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Contrasting Power Integrations (NASDAQ:POWI) & GlobalFoundries (NASDAQ:GFS)Job market jitters real for some mid-career Minnesotans and recent gradsFranklin Resources Inc. trimmed its holdings in Retail Opportunity Investments Corp. ( NASDAQ:ROIC – Free Report ) by 55.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 60,257 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 73,864 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc.’s holdings in Retail Opportunity Investments were worth $945,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its position in Retail Opportunity Investments by 1.3% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 6,107,593 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $96,072,000 after buying an additional 75,803 shares during the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Retail Opportunity Investments by 2.9% during the 2nd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 4,557,646 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $56,652,000 after acquiring an additional 127,799 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Retail Opportunity Investments by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,290,973 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $51,776,000 after acquiring an additional 24,421 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Retail Opportunity Investments by 3.8% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,347,118 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $36,920,000 after purchasing an additional 85,037 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in Retail Opportunity Investments by 2.2% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,834,124 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $22,798,000 after purchasing an additional 39,980 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.16% of the company’s stock. Retail Opportunity Investments Price Performance Shares of NASDAQ:ROIC opened at $17.35 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.23 billion, a PE ratio of 37.72 and a beta of 1.47. The company has a current ratio of 1.92, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. Retail Opportunity Investments Corp. has a 1-year low of $11.87 and a 1-year high of $17.52. The business’s 50 day moving average is $17.01 and its 200-day moving average is $15.32. Retail Opportunity Investments Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 10th. Investors of record on Friday, December 20th will be given a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.46%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 20th. Retail Opportunity Investments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 130.43%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Raymond James cut shares of Retail Opportunity Investments from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Retail Opportunity Investments from $17.00 to $17.50 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, November 8th. KeyCorp lowered Retail Opportunity Investments from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Robert W. Baird restated a “neutral” rating and set a $17.50 target price (up previously from $16.00) on shares of Retail Opportunity Investments in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on Retail Opportunity Investments in a report on Saturday. They set a “hold” rating for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and seven have issued a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Retail Opportunity Investments currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $16.17. Read Our Latest Stock Report on ROIC Retail Opportunity Investments Company Profile ( Free Report ) Retail Opportunity Investments Corp. (Nasdaq: ROIC), is a fully integrated, self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in the acquisition, ownership and management of grocery-anchored shopping centers located in densely populated, metropolitan markets across the West Coast. As of December 31, 2023, ROIC owned 94 shopping centers encompassing approximately 10.6 million square feet. Read More Five stocks we like better than Retail Opportunity Investments What is a Stock Market Index and How Do You Use Them? Buffett Takes the Bait; Berkshire Buys More Oxy in December Upcoming IPO Stock Lockup Period, Explained Top 3 ETFs to Hedge Against Inflation in 2025 What is Put Option Volume? These 3 Chip Stock Kings Are Still Buys for 2025 Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ROIC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Retail Opportunity Investments Corp. ( NASDAQ:ROIC – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Retail Opportunity Investments Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Retail Opportunity Investments and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Every morning, the staff at the Rotorua Blue Lake TOP 10 Holiday Park collect a bag of rubbish from the lakefront carpark. Rotorua Lakes Council removed the public bins from Blue Lake (Tikitapu) in March 2023 and said at the time it was to deter wasps and was on a trial basis. Now, the holiday park's operations manager, Kelsi Hira, said the council should take responsibility for the rubbish her team collects daily every morning and reinstate the bins. She believes the problem will get worse over summer. "We're taking it out of the water too." While the council said it removed the bins for a wasp problem and encouraged people to take home their rubbish, Hira believed it was because it did not want the expense of emptying the bins at the lake. She believed if it was really about waste minimisation and encouraging people to take their rubbish away then other places, such as the Rotorua lakefront, would not have bins either. Hira said the Blue Lake was arguably just as popular with visitors as the lakefront was but, in her view, the council did not take the same pride with Tikitapu. In her opinion: "It's 100 percent cost driven." She said the cost of cleaning up was falling on the holiday park because its bins were filled instead. "We let them ... better to go in a bin than the alternative. "Just annoying we pay for that." Waste that staff collected included takeout rubbish. Used nappies were another common find. It was embarrassing having people come to the area and see that, she said. "We are very aware of the privilege we have being in an area like this and what will happen to a lake like ours if it becomes polluted. "We want to respect the place we have got." She did not feel that the council was listening to her concerns when she made contact through social media. The council later told Local Democracy Reporting, that under its social media policy, people who have a problem to report need to contact its customer service team by phone or email so a request for service can be logged and "the matter can be resolved appropriately". Hira did not believe people would report seeing the uncollected rubbish to the council and so it would not have complaints. She wanted the bins to be reinstated, have more of them than before and for them to be serviced the same as at the town's lakefront. She did not think wasps would be an issue since the council had traps put up, as she had at the park. Council waste and climate change manager Craig Goodwin said there were 11 rubbish-related callouts in the past year. Five were from the public and the rest from staff and contractors in the area. Goodwin said the park had not contacted the council about its concerns but he would "be happy to discuss this with them if they wish". The council's expectation was for the public to take responsibility for their rubbish and where there were no bins to take it home with them or to transfer stations. "While it is not our expectation that people pick up others' rubbish in public spaces, we are very appreciative of those in the community who do help to keep our spaces and our local environment clean and tidy on a voluntary basis. "We work with people and groups that do this regularly and can provide the likes of bags and gloves." He said council staff and contractors in reserves, including Tikitapu, cleaned up when working. "These patrols increase during the summer months." Misuse of public litter bins has increased over the years, he said, including at the Blue Lake, with illegal dumping of household and business waste. "The removal of bins in popular reserves is becoming more common around New Zealand. "In Auckland, all regional parks operate on a 'take your rubbish with you' policy and it is our understanding this has worked well and is strongly supported by the public." Other areas in the district did not have bins and "rubbish is not an issue". These included Te Pūtake o Tawa, the Mountain Bike Hub near Tikitapu, "which is a destination hotspot with hundreds passing through each week". "We know that our community - and visitors to our district - place a high value on our lakes, forest and green spaces and in general care about the environment and keeping it looking great for generations to come." Questions unanswered included whether the impact on businesses was considered when the bins were removed and whether the impact on visitor perception was considered. The council also did not answer how often the bins were serviced before prior to removal or the cost. - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On AirHome Depot Inc. stock underperforms Monday when compared to competitorsThunder rout short-handed Grizzlies 130-106 for their 11th straight victory

How to Watch Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Games – Monday, December 30

GM to sell its stake in Michigan battery plant to LG Energy SolutionWASHINGTON (AP) — A lead organization monitoring for food crises around the world withdrew a new report this week warning of imminent famine in north Gaza under what it called Israel's “near-total blockade,” after the U.S. asked for its retraction, U.S. officials told The Associated Press. The move follows public criticism of the report from the U.S. ambassador to Israel. The rare public challenge from the Biden administration of the work of the U.S.-funded Famine Early Warning System, which is meant to reflect the data-driven analysis of unbiased experts, drew accusations from aid and human-rights figures of possible U.S. political interference. A finding of famine would be a public rebuke of Israel, which has insisted that its 15-month war in Gaza is aimed against the Hamas militant group and not against its civilian population. U.S. ambassador to Israel Jacob Lew earlier this week called the warning by the internationally recognized group inaccurate and “irresponsible ." Lew and the U.S. Agency for International Development, which funds the monitoring group, both said the findings failed to properly account for rapidly changing circumstances in north Gaza. Humanitarian and human rights officials expressed fear of U.S. political interference in the world's monitoring system for famines. The U.S. Embassy in Israel and the State Department declined comment. FEWS officials did not respond to questions. “We work day and night with the U.N. and our Israeli partners to meet humanitarian needs — which are great — and relying on inaccurate data is irresponsible,” Lew said Tuesday. USAID confirmed to the AP that it had asked the famine-monitoring organization to withdraw its stepped-up warning issued in a report dated Monday. The report did not appear among the top updates on the group's website Thursday, but the link to it remained active . The dispute points in part to the difficulty of assessing the extent of starvation in largely isolated northern Gaza. Thousands in recent weeks have fled an intensified Israeli military crackdown that aid groups say has allowed delivery of only a dozen trucks of food and water since roughly October. FEWS Net said in its withdrawn report that unless Israel changes its policy, it expects the number of people dying of starvation and related ailments in north Gaza to reach between two and 15 per day sometime between January and March. The internationally recognized mortality threshold for famine is two or more deaths a day per 10,000 people. FEWS was created by the U.S. development agency in the 1980s and is still funded by it. But it is intended to provide independent, neutral and data-driven assessments of hunger crises, including in war zones. Its findings help guide decisions on aid by the U.S. and other governments and agencies around the world. READ: A spokesman for Israel's foreign ministry, Oren Marmorstein, welcomed the U.S. ambassador's public challenge of the famine warning. “FEWS NET - Stop spreading these lies!” Marmorstein said on X . In challenging the findings publicly, the U.S. ambassador "leveraged his political power to undermine the work of this expert agency,” said Scott Paul, a senior manager at the Oxfam America humanitarian nonprofit. Paul stressed that he was not weighing in on the accuracy of the data or methodology of the report. “The whole point of creating FEWS is to have a group of experts make assessments about imminent famine that are untainted by political considerations,” said Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch and now a visiting professor in international affairs at Princeton University . “It sure looks like USAID is allowing political considerations -- the Biden administration’s worry about funding Israel’s starvation strategy -- to interfere." Israel says it has been operating in recent months against Hamas militants still active in northern Gaza. It says the vast majority of the area’s residents have fled and relocated to Gaza City, where most aid destined for the north is delivered. But some critics, including a former defense minister, have accused Israel of carrying out ethnic cleansing in Gaza’s far north, near the Israeli border. North Gaza has been one of the areas hardest-hit by fighting and Israel’s restrictions on aid throughout its war with Hamas militants. Global famine monitors and U.N. and U.S. officials have warned repeatedly of the imminent risk of malnutrition and deaths from starvation hitting famine levels. International officials say Israel last summer increased the amount of aid it was admitting there, under U.S. pressure. The U.S. and U.N. have said Gaza’s people as a whole need between 350 and 500 trucks a day of food and other vital needs. But the U.N. and aid groups say Israel recently has again blocked almost all aid to that part of Gaza. Cindy McCain , the American head of the U.N. World Food Program, called earlier this month for political pressure to get food flowing to Palestinians there. Israel says it places no restrictions on aid entering Gaza and that hundreds of truckloads of goods are piled up at Gaza’s crossings and accused international aid agencies of failing to deliver the supplies. The U.N. and other aid groups say Israeli restrictions, ongoing combat, looting and insufficient security by Israeli troops make it impossible to deliver aid effectively. Lew, the U.S. ambassador, said the famine warning was based on “outdated and inaccurate” data. He pointed to uncertainty over how many of the 65,000-75,000 people remaining in northern Gaza had fled in recent weeks, saying that skewed the findings. FEWS said in its report that its famine assessment holds even if as few as 10,000 people remain. USAID in its statement to AP said it had reviewed the report before it became public, and noted “discrepancies” in population estimates and some other data. The U.S. agency had asked the famine warning group to address those uncertainties and be clear in its final report to reflect how those uncertainties affected its predictions of famine, it said. “This was relayed before Ambassador Lew’s statement,” USAID said in a statement. “FEWS NET did not resolve any of these concerns and published in spite of these technical comments and a request for substantive engagement before publication. As such, USAID asked to retract the report.” Roth criticized the U.S. challenge of the report in light of the gravity of the crisis there. “This quibbling over the number of people desperate for food seems a politicized diversion from the fact that the Israeli government is blocking virtually all food from getting in,” he said, adding that “the Biden administration seems to be closing its eyes to that reality, but putting its head in the sand won’t feed anyone.” The U.S., Israel’s main backer, provided a record amount of military support in the first year of the war. At the same time, the Biden administration repeatedly urged Israel to allow more access to aid deliveries in Gaza overall, and warned that failing to do so could trigger U.S. restrictions on military support. The administration recently said Israel was making improvements and declined to carry out its threat of restrictions. Military support for Israel’s war in Gaza is politically charged in the U.S., with Republicans and some Democrats staunchly opposed any effort to limit U.S. support over the suffering of Palestinian civilians trapped in the conflict. The Biden administration’s reluctance to do more to press Israel for improved treatment of civilians undercut support for Democrats in last month’s elections. ___ Sam Mednick and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Profits from today's car sales fund the development of their replacements. Every car company's research and development team is tasked with planning and innovating for the future though the extent of those strides varies greatly. Mercedes-Benz is all-in on the future, and wasn't shy about showing off the innovations the company is working on. Many are likely to make their way into production in some form or another in the next decade, if even in small scale. "Innovation has always been the key driver for our core principles: safety, quality, comfort and design. It's part of our DNA," Eileen Böhme, director of strategy, innovations and future technologies research and development at Mercedes-Benz AG, told Newsweek during a presentation in Germany. "Leading technologies means iconic design, and this is what we've always done, and this is what we will always continue to do. Under the theme of progress, you will see innovation... It's innovation in a different manner, because we are not just talking about innovation and tech. We're talking about it in the surrounding of society and human needs. So, we will balance the new technology with the human needs and see how and how we match them in the end," she said. The automaker has spent close to €74 billion on research and development for its Cars and Vans devisions over the last decade, making it one of the highest spenders in the automotive industry. Results have yielded transitional car models and powertrains, but the biggest impact bits are yet to come. The company previewed many of them during a two-day, media-only technology presentation at the home of Mercedes R&D in Germany. A future Mercedes may not be solar powered, but it may be able to harvest a significant amount of energy from the sun to fulfill its daily driver needs, and more depending on its parked location. Here's how it works. Solar modules are applied to the bodywork of an electric vehicle in a process akin to applying a wafer-thin layer of paste. In its current form, it cannot be applied like the paints the company uses on its current vehicles. The modules are small, significantly thinner than a human hair, the company said. They weigh 50 grams per square meter. On an area of 118.4 square feet, about the surface of a mid-size sport utility vehicle, the solar cells could produce energy to propel a vehicle up to 7,456 miles per year. The average American travels 14,263 miles annually according to the Federal Highway Administration. With an efficiency of 20 percent the modules are about as efficient as a home's rooftop solar panels. They generate energy even when a vehicle is parked. When a car covered in the cells has reached the end of its life, the cells are, "easy to recycle." On top of that, they are, "considerably cheaper to produce than conventional solar modules," a Mercedes representative said. No need for a head-up display and no need to miss a text, email or Teams message. It sounds too good to be true, but it could be the future of Mercedes-Benz vehicles. In a decade, augmented reality glasses have gone from large, cumbersome headsets to technology fitting into thick frames akin to something Clark Kent would wear as a disguise. The technology is becoming increasingly applicable and less expensive as well. Taking the "Bring Your Own Device" (BYOD) approach, customers would be able to wear their AR glasses in their vehicle. When they were worn within a Mercedes model, they would adapt to the actions being performed, displaying driving and infotainment information, controllable via eye gaze, allowing a driver to never take their eyes off the road to look at an infotainment screen. Mercedes engineers told Newsweek that glasses in a form that would be compatible with the brand's vehicle are likely three years out based on what suppliers have told them.

President-elect Donald Trump proved he’s still a master troll this week with a talking about a US desire to seize the Panama Canal and Greenland and turn Canada into the 51st state. Panama apparently didn’t get the ‘joke’, with President Jose Raul Mulino taking to social media to emphasize that “every square meter” of the canal “belongs to Panama and will continue to belong to Panama.” “We’ll see about that!” Trump retorted. What’s the Canal’s Importance? Accounting for about of all global maritime trade, and (as much as 22 days) off trips between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, the Panama Canal has served as a key economic and strategic chokepoint for more than a century, spending most of that time under US control. Crossable by ship in just 8-10 hours, the 81.5 km long, 33-150 m wide mega canal earns Panama about $3.5 billion in transit fees. The canal was opened in 1914 after a decade of US-led, supervised and financed construction - costing the equivalent of over $15 bln in today’s money. The US gained control of the Panama Canal Zone as a concession in 1903 after recognizing Panama’s independence from Colombia, and jealously guarded it until 1999 – when it was transferred back to Panama in accordance with the terms of a 1979 treaty, reached partly thanks US fears of growing Soviet influence in Latin America. The US maintained the right to guard the canal in perpetuity. The canal has proven on global shipping that it led to the creation of its own class of massive bulk carriers – known as the Panamax – featuring a deadweight capacity of 60,000-80,000 tons. Whether he's joking or not, Trump isn’t the first Republican to criticize the 1979 treaty, with doing so on the campaign trail in 1976 and 1980, but dropping the idea soon after actually entering office. 05:25 GMT Could Trump Really Be Serious? Trump “was just making a joke” and there is no legal way for US to actually restore its control over the Panama Canal, veteran geopolitical affairs and trade policy expert Thomas Pauken II told Sputnik. Besides highlighting the “overreaction” to his gag by media and senior officials, Trump’s discussion of the canal is really designed to address the reported overcharging of US shippers, with his hardball threats aimed at seeing “those rates go down,” and addressing whether the US’s trade competitors, particularly China, are receiving any preferential treatment, Pauken said. “It's really a simple case of wanting to negotiate lower rates on shipping charges and then making a joke about how America may supposedly try to seize control of the Panama Control Canal and take charge of it. Of course, everybody who has any common sense, including people who are supposedly diplomats, media officials and even law experts, should know that Trump cannot take control of the Panama Canal if Panama refuses to allow that,” the observer stressed. The canal could become a hotspot for confrontation between China and the US, Pauken believes, but only “if Beijing and Washington choose to start and launch and spark trade wars” instead of sitting down and hammering out a “grand bargain” that both sides would find fair – like the Phase One Trade Agreement reached in late 2019. 05:05 GMTA look at how some of Trump's picks to lead health agencies could help carry out Kennedy's overhaul Donald Trump's health team picks include a retired congressman, a surgeon and a former talk-show host. All could play pivotal roles in fulfilling an agenda that could change how the government goes about safeguarding Americans’ health, from health care and medicines to food safety and science research. In line to be Trump's health secretary is anti-vaccine organizer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He says his task is to “reorganize” federal health agencies. They employ 80,000 scientists, researchers, doctors and other officials, and effect Americans’ daily lives. Trump raced to pick many Cabinet posts. He took more time to settle on a treasury secretary WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump launched a blitz of picks for his Cabinet, but he took his time settling on billionaire investor Scott Bessent as his choice for treasury secretary. The Republican not only wanted someone who jibes with him, but an official who can execute his economic vision and look straight out of central casting while doing so. With his Yale University education and pedigree trading for Soros Fund Management before establishing his own funds, Bessent will be tasked with a delicate balancing act. Trump expects him to help reset the global trade order, enable trillions of dollars in tax cuts, ensure inflation stays in check, manage a ballooning national debt and still keep the financial markets confident. Israeli strikes in central Beirut kill at least 20 as diplomats push for a cease-fire BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — Lebanese officials say Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 20 people and injured dozens in central Beirut, as the once-rare attacks on the heart of Lebanon’s capital continue without warning. Diplomats are scrambling to broker a cease-fire but say obstacles still remain. The current proposal calls for a two-month cease-fire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River. Lebanon’s Health Ministry says Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,500 people in Lebanon in the months of fighting that have turned into all-out war. Voters rejected historic election reforms across the US, despite more than $100M push JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Election reform advocates had hoped for a big year at the ballot box. That's because a historic number of states were considering initiatives for ranked choice voting or to end partisan primaries. Instead, voters dealt them big losses in the November elections. Voters in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and South Dakota all rejected proposed changes to their voting systems. In Alaska, a proposal to repeal ranked choice voting appears to have narrowly fallen short. The losses in many states came even though election reform supporters raised more than $100 million, easily outpacing opponents. Supporters say they aren't giving up but plan to retool their efforts. The week that upped the stakes of the Ukraine war KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — This past week has seen the most significant escalation in hostilities Ukraine has witnessed since Russia's full-scale invasion and marks a new chapter in the nearly three-year war. It began with U.S. President Joe Biden reversing a longstanding policy by granting Kyiv permission to deploy American longer-range missiles inside Russian territory and ended with Moscow striking Ukraine with a new experimental ballistic weapon that has alarmed the international community and heightened fears of further escalation. US reels from rain, snow as second round of bad weather approaches for Thanksgiving week WINDSOR, Calif. (AP) — The U.S. is reeling from snow and rain while preparing for another bout of bad weather ahead of Thanksgiving that could disrupt holiday travel. California is bracing for more snow and rain while still grappling with some flooding and small landslides from a previous storm. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for California's Sierra Nevada through Tuesday, with heavy snow expected at high elevations. Parts of the Northeast and Appalachia are also starting the weekend with heavy precipitation. Meanwhile thousands remain without power in the Seattle area after a “bomb cyclone” storm system roared ashore the West Coast earlier in the week, killing two people. Even with access to blockbuster obesity drugs, some people don't lose weight Most people taking popular drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy to lose weight have shed significant pounds. But obesity experts say that roughly 20% of patients — as many as 1 in 5 — may not see robust results with the new medications. The response to the drugs varies from person to person and can depend on genetics, hormones and differences in how the brain regulates energy. Undiagnosed medical conditions and some drugs can prevent weight loss. Experts say it can take experimentation to help so-called nonresponders find results. Fighting between armed sectarian groups in restive northwestern Pakistan kills at least 37 people PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A senior Pakistani police officer says fighting between armed sectarian groups in the country's restive northwest has killed at least 37 people. The overnight violence was the latest to rock Kurram, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and comes days after a deadly gun ambush killed 42 people. The officer said Saturday that armed men torched shops, houses and government property overnight. Gunfire is ongoing between rival tribes. Although Sunnis and Shiites generally live together peacefully in Pakistan, tensions remain in some areas, especially Kurram. Hydrate. Make lists. Leave yourself time. And other tips for reducing holiday travel stress Travel, especially during the holiday season, can be stressful. But following some tips from the pros as you prepare for a trip can make for a smoother, less anxious experience. One expert traveler suggests making a list a week before you go of things you need to do and pack. Cross off each item as you complete it during the week. Another tip is to carry your comfort zone with you. That could mean noise-canceling headphones, playlists meant to soothe airport travelers, entertainment and snacks from home. Carry a change of clothes and a phone charger in case of delays. Stay hydrated. Leave extra time. And know your airline's rules. Downloading the airline's app can help with that. Andy Murray will coach Novak Djokovic through the Australian Open Recently retired Andy Murray will team up with Novak Djokovic, working with him as a coach through the Australian Open in January. Murray’s representatives put out statements from both players on Saturday. Djokovic is a 24-time Grand Slam champion who has spent more weeks at No. 1 than any other player in tennis history. Murray won three major trophies and two Olympic singles gold medals who finished 2016 atop the ATP rankings. He retired as a player after the Paris Summer Games in August.Man Utd crash at Wolves, Man City held by Everton

Listen up, folks — we all know that is a great time to shop for TVs and tech items, and are certainly delivering on that promise. I recently needed to buy a new television and settled on a a relatively on Amazon Canada. It streams apps like Netflix and Disney+, has stunning visual quality, and best of all? Right now it's , which is more than 20 per cent off its retail price. TCL 43-Inch Class S4 4K LED Smart TV Given the low price, I had some doubts about it's quality — but I'm happy to report that this cost-effective TV is fantastic and has seriously improved our leisure time. Scroll onwards to read my full review of the and see if it's the right fit for your home. I also rounded up some of the other — just scroll to the bottom! Unbeatable value and excellent quality. The TV has 4K Ultra HD Resolution, Motion Rate 120 and HDR PRO that provides exceptional visual detail, improved motion clarity and enhanced contrast. It also has Dolby Atmos which provides an immersive, cinematic audio experience. For streaming, it has Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Spotify and dozens of other popular services as well as the ability to search and download less popular apps. It has three HDMI inputs for gaming and other needs, and has Alexa technology that let's you hold down the voice button and ask her to find and launch content. In terms of appearance, the TV has an edge-to-edge glass design that would look perfect in any setting. As mentioned, I'm not very tech-savvy, so I anticipated that I'd struggle — but I truly had no issues. It's extremely user-friendly to find what you're looking for and to start watching right away. It also has voice control technology, so you can ask it to launch programs for you when you don't feel like typing. The interface is also customizable and you can change the audio-visual options for the different streaming apps. The TV comes loaded with all of the most popular apps like Netflix, YouTube and more — and you can search and download more niche apps. For instance, my partner downloaded the Kanopy app so he can watch library-sourced documentaries and Armenian animations. As well, we found it easy to stream from our phones and laptops and cast it to the TV. TCL 43-Inch Class S4 4K LED Smart TV One of the first things we did was watch and the difference in visual quality between the TCL and our old TV was immediately noticeable. A few quotes from my fiancé: "Shit, that's crisp!" "I'm getting lost in Elijah Woods's blue eyes." "There's even enough brightness settings to make watchable." From taking the TV out of the box to getting it mounted on our wall and watching Netflix, the entire process took maybe 10 minutes. It likely would have taken us less than that but it took us a a bit to figure out how to attach it to our wall mount (entirely our own fault, not a negative to the TV at all). I was genuinely shocked at how light this TV is! Our old, non-smart TV weighs about 30 pounds. The TCL weighs under five pounds, which made it extremely easy to carry up the stairs to our apartment and subsequently hang on the mount we already owned. The only thing I dislike about this TV is the size, and that's my own fault for choosing a 43" instead of a 50." When doing the measurements, I made the error of measuring the width of the wall we would mount it on. From that I surmised I needed a 43" TV, but the way TVs are measured is across the diagonal. Because of my mistake, the television is a little too small for the area we have it in, but it's not the worst problem to have! The TV has a 4.1-star rating on Amazon Canada and has been bought more than 2,000 times in the last month. "The best budget TV I've ever owned," says one customer. "I would recommend it all day." TCL 43-Inch Class S4 4K LED Smart TV with Fire TV Another notes that they're "impressed with what this TV offers," particularly "at such an affordable price point." Others write that "the colours are rich and vibrant," it's "very easy to set up" and offers "unbeatable value." However, a few people say "the sound isn't the best" — I would agree that it's not exactly cinematic or comparable to what you'd get out of a sound bar, but the sound quality is not a concern at all for me. I am extremely pleased with the and would 100 per cent recommend buying it. In fact, I'm likely going to repurchase this TV in a bigger size now that it's on sale. I'm impressed with the quality of this device, it's weight and how easy it is to set up — and at the price of just $270 with Amazon Canada's Boxing Day sale, it doesn't break the bank, which is always a bonus. If you're on the hunt for an affordable TV that gives excellent performance, I'd definitely check it out! 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GM to sell its stake in Michigan battery plant to LG Energy SolutionAvior Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. ( NYSE:ELF – Free Report ) by 93.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,085 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,487 shares during the period. Avior Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in e.l.f. Beauty were worth $336,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ELF. Baillie Gifford & Co. lifted its stake in e.l.f. Beauty by 39.5% during the 3rd quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. now owns 5,305,692 shares of the company’s stock worth $578,480,000 after acquiring an additional 1,501,151 shares in the last quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of e.l.f. Beauty by 12.5% during the second quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 1,512,180 shares of the company’s stock worth $318,647,000 after purchasing an additional 168,267 shares in the last quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC boosted its stake in shares of e.l.f. Beauty by 84.4% in the second quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 1,259,644 shares of the company’s stock valued at $265,432,000 after purchasing an additional 576,383 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its holdings in shares of e.l.f. Beauty by 55.8% in the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 730,377 shares of the company’s stock valued at $79,633,000 after purchasing an additional 261,707 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Swedbank AB purchased a new stake in e.l.f. Beauty during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $76,321,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.44% of the company’s stock. Insider Transactions at e.l.f. Beauty In other news, CEO Tarang Amin sold 23,528 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $136.45, for a total transaction of $3,210,395.60. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 106,016 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,465,883.20. This represents a 18.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link . Insiders own 3.50% of the company’s stock. e.l.f. Beauty Price Performance e.l.f. Beauty ( NYSE:ELF – Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The company reported $0.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.43 by $0.34. The firm had revenue of $301.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $289.43 million. e.l.f. Beauty had a return on equity of 19.34% and a net margin of 8.87%. The business’s revenue was up 39.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.66 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. will post 2.8 EPS for the current year. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on shares of e.l.f. Beauty from $131.00 to $115.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. DA Davidson decreased their target price on e.l.f. Beauty from $223.00 to $170.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 7th. TD Cowen cut their price target on e.l.f. Beauty from $235.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, September 12th. Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their price objective on e.l.f. Beauty from $250.00 to $200.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of e.l.f. Beauty from $167.00 to $154.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, e.l.f. Beauty presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $173.53. View Our Latest Report on e.l.f. Beauty About e.l.f. Beauty ( Free Report ) e.l.f. Beauty, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides cosmetic and skin care products under the e.l.f. Cosmetics, e.l.f. Skin, Well People, and Keys Soulcare brand names worldwide. The company offers eye, lip, face, face, paw, and skin care products. It sells its products through national and international retailers and direct-to-consumer channels, which include e-commerce platforms in the United States, and internationally primarily through distributors. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ELF? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. ( NYSE:ELF – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for e.l.f. Beauty Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for e.l.f. Beauty and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Marxist Seminar Explores Similarities Between Old and New Fascism

It seemed like companies couldn’t hire information technology analysts fast enough in 2014 when Michael Deneen began his IT career. Job counts nationally soared in the 2010s and early 2020s, but then the market flattened and a profession that looked like it might grow uninterrupted started shedding jobs. Laid off twice this year from Minnesota IT jobs, Deneen said he’s found it hard to snag the next gig. “Before I could have three, four offers lined up and would have to choose between them,” the Columbia Heights man said. “It’s like I’m struggling to even get a foot in the door in places that I’m more than qualified for.” ADVERTISEMENT Even with the state’s relatively low 3.5 percen t unemployment rate, some mid-career Minnesotans and those just coming out of college are seeing a job market now that worries them. Recent layoffs at Cargill in the Twin Cities and last week’s announcement that Arctic Cat, the Minnesota snowmobile maker, will shutter its manufacturing operations next year in Thief River Falls and St. Cloud, have added to the anxiety. Analysts say Minnesota’s job market remains robust, but for some there’s a skills matchup problem as some sectors grow while others flatten or decline. “I’m not gonna lie, it’s been hard,” Deneen said of finding the next IT job. “I’ve had a lot of self-doubt now, like questioning is this really an industry I am good at? Is this something I should even be in anymore? I’m also 40. It’s like, I can’t really switch careers at this point.” Health care, government, leisure and hospitality and transportation are among the Minnesota sectors that continue to show strong job growth, according to state data. Other industries are growing slower, including construction and manufacturing. “We’ve heard from some folks that maybe it has taken a little longer than what they remember in the past if they were previously unemployed. Some individuals don’t say that at all,” said Sara Garbe, workforce development supervisor at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. “November and reaching December, we certainly see a slowdown of hiring and folks may mention things like that they’ve heard from recruiters that maybe a decision won’t be made until after the holidays or after the first or the last quarter of the year,” added Garbe, whose staff works with new job seekers and those in mid-career. For recent college grads who haven’t landed work, the holiday season can bring its own pressures. ADVERTISEMENT Raina Hofstede, 22, studied English at Harvard University. Since graduating in May and coming back to Minnesota, she said job prospects have been nearly nonexistent. “I feel kind of directionless in the time period that I’m waiting,” said Hofstede, who grew up in Coon Rapids. “I feel like I really want to plan. I’m at a point where, like, I’d love to get things moving.” She’s applied to post-undergrad internships and career-advancing work. She’s looking into publishing, creative writing spaces and museums and hopes a stint working in comedy clubs while at Harvard might intrigue an employer. The search and the uncertainty around it is a grind, she acknowledged. “I think, as time goes on, and this feels sad, but I think as time goes on, my belief in myself slowly drops a little bit more with more rejections, and so I feel like I’ll be applying to less and less competitive things as I move forward,” Hofstede said. ' Minnesota showed strong steady job growth coming out of the Great Recession in 2009, reaching nearly 3 million jobs by February 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic torpedoed that growth — the state lost more than 400,000 jobs, nearly 14 percent of its employment, in the span of a few months. Job counts didn’t return permanently to pre-pandemic levels until September last year. The current state and national unemployment rates are relatively low, although they have ticked up over the past year. Minnesota’s unemployment rate is lower than the U.S. unemployment rate at 4.2 percent. Based on the most recent data, Minnesota has six unemployed people for every 10 job openings where nationally there are nine unemployed people for every 10 openings. ADVERTISEMENT Knowing that doesn’t make it easier for those looking for work, waiting for answers from prospective employers. “It just kind of feels like they have no respect for a candidate or their time, or them as a person,” Deneen said of the current market. “It’s an entire game, and it shouldn’t be this way.” Garbe said technology is transforming job searches in ways that may make landing work more challenging for some in mid-career or just starting out. Companies are using automated systems or in some cases artificial intelligence systems to screen applicants before a human gets to them. She encourages job seekers to reach out to one of DEED’s more than 50 CareerForce offices across the state where analysts can review resumes or cover letters with job seekers and offer help with writing and strategy. They can also connect people to needed training or certifications. Garbe also suggests reflecting on what you’ve accomplished to boost your self-confidence if you get overwhelmed. Social media has become a resource for job seekers as they look. Groups on Reddit like r/StudentJobSearch have become a space for venting and advice with conversations about job searching and applications. LinkedIn is also seeing similar support groups, including two Deneen is in that focus on networking and project management. ADVERTISEMENT Hofstede said she’s found solace leaning on those around her who are going through these same experiences. She and a group of new graduates meet at their public library to sift through job postings and work on cover letters and resumes together. “Something of a little community of people who are unemployed and looking for jobs, and I like having the friends support,” she said. “It is harder to go through something uncertain like this alone.”NORMAL – Fourth down is a matter of confidence for Illinois State football coach Brock Spack. Spack’s green light on fourth down kept alive all five ISU touchdown drives Saturday as the No. 13-ranked Redbirds cemented its spot in the FCS playoffs with a 35-13 victory over North Dakota before a Hancock Stadium crowd of 5,631. ISU has won five straight games and stands at 9-3 overall and 6-2 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The 24-team FCS playoff bracket will be announced on ESPNU at 11:30 a.m. Sunday. The Redbirds converted 5 of 6 fourth downs and had another fourth down play turned into a first down by a North Dakota penalty. “I have a lot of confidence in this group. I didn’t have a lot of confidence the last couple years we could get short yardage plays,” said Spack. “Today, no brainer. We tell them if you want to go for it on fourth down you have to give us your very best. And we have to know we can count on you.” “I love it. I’m always looking to the sideline saying ‘let’s go, let’s go,’ ” quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse said. “He trusts us and we know he does. It feels good to have that trust in our head coach. He trusts us to make the plays out there.” Second quarter blues ISU managed a mere 38 second-quarter yards after piling up 145 in the opening 15 minutes as the Fighting Hawks repeatedly brought pressure on Rittenhouse. “We made some adjustments at halftime with some of our blocking schemes,” Spack said. “Some of it was just getting beat with your technique. We settled them down. I thought we played really well in the second half.” “I just tried to do my job a little better. I felt the first half was a little shaky for me,” said Rittenhouse. “Getting the running game going made my job a lot easier. It helped balance it out and took a little load off me.” Game-turning turnover North Dakota, which finished its season at 5-7 and 2-6 in the Valley, trailed 14-10 at halftime but had reeled off moving-the-pile runs of 18, 11 and 13 yards on a potential lead-changing third quarter drive. Illinois State's Keondre Jackson celebrates after forcing and recovering a North Dakota fumble Saturday at Hancock Stadium. But ISU safety Keondre Jackson stripped the football from Sawyer Seidl and recovered the loose ball. “Just trying to make a play,” said Jackson. “They wanted to keep standing up all day long so I’m going to take the ball. You feel the ball, rip it out and get on top of it.” Safeties Jackson and Dillon Gearhart excelled in what was likely their final game at Hancock Stadium. Jackson had nine tackles and two forced fumbles, while Gearhart registered seven tackles and one tackle for loss. The Redbirds also halted a second-quarter Hawks’ march with a Paul Omodia interception. Wright reaches 1,000 ISU tailback Wenkers Wright rushed for 118 yards and touchdowns of 10 and 18 yards on 21 carries to surpass the 1,000-yard mark for the season and land on 1,035. “The guys he was reading were making sure Tommy doesn’t run. That means I can run the ball,” Wright said of Rittenhouse. “That really opened it up, and I was able to get that 1,000 yards at home in front of friends and family in my own stadium. So that was just amazing.” Illinois State tailback Wenkers Wright breaks loose for yardage Saturday at Hancock Stadium. Wright has given the Redbirds a bellcow tailback after the team lost leading returning rusher Mason King to a season-ending injury in the opening game. “I’m really proud of him. He’s as good of a student and as good of a person as we have,” said Spack. “He knows his role and will do whatever is asked of him. He’s meant a lot to our team. The players love him and we all love him.” Early trickery ISU struck for the first touchdown at the 10:19 mark of the first quarter when Eddie Kasper took a pitch on an apparent reverse but launched an on-target pass to Xavier Loyd for a 30-yard score. Illinois State receiver Xavier Loyd hauls in a 30-yard touchdown pass from receiver Eddie Kasper on Saturday at Hancock Stadium. Loyd finished with 121 yards on eight receptions as Rittenhouse completed 21 of 33 for 187 yards. Eash honored ISU recognized retiring Illinois Wesleyan coach Norm Eash on the field during a third-quarter timeout on his 38-year career as coach of the Titans. Follow Randy Reinhardt on Twitter: @Pg_Reinhardt Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sports Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

Diamcor Mining (CVE:DMI) Shares Down 16.7% – Should You Sell?PLANNING BOARD PUBLIC HEARING The Planning Board will meet on Thursday, December 5 at 6 p.m. and the following applications will be heard. If you cannot make the meeting in person, it will be broadcast live on Manchester Public Television, Channel 22 . The agenda is available online . CU2024-025: 1279 South Willow Street, General Business District, Ward 9 Continuation of a public hearing that began on Thursday, November 7. Applicant has submitted a conditional use permit application for the reduction in the required on-site parking associated with the Charitable Gaming Facility redevelopment. SP2024-019: 1279 South Willow Street, General Business District, Ward 9 Continuation of a public hearing that began on Thursday, November 7. Applicant has submitted a site plan application for the redevelopment of three lots into a single lot or record for a proposed 63,175 square foot Charitable Gaming Facility with the associated site improvements. S2024-009: Salem Street (Tax Map 449, Lot 19A), Residential One Family High Density District, Ward 10 Applicant has submitted a subdivision application for an existing 17,933 sq. ft. lot of record into two new buildable lots. CU2024-026: 1 Bouchard Street, General Industrial / Industrial Park District, Ward 8 Applicant has submitted a conditional use permit application for a reduction in required parking for a temporary Harley Davidson Dealership. SP2024-020: 1 Bouchard Street, General Industrial / Industrial Park District, Ward 8 Applicant has submitted a site plan application for a temporary Manchester Harley Davidson Dealership. CU2024-027: 302 Lake Avenue, Urban Multifamily District, Ward 5 Applicant has submitted a conditional use permit application to expand the use of a convenience store through the addition of a 1,632 SF storage basement. CU2024-028: 302 Lake Avenue, Urban Multifamily District, Ward 5 Applicant has submitted a conditional use permit application for a reduction in required parking from 17 spaces required to 7 provided in conjunction with a proposed expansion of a convenience store. SP-15-2013 & SP-17-2016: 270 Granite Street, General Business District, Ward 10 Applicant has requested a compliance hearing for a previously approved site plan to address proposed changes to building signage. SP2023-011: 324 Hanover Street, Urban Multifamily District, Ward 4 Applicant has requested a one-year extension request to a previously granted site plan approval. SP2024-021: 915 Holt Avenue, General Industrial / Industrial Park District, Ward 6 Applicant has submitted a site plan application for the use of a tow lot. PLANNING BOARD LIMITED BUSINESS MEETING The following applications will be discussed during a limited business meeting: CU2024-025 & SP2024-019: 1279 South Willow Street S2024-009: Salem Street (Tax Map 449, Lot 19A) CU2024-026 & SP2024-020: 1 Bouchard Street CU2024-027 & CU2024-028: 302 Lake Avenue SP-15-2013 & SP-17-2016: 270 Granite Street SP2024-021: 915 Holt Avenue PLANNING BOARD UPDATES The Planning Board met on Thursday, November 21 and the following applications were decided. If you missed the meeting, it is available on-demand via Manchester Public Television. S2024-010: 167 Union Street, Application approved. PDSP2024-001 Amendment: 800 & 830 Harvey Road, Application approved. PDSP2024-003: 571 Holt Avenue, Application approved.

Eagles WR DeVonta Smith (hamstring) ruled out vs. RamsSCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Even when Penn State quarterback Drew Allar gets some praise, it’s usually a backhanded compliment. They say he’s a good game manager and stays within himself, or that he doesn’t try to do too much. They mention he might not be flashy, but he gives the team a chance to win. And here’s the thing about Penn State since Allar stepped under center: The Nittany Lions have won games. A lot of them. Sometimes that’s hard to remember considering the lukewarm reception he often gets from fans. “I get it — we have a really passionate fan base and they’re a huge part of our success,” Allar said Sunday at media day. “For us, we always want to go out there every drive and end with a touchdown, so when we don’t do that, there’s nobody more frustrated than us.” The polarizing Allar is having a solid season by just about any standard, completing more than 68% of his passes for 3,021 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions while leading the sixth-seeded Nittany Lions to a 12-2 record and a spot in the Fiesta Bowl for Tuesday’s game against No. 3 seed Boise State. But in a college football world filled with high-scoring, explosive offenses, Allar’s no-frills performances often are the object of ire. , led by the talented combo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. “If we had a nickel for every time there was a Monday morning quarterback saying some BS stuff, we’d all be pretty rich,” offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki said. “I think part of being a quarterback, especially at Penn State but really anywhere, is how you respond to and manage criticism.” The 20-year-old Allar has made strides in that department after a trying 2023 season that finished with a 10-3 record. He says that’s largely because once fall camp started back in August, he logged off the social media platform X. Allar said negative online experiences wore on him last year, and his phone number was leaked a few times, which added to the stress. He finally realized that controlling outside narratives was impossible, so the best course of action was to eliminate a needless distraction. “I’ve been more mentally free, as much as that sounds crazy,” Allar said. “I think that’s been a huge difference for me this year.” The biggest criticism of Allar — and really Penn State as a whole during the 11-year James Franklin era — is that he isn’t capable of winning the big games. He’s 0-2 against rival Ohio State and threw a late interception against Oregon in the Big Ten title game earlier this month, . He wasn’t great in the CFP’s first round, either, completing just 13 of 22 passes for 127 yards as Penn State to advance to the Fiesta Bowl. But the quarterback is confident a better performance — aided by a game that will be played in comfortable temperatures in a domed stadium — is coming. “For me, I just have to execute those (easy) throws early in the game and get our guys into rhythm,” Allar said. “Get them involved early as much as I can and that allows us to stay on the field longer, call more plays and open up our offense more. That will help us a ton, building the momentum throughout the game.” Allar might be a favorite punching bag for a section of the Penn State fan base, but that’s not the case in his own locker room. Star tight end Tyler Warren praised his quarterback’s ability to avoid sacks, saying that the 6-foot-5, 238-pounder brings a toughness that resonates with teammates. “He’s a football player,” Warren said. “He plays quarterback, but when you watch him play and the energy he brings and the way he runs the ball, he’s just a football player and that fires up our offense.” Now Allar and Penn State have a chance to silence critics who say that the Nittany Lions don’t show up in big games. Not that he’s worried about what other people think. “I think it’s a skill at the end of the day — blocking out the outside noise,” Allar said. “Focusing on you and the process and being honest with yourself, both good and bad.” ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up . AP college football: and