistic people to real harm,” said Ari Ne’eman, co-founder of the nonprofit Autistic Self Advocacy Network and an assistant professor of health policy and management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “More discredited conspiracy theories linking autism and vaccines are not the answer.” Timothy Caulfield, research director at the University of Alberta’s Health Law Institute in Canada, who studies health misinformation, said that people often are more willing to believe conspiracy theories about conditions such as autism, whose causes are complex and not fully understood, than diseases with clear causes. People seem less inclined to speculate, for example, about alternative explanations for Down syndrome, which causes intellectual disabilities and has long been known to be caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21. “It’s really a shame because there are vulnerable families [of people with autism] who need our support,” said Judith Miller, a clinical psychologist and senior scientist and training director at the Center for Autism Research at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “Every dollar and hour spent trying to debunk a conspiracy theory is a dollar and an hour lost that could have been spent trying to understand how to help families.” Finding the causes of autism is complicated, because it’s not a single disorder, said Manish Arora, a professor of environmental medical and climate science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. “Autism is a spectrum, not a single narrow disease,” Arora said. “It’s many, many things under one umbrella.” Although people diagnosed with autism often have similar strengths and challenges, “there are many paths to autism and many presentations of autism,” Miller said. Scientists have found a variety of risk factors for autism — most of which exist before birth — but there is no single cause for a neurological and developmental condition that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn and behave. A number of the traits sometimes seen in people with autism — such as being sensitive to loud noises, for example, or finding it difficult to interpret social cues — are also found in people who have not been diagnosed with autism. Doctors diagnose autism based on a person’s behavior, noting that there is no simple test for the condition, as there is for Covid or diabetes, said Arora, founder and CEO of a start-up company that researches biomarkers for autism and other neurological conditions. Finding the cause of an infectious disease — such as influenza, which is caused by the flu virus — is much more straightforward. While researchers continue to study the factors that influence the development of autistic traits, “the one thing we know doesn’t cause autism is vaccines,” said Catherine Lord, a psychologist and researcher at the Center for Autism Research and Treatment at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. Doctors have long known that genes play a large role in autism, simply by noting that autism can run in families. For example, in identical twins — who share all of their DNA — if one twin has autism, the other usually does, as well. In the case of fraternal twins — who share about half their DNA — if one fraternal twin has autism, the chance that the other will have autism ranges from 53% to 67%, according to an analysis of research studies. Scientists have identified more than 100 genes related to autism, Miller said, and genes are believed to play a role in 60% to 80% of cases. “The genetics of autism have never been better understood,” said Dr. Gregory Cejas, medical director of the Autism Clinical Center and Fragile X Clinic at the Washington University School of Medicine. “We’re making leaps and bounds about known genetic causes of autism.” Yet genes clearly don’t explain every case of autism. Autism is very different from conditions like sickle cell anemia or cystic fibrosis, which are caused by a single gene. Scientists believe that people develop autistic traits due to a combination of genetic vulnerability and environmental exposures, Lord said. “People have found many, many different genetic patterns associated with autism, but none of them are only associated with autism and none of them are always associated with autism,” Lord said. For example, fragile X syndrome — caused by a mutated gene on the X chromosome — is the most common known cause of autism. But only a fraction of children with the genetic mutation actually develop autism, Miller said. It’s possible that this mutation leaves some people more vulnerable to developing autistic characteristics, while others with the same mutations don’t develop autistic traits, because they are shielded by protective factors that have not yet been identified. Some people blamed the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine with autism because symptoms of the condition often occur at around 12 to 15 months of age, the same time toddlers get that immunization. But Miller notes that “most of the genetic conditions that affect our life and health aren’t apparent at birth. Symptoms or characteristics won’t show up until later, but the genetic code will have been with us the whole time.” Many of the known risk factors for autistic characteristics occur before birth or at the time of delivery, Arora said. Babies who experience complications at birth , such as their umbilical cord becoming wrapped around their neck, have a higher risk of autism. So do babies born prematurely , perhaps because of something that happened in the womb. Children are also slightly more likely to be diagnosed with autism if they have older fathers and possibly if they have older mothers, Miller said. It’s not clear if something in the biology of older parents causes a child to have a higher risk of autism, or if socioeconomic issues could play a role. It’s possible that older parents have better access to health care, making it more likely for their child to receive an autism diagnosis. A mother’s health influences her child’s autism risk in several ways, according to multiple studies: Children have a greater chance of being diagnosed with autism if their mothers were exposed to high levels of air pollution or developed a serious infection , such as the flu or pneumonia, while pregnant. While Ne’eman, of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, said he’s not opposed to basic biological research on autism or its causes, he said those studies do little to help people with autism overcome the barriers they face in their everyday lives. He notes that only 8.4% of the $419 million spent on autism research in the United States is devoted to support and services for people with autism. “We need an autism research agenda,” he said, “that reflects the true priorities of autistic people and our families: supports across the lifespan and inclusion in the community.” This article first appeared on NBCNews.com . Read more from NBC News here:None
Mutual of America Capital Management LLC Has $3.67 Million Stake in PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM)ITTA BENA, Miss. (AP) — Cornelious Brown IV threw five touchdown passes, Donovan Eaglin ran for 105 yards and two scores, and Alabama A&M defeated Mississippi Valley State 49-35 on Saturday. The Bulldogs scored 21 points in the third quarter to break free from a 28-all tie at halftime. All three touchdowns came on passes by Brown. He hit DJ Nelson for 35 yards, Donovan Payne for 9 yards, and Keenan Hambrick for 13 yards. Alabama A&M led 49-28 heading to the final quarter. Donivan Wright caught Brown's two other TD passes. He was the Bulldogs' leading receiver with 79 yards among their team total of 296. Brown completed 19 of 28 passes for 252 yards for the Bulldogs (6-5, 4-3 SWAC). Ty’Jarian Williams was 12 for 28 passing for 275 yards for the Delta Devils (1-11, 1-7). He threw two TD passes and was intercepted twice. Nathan Rembert had 107 yards receiving and a touchdown on five receptions. There were five touchdowns in the second quarter and the score was tied three times before the Bulldogs blew it open in the third quarter. __ Get alerts on the latest AP Top 25 poll throughout the season. Sign up here AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballMAA Announces Increase to Quarterly Common Dividend
Suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO struggles, shouts while entering courthouseJohn Elway: remorse over bypassing Josh Allen in draft mitigated by watching Broncos rookie Bo NixTHOUSAND OAKS, Calif. , Dec. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today announced that its Board of Directors declared a $2.38 per share dividend for the first quarter of 2025. The dividend will be paid on March 7, 2025 , to all stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 14, 2025 . About Amgen Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures and delivers innovative medicines to help millions of patients in their fight against some of the world's toughest diseases. More than 40 years ago, Amgen helped to establish the biotechnology industry and remains on the cutting-edge of innovation, using technology and human genetic data to push beyond what's known today. Amgen is advancing a broad and deep pipeline that builds on its existing portfolio of medicines to treat cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, inflammatory diseases and rare diseases. In 2024, Amgen was named one of the "World's Most Innovative Companies" by Fast Company and one of "America's Best Large Employers" by Forbes, among other external recognitions . Amgen is one of the 30 companies that comprise the Dow Jones Industrial Average ® , and it is also part of the Nasdaq-100 Index ® , which includes the largest and most innovative non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market based on market capitalization. For more information, visit Amgen.com and follow Amgen on X , LinkedIn , Instagram , TikTok , YouTube and Threads . Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the current expectations and beliefs of Amgen. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including any statements on the outcome, benefits and synergies of collaborations, or potential collaborations, with any other company (including BeiGene, Ltd. or Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd.), the performance of Otezla® (apremilast) (including anticipated Otezla sales growth and the timing of non-GAAP EPS accretion), our acquisitions of Teneobio, Inc., ChemoCentryx, Inc., or Horizon Therapeutics plc (including the prospective performance and outlook of Horizon's business, performance and opportunities, any potential strategic benefits, synergies or opportunities expected as a result of such acquisition, and any projected impacts from the Horizon acquisition on our acquisition-related expenses going forward), as well as estimates of revenues, operating margins, capital expenditures, cash, other financial metrics, expected legal, arbitration, political, regulatory or clinical results or practices, customer and prescriber patterns or practices, reimbursement activities and outcomes, effects of pandemics or other widespread health problems on our business, outcomes, progress, and other such estimates and results. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, including those discussed below and more fully described in the Securities and Exchange Commission reports filed by Amgen, including our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent periodic reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Unless otherwise noted, Amgen is providing this information as of the date of this news release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this document as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual results may differ materially from those we project. Our results may be affected by our ability to successfully market both new and existing products domestically and internationally, clinical and regulatory developments involving current and future products, sales growth of recently launched products, competition from other products including biosimilars, difficulties or delays in manufacturing our products and global economic conditions. In addition, sales of our products are affected by pricing pressure, political and public scrutiny and reimbursement policies imposed by third-party payers, including governments, private insurance plans and managed care providers and may be affected by regulatory, clinical and guideline developments and domestic and international trends toward managed care and healthcare cost containment. Furthermore, our research, testing, pricing, marketing and other operations are subject to extensive regulation by domestic and foreign government regulatory authorities. We or others could identify safety, side effects or manufacturing problems with our products, including our devices, after they are on the market. Our business may be impacted by government investigations, litigation and product liability claims. In addition, our business may be impacted by the adoption of new tax legislation or exposure to additional tax liabilities. If we fail to meet the compliance obligations in the corporate integrity agreement between us and the U.S. government, we could become subject to significant sanctions. Further, while we routinely obtain patents for our products and technology, the protection offered by our patents and patent applications may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented by our competitors, or we may fail to prevail in present and future intellectual property litigation. We perform a substantial amount of our commercial manufacturing activities at a few key facilities, including in Puerto Rico , and also depend on third parties for a portion of our manufacturing activities, and limits on supply may constrain sales of certain of our current products and product candidate development. An outbreak of disease or similar public health threat, such as COVID-19, and the public and governmental effort to mitigate against the spread of such disease, could have a significant adverse effect on the supply of materials for our manufacturing activities, the distribution of our products, the commercialization of our product candidates, and our clinical trial operations, and any such events may have a material adverse effect on our product development, product sales, business and results of operations. We rely on collaborations with third parties for the development of some of our product candidates and for the commercialization and sales of some of our commercial products. In addition, we compete with other companies with respect to many of our marketed products as well as for the discovery and development of new products. Discovery or identification of new product candidates or development of new indications for existing products cannot be guaranteed and movement from concept to product is uncertain; consequently, there can be no guarantee that any particular product candidate or development of a new indication for an existing product will be successful and become a commercial product. Further, some raw materials, medical devices and component parts for our products are supplied by sole third-party suppliers. Certain of our distributors, customers and payers have substantial purchasing leverage in their dealings with us. The discovery of significant problems with a product similar to one of our products that implicate an entire class of products could have a material adverse effect on sales of the affected products and on our business and results of operations. Our efforts to collaborate with or acquire other companies, products or technology, and to integrate the operations of companies or to support the products or technology we have acquired, may not be successful. There can be no guarantee that we will be able to realize any of the strategic benefits, synergies or opportunities arising from the Horizon acquisition, and such benefits, synergies or opportunities may take longer to realize than expected. We may not be able to successfully integrate Horizon, and such integration may take longer, be more difficult or cost more than expected. A breakdown, cyberattack or information security breach of our information technology systems could compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our systems and our data. Our stock price is volatile and may be affected by a number of events. Our business and operations may be negatively affected by the failure, or perceived failure, of achieving our environmental, social and governance objectives. The effects of global climate change and related natural disasters could negatively affect our business and operations. Global economic conditions may magnify certain risks that affect our business. Our business performance could affect or limit the ability of our Board of Directors to declare a dividend or our ability to pay a dividend or repurchase our common stock. We may not be able to access the capital and credit markets on terms that are favorable to us, or at all. CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks Elissa Snook , 609-251-1407 (media) Justin Claeys , 805-313-9775 (investors) View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/amgen-announces-2025-first-quarter-dividend-302328180.html SOURCE Amgen
“Compassion.” “Moral leadership. “Devoted.” Southern California’s lawmakers on both sides of the aisle r emembered former President Jimmy Carter’s public service — and his humanity — as news of his death reverberated throughout the political world Sunday afternoon, Dec. 29. Carter, the 39th president, was 100 years old. Rep. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, cast his first presidential ballot for Carter after he had turned 18, the congressman said on social media. “President Jimmy Carter was a veteran, a military academy graduate and a humble George peanut farmer,” said Correa. “He led this nation through difficult times. Thank you, President Carter.” “President Carter was a man of rare character — whose beliefs ran true and ran deep, whose moral compass never wavered,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “He saw the common humanity in all of us, building bridges between people of different faiths and factions abroad while working to meet the needs of those at home. Despite daunting challenges and trying times, his bright energy and spirit never faltered.” “President Carter’s candor and compassion, moral leadership and sense of duty set a standard we all should aspire to,” the Democratic governor added. “His enduring example reminds us that we can still find common ground despite our differences.” Rep. Young Kim, a Republican whose district spans Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, said in a social media post that her “heart is with (Carter’s) loved ones.” “President Carter devoted his life to serving the American people, whether in public service or through his charity and humanitarian work,” Kim said. Carter was the longest-living American president. Rep. Mike Garcia, R- Santa Clarita : “President Jimmy Carter’s passing is a loss for our nation. From his days as a midshipman at the Naval Academy to his service as our 39th president, he embodied leadership, honor, and compassion. Keeping the Carter family in my prayers tonight.” Sen. Adam Schiff : President Jimmy Carter leaves a legacy unlike any other. Ceaseless in his service, unbending in his dignity and revered for his commitment to our common humanity. He fought the good fight and kept the faith — and now he has finished his race. May his memory be an inspiration.” Rep. Norma Torres, D-Ontario : “Today, we mourn President Jimmy Carter, a leader of faith, compassion and service. His legacy of humanity and hope will endure. My thoughts are with the Carter family.” Former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa : “Jimmy Carter was a man of character and integrity whose lifelong service to the greater good was most evident when he left office. His tireless advocacy on behalf of the unhoused was something I was fortunate enough to witness firsthand and a remarkable feature of a humanitarian who never stopped believing in the dignity of our neighbors. May we continue the legacy of President Carter through acts of selfless service to others to never stop uplifting our community.” This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A scruffy little fugitive is on the lam again in New Orleans, gaining fame as he outwits a tenacious band of citizens armed with night-vision binoculars, nets and a tranquilizer rifle. Scrim, a 17-pound mutt that's mostly terrier, has become a folk hero, inspiring tattoos, T-shirts and even a ballad as he eludes capture from the posse of volunteers. And like any antihero, Scrim has a backstory: Rescued from semi-feral life at a trailer park and adopted from a shelter, the dog broke loose in April and scurried around the city until he was cornered in October and brought to a new home. Weeks later, he'd had enough. Scrim leaped out of a second-story window, a desperate act recorded in a now-viral video. Since then, despite a stream of daily sightings, he's roamed free. The dog’s fans include Myra and Steve Foster, who wrote “Ode to Scrim” to the tune of Ricky Nelson’s 1961 hit, “I’m a Travelin’ Man.” Leading the recapture effort is Michelle Cheramie, a 55-year-old former information technology professional. She lost everything — home, car, possessions — in Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and in the aftermath, found her calling rescuing pets. “I was like, ‘This is what I should be doing,’” Cheramie said. “I was born to rescue.” She launched Zeus’ Rescues, a nonprofit shelter that now averages 600 cat and dog adoptions a year and offers free pet food to anyone who needs it. She helped Scrim find the home he first escaped from. It was Cheramie's window Scrim leaped from in November. She's resumed her relentless mission since then, posting flyers on telephone poles and logging social media updates on his reported whereabouts. She's invested thousands of dollars on wildlife cameras, thermal sensors and other gear. She took a course offered by the San Diego Zoo on the finer points of tranquilizing animals. And she's developed a network of volunteers — the kind of neighbors who are willing to grid-search a city at 3 a.m. People like writer David W. Brown, who manages a crowd-sourced Google Map of all known Scrim sightings. He says the search has galvanized residents from all walks of life to come together. As they search for Scrim, they hand out supplies to people in need. “Being a member of the community is seeing problems and doing what you can to make life a little better for the people around here and the animals around you,” Brown said. And neighbors like Tammy Murray, who had to close her furniture store and lost her father to Parkinson's disease. This search, she says, got her mojo back. “Literally, for months, I’ve done nothing but hunt this dog,” said Murray, 53. “I feel like Wile E. Coyote on a daily basis with him.” Murray drives the Zeus' Rescues' van towards reported Scrim sightings. She also handles a tactical net launcher, which looks like an oversized flashlight and once misfired, shattering the van's window as Scrim sped away. After realizing Scrim had come to recognize the sound of the van's diesel engine, Murray switched to a Vespa scooter, for stealth. Near-misses have been tantalizing. The search party spotted Scrim napping beneath an elevated house, and wrapped construction netting around the perimeter, but an over-eager volunteer broke ranks and dashed forward, leaving an opening Scrim slipped through. Scrim's repeated escapades have prompted near-daily local media coverage and a devoted online following. Cheramie can relate. “We’re all running from something or to something. He's doing that too,” she said. Cheramie's team dreams of placing the pooch in a safe and loving environment. But a social media chorus growing under the hashtag #FreeScrim has other ideas — they say the runaway should be allowed a life of self-determination. The animal rescue volunteers consider that misguided. “The streets of New Orleans are not the place for a dog to be free,” Cheramie said. “It’s too dangerous.” Scrim was a mess when Cheramie briefly recaptured him in October, with matted fur, missing teeth and a tattered ear. His trembling body was scraped and bruised, and punctured by multiple projectiles. A vet removed one, but decided against operating to take out a possible bullet. The dog initially appeared content indoors, sitting in Cheramie's lap or napping beside her bed. Then while she was out one day, Scrim chewed through a mesh screen, dropped 13 feet to the ground and squeezed through a gap in the fence, trotting away. Murray said Cheramie's four cats probably spooked him. “I wholeheartedly believe the gangster-ass cats were messing with him,” Murray said. Cheramie thinks they may have gotten territorial. Devastated but undeterred, the pair is reassessing where Scrim might fit best — maybe a secure animal sanctuary with big outdoor spaces where other dogs can keep him company. Somewhere, Murray says, “where he can just breathe and be.” Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96
Aurora is looking at renovating the fourth floor of City Hall at a cost of around $660,000, officials announced at Monday’s City Council Infrastructure and Technology Committee meeting. The purpose of the renovation is to finally bring together the full Finance Department on one floor, according to Aurora Chief Public Facilities Officer Jim Birchall. He told the committee on Monday that the renovation would “demo everything” and rebuild from a “clean envelope,” including bringing in completely new furniture, redoing the bathrooms and upgrading the lighting to LEDs. “I’m excited about this project because we’ve been wanting to do this for years,” Birchall said. The Infrastructure and Technology Committee voted Monday to recommend the project to the full City Council. According to the meeting’s agenda, the project would cost $659,674 with a 10% contingency. Birchall said the lowest bidder was selected, which was Lite Construction Inc. Currently, the fourth floor’s offices are “hodgepodge,” with some being too big and some being too small, according to Birchall. The plan is to take down the walls and build back up six private offices and 14 cubicles, he said. Unlike the current walls, the new walls would be soundproof, Birchall said. In addition to remodeling the bathrooms on the fourth floor, the project would also bring bathrooms on the third and fifth floors up to the current building code, which requires floor drains, he said. The heating and cooling system would be controlled by a rooftop unit dedicated to the fourth and fifth floors, so the temperature could be adjusted down when people are not in the offices to avoid heating a vacant space, Birchall said. The renovations would also help airflow within the fourth floor, he said. Ald. John Laesch, at large, who was previously on the East Aurora School District Board of Education, said that Lite Construction previously did work with the school district and that they were good to work with, but he said they often had budget overruns. Birchall said his staff would ensure overruns do not happen and has a record of keeping projects within budget. The city is also currently working with Lite Construction on a different project, the renovation of 745 Broadway, according to Birchall. Although they aren’t too deep into the project, he is happy with the work they are doing, he said. Also, when they checked Lite’s references, some architecture firms that have worked with them in the past have been “very, very happy with them,” Birchall said. rsmith@chicagotribune.comNoneNone
Researchers have linked spending more time playing video games with a boost in intelligence in children, which goes some way to contradicting the narrative that gaming is bad for young minds. While the difference in cognitive abilities was a small one and isn't enough to show a causal relationship, it is enough to be notable – and the 2022 study was careful to factor in variables including differences in genetics and the child's socio-economic background. Meanwhile, watching TV and using social media didn't seem to have a positive or negative effect on intelligence. The research should prove useful in the debate over how much screen time is suitable for young minds. "Digital media defines modern childhood, but its cognitive effects are unclear and hotly debated," the team from the Netherlands, Germany, and Sweden writes in their published paper . "We believe that studies with genetic data could clarify causal claims and correct for the typically unaccounted role of genetic predispositions." The researchers looked at screen time records for 9,855 kids in the ABCD Study , all in the US and aged 9 or 10. On average, the youngsters reported spending 2.5 hours a day watching TV or online videos, 1 hour playing video games, and half an hour socializing over the internet. They then accessed data for more than 5,000 of those children two years later. Over the intervening period, those in the study who reported spending more time than the norm on video games saw an increase of 2.5 IQ points above the average rise. The IQ point increase was based on the kids' performance on tasks that included reading comprehension, visual-spatial processing, and a task focused on memory, flexible thinking, and self-control. It's important to note that while the study only looked at children in the US and did not differentiate between video game types (mobile versus console games), it's still a valuable insight into gaming and IQ – and backs up the idea that intelligence isn't a fixed constant that we're born with. "Our results support the claim that screen time generally doesn't impair children's cognitive abilities, and that playing video games can actually help boost intelligence," neuroscientist Torkel Klingberg from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden said in 2022 when the study was published. As the researchers note, this is not the first study to suggest that there could be a link between the time that kids spend gaming and the development of their cognitive abilities – and there seem to be other associated benefits from video games, too. The team behind the current research says that small sample sizes, the different designs of studies, and the lack of consideration for genetic and socio-economic influences have all led to the conflicting reports of the effects of screen time that we've seen to date. Those are limitations that this study aimed to minimize. All of this is to say that there are a lot of factors at play, both in terms of how intelligence might be developed and formed and in the different ways in which screen time might affect our bodies and our habits – so much more research is needed. "We didn't examine the effects of screen behavior on physical activity, sleep, wellbeing, or school performance, so we can't say anything about that," said Klingberg . "We'll now be studying the effects of other environmental factors and how the cognitive effects relate to childhood brain development." The research has been published in Scientific Reports . An earlier version of this article was published in May 2022.Short Interest in Cardio Diagnostics Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CDIO) Increases By 124.5%
I’m not a hoarder. I am a collector and an archivist. There’s a difference. I collect and archive reel-to-reel tapes, cassettes, vinyl. I have a huge collection of books and own many instruments. I need them for my work and have since 1964. Like you, I have a collection of T-shirts with band names and political candidates, slogans and sayings. I have a favorite pair of grey cargo pants that I bought duplicates of. And then, there’s this book bag. Or knapsack, or backpack, whatever the kids are calling theirs now. It’s very ordinary. It’s the same Jansport basic black book bag you see hanging on the hangers in either the side or back aisles at Staples or in the “Back To School” section at Target or TJ Maxx. It has lots of pockets and, at one time, it had wheels. That was when I knew the end might be near. The wheels literally fell off. I would find little chunks of black plastic around the house and wonder “What is this from?” When I finally made the connection, I realized what it meant: my traveling companion was headed down another road. Understand, I am sentimental about many, many things. But, this backpack literally carried my life during two very important stages: one as a teacher, the other as a sound designer. I really feel for kids who have to cart an entire library of school books on their backs every day and wonder if they’ll develop osteoporosis later on in life. Some school districts have switched to iPads, but you can’t dog ear an iPad, or make notes in the margins. You can highlight it, but not with a marker. So many kinesthetic touches vanish with new technology. Anyway, for the last five years of my teaching career, this backpack traveled with me every day. Its contents would change depending on the lessons for that week. Sometimes a book on musical notation, or a photo album of foreign places, sometimes a VHS tape, always my lesson plan book and a bottle of water, plus a three point snack. I carried my lunch in a separate thermal container. It got me through my last three years which were horrible not because of the kids (my last class excluded), but because of the pressure placed on me to resign. That backpack came back when I started to design sound for Seaview Theatre about two years ago. A trusted and already tested companion, I could fit my laptop and all the accompanying wires and adapters into its cavernous folds. Then, I started noticing the missing wheels and all bets were off. I also had to start carrying it or slinging it across my back because i couldn’t wheel it anymore. It’s funny how we hold onto certain things: some things you understand like a musical instrument, a cherished book or a family photo. But, a book bag? A backpack? A whatchamacallit? Why? Convenience. Familiarity. Stinginess. Why buy a new one when the old one works just fine? Until it doesn’t. Joan bought me a new one last December for my birthday/Christmas present. It was more expensive than any other backpack I ever had. It was sleeker, sexier, better insulated. But, it doesn’t have wheels. Which is good, because there’s nothing to fall off, but bad because now, I definitely have to carry it or sling it over my back. Ouch! Call the chiropractor! I’ve had a few trial runs with the new book bag and it seems to do just fine. But, when I placed the older one in a separate garbage bag and put it out for disposal last Monday night, I gave it one last hug and thanked it for its service. And, I suddenly felt a bit relieved. Because, a large part of that book bag’s history had to do with the unhappy final three years of my teaching career. That bag became a symbol for the weight and responsibility I carried to see out my term until I could retire with my pension intact. And now, I was saying goodbye to that memory. And I could breathe again. We hold onto things for a variety of reasons: because they bring joy, because they represent the past or because they are irreplaceable. We hold onto things because the past teaches us how to proceed into the future and as a kind of spiritual mooring to a time when we had more friends to guide us, more mentors to instruct us, more things to learn. RECOMMENDED • silive .com NYPD: Individual sought in connection to alleged robbery at Brooklyn pharmacy Nov. 21, 2024, 10:25 p.m. E. coli in contaminated carrots sicken 5 in New York; 1 dead in U.S. Nov. 17, 2024, 6:00 p.m. It’s not a bad thing to hold onto the past. It’s the reason we love art and food and music from centuries ago. But, it’s also good to, when they have served their purpose, be able to let go and walk away, without remorse or regret. Hang on friends. The best is yet to be. Hold those magnificent grey heads high! Comments may be submitted to “Talk To The Old Guy” on Facebook.NoneKyle Shanahan reveals plan for Javon Hargrave after 49ers' decision to restructure his contract
Gene Collier: This Trite Trophy leaves nothing on the fieldTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans made claims about illegal voting by noncitizens a centerpiece of their 2024 campaign messaging and plan to push legislation in the new Congress requiring voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship. Yet there's one place with a GOP supermajority where linking voting to citizenship appears to be a nonstarter: Kansas. That's because the state has been there, done that, and all but a few Republicans would prefer not to go there again. Kansas imposed a proof-of-citizenship requirement over a decade ago that grew into one of the biggest political fiascos in the state in recent memory. The law, passed by the state Legislature in 2011 and implemented two years later, ended up blocking the voter registrations of more than 31,000 U.S. citizens who were otherwise eligible to vote. That was 12% of everyone seeking to register in Kansas for the first time. Federal courts ultimately declared the law an unconstitutional burden on voting rights, and it hasn't been enforced since 2018. Kansas provides a cautionary tale about how pursuing an election concern that in fact is extremely rare risks disenfranchising a far greater number of people who are legally entitled to vote. The state’s top elections official, Secretary of State Scott Schwab, championed the idea as a legislator and now says states and the federal government shouldn't touch it. “Kansas did that 10 years ago,” said Schwab, a Republican. “It didn’t work out so well.” Steven Fish, a 45-year-old warehouse worker in eastern Kansas, said he understands the motivation behind the law. In his thinking, the state was like a store owner who fears getting robbed and installs locks. But in 2014, after the birth of his now 11-year-old son inspired him to be “a little more responsible” and follow politics, he didn’t have an acceptable copy of his birth certificate to get registered to vote in Kansas. “The locks didn’t work,” said Fish, one of nine Kansas residents who sued the state over the law. “You caught a bunch of people who didn’t do anything wrong.” Kansas' experience appeared to receive little if any attention outside the state as Republicans elsewhere pursued proof-of-citizenship requirements this year. Arizona enacted a requirement this year, applying it to voting for state and local elections but not for Congress or president. The Republican-led U.S. House passed a proof-of-citizenship requirement in the summer and plans to bring back similar legislation after the GOP won control of the Senate in November. In Ohio, the Republican secretary of state revised the form that poll workers use for voter eligibility challenges to require those not born in the U.S. to show naturalization papers to cast a regular ballot. A federal judge declined to block the practice days before the election. Also, sizable majorities of voters in Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and the presidential swing states of North Carolina and Wisconsin were inspired to amend their state constitutions' provisions on voting even though the changes were only symbolic. Provisions that previously declared that all U.S. citizens could vote now say that only U.S. citizens can vote — a meaningless distinction with no practical effect on who is eligible. To be clear, voters already must attest to being U.S. citizens when they register to vote and noncitizens can face fines, prison and deportation if they lie and are caught. “There is nothing unconstitutional about ensuring that only American citizens can vote in American elections,” U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, of Texas, the leading sponsor of the congressional proposal, said in an email statement to The Associated Press. After Kansas residents challenged their state's law, both a federal judge and federal appeals court concluded that it violated a law limiting states to collecting only the minimum information needed to determine whether someone is eligible to vote. That's an issue Congress could resolve. The courts ruled that with “scant” evidence of an actual problem, Kansas couldn't justify a law that kept hundreds of eligible citizens from registering for every noncitizen who was improperly registered. A federal judge concluded that the state’s evidence showed that only 39 noncitizens had registered to vote from 1999 through 2012 — an average of just three a year. In 2013, then-Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a Republican who had built a national reputation advocating tough immigration laws, described the possibility of voting by immigrants living in the U.S. illegally as a serious threat. He was elected attorney general in 2022 and still strongly backs the idea, arguing that federal court rulings in the Kansas case “almost certainly got it wrong.” Kobach also said a key issue in the legal challenge — people being unable to fix problems with their registrations within a 90-day window — has probably been solved. “The technological challenge of how quickly can you verify someone’s citizenship is getting easier,” Kobach said. “As time goes on, it will get even easier.” The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the Kansas case in 2020. But in August, it split 5-4 in allowing Arizona to continue enforcing its law for voting in state and local elections while a legal challenge goes forward. Seeing the possibility of a different Supreme Court decision in the future, U.S. Rep.-elect Derek Schmidt says states and Congress should pursue proof-of-citizenship requirements. Schmidt was the Kansas attorney general when his state's law was challenged. "If the same matter arose now and was litigated, the facts would be different," he said in an interview. But voting rights advocates dismiss the idea that a legal challenge would turn out differently. Mark Johnson, one of the attorneys who fought the Kansas law, said opponents now have a template for a successful court fight. “We know the people we can call," Johnson said. “We know that we’ve got the expert witnesses. We know how to try things like this.” He predicted "a flurry — a landslide — of litigation against this.” Initially, the Kansas requirement's impacts seemed to fall most heavily on politically unaffiliated and young voters. As of fall 2013, 57% of the voters blocked from registering were unaffiliated and 40% were under 30. But Fish was in his mid-30s, and six of the nine residents who sued over the Kansas law were 35 or older. Three even produced citizenship documents and still didn’t get registered, according to court documents. “There wasn’t a single one of us that was actually an illegal or had misinterpreted or misrepresented any information or had done anything wrong,” Fish said. He was supposed to produce his birth certificate when he sought to register in 2014 while renewing his Kansas driver's license at an office in a strip mall in Lawrence. A clerk wouldn't accept the copy Fish had of his birth certificate. He still doesn't know where to find the original, having been born on an Air Force base in Illinois that closed in the 1990s. Several of the people joining Fish in the lawsuit were veterans, all born in the U.S., and Fish said he was stunned that they could be prevented from registering. Liz Azore, a senior adviser to the nonpartisan Voting Rights Lab, said millions of Americans haven't traveled outside the U.S. and don't have passports that might act as proof of citizenship, or don't have ready access to their birth certificates. She and other voting rights advocates are skeptical that there are administrative fixes that will make a proof-of-citizenship law run more smoothly today than it did in Kansas a decade ago. “It’s going to cover a lot of people from all walks of life,” Avore said. “It’s going to be disenfranchising large swaths of the country.” Associated Press writer Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.With the holiday season underway, there's no better time for a festive manicure. There are plenty of easy nail-art designs you can try at home this winter, like a simple french manicure or cinnamon roll nails , but for the month of December, we like to go for something a bit more detailed, like holiday nail art . Snowflake nails are a classic winter look that we love, but there's something about Christmas-tree nails that have a special place in our hearts. If you're thinking to yourself, "Can Christmas-tree nails really be stylish?" have no fear. We thought the same until we laid an eye on these designs, which are stunning beyond belief. Christmas-tree nail-art designs are incredibly versatile, and these nail artists' interpretations are nothing short of uniquely beautiful. From minimalist takes on the design featuring tiny green trees to colorful metallic creations, there are so many different ways you can take Christmas-tree nail-art. We took to Instagram to find the cutest, most creative Christmas-tree nail designs to inspire your next manicure appointment. This roundup features options for all nail shapes and lengths, guaranteeing that you'll find a look you love. Keep reading to see 30 of the best Christmas-tree nail-art ideas ahead. Christmas Lights Christmas-Tree Nail Art Not into a full tree design on your nails? Opt for something that symbolizes the holiday with nail art, like these Christmas lights. Bonus points if you make the lights connect when your nails are close together. Watercolor Christmas-Tree Nails This almond-shaped set of nails features the cutest watercolor Christmas-tree nail art. The tree is a little more abstract, which makes it easier to DIY, but we love that each image is surrounded by tiny polka dots. Gold Christmas-Tree Nails These nude nails with gold-lined Christmas trees are perfect if you're looking for a minimalist manicure. Minimalist Christmas-Tree Nails Speaking of minimalist manicures, you can never go wrong with a single Christmas tree on one nail. Silver Christmas-Tree Nails If you'd prefer to steer clear from the traditional Christmas color palette of red and green, try a pink, white, and silver manicure instead. Split Christmas-Tree Nails These Christmas-tree nails are sleek and simple. Accent Christmas-Tree Nails For another minimalist-holiday-manicure option, try nude nails with tiny Christmas-tree nail art on just one nail. Get Your Home Ready For the Holidays With These Large Outdoor Ornaments Hand-Drawn Christmas-Tree Nails This Christmas-tree manicure is perfect for short nails and features a tiny tree on each finger. Black and Gold Christmas-Tree Nails Make a statement with your holiday manicure by incorporating different Christmas designs on each nail. You can also use contrasting colors on each hand for an even bolder look. Swirly Christmas-Tree Nails For an abstract look, try this swirly Christmas-tree pattern, which incorporates a V-cut french tip on two fingers. Ornament Christmas-Tree Nails With ornaments, reindeer, Christmas trees, and cable-knit designs, this holiday set will be a conversation starter. Silver Glitter Christmas-Tree Nails Less is more with this neutral set featuring an abstract, silver Christmas-tree nail design. Minimalist Silver Christmas-Tree Nails These gorgeous Christmas nails feature tiny silver rhinestones on a milky base with a glittery finish. French Tip Christmas-Tree Nails This tiny Christmas-tree nail-art design is perfect for those who want to spread the holiday cheer in a subtle way. These Editor-Approved Perfume Gift Sets Will Make Holiday Shopping a Breeze Small Christmas-Tree Nails We're obsessed with minimalist Christmas-tree nail art atop a nude, glossy base. Colorful Christmas-Tree Nails If shiny red-and-green nails aren't your thing, opt for a neutral manicure with colorful, linear Christmas-tree nail art. Traditional Christmas-Tree Nails This holiday manicure, featuring glitter, red polish, rhinestones, and a single green Christmas tree, is as classic as it gets. Pattern Christmas-Tree Nails To make your Christmas-tree nails stand out, try a tiny white Christmas-tree pattern over a dark-green base. Red and Green With Silver Christmas-Tree Nails If you want to keep things playful, try this red-and-green Christmas manicure with trees made out of silver glitter. Green French-Tip Christmas-Tree Nails Use a green french tip to spice up your otherwise minimal holiday manicure. Wallpaper Christmas-Tree Nails Emulate holiday cottagecore vibes with this short, green Christmas-tree manicure inspired by the wallpaper-nails trend. It's That Time: Bath & Body Works's Holiday Collection Is Here Polka-Dot Christmas-Tree Nails This glittery red-and-green set will turn heads at every holiday party. We love the polka-dot tree on each ring finger. Gold Christmas-Tree Nails This gorgeous holiday set features gold Christmas-tree nail art on top of glossy, pink nails. Gold-and-Green Christmas-Tree Nails Use glittery nail polish to form trees at the tip, giving your nails a reverse V-cut french-manicure design. Rhinestone Christmas-Tree Nails Your manicure will steal the spotlight at your holiday work party when you incorporate a Christmas tree made out of rhinestones. Pastel Christmas-Tree Nails Ditch the traditional holiday color palette of green and red and opt for something softer like this pastel design. Present Christmas-Tree Nails Incorporating a present on one finger and a Christmas tree on another makes your manicure extra festive. Pink Glittery Christmas-Tree Nails This short, glittery set featuring a wavy Christmas tree is perfect for anyone looking to stick to a pink theme. 14 Last-Minute Gifts For the Latina Beauty Lovers in Your Life Green-and-Pink Christmas-Tree Nails Keep it short and sweet with this green-and-pink Christmas-tree nail pattern. Classic Christmas-Tree-Design Nails Incorporate other holiday must haves into your manicure, like a candy cane and snowflake, to really dress up your Christmas-tree nails. Green and Nude Christmas-Tree Nails There is no such thing as too much glitter when it comes to Christmas-tree nails. — Additional reporting by Renee Rodriguez Tori Crowther is a freelance beauty journalist and former PS UK editor. Renee Rodriguez (she/her) is a staff writer and social producer for PS. She writes across all verticals, but her main areas of expertise focus on fashion and beauty content with an emphasis on reviews and editor experiments. She also produces social content for the PS TikTok and Instagram accounts.
MAA Announces Increase to Quarterly Common Dividend
Following arguably the most dominant year of golf since Tiger Woods was in his prime, Scottie Scheffler received the PGA Tour Player of the Year award on Tuesday night. It's the third straight year Scheffler has won the honor, and the World No. 1 joins Woods as the only players to win the Jack Nicklaus Award three years in a row. The award is determined by a vote of PGA Tour members. According to a news release, Scheffler received 91 percent of the vote, with Xander Schauffele and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy the only other nominees. Scheffler, 28, was the first player to win seven official PGA Tour events in a calendar year since Tiger Woods in 2007. Those victories were at some of the most prestigious events on the schedule, against some of the most elite fields. He became the first player to go back-to-back at The Players Championship, won his second career major title at the Masters and earned his other five wins at signature events: the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the RBC Heritage, the Memorial Tournament, the Travelers Championship and the season-ending Tour Championship. Though not a tour event, Scheffler captured the Olympic gold medal for men's golf at the Paris Games. He also helped the United States defeat the International team at the Presidents Cup in Montreal. "Scottie took on challenges from the best players in the world on the biggest stages all season, and being honored as PGA Tour Player of the Year is the ultimate sign of respect from his peers," PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. --Field Level Media
Cornelious Brown IV throws 5 TD passes to lead Alabama A&M past Mississippi Valley State 49-35