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New Lewis County GOP Chair eyes unification within partyFrom Okwe Obi, Abuja The Health of Mother Earth Foundation has said the proposed $300bn by the United Nations to tackle climate change and carbon emission health challenges in Nigeria and Africa by 2035 would not be enough due to the exchange rate. The foundation lambasted the UN over the outcome of the Conference of Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which took place in Baku, Azerbaijan, stating that the meeting failed to address the country’s climate change challenges. Its Executive Director, Nimmo Bassey, at a press briefing in Abuja, said: “When the COP deferred the date for providing needed funds to 2035, there doesn’t appear to be any consideration of the scale of the climate disasters that the world may be facing then. It has also been estimated that the $300 billion would be worth just $175 billion by then using current inflationary trend.” He claimed that the conference failed on the finance note, adding that the finance COP was shy of mentioning how much the rich polluting nations would contribute to help vulnerable nations adapt and build resilience to the scourge. According to Bassey, the conference’s core justice basis, which is the Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR), required that rich and highly polluting nations who contributed to the stock of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere must own up to their historical responsibility, cut emissions at source, and provide finance to help vulnerable nations like Nigeria that have not contributed to the problem at any significant level. He claimed that the principle was essentially turned on its head when the Copenhagen Accord outcome of COP15, held in December 2009, signalled the ascendancy of voluntary emissions reduction by every nation — polluters and non-polluters. In addition, he argued that COP 29 came up with a miserly $300 billion which would come into effect in 2035, stating that the COP ignored the call of vulnerable nations and global civil society and Indigenous peoples for rich and historically responsible nations to pay up and to do so in trillions, not billions. He pointed out that when the COP deferred the date for providing needed funds to 2035, there did not appear to be any consideration of the scale of the climate disasters that the world may be facing then. To this end, he called for community-led solutions to halt pollution at the source and ensure sovereignty of peoples over their forests, water bodies, and general territories. “We demand the recognition by rich, polluting and industrialised nations, of a climate and ecological debt they owe and payment of same. “This debt is estimated at an annual rate of $5-8 trillion, and its payment will end the squabbles over climate finances whose targets are set but are never pursued or met. “We call for an end to false solutions and demand the halting of emissions at source by urgently phasing out fossil fuels. Communities and nations that have kept fossil fuels in the ground should be recognised as climate champions and duly compensated for such actions. “The people of Yasuni in Ecuador, Ogoni in Nigeria, Lofoten in Norway and others have shown the way. “We demand an urgent clean-up of areas polluted by fossil fuel exploitation and provision of clean renewable energy to energy-poor communities. “Nigeria and other African countries should place a ban on geoengineering experimentations, including solar radiation management, ocean fertilisation, rock weathering and others. “We denounce false solutions and market-based mechanisms that include carbon offset schemes, carbon removals and others. “The energy and other transitions must promote human rights and be inclusive of gender-responsive efforts with communities duly integrated in the decision-making processes. “Countries who do not support fossil fuels phase-out should be barred from hosting the COP, and polluters should not be kept out of the COP,” he suggested.Digital marketing in high gear to increase tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka
AP Mandates Modern Fire Safety Equipment for all SkyscrapersSports on TV Monday, Dec. 16
Theater kids have been singing during screenings of Wicked , and AMC isn’t having it. With the movie adaptation of the hit Broadway musical—starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande—set to appear in theaters across the U.S. on Friday, the movie theater chain is planning to air a 30-second ad ahead of screenings that implores attendees not to belt out the show’s immensely catchy numbers, Vulture reported . And yes, that even includes “Popular.” Some attendees of early screenings for the flick told The New York Times they were put off by their fellow audience members’ blatant disregard for movie theater norms. “It started slow. Then people heard each other—it was like they encouraged each other,” attendee Angela Weir told the Times . “It was a beautiful scene, and then you’re taken out of it.” But those with the irresistible inclination to join Grande, Erivo, and the rest of the cast need not fret too much. About 1,000 North American cinemas will host special sing-along showings of Wicked beginning after Christmas, Variety reported earlier this week. Former Rep. Mike Rogers is no longer under consideration to lead the FBI, a senior Donald Trump adviser said Friday. “Just spoke to President Trump regarding Mike Rogers going to the FBI. It’s not happening—In his own words, ‘I have never even given it a thought.’ Not happening," Dan Scavino, who will serve as deputy chief of staff in the incoming administration, posted on X . Sources told Fox News that Rogers, who lost his Senate race in Michigan earlier this month, visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago to discuss leading the law enforcement agency. During his first administration, Trump appointed Christopher Wray for the 10-year term but has repeatedly criticized him since then and said on the campaign trail that he wants to fire Wray. Rogers, who once served as an FBI officer and was on the House Intelligence Committee for four years, was also floated for the job in 2016. Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. The pursuit of youth has long plagued our world. Many modern-day consumers go to great lengths to reduce the ravages of aging—Botox, plastic surgery, weird vampire facials, you name it. And while some products do show promise of slowing down aging, nothing can reverse time. However, effective products like the FDA-cleared (and derm-approved) Omnilux Contour Face can help reduce wear and tear. When I first saw the Omnilux Contour Face , it terrified me. Not only does it look like a mask a serial killer might wear, but LED light therapy was something I had never heard of until recently, and, frankly, I was pretty skeptical of it. But as someone who tires of trying one-trick products that often don’t deliver on their sky-high promises, I wanted to see if the device actually lived up to its incredible reviews . Free Returns | Free Shipping While the mask is a bit cumbersome at first, once you get it fitted and light it up, the magic begins working over a quick 10-minute period. As recommended, I used the Omnilux Contour Face at least three times a week and up to five times a week and noticed a slightly more contoured jawline and general smoothness after about two weeks of consistent use. While $395 may seem like a lot for an at-home face mask, once I did the math, I realized I spend much more on facials, creams, and dermatologist visits over time, I figured splurging on this light therapy mask could potentially save me some money in my beauty-maintenance fund, and it’s much cheaper than injectables like Botox and filler and other in-office procedures. Fortunately, right now, you don’t have to pay full price. Omnilux is offering a sitewide sale ahead of Black Friday next week. Score $60 off on one device with the code SAVE60, $140 off two devices with the code SAVE140 and $240 off when you buy three devices. Read my full review of Omnilux’s Contour device. Click Here > While Baby Boomers say a person has to earn around $100,000 a year to be “financially successful,” members of Generation Z say they would need to make almost six times that figure—$587,800—to fit the label, Axios reported based on a September survey by Empower. Gen Z is truly in a league of its own—Generation X put the figure at $212,300, while for Millennials it was a bit lower, at $180,900. Across all generations, the average was $270,200. Despite their lofty ideal of financial success, 71 percent of Gen Z still said they thought they would achieve financial success in their lifetime, which was more than any other generational group. Boomers, who reportedly control over half of all American wealth, could actually end up helping Gen Z achieve their goal. Over the next few decades, as much as $50 trillion could flow from the older generation to younger ones in the form of inheritances—although experts also warn that it could also end up being spent on health-care costs for the aging Boomers. Morning Joe star Mika Brzezinski announced Friday she’s leaving Twitter, encouraging her followers to listen to her appearance on The Daily Beast Podcast as she headed for the exit. “I’ve decided to leave X, but I’d love to keep the conversation going. Join me on BlueSky !” the MSNBC host wrote in her presumably final post on Elon Musk ’s platform. Brzezinski’s penultimate post promoted her Daily Beast Podcast episode, in which she spoke about why she visited Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago after his election victory. The personal visit, which Brzezinski made with her husband and co-host Joe Scarborough, set off a furious backlash —and an exodus of viewers —over what some saw as a capitulation to the president-elect after years of denouncing him. “We heard from many of you wanting to let us know that it was the right thing to do, our jobs,” Brzezinski said as she introduced the footage Friday. “We’ve also faced a lot of criticism about the meeting, largely from folks online.” On the podcast, Brzezinski told co-hosts Joanna Coles and Samantha Bee that one of the reasons she and Scarborough went to Mar-a-Lago is that “people are really scared about Donald Trump’s comments about political adversaries.” She added that while she doesn’t “regret anything” she said during the campaign, she is nevertheless “looking at how to do things differently.” “I would never turn down an opportunity to gain insight or information,” Brzezinski added. “Never.” Watch the full podcast interview below. New episodes of The Daily Beast Podcast drop every Thursday. Like and download on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , YouTube , or your favorite podcast app. And click here for email updates as each episode debuts. A quality wig should make you feel confident. That means it has to look good, feel good, and stay put all day. After a decade, Luvme Hair has refined its products to hit each of those marks. They believe comfort is key when you want to own your look. That starts with 100% human hair and the signature minimalist lace designed to be completely unlockable so no one will ever know you’re wearing a wig. The finishing touch is the AiryFitTM collection’s breathable caps made from skin-friendly materials for long-term wearability. The current stand-out is the Effortless Water Wave . 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With his court order, Judge Juan Merchan indefinitely postponed the hearing that was scheduled to take place next week, allowing Trump’s legal team time to submit their motions for dismissal of the hush money case by December 2. After that, the District Attorney’s office will have a week to deliver its response. On Tuesday, prosecutors signaled that they were fine to give Trump’s attorneys more time to get their argument together, but would oppose any attempts to toss the case. Still, given that Trump is about to assume ultimate pardon power, it now seems unlikely that any consequences will follow from the May conviction. “Just as a sitting President is completely immune from any criminal process,” Todd Blanche, a Trump lawyer poised to join his client’s Justice Department, argued to Merchan in a letter, per NBC , “so too is President Trump as President-elect.” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), a MAGA darling and three letter initialism-haver, is poised to lead a new House Oversight Committee Subcommittee that will work with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy ’s ‘DOGE’ commission to “eliminate government waste.” Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), a progressive darling and fellow three letter initialism-haver, is fine with that. “This is good, actually,” AOC tweeted Thursday. “She barely shows up and doesn’t do the reading.” She then likened giving MTG the job to “giving someone an unplugged controller.” Earlier this month, President-elect Donald Trump anointed MAGA entrepreneurs Musk and Ramaswamy as the co-leaders of his planned Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is not a government department but a commission that will table recommendations for how to take a chainsaw to U.S. Federal spending—Musk has mused about up to $2 trillion in cuts. “Absolutely dying at those two now getting assigned the ‘privilege’ of ‘working’ with MTG,” added AOC. “That is actually hilarious. Enjoy, fellas!” This is good, actually. She barely shows up and doesn’t do the reading. To borrow a phrase I saw elsewhere, it’s like giving someone an unplugged controller. https://t.co/cgu6B4IAYV If Matt Gaetz ’s stamp of approval still holds any weight on Capitol Hill after his scandal-ridden attorney general nomination went up in flames Thursday, then president-elect Donald Trump’s new pick for the role, former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi , is headed in the right direction. Bondi “is a stellar selection,” Gaetz wrote in a post on X Thursday. “Pam and I worked closely together when she was Florida’s Attorney General and I chaired Criminal Justice in the state house. She’s a proven litigator, an inspiring leader and a champion for all Americans. She will bring the needed reforms to DOJ.” Bondi has been just as candid a Trump supporter as Gaetz, having spoken at his rallies and attended sessions of of New York criminal trial. She was also a defense lawyer during Trump’s first impeachment trial. Like Gaetz and other cabinet nominees Pete Hegseth and Sean Duffy, Bondi has also appeared frequently on Fox News to defend Trump’s record. . @PamBondi is a stellar selection by President Trump for Attorney General. Pam and I worked closely together when she was Florida’s Attorney General and I chaired Criminal Justice in the state house. She’s a proven litigator, an inspiring leader and a champion for all... https://t.co/K86sK7WkPf Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) reached an 11th hour deal with congressional Republicans to quickly confirm more judges to lower federal court positions—in exchange for not moving forward with four nominations to federal appellate court positions. The deal will see the Senate consider seven judges for lower court appointments the week after Thanksgiving, while another six are put on the executive calendar for consideration later in December. Although Democrats control the chamber until January, President-elect Donald Trump called on congressional Republicans to block all appointments until his inauguration. Republicans in the Senate succeeded in delaying Wednesday’s confirmation proceedings out until after midnight, prompting Schumer to strike a deal that he defended from criticism. “The trade was four circuit nominees—all lacking the votes to get confirmed—for more than triple the number of additional judges moving forward,” a spokesperson for the Democratic leader told Politico . Democrats have approved 221 judges to the federal bench since President Joe Biden took office, and Schumer’s deal could get Democrats close to matching Trump’s total of 234 confirmed judges during his first term in office. Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. Made In Cookware is known for quality kitchen tools that look as good as they perform. 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Designed in the UK, these dishes are classically English and have a one-year no-chip guarantee. If you refresh your cabinets with these today, you’ll also receive a free Glass Wine Set. Free Shipping Alex Jones on Thursday called Matt Gaetz “quite the stud” after a new allegation of sexual assault emerged against the former congressman. Gaetz, who had been picked by Donald Trump as his nominee for attorney general, withdrew his name from contention after he was contacted for comment on the CNN report about the alleged crime. In it, the same woman who said she had sex with Gaetz when she was 17 revealed that she had an additional underage encounter with Gaetz, involving another, adult woman. Jones, a far-right pundit and conspiracy theorist, took the news of the new criminal accusation as a chance to praise Gaetz for his sexual prowess. “I treat women super nice,” Jones explained to viewers of his show Infowars. “So does Trump. Women love me. And so, I mean, I know what’s happening to Gaetz.” Jones suggested that the allegations against Gaetz were being blown out of proportion, claiming that the victims, who were “super gorgeous,” surely thought Gaetz was “so nice.” “People are like, damn, Matt Gaetz is quite the stud,” Jones said, adding: “That’s it, we’re really bad people, we like women.” Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey Jr. conceded his re-election campaign to his Republican rival, Dave McCormick, ending his recount efforts and confirming the GOP’s new Senate majority of 53-47. The Senate race was called by the Associated Press on Election Night, but McCormick’s slim margin of victory automatically triggered a recount. By Thursday, Casey was behind McCormick by about 16,500 votes, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported—a lead that the Democrat could not overcome after Pennsylvania courts decided against counting undated ballots. In a message posted on social media, Casey thanked election officials for their work in the recount effort. “This race was one of the closest in our commonwealth’s history, decided by less than a quarter of a point,” he said. Casey, the son of former Pennsylvania Gov. Bob Casey Sr., was running for his fourth term representing the Keystone State in the Senate. “I want to thank the people of Pennsylvania for granting me the privilege of serving them for 28 consecutive years in public office as auditor general, state treasurer, and United States senator,” the outgoing Senator said. “Thank you for the trust you’ve placed in me through all these years. It’s been the honor of my lifetime.” McCormick, a former hedge fund CEO, thanked Casey for his “decades of service, hard work, and personal sacrifice” in a statement posted on social media. During my time in office, I have been guided by an inscription on the Finance Building in Harrisburg: “All public service is a trust, given in faith and accepted in honor.” Thank you for your trust in me for all these years, Pennsylvania. It has been the honor of my lifetime. pic.twitter.com/RSXEFwdge8
The competition for wearable tech is heating up. The Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3 are getting a new mixed-reality headset rival, CNN reported on Friday. Google and Samsung are collaborating on an original piece of headgear and a new Android XR operating system that will contend with devices previously released by Apple Inc. and Meta Platforms. Code named Project Moohan (or “infinity” in Korean), the headset will hit the market sometime next year. However, the price has not yet been revealed. In terms of capabilities, the headset will show locations in detail through Google Maps. Plus, users can watch videos via YouTube and take advantage of its trip planning capabilities with the help of Google’s AI chatbot, Gemini. At the same time the mixed-reality headset was announced, the companies also introduced a new Android XR operating system, which will power future Samsung-built wearable devices including the forthcoming headset and even smart glasses. “We are at an inflection point for the XR, where breakthroughs in multimodal AI enable natural and intuitive ways to use technology in your everyday life,” Sameer Samat, president of Android Ecosystem at Google, said in a press statement . “We’re thrilled to partner with Samsung to build a new ecosystem with Android XR, transforming computing for everyone on next-generation devices like headsets, glasses, and beyond.” Since Apple released its Vision Pro earlier this year, the $3,499 headset has struggled to meet demand after users claimed it was uncomfortable to wear and were disappointed with its features. In response, the tech giant has reportedly slowed down production of the headset and could stop making the current version Vision Pro altogether in favor of a cheaper alternative. In the meantime, news broke that Apple might be moving on to smart eyewear next after Meta previously released its own Ray-Ban smart specs. While nothing has been officially confirmed, Apple was allegedly workshopping the idea and testing products among its employees as it often does to better understand the current market. In addition to Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses, its CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled a prototype of the company’s first AR eyewear dubbed Orion during a conference in September, calling them “the most advanced glasses the world has ever seen.” Though, they’re not expected to be released to the public until at least 2027.KINGSPORT — Tennessee’s unemployment rate saw a two-tenths of a percentage point increase from October, according to a release from the state. Data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development showed that Tennessee employers added 56,000 nonfarm jobs over the past year. Between October and November 2024, nonfarm employment increased by 6,300 jobs. The health care and social assistance sectors made up the biggest gains, followed by the professional, scientific, technical services and local government sectors, the release states. Unemployment rates The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for November was 3.5%, consistent with November 2023’s rate as well. Despite an increase in the unemployment rate over the past month, Tennessee’s rate is still considered seven-tenths of a percentage point below the national rate of 4.2%. This year had three consecutive months with a record-low unemployment rate of 3% for Tennessee, the release states. Unemployment rate data broken down by county will be released by the state of Tennessee at 2:30 EST on Dec. 26. To see TDLWD’s analysis of the November 2024 unemployment data, visit https://www.tn.gov/content/tn/workforce/general-resources/major-publications0/major-publications-redirect/public-reports-redirect/economic-analysis.html .
BEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents' stunning march across Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the suburbs of the capital and that government forces had withdrawn from the central city of Homs. The government was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The loss of Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Assad. It stands at an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus — the Syrian leader’s base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base. The pro-government Sham FM reported that government forces took positions outside Syria’s third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it. The capture of Homs is a major victory for insurgents, who have already seized the cities of Aleppo and Hama , as well as large parts of the south, in a lightning offensive that began Nov. 27. Analysts said Homs falling into rebel hands would be a game-changer. The rebels' moves around Damascus, reported by the monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad's government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. For the first time in the country's long-running civil war, the government now has control of only three of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Latakia and Tartus. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad's chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria's border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that Assad left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine . Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad's forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a U.N. resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. No details were immediately available. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hard-line officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama , the country’s fourth largest city. Opposition activists said Saturday that a day earlier, insurgents entered Palmyra, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra including the main Baath City, activists said. Syrian Observatory said government troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces. The Syrian army said in a statement that it carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists." The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar's top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria and Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report.
TEHRAN – Wendy Sherman, the chief U.S. negotiator for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), recently shared her perspective on the Iran nuclear agreement and the shifting geopolitical landscape during an interview with Richard Dearlove, the former head of MI6, on the One Decision Podcast. "We're in a really bad place," remarked Sherman, who served as the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State from 2021 to 2023, reflecting on the current intricacies regarding potential nuclear negotiations between Iran and the West. Sherman highlighted the advanced monitoring technology implemented under the agreement, explaining that this technology provided an early warning system to detect any deviations from the agreed terms. "For instance, uranium accounting allowed for the monitoring of uranium from extraction to processing, ensuring that the output matched the input.” She emphasized the collaborative efforts with the European Union, Russia, and China to secure the nuclear deal in 2015. However, she noted that the situation deteriorated after Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from the deal in 2018. "Since then, Iran has increased its uranium enrichment to 60 percent and could potentially reach 90 percent, sufficient for a nuclear weapon, within a short period," she claimed. The former diplomat also mentioned a recent meeting between the E3 (the UK, France, and Germany) and Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran's deputy foreign minister, to discuss the possibility of resuming negotiations. Sherman, who claims she spent extensive time negotiating with Takht-Ravanchi and current Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in the past, expressed her familiarity with these key officials. She pointed out that the JCPOA includes a provision for a snapback mechanism in October 2025, which could reimpose UN sanctions on Iran if the deal is not upheld. "This creates pressure to reach a new agreement before the deadline," Sherman claimed. Sherman acknowledged the difficulties in forging a new deal, particularly due to the wider issues at hand, including Iran's support for the Resistance across West Asia. According to Sherman, any negotiation would likely involve trade-offs. "Iran could say, well, we'll give a little less money to Hezbollah, but we want the ability to do more on the enrichment side on our nuclear," she claimed. She also expressed concern about the potential consequences of another round of conflict between Iran and the Israeli regime. Revealing the U.S.'s hypocritical complicity in the Israeli regime's mass murder in Gaza and Lebanon, she said: "It's very difficult to withhold weapons from Israel," adding that the U.S. has "an alliance with and a commitment" to the regime. "It was very difficult for the Biden Administration to do other than they did. But I wish we had used some leverage to increase the humanitarian access," the diplomat claimed. At an event at the Institute for National Security Studies in 2016, Sherman said that she considers herself "a part of the American Jewish community," additionally describing the Israeli regime as "beloved."
Jimmy Carter: A brief bio
$HAREHOLDER INVESTIGATION: The M&A Class Action Firm Continues to Investigate the Mergers of RKDA, ENLC, and SKGRFuture of Aluminum Railing Market: Analysis and Leadership by Snap Tight Aluminum Railing, VistaPRO, Ultra Aluminium, Digger Specialties, Alumiguard MFG, Regal ideas, CPL Aluminium Railings & Glass, Alumarail ManufacturingSierra K-8 School has been selected by Samsung Electronics America as a state finalists in the 15th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow national STEM competition. Sierra, at 5801 S. Del Moral Rd., in the Sunnyside Unified School District , is one of 300 public middle and high schools representing all 50 states. It is one of six schools representing Arizona in the national STEM competition. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Each state finalist school receives a $2,500 Samsung technology prize package. State finalists compete for one of three Solve for Tomorrow national awards. The national prize awards each winner $100,000. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox.
On Nov. 20, Nvidia reported financial results for its fiscal 2025 third quarter, showing stunning 94% year-over-year revenue growth. The business is absolutely booming, and so is the stock price. As of this writing, Nvidia stock is up close to 200% year to date. As impressive as those returns are for Nvidia, it's not the best-performing stock in the S&P 500 ( ^GSPC 0.35% ) this year. That distinction presently belongs to energy company Vistra ( VST -2.81% ) , which has gained 332% in 2024. Vistra provides residential electricity and owns power generation plants, including nuclear plants . And many investors believe that its nuclear assets set it up to meet the growing power needs of artificial intelligence (AI). However, after gaining over 300% in under a year, is it too late to buy Vistra stock? Stock market history can serve as a guide. Here's what happened with S&P 500's winners Looking at top stocks from the past can offer some useful insights. For practical reasons, I had to limit the scope of this survey by setting some parameters. First, I'm only looking at the last 10 years for the S&P 500 . Second, I've only included stocks that were members of the S&P 500 for the entire year. Companies included in the index during the year were excluded from the results. Over the last 10 years, Southwest Airlines , Netflix , Nvidia, Align Technology , AMD , Devon Energy , and Occidental Petroleum have all taken the top-stock crown at least once. Year Best-Performing Stock Return When It Was the Top Stock Return the Following Year 2014 Southwest Airlines 125% 2% 2015 Netflix 134% 8% 2016 Nvidia 224% 81% 2017 Align Technology 131% (6%) 2018 AMD 80% 148% 2019 AMD 148% 100% 2020 Nvidia 122% 125% 2021 Devon Energy 179% 40% 2022 Occidental Petroleum 117% (5%) 2023 Nvidia 239% 196%* Return data from YCharts. Table by author. *Year-to-date return as of 11/21/24. This data is actually quite surprising. After being the index's top stock, one would think it would be due for a pullback. But in reality, the past decade's annual best performers continued their winning streak the next year in eight out of 10 cases. Moreover, the average gain in the second year was huge. Investors could have made a lot of money by simply buying whichever was the best stock in the past year. Let's say an investor bought Southwest Airlines stock on Dec. 31, 2014 and held for all of 2015. And let's say that this investor sold Southwest Airlines at the end of 2015 and rolled that investment into Netflix for 2016, then did the same for Nvidia in 2017, and so on. Let's exclude trading fees and taxes for simplicity (but don't exclude them in real life because they can add up). If an investor used this strategy and started with a $10,000 investment, they'd have over $800,000 by year 10. Again, these sensational returns weren't achieved by predicting which stock would be the best in the coming year. It would have been achieved by simply buying what already had been the best stock -- no prophetic powers needed. Therefore, history suggests Vistra stock is headed higher in 2025. What does this mean for Vistra stock? Before I go further, I should note that Vistra stock was added to the S&P 500 in May. So, unlike the stocks in my example, it wasn't a part of the index for the entire year. Returns from my above strategy aren't quite as good when including mid-year additions to the S&P 500, though these stocks still went up in value the following year more often than not. However, investors need to be extremely careful with what they take away from this historical data. Rather than look at this as some surefire approach to investing, there's a far better takeaway. Stocks bounce around day by day for any number of reasons. But the longer the time horizon, the more stock movements are tied to business results. At the risk of sounding overly simplistic, positive results send shares higher , whereas poor results drop shares lower. To put this another way, it's the difference between correlation and causation. History shows that the best-performing stock in the S&P 500 tends to go up the following year as well. But that's correlation, not causation. The cause, however, is the strong underlying business results. And those business results tend to stay strong for multiple years, if not longer. For this reason, investors would do well to give Vistra stock a close look . Whether from AI or the general electrification of the grid, the company's services will enjoy growing demand in coming years. The company is leaning more into nuclear power by buying out minority investors in its Vistra Vision business. And it's a company with a history of profitability and returning cash to shareholders. So, while Vistra stock is on pace to be the top stock in the S&P 500 for 2024, this doesn't mean the stock has peaked. To the contrary, the best performers in past years have gone on to deliver even more gains because in many cases, their soaring stock prices reflected positive developments within the business that extended beyond the end of each year. And it's that core business investors should focus on, whether it's with Vistra or any another company.Zelensky insists on a 'just peace' at Trump Paris meeting
(All times Eastern) Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts Monday, Dec. 16 COLLEGE SOCCER (MEN’S) 8 p.m. ESPN2 — NCAA Tournament: Vermont vs. Marshall, Championship NFL FOOTBALL 8 p.m. ABC — Chicago at Minnesota 8:30 p.m. ESPN — Atlanta at Las Vegas NHL HOCKEY 8:30 p.m. NHLN — Florida at Edmonton SOCCER (MEN’S) 3 p.m. USA — Premier League: West Ham United at AFC Bournemouth SOCCER (WOMEN’S) Noon FS2 — Final Draw For The UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive TV listings provided by LiveSportsOnTV .
CLEVELAND, Ohio – As construction on two Intel microchip plants continues east of Columbus, questions swirl around the storied company’s faltering business plan and whether its Ohio project is at risk. The most recent eyebrow-raising development was the Dec. 1 retirement of Intel CEO, Pat Gelsinger, who had been the driving force behind the strategy to grow the company’s manufacturing capacity by adding fabrication lines in the United States and Europe. As part of Gelsinger’s strategy, Intel announced in early 2022 that it would invest at least $20 billion in the Ohio plants, which have already been delayed and are not expected to be operational until at least 2027. The company also is building plants in Arizona and expanding operations in New Mexico and Oregon, although it said earlier this year that it was pausing a related project in Germany. But if fabrication expansion is still the plan, one must wonder why the company got rid of Gelsinger, who was “effectively fired,” said Stacy Rasgon, a senior stock analyst with Bernstein Research who tracks the semiconductor industry. Rasgon elaborated on that uncertainty in a report to clients shortly after Gelsinger’s departure was announced. “The choice for any new CEO would seem to center on what to do with the fabs,” Rasgon wrote. “But while keeping them feels like deadweight (and a continuation of the strategy that got Pat out), scrapping them would also be fraught with difficulties around the product roadmap, outsourcing strategy, CHIPS act and political navigation etc. There don’t seem to be any easy answers here, so whoever winds up filling the slot looks in for a tough ride.” As for the Ohio plants, “I think their future is in limbo,” Rasgon said. Other Intel watchers also aren’t sure what to think about the company’s future plans. Asked if it makes business sense for Intel to be in the foundry business – making chips for others – Ross Seymore, a semiconductor analyst with Deutsche Bank, said, “That’s a great question. That’s the $64,000 question.” As of today, Intel’s commitment to Ohio remains unchanged, he said, but whether that holds true will be up to the new CEO. The semiconductor industry would like to have more competition at the leading edge of manufacturing, Seymore said. At the same time, the federal government would like that increased capacity to be constructed in the United States for security reasons. Intel is one of the few companies, along with Taiwan-based TSMC and South Korea-based Samsung, that can satisfy both of those desires, he said. Like Intel, TSMC and Samsung are also in line for CHIPS Act money to expand in the United States. In recent years, Intel has been losing ground to its competitors, as evidenced by a 60% drop in its stock price during Gelsinger’s tenure, which began in early 2021. The company has suffered through a series of poor leaders, Rasgon said, as well as missing crucial market shifts over the years, including the move to mobile devices and more recently to AI. As for the latest iteration of Intel’s processing technology, which would be counted on to drive business to its fabs, it has yet to generate much demand. Earlier this year, the company talked about expecting $40 billion in foundry revenues by 2030 of which $15 billion would be from fabricating other companies’ chips, Rasgon said, adding sarcastically, “Good luck with that.” Federal support Intel does have federal support for its expansion plans, although it’s not that much money relative to the massive costs associated with building new chip plants, Rasgon said. Just before Thanksgiving, the Biden administration finalized its CHIPS Act grant of $7.8 billion to Intel, including $1.5 billion f or the Ohio project. The federal government also has awarded Intel a $3 billion contract to make chips for defense purposes. The grant money does not seem to be in doubt, despite President-elect Donald Trump’s stated displeasure with the CHIPS Act, as it would be hard to claw back the money, said Ned Hill, professor emeritus of economic development at Ohio State and Cleveland State universities. Congress has already appropriated the money and the contracts have been signed and the money committed, he said. But there are numerous conditions Intel must meet along the way to continue receiving the funds from the government. The release of the CHIPS Act money is one reason that the administration of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is optimistic the plants will move along as planned. “Billions of dollars have been invested at the Ohio One site in Licking County, including multiple loads of equipment coming north from the Ohio River to the site,” read a joint statement from DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted after Gelsinger departed. “Now that the CHIPS Act funding has been announced, we anticipate the project will continue to move ahead quickly.” Progress so far bodes well for their future, said Dan Tierney, spokesman DeWine, whose administration has pledged $2 billion in various incentives to assist Intel. “In discussion with Intel, they continue to talk about moving forward with the project,” Tierney said. A call to an Intel spokesman was not returned. A lot of speculation Hill, the OSU professor, is not sure anybody beyond the company really knows how Intel’s planned expansion in Licking County will play out. “The honest answer is that anything you hear is going to have a high degree of speculation because it’s pretty clear that the board doesn’t know what it wants to do,” he said. He said it’s uncertain whether Intel wants to both design and produce its own chips, and operate a foundry business to make chips for others. “And it seems to be one of the reasons (Gelsinger) was let go,” he said, “because it ate so much cash.”. Hill does expect, in one form or another, that the two plants under construction in Ohio will be built. He said one of the attractions of the Ohio site is its proximity to customers such as Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, where a lot of defense related work goes on, and the U.S. auto industry’s research and development facilities in southeastern Michigan and Marysville, Ohio. But the strongest argument in favor of the plants, he said, is that they are partially completed and most of the equipment has been ordered “and they’re on the hook for it.” If Intel wanted out, a competitor could buy what’s already there at a discount and give it a cheap entre into the market. Plus, if Intel stays in the business, odds are the Ohio plants will be among those to survive because they would be more modern, he said. Adding to the speculation is the possibility that Intel could spin off its foundry business into a wholly owned subsidiary or a closely related, but separate company, which would have its own board of directors. “At the highest of levels, that is the largest decision,” Seymore said.Tyler Perry Studios president Steve Mensch dies aged 62 in Florida plane crash