EU rules requiring all new smartphones, tablets and cameras to use the same charger came into force on Saturday, in a change Brussels said will cut costs and waste. Manufacturers are now obliged to fit devices sold in the 27-nation bloc with a USB-C, the port chosen by the European Union as the common standard for charging electronic tools. "Starting today, all new mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, speakers, keyboards and many other electronics sold in the EU will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C charging port," the EU Parliament wrote on social media X. The EU has said the single charger rule will simplify the life of Europeans and slash costs for consumers. By allowing consumers to purchase a new device without a new charger, it will also reduce the mountain of obsolete chargers, the bloc has argued. The law was first approved in 2022 following a tussle with US tech giant Apple. It allowed companies until December 28 this year to adapt. Makers of laptops will have extra time, from early 2026, to also follow suit. Most devices already use these cables, but Apple was more than a little reluctant. The firm said in 2021 that such regulation "stifles innovation", but by September last year it had begun shipping phones with the new port. Makers of electronic consumer items in Europe had agreed on a single charging norm from dozens on the market a decade ago under a voluntary agreement with the European Commission. But Apple, the world's biggest seller of smartphones, refused to abide by it and ditch its Lightning ports. Other manufacturers kept their alternative cables going, meaning there were about half a dozen types knocking around, creating a jumble of cables for consumers. USB-C ports can charge at up to 100 Watts, transfer data up to 40 gigabits per second, and can serve to hook up to external displays. At the time of its approval, the commission said the law was expected to save at least 200 million euros ($208 million) per year and cut more than a thousand tonnes of EU electronic waste every year. "It's time for THE charger," the European Commission wrote on X on Saturday. "It means better-charging technology, reduced e-waste, and less fuss to find the chargers you need." ub/givAre You Safe? 15 Ways To Prevent A Hacker Attack TodayPenn State University Police and Public Safety is no longer investigating the incident that saw former NFL star Jason Kelce smash a phone when he was on campus for a Nov. 2 football game between the Nittany Lions and Ohio State. "The individual in the video footage circulating on social media has not been identified, and no one has come forward to University Police with a related complaint about damage to personal property," a spokesperson said Tuesday in a statement, per Jenna West of The Athletic. West noted the Penn State University Police and Public Safety daily crime log said the department initially opened an investigation when an officer "observed a visitor damaging personal property." Video captured someone using an anti-gay slur when discussing the relationship between Jason's brother, Travis, and music superstar Taylor Swift. Kelce then responded by repeating the slur and smashing a phone (Videos contain offensive language) . The former Philadelphia Eagles center and current ESPN commentator then publicly addressed the situation and said he was "not proud" of his response. "I think everybody's seen on social media everything that took place this week," Kelce said during ESPN's Monday Night Countdown on Nov. 4. "Listen, I'm not happy with anything that took place. I'm not proud of it. In a heated moment, I chose to greet hate with hate. I just don't think that's a productive thing. I really don't. I don't think it leads to discourse and is the right way to go about things. "At that moment, I fell down to a level that I shouldn't have. The bottom line is, I try to live my life by the golden rule, that's what I've always been taught. I try to treat people with common decency and respect, and I'm going to keep doing that moving forward. Even though I fell short this week. I'm going to do that moving forward and continue to do that." Kelce was in attendance at the game because he was included in a segment for ESPN's on-location pregame College GameDay show.
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Manmohan Singh, the stoic reformer who reshaped India's economic landscape, passed away at 92. A scholar first, Singh became India's 14th Prime Minister, leading the nation from 2004 to 2014. Known for steering India through economic challenges, his influence on policy remains indelible. Singh's tenure introduced transformative initiatives like the Right to Information and the Right to Education. Despite facing criticism for scandals during his administration, his efforts in liberalizing India's economy in the 1990s are globally recognized. His leadership style was characterized by quiet determination and a focus on consensus-building. Born in 1932 in the undivided Punjab, Singh's journey from academic to politician was emblematic of his tenacity. As Finance Minister, he spearheaded India's economic reform, famously securing the nation's gold during a financial crisis. His legacy in governance remains a benchmark for economic development in India. (With inputs from agencies.)
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International Isotopes CFO acquires $3,000 in common stockDuring an appearance on MSNBC on Saturday afternoon, former GOP communications director Tara Setmayer pounced on Donald Trump for lying his way back into the White House. Speaking with host Alex Witt, the two watched clips of Donald Trump repeatedly claiming he knew nothing about the controversial Project 2025, or anyone associated with it, before the election, only to have turned around and stocked his incoming administration with a bevy of conservatives with deep ties to it. After the MSNBC host ticked off several of the more prominent Project 2025 associates who have been nominated for high-profile Cabinet positions, she asked her guest, "What does this tell you, though? His choices – what does it indicate?" ALSO READ: The America-attacking Trump... Tom BoggioniBraid: Trudeau saves Christmas from the tax Grinch, but can he save himself?
SANTA CLARA — As the 49ers’ season comes to a close amid an avalanche of missed games, Dominick Puni remembers the one that got away. The one snap, that is. It happened with 9:28 to play in the first quarter of an eventual 30-13 win over the New England Patriots in Week 4. Puni took a blow to the stomach on a 1-yard run by Jordan Mason. “I had one snap where I got the wind knocked out of me and they told me to stay down so I missed one snap this year,” Puni said Saturday as the 49ers (6-9) concluded preparations to host the Detroit Lions (13-2). Puni, a rookie third-round draft pick out of Kansas, will be in his usual spot as the starting right guard Monday night as the 49ers close out their home schedule. Jake Brendel will be the center. The rest of the offensive line will be determined at some point before kickoff. Spencer Burford, the third 49ers’ left tackle, was declared out with a calf injury, along with left guard Aaron Banks (knee), linebacker Dre Greenlaw (calf) and defensive end Robert Beal Jr. (ankle). Right tackle Colton McKivitz is listed as questionable but didn’t practice all week with a knee injury. Also questionable were safety Ji’Ayir Brown (ankle), linebacker Tatum Bethune (knee) and cornerback Charvarius Ward (personal matter). Banks is expected to be the 14th player to go on injured reserve, although Bethune is eligible to be activated from I.R. If McKivitz doesn’t play, the 49ers starting line could consist, from left to right, of newcomer Charlie Heck at left tackle, Nick Zakelj at left guard, Brendel at center, Puni at right guard and Austen Pleasants, a recent practice squad promotion who signed on Dec. 17, at right tackle. Coach Kyle Shanahan characterized the challenge of playing mix-and-match this way: “You try to keep it simple for them, try to categorize stuff in groups, and the guys next to them just, they try to communicate as much as possible and you try to help him out,” Shanahan said. Puni, who has established himself as a foundation piece going forward, finds himself possibly being in the unusual position of dispensing advice and wisdom at age 24. “With these tackles, whoever is going to play next to you, you’ve got to tell them some things,” Puni said. “If you just get here you’re not going to know all the tricks of the offense. Other than that, I’m just going try and control my one-eleventh and do my job. It is exciting though.” Puni’s 938 snaps are the most on the team — two more than McKivitz and three more than Brendel. Remarkable when you consider Puni had to nearly avert his eyes during some recent film study of his own practices and game tape when he first arrived as the 86th overall pick of the draft. “I went back to rookie minicamp, the fall camp, the first three training camp practices, just to see how bad I was when I first got here compared to now,” Puni said. “It’s like a night and day difference. When you get here, you don’t know the offense, you don’t know the technique. Yet by the third training camp practice, Puni (6-foot-5, 315 pounds) was the starter. He’s never relinquished the position and health permitting isn’t likely to be out of the lineup for years. “I got a lot of reps with the (first team) and that’s the only reason I was able to do so well early in the year,” Puni said. Puni credits linemates such as McKivitz, Brendel, Banks, Burford and Trent Williams as well as line coach Chris Foerster for helping to bring him along, but it’s clear he’s been a quick learner who wears durability as a badge of honor. While the outside world fixates on who should and shouldn’t play regardless of injury on teams out of the playoffs, Puni’s outlook is appealingly old school. “You don’t ever want to miss a snap,” Puni said. “If you can be out there, you’ve got to play. The last thing I want to do is bring a backup guy in who has been sitting on the sidelines and now he’s got to go in and I don’t think that’s fair. If I can play, I’m going to play.” GUERENDO GOOD TO GO Running back Isaac Guerendo (foot, hamstring) was a full participant in practice and wasn’t given a status after missing the Miami game, meaning the 49ers should get another look at their fourth-round draft pick as a lead back. “It was good to have him back,” Shanahan said. “We had a full speed practice (Friday) and he looked good. So no holdbacks. He’s good to go.” Also good to go is fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who missed the two previous days with an illness. Ward, who lost his 23-month old daughter in October, is awaiting the birth of his son and currently away from the team. KITTLE ON CAMPBELL It’s not difficult to look at 49ers tight end George Kittle and hard-nosed Detroit coach Dan Campbell as kindred spirits. Kittle likes what he’s seen of Campbell from afar. “When you have a head coach who played, and the way he played was gritty and kind of nasty but beloved by all his teammates, it’s easy to play for a guy like that,” Kittle said. “He seems like a really easy guy to play for, makes them grind and earn every second, but you want people like that who hold you to a standard. It’s awesome to see the Lions have gotten to that. but it’s our job to take them down a little bit.” WATTERS, BOLDIN MISS HOF CUT Former 49ers running back Ricky Watters (1991-94) and wide receiver Anquan Boldin (2013-15) did not make the cut to the round of 15 to be considered for induction for the Class of 2025 in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Shanahan spent a lot of time around the 49ers when his father was offensive coordinator and Watters turned into a game-changer in both the pass game and run game. “I was only in middle school, so I can’t act like I really knew strategically what was going on,” Shanahan said. “But he was a really cool player. I loved talking to him and hanging out with him up in Rocklin at training camp.” Mike Holmgren, a San Francisco native who was a 49ers assistant from 1986 to 1991 as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, is a coach finalist. — Staff writer Cam Inman contributed to this report
Brooks Nader is bra-free in a flirty top as she pumps gas and buys potato chips after reuniting with GlebFounder of failed crypto lending platform Celsius Network pleads guilty to fraud charges NEW YORK (AP) — The founder and former CEO of the failed cryptocurrency lending platform Celsius Network has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges, admitting that he misled customers about the business. Alexander Mashinsky entered the plea Tuesday in Manhattan federal court to commodities and securities fraud. He admitted illegally manipulating the price of Celsius’ proprietary crypto token while secretly selling his own tokens at inflated prices. A plea agreement Mashinsky reached with prosecutors calls for him to be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison. Sentencing was scheduled for April 8. Celsius filed for bankruptcy in 2022. A judge has once again rejected Musk's multi-billion-dollar Tesla pay package. Now what? DETROIT (AP) — For a second time, a Delaware judge has nullified a pay package that Tesla had awarded its CEO, Elon Musk, that once was valued at $56 billion. On Monday, Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick turned aside a request from Musk’s lawyers to reverse a ruling she announced in January that had thrown out the compensation plan. The judge ruled then that Musk effectively controlled Tesla’s board and had engineered the outsize pay package during sham negotiations. Lawyers for a Tesla shareholder who sued to block the pay package contended that shareholders who had voted for the 10-year plan in 2018 had been given misleading and incomplete information. US job openings rose last month, though hiring slowed, in mixed picture for labor market WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of job postings in the United States rebounded in October from a 3 1/2 year low in September, a sign that businesses are still seeking workers even though hiring has cooled. Openings rose 5% to 7.7 million from 7.4 million in September. The increase suggests that job gains could pick up in the coming months. Still, the latest figure is down significantly from 8.7 million job postings a year ago. Last month, job openings rose sharply in professional and business services, a category that includes engineers, managers, and accountants, as well as in the restaurant and hotel and information technology industries. Trump vows to block Japanese steelmaker from buying US Steel, pledges tax incentives and tariffs HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is underscoring his intention to block the purchase of U.S. Steel by Japanese steelmaker Nippon Steel Corp., and he’s pledging to use tax incentives and tariffs to strengthen the iconic American steelmaker. Trump said during the campaign that he would “instantaneously” block the deal, and he reiterated that sentiment in a Monday night statement. President Joe Biden also opposes Nippon Steel’s purchase of Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel. A secretive U.S. committee is reviewing the transaction for national security concerns, and federal law gives the president the power to block the transaction. Nippon Steel is pledging to invest in U.S. Steel’s factories and strengthen the American steel industry. Stock market today: Wall Street inches higher to set more records NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks tiptoed to more records after a quiet day of trading. The S&P 500 edged up by 2 points, or less than 0.1%, on Tuesday to set an all-time high for the 55th time this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite added 0.4% to its own record set a day earlier. Treasury yields held relatively steady after a report showed U.S. employers were advertising slightly more job openings at the end of October than a month earlier. The South Korean won sank against the dollar after its president declared martial law and then later said he’ll lift it. China bans exports to US of gallium, germanium, antimony in response to chip sanctions BANGKOK (AP) — China has announced a ban on exports to the United States of gallium, germanium and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications. The Chinese Commerce Ministry announced the move after the Washington expanded its list of Chinese companies subject to export controls on computer chip-making equipment, software and high-bandwidth memory chips. Such chips are needed for advanced applications. Beijing earlier had required exporters to apply for licenses to send strategically important materials such as gallium, germanium and antimony to the U.S. The 140 companies newly included in the U.S. so-called “entity list” subject to export controls are nearly all based in China. Small business owners brace for Trump's proposed tariffs Small businesses are bracing for stiff tariffs that President-elect Donald Trump has proposed as one of his first actions when he takes office. Trump has proposed importers pay a 25% tax on products entering the country from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10% tariff on goods from China, as one of his first executive orders. This means small businesses may end up paying more for goods and services. Small business owners say they’re waiting to see what final form the tariffs take, but are bracing for higher costs that they may in turn need to pass on to consumers. A top Fed official leans toward December rate cut but says it depends on economic data WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Federal Reserve official says he is leaning toward supporting an interest rate cut when the Fed meets in two weeks but that evidence of persistent inflation before then could cause him to change that view. Speaking at George Washington University, Christopher Waller, a key member of the Fed’s Board of Governors, said he was confident that inflation is headed lower and that the central bank will likely keep reducing its key rate, which affects many consumer and business loans. But he noted that there’s a risk that inflation “may be getting stuck above” the Fed’s 2% target, which would support an argument for keeping the Fed’s rate unchanged this month. US closes investigation into E. coli outbreak linked to onions in McDonald's Quarter Pounders The federal government has closed its investigation into an E. coli outbreak tied to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers after determining there is no longer a safety risk. The outbreak began in late October and sickened at least 104 people in 14 states, including 34 who were hospitalized, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. One person in Colorado died and four people developed a potentially life-threatening kidney disease complication. The FDA linked the outbreak to yellow onions distributed by California-based Taylor Farms and served raw on Quarter Pounders at McDonald’s restaurants in Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming and other states. McDonald’s briefly pulled Quarter Pounders from one-fifth of its U.S. restaurants. Melinda French Gates plans to match $1M in GivingTuesday gifts to groups that support women NEW YORK (AP) — Melinda French Gates is offering to match up to $1 million in gifts to two nonprofit organizations to help spur donations on GivingTuesday. The Tuesday after Thanksgiving, GivingTuesday has become a major annual fundraising day for nonprofits. Through her organization Pivotal Ventures, French Gates will match up to $500,000 in donations to the Vote Mama Foundation and the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers. In an interview with The Associated Press, she said, “It’s a great time to remind people that we’re better off when we give something back and we all have something to give back."
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