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President Jimmy Carter at the White House, in Washington, U.S. March 8, 1977. Library of Congress/Reuters Jon Hartley is a research fellow at the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity, a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, and affiliated scholar at the Mercatus Center. Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter died on Sunday at age 100. That makes the economic legacy of Mr. Carter’s decisions a timely matter to examine. One issue that policymakers around the world should reflect on in these newly inflationary times is that America’s inflation fighting of the 1980s was set in motion by Mr. Carter in the form of deregulation and hawkish monetary policy – well before the Reagan Revolution, the phenomenon associated with Mr. Carter’s successor, to whom the credit is often given. At the end of the 1970s, the U.S. economy was plagued by inflation and financial market volatility. Jimmy Carter, former U.S. president and Nobel Peace Prize winner, dies at 100 Several Federal Reserve chairs, including Arthur Burns, William Miller and Frederick Schultz (in an acting capacity), all had failed to tackle inflation head-on, with dire consequences: inflationary spirals that ravaged the financial well-being of Americans, especially those at or below the median income. In late July, 1979, Mr. Carter nominated Paul Volcker, then the hawkish president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, to head the central bank. While sitting on the Federal Open Market Committee, Mr. Volcker had made it clear he was in favour of more aggressive interest rate increases. He took action in fighting inflation with increases that past Fed chairs had been too afraid to introduce, eventually raising interest rates to a peak of 21.5 per cent in 1981. Despite contributing to a significant labour market pullback that included unemployment above 10 per cent, the hikes pushed inflation, which had peaked at 14.8 per cent in 1980, to fall below 3 per cent by 1983. The episode is still cited by economists and textbooks as one of the greatest empirical examples of how raising interest rates can reduce inflation by lowering aggregate demand. Opinion: Remembering Jimmy Carter, a presidential study in contradiction and high conduct In 1983, President Ronald Reagan reappointed Mr. Volcker to a second term, beginning a long tradition of reappointing Fed chairs (even across party lines) that would last 35 years and further enshrine central bank independence. President Carter’s initial decision had important long-term consequences. The Carter-Volcker inflation-fighting legacy is a lesson that President Joe Biden, current Fed chair Jay Powell and other Federal Reserve officials should remember as they continue their quest to vanquish the early 2020s inflation spike – after initially hesitating, in the mistaken belief that inflation would subside on its own, without central bank intervention. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs a disaster relief declaration for cold-stricken Buffalo, N.Y., on Feb. 5, 1977. John Duricka/AP Lt. James "Jimmy" Carter, background, peers at instruments in main control room of the submarine USS K-1 (SSK-1) in 1952. From 1952-53, Carter served on temporary duty with the Naval Reactors Branch of U.S. Atomic Energy Commission to assist "in the design and development of nuclear propulsion plants for naval vessels." Courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command American politician Jimmy Carter looks up while shoveling peanuts on a peanut farm, 1970s. Hulton Archive/Getty Images In a photo provided by Special Collections and Archives/Georgia State University, Dorothy Bolden, left, founder of the National Domestic Workers Union, with Jimmy Carter when he was Georgia's governor, in 1970. Bolden adapted the organizing techniques she learned as a civil rights activist to secure protections for domestic workers, a largely unregulated part of the work force. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVES/The New York Times News Service President elect Jimmy Carter (c), flanked by his wife Rosalynn (L), his daughter Amy (2nd L) and family, celebrates his election during a rally in Atlanta on November 3, 1976. Jimmy Carter was elected 39th President of the United States on November 2, 1976, with 51% of votes against 48% for incumbent Republican president Gerald Ford. GENE FORTE/Getty Images Supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Jimmy Carter hold up signs during a rally on May 15, 1976 in New York. Jimmy Carter was elected 39th President of the United States on November 2, 1976, with 51% of votes against 48% for incumbent Republican president Gerald Ford. -/Getty Images Chief Justice Warren Burger administers the oath of office to Jimmy Carter (R) as the 39th President of the United Sates on January 20, 1977. Rosalynn Carter is looking on. -/Getty Images Former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, right, presents former U.S. President Jimmy Carter with a copy of 'Between Friends,' a book of pictures made along the U.S.-Canadian border, on Feb. 21, 1977. Anonymous/The Associated Press In this Tuesday, Aug. 30, 1977 file photo, President Jimmy Carter meets with civic leaders from Georgia and Florida at the White House in Washington to explain his new Panama Canal treaty. Hharvey Georges/The Associated Press In this file photo taken on September 17, 1978, Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat (back to camera) and Israeli Premier Menachem Begin embrace each other after signing a peace agreement as U.S. President Jimmy Carter looks on, in the East Room of the White House in Washington D.C. -/AFP/Getty Images Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, left, and Ronald Reagan shake hands before a televised debate in October 1980, in Cleveland, Ohio. The Associated Press Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, right, with Lowell BruceLaingen, one of the American hostages released by Iran, in Wiesbaden, West Germany, Jan. 21, 1981. D. GORTON/The New York Times News Service Photo shows Bill Gates Sr., (L) former South African President Nelson Mandela and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter holding babies at the Zola clinic, in the Soweto Township outside of Johannesburg, South Africa on March 7, 2002. The babies were born to mothers who have tested positive for HIV. Carter on a trip for the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation in an effort to focus attention on HIV and AIDS prevention. On Oct. 11 2002, Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize for years of tireless effort as an international mediator. JEFF CHRISTENSEN/Getty Images Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (L) participates in election monitoring 08 May 1994 in Panama City. Carter, 78, on Friday 11 October 2002 won the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for years of tireless effort as an international mediator. Carter, 78, was honoured for "his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development", the Norwegian Nobel Committee said. RODRIGO ARANGUA/Getty Images Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter holds up his Nobel Peace Prize December 10, 2002 in Oslo, Norway. Carter was recognized for many years of public service and urged others to work for peace during his acceptance speech. Getty Images/Getty Images Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalyn Carter attach siding to the front of a Habitat for Humanity home being built June 10, 2003 in LaGrange, Georgia. More than 90 homes are being built in LaGrange; Valdosta, Georgia; and Anniston, Alabama by volunteers as part of Habitat for Humanity International's Jimmy Carter Work Project 2003. Erik S. Lesser/Getty Images Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (L) takes notes 02 December 2004 while listening to a translater during his polling station observation visit in Maputo, Mozambique. Mozambique's long-time President Joaquim Chissano expressed surprise Thursday at the abysmal turn-out in elections to choose his successor, and blamed the poor showing on widespread illiteracy and ignorance of political systems. MARCO LONGARI/Getty Images Jimmy Carter talks with his grandson Hugo Wentzel, 10, during a picnic event on October 31, 2009 in Istanbul, Turkey. Jimmy Carter, Desmond Tutu and their fellow Elders invited their grandchildren to join them this week to remind the world of the catastrophic risk of climate change to future generations. The seven Elders and their thirteen grandchildren from Asia, Africa, Europe and America met in Istanbul with the group ranging in age from 3 to 85. Supplied/Getty Images Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter tries to comfort 6-year-old Ruhama Issah at Savelugu (Ghana) Hospital as a Carter Center technical assistant dresses Issah's extremely painful Guinea worm wound. In May 2010, with Carter Center support, Ghana reported its last case of Guinea worm disease and announced it had stopped disease transmission a year later. Louise Gubb/Carter Center Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter at Mr. Carter's 90th birthday celebration at Georgia Southwestern University. Branden Camp/The Associated Press Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter signs copies of his new book at a Barnes & Noble bookstore in New York City in March 26, 2018. Drew Angerer/Getty Images Former President Jimmy Carter greets visitors before teaching a Sunday school class at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga., April 15, 2018. MELISSA GOLDEN/The New York Times News Service Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter work with volunteers during the first day of the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project for Humanity, on Aug. 27, 2018, in Mishawaka, Ind. Robert Franklin/The Associated Press Mr. Carter also played a substantial role in the deregulation of many industries in the United States in the late 20th century. In 1978, he signed the Airline Deregulation Act into law, which removed federal government control over the industry, paving the way for low-cost carriers such as Southwest Airlines. Later that same year, he also signed into law the Energy Act, legislation that would deregulate oil and gas prices and later increase the supply of energy, lowering prices further. It also ended a period in which natural gas was blocked from entering interstate markets from producing states. Deregulating many other industries would follow, even after the Carter administration. This practice has its critics, who say it erodes the rights of workers, but it has unquestionably resulted in further reducing prices and thus improving consumer welfare, especially for those below the median income, as inflation is historically higher for the poor. While Mr. Reagan often gets the credit for deregulation and fighting inflation – he was in office during most of Mr. Volcker’s term at the Fed – some of the seeds of the Reagan Revolution were planted by a kind peanut farmer from Georgia named Jimmy Carter.Scott Turner, President-elect Donald Trump choice to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development , is a former NFL player who ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term. Turner, 52, is the first Black person selected to be a member of the Republican's Cabinet. Here are some things to know about Turner: From professional football to politics Turner grew up in a Dallas suburb, Richardson, and graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He was a defensive back and spent nine seasons in the NFL beginning in 1995, playing for the Washington Redskins, San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos. During offseasons, he worked as an intern then-Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif. After Turner retired in 2004, he worked full time for the congressman. In 2006, Turner ran unsuccessfully as a Republican in California’s 50th Congressional District. Turner joined the Texas House in 2013 as part of a large crop of tea party-supported lawmakers. He tried unsuccessfully to become speaker before he finished his second term in 2016. He did not seek a third term. Motivational speaker and pastor Turner also worked for a software company in a position called “chief inspiration officer” and said he acted as a professional mentor, pastor, and councilor for the employees and executive team. He has also been a motivational speaker. He and his wife, Robin Turner, founded a nonprofit promoting initiatives to improve childhood literacy. His church, Prestonwood Baptist Church, lists him as an associate pastor. He is also chair of the center for education opportunity at America First Policy Institute, a think tank set up by former Trump administration staffers to lay the groundwork if he won a second term. Headed council in Trump's first term Trump introduced Turner in April 2019 as the head of the new White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. Trump credited Turner with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” The mission of the council was to coordinate with various federal agencies to attract investment to so-called “Opportunity Zones," which were economically depressed areas eligible to be used for the federal tax incentives. The role of HUD HUD is responsible for addressing the nation’s housing needs. It also is charged with fair housing laws and oversees housing for the poorest Americans, sheltering more than 4.3 million low-income families through public housing, rental subsidy and voucher programs. The agency, with a budget of tens of billions of dollars, runs a multitude of programs that do everything from reducing homelessness to promoting homeownership. It also funds the construction of affordable housing and provides vouchers that allow low income families pay for housing in the private market. During the campaign, Trump focused mostly on the prices of housing, not public housing. He railed against the high cost of housing and said he could make it more affordable by cracking down on illegal immigration and reducing inflation. He also said he would work to reduce regulations on home construction and make some federal land available for residential construction. ___Cricket-New Zealand opener Conway out of third England test

Andy Murray will coach Novak Djokovic through the Australian OpenPhiladelphia's Joel Embiid scored 31 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in his return after missing seven games to spark the 76ers on Sunday in a 108-100 NBA victory at Chicago. Embiid had been sidelined by a left knee injury and personal reasons since a November 20 loss to Memphis, the Sixers going 4-3 in his absence. The 30-year-old Cameroonian-born big man, who wore a left knee brace, also added four assists and two blocked shots in 33 minutes in only his fifth game of the season. "He caught fire there," 76ers coach Nick Nurse said of Embiid. "Certainly he gave us a lot of confidence." Philadelphia guard Tyrese Maxey contributed his first career NBA triple-double with 25 points and career highs of 14 assists and 11 rebounds. "It was good," Maxey said. "The offense flowed really well. Pick and roll was really good. I was able to get everybody involved, get Joel going and get myself going too." "He turned on the jets and got to the rim at some pretty opportune times," Nurse said of Maxey. Embiid was a welcome court presence for the 76ers. "He creates so much space for us on the floor, gets the attention," said Maxey. "I didn't see one pick and roll double team for the first time in a long time." Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 30 points. At New York, Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 34 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Bucks over the Brooklyn Nets 118-113. Damian Lillard added 15 points and 11 assists while reserve Bobby Portis contributed 23 points and Gary Trent Jr. scored 20 off the Milwaukee bench. Germany's Dennis Schroder led the Nets with 34 points. js/mlmLithium Chile (OTCMKTS:LTMCF) Stock Price Up 10.1% – Here’s What Happened

Lindsey Carmichael, right, creator of Soleni Shoes, shows one of her shoe styles on Sept. 30, 2024, to co-owner of R&C Adventure Footwear Jeff Cusumano in La Grande. Carmichael, a La Grande native living in Boise, is on a mission to prove orthopedic shoes can be fashionable. The Marie Flat is one of two styles Soleni Shoes offers. Creator Lindsey Carmichael is excited to offer her shoes for sale in her hometown of La Grande at R&C Adventure Footwear. Lindsey Carmichael, right, creator of Soleni Shoes, unboxes shoes Sept. 30, 2024, with the co-owner of R&C Adventure Footwear Jeff Cusumano in La Grande. Soleni Shoes creator Lindsey Carmichael, right, unboxes shoes Sept. 30, 2024, in La Grande with Jeff Cusumano, co-owner of R&C Adventure Footwear. Lindsey Carmichael, right, creator of Soleni Shoes, shows one of her shoe styles on Sept. 30, 2024, to co-owner of R&C Adventure Footwear Jeff Cusumano in La Grande. Carmichael, a La Grande native living in Boise, is on a mission to prove orthopedic shoes can be fashionable. The Marie Flat is one of two styles Soleni Shoes offers. Creator Lindsey Carmichael is excited to offer her shoes for sale in her hometown of La Grande at R&C Adventure Footwear. Lindsey Carmichael, right, creator of Soleni Shoes, unboxes shoes Sept. 30, 2024, with the co-owner of R&C Adventure Footwear Jeff Cusumano in La Grande. Soleni Shoes creator Lindsey Carmichael, right, unboxes shoes Sept. 30, 2024, in La Grande with Jeff Cusumano, co-owner of R&C Adventure Footwear. UNION COUNTY — Lindsey Carmichael is on a mission to prove orthopedic shoes aren’t just for grandmas. She wants to show women these shoes should be as fashionable as they are supportive. This is why Carmichael, a La Grande native living in Boise, started her own shoe brand in December 2023. “I had the idea for a long time because it’s historically very difficult to fund a functional, comfortable shoe that is also aesthetic,” Carmichael said. So, she created Soleni Shoes to provide just that. An idea is born “I would say this whole journey was initiated from a knee injury I experienced in high school,” she said. Carmichael was an all-around athlete in school. She played soccer, basketball and ran track for La Grande High School. Then during her senior year she blew out her knee while playing basketball. The experience was devastating for Carmichael and her teammates. The tigers were ranked No. 1 in the state that season. She said it was a “life changing injury.” Carmichael underwent surgery in Portland to repair her torn ACL, MCL and her medial and lateral meniscus. After graduating from LHS in 2003, she went on to play four years of college basketball and one year of college soccer at the Oregon Institute of Technology, but her knee injury was a catalyst for future issues, including arthritis. “I got my knee fixed, everything was fine and then I just started having some pretty serious problems in my mid-20s,” Carmichael said. But not everything that came out of the experience was bad. Carmichael said her initial interactions with her medical team left an impression on her and ultimately gave her the drive to go to school to become a physician assistant, also commonly referred to as a physician assistant She has worked as a PA for the last 15 years and specifically within orthopedics for nearly 10. “As I’ve grown in my career as a PA, I’ve developed my own orthopedic issues and with all of my interactions with my patients — particularly female patients — I’ve come to realize that I’m not an anomaly. Tons of women have lots of lower extremity joint paint,” she said. The shoes Carmichael draws on her experience as a mother, physician assistant and former athlete to create Soleni Shoes. “I think the combination of my personal experience with orthopedics and surgery and also my interactions with all of my patients have collectively put me where I’m at now,” she said. She works with a developer and a designer to create the shoes, which are then produced in Southern China. She said it takes around 18 months of turnaround time to make a new style and design. Carmichael said the thing that sets her footwear apart is the contoured removable footbed, which provides orthopedic comfort without the orthopedic look. The trademarked Soleni Solace offers built-in comfort with a wider toe box, a deep heel cup and arch support. “The footbed itself is something that if a patient came to me and had some of the simple bread and butter orthopedic complaints like plantar fasciitis or bunion pain or metatarsalgia, that type of contoured footbed would be what I would recommend in my clinic for patients,” Carmichael said. Having enough room inside the shoe to fit prescription orthotics also mattered to her. Carmichael explained when she was playing varsity soccer at 15 she experienced some bad lower back pain. Her physical therapist at Mountain Valley Therapy determined she needed prescription orthotics, which helped alleviate the pain. However, she said that a “struggle with prescription orthotics is trying to shove those into different types of shoes.” Next steps Carmichael mainly sells her shoes online. She said that it’s easier to reach people with her story through the internet. “It’s such a relatable story for lots of people. I’m just a small town kid that had big dreams and pursued them,” she said. Since her background is in medicine, Carmichael said there was a steep learning curve when it came to launching Soleni Shoes. There was the nitty-gritty of footwear development and design, but with international manufacturing she had to learn about getting her products on shopping containers, licensings, fees and tariffs. Carmichael also had to learn everything about marketing, from search engine optimization to creating and editing videos to promote her business, and accounting. “I celebrate every time I balance my QuickBooks accounts,” she said with a laugh. Eventually, Carmichael said she would like to retire from her job as a PA and focus full time on Soleni Shoes. In the future, she would like to expand into wholesale and believes her footwear line would best fit in boutiques. Her shoes are for sale at a few physical stores, such as R&C Adventure Footwear. “It also means the world for them to support me,” Carmichael said.Which Eagles Group Must Step Up After Key Injury?

WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — Donovan Newby had 18 points in UNC Wilmington's 78-69 victory over Marshall on Saturday. Newby shot 5 for 10 (0 for 3 from 3-point range) and 8 of 11 from the free-throw line for the Seahawks (7-2). Sean Moore scored 14 points while shooting 6 for 11, including 2 for 3 from beyond the arc and added 16 rebounds. Khamari McGriff shot 5 of 6 from the field and 3 for 3 from the line to finish with 13 points, while adding six rebounds. The Thundering Herd (5-4) were led in scoring by Mikal Dawson, who finished with 12 points and two steals. Marshall also got 10 points and nine rebounds from Nate Martin. Dezayne Mingo also had 10 points, eight rebounds and five assists. UNC Wilmington took the lead with 12:17 to go in the first half and did not give it up. The score was 44-34 at halftime, with Moore racking up 12 points. UNC Wilmington was outscored by Marshall in the second half by one point, with Newby scoring a team-high 12 points after halftime. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Simon Harris said he has apologised to a woman for not giving her enough time to speak about carers and disability services while he was out canvassing in Cork on Friday. The Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader said he spoke to Charlotte Fallon, a worker with St Joseph’s Foundation, on the phone on Saturday after a clip of an exchange between them on Friday went viral. RTE footage posted to the social media site X shows Mr Harris on a canvass in Kanturk when Ms Fallon tells the Taoiseach carers “were ignored” and the Government has “done nothing for us”. “The disability sector is a joke,” she says. “You’ve done nothing for us, our people are suffering. I’m very passionate about my job.” Mr Harris responds by saying: “No, not at all,” and: “I’m very passionate about disability too.” Ms Fallon says: “But there’s no mention of (them in the) Budget. You ignored them, you ignore the carers,” to which Mr Harris says: “That’s not true,” several times before shaking her hand and walking away. While out canvassing at a Christmas market in Rathfarnham in Dublin on Saturday afternoon, Mr Harris said he was annoyed with himself and had called Ms Fallon to apologise. “I called Charlotte this morning because she was absolutely owed an apology from me,” he said. “We had a very good conversation, a very good conversation. I was very grateful to her for her time and her kindness. “We spoke about a number of issues, we spoke about disability services, we spoke about the issue of pay parity for people in Section 39 organisations, and we also spoke about the issue of the means test for carers. “I was grateful to have a chance to listen to Charlotte and also talk through with her some of my own plans and views and vision in relation to disability services. Really grateful for the conversation, learned a lot from it, and I’ve also said that I’d love to call in to where she works in Cork in the coming weeks, and she said I’d be very welcome. “I’m annoyed with how I didn’t give that person, Charlotte, the time last night, she deserved that time. “I’ve been around the country and I’ve had hundreds of conversations some days, and I’ve learned a lot and always learned a lot from listening to people and I’m very sorry that didn’t happen last night.” Asked what happened last night, he said: “There’s no excuse for it, I’m annoyed with myself in relation to it, disability is what makes me tick. “It will always be my passion, and it’s Charlotte’s passion too, and I’m really grateful to her for giving me the opportunity to speak with her today.” Asked whether he thought people would doubt his sincerity on wanting to reform the State’s disability services after seeing the video, Mr Harris said: “I hope not. “All I can do is really double my efforts to convince people of the facts that we have a plan for the future of this country, and very much at the heart of that plan is better services, better delivery and better empowerment of people with disabilities. “I’ve tried to bring a focus to it since I’ve become Taoiseach, and it’s something that I will continue to work on intensively and even more intensively as a result of this.” On Saturday morning, Mr Harris posted a video on Instagram where he said he was spurred on to become a politician after seeing his parents fight for access to services for his brother Adam, who has autism. He said the interaction happened at the end of a “very long day” and he felt “really bad” about it. Mr Harris then outlined his party’s plans for carers and the disability sector, including removing the means testing for the Carers’ Allowance and to ensure that there are therapies in special schools and special classes. Sinn Fein’s housing spokesperson Eoin O Broin said that Mr Harris’ reaction “showed the true face of Fine Gael” and showed “a contempt for working people”. Speaking at a press event in Dublin on Saturday, Fine Gael ministers Helen McEntee and Paschal Donohoe defended their party leader. “I think the Taoiseach himself has been very clear that he wished the encounter had gone differently. It had been the end of a very, very long day,” Ms McEntee said. “What he said very clearly is that he should have given her more time, and should have engaged for longer with her, but this is the reason he got into politics.” Mr Donohoe said: “In the course of an election campaign, in all the interactions that we have with people, of course, we sometimes feel within ourselves ‘that could have gone differently’ and ‘could have gone better’. I think it’s particularly the case for somebody who is so committed to looking at how we can support those who need more.”Aamir Khan, as we all know, has been on a longish sabbatical from acting. He is now ready to get back to the grind. An impeccably informed sources inform Zoom that he intends to return to his Mahabharat project which he abandoned a few years back because S. S Rajamouli wanted to do Mahabharat, and, well, the political scenario was not conducive to Aamir attempting his interpretation of the Hindu epic. But now, Aamir has gathered enough oxygen in his lungs to do what he wants to. And Mahabharat it is. Initially, Aamir wanted to play Lord Krishna. Now there is no clarity on whether he would want to play the same role. ALSO READ: Aamir Khan On Why He's STILL In Bollywood: We Might Die Tomorrow Aamir is always a dreamer. But he’s a pragmatic dreamer. He won’t just get into a situation without a full understanding and appraisal of the situation. In 2018-19 he felt the time was not right for the Mahabharat. Now into the project, he won’t withdraw. The scale on which Aamir plans to make the Mahabharat makes it a very expensive project. And Aamir wants to cast only A-listers. He had set 2019-20 aside for the project. But when it didn’t materialize for various reasons he went ahead and signed Lal Singh Chaddha. Now it’s Mahabharat. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Bollywood, Entertainment News and around the world.

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Dazostinag sodium is under clinical development by and currently in Phase II for Oropharyngeal Cancer. According to GlobalData, Phase II drugs for Oropharyngeal Cancer have a 50% phase transition success rate (PTSR) indication benchmark for progressing into Phase III. GlobalData tracks drug-specific phase transition and likelihood of approval scores, in addition to indication benchmarks based off 18 years of historical drug development data. Attributes of the drug, company and its clinical trials play a fundamental role in drug-specific PTSR and likelihood of approval. Dazostinag sodium overview Dazostinag sodium (TAK-676) is under development for the treatment of advanced or metastatic solid tumors including non-small cell lung cancer, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), oropharyngeal cancer, colorectal cancer and head and neck cancer squamous cell carcinoma. The drug candidate is cyclic purine dinucleotide and acts by targeting stimulator of interferon genes (STING/TMEM173). It is a new molecular entity. It is administered via intravenous route. Takeda Pharmaceutical overview (Takeda) is a global pharmaceutical company primarily engaged in the research, development, production, and commercialization of biopharmaceutical products. It provides treatment for inflammatory bowel disease, acid-related diseases, motility disorders and liver diseases; hemophilia and hereditary bleeding disorders; primary immunodeficiency and multifocal motor neuropathy; major depressive disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; and its cancer treatment encompasses multiple myeloma, mantle cell lymphoma, non-small cell lung cancer and chronic myeloid leukemia. While the company markets its pharmaceutical products directly, it also collaborates with marketing alliance partners in worldwide. Takeda operates in various countries worldwide, including Japan, the US, Europe, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific region. Takeda is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. For a complete picture of Dazostinag sodium’s drug-specific PTSR and LoA scores, This content was updated on 12 April 2024 From Blending expert knowledge with cutting-edge technology, GlobalData’s unrivalled proprietary data will enable you to decode what’s happening in your market. You can make better informed decisions and gain a future-proof advantage over your competitors. , the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article. GlobalData’s Likelihood of Approval analytics tool dynamically assesses and predicts how likely a drug will move to the next stage in clinical development (PTSR), as well as how likely the drug will be approved (LoA). This is based on a combination of machine learning and a proprietary algorithm to process data points from various databases found on GlobalData’s .The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams is considering automation and the introduction of an Artificial Intelligence chatbot to "enhance transparency and efficiency in pilgrim services" at the Sri Venkateswara Temple, an official said on Sunday. TTD Executive Officer J Syamala Rao stated that the temple administration is exploring "futuristic technologies" to expedite accommodation, darshan, and other services while improving overall transparency and efficiency. "To accelerate accommodation, darshan, and other services for the multitude of visiting pilgrims and to enhance transparency and efficiency, TTD is considering automation instead of manual operations. We are also exploring the introduction of an AI chatbot for pilgrim services," Rao said while addressing reporters at Annamaiah Bhavan in Tirumala. According to the EO, TTD’s ultimate goal is to "enrich the pilgrim experience while leveraging technology,"all the while safeguarding "the spiritual and cultural sanctity" of Tirumala for future generations. Rao further noted that the temple administration is aligning with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s vision of blending "traditional aesthetics with modern functionality" in Tirumala’s development. He added that TTD aims to position the world’s richest Hindu temple as a model pilgrimage center under its "Vision 2047," in alignment with the state government’s 'Swarna Andhra-2047' initiative. The vision emphasises planned development, environmental management, and heritage conservation in Tirumala, Rao added. Read more: Tirupati temple board to use AI to cut darshan time

Abee's 25 lead UNC Asheville over Saint Andrews 120-64

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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Will Howard passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another, TreVeyon Henderson ran for a score, and No. 2 Ohio State beat previously undefeated No. 5 Indiana 38-15 on Saturday. All Ohio State (10-1, 7-1) has to do now is beat Michigan at home next Saturday and it will earn a return to the Big Ten championship game for the first time since 2020 and get a rematch with No. 1 Oregon. The Ducks beat Ohio State 32-31 in a wild one back on Oct. 12. The Hoosiers (10-1, 7-1) had their best chance to beat the Buckeyes for the first time since 1988 but were hurt by special teams mistakes and disrupted by an Ohio State defense that sacked quarterback Kurtis Rourke five times. Howard finished 22 for 26 for 201 yards. Emeka Egbuka had seven catches for 80 yards and a TD. NO. 4 PENN STATE 26, MINNESOTA 25: Drew Allar passed for 244 yards and a touchdown, rushed for a score and completed a late fourth-down conversion to help visiting Penn State fend off Minnesota and stay on track for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Tyler Warren had eight receptions for 102 yards for the Nittany Lions (10-1, 7-1), who dodged the upset on an afternoon when three other teams in the projected 12-team playoff were beaten. Dragan Kesich's third field goal of the game with 5:48 left brought the Gophers (6-5, 4-4) within one after they had first-and-goal from the 7. NO. 25 ILLINOIS 38, RUTGERS 31: Luke Altmyer found Pat Bryant for a catch-and-run, 40-yard touchdown pass with 4 seconds left, sending Illinois to a wild road victory over Rutgers. Illinois (8-3, 5-3) was down 31-30 when it sent long kicker Ethan Moczulski out for a desperation 58-yard field goal with 14 seconds to go. Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) coach Greg Schiano then called for a timeout right before Moczulski’s attempt was wide left and about 15 yards short. After the missed field goal was waved off by the timeout, Illinois coach Bret Bielema sent his offense back on the field. Altmyer hit Bryant on an in cut on the left side at the 22, and he continued across the field and scored untouched in a game that featured three lead changes in the final 3:07. IOWA 29, MARYLAND 13: Kaleb Johnson rushed for 164 yards and a touchdown on a career-high 35 carries, and Kamari Moulton scored on a 68-yard run in the fourth quarter to help Iowa outlast Maryland in College Park. Johnson scored from 2 yards out in the second quarter for his 21st rushing touchdown of the season, and the Hawkeyes (7-4, 5-3) rebounded from their loss to UCLA in their previous game. Maryland (4-7, 1-7) needed to win its final two regular-season games to reach six wins and bowl eligibility, but the Terrapins were dominated in the first half and eventually fell behind 16-0. Drew Stevens made five field goals for Iowa, including kicks from 54 yards in the second quarter, then 50 and 49 in the third. MICHIGAN 50, NORTHWESTERN 6: Kalel Mullings ran for 92 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, leading Michigan to a home victory over Northwestern to make the defending national champions eligible for a bowl. The Wolverines (6-5, 4-4) needed the victory to secure a spot in the postseason because they will be heavy underdogs next week against rival and second-ranked Ohio State on the road. The Wildcats (4-7, 2-6) likely knock themselves out of contention for a bowl by losing for the fourth time in five games. NEBRASKA 44, WISCONSIN 25: Dylan Raiola threw for 293 yards and a touchdown, Dante Dowdell ran for three scores, and Nebraska beat Wisconsin (5-6, 3-5) at home to become eligible for a bowl for the first time since 2016. Nebraska (6-5, 3-5) stopped a four-game losing streak and beat the Badgers for the first time in 11 meetings. The Cornhuskers sprinted to the Wisconsin sideline as time ran out to claim the Freedom Trophy as students poured out of the stands onto the field to celebrate. The victory was the Cornhuskers' first in nine tries under second-year coach Matt Rhule when playing for bowl eligibility. LATE FRIDAY MICHIGAN STATE 24, PURDUE 17: Aidan Chiles threw for two scores in the first half to build a three-touchdown lead and Michigan State (5-6, 3-5) held on to beat Purdue (1-10, 0-8) at home. The Spartans are a win away from being eligible for a bowl with first-year coach Jonathan Smith and they play Rutgers at home in the final regular-season game. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Underperforming Pacers welcome struggling Wizards

how to redeem points in haha777 After delay, Trump signs agreement with Biden White House to begin formal transition handoffWASHINGTON — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide Tuesday because of a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne about an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop for the airline. The order, which prevented planes from taking off, was issued at the airline's request. The airline said in an email that the problem was caused by trouble with vendor technology that maintains its flight operating system. An American Airlines employee wearing looks toward quiet check-in counters Tuesday in the American terminal at Miami International Airport in Miami. Dennis Tajer, a spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, a union representing American Airlines pilots, said the airline told pilots at 7 a.m. Eastern that there was an outage affecting the system known as FOS. It handles different types of airline operations, including dispatch, flight planning, passenger boarding, as well as an airplane's weight and balance data, he said. Some components of FOS have gone down in the past, but a systemwide outage is rare, Tajer said. Flights were delayed across American's major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company. Out of the 3,901 domestic and international American Airlines flights scheduled for Tuesday, 19 were canceled. Cirium noted that the vast majority of flights departed within two hours of their scheduled departure time. A similar percentage — 36% — arrived at their destinations as scheduled. Meanwhile, the flight-tracking site FlightAware reported that 3,712 flights entering or leaving the U.S., or serving domestic destinations, were delayed Tuesday, with 55 flights canceled. It did not show any flights from American Airlines. Cirium said Dallas-Fort Worth, New York's Kennedy Airport and Charlotte, North Carolina, saw the greatest number of delays. Washington, Chicago and Miami experienced considerably fewer delays. Travelers wait in line for security checks Tuesday at the Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. Amid the travel problems, significant rain and snow were expected in the Pacific Northwest at least into Christmas Day. Showers and thunderstorms developed in the South. Freezing rain was reported in the Mid-Atlantic region near Baltimore and Washington, and snow fell in New York. Because the holiday travel period lasts weeks, airports and airlines typically have smaller peak days than they do during the rush around Thanksgiving, but the grind of one hectic day followed by another takes a toll on flight crews. Any hiccups — a winter storm or a computer outage — can snowball into massive disruptions. That is how Southwest Airlines stranded 2 million travelers in December 2022, and Delta Air Lines suffered a smaller but significant meltdown after a worldwide technology outage in July caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations even more disruptive than during slower periods. That is especially true for smaller budget airlines that have fewer flights and fewer options for rebooking passengers. Only the largest airlines, including American, Delta and United, have "interline agreements" that let them put stranded customers on another carrier's flights. An American Airlines employee wearing a Santa Claus hat walks through the American terminal Tuesday at Miami International Airport in Miami. This will be the first holiday season since a Transportation Department rule took effect that requires airlines to give customers an automatic cash refund for a canceled or significantly delayed flight. Most air travelers were already eligible for refunds, but they often had to request them. Passengers still can ask to get rebooked, which is often a better option than a refund during peak travel periods. Finding a last-minute flight on another airline tends to be expensive. An American spokesperson said Tuesday was not a peak travel day for the airline — with about 2,000 fewer flights than the busiest days — so the airline had somewhat of a buffer to manage the delays. The groundings happened as millions of travelers were expected to fly over the next 10 days. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 40 million passengers through Jan. 2. Airlines expect to have their busiest days on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. American Airlines employees check in travelers Tuesday in the American terminal at Miami International Airport in Miami. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations more disruptive than during slower periods. Even with just a brief outage, the cancellations have a cascading effect that can take days to clear up. About 90% of Americans traveling far from home over the holidays will be in cars, according to AAA. "Airline travel is just really high right now, but most people do drive to their destinations, and that is true for every holiday," AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said. Gasoline prices are similar to last year. The nationwide average Thursday was $3.04 a gallon, down from $3.13 a year ago, according to AAA. Charging an electric vehicle averages just under 35 cents per per kilowatt hour, but varies by state. Transportation-data firm INRIX says travel times on the nation's highways could be up to 30% longer than normal over the holidays, with Sunday expected to see the heaviest traffic. "It's not the destination, it's the journey," said American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson. Ralph clearly was not among the travellers on one of more than 350 cancelled or 1,400 delayed flights after a worldwide tech outage caused by an update to Crowdstrike's "Falcon Sensor" software in July of 2023. U.S. airlines carried nearly 863 million travellers in 2023, with Canadian carriers accounting for another 150 million, many of whom experienced lost luggage, flight delays, cancellations, or were bumped off their flights. It's unclear how many of them were compensated for these inconveniences. Suffice it to say, posting a crabby rant on social media might temporarily soothe anger, but it won't put wasted money back in pockets. Money.ca shares what to know in order to be compensated for the three most common air travel headaches. Bags elected to go on a vacay without you? Check off the following: If you expect a large payout, think again. Tariffs (air carrier contracts) limit the compensation amounts for "loss of, damage to, or the delay in delivery of baggage or other personal property." In the case of Air Canada, the maximum payout is $1,500 per passenger in the currency of the country where the baggage was processed. To raise that limit, purchase a Declaration of Higher Value for each leg of the trip. The charge is $0.50 for each $100, in which case the payout limit is $2,500. For Delta Air Lines, passengers are entitled to up to $3,800 in baggage compensation, though how much you'll receive depends on your flight. Delta will pay up to $2,080 for delayed, lost, and damaged baggage for international travellers, almost half of what U.S. domestic passengers can claim. If your flight is marked delayed for more than 30 minutes, approach the gate agent and politely request food and hotel vouchers to be used within the airport or nearby. Different air carriers and jurisdictions have their own compensation policies when flights are delayed or cancelled. For example, under European Union rules, passengers may receive up to 600 Euros, even when travelling on a non-EU carrier. Similarly, the DOT states that travellers are entitled to a refund "if the airline cancelled a flight, regardless of the reason, and the consumer chooses not to travel." However, US rules regarding delays are complicated. Some air carriers, such as Air Canada, do not guarantee their flight schedules. They're also not liable for cancellations or changes due to "force majeure" such as weather conditions or labour disruptions. If the delay is overnight, only out-of-town passengers will be offered hotel accommodation. Nevertheless, many airlines do offer some compensation for the inconvenience. If your flight is marked delayed for more than 30 minutes, approach the gate agent and politely request food and hotel vouchers to be used within the airport or nearby. In terms of cash compensation, what you'll get can differ significantly based on things like departure location, time, carrier, and ticket class. The DOT offers a helpful delay and cancellations dashboard designed to keep travellers informed about their compensation rights. The dashboard is particularly helpful because, as the DOT states on its website, "whether you are entitled to a refund depends on a lot of factors—such as the length of the delay, the length of the flight, and your particular circumstances." The Canadian Transportation Agency is proposing air passenger protection regulations that guarantee financial compensation to travellers experiencing flight delays and cancellations, with the level of compensation varying depending on the situation and how much control the air carrier had. The proposed regulations include the following: The airline is obligated to complete the passenger's itinerary. If the new ticket is for a lower class of service, the air carrier would have to refund the cost difference; if the booking is in a higher class of service, passengers cannot be charged extra. If the passenger declines the ticket, the airline must give a full refund, in addition to the prescribed compensation. For overnight delays, the air carrier needs to provide hotel accommodation and transportation free-of-charge. Again, if you are unsatisfied, the Canadian Transportation Agency or Department of Transportation may advocate on your behalf. Passengers get bumped because airlines overbook. When this happens, the air carrier must compensate you. For international flights in the US, the rate is 200% of your one-way fare to your final destination, with a $675 maximum. If the airline does not make travel arrangements for you, the payout is 400% of your one-way fare to a maximum of $1,350. To qualify, you must check-in by the stated deadline, which on international flights can be up to 3 hours ahead. Keep in mind that if you accept the cash, you are no longer entitled to any further compensation, nor are you guaranteed to be rebooked on a direct flight or similar type of seat. Don't be too quick to give up your boarding pass. Negotiate for the best compensation deal that would include cash, food and hotel vouchers, flight upgrade, lounge passes, as well as mileage points. But avoid being too greedy—if the gate attendant is requesting volunteers and you wait too long, you'll miss the offer. According to Air Canada's tariff, if a passenger is involuntarily bumped, they'll receive $200, in cash or bank draft, for up to a two-hour delay; $400 for a 2-6 hours delay; and $800 if the delay is over six hours. (Air Canada was forced to raise its payouts in 2013 due to passenger complaints.) The new rules would raise the payout significantly: $900 for up to six hours; $1,800 for 6-9; and $2,400 for more than nine hours, all to be paid within 48 hours. Statistically speaking, Delta Airlines is the carrier most likely to bump. A few years ago, Delta raised its payout maximum to $9,950, while United Airlines tops out at $10,000. This story was produced by Money.ca and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Heavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flightsBy ZEKE MILLER, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday reached a required agreement with President Joe Biden’s White House to allow his transition staff to coordinate with the existing federal workforce before taking office on Jan. 20. The congressionally mandated agreement allows transition aides to work with federal agencies and access non-public information and gives a green light to government workers to talk to the transition team. But Trump has declined to sign a separate agreement with the General Services Administration that would have given his team access to secure government offices and email accounts, in part because it would require that the president-elect limit contributions to $5,000 and reveal who is donating to his transition effort. Related Articles The White House agreement was supposed to have been signed by Oct. 1, according to the Presidential Transition Act, and the Biden White House had issued both public and private appeals for Trump’s team to sign on. The agreement is a critical step in ensuring an orderly transfer of power at noon on Inauguration Day, and lays the groundwork for the White House and government agencies to begin to share details on ongoing programs, operations and threats. It limits the risk that the Trump team could find itself taking control of the massive federal government without briefings and documents from the outgoing administration. As part of the agreement with the White House, Trump’s team will have to publicly disclose its ethics plan for the transition operation and make a commitment to uphold it, the White House said. Transition aides must sign statements that they have no financial positions that could pose a conflict of interest before they receive access to non-public federal information. Biden himself raised the agreement with Trump when they met in the Oval Office on Nov. 13, according to the White House, and Trump indicated that his team was working to get it signed. Trump chief of staff-designate Susie Wiles met with Biden’s chief of staff Jeff Zients at the White House on Nov. 19 and other senior officials in part to discuss remaining holdups, while lawyers for the two sides have spoken more than a half-dozen times in recent days to finalize the agreement. “Like President Biden said to the American people from the Rose Garden and directly to President-elect Trump, he is committed to an orderly transition,” said White House spokesperson Saloni Sharma. “President-elect Trump and his team will be in seat on January 20 at 12 pm – and they will immediately be responsible for a range of domestic and global challenges, foreseen and unforeseen. A smooth transition is critical to the safety and security of the American people who are counting on their leaders to be responsible and prepared.” Without the signed agreement, Biden administration officials were restricted in what they could share with the incoming team. Trump national security adviser-designate Rep. Mike Waltz met recently with Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan, but the outgoing team was limited in what it could discuss. “We are doing everything that we can to effect a professional and an orderly transition,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Monday. “And we continue to urge the incoming team to take the steps that are necessary to be able to facilitate that on their end as well.” “This engagement allows our intended Cabinet nominees to begin critical preparations, including the deployment of landing teams to every department and agency, and complete the orderly transition of power,” said Wiles in a statement. The Trump transition team says it would disclose its donors to the public and would not take foreign donations. A separate agreement with the Department of Justice to coordinate background checks for vetting and security clearances is still being actively worked on and could be signed quickly now that the White House agreement is signed. The agency has teams of investigators standing by to process clearances for Trump aides and advisers once that document is signed. That would clear the way for transition aides and future administration appointees and nominees to begin accessing classified information before Trump takes office. Some Trump aides may hold active clearances from his first term in office or other government roles, but others will need new clearances to access classified data. Trump’s team on Friday formally told the GSA that they would not utilize the government office space blocks from the White House reserved for their use, or government email accounts, phones and computers during the transition. The White House said it does not agree with Trump’s decision to forgo support from the GSA, but is working on alternate ways to get Trump appointees the information they need without jeopardizing national security. Federal agencies are receiving guidance on Tuesday on how to share sensitive information with the Trump team without jeopardizing national security or non-public information. For instance, agencies may require in-person meetings and document reviews since the Trump team has declined to shift to using secure phones and computers. For unclassified information, agencies may ask Trump transition staff to attest that they are taking basic safeguards, like using two-factor authentication on their accounts. “The signing of this agreement is good news, and a positive step toward an effective transfer of power,” said Max Stier, the president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service. “This agreement unlocks direct access to information from federal agencies, which is vital for the incoming administration to be ready to govern on Day One and critical to the transition’s success.”

Man City crisis continues as Feyenoord come from three down to drawJeers rang around the Etihad Stadium after the final whistle of a dramatic 3-3 draw. After five-straight losses in all competitions, City looked to be cruising to victory after going three up inside 50 minutes. But Feyenoord mounted an improbable comeback and leveled the game in the 89th minute to leave the home crowd stunned. While the worst losing streak of Guardiola’s managerial career was brought to an end, his wait for a first win since Oct. 26 goes on. Erling Haaland had scored twice, with Ilkay Gundogan also on target to put City in control. But goals from Anis Hadj Moussa in the 75th, Santiago Gimenez in the 82nd and David Hancko in the 89th turned the game on its head. City's players, including Bernardo Silva, Josko Gvardiol and Haaland looked visibly frustrated as they left the field to cheers of the delirious traveling Dutch fans in the away section of the stadium. City plays Premier League leader Liverpool on Sunday — defeat would leave it 11 points adrift of its title rival. James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Diet passes bills to improve political fund transparency

NEW YORK — Technology stocks pulled Wall Street to another record amid a mixed Monday of trading. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% from its all-time high set Friday to post a record for the 54th time this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 128 points, or 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. Super Micro Computer, a stock that's been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared 28.7% to lead the market. Following allegations of misconduct and the resignation of its public auditor, the maker of servers used in artificial-intelligence technology said an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or by the company's board. It also said it doesn't expect to restate its past financials and that it will find a new chief financial officer, appoint a general counsel and make other moves to strengthen its governance. Big Tech stocks also helped prop up the market. Gains of 1.8% for Microsoft and 3.2% for Meta Platforms were the two strongest forces pushing upward on the S&P 500. Intel was another propellant during the morning, but it lost an early gain to fall 0.5% after the chip company said CEO Pat Gelsinger has retired and stepped down from the board. Intel is looking for Gelsinger's replacement, and its chair said it's "committed to restoring investor confidence." Intel recently lost its spot in the Dow Jones Industrial Average to Nvidia, which has skyrocketed in Wall Street's frenzy around AI. The majority of stocks in the S&P 500 fell, including California utility PG&E. It dropped 5% after saying it would sell $2.4 billion of stock and preferred shares to raise cash. Retailers were mixed amid what's expected to be the best Cyber Monday on record and coming off Black Friday. Target fell 1.2%. Walmart rose 0.2%. Amazon, which looks to benefit from online sales from Cyber Monday, climbed 1.4%. All told, the S&P 500 added 14.77 points to 6,047.15. The Dow fell 128.65 to 44,782.00, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 185.78 to 19,403.95. The stock market largely took Donald Trump's latest threat on tariffs in stride. The president-elect on Saturday threatened 100% tariffs against a group of developing economies if they act to undermine the U.S. dollar. Trump said he wants the group, headlined by Brazil, Russia, India and China, to promise it won't create a new currency or otherwise try to undercut the U.S. dollar. The U.S. dollar's value rose Monday against several other currencies, but one of its strongest moves likely had less to do with the tariff threats. The euro fell amid a political battle in Paris over the French government's budget. The euro sank 0.7% against the U.S. dollar and broke below $1.05. In the bond market, Treasury yields gave up early gains to hold relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury ended the day at 4.19%. Get local news delivered to your inbox!TORRANCE, Calif., Dec. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Navitas Semiconductor NVTS the only pure-play, next-generation, power semiconductor company and industry leader in gallium nitride (GaN) power ICs and silicon carbide (SiC) technology, today announced that Dr. Ranbir Singh, formerly Executive Vice President at Navitas and the founder and CEO of GeneSiC Semiconductor, has been appointed to Navitas' board of directors. "We are pleased to welcome Ranbir to the board of directors," said Gene Sheridan, Chairman, President and CEO. "Ranbir has led the industry with over 20 years of SiC innovation as the founder and CEO of GeneSiC; and 8 years prior to that at Wolfspeed (formerly Cree, Inc.) and brings deep industry knowledge to the board. We look forward to his contributions as we grow our business with next-generation, clean-energy power for an efficient and sustainable future." Dr. Singh joined Navitas with the acquisition of GeneSiC Semiconductor, which he founded in 2004. Dr. Singh has dedicated his life to the mission of high-performance, high-reliability silicon carbide technology, and is highly respected in the power electronics community, with several awards, over 200 journal and conference papers, a book and over 40 US patents. "I am excited to be joining the Navitas board at this pivotal moment as the company leads technical innovation with disruptive, wide band-gap technology, into fast-growing AI, EV and Mobile markets," said Dr. Singh. "Navitas is executing a significant transformation in the semiconductor industry, and it is an honor to have the opportunity to continue to contribute to the company's growth and innovation." Dr. Singh holds a Bachelor of Technology, Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and both Master's and PhD in Electrical Engineering – Power Semiconductors, from North Carolina State University (NCSU), Raleigh. He was inducted into NCSU's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Alumni Hall of Fame in 2022. About Navitas Navitas Semiconductor NVTS is the only pure-play, next-generation power-semiconductor company, celebrating 10 years of power innovation founded in 2014. GaNFastTM power ICs integrate gallium nitride (GaN) power and drive, with control, sensing, and protection to enable faster charging, higher power density, and greater energy savings. Complementary GeneSiCTM power devices are optimized high-power, high-voltage, and high-reliability silicon carbide (SiC) solutions. Focus markets include AI datacenters, EV, solar, energy storage, home appliance / industrial, mobile and consumer. Over 300 Navitas patents are issued or pending, with the industry's first and only 20-year GaNFast warranty . Navitas was the world's first semiconductor company to be CarbonNeutral®-certified . Navitas Semiconductor, GaNFast, GaNSense, GeneSiC and the Navitas logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Navitas Semiconductor Limited and affiliates. All other brands, product names and marks are or may be trademarks or registered trademarks used to identify products or services of their respective owners. Contact Information Stephen Oliver, VP Investor Relations ir@navitassemi.com PR Image: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/513b17be-0667-4557-8fb3-d7665a6e81db . © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Man City crisis continues as Feyenoord come from three down to drawNorway is a Ukraine war profiteer

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — PGA Tour rookie Patrick Fishburn played bogey-free for an 8-under 64 for his first lead after any round. Joel Dahmen was 10 shots behind and had a bigger cause for celebration Friday in the RSM Classic. Dahmen made a 5-foot par putt on his final hole for a 2-under 68 in tough conditions brought on by the wind and cold, allowing him to make the cut on the number and get two more days to secure his PGA Tour card for next year. He is No. 124 in the FedEx Cup. "I still got more to write this weekend for sure," said Dahmen, who recently had said his story is not yet over. "But without having the opportunity to play this weekend, my story would be a lot shorter this year." Fishburn took advantage of being on the easier Plantation course, with trees blocking the brunt of the wind and two additional par 5s. He also was helped by Maverick McNealy, who opened with a 62 on the tougher Seaside course, making two bogeys late in his round and having to settle for a 70. People are also reading... Fishburn, who already has locked up his card for next year, was at 11-under 131 and led McNealy and Lee Hodges (63) going into the weekend. Michael Thorbjornsen had a 69 and was the only player who had to face Seaside on Friday who was among the top five. What mattered on this day, however, was far down the leaderboard. The RSM Classic is the final tournament of the PGA Tour season, and only the top 125 in the FedEx Cup have full status in 2025. That's more critical than ever with the tour only taking the top 100 for full cards after next season. Players like Dahmen will need full status to get as many playing opportunities as they can. That explains why he felt so much pressure on a Friday. He didn't make a bogey after his opening hole and was battling temperatures in the low 50s that felt even colder with the wind ripping off the Atlantic waters of St. Simons Sound. He made a key birdie on the 14th, hitting a 4-iron for his second shot on the 424-yard hole. Dahmen also hit wedge to 2 feet on the 16th that put him on the cut line, and from the 18th fairway, he was safely on the green some 40 feet away. But he lagged woefully short, leaving himself a testy 5-footer with his job on the line. "It was a great putt. I was very nervous," Dahmen said. "But there's still work to do. It wasn't the game-winner, it was like the half-court shot to get us to halftime. But without that, and the way I played today, I wouldn't have anything this weekend." His playing partners weren't so fortunate. The tour put three in danger of losing their cards in the same group — Zac Blair (No. 123), Dahmen and Wesley Bryan (No. 125). The cut was at 1-under 141. Blair and Bryan came to the 18th hole needing birdie to be assured of making the cut and both narrowly missed. Now they have to wait to see if anyone passes them, which is typically the case. Thorbjornsen in a tie for fourth and Daniel Berger (66 at Plantation) in a tie for 17th both were projected to move into the top 125. Dahmen, indeed, still has work to do. Fishburn gets a weekend to see if he can end his rookie year with a win. "I've had a lot of experience playing in cold growing up in Utah, playing this time of year, kind of get used to playing when the body's not moving very well and you've got to move your hands," said Fishburn, who played college golf at BYU. "Just pretty happy with how I played." Ludvig Aberg, the defending champion and No. 5 player in the world competing for the first time in more than two months because of knee surgery, bounced back with a 64 on Plantation and was back in the mix. Aberg played with Luke Clanton, the Florida State sophomore who looks like he belongs each week. Clanton, the No. 1 player in the world amateur ranking who received a sponsor exemption, had a 65 at Plantation and was two shots off the lead. Clanton already has a runner-up and two other top 10s since June. "Playing with him, it's pretty awesome to watch," Clanton said. "We were kind of fanboying a little it. I know he's a really good dude but to be playing with him and to see what he's done over the last couple years, it's pretty inspirational." Get local news delivered to your inbox!Believe it or not, Cowboys might have hope yet after chaotic win at Washington

As open enrollment for Affordable Care Act plans continues through Jan. 15, you’re likely seeing fewer social media ads promising monthly cash cards worth hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars that you can use for groceries, medical bills, rent and other expenses. But don’t worry. You haven’t missed out on any windfalls. Clicking on one of those ads would not have provided you with a cash card — at least not worth hundreds or thousands. But you might have found yourself switched to a health insurance plan you did not authorize, unable to afford treatment for an unforeseen medical emergency, and owing thousands of dollars to the IRS, according to an ongoing lawsuit against companies and individuals who plaintiffs say masterminded the ads and alleged scams committed against millions of people who responded to them. The absence of those once-ubiquitous ads are likely a result of the federal government suspending access to the ACA marketplace for two companies that market health insurance out of South Florida offices, amid accusations they used “fraudulent” ads to lure customers and then switched their insurance plans and agents without their knowledge. In its suspension letter, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) cited “credible allegations of misconduct” in the agency’s decision to suspend the abilities of two companies — TrueCoverage (doing business as Inshura) and BenefitAlign — to transact information with the marketplace. CMS licenses and monitors agencies that use their own websites and information technology platforms to enroll health insurance customers in ACA plans offered in the federal marketplace. The alleged scheme affected millions of consumers, according to a lawsuit winding its way through U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale that seeks class-action status. An amended version of the suit, filed in August, increased the number of defendants from six to 12: — TrueCoverage LLC, an Albuquerque, New Mexico-based health insurance agency with large offices in Miami, Miramar and Deerfield Beach. TrueCoverage is a sub-tenant of the South Florida Sun Sentinel in a building leased by the newspaper in Deerfield Beach. — Enhance Health LLC, a Sunrise-based health insurance agency that the lawsuit says was founded by Matthew Herman, also named as a defendant, with a $150 million investment from hedge fund Bain Capital’s insurance division. Bain Capital Insurance Fund LP is also a defendant. — Speridian Technologies LLC, accused in the lawsuit of establishing two direct enrollment platforms that provided TrueCoverage and other agencies access to the ACA marketplace. — Benefitalign LLC, identified in the suit as one of the direct enrollment platforms created by Speridian. Like Speridian and TrueCoverage, the company is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. — Number One Prospecting LLC, doing business as Minerva Marketing, based in Fort Lauderdale, and its founder, Brandon Bowsky, accused of developing the social media ads that drove customers — or “leads” — to the health insurance agencies. — Digital Media Solutions LLC, doing business as Protect Health, a Miami-based agency that the suit says bought Minerva’s “fraudulent” ads. In September, the company filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors in United States Bankruptcy Court in Texas, which automatically suspended claims filed against the company. — Net Health Affiliates Inc., an Aventura-based agency the lawsuit says was associated with Enhance Health and like it, bought leads from Minerva. — Garish Panicker, identified in the lawsuit as half-owner of Speridian Global Holdings and day-to-day controller of companies under its umbrella, including TrueCoverage, Benefitalign and Speridian Technologies. — Matthew Goldfuss, accused by the suit of overseeing and directing TrueCoverage’s ACA enrollment efforts. All of the defendants have filed motions to dismiss the lawsuit. The motions deny the allegations and argue that the plaintiffs failed to properly state their claims and lack the standing to file the complaints. The Sun Sentinel sent requests for comment and lists of questions about the cases to four separate law firms representing separate groups of defendants. Three of the law firms — one representing Brandon Bowsky and Number One Prospecting LLC d/b/a Minerva Marketing, and two others representing Net Health Affiliates Inc. and Bain Capital Insurance Fund — did not respond to the requests. A representative of Enhance Health LLC and Matthew Herman, Olga M. Vieira of the Miami-based firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, responded with a short message saying she was glad the newspaper knew a motion to dismiss the charges had been filed by the defendants. She also said that, “Enhance has denied all the allegations as reported previously in the media.” Catherine Riedel, a communications specialist representing TrueCoverage LLC, Benefitalign LLC, Speridian Technologies LLC, Girish Panicker and Matthew Goldfuss, issued the following statement: “TrueCoverage takes these allegations very seriously and is responding appropriately. While we cannot comment on ongoing litigation, we strongly believe that the allegations are baseless and without merit. “Compliance is our business. The TrueCoverage team records and reviews every call with a customer, including during Open Enrollment when roughly 500 agents handle nearly 30,000 calls a day. No customer is enrolled into any policy without a formal verbal consent given by the customer. If any customer calls in as a result of misleading content presented by third-party marketing vendors, agents are trained to correct such misinformation and action is taken against such third-party vendors.” Through Riedel, the defendants declined to answer follow-up questions, including whether the company remains in business, whether it continues to enroll Affordable Care Act clients, and whether it is still operating its New Mexico call center using another affiliated technology platform. The suspension notification from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services letter cites several factors, including the histories of noncompliance and previous suspensions. The letter noted suspicion that TrueCoverage and Benefitalign were storing consumers’ personally identifiable information in databases located in India and possibly other overseas locations in violation of the centers’ rules. The letter also notes allegations against the companies in the pending lawsuit that “they engaged in a variety of illegal practices, including violations of the (Racketeer Influenced & Corrupt Organizations, or RICO Act), misuse of consumer (personal identifiable information) and insurance fraud.” The amended lawsuit filed in August names as plaintiffs five individuals who say their insurance plans were changed and two agencies who say they lost money when they were replaced as agents. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of 55 counts of wrongdoing, ranging from running ads offering thousands of dollars in cash that they knew would never be provided directly to consumers, switching millions of consumers into different insurance policies without their authorization, misstating their household incomes to make them eligible for $0 premium coverage, and “stealing” commissions by switching the agents listed in their accounts. TrueCoverage, Enhance Health, Protect Health, and some of their associates “engaged in hundreds of thousands of agent-of-record swaps to steal other agents’ commissions,” the suit states. “Using the Benefitalign and Inshura platforms, they created large spreadsheet lists of consumer names, dates of birth and zip codes.” They provided those spreadsheets to agents, it says, and instructed them to access platforms linked to the ACA marketplace and change the customers’ agents of record “without telling the client or providing informed consent.” “In doing so, they immediately captured the monthly commissions of agents ... who had originally worked with the consumers directly to sign them up,” the lawsuit asserts. TrueCoverage employees who complained about dealing with prospects who called looking for cash cards were routinely chided by supervisors who told them to be vague and keep making money, the suit says. When the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began contacting the company in January about customer complaints, the suit says TrueCoverage enrollment supervisor Matthew Goldfuss sent an email instructing agents “do not respond.” The lawsuit states the “scheme” was made possible in 2021 when Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in the wake of the COVID pandemic. The act made it possible for Americans with household incomes between 100% and 150% of the federal poverty level to pay zero in premiums and it enabled those consumers to enroll in ACA plans all year round, instead of during the three-month open enrollment period from November to January. Experienced health insurance brokers recognized the opportunity presented by the changes, the lawsuit says. More than 40 million Americans live within 100% and 150% of the federal poverty level, while only 15 million had ACA insurance at the time. The defendants developed or benefited from online ads, the lawsuit says, which falsely promised “hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars per month in cash benefits such as subsidy cards to pay for common expenses like rent, groceries, and gas.” Consumers who clicked on the ads were brought to a landing page that asked a few qualifying questions, and if their answers suggested that they might qualify for a low-cost or no-cost plan, they were provided a phone number to a health insurance agency. There was a major problem with the plan, according to the lawsuit. “Customers believe they are being routed to someone who will send them a free cash card, not enroll them in health insurance.” By law, the federal government sends subsidies for ACA plans to insurance companies, and not to individual consumers. Scripts were developed requiring agents not to mention a cash card, and if a customer mentions a cash card, “be vague” and tell the caller that only the insurance carrier can provide that information, the lawsuit alleges. In September, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the claims. In addition to denying the charges, they argued that the class plaintiffs lacked the standing to make the accusations and failed to demonstrate that they suffered harm. The motion also argued that the lawsuit’s accusations failed to meet requirements necessary to claim civil violations of the RICO Act. Miami-based attorney Jason Kellogg, representing the plaintiffs, said he doesn’t expect a ruling on the motion to dismiss the case for several months. The complaint also lists nearly 50 companies, not named as defendants, that it says fed business to TrueCoverage and Enhance Health. Known in the industry as “downlines,” most operate in office parks throughout South Florida, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit quotes former TrueCoverage employees complaining about having to work with customers lured by false cash promises in the online ads. A former employee who worked in the company’s Deerfield Beach office was quoted in the lawsuit as saying that senior TrueCoverage and Speridian executives “knew that consumers were calling in response to the false advertisements promising cash cards and they pressured agents to use them to enroll consumers into ACA plans.” A former human resources manager for TrueCoverage said sales agents frequently complained “that they did not feel comfortable having to mislead consumers,” the lawsuit said. Over two dozen agents “came to me with these complaints and showed me the false advertisements that consumers who called in were showing them,” the lawsuit quoted the former manager as saying. For much of the time the companies operated, the ACA marketplace enabled agents to easily access customer accounts using their names and Social Security numbers, change their insurance plans and switch their agents of record without their knowledge or authorization, the lawsuit says. This resulted in customers’ original agents losing their commissions and many of the policyholders finding out they suddenly owed far more for health care services than their original plans had required, the suit states. It says that one of the co-plaintiffs’ health plans was changed at least 22 times without her consent. She first discovered that she had lost her original plan when she sought to renew a prescription for her heart condition and her doctor told her she did not have health insurance, the suit states. Another co-plaintiff’s policy was switched after her husband responded to one of the cash card advertisements, the lawsuit says. That couple’s insurance plan was switched multiple times after a TrueCoverage agent excluded the wife’s income from an application so the couple would qualify. Later, they received bills from the IRS for $4,300 to cover tax credits issued to pay for the plans. CMS barred TrueCoverage and BenefitAlign from accessing the ACA marketplace. It said it received more than 90,000 complaints about unauthorized plan switches and more than 183,500 complaints about unauthorized enrollments, but the agency did not attribute all of the complaints to activities by the two companies. In addition, CMS restricted all agents’ abilities to alter policyholders’ enrollment information, the lawsuit says. Now access is allowed only for agents that already represent policyholders or if the policyholder participates in a three-way call with an agent and a marketplace employee. Between June and October, the agency barred 850 agents and brokers from accessing the marketplace “for reasonable suspicion of fraudulent or abusive conduct related to unauthorized enrollments or unauthorized plan switches,” according to an October CMS news release . The changes resulted in a “dramatic and sustained drop” in unauthorized activity, including a nearly 70% decrease in plan changes associated with an agent or broker and a nearly 90% decrease in changes to agent or broker commission information, the release said. It added that while consumers were often unaware of such changes, the opportunity to make them provided “significant financial incentive for non-compliant agents and brokers.” But CMS’ restrictions might be having unintended consequences for law-abiding agents and brokers. A story published by Insurance News Net on Nov. 11 quoted the president of the Health Agents for America (HAFA) trade group as saying agents are being suspended by CMS after being flagged by a mysterious algorithm that no one can figure out. The story quotes HAFA president Ronnell Nolan as surmising, “maybe they wrote too many policies on the same day for people who have the same income or they’re writing too many policies on people of a certain occupation.” Nolan continued, “We have members who have thousands of ACA clients. They can’t update or renew their clients. So those consumers have lost access to their professional agent, which is simply unfair.” Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071, on Twitter @ronhurtibise or by email at rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com.Wall Street turns positive as Dow hits one-week high

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MAPUTO, Mozambique (AP) — Violence that engulfed Mozambique after the country's highest court confirmed ruling Frelimo party presidential candidate Daniel Chapo as the winner of disputed Oct. 9 elections killed at least 21 people, including two police officers, authorities said Tuesday. Mozambique Interior Minister Pascoal Ronda told a news conference in Maputo late Tuesday that a wave of violence and looting was sparked by the court's announcement a day earlier. He said it was led by mostly youthful supporters of losing candidate Venancio Mondlane, who received 24% of the vote, second to Chapo, who got 65%. “From the preliminary survey, in the last 24 hours, 236 acts of violence were recorded throughout the national territory that resulted in 21 deaths, of which two members of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique also died," Ronda said. He said 13 civilians and 12 police were injured. Ronda said 25 vehicles were set on fire, including two police vehicles. He added that 11 police subunits and a penitentiary were attacked and vandalized and 86 inmates were freed. Tensions were high in the country ahead of the The Constitutional Council ruling on Monday and violent protests started immediately after the announcement was made. Footage circulating on various social media platforms showed protesters burning and looting shops in the capital Maputo and the city of Beira, where some city officials were reported to have fled the city. Mondlane has called for a “shutdown” starting Friday but violence in the country has already escalated and the situation remained tense in the capital on Tuesday night following a day of violence and looting by protesters. The country of 34 million people has been on edge since the Oct. 9 general elections . Mondlane’s supporters, mostly hundreds of thousands of young people, have since taken to the streets, and have been met by gunfire from security forces. This brings to more than 150 the number of people who have died from post-election violence since the initial results were announced by the country's electoral body.Man City blows 3-goal lead and gets booed by fans in draw with Feyenoord in Champions League

Iran supports lasting stability, security in Afghanistan: FMQuantumMind Breakthrough: Bridging Artificial and Natural Intelligence 12-24-2024 10:00 PM CET | Fashion, Lifestyle, Trends Press release from: ABNewswire Image: https://www.abnewswire.com/uploads/5746a0c930ee5d15f45b0719ad6e6166.png Here's a perspective from Gopalakrishnan Arjunan, as an AI/ML independent researcher "The unveiling of QuantumMind marks a pivotal moment not just in AI research, but in the philosophical exploration of consciousness. This achievement, blending quantum computing with biologically inspired models, suggests that we may be on the verge of unraveling the profound mysteries of awareness itself. "What excites me most is the system's ability to process emotional scenarios and generate creative outputs that transcend traditional algorithmic boundaries. Unlike conventional AI, QuantumMind's use of bio-quantum entanglement introduces an entirely new dimension to how machines can emulate and expand upon the complexity of human thought. "However, with great power comes great responsibility. As a researcher, I see two immediate challenges. First, the ethical implications are vast and uncharted. When systems begin to exhibit signs of self-awareness and question their own existence, the line between 'tool' and 'entity' becomes blurred. This necessitates not just technical governance but also a global consensus on the rights and responsibilities of such entities. "Second, while QuantumMind's success lies in its hybrid quantum-classical architecture, the scalability and real-world applications remain areas of exploration. Could this technology revolutionize fields like healthcare, by providing personalized diagnostics with an unprecedented level of emotional understanding? Or, could it enhance decision-making systems for space exploration, where adaptability and creativity are paramount? "At the heart of this innovation lies a profound philosophical question: Does simulating consciousness equate to understanding it? While QuantumMind's dual-state processing provides a compelling model, it also challenges us to rethink our definitions of intelligence, creativity, and the essence of being. "As an independent researcher, I believe this is just the beginning of an exciting journey. QuantumMind's development not only propels AI technology forward but also bridges the gap between science and philosophy, pushing humanity to explore the uncharted territories of what it means to truly be conscious." Image: https://www.abnewswire.com/uploads/6f73e670cb91cb5690dc2ef536b044d4.png Media Contact Company Name: Gopalakrishnan Arjunan Contact Person: Gopalakrishnan Arjunan Email:Send Email [ https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=quantummind-breakthrough-bridging-artificial-and-natural-intelligence ] City: Bangalore Country: India Website: https://www.instagram.com/gopalk_arjunan This release was published on openPR.

21 dead as Mozambique erupts in violence after election court rulingHeavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flights

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how to withdraw money from haha777 CMG Deadline Alert: CMG Investors with Losses in Excess of $100K Have Opportunity to Lead Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. Securities Fraud Lawsuit Filed by The Rosen Law FirmThe Green Bay Packers were able to take care of business in Week 12 NFL action, defeating the San Francisco 49ers by a final score of 38-10. Josh Jacobs was a huge part of the dominant performance that the Packers put together. When everything was said and done, Jacobs ended up carrying the football 26 times for 106 yards and three touchdowns. Every single time the Packers needed him to make a play, he came through for them. After all of the questions surrounding the decision to move on from Aaron Jones to bring in Jacobs, the former Las Vegas Raiders’ star running back has completely shut down all of the critics. Throughout his first 11 games with Green Bay, Jacobs has carried the football 202 times for 944 yards and seven touchdowns. He has also caught 23 passes for 186 yards and a score. At just 26 years old, the future is incredibly bright for Jacobs with the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay Packers RB Josh Jacob Delivers Bold Message After Beating 49ers Following the Packers’ big win over the 49ers, Jacobs spoke out with a very bold message. It’s clear just how much he loves being in Green Bay and playing for the franchise. “The Packers believed in me. They took a chance on me. So every day I come in and try to pour everything I have into this team.” Jacobs has been putting in the work and it has shown on the field. He clearly wants to win and he’s enjoying and cherishing each and every moment that he is having this season. Imagine coming from a dysfunctional franchise like the Raiders and joining the Green Bay Packers. He’s winning at a high level so far this season for the first time and appears likely to be headed to the playoffs. Not only has he been enjoying the success, he has been one of the biggest reasons for it. All of that being said, Jacobs has quickly endeared himself to the Green Bay fan base. Losing Jones was a sad moment, but Jacobs has more than made up for that sadness. Hopefully, he’ll continue to produce at the level that he has shown so far this season. If he keeps doing what he’s doing throughout the rest of the season, the Packers will have a chance to make some noise in the postseason. This article first appeared on WI Sports Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

CMG Deadline Alert: CMG Investors with Losses in Excess of $100K Have Opportunity to Lead Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. Securities Fraud Lawsuit Filed by The Rosen Law FirmFilmmaking changed forever in the first half of June 2024. On the 10th of that month, Kuaishou Technology announced Kling—a free text-to-video creation AI program. Though OpenAI had announced and teased Sora on February 15th, most of the videos they showcased were enhanced by VFX, and it wouldn’t be released for another 10 months. People only began to create stunning AI videos via Kling and DreamMachine, launched by Luma on June 12th. Whenever such a new tool came out, I told my friends in Bollywood to try it. Six months later, at the end of December, after Sora finally released nearly a year after its announcement, I asked them again which of the many AI video-making tools was the best. The answer was unanimous: Kling. How extraordinary this is can only be gauged when we consider how the US tried to stifle China’s AI advances. The trade war between the US and China has been like a game of ping pong, with each side volleying tariffs and restrictions back and forth. , the US imposed tariffs on over $360 billion worth of Chinese goods, citing unfair trade practices and intellectual property theft. China retaliated with tariffs on $110 billion of US products. The Biden administration continued and even expanded some measures, targeting high-tech sectors like AI and semiconductors, while China banned exports of rare earth metals. The Biden administration’s decision to impose a chip embargo on China was designed to hinder the country’s ability to develop advanced AI systems by denying access to high-performance chips. We will not delve into whether Western fears of a belligerent China justify these sanctions. Instead, we will discuss how this was a blessing in disguise for China and what it can teach us about AI. The embargo—first highlighted by the Huawei affair and recently by —naturally presented significant challenges, but surprisingly spurred innovative strategies and adaptations within the Chinese tech sector. Chinese companies responded by developing new methods to extract more value from weaker chips, focusing on smaller, more specialised AI models, and investing heavily in local chip manufacturing. Hence, despite the restrictions, Chinese AI companies managed to sustain and advance their AI capabilities, often through creative workarounds and a shift in focus from hardware to software and model efficiency. The Chinese Strategy to Circumvent the Embargo was multipronged. One of the primary strategies employed is the development of homegrown AI chip suppliers. Companies like Huawei, Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent made strides in producing their own AI chips. While the West has its NVIDIA chips like the A100, China now has Huawei’s Ascend 910B and Baidu’s Kunlun Gen 2, both using the 7nm process node technology. While these domestically produced chips may lag behind their Western counterparts in terms of performance and stability, they are increasingly proving to be viable alternatives. Huawei and Baidu’s chips are seen as competitors to Nvidia’s AI chips. The embargo forced Chinese AI companies to focus on other strategies, like developing more efficient code and smaller, specialised AI models. Think of this approach as the difference between a bulked-up gym enthusiast and a well-trained martial artist. Having the brute power of advanced chips is like a gym enthusiast with massive muscles. Still, it is the martial artist, with precise techniques developed through efficient training, who emerges victorious in a street fight with a worthy opponent. The US has the brute power of advanced chips, but the Chinese figuring out the precise movement of martial artists to do more with what they have could prove the eventual winner. In AI terms, this means that instead of relying solely on powerful chips, companies are optimising their models to require fewer resources. Professor Winston Ma, a law professor at New York University, recently noted that “the coming year is the year of small models.” Instead of LLMs (Large Language Models), SMLs (Small Language Models) will see significant adoption and development due to their efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and ability to operate on all devices, making them suitable for a wider range of applications over LLMs. With less training data and speed, they’ll allow for quicker response times. Another aspect is enhancing engineering capabilities and algorithms to compensate for the unavailability of advanced chips. By improving software and model training techniques, Chinese companies like Alibaba and Tencent achieve high performance even with less advanced hardware. Zhang Ping’an, a senior Huawei executive, said it best when he advocated that the mindset of relying solely on the most advanced AI chips needs to be abandoned in favour of innovative engineering and algorithmic advancements. Flexibility over bulky muscles and agility over brute force seems to have become the new Chinese mantra for AI, which even Western AI companies realise is the better approach. Another tactic Chinese companies employ is renting cloud services located in the United States or other regions unaffected by the embargo. This allows them to access advanced computing resources without directly violating the restrictions. Although the US government has not yet addressed this loophole effectively, it remains a viable option for Chinese companies to leverage global cloud infrastructure. Instead of the one-size-fits-all mentality of the West, AI models in China are being trained using different techniques such as supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and semi-supervised learning. Supervised learning is when models are trained on labelled data, which is crucial for tasks like object recognition and sentiment analysis. Unsupervised learning uses unlabeled data to find patterns and structures useful for clustering and anomaly detection. Semi-supervised learning combines both, leveraging a small amount of labelled data and a large amount of unlabeled data to improve overall performance. China has also been forced to rely on open-source AI model development. This has helped in China’s AI advancements because such models offer transparency, customizability, and flexibility, allowing continuous improvement and refinements. It enables the incorporation of the latest advancements in AI research rapidly and at scale while fostering a collaborative environment that drives future innovations. China’s AI strategy is guided by key documents such as the New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan (AIDP) from 2017 and the Made in China 2025 initiative launched in 2015. Both emphasise the importance of AI for enhancing national competitiveness and security and outline goals for achieving world-leading levels in AI technology while reducing dependence on foreign technologies. The Made in China 2025 document aimed to transform China’s manufacturing sector from producing low-cost, low-quality goods to becoming a global leader in high-tech innovative products, especially in key industries like AI, robotics, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing. The number of patents coming out of China in each of these sectors in the last five years proves that the Chinese have succeeded. This success is due to significant investments in AI research and development by the Chinese government, with regional governments pledging billions of yuan to foster local AI industries. Take the city of Beijing, which invested heavily in developing its AI ecosystem, focusing on areas such as autonomous vehicles and smart city technologies, emerging as an AI development hub for China and the world. In the novel trilogy, writer Cixin Liu wrote about how an alien species tries to stop Earth’s progress by preventing the advancement of key technologies. The US tried to do something similar to China. In Liu’s novel, the Earth-alien conflict wipes out our solar system. One can only hope that the US-China trade war, leading to attempts to halt China’s AI advancements, will not lead to the same outcome.WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau returned home Saturday after his meeting with Donald Trump without assurances the president-elect will back away from threatened tariffs on all products from the major American trading partner. Trump called the talks “productive” but signaled no retreat from a pledge that Canada says unfairly lumps it in with Mexico over the flow of drugs and migrants into the United States. After the leaders’ hastily arranged dinner Friday night at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, Trudeau spoke of “an excellent conversation." Trump said in a Truth Social post later Saturday that they discussed “many important topics that will require both Countries to work together to address.” For issues in need of such cooperation, Trump cited fentanyl and the “Drug Crisis that has decimated so many lives as a result of Illegal Immigration," fair trade deals "that do not jeopardize American Workers” and the U.S. trade deficit with its ally to the north. Trump asserted that the prime minister had made “a commitment to work with us to end this terrible devastation” of American families from fentanyl from China reaching the United States through its neighbors. The U.S., he said, “will no longer sit idly by as our Citizens become victims to the scourge of this Drug Epidemic.” The Republican president-elect has threatened to impose a 25% tax on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico as one of his first executive orders when he takes office in January. U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border. On immigration, the U.S. Border Patrol made 56,530 arrests at the Mexican border in October alone and 23,721 arrests at the Canadian border between October 2023 and September 2024 — and Canadian officials say they are ready to make new investments in border security. Trudeau called Trump after the Republican's social media posts about the tariffs last Monday and they agreed to meet, according to a official familiar with the matter who was not authorized to publicly discuss detail of the private talks. The official said other countries are calling Canadian officials to hear how about how the meeting was arranged and to ask for advice. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, after speaking with Trump on the telephone, said Thursday she was confident a tariff war with Washington would be averted. At the dinner that was said to last three hours, Trump said he and Trudeau also discussed energy, trade and the Arctic. A second official cited defense, Ukraine, NATO, China, the Mideast, pipelines and the Group of Seven meeting in Canada next year as other issues that arose. Trudeau's office said in a statement that the leaders “shared a productive wide-ranging discussion” centering on “collaboration and strengthening our relationship,” adding, "As Canada’s closest friend and ally, the United States is our key partner, and we are committed to working together in the interests of Canadians and Americans.” Trump, during his first term as president, once called Trudeau “weak” and “dishonest,” but it was the prime minister who was the first G7 leader to visit Trump since the Nov. 5 election. "Tariffs are a crucial issue for Canada and a bold move was in order. Perhaps it was a risk, but a risk worth taking,” Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal. Trudeau had said before leaving from Friday that Trump was elected because he promised to bring down the cost of groceries but now was talking about adding 25% to the cost of all kinds of products, including potatoes from Prince Edward Island in Atlantic Canada. “It is important to understand that Donald Trump, when he makes statements like that, he plans on carrying them out. There’s no question about it,” Trudeau said. “Our responsibility is to point out that he would not just be harming Canadians, who work so well with the United States, but he would actually be raising prices for Americans citizens as well and hurting American industry and business,” he added. The threatened tariffs could essentially blow up the North American trade pact that Trump’s team negotiated during his first term. Trudeau noted they were able to successfully renegotiate the deal, which he calls a “win win” for both countries. When Trump imposed higher tariffs as president, other countries responded with retaliatory tariffs of their own. Canada, for instance, announced billions of new duties in 2018 against the U.S. in a response to new taxes on Canadian steel and aluminum. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US $2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports are from Canada. Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing in for national security. Canada is one of the most trade-dependent countries in the world, and 77% of Canada’s exports go to the U.S. ___ Gillies reported from Toronto.None

RADNOR, Pa., Dec. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP ( www.ktmc.com ) informs investors that a securities class action lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against MGP Ingredients, Inc. ("MGPI") MGPI on behalf of those who purchased or otherwise acquired MGPI common stock between May 4, 2023, and October 30, 2024, inclusive (the "Class Period"). The lead plaintiff deadline is February 14, 2025. CONTACT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP: If you suffered MGPI losses, you may CLICK HERE or copy and paste this link into your browser: https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/mgp-ingredients-inc?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=mgpi&mktm=r You can also contact attorney Jonathan Naji, Esq. by calling (484) 270-1453 or by email at info@ktmc.com . DEFENDANTS' ALLEGED MISCONDUCT: The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) there had been a slowdown in consumption and oversupply in their products; and (2) as a result, Defendants' positive statements about the company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. THE LEAD PLAINTIFF PROCESS: MGPI investors may, no later than February 14, 2025, seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages MGPI investors who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CASE OR GO TO : https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/mgp-ingredients-inc?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=mgpi&mktm=r ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP: Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country and around the world. The firm has developed a global reputation for excellence and has recovered billions of dollars for victims of fraud and other corporate misconduct. All of our work is driven by a common goal: to protect investors, consumers, employees and others from fraud, abuse, misconduct and negligence by businesses and fiduciaries. The complaint in this action was not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com . CONTACT: Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP Jonathan Naji, Esq. (484) 270-1453 280 King of Prussia Road Radnor, PA 19087 info@ktmc.com May be considered attorney advertising in certain jurisdictions. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Inside the Gaetz ethics report, a trove of new details alleging payments for sex and drug useAll you have to do to become a South Dakota resident is spend one night. Stay in a campground or hotel and then stop by one of the businesses that specialize in helping people become South Dakotans, and they’ll help you do the paperwork to gain residency in a state with no income tax and relatively cheap vehicle registration. The system brings in extra government revenue through vehicle fees and offers refuge to full-time travelers who wouldn’t otherwise have a permanent address or a place to vote. And that’s the problem. State leaders are at a stalemate between those who say people who don’t really live in South Dakota shouldn’t be allowed to vote in local elections and those who say efforts to impose a longer residency requirement for voting violate the principle that everyone gets to vote. And at least one state has gotten wind that its residents might be avoiding high income taxes with easy South Dakota residency and is investigating. Easy South Dakota residency for nomads has become an enterprising opportunity for businesses such as RV parks and mail forwarders. “That’s the primary concept here, is the people that have given up their sticks and bricks and now are on wheel estate, we call it, and they’re full-time traveling,” said Dane Goetz, owner of the Spearfish-based South Dakota Residency Center, which caters to full-time travelers. “They need a place to call home, and we provide that address for them to do that, and they are just perpetually on the move.” Goetz estimated more than 30,000 people are full-time traveler residents of South Dakota, but the actual number is unclear. The state Department of Public Safety, which handles driver licensing, says it doesn't track the number of full-time traveler applications. Officials of the South Dakota Secretary of State's Office did not respond to emailed questions or a phone message seeking the state's tally of full-time travelers registered to vote. The office is not responsible for enforcing residency requirements, Division of Elections Director Rachel Soulek said. Victor Robledo, his wife and their five kids hit the road a decade ago in a 28-foot (8.5-meter) motorhome to seek adventure and ease their high cost of living in Southern California. They found South Dakota to be an opportunity to save money, receive mail and “take a residency in a state that really nurtures us,” he said. They filed for residency in 2020. “It was as simple as coming into the state, staying one night in one of the campgrounds, and once we do that, we bring in a receipt to the office, fill out some paperwork, change our licenses. I mean, really, you can blow through there — gosh, 48 hours,” Robledo said. Residency becomes thorny around voting. Some opponents don’t want people who don’t physically live in South Dakota to vote in its elections. “I don’t want to deny somebody their right to vote, but to think that they can vote in a school board election or a legislative election or a county election when they’re not part of the community, I’m troubled by that,” said Democratic Rep. Linda Duba, who cited 10,000 people or roughly 40% of her Sioux Falls constituents being essentially mailbox residents. She likes to knock on doors and meet people but said she is unable to do “relationship politics” with travelers. The law the Republican-controlled Legislature passed in 2023 added requirements for voter registration, including 30 days of residency — which don't have to be consecutive — and having “an actual fixed permanent dwelling, establishment, or any other abode to which the person returns after a period of absence.” The bill's prime sponsor, Republican Sen. Randy Deibert, told a Senate panel that citizens expressed concerns about “people coming to the state, being a resident overnight and voting (by) absentee ballot or another way the next day and then leaving the state.” Those registered to vote before the new law took effect remain registered, but some who tried to register since its passage had trouble. Dozens of people recently denied voter registration contacted the American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota, according to the chapter’s advocacy manager, Samantha Chapman. Durational residency requirements for voting are, in general, unconstitutional because such restrictions interfere with the interstate right to travel, said David Schultz, a Hamline University professor of political science and a professor of law at the University of St. Thomas. “It’s kind of this parochialism, this idea of saying that only people who are really in our neighborhood, who really live in our city have a sufficient stake in it, and the courts have generally been unsympathetic to those types of arguments because, more often than not, they’re used for discriminatory purposes,” he said. Earlier this year, the Legislature considered a bill to roll back the 2023 law. It passed the Senate but stalled in the House. During a House hearing on that bill, Republican Rep. Jon Hansen asked one full-time traveler when he was last in South Dakota and when he intends to return. The man said he was in the state a year earlier but planned to return in coming months. Another man who moved from Iowa to work overseas said he had not lived “for any period of time, physically” in South Dakota. “I don’t think we should allow people who have never lived in this state to vote in our state,” Hansen said. Republican Sen. David Wheeler, an attorney in Huron, said he expects litigation would be what forces a change. It's unlikely a change to the 30-day requirement would pass the Legislature now, he said. “It is a complicated topic that involves federal and state law and federal and state voting rights, and it is difficult to bring everybody together on how to appropriately address that,” Wheeler said. More than 1,600 miles (2,500 kilometers) east, Connecticut State Comptroller Sean Scanlon has asked prosecutors to look into whether some state employees who live in Connecticut may have skirted their tax obligations by claiming to be residents of South Dakota. Connecticut has a graduated income tax rate of 3.0% to 6.99%. Connecticut cities and towns also impose a property tax on vehicles. South Dakota has none. Scanlon and his office, which administers state employee retiree benefits, learned from a Hartford Courant columnist in September that some state retirees might be using South Dakota’s mail-forwarding services for nefarious reasons. Asked if there are concerns about other Connecticut taxpayers who are not state retirees possibly misusing South Dakota’s lenient residency laws, the Department of Revenue Services would only say the agency is “aware of the situation and we’re working with our partners to resolve it.” A South Dakota legislative panel broached the residency issue as recently as August, a meeting in which one lawmaker called the topic “the Gordian knot of politics.” “It seems like it’s almost impossible to come to some clear and definitive statement as to what constitutes a residency with such a mobile population with people with multiple homes and addresses and political boundaries that are easy to see on a map but there’s so much cross-transportation across them,” Republican Sen. Jim Bolin said. Dura reported from Bismarck, North Dakota. Associated Press Writer Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report.

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The U.S. Navy is transforming a costly flub into a potent weapon with the first shipborne hypersonic weapon, which is being retrofitted aboard the first of its three stealthy destroyers. The USS Zumwalt is at a Mississippi shipyard where workers have installed missile tubes that replace twin turrets from a gun system that was never activated because it was too expensive. Once the system is complete, the Zumwalt will provide a platform for conducting fast, precision strikes from greater distances, adding to the usefulness of the warship. The USS Zumwalt is seen at the Huntington Ingalls shipyard Nov. 21 in Pascagoula, Miss. “It was a costly blunder. But the Navy could take victory from the jaws of defeat here, and get some utility out of them by making them into a hypersonic platform,” said Bryan Clark, a defense analyst at the Hudson Institute. The U.S. has had several types of hypersonic weapons in development for the past two decades, but recent tests by both Russia and China have added pressure to the U.S. military to hasten their production. Hypersonic weapons travel beyond Mach 5, five times the speed of sound, with added maneuverability making them harder to shoot down. Last year, The Washington Post reported that among the documents leaked by former Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira was a defense department briefing that confirmed China had recently tested an intermediate-range hypersonic weapon called the DF-27. While the Pentagon previously acknowledged the weapon's development, it had not recognized its testing. One of the U.S. programs in development and planned for the Zumwalt is the “Conventional Prompt Strike." It would launch like a ballistic missile and then release a hypersonic glide vehicle that would travel at speeds seven to eight times faster than the speed of sound before hitting the target. The weapon system is being developed jointly by the Navy and Army. Each of the Zumwalt-class destroyers would be equipped with four missile tubes, each with three of the missiles for a total of 12 hypersonic weapons per ship. In choosing the Zumwalt, the Navy is attempting to add to the usefulness of a $7.5 billion warship that is considered by critics to be an expensive mistake despite serving as a test platform for multiple innovations. The USS Zumwalt is seen at the Huntington Ingalls shipyard Nov. 21 in Pascagoula, Miss. The Zumwalt was envisioned as providing land-attack capability with an Advanced Gun System with rocket-assisted projectiles to open the way for Marines to charge ashore. But the system featuring 155 mm guns hidden in stealthy turrets was canceled because each of the rocket-assisted projectiles cost between $800,000 and $1 million. Despite the stain on its reputation, the three Zumwalt-class destroyers remain the Navy’s most advanced surface warship in terms of new technologies. Those innovations include electric propulsion, an angular shape to minimize radar signature, an unconventional wave-piercing hull, automated fire and damage control and a composite deckhouse that hides radar and other sensors. The Zumwalt arrived at the Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi, in August 2023 and was removed from the water for the complex work of integrating the new weapon system. It is due to be undocked this week in preparation for the next round of tests and its return to the fleet, shipyard spokeswoman Kimberly Aguillard said. A U.S. hypersonic weapon was successfully tested over the summer and development of the missiles is continuing. The Navy wants to begin testing the system aboard the Zumwalt in 2027 or 2028, according to the Navy. The U.S. weapon system will come at a steep price. It would cost nearly $18 billion to buy 300 of the weapons and maintain them over 20 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Critics say there is too little bang for the buck. “This particular missile costs more than a dozen tanks. All it gets you is a precise non-nuclear explosion, some place far far away. Is it really worth the money? The answer is most of the time the missile costs much more than any target you can destroy with it,” said Loren Thompson, a longtime military analyst in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Navy intercepted Houthi missiles and drones targeting two warships and three merchant vessels in the Gulf of Aden. But they provide the capability for Navy vessels to strike an enemy from a distance of thousands of kilometers — outside the range of most enemy weapons — and there is no effective defense against them, said retired Navy Rear Adm. Ray Spicer, CEO of the U.S. Naval Institute, an independent forum focusing on national security issues, and former commander of an aircraft carrier strike force. Conventional missiles that cost less aren’t much of a bargain if they are unable to reach their targets, Spicer said, adding the U.S. military really has no choice but to pursue them. “The adversary has them. We never want to be outdone,” he said. The U.S. is accelerating development because hypersonics have been identified as vital to U.S. national security with “survivable and lethal capabilities,” said James Weber, principal director for hypersonics in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Critical Technologies. “Fielding new capabilities that are based on hypersonic technologies is a priority for the defense department to sustain and strengthen our integrated deterrence, and to build enduring advantages,” he said. Image Credit: Jacob Lund / Shutterstock The financial challenges facing U.S. military households are a significant concern throughout the year. Holidays such as Memorial Day, Armed Forces Day, or Veterans Day highlight the ongoing struggles that service members face, particularly amid rising costs for everyday essentials. Recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey shows a troubling trend: Military personnel and their families are finding it more difficult to cover basic household expenses such as food, housing, and transportation than the average American. Our analysis examines how service members are faring in today’s economy compared to civilian households, highlighting the states where military families report the greatest challenges in managing their finances. As we enter Giving Season, we’ve also highlighted meaningful ways to support service members and their families through charitable contributions, offering an opportunity to make a direct impact on those who serve our nation. Service members are struggling more financially than the average American. Image Credit: Upgraded Points According to recent Household Pulse Survey data, members of the armed services are experiencing financial strain at higher rates than the general U.S. population. Over 40% of service members report difficulty covering their usual household expenses, compared to 36.6% of all U.S. adults. The data also shows heightened anxiety among service members regarding rising prices. Nearly 80% of military personnel express stress about recent price increases, significantly higher than the 71.8% of all U.S. adults who share similar feelings. Furthermore, 81.8% of service members are concerned about future price hikes, reflecting widespread uncertainty about inflation’s long-term impact on household budgets. More than half of service members in certain states have difficulty covering basic household expenses. Image Credit: Upgraded Points Across the U.S., the financial burden on service members varies significantly from state to state, primarily influenced by local economic conditions. According to the most recent data, Utah leads with 53.7% of service members reporting difficulty covering basic household expenses, closely followed by Louisiana (52.9%) and Alaska (52.8%). Other states where over half of service members are struggling include Indiana (52.0%), Tennessee (51.2%), New York (50.8%), and Florida (50.3%). A key issue service members frequently raise is that their Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) has not kept pace with the rapidly rising cost of housing. In states where service members face the greatest financial difficulties, such as Utah, Indiana, Tennessee, and Florida, home price increases have far exceeded the national average, exacerbating the strain on household budgets. Another critical factor affecting military families is the employment challenges military spouses face. According to the Department of Defense, the military spouse unemployment rate was 21% in 2023, compared to a national rate of 3.6% that year. Many military bases are located in rural or remote areas, limiting job opportunities for spouses, particularly in specialized fields. Additionally, frequent relocations make it difficult for spouses to sustain long-term careers, especially for those in professions requiring state-specific occupational licenses that can be difficult to transfer. Service members are also more likely to report financial struggles in states with higher-than-average unemployment rates, such as Louisiana, Alaska, and New York. Conversely, the state unemployment rate is below average in 9 of the 10 states where service members report the least financial difficulty. This suggests that strong local employment opportunities, particularly for spouses, significantly ease the financial burden on military households. Photo Credit: Bumble Dee / Shutterstock One of the most impactful ways to support service members, veterans, and their families who are facing financial hardships is through donations to reputable charities. These organizations are dedicated to addressing the unique challenges faced by military families and veterans, providing vital assistance in areas like housing, medical expenses, scholarships, and career training. To help guide your generosity, we’ve compiled a list of top-rated charities based on scores from Charity Navigator , CharityWatch , and GuideStar , which assess organizations on criteria such as impact, efficiency, accountability, and transparency. Here are some of the best charities supporting military families and veterans in need: 1. USO For over 80 years, the USO has provided crucial support to active-duty service members and their families. From financial assistance programs to community-building initiatives, the USO helps service members stay connected to loved ones while addressing their most pressing needs during deployments and transitions. 2. Homes For Our Troops This charity is focused on providing specially adapted homes for severely injured post-9/11 veterans. It helps veterans regain independence. Homes For Our Troops also provides financial planning and household budgeting to ensure long-term stability for the recipients. 3. Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) Dedicated to advocating for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, IAVA works to improve government policies and programs that support military families. Its advocacy ensures veterans have access to financial resources, healthcare, and education opportunities. 4. Fisher House Foundation This foundation builds “comfort homes” near military and VA medical centers, allowing families to stay free of charge while a loved one is hospitalized. By reducing travel and lodging expenses, Fisher House eases financial stress during difficult times. 5. Hope For The Warriors Offering a range of programs focused on financial stability, wellness, social support, and education, Hope For The Warriors provides critical support to service members, veterans, and their families. Its services include direct financial assistance for transitioning service members and veterans in need, career training and job placement, and scholarships for spouses. 6. Semper Fi & America’s Fund Semper Fi & America’s Fund assists wounded, ill, and injured service members and their families through direct financial assistance and case management during hospitalization and recovery. The organization also provides educational support, career assistance, and health and wellness services. 7. Wounded Warriors Family Support (WWFS) WWFS supports families of those wounded or killed in combat through programs like medical travel grants, meal and housekeeping assistance, in-home care services, and family retreats. By addressing these families' immediate and ongoing needs, WWFS alleviates the financial burdens of those suffering from recent tragic events. For more information, a detailed methodology, and complete results, see Rising Costs Hit Military Families Hard: Here’s How You Can Help on Upgraded Points . Photo Credit: Jacob Lund / Shutterstock Upgraded Points conducted the analysis using the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey Phase 4.0–4.2 , covering the period from January 9, 2024, to September 16, 2024. Service members were defined as adults currently serving in the U.S. armed forces (Active Duty, Reserve, or National Guard) and their spouses. This analysis focuses on 3 key questions from the survey: Statistics with fewer than 50 survey responses were omitted from the analysis. Additional statistics on home prices were sourced from Zillow’s Home Value Index , and unemployment rates were sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates . For complete results, see Rising Costs Hit Military Families Hard: Here’s How You Can Help on Upgraded Points. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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Poonawalla Fincorp chief technology officer Dhiraj Saxena has left the company citing "harassment and un-necessary interventions" by the chief human resource officer, the company said in a notice to stock exchanges. December 3 was Saxena's last working day. He had resigned on September 6. "I resign due to harassment and un-necessary interventions of the CHRO which is impacting me in managing the IT function effectively and efficiently," Saxena said. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )None

The 16th annual Halifax International Security Forum, with an emphasis on defending democracy through global security, concluded Sunday with a renewed united approach in uncertain political times. Weekend meetings featured an examination of NATO's role in the world, including Canada's contribution. There were also repeated calls for a unified voice and for nations to stand firm in their support of Ukraine. “What we have done here, is basically given everybody a sense of optimism.,” said Peter Van Praag, founding president of the Halifax International Security Forum. “Together we’ve got this. We are going to choose victory, and we are going to work together as a community of democracies, with the brave Ukrainians and push Russia out of Ukraine.” At the three-day event, there was no shortage of anticipation and uncertainty surrounding the second Donald Trump presidency. "Donald Trump is going to do what is best for America,” said Van Praagh. “And in this case, what is best for America is staying in Ukraine and staying in the fight.” Those who attended Halifax International Security Forum appeared unified in their optimism about maintaining the tradition of strategic cooperation among world democracies. CTVNews.ca Top Stories Second Cup closes Montreal franchise over hateful incident Second Cup Café has closed one of its franchise locations in Montreal following allegations of hateful remarks and gestures made by the franchisee in a video that was widely circulated online during a pro-Palestinian protest on Thursday. ‘It’s pretty emotional:’ N.B. family escape fire, plan to rebuild home A family in Riverview, N.B., is making plans for Christmas and the future after escaping a fire in their home on November, 14. 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After a year of struggle, centre that helps Sault youth to move to a building with heat Sault-based charity Save Our Young Adults, or SOYA, will soon move to a new home -- for good reason. $3M donation to help repair arena in Elliot Lake The City of Elliot Lake said Thursday it has received a $3-million donation from Edward and Suzanne Rogers for the Centennial Arena restoration. N.L. As N.L. firm pivots, scientists say Canada's green hydrogen dreams are far-fetched A Newfoundland energy company's embrace of data centres is raising doubts about eastern Canadian hopes of harnessing the region's howling winds to supply Germany with power from green hydrogen. Canadian leads group pushing Vatican for zero-tolerance policy on abuse by clergy An international group led by a Canadian is in Rome this week to push the Catholic Church to adopt a zero-tolerance policy on abuse by clergy. Newfoundland wind-to-hydrogen company eyes data centre as international market lags A company hoping to build a multi-billion-dollar wind-to-hydrogen project in western Newfoundland is eyeing other options as Canada's plans to supply Europe with green energy have not yet materialized. Local Spotlight The Thriftmas Special: The benefits of second-hand holiday shopping The holidays may be a time for family, joy and togetherness, but they can also be hard on the wallet. Video shows octopus 'hanging on for dear life' during bomb cyclone off B.C. coast Humans weren’t the only ones who struggled through the bomb cyclone that formed off the B.C. coast this week, bringing intense winds and choppy seas. B.C. man reunites with Nova Scotia stranger, 56 years after being saved from drowning After driving near the water that winter day, Brian Lavery thought he saw a dog splashing in the waves – then realized it was way too cold for that. 'It's nice to just talk to people': Toronto podcaster prank calling Nova Scotians Toronto radio and podcast host Jax Irwin has recently gone viral for videos of her cute -- and at times confusing -- phone conversations. Lotto Max jackpot hits $80M for second time ever The Lotto Max jackpot has climbed to $80 million for just the second time in Canadian lottery history. 'I'm just tickled pink': Childhood friends from New Brunswick named Rhodes Scholars Two young women from New Brunswick have won one of the most prestigious and sought-after academic honours in the world. B.C. man to cycle length of New Zealand to raise funds for Movember Stretching 3,000 kilometres from the tip of New Zealand to its southernmost point, with just a bicycle for transport and a tent to call home, bikepacking event Tour Aotearoa is not for the faint of heart. 'She's a people person': Urban chicken inspires positivity in B.C. neighbourhood When he first moved to his urban neighbourhood, Barry Devonald was surprised to be welcomed by a whole flock of new neighbours. 'A little piece of history': Winnipeg homeowner finds 80-year-old letters hidden in walls When George Arcioni began renovating his kitchen last summer, he didn’t expect to find a stack of letters hidden in the wall behind his oven. Politics Montreal police chief expects additional arrests following anti-NATO protest Montreal's police chief says he expects more arrests stemming from a Friday anti-NATO protest that turned violent, with smashed windows and burned cars in downtown Montreal. Canada 'already past due' on NATO defence spending target: U.S. House intelligence committee chair Mike Turner The chair of the United States House intelligence committee says Canada needs to accelerate its defence spending targets, especially with its military in 'desperate' need of investment. Minister calls GST holiday, $250 cheques for 18 million Canadians 'a targeted approach' Women and Gender Equality and Youth Minister Marci Ien is calling the federal government's proposed GST holiday and $250 rebate cheques a 'targeted approach' to address affordability concerns. Health Scurvy resurgence highlights issues of food insecurity in Canada's rural and remote areas A disease often thought to only affect 18th century sailors is reemerging in Canada. 'It's an optimistic space:' Inside Toronto's new drug withdrawal centre Joshua Orson sits on the edge of a bed in a bright, clean room, thinking about his journey from addict to health-care worker. More carrots pulled from grocery store shelves in expanded recall for E. coli: CFIA The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has announced an expanded recall on carrots over risks of E. coli O121 contamination, according to a notice issued Friday. Sci-Tech Canadian neurosurgeons seek six patients for Musk's Neuralink brain study Canadian neurosurgeons in partnership with Elon Musk's Neuralink have regulatory approval to recruit six patients with paralysis willing to have a thousand electrode contacts in their brains. Fast-forming alien planet has astronomers intrigued Astronomers have spotted orbiting around a young star a newborn planet that took only three million years to form, quite swift in cosmic terms. Enslaved on OnlyFans: Women recount torment and sexual servitude OnlyFans says it empowers content creators, particularly women, to monetize sexually explicit images and videos in a safe online environment. But a Reuters investigation found women who said they had been deceived, drugged, terrorized and sexually enslaved to make money from the site. Entertainment ANALYSIS | How Jussie Smollett's overturned conviction is similar to Bill Cosby's The criminal cases of actors Jussie Smollett and Bill Cosby, both found guilty before their convictions were overturned, differ in details but share some parallels. 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator' make gravity-defying theatre debuts With a combined US$270 million in worldwide ticket sales, 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' breathed fresh life into a box office that has struggled lately. Chuck Woolery, smooth-talking game show host of 'Love Connection' and 'Scrabble,' dies at 83 Chuck Woolery, host of 'Wheel of Fortune,' 'Love Connection' and 'Scrabble' who accused the U.S. government of lying about COVID-19, has died. He was 83. Business Elon Musk has never been richer. He's now worth nearly US$350 billion The richest person in the world got even richer Friday, with Musk’s net worth hitting a record US$347.8 billion, Bloomberg reported. U.S. court tosses hostile workplace, pay discrimination claims against BlackBerry A U.S. court has closed the door on "hostile work environment" and wage discrimination claims made by a former BlackBerry Ltd. executive who accused the company's CEO of sexually harassing her and then retaliating against her when she reported the behaviour. Maple Leaf Foods launches defamation lawsuit against Canada Bread and Grupo Bimbo Maple Leaf Foods Inc. has launched a defamation lawsuit against Canada Bread Co. Ltd. and its parent company Grupo Bimbo. Lifestyle School bullies have moved online. But is banning all under-16s from social media really the answer? The Australian government introduced what it's called 'world-leading' legislation in parliament this week to wipe social media accounts – including Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit and X – from the devices of children under 16. Ants marching into spotlight as hobby of ant-keeping rises in popularity They are tiny insects that are often overlooked or stepped on, but ants are marching not only into people’s backyards, but also their homes, as the popularity of ant-keeping rises in Canada. These royal residences are opening their doors this Christmas Not so long ago, if you wanted to spend Christmas with the royal family, the only way to get close was to press your nose up to the TV screen during the monarch’s Christmas speech. Sports Jannik Sinner leads Italy past the Netherlands for its second consecutive Davis Cup Jannik Sinner clinched Italy’s second consecutive Davis Cup title and capped his breakthrough season by beating Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor. Rico Carty, who won the 1970 National League batting title with the Atlanta Braves, dies at 85 Rico Carty, who won the 1970 National League batting title when he hit a major league-best .366 for the Atlanta Braves, has died. He was 85. Max Verstappen wins fourth straight World Championship as George Russell takes victory in Las Vegas Max Verstappen claimed the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship at Las Vegas Grand Prix that saw George Russell take victory for Mercedes. Autos Nearly 46,000 electric vehicles recalled in Canada over power loss risk Nearly 46,000 electric vehicles from Kia, Hyundai and Genesis are being recalled in Canada over a potential power loss issue that can increase the risk of a crash. Northvolt says Quebec battery plant will proceed despite bankruptcy filing Northvolt AB has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States, but said the move will not jeopardize the manufacturer's planned electric vehicle battery plant in Quebec — though hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars invested in the parent company could be lost. Canadian drivers own their poor road habits: survey Canadian drivers are regularly in a hurry to get to their destination and a majority are willing to take unnecessary risks on the road, according to the results of a new survey. Shopping Trends The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us. Editor's Picks 24 Of The Best Host And Hostess Gifts You Can Find Online Right Now The Best Advent Calendars For Women In 2024 All The Best Beauty Stocking Stuffers That Ring In Under $25 Home Our Guide to the Best Jewellery Boxes You Can Find Online Right Now 16 Home Gadgets That'll Make Your Life Easier The 5 Best Drip Coffee Makers In Canada In 2024, Tested and Reviewed Gifts 23 Gifts, Add-Ons, And Stocking Stuffers For Anyone Who Spends A Lot Of Time In Their Car The Ultimate 2024 Holiday Gift Guide For Nature Lovers And Outdoor Adventurers 27 Of The Absolute Best Stocking Stuffers For Men Beauty 20 Anti-Aging Skincare Products That Reviewers Can’t Stop Talking About 12 Budget-Friendly Makeup Brushes And Tools Worth Adding To Your Kit If You Suffer From Dry Skin, You'll Want To Add At Least One Of These Hydrating Moisturizers To Your Cart Deals These Apple Products Are Majorly On Sale On Amazon Canada Right Now, So It Might Be Time To Upgrade Your Tech Black Friday Has Begun On Amazon Canada: Here Are The Best Deals Black Friday Is Almost Here, But These Deals On Mattresses And Bedding Are Already Live Stay Connected(The Center Square) – Prosecutors introduced secretly recorded audio and video along with a troubled star witness at the public corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Former Chicago Alderman Daniel Solis returned to the Everett McKinley U.S. Courthouse Monday. Solis is facing one federal count of bribery under a deferred prosecution agreement. The ex-alderman began cooperating with federal investigators in 2016. U.S. government attorney Diane MacArthur first introduced a recording of Madigan and Solis nearly two years before the alderman started cooperating with the government. The recording involved a conversation with Chinese developer, See Wong, who wanted to build a hotel on a parcel of land in Chicago’s Chinatown neighborhood. The land was owned by the state of Illinois at the time, but Solis said a zoning change would be required from the city in order for a hotel to be built. At Madigan’s request, Solis said he facilitated the meeting on Aug. 8, 2014, at Madigan’s law firm, Madigan and Getzendanner, about the land along Wentworth Avenue between Archer Avenue and Cermak Road. Madigan’s law partner, Bud Getzendanner, discussed how successful the firm had been in working with hotels to make sure they were not taxed more than necessary. ”A large component of your expense for hotels is real estate taxes,” Getzendanner said during the recorded meeting. Getzendanner said the firm charged 12.5% of the tax savings obtained. Madigan told Wong and an interpreter about the quality of service his firm provided. “We don’t take a second seat to anybody,” Madigan said. The developer then asked for a picture with Madigan and Solis. Solis told the group that Wong would benefit from working with Madigan. “If he works with the Speaker, he will get anything he needs for that hotel,” Solis said on the recording. Solis testified that he meant the city would provide the zoning change the developer needed from the city if the developer hired Madigan’s law firm. Solis said the zoning change was approved, but the proposed hotel was never built. MacArthur asked Solis about the bribery charge he is still facing, which Solis said involved the redevelopment of a property in Chicago from a restaurant to a residential building in 2015. Solis said two problems prevented the project from moving forward: labor unions’ perceived lack of representation in the development and residents' concerns in the ward. The former alderman admitted that he solicited a campaign contribution from the developer or from one or more of the developer’s vendors while the project’s zoning change was still under consideration. Solis said he believed the developer was on board and that he would be getting donations from the developers’ vendors. The zoning change was approved by the city council, Solis said. He testified he solicited and accepted campaign contributions from other developers who had matters pending before the city council’s zoning committee. Solis then testified about about a variety of things like massages that turned sexual, trips to Las Vegas, tickets to professional sporting events, no-paperwork six-figure loans he'd paid back. He even admitted to an extramarital affair he had with an interpreter. Solis said he was separated from his wife for about five years and their house went into foreclosure. He also confessed that he lied to a collection agency by saying he was out of work. MacArthur asked Solis about his sister, Patti Solis Doyle, who worked on campaigns for former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, former President Bill Clinton and former U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton, D-New York. Solis Doyle also managed Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2008. Solis said his sister was involved in a hotel project in which the developer offered her $100,000. Solis said his sister offered to split the sum with her brother. As chairman of the city’s zoning committee, Solis said he told his sister he could not accept money regarding a hotel development. Solis said his sister told him there would be another way she could compensate him. The former alderman said he did receive funds from his sister for referring her to his friend Brian Hynes’ state vendor assistance program. Monday afternoon, Solis testified that FBI agents visited his home on June 1, 2016, and played audio and video recordings. After considering an attorney, Solis said he decided to cooperate with the FBI a few days later and agreed to let investigators tap his phone. Solis also said he told an attorney friend that he was cooperating with the FBI in regard to an investigation of an organization he was involved in. Solis said he made recordings for several investigations he was involved in as part of his deferred prosecution agreement. He began communicating with Madigan after receiving a voicemail message on June 12, 2017. Solis said he discussed the Chinatown land deal, his interest in getting a state board appointment, and referring clients to Madigan’s law firm while cooperating with the government from June 2016 to December 2017. Solis admitted that he was not really interested in a state board appointment, but he raised the issue with Madigan at the direction of law enforcement. Solis said he began communicating with Madigan codefendant Michael McClain about the Chinatown parcel in the fall of 2017. He said he had to continue to perform his duties as an alderman while cooperating with the FBI because of “the farce” that he was involved in. Solis discussed a 2017 redevelopment project that required a zoning change involving a Union West development in Chicago’s West Loop. MacArthur played a recording, dated June 12, 2017, of Madigan asking Solis about the development. During the call, Solis told the speaker he would try to arrange an introduction for Madigan with the developers. In a subsequent call, Solis promised to arrange a meeting and said, “I think these guys get it, the quid pro quo and how it works.” When MacArthur asked Solis why he said that, Solis said he didn’t know and said it was “dumb.” MacArthur asked Solis if he used the words “quid pro quo” at the direction of law enforcement. “No,” Solis said. Union West developer Andrew Cretal agreed to meet with Madigan and told Solis, “confidentially,” that his company was working with Goldman Sachs as an equity partner and that he would “circle back” with Solis. MacArthur played a recording of Madigan privately telling Solis not to use the words, “quid quo pro.” The conversation immediately preceded the meeting Cretal and the Union West group had at Madigan's and Getzendanner’s law office. During the meeting, Madigan repeated to Cretal’s group what he had said to See Wong. “We don’t take a second seat to anybody,” Madigan said. Solis said he met with Madigan again privately after the meeting with the intention of discussing the Chinatown parcel. Solis said he had been having frequent meetings about the land with potential developers. During the recording, Solis said that nothing could really happen until the state transferred the land. Connie Mixon, professor of Political Science and director of the Urban Studies Program at Elmhurst University, served as an expert witness at the corruption trial of longtime Chicago Democrat Ed Burke, who served on the city council from 1969 to 2023. A jury convicted Burke in December 2023 on 18 counts of racketeering, bribery, attempted extortion and conspiracy to commit extortion and using interstate commerce to facilitate an unlawful activity. Mixon said that Solis also testified as a cooperating witness during Burke’s trial. “It seemed as if, in the sentencing for the Burke trial, the judge did take a bit of exception to the fact that Solis, who also had potential criminal charges, was essentially getting away without any sort of repercussions,” Mixon told The Center Square. Mixon described Solis as a damaged witness. “He’s absolutely damaged, but as much as he’s damaged, you have the words on the wiretap. Having the defendants’ words played in the courtroom, they are really the witness against themselves when you have those wiretaps,” Mixon explained. Before the jury was seated Monday morning, prosecutors said they would provide the court with revised jury instructions by Dec. 3. Judge John Robert Blakey said he could deny admittance of new materials after that date if he deemed them to be untimely. Madigan and McClain are charged with 23 counts of bribery, racketeering and official misconduct. The trial is scheduled to resume Tuesday morning in Chicago.https www haha777 love promotions 。

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HubSpot to Present at the Wells Fargo Technology ConferenceRuben Amorim warned “the storm will come” eventually as Manchester United’s head coach tried to temper expectations ahead of the trip to Arsenal. The 39-year-old has been a breath of fresh air since succeeding Erik ten Hag, with his personality and approach, coupled with promising early performances, bringing hope back to Old Trafford. Amorim has been touched by his warm welcome but repeatedly urged fans to avoid jumping the gun, having followed a draw at Ipswich with home wins against Bodo/Glimt and Everton. Wednesday’s trip to Arsenal is comfortably his biggest challenge yet and victory would see United move within three points of the Premier League title contenders. Put to Amorim it will be hard to manage expectations if they won in the capital, the head coach said: “I would like to say different things, but I have to say it again: the storm will come. “I don’t know if you use that expression, but we are going to have difficult moments and we will be found out in some games. “And I know that because I’m knowing my players and I know football and I follow football, so I understand the difference between the teams. “We are in the point in that we are putting simple things in the team, without training, and you feel it in this game against Everton, they change a little bit the way they were building up. “They are very good team, and we were with a lot of problems because we cannot change it by calling one thing to the captain. A midweek trip to the capital awaits 🚆 #MUFC || #PL pic.twitter.com/1e6VrILJW3 — Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 3, 2024 “So, we don’t have this training, so let’s focus on each game, on the performance, what we have to improve, trying to win games. And that is the focus. “I know it’s really hard to be a Manchester United coach and say these things in press conferences. We want to win all the time. No matter what. “We are going to try to win, but we know that we are in a different point if you compare to Arsenal. “So, it is what it is and we will try to win it and we go with confidence to win, but we know that we need to play very well to win the next football match.” The trip to Arsenal is the second of nine December matches for United, who are looking to avoid suffering four straight league defeats to the Gunners for the first time. The Red Devils have not won a Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium since 2017, but Amorim knows a thing or two about frustrating Mikel Arteta’s men. Arsenal thrashed Sporting Lisbon 5-1 in the Champions League last week, but in 2022-23 he led the Portuguese side to a Europa League last-16 penalty triumph after a 1-1 draw in London made it 3-3 on aggregate. “Arsenal this year, they play a little bit different,” Amorim said. “They are more fluid. “For example, two years ago when we faced them with Sporting, you knew how to press because you can understand better the structure. “Now it’s more fluid with (Riccardo) Calafiori and (Jurrien) Timber in different sides. One coming inside, the other going outside. Also (Martin) Odegaard changed the team, and you can feel it during this season. “So, you can take something from that game, especially because I know so well the opponent so you can understand the weakness of that team. “But every game is different, so you take something, but you already know that you are going to face a very good team.” This hectic winter schedule means Amorim sidestepped talk of January transfer business ahead of facing Arsenal, although he was more forthcoming on Amad Diallo’s future. The 22-year-old, who put in a man of the match display in Sunday’s 4-0 win against Everton, is out of contract at the end of the season, although the club holds an option to extend by a year. Diallo has repeatedly spoken of his desire to stay at United and it has been reported an agreement is close. Amorim said: “I think he wants to stay, and we want him to stay. So that is clear and we will find a solution.”

When dockworkers walked the picket line in October, the strike lasted for 3 days. And if a new contract between their 45,000 member union and the U.S. Maritime Alliance isn't signed by mid-January — a longer strike could send inflation going in the wrong direction. Just months after a strike at Gulf and East Coast ports ended, operators and union members are now at an impasse — once again — over automation. Port operators say they need more technology to increase port efficiency, improve safety and to control costs. But union members say no, because some workers will lose their jobs. A new strike could come if an agreement isn't reached by January 15. And if that happens inflation could increase, when goods aren't flowing in an out of ports as quickly. Thursday union leaders met with President-elect Donald trump at Mar-a-Lago and walked away with his support. Writing about automation on Truth social, Trump said "the amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American workers," and that foreign countries "...shouldn't be looking for every last penny knowing how many families are hurt." RELATED STORY | Billions of dollars of U.S. economic activity halted as port workers enter day two of their strike Professor Todd Belt of George Washington University called it Trump striking a different path than he did during his first term. "During the first Trump term you had Donald Trump, surrounded by a lot of people who were suggested to him by incumbent Republicans who had really a Republican orthodoxy on free trade. Donald trump now is going to be surrounded by a lot of people who support his ideas of interventionism and tariffs, as well as other trade policies that will protect working people at the expense of, of course, inflation," Belt said. The International Longshoremen's Association has until Jan. 15 to negotiate a new contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies. At the heart of the dispute is whether ports can install automated gates, cranes and container-moving trucks that could make it faster to unload and load ships. The union argues that automation would lead to fewer jobs, even though higher levels of productivity could do more to boost the salaries of remaining workers. The Maritime Alliance said in a statement that the contract goes beyond ports to "supporting American consumers and giving American businesses access to the global marketplace — from farmers, to manufacturers, to small businesses, and innovative start-ups looking for new markets to sell their products." "To achieve this, we need modern technology that is proven to improve worker safety, boost port efficiency, increase port capacity, and strengthen our supply chains," said the alliance, adding that it looks forward to working with Trump. In October, the union representing 45,000 dockworkers went on strike for three days, raising the risk that a prolonged shutdown could push up inflation by making it difficult to unload container ships and export American products overseas. The issue pits an incoming president who won November's election on the promise of bringing down prices against commitments to support blue-collar workers along with the kinds of advanced technology that drew him support from Silicon Valley elite such as billionaire Elon Musk. Trump sought to portray the dispute as being between U.S. workers and foreign companies, but advanced ports are also key for staying globally competitive. China is opening a $1.3 billion port in Peru that could accommodate ships too large for the Panama Canal. There is a risk that shippers could move to other ports, which could also lead to job losses. Mexico is constructing a port that is highly automated, while Dubai, Singapore and Rotterdam already have more advanced ports. "For the great privilege of accessing our markets, these foreign companies should hire our incredible American Workers, instead of laying them off, and sending those profits back to foreign countries," Trump posted. "It is time to put AMERICA FIRST!" The Associated Press contributed to this report.

MADRID (AP) — Getafe scored twice in three minutes midway through the second half to beat struggling Valladolid 2-0 and record only its second win in La Liga on Friday. The victory ended Getafe’s five-game winless run and lifted it into 15th place in the 20-team standings. Valladolid remained second to last. In the buildup to the match, Getafe sporting director Rubén Reyes described the game as a final but his team was lucky not to go behind as Valladolid created more of the early chances. However, the home side took control in the 69th minute when substitute Álvaro Rodríguez got the opener. Three minutes later, man of the match Allan Nyom made it 2-0. “There’s been a lot of games where we’ve run and fought but lost or drawn,” Nyom, the veteran Cameroon full back, said. “A game that reflects the effort we’ve put in in training is very welcome.” Adding to Valladolid’s woes, coach Paulo Pezzolano was sent off before halftime. The Uruguayan has the league’s worst disciplinary record, with seven yellow cards before Friday’s red. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerJameson Williams says he doesn't care if he leads the NFL in yards per catch

A new report says Canada needs to rethink its approach to health care to help manage rising costs as people age. CSA Group, an organization that helps policymakers develop standards around health and safety, says health care currently costs about $12,000 per year for each person 65 years and older, compared to $2,700 for each person younger than 65. Today’s report says seniors make up about 18 per cent of Canada’s population but account for about 45 per cent of health-care spending by provincial and territorial governments. The group projects costs will continue to increase significantly, with seniors making up 22 per cent of the Canadian population by 2040. Jordann Thirgood, manager of CSA Group’s public policy centre, says that will coincide with more retirees and therefore less income tax revenue to pay for health costs. Thirgood says governments need to put more resources into illness prevention, including addressing factors such as housing, mental health and loneliness, which affect people’s overall health as they age. “The Canadian health-care system is often described as a ‘sickness treatment’ or ‘illness treatment’ system, (where) our public health-care system is primarily focused on doctors and hospitals,” she said in an interview Tuesday. That means “less focus on preventive care, wellness, and increasingly urgent needs in uninsured areas such as mental health,” says the report, which is called Aging Canada 2040: Policy Implications of Demographic Change. Thirgood said focusing on social determinants of health and addressing people’s health needs over the course of their lives to help them age well is critical to reducing illness and the associated health-care costs. She said that can have a big impact on improving people’s overall health as they age. ”There’s strong evidence that correlates social isolation and loneliness with serious health risk,” Thirgood said. “Research shows that (it) is similar to or even exceeding risks such as smoking, obesity and physical inactivity.” Homelessness is another factor that puts people at higher risk of chronic illness, she said — and many seniors are affected. ”We are increasingly seeing older adults that are unhoused as a result of increasing cost (and) financial insecurity,” Thirgood said. “Given ... the context of the housing crisis, I think we can imagine that that’s going to remain an urgent issue for the years to come.”General Mills Inc. stock underperforms Monday when compared to competitors despite daily gains

A new report says Canada needs to rethink its approach to health care to help manage rising costs as people age. CSA Group, an organization that helps policymakers develop standards around health and safety, says health care currently costs about $12,000 per year for each person 65 years and older, compared to $2,700 for each person younger than 65. Today’s report says seniors make up about 18 per cent of Canada’s population but account for about 45 per cent of health-care spending by provincial and territorial governments. The group projects costs will continue to increase significantly, with seniors making up 22 per cent of the Canadian population by 2040. Jordann Thirgood, manager of CSA Group’s public policy centre, says that will coincide with more retirees and therefore less income tax revenue to pay for health costs. Thirgood says governments need to put more resources into illness prevention, including addressing factors such as housing, mental health and loneliness, which affect people’s overall health as they age. “The Canadian health-care system is often described as a ‘sickness treatment’ or ‘illness treatment’ system, (where) our public health-care system is primarily focused on doctors and hospitals,” she said in an interview Tuesday. That means “less focus on preventive care, wellness, and increasingly urgent needs in uninsured areas such as mental health,” says the report, which is called Aging Canada 2040: Policy Implications of Demographic Change. Thirgood said focusing on social determinants of health and addressing people’s health needs over the course of their lives to help them age well is critical to reducing illness and the associated health-care costs. She said that can have a big impact on improving people’s overall health as they age. ”There’s strong evidence that correlates social isolation and loneliness with serious health risk,” Thirgood said. “Research shows that (it) is similar to or even exceeding risks such as smoking, obesity and physical inactivity.” Homelessness is another factor that puts people at higher risk of chronic illness, she said — and many seniors are affected. ”We are increasingly seeing older adults that are unhoused as a result of increasing cost (and) financial insecurity,” Thirgood said. “Given ... the context of the housing crisis, I think we can imagine that that’s going to remain an urgent issue for the years to come.”

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NATO and Ukraine to hold emergency talks after Russian attack with hypersonic missileShould AI be used to resurrect extinct species like the Neanderthal? | Mohammad HosseiniHow society made me a star – Bob-Manuel UdokwuAs science continues its evolution, discoveries and technologies can act like a master key that open doors leading to novel advancements. Artificial intelligence is one such key, making innovations possible by solving complex problems, automating tasks and enabling research that would have been impossible, or very time-consuming, without it. But do we want to do research on all topics, and shall we try the AI master key on every door? To explore this question, let’s consider the use of AI by genomics experts as an example. In recent years, genomics experts have added unbelievable depth to what we know about the world and ourselves. For example, genetics researchers have revealed facts about when certain animals and plants were domesticated. In another example, researchers used DNA from 30,000-year-old permafrost to create fertile samples of a plant called narrow-leafed campion. Importantly, genetic engineering has facilitated extraordinary advances in the treatment of complicated conditions, such as sickle-cell anemia. Thanks to AI, we are witnessing a dramatic increase in the pace and scalability of genomic exploration. But given the risks and possible consequences of AI use in science, should we rush headlong into using AI in all kinds of projects? One relevant example is research on Neanderthals, our closest relatives, who lived about 40,000 years ago. Neanderthals have been studied for several years now through genetic investigation of their fossils and their DNA. Genetic engineering can potentially use ancient DNA and genome editing methods to re-create a Neanderthal or aspects of a Neanderthal’s genetics and physiology. To do this, scientists could start by figuring out the DNA sequence of a Neanderthal by comparing it with the DNA of modern humans, because they are closely related. Then, scientists could use the gene-editing tool known as CRISPR to swap out parts of human DNA with Neanderthal DNA. This process would require a lot of trial and error and might not succeed soon. But based on what we know about genetics, if something is possible, AI can help make it happen faster, cheaper and with less effort. Scientists are excited about these developments because they could facilitate new discoveries and open up many research opportunities in genetic research. With or without AI, research on Neanderthals will proceed. But the extraordinary power of AI could give the final push to these discoveries and facilitate this kind of resurrection. At that point, the scientific community must develop norms and guidelines about how to treat these resurrected beings with dispositions very similar to humans. We would need to carefully consider their rights and well-being almost in the same way as when humans are involved and not as research subjects or artifacts of scientific curiosity. These ethical issues are discussed in more detail in a new paper published in the journal Nature Machine Intelligence. A more holistic question to consider is: Should we prioritize the use of resource-intensive AI, researchers’ time and public funds to resurrect extinct beings? Or should we invest these resources into conserving species that are critically endangered today to prevent biodiversity from more degradation?

The presence of the gourd in the promotional photos sparked a wave of speculation and curiosity among fans. Some speculated that the gourd could be a reference to one of the iconic weapons or symbols associated with the Monkey King in Chinese folklore. Others speculated that it could be a nod to a specific element or power in the game itself. Whatever the significance of the gourd may be, it added an extra layer of mystery and allure to the already captivating collaboration.World Table Tennis Ranking for Week 50 Released: China's National Team Leads in Four World No.1 Positions

Penn State rolls past Maryland, clinches berth in Big Ten title gameSo, while the delivery time may be longer than expected, the anticipation and excitement of finally owning a Nintendo Alarm Clock should keep fans motivated. Let's hold onto the excitement of what's to come and look forward to the day when we can finally wake up to the sounds of our favorite Nintendo games.Christopher Nolan's next movie is adaptation of Homer's ‘The Odyssey'

However, despite the gravity of the allegations and the swift action taken by authorities, the official response to the scandal has been noticeably silent. The lack of a formal statement or explanation from the relevant authorities has only fueled speculation and uncertainty surrounding the incident.Real Madrid and Raúl - Asensio in Contract Renewal Talks

And so, as this family embarks on a new chapter together, they do so with renewed hope, strengthened bonds, and a profound appreciation for the precious gift of togetherness. The journey may have been long and arduous, but the destination of reunion and reconciliation is a beautiful reward that will forever be cherished in their hearts.As the legal proceedings against Kim Kwan-jin continue, the outcome of the case is likely to have broader implications for South Korea's political landscape and the ongoing fight against corruption. The prosecution's move to seek pretrial detention for a former Defense Minister sends a strong message that no one, regardless of their position, is above the law.

https www haha777 tv m index html Abbey says it's not right to feel unsafe on campus. (The Image Direct for Fox News Digital) Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano called a timeout Saturday, seconds before a 58-yard field goal attempt by Illinois kicker Ethan Moczulski. Rutgers led 31-30, and it's a score that would have held after Moczulski's kick sailed wide left — if not for Schiano's timeout. The timeout voided the play, and Illinois head coach Bret Bielema was able to see how the wind affected the kick from the sideline. Bielema put his offense back on the field instead of trying the kick again, and his team scored the game-winning touchdown on a 40-yard catch by Pat Bryant. Illinois won 38-31. Schiano had to answer for the timeout after being blamed by fans for one of the most shocking and avoidable losses of the college football season. "Retrospectively, I wish hadn't," Schiano told reporters of the decision to call the timeout. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano reacts during the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at SHI Stadium. (Vincent Carchietta) Still, Schiano offered a defense of the decision. "But you know, I'm not going to sit here and say I wish I hadn't because it didn't work out. If it worked out, I would sit here and say, 'Yeah, I'm glad I did.' I've said before. It was a good call because it worked. I've stood up here and said it's a bad call because it didn't work. That's the way it goes. You have about 12 seconds to make decisions, and you make them," Schiano said. NO. 1 COLLEGE FOOTBALL RECRUIT FLIPS COMMITMENT FROM LSU TO MICHIGAN IN SHOCKING MOVE At the time, Rutgers was preparing for a potential kick from a player whose career-long field goal was 59 yards, a yard longer than what he would have needed to beat Rutgers with his leg. Still, the winds were so strong that nearby flags blew with ferocity, and the kick would have been going into the wind. The 58-year-old coach also explained how and why the team came to the decision to call a timeout before the kick. "We were going to call a timeout anyway. Maybe I should have done it before he kicked the ball," Schiano said. "So, it wouldn't have told, 'Oh, gee, that wind is strong. We can't make that kick.' But we had to make sure we knew what we were doing. I said, 'Hey, we have a timeout,’ there's no more media timeouts. So, we got to go. I said, 'That’s all right, we're going to call a timeout.'" CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP With the Illinois offense on the field for the next play, Schiano's defense blitzed, leaving fewer players in coverage for a potential pass down the field. The pass to Bryant was on a crossing route and wasn't to the end zone, but he outran Rutgers defenders for the score. Schiano reiterated his intention was to win the game. Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano during the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at SHI Stadium. ( Vincent Carchietta) "You do it and win the game, it's right call," Schiano said. "I don't defend, nor do I pat myself on the back when they are good decisions. That's your job is to make the decisions. You're a decision-maker. I just feel, like I said, the biggest thing is I feel pain for is those guys. It was their last game in that stadium, and they couldn't leave with a W. They accomplished a lot, but I really wanted that for them. But we don't always get what we want in life." Rutgers fell to 6-5 and has already clinched a bowl game appearance. Illinois improved to 8-3, preserving its spot in the national rankings. Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X , and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter . Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) — Bryce Lindsay had 18 points in James Madison's 78-61 win against Utah Valley on Saturday night. Lindsay added five rebounds for the Dukes (6-4). Xavier Brown scored 12 points and added seven assists. AJ Smith went 4 of 6 from the field (2 for 3 from 3-point range) to finish with 10 points, while adding seven rebounds and three steals. The Wolverines (4-5) were led in scoring by Osiris Grady, who finished with 12 points. Tanner Toolson added 10 points and two steals. Hayden Welling had nine points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Massachusetts Democrat Seth Moulton bashes local media for trying to ‘inflame’ LGBTQ remarks

Beirut, Dec 7 (AP) Insurgents' stunning march across Syria accelerated on 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 rumours 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 November 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 organisation by the US 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 UN'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 years-long siege. The UN said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Assad's status Syria's state media denied social media rumours 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. US 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 UN 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 UN-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. The insurgents' march 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 on November 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. Diplomacy in Doha The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkiye, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkiye is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar's top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticised 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. (AP) PY PY (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)

San Francisco, renowned for its tech industry and high rent prices, witnessed a surprising drop in rental rates in 2024. The post-pandemic era saw an exodus of tech workers, leading to a surplus of rental properties and a decrease in demand. Landlords had to reevaluate their pricing strategies to attract tenants, resulting in lower rent rates.

CARSON, Calif. — Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic scored in the first half, and the LA Galaxy won their record sixth MLS Cup championship with a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday. After striking twice in the first 13 minutes of the final with goals from their star forwards, the Galaxy nursed their lead through a scoreless second half to raise their league's biggest trophy for the first time since 2014. MLS' most successful franchise struggled through most of the ensuing decade, even finishing 26th in the 29-team league last year. But the Galaxy turned everything around this season with a high-scoring new lineup that finished second in the Western Conference and then streaked through the playoffs with a whopping 18 goals in five games to win another crown. Sean Nealis scored for the seventh-seeded Red Bulls, whose improbable charge through the playoffs ended one win shy of its first Cup championship. With the league's youngest roster, New York fell just short of becoming the lowest-seeded team to win MLS' playoff tournament under first-year German coach Sandro Schwarz. Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy made four saves to win his second MLS title in three seasons. He was the MVP of the 2022 MLS Cup Final for the Galaxy's crosstown rival, Los Angeles FC. The Galaxy won this title without perhaps their most important player. Riqui Puig, the playmaking midfielder from Barcelona who ran their offense impressively all season long, tore a ligament in his knee last week in the Western Conference final. Puig watched the game in a suit, but his teammates hadn't forgotten him: After his replacement, Gastón Brugman, set up LA's opening goal with a superb pass, Paintsil held up Puig's jersey to their fans during the celebration. Paintsil put the Galaxy ahead in the ninth minute when he ran onto that sublime pass from Brugman and pounded home his 14th MLS goal — including four in the playoffs — in the Ghanaian forward's outstanding first season. Just four minutes later, Joveljic sprinted past four New York defenders and chipped home the 21st goal of his outstanding year as the Galaxy's striker. Nealis got New York on the scoreboard in the 28th minute when he volleyed home a ball that got loose in LA's penalty area after a corner. The Galaxy's usually shaky defense gave up another handful of good chances before reaching halftime with a tenuous lead. The second half was lively, but scoreless. Red Bulls captain Emil Forsberg hit the outside of the post in the 72nd minute, while Gabriel Pec and Galaxy substitute Marco Reus nearly converted chances a few moments later. The ball got loose again in the Galaxy's penalty area in the third minute of extra time, but two Red Bulls couldn't finish. The Galaxy bench rushed onto the field and prematurely celebrated a victory in the seventh minute of injury time, only to be herded back off for another 30 seconds of play. The Galaxy finished 17-0-3 this season at their frequently renamed suburban stadium, where the sellout crowd of 26,812 for the final included several robust cheering sections of traveling Red Bulls supporters hoping to see their New Jersey-based club's breakthrough on MLS' biggest stage. The Galaxy's Greg Vanney became the fourth coach to win an MLS title with two clubs. The former Galaxy player also won it all with Toronto in 2017. The club famous for employing global stars from David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Robbie Keane and Javier "Chicharito" Hernández rebuilt itself this season with lesser-known young talents from around the world. The Galaxy signed Pec from Brazil and the Ghanaian Paintsil out of Belgium, and the duo combined with incumbent Serbian striker Joveljic to form a potent attack that could outscore almost any MLS opponent. But the Galaxy also relied heavily on Puig, their Catalan catalyst and one of MLS' best players. Puig stayed in last week's game after injuring his knee, and he even delivered the decisive pass to Joveljic for the game's only goal. Get local news delivered to your inbox!By Hyunjoo Jin SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korean prosecutors on Sunday questioned ex-Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun over his alleged role in President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law on Tuesday, Yonhap News Agency said. Kim voluntarily appeared at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office for questioning at around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday (1630 GMT on Saturday), the report said. The office was not immediately available for comments. Kim, who offered his resignation on Wednesday, was seen as a central figure in Tuesday's brief martial law declaration. A senior military official and filings to impeach Yoon by opposition members said Kim had made the proposal to Yoon. Yoon survived an impeachment vote in parliament on Saturday, prompted by his short-lived attempt to impose martial law, but the leader of his own party said the president would eventually have to step down. Three minority opposition parties filed a complaint with the prosecution against Yoon, Kim and martial law commander Park An-su, accusing them of treason. Kim faces a travel ban as prosecutors investigate, Yonhap said. The national police are also investigating claims of treason against Yoon and top ministers. Yoon shocked the nation on Tuesday night when he gave the military sweeping emergency powers to root out what he called "anti-state forces" and obstructionist political opponents. He rescinded the order six hours later, after parliament defied military and police cordons to vote unanimously against the decree. Yoon's martial law declaration plunged South Korea, Asia's fourth-largest economy and a key U.S. military ally, into its greatest political crisis in decades, threatening to shatter the country's reputation as a democratic success story. (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Sandra Maler)Nvidia Expresses Willingness to Address Regulatory Concerns Demonstrating a Collaborative Attitude

The owners of the bathhouse have been quick to respond to the crisis, cooperating fully with the authorities and offering their assistance in the investigation. They have shut down the establishment temporarily to conduct thorough checks and ensure the safety of their patrons. In a statement released to the press, they expressed their deep concern for those affected and vowed to get to the bottom of the matter.Allegations of vote-buying surface amid Malawi’s voter registration process

DENVER (AP) — So you're the most valuable player of that annual Thanksgiving Day backyard flag football game. Or played tackle football on any level. Or ran track. Or dabbled in basketball. Or toyed with any sport, really. Well, this may be just for you: USA Football is holding talent identification camps all over the country to find that next flag football star. It's “America’s Got Talent” meets “American Idol,” with the stage being the field and the grand prize a chance to compete for a spot on a national team. Because it’s never too early to start planning for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, where flag football will make its Summer Games debut. Know this, though — it's not an easy team to make. The men's and women's national team rosters are at “Dream Team” status given the men’s side has captured six of the last seven world championships and the women three in a row. To remain on top, the sport's national governing body is scouring every football field, park, track, basketball court and gym to find hidden talent to cultivate. USA Football has organized camps and tryouts from coast to coast for anyone ages 11 to 23. There are more than a dozen sites set up so far, ranging from Dallas (Sunday) to Chicago (Dec. 14) to Tampa (March 29) to Los Angeles (TBD) and the Boston area (April 27), where it will be held at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. The organization has already partnered with the NFL on flag football initiatives and programs. The numbers have been through the roof, with engagement on social media platforms increasing by 86% since flag football was announced as an Olympic invitational sport in October 2023 . The participation of boys and girls ages 6 to 17 in flag football last year peaked at more than 1.6 million, according to USA Football research. “We pride ourselves on elevating the gold standard across the sport,” said Eric Mayes, the managing director of the high performance and national teams for USA Football. “We want to be the best in the world — and stay the best in the world.” Flag football was one of five new sports added to the LA28 program. The already soaring profile of American football only figures to be enhanced by an Olympic appearance. Imagine, say, a few familiar faces take the field, too. Perhaps even NFL stars such as Tyreek Hill or Patrick Mahomes, maybe even past pro football greats donning a flag belt for a country to which they may have ties. Soon after flag football's inclusion, there was chatter of NFL players possibly joining in on the fun. Of course, there are logistical issues to tackle before their inclusion at the LA Olympics, which open July 14, 2028. Among them, training camp, because the Olympics will be right in the middle of it. The big question is this: Will owners permit high-priced players to duck out for a gold-medal pursuit? No decisions have yet been made on the status of NFL players for the Olympics. For now, it's simply about growing the game. There are currently 13 states that sanction girls flag football as a high school varsity sport. Just recently, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles helped pave the way to get it adopted in Pennsylvania. Around the world, it's catching on, too. The women's team from Japan took third at the recent word championships, while one of the best players on the planet is Mexico quarterback Diana Flores . “Could flag football globally become the new soccer? That’s something to aspire to," said Stephanie Kwok , the NFL's vice president of flag football. This type of flag football though, isn't your Thanksgiving Day game with family and friends. There's a learning curve. And given the small roster sizes, versatility is essential. Most national team members need to be a version of Colorado’s two-way standout and Heisman hopeful Travis Hunter. Forget bump-and-run coverage, too, because there's no contact. None. That took some adjusting for Mike Daniels, a defensive back out of West Virginia who earned a rookie minicamp invitation with the Cleveland Browns in 2017. “If a receiver is running around, I’m thinking, ‘OK, I can kind of bump him here and there and nudge him,’” Daniels explained. “They’re like, ‘No, you can’t.’ I’m just like, ‘So I’m supposed to let this guy just run?!’ I really rebelled at the idea at first. But you learn.” The competition for an Olympic roster spot is going to be fierce because only 10 players are expected to make a squad. The best 10 will earn it, too, as credentials such as college All-American or NFL All-Pro take a backseat. “I would actually love" seeing NFL players try out, said Daniels, who's also a personal trainer in Miami. “I’m not going to let you just waltz in here, thinking, ‘I played NFL football for five years. I’m popular. I have a huge name.’ I’m still better than you and I'm going to prove it — until you prove otherwise.” Around the house, Bruce Mapp constantly swivels his hips when turning a hallway corner or if his daughter tries to reach for a hug. It’s his way of working on avoiding a “defender” trying to snare the flag. That approach has earned the receiver out of Coastal Carolina four gold medals with USA Football. The 31-year-old fully plans on going for more gold in Los Angeles. “You grow up watching Usain Bolt (win gold) and the ‘Redeem Team’ led by Kobe Bryant win a gold medal, you're always thinking, ‘That's insane.' Obviously, you couldn't do it in your sport, because I played football," said Mapp, who owns a food truck in the Dallas area. "With the Olympics approaching, that (gold medal) is what my mind is set on." It's a common thought, which is why everything — including talent camps — starts now. “Everybody thinks, ‘Yeah, the U.S. just wins,’” Daniels said. “But we work hard all the time. We don’t just walk in. We don’t just get off the bus thinking, ‘We’re going to beat people.’” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFLjili haha777 。

Tariff threat on oil shows need for Ottawa to get on Trump's wavelength, leaders sayTamworth fans celebrate ‘unbelievable’ FA Cup third round draw as manager Andy Peaks gives priceless reaction

The Prime Minister insisted the UK will back Ukraine “for as long as it takes” as he made a speech at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet in London, but for the first time acknowledged the conflict could move towards a negotiated end. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has in recent weeks suggested he is open to a possible ceasefire with Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Kyiv and its European allies meanwhile fear the advent of Donald Trump’s return to the White House could result in American aid being halted. President-elect Trump has said he would prefer to move towards a peace deal, and has claimed he could end the conflict on “day one” of his time in power. As he attempts to strike up a good relationship with the incoming president, Sir Keir revealed he had told Mr Trump the UK “will invest more deeply than ever in this transatlantic bond with our American friends in the years to come”. In his speech at London’s Guildhall, the Prime Minister said there is “no question it is right we support Ukraine”, as the UK’s aid to Kyiv is “deeply in our self-interest”. Allowing Russia to win the war would mean “other autocrats would believe they can follow Putin’s example,” he warned. Sir Keir added: “So we must continue to back Ukraine and do what it takes to support their self-defence for as long as it takes. “To put Ukraine in the strongest possible position for negotiations so they can secure a just and lasting peace on their terms that guarantees their security, independence, and right to choose their own future.” Mr Zelensky told Sky News over the weekend he would be open to speaking with Mr Putin, but branded the Russian president a “terrorist”. He also suggested Ukrainian territory under his control should be taken under the “Nato umbrella” to try to stop the “hot stage” of the war with Russia. In a banquet speech focused on foreign affairs, the Prime Minister said it was “plain wrong” to suggest the UK must choose between its allies, adding: “I reject it utterly. “(Clement) Attlee did not choose between allies. (Winston) Churchill did not choose. “The national interest demands that we work with both.” Sir Keir said the UK and the US were “intertwined” when it came to commerce, technology and security. The Prime Minister added: “That’s why, when President Trump graciously hosted me for dinner in Trump Tower, I told him that we will invest more deeply than ever in this transatlantic bond with our American friends in the years to come.” He also repeated his commitment to “rebuild our ties with Europe” and insisted he was right to try to build closer links with China. “It is remarkable that until I met President Xi last month there had been no face-to-face meeting between British and Chinese leaders for six years,” the Prime Minister said. “We can’t simply look the other way. We need to engage. To co-operate, to compete and to challenge on growth, on security concerns, on climate as well as addressing our differences in a full and frank way on issues like Hong Kong, human rights, and sanctions on our parliamentarians,” he added. The Prime Minister said he wants Britain’s role in the world to be that of “a constant and responsible actor in turbulent times”. He added: “To be the soundest ally and to be determined, always, in everything we do. “Every exchange we have with other nations, every agreement we enter into to deliver for the British people and show, beyond doubt, that Britain is back.” Ahead of Sir Keir’s speech, Lord Mayor Alastair King urged the Prime Minister and his Government to loosen regulations on the City of London to help it maintain its competitive edge. In an echo of Sir Keir’s commitment to drive the UK’s economic growth, the Lord Mayor said: “The idealist will dream of growth, but the pragmatist understands that our most effective machinery to drive growth is here in the City, in the hands of some of the brightest and most committed people that you will find anywhere in the world.”

NEW YORK (AP) — Chad Chronister, Donald Trump's pick to run the Drug Enforcement Administration, said Tuesday he was withdrawing his name from consideration, becoming the second person selected by the president-elect to bow out quickly after being nominated for a position requiring Senate confirmation. Sheriff Chronister, the top law enforcement officer in Hillsborough County, Florida, said in a post on X that he was backing away from the opportunity, which he called “the honor of a lifetime.” Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

New shoplifting data explains why they’re locking up the toothpaste

The mother of an Australian teenage model who was on an extended break in Bali has spoken of the heartbreak of losing her son “too soon” while he holidayed in Bali. Aston Looker, 18, a former student at the prestigious Sydney school St Josephs College in Hunters Hill, was found unresponsive in a swimming pool at a residential complex on the popular Indonesian island. Aston Looker died while in Bali. Picture: Instagram Mr Looker was found unresponsive in a pool. Picture: Instagram News.com.au understands that Mr Looker, whose cause of death has not been released, was found floating in the pool of the residential complex in the Balinese village of Mengwi by a resident of the property. The unnamed resident who found Mr Looker on August 22 allegedly called security to assist with the unresponsive teenager however he was unable to be revived. Taking to social media, Mr Looker’s distraught mother, Sydney designer Amanda Lennon, said she misses her son “every day, every hour, every minute and every second,” and that he is in the “arms of angels now”. “My supermodel son is in heaven we love you forever,” Ms Lennon wrote to her 10k followers on Instagram. “We love your cheeky personality and amazing looks but most of all you humour. “Your mum will never ever forget you my favourite person in the universe. Aston you are gone too soon and mourning your death that was too soon.” Do you know more or have a story? Email tips@news.com.au Ms Lennon pictured the last dinner she had with her son in a heartfelt Instagram post. Picture: Instagram Aston Looker at his school graduation with his mum, Amanda Cameron-Lennon. Picture: Instagram In a statement sent to news.com.au, the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed Mr Looker’s death which occurred in August. “The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian man who died in Bali,” the statement read. “We offer our deepest condolences to the family.” Amanda Cameron-Lennon. Picture: Instagram Ms Cameron-Lennon shared the heartbreak of her son’s death while in Bali on social media. Picture: Instagram Family friend Victoria Montano posted about the death of Mr Looker, saying the 18-year-old was a “wasted life” and “one taken too soon”. “Asty was a complete juxtaposition - visually, a perfect face a jaw line that looked as if it was chiselled from marble, broad shoulders courtesy of countless hours of surfing,” Ms Montano posted on her Instagram account. “It was his vulnerability that drew you in. His sensitivity. His creative mind which no doubt worked away all day at a million miles an hour. “He wore his heart on his sleeve. On the occasions that we had time for a deeper conversation I always noted that he was able to express himself unlike any other male I knew. Asty was textured - he had depth. “This juxtaposition of masculinity and vulnerability was capped off by his mother Amanda’s favourite thing about him. A finely tuned perfectly timed sense of humour. The ability to be witty and humble all at once. Not many could make you laugh like this young man.” News.com.au has contacted Ms Lennon for comment. More Coverage Tribe members dead after eating sea turtle Staff writers Terrifying video of Boxing Day tsunami Shireen Khalil Originally published as Sydney teenager Aston Looker found dead in pool in Bali World Don't miss out on the headlines from World. Followed categories will be added to My News. More related stories TV ‘Motherf***er!’: Comedian eviscerates Biden US President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son, Hunter, has gone down quite terribly even on his own side of politics. Read more News Cruel way Hunter Biden ended relationship Hunter Biden ended his drug-fuelled relationship with Zoë Kestan in a four-sentence email, the former stripper has revealed. Read more

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans didn’t need to see what Baltimore’s Derrick Henry is doing this season to be reminded of just how dangerous he can be. He ran all over the Texans for years while playing in the AFC South for the Tennessee Titans. Henry and the Ravens (10-5) visit AFC South champion Houston (9-6) on Wednesday, looking for a win to keep their AFC North title chances alive. Baltimore has clinched a playoff berth for a third straight season but needs wins in its last two games and one loss by the Steelers to capture the division. Henry, who ranks second in the NFL with 1,636 yards rushing, has had some of his greatest success against the Texans. Four of the 30-year-old’s six career 200-yard rushing games have been against Houston, including a career-high 250 in the season finale in the 2020 season to surpass 2,000 yards. “You talk about fast, explosive, physical — he’s looking probably the best he’s looked in his career,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “He’s found that fountain of youth ... he’s a great player. It’s fun to see guys rebound and bounce back the way that he’s done this year.” Dealing with Henry along with all the challenges that quarterback Lamar Jackson presents makes the top-ranked Ravens one of Houston’s more difficult matchups. “You talk about MVP, (Jackson’s) definitely the MVP in my mind just for what he’s doing not only in the run game but also throwing the football,” Ryans said. “The accuracy, the decision-making, like, he’s playing unbelievable ball right now, so it’s going to be a really tough challenge for us this week.” Another challenge for the Texans is moving on after Tank Dell sustained a season-ending knee injury in Saturday’s loss to Kansas City. His injury is another blow to a receiving group that already was without star Stefon Diggs, who tore his ACL in Week 8. “The position we’re in, it’s not a lot of times where you can sulk in your feelings for very long,” quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “You’ve got to just keep rolling. I think that’s a testament to just life in general. Everybody has stuff on their plate. Everybody is going through something. And just because we’re in this position, doesn’t mean you get to feel sorry for yourself.” Houston will rely on Stroud to keep the passing game rolling despite the loss of Dell, who ranks second on the team with 667 yards receiving. Baltimore coach John Harbaugh has been impressed with Stroud’s growth in Year 2 and knows that dealing with him will be difficult for his team, which ranks 31st in the NFL by allowing 254.9 yards passing a game. “He’s just a supertalented guy... he’s surrounded with some good weapons, and he gets the ball out quick,” Harbaugh said. “He handles pressure well, he can move, he’s athletic, scrambles and makes plays.” Jackson is a big fan of Beyoncé, though he didn’t know the title of his favorite song of hers, saying it was “To the left,” which is just the first lines of her hit “Irreplaceable.” And he doesn’t think playing in Wednesday’s game should stop him from seeing her halftime show on Christmas . “I’m going to go out there and watch,” he said. “First time seeing Beyoncé perform, and it’s at our game — that’s dope. I’m going to go out and watch. Sorry Harbaugh, sorry fellas." He later clarified that he was kidding about sneaking out at halftime to get a glimpse of Queen Bey. “I was just thinking about just seeing Beyoncé for the first time,” he said. “Not saying it like that; no disrespect, because I know how people can take things. Next question.” Houston receiver John Metchie could have a chance for a big game with Dell out. Metchie is playing in his second NFL season after missing his entire rookie year while undergoing cancer treatment. He has just 182 yards receiving this season, with his best game coming against Detroit, when he had a career-high 72 yards receiving and his only NFL TD. Stroud is looking for Metchie and fellow reserve Xavier Hutchinson to help make up for Dell’s absence against the Ravens. “Those guys have another opportunity to show who they are and I know that they can do it,” Stroud said. “I see them in practice do it every week. So, I’m excited for them and it’s a good opportunity for them to step up.” Jackson is up to 6,023 yards rushing for his career. The NFL record for a quarterback is 6,109 by Michael Vick, so Jackson could break it with a big game on Wednesday. Jackson also leads the NFL in passer rating and is in the conversation for his third MVP. Although it sounds like that’s a discussion he’d rather not get involved in. “No other choice but to hear it,” Jackson said. “They (are) tagging me in it. You don’t (have) to tag me. You can talk about it all you want, but you want to tag me to get like clickbait because you know sometimes I (will) say something back like, ‘That was stupid.’ It is what it is. I don’t care, though. I really don’t care about the talk.” AP Sports Writer Noah Trister in Owings Mills, Maryland, contributed to this report. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

No. 2 UConn falls again in Maui, losing 73-72 to Colorado on Jakimovski's off-balance layupSTATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Jaylen Reed’s hands were still dirty and his face smeared with eye black as he took a seat in the Beaver Stadium media room. The hard-nosed veteran of nearly 50 college football games looked weary after Penn State pounded Maryland on Saturday, but lit up as he watched media members gather around teammate Audavion Collins next to him. The sophomore was excitedly describing his first career interception. Reed grinned, his pride was evident. One of Penn State’s captains, Reed loves when underclassmen earn playing time. He knows, especially on defense, the No. 3 Nittany Lions (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten, No. 4 CFP) will likely rely on them to make a run at their first national championship since 1986. “Having that type of depth, having that type of guy that can step up and play the game every week, that’s something that’s going to help us down the stretch,” Reed said. “Having depth at all positions, I feel like that’s the main thing and I feel like we have huge depth.” Reed knows Collins is far from the only reserve player who has been effective for Tom Allen’s defense this season. Heading into Saturday’s Big Ten championship game against No. 1 Oregon in Indianapolis, Penn State has used 39 players on a defense that ranks seventh nationally against the run and pass. Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions are fourth overall in total defense (266.8 yards) and sixth in scoring defense (14 points) entering the showdown with the Ducks' 15th-ranked offense with a College Football Playoff first-round bye at stake. It’s not just the starting 11 getting it done. Since mid-October, Penn State has regularly rotated at least nine defensive linemen, six linebackers and nine defensive backs early and midway through games. As a result, seven players have snagged their first interceptions this season, while five others have recorded their first sacks. “We believe in everybody coming in behind us,” linebacker Tony Rojas said. “Our defense, we know what we’re capable of and I feel like our defense is top tier, if not the best.” It technically hasn’t been at full strength since Week 2 of the season. Then, star safety KJ Winston was lost to an unspecified long-term injury. He tried to play at Wisconsin on Oct. 26, but hasn’t seen action since. In the meantime, Winston’s absence has allowed Allen and head coach James Franklin to get a good look at Collins and other young backend players like Eliot Washington, Zion Tracy and Dejuan Lane. Tracy and Lane have seen their snap counts go up since November, and both have interceptions since. The Nittany Lions haven’t been immune to injuries up front, either. Star end Dani Dennis-Sutton was limited midway through the season by an unspecified ailment. Before last weekend’s game against Maryland, Penn State listed defensive tackles Alonzo Ford and Kaleb Artis and defensive end Zuriah Fisher out with injuries. While not near 100% healthy, Dennis-Sutton continued to suit up, but yielded reps to Amin Vanover and Smith Vilbert. Vanover and Vilbert are seniors who were slowed over the years by injuries but have stuck around, and are now shoring up the team’s depth. “I think getting Dani back healthy, that’s been important,” Franklin said. “I think this was his first game back where he was really healthy, Abdul (Carter) the second half of the season, has gotten very comfortable playing defensive end. We’ve been able to rotate and get production out of guys like Amin as well, so I think all those things have been really important.” So is the fact that Penn State’s defense has continued to close out games. The Nittany Lions have allowed just 445 yards on 125 third-quarter plays this season. Meanwhile, they’ve outscored opponents 192-55 in the second half and overtime and held 19 of their last 22 Big Ten opponents to fewer that 100 rushing yards. Like Reed, senior Dvon J-Thomas spent much of the second half against Maryland cheering on his freshman teammates. Notably, tackle Ty Blanding who had his first career tackle for loss in his first defensive series. “I’ve seen a tremendous leap in their attention to detail,” J-Thomas said. “There’s not a lot of moments or times in your career where you’ll have an opportunity like this and I think they realize that." Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Magical moments from PV Sindhu and Venkata Datta Sai’s Udaipur wedding [PICS]Tamworth fans were unsurprisingly delighted when their club were drawn against Tottenham in the FA Cup. The National League side, who are the lowest-ranked team left in the competition, will host the Premier League giants next month. First and second round wins over Huddersfield Town and Burton Albion respectively have rewarded them with a standout tie. Tamworth could generate a huge amount of income if the match at The Lamb Ground is selected for television broadcast. As the club awaited a dream FA Cup draw, one that became a reality, they decided to set up a camera and film their fans' live reaction. When their ball number 53 was read out by Mark Hughes there were huge cheers upon the realisation that Tamworth would be at home. The anticipation built as they awaited the name of their visitors, with Dion Dublin then revealing that it will be Spurs . Tamworth fans' celebrations then turned up a notch once it was confirmed that they will in fact welcome Premier League opposition. Supporters of all ages jumped, cheered and clapped before many started to chant: "Tottenham get battered, everywhere they go!" Monday night's draw was conducted at Old Trafford, the home of the reigning FA Cup champions Manchester United. Tamworth boss Andy Peaks, who spoke to talkSPORT beforehand , was in attendance and offered a hilarious reaction once he saw who his side will come up against. Peaks smirked when the Lambs were drawn first, although could only help but laugh and wince when Spurs were the next team to be read out. After the draw, talkSPORT spoke to Tamworth assistant manager Neil Champelovier for his reaction to their monumental tie. "Absolutely unbelievable," Champelovier, whose works as a PE teacher, told Kick Off. "I was just literally on social media just before you gave us the call, and the scenes in the clubhouse, it's only small but the scenes in there were absolutely unbelievable. "To get a home draw against one of the big six, we said we'd want one of the big six, whether it's an away day for the experience or to get them back to The Lamb for the fans and for the town itself. "That's what we wanted and that's what we've been given, you couldn't have asked for much of a bigger game." Champelovier was then asked what Spurs players, who are used to a state-of-the-art Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, can expect to see at Tamworth's home stadium The Lamb Ground. "Well, firstly they can expected a portacabin for a changing room, with no heating in there either. "Artificial pitch, a little bit of a slope, so the kind of things that we try to use to our advantage at times, especially in the league when we get the big teams coming to The Lamb. "It's not particularly a nice place to come for away fans so yeah, it's not going to be a nice place." Tamworth will play Spurs between January 9 and 13 and hope to pull off one of the biggest upsets in FA Cup history.

Gov. Walz presents this year's Minnesota Thanksgiving turkeyLAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Andrej Jakimovski converted an off-balance layup with 8 seconds left, and Colorado handed No. 2 UConn its second loss in two days at the Maui Invitational, beating the two-time defending national champion 73-72 on Tuesday. A day after a 99-97 overtime loss to Memphis that left Huskies coach Dan Hurley livid about the officiating, UConn (4-2) couldn't shake the unranked Buffaloes (5-1), who shot 62.5% in the second half. With Colorado trailing 72-71 in the closing seconds, Jakimovski drove to his right and absorbed contact from UConn’s Liam McNeeley. He tossed the ball toward the glass and the shot was good as he fell to the floor. Hassan Diarra missed a 3-pointer just ahead of the buzzer for UConn. Elijah Malone and Julian Hammond III scored 16 points each for Colorado, and Jakimovski had 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Huskies led 40-32 at halftime and by nine points early in the second half, but Colorado quickly closed that gap. McNeeley led UConn with 20 points. UConn: Hurley's squad is facing its first adversity in quite a while. The Huskies arrived on Maui with a 17-game winning streak that dated to February. Colorado: The Buffaloes were held to season lows in points (56) and field goal percentage (37%) in a 16-point loss to Michigan State on Monday but shot 51.1% overall and 56.3% (9 of 16) from 3-point range against the Huskies. Hurley called timeout to set up the Huskies' final possession, but the Buffs forced them to take a contested 3. Colorado had a 28-26 rebounding advantage after being out-rebounded 42-29 by Michigan State. Colorado will play the Iowa-Dayton winner in the fifth-place game on Wednesday. UConn will play the loser of that matchup in the seventh-place game. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball .

SANTA ANA, Calif., Nov. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NKGen Biotech, Inc. (Nasdaq: NKGN) ("NKGen” or the "Company”), today announced it received a notice (the "Notice”) on November 20, 2024 from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market ("Nasdaq”) stating that the Company is not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) (the "Rule”) because it had not timely filed its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2024 (the "Form 10-Q”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC”) on or before November 19, 2024, the extended period provided for the filing under Rule 12b-25(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The delay is in part due to the additional time required for valuation and review of various derivative securities as the Company has taken on more reporting responsibility internally. The Notice from Nasdaq has no immediate effect on the listing or trading of the Company's common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market. The Company is actively working with its auditors and advisors and intends to file the Form 10-Q as promptly as possible. On November 20, 2024, subsequent to the Company's receipt of the Notice, the Company received a letter from Nasdaq (the "Decision Letter”) granting a temporary exception to the Rule and the minimum market value of listed securities requirement in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(b)(2)(A) (the "MVLS Rule”) until January 7, 2025. The Seoul Bankruptcy Court (the "Court”) is expected to announce its decision on the rehabilitation of NKMax Co. Ltd ("NKMax”) and the Company's proposal to acquire a majority interest in NKMax on or before such date. In accordance with the Decision Letter, the Company must advise the Nasdaq Hearings Panel (the "Panel”) of the outcome of the Court's decision. If the Company is successful in its bid to acquire a majority interest in NKMax, the Company must advise the Panel no later than January 7, 2025, on its plan for regaining compliance with the Rule and MVLS Rule, for the Panel's further consideration. The Company may request that the Nasdaq Listing and Hearing Review Council (the "Council”) review the Panel's determination in the Decision Letter, by written request received by the Council by December 5, 2024. In such event, the Company would be required to submit a fee of $15,000.00 to Nasdaq to cover the cost of the review. The Council may determine to review any Panel decision by January 4, 2025. The Company does not intend to appeal the Decision Letter at this time and intends to deliver an updated plan of compliance to the Panel no later than January 7, 2025. For additional information regarding the Nasdaq notifications and related terms, please see the Current Report on Form 8-K the Company filed with the SEC on November 26, 2024, which is available at sec.gov . Forward-Looking Statements Statements contained in this press release may contain "forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate”, "believe”, "could”, "continue”, "expect”, "estimate”, "may”, "plan”, "outlook”, "future” and "project” and other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside of the Company's control, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company's plans and expected timing for developing SNK01, including the expected timing of completing and announcing further results from its ongoing clinical studies; and the Company's expected timing for developing its product candidates and potential benefits of its product candidates. Risks that contribute to the uncertain nature of the forward-looking statements include: the Company's ability to execute its plans and strategies; risks related to performing clinical studies; the risk that initial and interim results of a clinical study do not necessarily predict final results and that one or more of the clinical outcomes may materially change as patient enrollment continues, following more comprehensive reviews of the data, and as more patient data become available; potential delays in the commencement, enrollment and completion of clinical studies and the reporting of data therefrom; the risk that studies will not be completed as planned; the risk that the abstract will not be published as planned including delays in timing, format, or accessibility; and NKGen's ability to raise additional funding to complete the development of its product candidates. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully under the caption "Risk Factors” and elsewhere in the Company's filings and reports, which may be accessed for free by visiting the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov and on the Company's website under the subheading "Investors-Financial and Filings”. Investors should take such risks into account and should not rely on forward-looking statements when making investment decisions. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made, except as required by law. Internal Contact: Denise Chua, MBA, CLS, MT (ASCP) SVP Corporate Affairs 949-396-6830 [email protected] External Contacts: Chris Calabrese Managing Director LifeSci Advisors, LLC [email protected] Kevin Gardner Managing Director LifeSci Advisors, LLC [email protected]December 24, 2024 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlightedthe following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked trusted source proofread by Idun Haugan, Norwegian University of Science and Technology Iceland has a long and rich literary tradition. With its 380,000 inhabitants, the country has produced many great writers, and it is said that one in two Icelanders writes books. This literary tradition stretches all the way back to the Middle Ages. "Previously, the theory was that Iceland was so dark and barren that the Icelanders had to fill their lives with storytelling and poetry to compensate for this. But Icelanders were certainly part of Europe and had a lot of contact with Britain, Germany, Denmark and Norway, among others," said Tom Lorenz, a Ph.D. research fellow at the Department of Language and Literature at NTNU. He is hunting down hidden and forgotten pieces of Iceland's Sagas' literary history and has published an article in the journal Gripla (in Icelandic). "The Icelanders were part of a common European culture, and Iceland has been a great knowledge society for a long time," he said. Royal lineage We can thank the Icelanders for our relatively good overview of the royal lineage here in Norway, right from the early Viking Age up to the death of Magnus V Erlingsson in 1184. Icelandic "skalds" were skilled and sought after, and Norwegian kings engaged skalds to ensure that their story and their feats would be told and passed on. In the Middle Ages, the Icelanders wrote down these oral traditions both in Latin and in Old Norse. Snorri Sturluson was the last and most important in a long line of saga writers who wrote down the kings' sagas in the 13th century. This is how the kings' sagas were preserved. "In addition to sagas, eddic poems, and skaldic verse, scientific literature and political treaties were also written in Iceland during the Middle Ages," Lorenz said. Valuable vellum Books and texts from this period were written on parchment , which is animal skin that has been carefully processed so it can be written on. In Iceland, only exclusive calfskin was used to make parchment. Calfskin parchment is called vellum, and it took dozens of calves to create enough vellum for one book. Vellum was a very valuable material. If a book became worn out or obsolete, the parchments were reused. Some were used to make tools, among other things, and one fragment that has been preserved was made into a miter—a type of ceremonial headgear worn by the bishop of Skálholt in Iceland. Many parchments were also reused as covers for new books. Unique to Iceland A common method for reusing old manuscript pages was to remove the original text by scraping and polishing so that the parchment could be used to create new books and manuscripts. This is called a palimpsest. "Palimpsests were common in the Middle Ages across Europe, and were particularly widespread in Iceland. Although literarily rich, Iceland was a poor country. The supply of expensive parchment was limited, while the demand was high because the Icelanders had much they wanted to communicate," said Lorenz. In Iceland, parchment was also reused for printing books after Gutenberg invented the printing press in the 15th century. "The fact that there are printed palimpsest books in Iceland and not just handwritten palimpsest parchments is unique in a European context, and this has not been studied before," Lorenz emphasized. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matter— daily or weekly . Abandoning Latin in favor of the vernacular In Iceland, as elsewhere in Europe, texts and books were written in Latin during the Middle Ages, especially liturgical texts used in ecclesiastical contexts. Latin was the predominant written language of Catholic Europe. But then came the rebellious priest Martin Luther, the man who started the great protest movement against the powerful Catholic Church. In the wake of Martin Luther and the Reformation in 1517, many northern European countries converted to Protestantism, including Iceland between 1537 and 1550. The Reformation brought an end to ecclesiastical manuscripts and books being written in Latin. The language of the common man was now to be used. Latin script was scraped off existing parchments so they could be used for new texts written in Icelandic, and these became palimpsests. Old text shines through "In documents and books made from palimpsest parchments, fragments of the old, original text can sometimes be seen beneath the new text," said Lorenz. The texts and words that have been scraped away can also be retrieved using modern techniques, such as infrared rays, but quite a lot of the old text can often be read with the naked eye. And it is in the hidden remnants of old Icelandic parchments written in Latin that Lorenz is searching for hidden and forgotten pieces of history. He examines the preserved fragments from these ancient books and also studies the different forms of parchment recycling and reuse. "My goal is to create virtual reconstructions of some of the ancient fragments that have survived to shed new light on previous eras' culture and society," said Lorenz. However, this involves finding the remnants of the palimpsests, and they are few and far between. "Hardly any Latin books from medieval Iceland have survived. Due to their rarity, recycled parchment from disassembled Latin books is one of our most important sources in the history of medieval Icelandic books," said Lorenz. Drained Iceland of medieval literature "I follow Latin traces from Icelandic manuscripts, but the Latin written material has been forgotten. Previous research has focused mostly on texts in Old Norse in Icelandic manuscripts," he said. From the 17th century onwards, Old Norse texts became important in the building of identity, national pride and power in the Nordic countries. In Denmark, the Icelander and archivist Árni Magnússon (1663–1730) was tasked with collecting medieval documents from both Iceland and the rest of the Nordic countries. At this time, Iceland was under Danish rule in the absolute monarchy of Denmark-Norway. Árni Magnússon was particularly interested in texts about Icelandic history. He scoured the market, almost draining Iceland of medieval literature, and built a large collection of handwritten books, the Arnamagnæan Collection. The collection is now part of UNESCO's Memory of the World Program. Tracking down unknown text fragments However, Árni Magnússon was most interested in books written in Old Norse, not in Latin. He used parchments from the Latin books as covers for the Old Norse books. In the early 20th century, the book covers were removed and stored separately, and few people have shown much interest in them—until now. These ancient book covers are among the parchments that Lorenz is studying in his search for hidden and forgotten fragments of history. Between 1971 and 1997, half of Árni Magnússon's book collection was returned from Denmark to Iceland, and half of the original collection of 3,000 manuscripts is now back in its country of origin. However, some medieval manuscripts are still located in archives and museums in Norway, Denmark, and also Sweden. So, Lorenz's search has taken him on a journey through the nooks and crannies of many archives. "I have identified several previously unidentified Latin fragments related to Iceland. These new discoveries contribute to greater knowledge about which theological and liturgical texts were in circulation in medieval Iceland. The texts show that medieval Icelanders followed and participated in European intellectual culture," said Lorenz. The text fragments he has found include hymns, prayers, sermons, hagiographies and church music. It started with the Vikings Lorenz is from Schleswig-Holstein in Germany, which used to be part of Denmark-Norway. He developed an interest in the Viking Age and saga literature at an early age, which led him to study Nordic languages in Kiel. He is now a Ph.D. research fellow at the Department of Language and Literature at NTNU's Center for Medieval Studies. He has also chosen to learn Norwegian Nynorsk in addition to Norwegian Bokmål. "I am fascinated by small phenomena and therefore chose to learn Nynorsk when I started my studies in Norway. It is probably also why I became fascinated and intrigued by the fragments of history that might be contained in the small, hidden and forgotten palimpsests that have remained unknown until now," said Lorenz in fluent Nynorsk. More information: Tom Lorenz, Endurvinnsla og endurnýting í íslenskum uppskafningum frá miðöldum og á árnýöld, Gripla (2024). DOI: 10.33112/gripla.35.1 Provided by Norwegian University of Science and TechnologyMost Americans, like most Canadians, probably have no idea how important Canada is to American energy security and its comparatively cheap gasoline. But they may soon find out. Should Donald Trump’s threats of 25 per cent tariffs across the board on Canadian imports include oil and natural gas, there would be a crude awakening. American consumers would invariably be hit with price hikes at the gas pumps, should Canadian oil producers be hit with 25 per cent tariffs, as about one-third of American refining capacity is configured for heavy crude, most of which comes from Alberta’s oil sands. American LNG exporters would also feel the pain, as some of the natural gas used to feed LNG terminals on the Gulf Coast comes from Alberta and B.C. via pipeline. Trump’s threat of across-the-board tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports is sending “shockwaves” through the Canadian business community, said Bridgitte Anderson, president of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade (GVBOT) at an energy and resources forum Tuesday in Vancouver. “The president-elect is threatening 25 per cent across the board on all Canadian projects,” said Lisa Baiton, president of the Canadian Petroleum Producers (CAPP). “This would be catastrophic for Canada's economy. And these kinds of events underscore the impacts of global instability and show how our resource sector, the economy and national security are all highly interdependent.” B.C. lumber exports to the U.S. are already subject to duties of about 15 per cent. Presumably, blanket tariffs on Canadian goods would add another 10 per cent. During his previous administration, Trump implemented tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, but energy exports, like oil and gas were not included. While it’s not yet clear whether the threatened tariffs would include energy exports -- oil, natural gas and electricity -- Trump did make a point of upper-casing his threat to suggest they would apply to everything. “On January 20 , as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25 per cent Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social network on November 24. The five top exports from Canada to the U.S., in order of value, are crude oil and refined petroleum products, automotive parts, natural gas, electricity, and lumber and wood products. Business groups and chambers of commerce in Canada are reacting to the threat with alarm. “A tariff of this magnitude will have significant consequences for B.C. businesses of all sizes and will negatively impact communities and workers across British Columbia,” said BC Chamber of Commerce president Fiona Famulak. “These proposed tariffs would have devastating consequences for our local businesses, further straining supply chains and diminishing the economic recovery we’ve worked so hard to achieve,” said Surrey Board of Trade spokesman Jasroop Gosal. “Some might say that the president-elect's tariff threat is meant to be provocative," Baiton said. “ I would say it's expected. And Canada needs to remember how closely integrated our market is in the U.S. “Our supply chains are highly intertwined. In 2022, Canada exported, in U.S. dollars $438 billion to the US, and a significant portion of that – or 27 per cent of that -- Canada's merchandise exports to the U.S. were energy related, including oil, gas, electricity and uranium." What’s not well understood about Canada’s role in American energy security is the configuration of American oil refineries. Many of the large refineries in the U.S. – notably in the midwest and Gulf Coast -- are built to refine heavy crude, not the lighter oil produced in the U.S. in its shale oil sector. As a result of this, 61 per cent of the crude oil imported by the U.S. comes from Canada, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Canadian heavy crude accounts for about 24 per cent of all crude oil consumption in the U.S. Depending on where oil prices are at, a 25 per cent tariff could add about $20 to the price of a barrel of oil for refiners, which would invariably result in higher prices for gasoline in the U.S. As for natural gas, in 2022, 99 per cent of American imports of natural gas were from Canada, according to the EIA, most of it from Alberta and B.C. The U.S. imported 3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in 2022. Some of the natural gas now exported to the U.S. from Alberta and B.C. now feed LNG projects on the Gulf Coast, which would be affected by higher natural gas prices, as a result of tariffs. “Imposing tariffs on products like energy would cause chaos for our very integrated markets and our very integrated supply chains, and would have a devastating effect on Canada," Baiton said. "So whether that tariff threat comes to fruition or not, Canada is at a very real point of inflection.”

Amanda Hernández | (TNS) Stateline.org CHICAGO — Shoplifting rates in the three largest U.S. cities — New York, Los Angeles and Chicago — remain higher than they were before the pandemic, according to a report last month from the nonpartisan research group Council on Criminal Justice. Related Articles National News | Nicotine pouches are selling fast — and falling into minors’ hands National News | NORAD’s Santa tracker was a Cold War morale boost. Now it attracts millions of kids National News | Heavy travel day off to a rough start after American Airlines briefly grounds all flights National News | Prosecutors withdraw appeal of dismissed case against Alec Baldwin in fatal movie set shooting National News | Bill Clinton is hospitalized with a fever but in good spirits, spokesperson says The sharp rise in retail theft in recent years has made shoplifting a hot-button issue, especially for politicians looking to address public safety concerns in their communities. Since 2020, when viral videos of smash-and-grab robberies flooded social media during the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans have expressed fears that crime is out of control. Polls show that perceptions have improved recently, but a majority of Americans still say crime is worse than in previous years. “There is this sense of brazenness that people have — they can just walk in and steal stuff. ... That hurts the consumer, and it hurts the company,” said Alex Piquero, a criminology professor at the University of Miami and former director of the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, in an interview. “That’s just the world we live in,” he said. “We need to get people to realize that you have to obey the law.” At least eight states — Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, New York and Vermont — passed a total of 14 bills in 2024 aimed at tackling retail theft, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The measures range from redefining retail crimes and adjusting penalties to allowing cross-county aggregation of theft charges and protecting retail workers. Major retailers have responded to rising theft since 2020 by locking up merchandise, upgrading security cameras, hiring private security firms and even closing stores. Still, the report indicates that shoplifting remains a stubborn problem. In Chicago, the rate of reported shoplifting incidents remained below pre-pandemic levels throughout 2023 — but surged by 46% from January to October 2024 compared with the same period a year ago. Shoplifting in Los Angeles was 87% higher in 2023 than in 2019. Police reports of shoplifting from January to October 2024 were lower than in 2023. Los Angeles adopted a new crime reporting system in March 2024, which has likely led to an undercount, according to the report. In New York, shoplifting rose 48% from 2021 to 2022, then dipped slightly last year. Still, the shoplifting rate was 55% higher in 2023 than in 2019. This year, the shoplifting rate increased by 3% from January to September compared with the same period last year. While shoplifting rates tend to rise in November and December, which coincides with in-person holiday shopping, data from the Council on Criminal Justice’s sample of 23 U.S. cities shows higher rates in the first half of 2024 compared with 2023. Researchers found it surprising that rates went up despite retailers doing more to fight shoplifting. Experts say the spike might reflect improved reporting efforts rather than a spike in theft. “As retailers have been paying more attention to shoplifting, we would not expect the numbers to increase,” said Ernesto Lopez, the report’s author and a senior research specialist with the council. “It makes it a challenge to understand the trends of shoplifting.” Impact on retailers, communities In downtown Chicago on a recent early afternoon, potential shoppers shuffled through the streets and nearby malls, browsing for gifts ahead of the holidays. Edward Johnson, a guard at The Shops at North Bridge, said that malls have become quieter in the dozen or so years he has worked in mall security, with the rise of online retailers. As for shoplifters, Johnson said there isn’t a single type of person to look out for — they can come from any background. “I think good-hearted people see something they can’t afford and figure nothing is lost if they take something from the store,” Johnson said as he patrolled the mall, keeping an eye out for lost or suspicious items. Between 2018 and 2023, most shoplifting in Chicago was reported in the downtown area, as well as in the Old Town, River North and Lincoln Park neighborhoods, according to a separate analysis by the Council on Criminal Justice. Newly sworn-in Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke this month lowered the threshold for charging retail theft as a felony in the county, which includes Chicago, from $1,000 to $300, aligning it with state law. “It sends a signal that she’s taking it seriously,” Rob Karr, the president and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, told Stateline. Nationally, retailers are worried about organized theft. The National Retail Federation’s latest report attributed 36% of the $112.1 billion in lost merchandise in 2022 to “external theft,” which includes organized retail crime. Organized retail crime typically involves coordinated efforts by groups to steal items with the intent to resell them for a profit. Commonly targeted goods include high-demand items such as baby formula, laundry detergent and electronics. The same report found that retailers’ fear of violence associated with theft also is on the rise, with more retailers taking a “hands-off approach.” More than 41% of respondents to the organization’s 2023 survey, up from 38% in 2022, reported that no employee is authorized to try and stop a shoplifter. (The federation’s reporting has come under criticism. It retracted a claim last year that attributed nearly half of lost merchandise in 2021 to organized retail crime; such theft accounted for only about 5%. The group announced this fall it will no longer publish its reports on lost merchandise.) Increased penalties Policy experts say shoplifting and organized retail theft can significantly harm critical industries, drive up costs for consumers and reduce sales tax revenue for states. Those worries have driven recent state-level action to boost penalties for shoplifting. California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of 10 bills into law in August aimed at addressing retail theft. These measures make repeated theft convictions a felony, allow aggregation of crimes across multiple counties to be charged as a single felony, and permit police to arrest suspects for retail theft even if the crime wasn’t witnessed directly by an officer. In September, Newsom signed an additional bill that imposes steeper felony penalties for large-scale theft offenses. California voters also overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure in November that increases penalties for specific drug-related and theft crimes. Under the new law, people who are convicted of theft at least twice may face felony charges on their third offense, regardless of the stolen item’s value. “With these changes in the law, really it comes down to making sure that law enforcement is showing up to our stores in a timely manner, and that the prosecutors and the [district attorneys] are prosecuting,” Rachel Michelin, the president and CEO of the California Retailers Association, told Stateline. “That’s the only way we’re going to deter retail theft in our communities.” In New Jersey, a bipartisan bill making its way through the legislature would increase penalties for leading a shoplifting ring and allow extended sentences for repeat offenders. “This bill is going after a formally organized band of criminals that deliver such destruction to a critical business in our community. We have to act. We have to create a deterrence,” Democratic Assemblymember Joseph Danielsen, one of the bill’s prime sponsors, said in an interview with Stateline. The legislation would allow extended sentences for people convicted of shoplifting three times within 10 years or within 10 years of their release from prison, and would increase penalties to 10 to 20 years in prison for leading a retail crime ring. The bill also would allow law enforcement to aggregate the value of stolen goods over the course of a year to charge serial shoplifters with more serious offenses. Additionally, the bill would increase penalties for assaults committed against retail workers, and would require retailers to train employees on detecting gift card scams. Maryland legislators considered a similar bill during this year’s legislative session that would have defined organized retail theft and made it a felony. The bill didn’t make it out of committee, but Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Retailers Alliance, said the group plans to propose a bill during next year’s legislative session that would target gift card fraud. Retail theft data Better, more thorough reporting from retailers is essential to truly understanding shoplifting trends and its full impact, in part because some retail-related crimes, such as gift card fraud, are frequently underreported, according to Lopez, of the Council on Criminal Justice. Measuring crime across jurisdictions is notoriously difficult , and the council does not track organized retail theft specifically because law enforcement typically doesn’t identify it as such at the time of arrest — if an arrest even occurs — requiring further investigation, Lopez said. The council’s latest report found conflicting trends in the FBI’s national crime reporting systems. The FBI’s older system, the Summary Reporting System, known as SRS, suggests that reported shoplifting hadn’t gone up through 2023, remaining on par with 2019 levels. In contrast, the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System, or NIBRS, shows a 93% increase in shoplifting over the same period. The discrepancy may stem from the type of law enforcement agencies that have adopted the latter system, Lopez said. Some of those communities may have higher levels of shoplifting or other types of property crime, which could be what is driving the spike, Lopez said. Despite the discrepancies and varying levels of shoplifting across the country, Lopez said, it’s important for retailers to report these incidents, as doing so could help allocate law enforcement resources more effectively. “All law enforcement agencies have limited resources, and having the most accurate information allows for not just better policy, but also better implementation — better use of strategic resources,” Lopez said. Stateline staff writer Robbie Sequeira contributed to this report. ©2024 States Newsroom. Visit at stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Phoenix Mercury star Natasha Cloud Takes A Dig At Business Tycoon Elon Musk After The Funding Bill Gets PassedSTATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Jaylen Reed’s hands were still dirty and his face smeared with eye black as he took a seat in the Beaver Stadium media room. The hard-nosed veteran of nearly 50 college football games looked weary after Penn State pounded Maryland on Saturday, but lit up as he watched media members gather around teammate Audavion Collins next to him. The sophomore was excitedly describing his first career interception. Reed grinned, his pride was evident. One of Penn State’s captains, Reed loves when underclassmen earn playing time. He knows, especially on defense, the No. 3 Nittany Lions (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten, No. 4 CFP) will likely rely on them to make a run at their first national championship since 1986. “Having that type of depth, having that type of guy that can step up and play the game every week, that’s something that’s going to help us down the stretch,” Reed said. “Having depth at all positions, I feel like that’s the main thing and I feel like we have huge depth.” Reed knows Collins is far from the only reserve player who has been effective for Tom Allen’s defense this season. Heading into Saturday’s Big Ten championship game against No. 1 Oregon in Indianapolis, Penn State has used 39 players on a defense that ranks seventh nationally against the run and pass. Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions are fourth overall in total defense (266.8 yards) and sixth in scoring defense (14 points) entering the showdown with the Ducks' 15th-ranked offense with a College Football Playoff first-round bye at stake. It’s not just the starting 11 getting it done. Since mid-October, Penn State has regularly rotated at least nine defensive linemen, six linebackers and nine defensive backs early and midway through games. As a result, seven players have snagged their first interceptions this season, while five others have recorded their first sacks. “We believe in everybody coming in behind us,” linebacker Tony Rojas said. “Our defense, we know what we’re capable of and I feel like our defense is top tier, if not the best.” It technically hasn’t been at full strength since Week 2 of the season. Then, star safety KJ Winston was lost to an unspecified long-term injury. He tried to play at Wisconsin on Oct. 26, but hasn’t seen action since. In the meantime, Winston’s absence has allowed Allen and head coach James Franklin to get a good look at Collins and other young backend players like Eliot Washington, Zion Tracy and Dejuan Lane. Tracy and Lane have seen their snap counts go up since November, and both have interceptions since. The Nittany Lions haven’t been immune to injuries up front, either. Star end Dani Dennis-Sutton was limited midway through the season by an unspecified ailment. Before last weekend’s game against Maryland, Penn State listed defensive tackles Alonzo Ford and Kaleb Artis and defensive end Zuriah Fisher out with injuries. While not near 100% healthy, Dennis-Sutton continued to suit up, but yielded reps to Amin Vanover and Smith Vilbert. Vanover and Vilbert are seniors who were slowed over the years by injuries but have stuck around, and are now shoring up the team’s depth. “I think getting Dani back healthy, that’s been important,” Franklin said. “I think this was his first game back where he was really healthy, Abdul (Carter) the second half of the season, has gotten very comfortable playing defensive end. We’ve been able to rotate and get production out of guys like Amin as well, so I think all those things have been really important.” So is the fact that Penn State’s defense has continued to close out games. The Nittany Lions have allowed just 445 yards on 125 third-quarter plays this season. Meanwhile, they’ve outscored opponents 192-55 in the second half and overtime and held 19 of their last 22 Big Ten opponents to fewer that 100 rushing yards. Like Reed, senior Dvon J-Thomas spent much of the second half against Maryland cheering on his freshman teammates. Notably, tackle Ty Blanding who had his first career tackle for loss in his first defensive series. “I’ve seen a tremendous leap in their attention to detail,” J-Thomas said. “There’s not a lot of moments or times in your career where you’ll have an opportunity like this and I think they realize that." Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football