‘Southern Charm’ Cast Reacts to JT Leaving Show: ‘He Was No Longer Wanted’
College roundup: Yakima Valley men's basketball tops Everett for third straight winDartmouth sorority, two members of fraternity face charges after student who attended party drowned HANOVER, N.H. (AP) — A sorority at Dartmouth College and two members of a fraternity faces charges related to the death of a student who drowned after attending an off-campus party. The Hanover, New Hampshire police department, where Dartmouth is located, said Friday that Alpha Phi was charged with one count of facilitating an underage alcohol house. Two members of the Beta Alpha Omega face a charge of providing alcohol to a person under 21. Won Jang, 20, of Middletown, Delaware, had attended an off-campus party in July hosted by Alpha Phi sorority. Police said the alcohol was provided by Beta Alpha Omega. Tens of thousands of Spaniards protest housing crunch and high rents in Barcelona BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Tens of thousands of Spaniards are marching in downtown Barcelona to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in the popular tourist destination. Protesters cut off traffic on main avenues in the city center, holding up homemade signs in Spanish reading “Fewer apartments for investing and more homes for living." The lack of affordable housing has become one of the leading concerns for the southern European Union country, mirroring the housing crunch across many parts of the world, including the United States. The average rent for Spain has doubled in the last decade. In cities like Barcelona, rental prices have also been driven up by short-term renters including tourists. Jason Kelce's wife announces she is pregnant with the couple's fourth child Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce's wife is announcing she's pregnant with the couple's fourth child. Kylie Kelce posted a photo on Instagram on Friday of the couple's three young daughters reacting to the news. The oldest daughter, Wyatt, appears to be cupping her head in shock. The middle daughter, Ellioette, is smiling. The youngest, Bennett, is in tears. A caption attached to the photo reads: “I feel like we captured a very accurate representation of how each of the girls feel about getting another sister. At least Ellie, mom and dad are on the same page!” Israeli-Moldovan rabbi living in UAE is missing. Israeli officials fear he may have been kidnapped DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Israeli-Moldovan rabbi living in the United Arab Emirates has gone missing, with Israeli authorities raising the suspicion he may have been kidnapped as tensions remain high with Iran. The Israeli prime minister’s office said that Zvi Kogan has been missing since noon Thursday. It said that against the backdrop of information that this was a terrorist incident, an extensive investigation has been opened in the country. Emirati officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday. State-run media in the UAE, an autocratic federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula and home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, did not immediately report the incident. Alyssa Nakken, first full-time female coach in MLB history, leaving Giants to join Guardians CLEVELAND (AP) — Alyssa Nakken, the first woman to coach in an MLB game, is leaving the San Francisco Giants to join the Cleveland Guardians. Nakken made history in 2022 when she took over as first-base coach following an ejection. A former college softball star at Sacramento State, Nakken joined the Giants in 2014 and was promoted to a spot on manager Gabe Kapler’s staff in 2020, becoming the majors’ first full-time female coach. Nakken has been hired as an assistant director within player development for the Guardians, who won the AL Central last season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt. Nakken, 34, will work with former Giants coaches Craig Albernaz and Kai Correa. Officer kills pet dog mistaken for a coyote in Massachusetts town. The owner says it was unnecessary An animal control officer shot and killed a pet dog in a Massachusetts town after mistaking it for a coyote in an incident local police are describing as a sad mix-up. Police in Northbridge, Massachusetts, say the shooting happened on Tuesday after police received a call of a report of a coyote in a residential backyard. Police say the animal control officer went into the woods to look for the coyote and found what they thought was the animal in a threatening position and shot it. The incident happened as communities around Massachusetts and the country have dealt with an uptick in interactions between coyotes and people. Kendrick Lamar surprises with new album 'GNX' LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kendrick Lamar gave music listeners an early holiday present with a new album. The Grammy winner released his sixth studio album “GNX” on Friday. The 12-track project is the rapper’s first release since 2022’s “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” Lamar’s new album comes just months after his rap battle with Drake. The rap megastar will headline February's Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans. The 37-year-old has experienced massive success since his debut album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” in 2012. Since then, he’s accumulated 17 Grammy wins and became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize. NBA memo to players urges increased vigilance regarding home security following break-ins MIAMI (AP) — The NBA is urging its players to take additional precautions to secure their homes following reports of recent high-profile burglaries of dwellings owned by Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Kansas City Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo sent to team officials, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, the NBA revealed that the FBI has connected some burglaries to “transnational South American Theft Groups” that are “reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.” Ancient meets modern as a new subway in Greece showcases archaeological treasures THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, is opening a new subway system, blending ancient archaeological treasures with modern transit technology like driverless trains and platform screen doors. The project, which began in 2003, uncovered over 300,000 artifacts, including a Roman-era thoroughfare and Byzantine relics, many of which are now displayed in its 13 stations. Despite delays caused by preserving these findings, the inaugural line has been completed, with a second line set to open next year. Conor McGregor must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her, civil jury rules LONDON (AP) — A civil jury in Ireland has awarded more than $250,000 to a woman who says she was raped by mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor in a Dublin hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. The jury on Friday awarded Nikita Hand in her lawsuit that claimed McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in 2018. The lawsuit says the assault left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced her to do anything and that Hand fabricated her allegations after the two had consensual sex. McGregor says he will appeal the verdict.
IN a noteworthy achievement for Malaysian innovation, Ravindran Surandran and his team from SMK Kota Kemuning in Shah Alam, Selangor, ranked in the top 10 in Microsoft’s Imagine Cup Junior 2024 AI For Good competition earlier this year. Their winning creation, Strip4u is a battery- operated device surgically placed in the body to aid stroke patients in recovery and rehabilitation. The Imagine Cup Junior, Microsoft’s international competition, encourages students aged 13-18 to identify pressing global issues and develop artificial intelligence-driven solutions. The event serves as a platform for students to explore critical thinking and digital skills, leveraging AI and Microsoft’s Azure Framework to create projects with real-world impact. This year, Ravindran and his team (all between the ages of 16 and 17), aptly named Stroke Of Luck, not only rose to the challenge but also became the first Malaysian team to earn a top-10 spot since the competition’s inception in 2020. Reflecting on the team’s journey, Ravindran said, “We participated in this competition with no prior experience and only learned about it this year. To our surprise, we managed to place among the top 10 globally. We’re proud to represent Malaysia at this level and hope to inspire others.” The team’s concept is an innovative AI-powered device designed to help stroke patients regain mobility. Inspired by advanced neurological treatments like Motor Cortex Stimulation (MCS) and Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), Ravindran and his team devised a system that uses electrode implants and AI-driven data to stimulate motor functions and restore mobility to affected limbs. Ravindran said: “Our ‘aha’ moment came when we understood how neuromodulation, like DBS, could restore motor function. We wondered if AI could make this process more accessible and effective.” The device functions through a network of electrodes that interact with a central processing unit, battery and storage device. It collects data on brain responses and transmits it to an AI-powered server, which analyses patterns and develops impulse sequences tailored to each patient’s rehabilitation needs. As the system learns, it can even apply insights from one patient to assist another, making rehabilitation a collective learning process. From left: Niraj, Ravindran, teacher Suganthi, Tan, Loo, Lee, Gan and teacher Chan showcasing a device designed to aid stroke patients in recovery and rehabilitation. — RAVINDRAN SURANDRAN Ravindran elaborated, “If Patient A’s working arm is recorded, those impulse patterns can help guide movement in Patient B’s immobile arm, and vice versa. This cross-learning ability could revolutionise stroke recovery, making it faster and more adaptive.” Building the device was no small feat, especially given the competition’s timeline and the team’s limited experience. With only one month to research, conceptualise and present their solution, the six-member team – Niraj Praveen, Kendra Gan Shan Yinn, Lee Jia Chen, Loo Zhang Jing, Sophie Tan and Ravindran – relied heavily on strategic planning and tight time management. “We spent a week brainstorming different ideas, from agriculture to music, searching for a problem that AI could meaningfully address. Once we settled on stroke rehabilitation, we assigned specific tasks based on each member’s strengths,” said Ravindran. The technical aspects fell to the team’s “tech experts”, Loo and Lee, who researched Microsoft Azure’s offerings and integrated relevant tools to enhance the device’s functionality. Meanwhile, other team members focused on ethical considerations and stakeholder impact. Ravindran himself oversaw the project’s presentation and visual appeal, even designing fun animations with teammate Tan to make their video submission engaging for the judges. “We worked on it both during school hours and after,” Ravindran shared. “Sometimes staying back at school well into the evening.” Throughout their development process, the team benefitted from the support of their teachers, Suganthi Kupusamy and Chan Shook Leng, who provided invaluable guidance on refining the concept and ensuring it was understandable to a wide audience. Ravindran said, “Our teachers helped us stay grounded and clear-headed, especially when it came to simplifying our presentation without sacrificing the science behind it. "They were the perfect litmus test as to whether we had effectively communicated our idea. Our headmaster, Mohd Fauzi Zailan, was also extremely supportive of our efforts. And he was the one who told us about the competition and encouraged us to take part.” The team’s commitment to thorough research included consulting with Datuk Dr Jegan Thanabalan, a neurosurgeon who advised them on the medical feasibility of Strip4u. His insights on safety considerations and the latest developments in neuromodulation were instrumental in refining the device’s design. “Dr Jegan not only validated our approach but also opened our eyes to areas we hadn’t considered,” said Ravindran. While they have yet to test the device directly with stroke patients, the team remains hopeful for its future potential. Ravindran expressed a deep commitment to seeing the product’s development beyond the competition, saying, “We believe in Strip4u’s potential to improve lives, and we’re eager to explore opportunities to work with stakeholders to make this idea a reality.” As Microsoft continues to champion AI-driven educational initiatives, Ravindran and his team’s success highlights the boundless possibilities that arise when young minds are empowered to innovate. The device not only exemplifies the impact of the Imagine Cup Junior competition but also underscores the role of emerging technologies in addressing healthcare challenges on a global scale.Dolphins coaches talk Jordan Poyer decision at safety; Tyreek Hill speaks out on one thing that fans bug him with
ASX to drop after tech giants slide in the USGenNx360 Capital Partners finalizes the sale of ITsavvy to Xerox Holdings CorporationOlufemi Soneye It is important to address the concerns raised in Farooq Kperogi’s recent article, “Tinubu’s Buharisation of the NNPC”, and to clarify some of the misconceptions about the operations and leadership structure of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited. First, employment, promotions, appointments, and movements of business leaders at the NNPC are not influenced by ethnicity, tribe, religion, or political affiliation. Therefore, decisions within the NNPC are guided strictly by merit, business requirements, and expertise. This approach ensures that only the most qualified and competent individuals occupy positions that are critical to the company’s success. It is significant that our company focuses on efficient and effective service delivery, which is anchored on the commitment of qualified work team. The NNPC prides itself on being a professional organisation with a diverse leadership lineup that includes individuals from various parts of the world, not just Nigeria. The presence of qualified foreigners in the employ of the NNPC, who have been bolstering the value chain of production and distribution of allied products, is verifiable. It is, thus, sad that a professor of Mr Kperogi’s standing would resort to and play up the issue of ethnic identities in the configuration of the work team in NNPC just to demonise President Tinubu. This editorial preoccupation of Mr Kperogi is nothing but sheer red herring, ostensibly orchestrated to detract the President’s disciplined leadership that upholds the freedom of the NNPC as well as the company’s work ethic that has produced its strings of sterling performances. Under the leadership of Mele Kyari, the NNPC has achieved remarkable milestones and recorded several “firsts” in the industry. These milestones were not defined, coloured or contoured by primordial fault-lines of tribe and religion. They were inspired by the collective drive for excellence. These milestones include groundbreaking advancements in exploration, production, and global partnerships that were previously thought unattainable. This success is a testament to the company’s focus on competence and professionalism rather than on parochialism as insinuated in the editorial offerings by Mr Kperogi. Regarding Mr Kperogi’s notions about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, it is essential to highlight that Mr President has not interfered in the operations or leadership movements within the NNPC. On the contrary, his administration has introduced transformative policies that have added immense value to the oil and gas sector and the broader Nigerian economy. President Tinubu’s approach has been to empower institutions like the NNPC to operate independently while fostering a conducive environment for growth and innovation. His reforms have set a benchmark that has significantly improved the sector, surpassing the achievements of many of his predecessors. It is disappointing that individuals like Mr. Kperogi, who have lived and observed governance structures abroad, would overlook these accomplishments and focus on divisive narratives. Symbolism, while important, must not overshadow the substantive achievements and transformative impact of policies and leadership on national development. We extend an open invitation to Mr. Kperogi to visit the NNPC and witness firsthand the professionalism, sacrifices, and daily efforts that go into driving Nigeria’s economic engine. He will see a team that works tirelessly to contribute to the growth of our economy and the prosperity of our nation. The NNPC remains committed to fostering unity, embracing diversity, and upholding the principles of meritocracy. It is through such commitments that we can continue to work to achieve and strengthen national cohesion and position Nigeria as a global leader in the energy sector. We urge commentators and stakeholders alike to base their assessments on hard facts and evidence, rather than conjectures, for the greater good of our nation. . Olufemi Soneye is the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the NNPC L imi t e dJaylon Johnson isn't interested in bright spots with the Bears' skid at 5 games
THE POWER OF ALLO'S ALL-FIBER NETWORK COMING TO BOULDER, COLORADO
ATLANTA — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care, at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023, spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center said on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. As reaction poured in from around the world, President Joe Biden mourned Carter’s death, saying the world lost an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” and he lost a dear friend. Biden cited Carter’s compassion and moral clarity, his work to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless and advocacy for the disadvantaged as an example for others. “To all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning — the good life — study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith and humility,” Biden said in a statement. “He showed that we are a great nation because we are a good people — decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.” Biden said he is ordering a state funeral for Carter in Washington. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who lost popularity after pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors. He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hard hats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where he and Rosalynn lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners. He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Despite ‘high’ risk, man who hit woman granted parole
Government to block incinerators that do not contribute to green plans
ATLANTA — The Lakers’ four-game road trip, which ended with a disheartening overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday , lasted eight days if you count the days they flew out of and back to Los Angeles on the front and back ends of the trip. But considering they were in Southern California for just a few days after their Nov. 26 road loss to the Phoenix Suns and Nov. 27 road win over the San Antonio Spurs – flying back to L.A. Thanksgiving ahead of their Nov. 29 home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder before flying to Salt Lake City the afternoon of Nov. 30 – the trip felt longer. “It was a two-week road trip, let’s be honest,” coach JJ Redick said Friday night. “It was a two-week road trip.” And the nature of how the last two weeks have gone for the Lakers added to their road weariness. The loss to the Hawks was their third straight defeat, including their losses to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat by a combined 70 points, and their seventh loss in nine games going back to the Nov. 21 home loss to the Orlando Magic , the start of another three-game losing streak. While Friday’s loss continued their losing streak, they played with significantly more energy and effort compared to their losses earlier in the week. “Based off the last couple games that we played, Minnesota and Miami, it’s a good bounce back for us,” Anthony Davis said. “Just some of the defensive communication we messed up a little bit [on Friday night]. As far as the carryover, it was better.” When asked what it’ll take for the Lakers, who won their first three games of the season and were 10-4 before their recent skid, to get back over the hump, LeBron James pointed to the players the team has been without. Austin Reaves missed the entire road trip because of a bruised left pelvis suffered Nov. 29 against the Thunder. “With Austin, the movement piece and the thrust, his ability to get in the paint, his ability to, for the most part, make quick decisions,” Redick said. “In some ways, he’s like a connector for our offense, but he’s also a scorer and a playmaker. So you can have connectors that aren’t necessarily players that can do what Austin does in terms of creating offense. He does both. And also, he’s highly competitive and he brings that juice every night.” Backup center Jaxson Hayes has been sidelined 12 of the last 13 games because of right ankle injuries, and isn’t expected to be reevaluated until this upcoming week. Christian Wood (offseason left knee surgery) and Jarred Vanderbilt (offseason feet surgery recovery) have yet to play this season. The Lakers announced that Vanderbilt is expected to return in early January . Wood’s status isn’t as clear. “I don’t know as far as what will get us over the hump,” James said. “We just gotta just not drown. Don’t drown and we’ll be all right.” Or as Davis put it: “There’s no cavalry. No one [feels] sorry for us. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. Just gotta continue to put our head down and grind and work.” The Lakers will host the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday at Crytpo.com Arena. Related Articles After that, they’ll get a rare four-day break off of games before playing the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday in Minneapolis. “That break, if you call it a break, for three, four days, we have to use that for our minds, for our bodies, for clean up,” Redick said. “It’ll be a good opportunity for us.” When : 6:30 p.m. Sunday Where : Crypto.com Arena TV/radio : Spectrum SportsNet/710 AMDevelopers will have to show that their project either helps reduce the amount of non-recyclable waste going to landfill, or replaces an older, less efficient incinerator. The move forms part of the Government’s drive to increase recycling rates, which have held at about 45% of household waste since 2015. Environment minister Mary Creagh said: “For far too long, the nation has seen its recycling rates stagnate and relied on burning household waste, rather than supporting communities to keep resources in use for longer. “That ends today, with clear conditions for new energy from waste plants – they must be efficient and support net zero and our economic growth mission, before they can get the backing needed to be built.” Developers will also have to ensure their incinerators are ready for carbon capture technology, and demonstrate how the heat they produce can be used to help cut heating bills for households. The Government expects that its “crackdown” on new incinerators will mean only a limited number are built, while still reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill and enabling the country to process the waste it produces. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the country was almost at the point where it had enough waste facilities to handle non-recyclable rubbish, and so had limited need for new incinerators. But the proposals stop short of the plans included in the Conservatives’ 2024 manifesto, which committed to a complete ban on new incinerators due to their “impact on local communities” and declining demand as recycling increased.
SYDNEY , Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Trip.com is thrilled to announce the launch of its highly anticipated Black Friday Mega Sale , offering an array of incredible travel deals and exclusive promotions. Get ready to pack your bags and jet off to your dream destination! From 18 November to 8 December , Trip.com is bringing you the hottest deals of the season, with promo codes offering up to 50% off flights and hotels, making it easier than ever to explore the world. Trip.com users can save over AU$1,000 with various airline discount codes from carriers like Qatar Airways, Thai Airways, Vietnam Airlines, Fiji Airways, AirAsia, Scoot, Asiana Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, China Airlines, and Garuda Indonesia. These codes will drop at 8 am AEDT on 29 November. Highlights of the sale include unbeatable deals for flights between Sydney , Melbourne , and Brisbane , starting from just AU$39 one-way, including taxes and fees. 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All promotional offers are available on a first-come, first-served basis within the specified period and while stocks last. About Trip.com Trip.com is an international one-stop travel service provider, available in 24 languages across 39 countries and regions in 35 local currencies. Trip.com has an extensive hotel and flight network consisting of more than 1.7 million hotels and flights from over 600 airlines covering 3,400 airports in 220 countries and regions around the globe. Trip.com's world-class 24/7 multilingual customer service, as well as additional centres in Edinburgh , Tokyo and Seoul , help to 'create the best travel experience' for its millions of customers worldwide. To book your next trip, visit trip.com . SOURCE Trip.comSeibert misses an extra point late as the Commanders lose their 3rd in a row, 34-26 to the Cowboys LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Austin Seibert missed his second extra point of the game with 21 seconds left after Washington’s Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin connected on an 86-yard touchdown, Dallas’ Juanyeh Thomas returned the ensuing onside kick attempt for a touchdown, and the Cowboys pulled out a 34-26 victory Sunday that extended the Commanders’ skid to three games. Seibert was wide left on the point-after attempt following a bad snap. On the ensuing onside kick attempt, Juanyeh Thomas returned it 43 yards for a touchdown as the Cowboys ended their losing streak at five in improbable fashion. Earlier in the fourth quarter, KaVonte Turpin returned a kickoff 99 yards for a TD. Patrick Mahomes and Chiefs win at the buzzer again, topping Panthers 30-27 on Shrader's field goal CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns, Spencer Shrader kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Carolina Panthers 30-27 to reach double-digit wins for the 10th straight season. The Chiefs bounced back from last week’s 30-21 loss at Buffalo and won at the buzzer yet again in a season of narrow escapes. Noah Brown caught two TD passes and DeAndre Hopkins also had a touchdown catch. Bryce Young finished 21 of 35 for 262 yards and a touchdown for the Panthers, who had their two-game winning streak snapped. Sam Darnold leads game-winning drive in OT and Vikings beat Bears 30-27 after blowing late lead CHICAGO (AP) — Sam Darnold threw for 90 of his 330 yards in overtime to set up Parker Romo’s game-ending 29-yard field goal, and the Minnesota Vikings outlasted the Chicago Bears 30-27 after giving up 11 points in the final 22 seconds of regulation. Darnold threw two touchdown passes, Jordan Addison caught eight passes for a career-high 162 yards and a touchdown, and T.J. Hockenson had 114 yards receiving for the Vikings, who remained one game behind Detroit in the rugged NFC North. Caleb Williams threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears, who lost their fifth straight. From Maui to the Caribbean, college hoops' Thanksgiving tournaments a beloved part of the sport College basketball is ready for its Thanksgiving Week closeup. The schedule is full of early season tournaments that could create buzzworthy marquee matchups. And many of those come in warm-weather locations. The Maui Invitational in Hawaii turns 40 years old this year. It opens Monday with a field that includes two-time reigning national champion and second ranked UConn. The Battle 4 Atlantis men's tournament in the Bahamas opens Wednesday. It has a field topped by No. 3 Gonzaga. There are also multiple women's events in the Bahamas featuring ranked teams, including the fourth Atlantis women's tournament. AP Top 25: Alabama, Mississippi out of top 10 and Miami, SMU are in; Oregon remains unanimous No. 1 Alabama and Mississippi tumbled out of the top 10 of The Associated Press college football poll and Miami and SMU moved in following a chaotic weekend in the SEC. Oregon is No. 1 for the sixth straight week and Ohio State, Texas and Penn State held their places behind the Ducks. The shuffling begins at No. 5, where Notre Dame returned for the first time since Week 2 after beating Army for its ninth straight win. No. 6 Georgia and No. 7 Tennessee each moved up two spots. Miami, SMU and Indiana round out the top 10. Thitikul finishes eagle-birdie to win CME Group Tour Championship and claim record $4M prize NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — Down by two shots with two holes to play, Jeeno Thitikul knew exactly what was needed to capture the biggest prize in women’s golf history. And a eagle-birdie finish for the second straight day made it happen. Thitikul claimed the record-setting $4 million first-place check by winning the CME Group Tour Championship on Sunday. It was the biggest money prize in women’s golf history. Thitikul shot a 7-under 65 on Sunday and finished the week at 22 under, one shot ahead of Angel Yin (66). Yin had a two-shot lead walking to the 17th tee, only to wind up settling for the $1 million runner-up check. Jannik Sinner leads Italy past the Netherlands for its second consecutive Davis Cup title MALAGA, Spain (AP) — Jannik Sinner clinched Italy's second consecutive Davis Cup title and capped his breakthrough season at the top of tennis by beating Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (2), 6-2 for a 2-0 win over the Netherlands in the final of the team competition in Malaga, Spain. Matteo Berrettini won Sunday's opening singles match 6-4, 6-2 against Botic van de Zandschulp. The Italians are the first country to win the Davis Cup twice in a row since the Czech Republic in 2012 and 2013. The No. 1-ranked Sinner stretched his unbeaten streak in singles to 14 matches and 26 sets. Netherlands reached the Davis Cup final for the first time. Verstappen still manages to win 4th straight F1 title in one of worst seasons of his Red Bull career LAS VEGAS (AP) — Max Verstappen won an unbelievable 19 races last season that included an incredible streak of 10 in a row in what would arguably go down as one of the greatest years in Formula 1 history. And yet it is this year’s eight-win season — his lowest victory total since 2020 — that Verstappen considers a career-defining campaign. Those eight wins were enough to win him a fourth consecutive F1 championship on Saturday night with his easy drive at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The championship made Verstappen only the sixth driver in F1 history to win four or more titles. Maverick McNealy birdies the last hole at Sea Island to finally become PGA Tour winner ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. (AP) — Maverick McNealy is finally a winner on the PGA Tour, and it took a shot he won't soon forget. McNealy was part of a four-way tie for the lead when he drilled a 6-iron to 5 feet on the final hole at Sea Island for birdie and a 68. That gave him a one-shot victory over Daniel Berger, Nico Echavarria and Florida State sophomore Luke Clanton. Berger and Henrik Norlander moved into the top 125 to keep full PGA Tour cards for next year. Clanton continued to show his promise. It was his second runner-up finish and fourth top 10 this year. When Harbaugh brothers meet for 3rd time Monday, Archie Manning can relate to Jack Harbaugh EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Archie Manning can empathize with what Jack Harbaugh will be going through again on Monday night. For the first time in 11 years, the 85-year-old patriarch of the Harbaugh family has to be a neutral observer with Jim’s Los Angeles Chargers hosting John’s Baltimore Ravens in the third matchup between the coaching brothers. John Harbaugh has won the previous two matchups. Manning, more than anyone, knows the attention and conflicting emotions of these games. He had to go through it three times when his sons, quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, faced off. Jack and Jackie Harbaugh attended the first two meetings but will not be at Monday’s game.
A group of international human rights organizations warned this Friday about the risk of impunity in cases against Guatemalan military officers for massacres committed during the civil war (1960–1996). Their concern stems from the suspension of certain trials against military officers for crimes against humanity in appeals courts and changes in the human rights prosecutor’s office ordered by the controversial Attorney General Consuelo Porras. These actions represent “a significant setback,” the NGOs stated in a joint communiqué, including the U.S.-based WOLA, the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), Impunity Watch, and the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. They recalled that on November 28, an appeals court suspended the trial of retired General Benedicto Lucas García, 92, for the extermination of Indigenous people. This occurred just as a tribunal was about to issue a verdict. had been brought to trial for his responsibility in the massacre of over 1,200 Indigenous people between 1978 and 1982, during the presidency of his brother, Romeo Lucas García, who died in Venezuela in 2006. Earlier in November, another appeals court suspended the start of a trial against eight retired military officers, including Lucas García, accused of forced disappearances. The case involves the discovery of more than 500 skeletal remains at a former military base. These remains were exhumed between 2012 and 2015 at a base now home to the Regional Training Center for Peacekeeping Operations for UN missions in Cobán (north). NGOs have described the site as “the largest clandestine cemetery in Latin America.” Adding to the judicial decisions, Porras ordered the dismissal of three prosecutors and the transfer of 11 assistant prosecutors who were “investigating cases related to the armed conflict.” The Guatemalan Attorney General is sanctioned by the United States and the European Union, which have labeled her as “corrupt” and “anti-democratic.” In 2023, Porras led an offensive to prevent social democrat Bernardo Arévalo from assuming power. “These decisions not only jeopardize the victims’ right to justice but also weaken the rule of law and democracy in the country,” the NGOs stated. The civil war left an estimated 200,000 people dead or missing, according to a UN-sponsored commission, with most of the victims attributed to the military, who accused Indigenous people of collaborating with the leftist guerrillas.News that President-elect Donald Trump’s team wants to hack away at the forbidding tangle of U.S. bank regulation is welcome in the abstract. In practice, though, much will depend on the details. The goal should be simplifying financial oversight more broadly — not just defanging a tough watchdog. No doubt, the current system is unwieldy. At the federal level — excluding an array of separate state regulators — three entities oversee banks, two supervise markets, one aims to protect consumers and another defends against financial crimes. Many large institutions must submit to all of them. Senior managers of an average bank today spend some 42 percent of their time on compliance-related tasks. Worse, such fragmentation at times allows risks to fall through the cracks. Much of this system was designed decades ago for a simpler world. One glaring example is the separation of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. One was established 90 years ago to protect investors in securities such as stocks and bonds; the other was created 50 years ago to oversee commodities markets and related futures and options contracts. Today, when many financial companies trade in both markets, the two supervisors often overlap and don’t always properly communicate. In 2011, after the chaotic bankruptcy of derivatives broker MF Global Holdings Ltd., a congressional postmortem detailed how the commissions failed to coordinate their approach to the company’s deteriorating finances and disagreed about where to safeguard its customers’ money. Such bifurcation is anomalous by global standards, and policymakers have been talking about combining the two for decades. In a familiar tale, however, politics has taken precedence over common sense: The House Committee on Agriculture has been loath to cede its oversight of the CFTC, which attracts hefty campaign donations from financial companies. (The SEC is under the House Financial Services Committee.) If Trump wants a relatively clear-cut reform, this would be a good place to start. Merging the two commissions would help streamline the rules, reduce compliance costs and ease cooperation with regulators overseas. It would be an ambitious change but not a radical one: Both a former CFTC commissioner and a current SEC commissioner have endorsed the idea. Reforming banking oversight would be less straightforward. It’s true that the U.S. has too many regulators — including the Federal Reserve, the Treasury Department’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. — in addition to state banking authorities. But this morass defies easy fixes; simply folding the FDIC into the Treasury Department, as the Trump team is considering, will likely create more problems than it solves. A better approach would be to create a single prudential authority charged with protecting the financial system. The new body could be overseen by a board that includes representatives from the Fed, the Treasury and the FDIC, while doing away with the OCC entirely. Ideally it would also oversee nonbank companies, such as asset managers, that play a significant role in the system. Such a regulator could focus more on essential risks than on box-checking exercises or turf wars. It would be less susceptible to influence by the companies it oversees and could (in theory) allow for streamlined compliance. It would also make clear where the buck stops when things go wrong. Such far-reaching reforms would require political skill and sustained effort, which were not hallmarks of Trump’s previous term. The ambition is laudable all the same. In regulation as in life, simplicity is a virtue. — Bloomberg News
‘A man of principle, faith and humility’Arguments about past presidents shape the nation’s understanding of itself and hence its unfolding future. In recent years, biographies by nonacademics have rescued some presidents from progressive academia’s indifference or condescension: John Adams (rescued by David McCullough), Ulysses S. Grant (by Ron Chernow), Calvin Coolidge (by Amity Shlaes). The rehabilitation of those presidents’ reputations have been acts of justice, as is Christopher Cox’s destruction of Woodrow Wilson’s place in progressivism’s pantheon. In “Woodrow Wilson: The Light Withdrawn,” Cox, former congressman and former chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, demonstrates that the 28th president was the nation’s nastiest. Without belaboring the point, Cox presents an Everest of evidence that Wilson’s progressivism smoothly melded with his authoritarianism and oceanic capacity for contempt. His books featured ostentatious initials: “Woodrow Wilson Ph.D., LL.D.” But he wrote no doctoral dissertation for his 18-month Ph.D. He dropped out of law school. His doctorate of law was honorary. But because of those initials, and because he vaulted in three years from Princeton University’s presidency to New Jersey’s governorship to the U.S. presidency, and because he authored books, he is remembered as a scholar in politics. Actually, he was an intellectual manque using academia as a springboard into politics. His books were thin gruel, often laced with scabrous racism. His first, “Congressional Government,” contained only 52 citations, but he got it counted as a doctoral dissertation. He wrote it while a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University, yet he only once visited the U.S. Capitol 37 miles away. “I have no patience for the tedious toil of ‘research,’” he said. “I hate the place,” he said of Bryn Mawr, a women’s college that provided his first faculty job. He thought teaching women was pointless. Cox ignores the well-plowed ground of Wilson’s domestic achievements — the progressive income tax, the Federal Reserve. Instead, Cox braids Wilson’s aggressive white-male supremacy and hostility toward women’s suffrage. His was a life defined by disdaining. For postgraduate education, Johns Hopkins recruited German-trained faculty steeped in that nation’s statism and belief in the racial superiority of Teutonic people. Wilson’s Johns Hopkins classmate and lifelong friend Thomas Dixon wrote the novel that became the silent movie “The Birth of a Nation.” Wilson made this celebration of the Ku Klux Klan the first movie shown in the White House. During the movie, the screen showed quotes from Wilson’s “History of the American People,” such as: “In the villages the negroes were the office holders, men who knew none of the uses of authority, except its insolences.” And: “At last there had sprung into existence a great Ku Klux Klan ... to protect the Southern country” and Southerners’ “Aryan birthright.” Wilson’s White House gala — guests in evening dress — gave “The Birth of a Nation” a presidential imprimatur. The movie, which became a national sensation, normalized the Klan and helped to revive lynching. Though the term “fascism” is more frequently bandied than defined, it fits Wilson’s amalgam of racism (he meticulously resegregated the federal workforce), statism, and wartime censorship and prosecutions. Dissent was “disloyalty” deserving “a firm hand of stern repression.” Benito Mussolini: “All within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state.” Wilson: “I am perfectly sure that the state has got to control everything that everybody needs and uses.” Wilson created the Committee on Public Information to “mobilize the mind of America.” The committee soon had more than 150,000 employees disseminating propaganda, monitoring publications and providing them with government-written content. The committee was echoed in the Biden administration’s pressuring of social media to suppress what it considered dis- or misinformation. Cox provides a stunning chronicle of Wilson’s complacent, even gleeful, acceptance of police and mob brutality, often in front of the White House, against suffragists. And of the torture — no milder word will suffice — of the women incarcerated in stomach-turning squalor, at the mercy of sadists. “Appropriate,” Wilson said. An appropriate judgment from the man who dismissed as empty verbiage the first two paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence. Historian C. Vann Woodward, author of “The Strange Career of Jim Crow,” said white-male supremacy was the crux of Southern progressivism. Wilson’s political career demonstrated that it was not discordant with national progressivism’s belief that a superior few should control the benighted many. John Greenleaf Whittier, disillusioned by Daniel Webster’s support of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act, wrote of Webster: “So fallen! so lost! the light withdrawn / Which once he wore!” True, too, of Wilson.
Game Blog | Colts commit season-high 10 penalties in 24-6 loss to LionsMiddle East latest: Syria's forces withdraw from Homs, a key link between the capital and coastNew Jersey fines firms $40K for sports betting violationsPresident-elect Donald Trump is adopting a wide-ranging legal strategy in suing media companies over what he describes as false or misleading coverage about him, filing cases under civil anti-fraud laws in addition to defamation lawsuits. Some legal experts say the cases appear aimed at punishing outlets for critical coverage, and that the novel legal strategies are an effort to get past steep hurdles in defamation lawsuits, which can be difficult for public figures in the US to win. Trump has said the lawsuits, three of which were filed in the past year, are necessary because media companies are “very dishonest” and need to be held accountable. “President Trump will continue to hold those who have committed, and are committing wrongdoings, accountable for blatantly false and dishonest reporting, which serves no public interest and only seeks to interfere in our elections on behalf of political partisans,” Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement to Reuters when asked about the president-elect’s legal strategy. Trump has one pending defamation case and is appealing a loss in another. His legal campaign against the media also includes at least two lawsuits brought under unfair trade practices laws and civil anti-fraud statutes aimed at protecting consumers from subpar products. Media advocacy groups said Trump’s use of such laws against news outlets could be a way of circumventing legal protections for the press, which can only be held liable for defamation against public figures if they say something they knew or should have known was false. Trump on Monday told reporters he planned to aggressively pursue defamation cases against journalists. He followed through that night by suing the Des Moines Register newspaper in Iowa state court over an opinion poll by the newspaper that showed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris ahead of Trump before the Nov. 5 election – but not for defamation. He instead brought his case under Iowa’s deceptive and unfair trade practices law, which makes it illegal to deceive or mislead consumers in the sale of merchandise, the Reuters report adds. Trump’s lawsuit said millions of Americans “were deceived by the doctored Harris Poll.” The Register acknowledged in a statement that the poll did not reflect Trump’s ultimate margin of victory but said it stands by its reporting and believes the lawsuit is meritless. On Monday, Trump also mentioned his ongoing $10 billion lawsuit against CBS over the network’s October “60 Minutes” interview with Harris, which Trump said was deceptively edited. CBS said in a statement that it did not mislead the public and believes the lawsuit is meritless. Suing media companies under different laws could avoid some of the obstacles that often doom defamation cases, but it still carries risks, legal experts said. “This is creative lawyering. It doesn’t mean that it’s easier to win these other kinds of cases,” said Ilya Shapiro of the conservative Manhattan Institute. Iowa’s consumer protection law, for instance, requires plaintiffs to prove a business knowingly did something deceptive and intended it to influence consumers. Some legal experts said Trump could have a hard time convincing a judge that news coverage aimed at selling newspapers fits under laws typically wielded against businesses that swindle consumers. In a long line of cases, courts have rejected efforts to bring what are essentially defamation cases under the guise of other laws. Trump’s lawsuits could still saddle news outlets with litigation costs and force them to turn over potentially embarrassing internal documents. Some experts said it would be corrosive to press freedoms if judges allow the cases to proceed. If courts allowed Trump to use consumer protection laws to go after news outlets, for instance, it could open the door for state attorneys general to open official investigations using their broad authority to police the marketplace.