NASHVILLE, Tenn. , Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Brookdale Senior Living Inc. BKD ("Brookdale" or the "Company") announced today that the Company has recently completed a successful advance refinancing of more than $300 million of the Company's 2027 debt maturities while further increasing its liquidity. On December 20, 2024 , Brookdale obtained a $344.2 million loan under its Master Credit Facility Agreement, dated as of August 31, 2017 . The financing with JLL Real Estate Capital, LLC ("JLL") was obtained pursuant to Fannie Mae's DUS Program and proceeds were used to repay $312.5 million of variable rate debt due September 2027 . The principal amount of the new debt is secured by non-recourse first priority mortgages on 47 communities, which also secure approximately $435 million of additional outstanding mortgages (including the financing which the Company completed and announced in December 2023 ). The new loan bears interest at a fixed rate of 6.14%, is interest only for the first two years, and matures in January 2032 . At the closing, the Company repaid $312.5 million of outstanding mortgage debt under the facility which carried a variable rate of 7.20% at the time of repayment. "Demonstrating ongoing proactive management of our balance sheet, we once again completed a beneficial financing transaction to address a future debt maturity at a favorable rate," said Dawn Kussow , Brookdale's Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. "We are pleased to benefit from the advanced refinancing on this facility, and we are grateful to Fannie Mae and JLL for their ongoing partnership." ABOUT BROOKDALE SENIOR LIVING Brookdale Senior Living Inc. is the nation's premier operator of senior living communities. The Company is committed to its mission of enriching the lives of the people it serves with compassion, respect, excellence, and integrity. The Company, through its affiliates, operates independent living, assisted living, memory care, and continuing care retirement communities. Through its comprehensive network, Brookdale helps to provide seniors with care, connection, and services in an environment that feels like home. The Company's expertise in healthcare, hospitality, and real estate provides residents with opportunities to improve wellness, pursue passions, make new friends, and stay connected with loved ones. Brookdale, through its affiliates, operates and manages 648 communities in 41 states as of September 30, 2024, with the ability to serve approximately 58,000 residents. Brookdale's stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BKD. For more information, visit brookdale.com or connect with Brookdale on Facebook or YouTube . SAFE HARBOR Certain statements in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties and include all statements that are not historical statements of fact and those regarding the Company's intent, belief, or expectations. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "could," "would," "potential," "intend," "expect," "endeavor," "seek," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "project," "predict," "continue," "plan," "target," or other similar words or expressions, and include statements regarding the Company's expected financial and operational results. These forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and expectations, and the Company's ability to predict results or the actual effect of future plans or strategies is inherently uncertain. Although the Company believes that expectations reflected in any forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its assumptions or expectations will be attained and actual results and performance could differ materially from those projected. Factors which could have a material adverse effect on the Company's operations and future prospects or which could cause events or circumstances to differ from the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, events which adversely affect the ability of seniors to afford resident fees, including downturns in the economy, housing market, consumer confidence, or the equity markets and unemployment among resident family members; changes in reimbursement rates, methods, or timing under governmental reimbursement programs including the Medicare and Medicaid programs; the effects of senior housing construction and development, lower industry occupancy, and increased competition; conditions of housing markets, regulatory changes, acts of nature, and the effects of climate change in geographic areas where the Company is concentrated; terminations of the Company's resident agreements and vacancies in the living spaces it leases; failure to maintain the security and functionality of the Company's information systems, to prevent a cybersecurity attack or breach, or to comply with applicable privacy and consumer protection laws, including HIPAA; the Company's ability to complete its capital expenditures in accordance with its plans; the Company's ability to identify and pursue development, investment, and acquisition opportunities and its ability to successfully integrate acquisitions; competition for the acquisition of assets; the Company's ability to complete pending or expected disposition, acquisition, or other transactions on agreed upon terms or at all, including in respect of the satisfaction of closing conditions, the risk that regulatory approvals are not obtained or are subject to unanticipated conditions, and uncertainties as to the timing of closing, and the Company's ability to identify and pursue any such opportunities in the future; risks related to the implementation of the Company's strategy, including initiatives undertaken to execute on the Company's strategic priorities and their effect on its results; the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including on the nation's economy and debt and equity markets and the local economies in our markets, and on us and our business, results of operations, cash flow, revenue, expenses, liquidity, and our strategic initiatives, including plans for future growth, which will depend on many factors, some of which cannot be foreseen, including the pace and consistency of recovery from the pandemic and any resurgence or variants of the disease; limits on the Company's ability to use net operating loss carryovers to reduce future tax payments; delays in obtaining regulatory approvals; disruptions in the financial markets or decreases in the appraised values or performance of the Company's communities that affect the Company's ability to obtain financing or extend or refinance debt as it matures and the Company's financing costs; the Company's ability to generate sufficient cash flow to cover required interest, principal, and long-term lease payments and to fund its planned capital projects; the effect of any non-compliance with any of the Company's debt or lease agreements (including the financial or other covenants contained therein), including the risk of lenders or lessors declaring a cross default in the event of the Company's non-compliance with any such agreements and the risk of loss of the Company's property securing leases and indebtedness due to any resulting lease terminations and foreclosure actions; the inability to renew, restructure, or extend leases, or exercise purchase options at or prior to the end of any existing lease term; the effect of the Company's indebtedness and long-term leases on the Company's liquidity and its ability to operate its business; increases in market interest rates that increase the costs of the Company's debt obligations; the Company's ability to obtain additional capital on terms acceptable to it; departures of key officers and potential disruption caused by changes in management; increased competition for, or a shortage of, associates (including due to general labor market conditions), wage pressures resulting from increased competition, low unemployment levels, minimum wage increases and changes in overtime laws, and union activity; environmental contamination at any of the Company's communities; failure to comply with existing environmental laws; an adverse determination or resolution of complaints filed against the Company, including putative class action complaints, and the frequency and magnitude of legal actions and liability claims that may arise due to COVID-19 or the Company's response efforts; negative publicity with respect to any lawsuits, claims, or other legal or regulatory proceedings; costs to respond to, and adverse determinations resulting from, government inquiries, reviews, audits, and investigations; the cost and difficulty of complying with increasing and evolving regulation, including new disclosure obligations; changes in, or its failure to comply with, employment-related laws and regulations; the risks associated with current global economic conditions and general economic factors on the Company and the Company's business partners such as inflation, commodity costs, fuel and other energy costs, competition in the labor market, costs of salaries, wages, benefits, and insurance, interest rates, tax rates, geopolitical tensions or conflicts, and uncertainty surrounding federal elections; the impact of seasonal contagious illness or an outbreak of COVID-19 or other contagious disease in the markets in which the Company operates; actions of activist stockholders, including a proxy contest; as well as other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those set forth in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. When considering forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in such SEC filings. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements, which reflect management's views as of the date of this press release. The Company cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements, and, except as required by law, it expressly disclaims any obligation to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained in this press release to reflect any change in the Company's expectations with regard thereto or change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any statement is based. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/brookdale-announces-beneficial-refinancing-transaction-to-address-a-significant-portion-of-2027-debt-maturities-at-a-favorable-rate-302338624.html SOURCE Brookdale Senior Living Inc. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
$1 million per homer? $27,000 a point? $229 per second? Sports is loaded with money oddities If Juan Soto replicates his 2024 performance throughout his $765 million, 15-year deal with the Mets, he'll make roughly $1.2 million for every home run he hits. He's hardly the only superstar athlete earning outrageous sums for each of his accomplishments. Some NFL quarterbacks make more than $3 million per game. Stephen Curry could make roughly $161,000 per 3-pointer. This past regular season, Lionel Messi earned $229 for every second he was on the field with Inter Miami. Is the College Football Playoff bracket fair? Here are some tweaks that would have changed things The committee that chose the 12 contenders for college football’s national title was only worried about ranking the teams. Where those teams landed in the bracket was based on a formula created by conference commissioners. That jumbled up the pairings and made a strong case for tinkering in the future. Some possible tweaks, like reseeding after the first round or not giving conference champions automatic byes, would have resulted in a vastly different tournament this year, Belichick says he's had 'good conversations' with UNC chancellor amid Tar Heels' coaching search Former New England Patriots coach and six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick says he had “a couple of good conversations” with North Carolina Chancellor Lee Roberts amid his discussions about the Tar Heels’ head-coaching job. Belichick appeared on ESPN's “The Pat McAfee Show" on Monday. He said he had spent the 11 months since his departure from the Patriots taking a “longer look” at the college level. He said he had learned a lot and had “a couple of good conversations" with Roberts. UNC fired the program's all-time winningest coach in Mack Brown last month. Cowboys set to host Bengals under open roof after falling debris thwarted that plan against Texans ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The roof at the home of the Dallas Cowboys has opened without incident and will stay that way for a Monday night meeting with the Cincinnati Bengals. It will be the first game with the roof open at AT&T Stadium since Oct. 30, 2022. The roof was supposed to be open three weeks ago for Houston’s 34-10 victory on another Monday night. A large piece of metal and other debris fell roughly 300 feet to the field as the retractable roof was opening. The roof was then closed for that game. Tennessee grabs No. 1 in AP Top 25 after shakeup; No. 3 Iowa State has highest ranking since 1950s Tennessee is the new No. 1 in men's college basketball after a massive shakeup in the AP Top 25. The Vols are No. 1 for the first time since the 2018-19 season. Auburn remained No. 2 and No. 3 Iowa State has its highest ranking since 1956-57. Kentucky rounds out the top five. Tennessee is off to its best start since opening the 2000-01 season 9-0. Georgia QB Carson Beck's status for Sugar Bowl uncertain as he considers treatment options on elbow ATLANTA (AP) — Quarterback Carson Beck’s status for No. 2 Georgia’s Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal is uncertain after he suffered an elbow injury in Saturday’s Southeastern Conference championship game win over Texas. Georgia announced Monday there is no timetable on Beck’s return as he and his family explore treatment options. Georgia coach Kirby Smart said Sunday the team was awaiting results of tests. The school did not announce details of the injury. Punter Brett Thorson will need season-ending surgery after injuring his non-kicking leg. Backup Gunner Stockton likely would start in the Sugar Bowl if Beck is unable to play. Another final-second victory puts the Chiefs in prime spot to secure AFC's No. 1 seed: Analysis A thunderous doink helped the Kansas City Chiefs gain some breathing room in the race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC after the Buffalo Bills fell short despite Josh Allen’s spectacular performance. The fight for the top spot in the NFC stayed close as the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles kept pace with the Detroit Lions. Four weeks remain in the NFL regular season to determine the playoff picture. There’s a clear leader in the fight for the AFC’s bye. The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs are 12-1 and in excellent position to secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs after a 19-17 win with a last-second field goal over the Los Angeles Chargers. No. 19 Tennessee back in women's AP Top 25 after year out of poll; UCLA, UConn remain 1-2 Tennessee is back in the AP Top 25 at No. 19, ending the school’s longest drought in the 48-year history of the women’s basketball poll. The Lady Vols (7-0) had not been ranked since Nov. 27, 2023, a span of 22 polls. Since the rankings began in 1976, Tennessee has been in the Top 25 in 779 of 870 total weeks. UCLA, UConn and South Carolina remain the top three teams and Oklahoma has cracked the top 10. Georgia Tech and N.C. State entered the rankings while Illinois, Louisville and Alabama fell out. College football transfer portal opens as Oklahoma's Arnold, other top players look for a move The college football transfer portal has opened a day after the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff field was released. The portal period closes on Dec. 28. Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold, Texas State running back Ismail Mahdi, Miami (Ohio) wide receiver Reggie Virgil and Ohio State QB Devin Brown were among the first players who entered the portal. The sophomore Arnold passed for 1,984 yards with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions and ran for 560 yards and four scores at Oklahoma. Mahdi led the nation with 2,169 all-purpose yards last season. Brown entered the transfer portal after three years as a backup. Saquon Barkley is chasing Eric Dickerson's NFL season rushing record. Can he do it? PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is closing in on the NFL season rushing record. Barkley set the Eagles' franchise record when he rushed for 124 yards and pushed his season total to 1,623 yards in a win against Carolina. Barkley also maintained his pace to break Eric Dickerson’s NFL single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards, set in 1984 with the Los Angeles Rams. Barkley is averaging 124.8 yards per game. At that pace and with one more game to play than Dickerson had, Barkley would become the top single-season rusher in NFL history. He needs 483 yards over the final four games to top Dickerson’s 40-year-old record. Barkley is on pace for 2,122 yards, just 17 yards beyond Dickerson’s 2,105 total.
There’s more to this creepy image than meets the eye . A “creepy” real-life optical illusion on an airplane is giving social media users flightmares with many comparing the mind-boggling image to “ET,” per an X post with over 25.6 million views. “I ALMOST LANDED THIS PLANE MYSELF,” declared the person who posted the trippy pic, which was snapped during an unspecified flight. The spine-tingling pic shows what looks like a mustachioed passenger in a black hoodie ogling the camera person with one giant googly eye as the drink cart passes. The bone-chilling visage had X users flipping out. “WTF is an alien doing on there,” declared one shaken viewer, while another wrote , “WTf is thatttt.” “I woulda jumped out,” declared a third. Meanwhile, the original poster analogized the foreboding figure to the alien from “ET” hiding “under the blanket.” Several social media comedians quipped that the so-called sky-clops was the “not real” passenger that internet star Tiffany Gomas was yelling about during her viral airplane meltdown in 2023. As some astute X users pointed out, the dark passenger was not an extra-terrestrial stowaway, but rather someone with their hoodie on backward. Their so-called oversized iris is actually a headphone in their ear. “That’s a person with their hoodie on backwards over their face and the black thing that looks like an eyeball is a headphone,” one user clarified. They elaborated, “So it looks like they are staring at you creepily but that’s really just the side of their head with a headphone in the ear while the hoodie covers the face.” “That’s an earbud in someone’s ear lol, looks creepy at first though,” seconded another.A custom chip called "Willow" does in minutes what it would take leading supercomputers 10 septillion years to complete, according to Google Quantum AI founder Hartmut Neven. "Written out, there is a 1 with 25 zeros," Neven said of the time span while briefing journalists. "A mind-boggling number." Neven's team of about 300 people at Google is on a mission to build quantum computing capable of handling otherwise unsolvable problems like safe fusion power and stopping climate change. "We see Willow as an important step in our journey to build a useful quantum computer with practical applications in areas like drug discovery, fusion energy, battery design and more," said Google CEO Sundar Pichai on X. A quantum computer that can tackle these challenges is still years away, but Willow marks a significant step in that direction, according to Neven and members of his team. While still in its early stages, scientists believe that superfast quantum computing will eventually be able to power innovation in a range of fields. Quantum research is seen as a critical field and both the United States and China have been investing heavily in the area, while Washington has also placed restrictions on the export of the sensitive technology. Olivier Ezratty, an independent expert in quantum technologies, told AFP in October that private and public investment in the field has totaled around $20 billion worldwide over the past five years. Regular computers function in binary fashion: they carry out tasks using tiny fragments of data known as bits that are only ever either expressed as 1 or 0. But fragments of data on a quantum computer, known as qubits, can be both 1 and 0 at the same time -- allowing them to crunch an enormous number of potential outcomes simultaneously. Crucially, Google's chip demonstrated the ability to reduce computational errors exponentially as it scales up -- a feat that has eluded researchers for nearly 30 years. The breakthrough in error correction, published in leading science journal Nature, showed that adding more qubits to the system actually reduced errors rather than increasing them -- a fundamental requirement for building practical quantum computers. Error correction is the "end game" in quantum computing and Google is "confidently progressing" along the path, according to Google director of quantum hardware Julian Kelly. gc/arp/bjt
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. stock underperforms Monday when compared to competitorsShrinking Season 2: Date, time and what to expect from the finale-- Shares Facebook Twitter Reddit Email When she's not claiming that her opposition controls the weather or accusing her own party of covering up sexual assault , Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is gearing up to work in President-elect Donald Trump 's second term, and she has some novel ideas about bringing down the deficit. Greene has been tapped by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a new House subcommittee working with the pair's not-yet-created Department of Government Efficiency . During a stop by Fox News on Sunday, Greene gave a glimpse at the sort of line items the government-budget-slashing department would focus on. "It's all over," Greene said of supposed government waste. "We'll be looking at everything from government-funded media programs like NPR that spread nothing but Democrat propaganda...all kinds of programs that don't help the American people." Related Experts: DOGE scheme doomed because of Musk and Ramaswamy's "meme-level understanding" of spending The statement led "defund NPR" to trend briefly on Musk-owned social media app X. In truth, NPR receives very little of its budget directly from the federal government. How exactly to calculate its funding is up for debate as money granted to local public radio stations via the government-funded Corporation for Public Broadcasting is frequently used to pay for the rights to air NPR-produced national programming locally. However, the conception of NPR as an entity that only exists thanks to government largesse is false. To hear tell from experts, it wouldn't be the first time that the newly minted DOGE had a surface-level understanding of government programs they hoped to cut. The Center for American Progress' Bobby Kogan told Salon earlier this week that DOGE leadership's proposal to cut all programs whose spending authorizations had lapsed betrayed a "fundamentally superficial" understanding of how government budgets work. 'Let's get rid of unauthorized spending' is the sort of thing that you might see in a Facebook meme," Kogan said."People have this idea of just huge and absurd amounts of government waste, and it's just not borne out in the data." Read more about Marjorie Taylor Greene Marjorie Taylor Greene accuses House GOP of covering up "sexual harassment and assault" claims Second_read_more_article Third_read_more_article MORE FROM Alex Galbraith Advertisement:
JERUSALEM — Israel’s defense minister has confirmed that Israel assassinated Hamas’ top leader last summer and is threatening to take similar action against the leadership of the Houthi rebel group in Yemen. The comments by Israel Katz appeared to mark the first time that Israel has acknowledged killing Ismail Haniyeh, who died in an explosion in Iran in July. Israel was widely believed to be behind the blast and leaders have previously hinted at its involvement. In a speech Monday, Katz said the Houthis would meet a similar fate as the other members of an Iranian-led alliance in the region, including Haniyeh. He also noted that Israel has killed other leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, helped topple Syria’s Bashar Assad and destroyed Iran’s anti-aircraft systems. “We will strike (the Houthis’) strategic infrastructure and cut off the head of the leadership,” he said. “Just like we did to Haniyeh, Sinwar and Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza and Lebanon, we will do in Hodeida and Sanaa,” he said, referring to Hamas and Hezbollah leaders killed in previous Israeli attacks. The Iranian-backed Houthis have launched scores of missiles and drones at Israel throughout the war, including a missile that landed in Tel Aviv on Saturday and wounded at least 16 people. Israel has carried out three sets of airstrikes in Yemen during the war and vowed to step up the pressure on the rebel group until the missile attacks stop. Here’s the latest: WASHINGTON — The Pentagon acknowledged Monday that there are more than 2,500 U.S. troops in Iraq, the total routinely touted publicly. It also said the number of forces in Syria has grown over the past “several years” due to increasing threats, but was not openly disclosed. Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement that there are “at least 2,500” U.S. military personnel in Iraq “plus some additional, temporary enablers” that are on rotational deployments. He said that due to diplomatic considerations, the department will not provide more specifics. The U.S. concluded sensitive negotiations with the government of Iraq in September that called for troops to begin leaving after the November election. The presence of U.S. troops there has long been a political liability for Iraqi leaders who are under increased pressure and influence from Iran. U.S. officials have not provided details about the withdrawal agreement, but it calls for the mission against the Islamic State group to end by September 2025, and that some U.S. troops will remain through 2026 to support the anti-IS mission in Syria. Some troops may stay in the Kurdistan region after that because the regional government would like them to stay. Ryder announced last week that there are about 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria – more than double the 900 that the U.S. had acknowledged publicly until now. On Monday he said the extra 1,100 deploy for shorter times to do force protection, transportation, maintenance and other missions. He said the number has fluctuated for the past several years and increased “over time.” JERUSALEM — Israel’s defense minister has confirmed that Israel assassinated Hamas’ top leader last summer and is threatening to take similar action against the leadership of the Houthi rebel group in Yemen. The comments by Israel Katz appeared to mark the first time that Israel has acknowledged killing Ismail Haniyeh, who died in an explosion in Iran in July. Israel was widely believed to be behind the blast and leaders have previously hinted at its involvement. In a speech Monday, Katz said the Houthis would meet a similar fate as the other members of an Iranian-led alliance in the region, including Haniyeh. He also noted that Israel has killed other leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, helped topple Syria’s Bashar Assad and destroyed Iran’s anti-aircraft systems. BEIRUT — The United Nations peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon on Monday said it has observed recent “concerning actions” by the Israeli army in southern Lebanon, including the destruction of residential areas and road blockages. A spokesperson for the peacekeeping mission, Kandice Ardiel, told The Associated Press that peacekeepers also observed on Monday an Israeli flag flying in Lebanese territory near Naqoura. The town hosts the headquarters of the peacekeeping mission, known as UNIFIL. Under the terms of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement that ended the 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah, the Israeli army is required to complete its withdrawal from Lebanon within 60 days of the agreement’s signing on Nov. 27. Since the ceasefire went into effect, the Israeli army has conducted near-daily military operations in southern villages, including firing gunshots, house demolitions, excavations, tank shelling and strikes. These actions have killed at least 27 people, wounded more than 30, destroyed residential buildings and, in one case, a mosque. “Peacekeepers continue to monitor the situation on the ground and report violations of Resolution 1701,” Ardiel said. “We reiterate our call for all actors to cease and refrain from violations of Resolution 1701 and any actions that may upset the current delicate balance.” On Monday, Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati visited the site of an Israeli airstrike in the southern town of Khiam as part of a tour of front-line areas alongside army chief Joseph Aoun and UNIFIL Head of Mission Aroldo Lazaro. Mikati and Lazaro urged the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanese territory to allow the army to fully assume its duties. JERUSALEM — The Israeli military says three soldiers were killed Monday in combat in northern Gaza. The military did not provide details of the circumstances. According to a statement released Sunday, the brigade in which the three were serving completed its operational activities in the northern town of Beit Lahiya on Sunday. It then began operating in the nearby town of Beit Hanoun following intelligence suggesting the presence of militants there. Since the start of the ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, 389 Israeli soldiers have been killed. JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday there is “some progress” in efforts to reach a hostage and ceasefire deal in Gaza, although he added he could not give a time frame for a possible agreement. Of the roughly 250 people who were taken hostage in the Hamas-led raid on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 that sparked the war, around 100 are still inside the Gaza Strip, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Speaking in the Knesset, Netanyahu said “we are taking significant actions through all channels to return our loved ones. I would like to tell you cautiously that there is some progress.” Netanyahu said he could not reveal details of what was being done to secure the return of hostages. He said the main reasons for the progress were the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and Israel’s military actions against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants who had been firing rockets into Israel from neighboring Lebanon in support of Hamas. “Hamas hoped that Iran and Hezbollah would come to its aid but they are busy licking the wounds from the blows we inflicted on them,” he said, adding that Israel was also putting “relentless military pressure” on Hamas in Gaza. “There is progress. I don’t know how long it will take,” Netanyahu said. JERUSALEM — Israel's military said Monday it intercepted a drone launched from Yemen before it entered Israeli territory, days after a long-range rocket attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels hit Tel Aviv, injuring 16 people from shattered glass. The military said no air raid warning sirens were sounded Monday. Israel says the Iran-backed Houthis have fired more than 200 missiles and UAVs, or unmanned aerial vehicles, during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The Houthis have also been attacking shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden — attacks they say won’t stop until there is a ceasefire in Gaza. The attacks on shipping and Israel are taking place despite U.S. and European warships patrolling the area. On Saturday night and early Sunday, the U.S. conducted airstrikes on Yemen. Last week, Israel launched its own airstrikes on Yemen, killing at least nine people, and a Houthi missile damaged a school in Israel. DAMASCUS, Syria — A Qatari delegation visited the Syrian capital on Monday for the first time in more than a decade and met with the country's top insurgent commander, who said strategic cooperation between Damascus and Doha will begin soon. Qatar, along with Turkey, has long backed the rebels who now control Damascus, and the two countries are looking to protect their interests in Syria now that former President Bashar Assad has been overthrown. The Qatari delegation was headed by the minister of state for foreign affairs, Mohammed al-Khulaifi, who met with Ahmad al-Sharaa, leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, the insurgent group that overthrew Assad on Dec. 8. Al-Sharaa was quoted as saying by Syrian media that they have invited the emir of Qatar to visit Damascus adding that relations will return to normal soon. Al-Sharaa said Qatar will back Syria during the transitional period and the two countries will soon start “wide strategic cooperation.” Al-Sharaa also met Monday with Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi as well as a Saudi official. Unlike Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan had relations with Assad’s government until he was removed from power. JENIN, West Bank — The Palestinian Authority says a second member of its security forces has been killed in the West Bank town of Jenin during clashes with Palestinian militants . Brig. Gen. Anwar Rajab, the spokesman for PA security forces, said 1st Sgt. Mehran Qadoos was killed on Monday by “outlaws” in the volatile northern town, where the security forces launched a rare crackdown earlier this month. A member of security forces also was killed on Sunday. An Associated Press reporter in Jenin heard heavy gunfire and explosions, apparently from a battle between the security forces and Palestinian militants. There was no sign of Israeli forces in the area. Militant groups had earlier called for a general strike across the territory, accusing the security forces of trying to disarm them in support of Israel’s half-century occupation of the territory. The Western-backed Palestinian Authority is internationally recognized but deeply unpopular among Palestinians , in part because it cooperates with Israel on security matters. Israel accuses the authority of incitement and of failing to act against armed groups. The Palestinian Authority exercises limited authority in population centers in the West Bank. Israel captured the territory in the 1967 Mideast War, and the Palestinians want it to form the main part of their future state. Israel’s current government is opposed to Palestinian statehood and says it will maintain open-ended security control over the territory. Violence has soared in the West Bank following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza, which ignited the war there. JENIN, West Bank — Palestinians in the volatile northern West Bank town of Jenin are observing a general strike called by militant groups to protest a rare crackdown by Palestinian security forces. An Associated Press reporter in Jenin heard gunfire and explosions, apparently from clashes between militants and Palestinian security forces. It was not immediately clear if anyone was killed or wounded. There was no sign of Israeli troops in the area. Shops were closed in the city on Monday, the day after militants killed a member of the Palestinian security forces and wounded two others. Militant groups called for a general strike across the territory, accusing the security forces of trying to disarm them in support of Israel’s half-century occupation of the territory. The Western-backed Palestinian Authority is internationally recognized but deeply unpopular among Palestinians , in part because it cooperates with Israel on security matters. Israel accuses the authority of incitement and of failing to act against armed groups. The Palestinian Authority blamed Sunday’s attack on “outlaws.” It says it is committed to maintaining law and order but will not police the occupation. The Palestinian Authority exercises limited authority in population centers in the West Bank. Israel captured the territory in the 1967 Mideast War, and the Palestinians want it to form the main part of their future state. Israel’s current government is opposed to Palestinian statehood and says it will maintain open-ended security control over the territory. Violence has soared in the West Bank following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza, which ignited the war there. BEIRUT — Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister has begun a tour of military positions in the country’s south, almost a month after a ceasefire deal that ended the war between Israel and the Hezbollah group that battered the country. Najib Mikati on Monday was on his first visit to the southern frontlines, where Lebanese soldiers under the U.S.-brokered deal are expected to gradually deploy, with Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops both expected to withdraw by the end of next month. Mikati’s tour comes after the Lebanese government expressed its frustration over ongoing Israeli strikes and overflights in the country. “We have many tasks ahead of us, the most important being the enemy's (Israel's) withdrawal from all the lands it encroached on during its recent aggression,” he said after meeting with army chief Joseph Aoun in a Lebanese military barracks in the southeastern town of Marjayoun. “Then the army can carry out its tasks in full.” The Lebanese military for years has relied on financial aid to stay functional, primarily from the United States and other Western countries. Lebanon’s cash-strapped government is hoping that the war’s end and ceasefire deal will bring about more funding to increase the military’s capacity to deploy in the south, where Hezbollah’s armed units were notably present. Though they were not active combatants, the Lebanese military said that dozens of its soldiers were killed in Israeli strikes on their premises or patrolling convoys in the south. The Israeli army acknowledged some of these attacks.AP Trending SummaryBrief at 5:46 p.m. EST
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Celtics vs. Grizzlies Injury Report Today – December 7
USU football: Aggies stock up on high school talent on signing dayLittler, who won the Grand Slam of Darts last week, hit checkouts of 170, 164 and 136 as he threatened to overturn an early deficit, but Humphries held his nerve to win the last three legs. “I’m really, really proud of that one to be honest,” Humphries told Sky Sports. FOR THE SECOND TIME 🏆🏆 Luke Humphries retains his 2024 Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals title, beating Luke Littler 11-7 in the final. — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) “I didn’t feel myself this week playing-wise, I felt like I was a dart behind in a lot of the scenarios but there’s something that Luke does to you. He really drives me, makes me want to be a better player and I enjoy playing him. “He let me in really early in that first session to go 4-1 up, I never looked back and I’m proud that I didn’t take my foot off the gas. These big games are what I live for. “Luke is a special talent and he was right – I said to him I’ve got to get these (titles) early before he wins them all. “I’d love to be up here and hitting 105 averages like Luke is all the time but he’s a different calibre, he’s probably the best player in the world right now but there’s something about me that never gives up. “This is a great way to go into the worlds.” HUMPHRIES GOES BACK-TO-BACK! 🏆 Luke Humphries retains his Players Championship Finals title! Cool Hand puts on an absolute clinic to defeat Luke Littler 11-7 in an epic final! 📺 | Final — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) Littler, who lost the world championship final to Humphries last year, said: “It was tough, missed a few doubles and if you don’t take chances early on, it’s a lot to come back. “I hit the 170 and the 164 but just didn’t have enough in the end. “It’s been a good past two weeks. I just can’t wait to go home, chill out, obviously practice at home for the worlds. That’s it now, leading up to the big one.”Philadelphia Eagles starting quarterback Jalen Hurts has entered concussion protocol, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said at a press conference Monday. Sirianni had no update on backup quarterback Kenny Pickett, who had an X-ray for a rib injury after Sunday’s loss against the Washington Commanders. Philadelphia hosts the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17. Sirianni said the team would lean on the doctors to let them know where Hurts is at. While he wouldn’t say what would happen if Hurts wasn’t cleared until late in the week without having practiced, Sirianni expressed confidence that his star QB could be ready at a moment’s notice. Advertisement “Jalen knows how to prepare. Knows how to get himself ready. He is a true pro,” Sirianni said. “I just can’t say enough good things about Jalen the leader, Jalen the player and Jalen the person. Every week is a little bit different and I know Jalen does everything he can to get ready for each and every week regardless of the circumstances.” For Hurts to be cleared to play, he has to pass a five-phase protocol that starts with symptom-limited activity and moves to aerobic exercise, football-specific exercise, non-contact training drills and lastly full football activity and clearance. GO DEEPER What is the NFL's concussion protocol? The steps that take place before return to play Hurts was ruled out with a concussion in the first half of the team’s game against Washington on Sunday. He was slow to get up after a 13-yard run in the first quarter and officials had him exit the game. Hurts went into the medical tent and came out a few plays later before heading to the locker room to be evaluated. The two-time Pro Bowler exited Sunday’s game with 41 yards rushing and 1-of-4 passing for 11 yards. “He always has done a good job of protecting himself and been dynamic both as a passer and a runner,” Sirianni said. “Anytime something goes down and you lose one of your best players, you wish they’d do something else or not take that hit in that scenario. We always run runs that protect him and we always want him to protect himself. This is an unfortunate part of football — the injuries that happen and sometimes it’s with head injuries and you never want to see that because you always want what’s best for your players and their well being. Obviously, we don’t want him to take that hit.” Pickett played the rest of the way — completing 14-of-24 pass attempts for 143 yards, one touchdown and one interception. After the game, Pickett said he had an X-ray but that he was not concerned about his status if he needs to start in Week 17. Advertisement Sirianni had no update on Pickett but thought the third-year player played well against Washington. “Kenny did some really good things yesterday,” Sirianni said. “Obviously, we missed Jalen. He’s a great football player who has had tremendous success and led us to a lot of victories. So we missed him and his contributions to the team and leading the team. Kenny, under the circumstances, came in and did a nice job — played good football and gave us a chance to win the football game. Obviously, he is going to want some plays back but he did a lot of good things.” In the event that Hurts and Pickett can’t play, Philadelphia would likely turn to third-string QB Tanner McKee, a second-year player out of Stanford. McKee has yet to play in a NFL game but Sirianni said he has confidence in him should the need arise. “Tanner has done a good job in scout team and developmental periods,” Sirianni said. “Tanner gives us a lot of confidence. Kenny gives us a lot of confidence and that is a tribute to (general manager) Howie (Roseman) and his staff and all the pieces he has given us to work with and the depth that he has given us to work with. We’ve had to play deep into our o-line, depth into our secondary and yesterday we had to play deep into our quarterback. Got a lot of confidence in the guys that are on this roster — both the 53-man roster and the practice squad.” Philadelphia’s 10-game winning streak was snapped in the 36-33 loss against Washington on Sunday. After the Eagles fell behind 28-27, Pickett orchestrated a 12-play, 34-yard drive that resulted in a field goal to put Philly back in front 30-28. Following another field goal in the fourth quarter to put the Eagles up five, the Philadelphia defense gave up the game-winning touchdown with six seconds left. GO DEEPER Jayden Daniels' 5 TDs spark Commanders' 36-33 win vs. Eagles: Takeaways The Eagles (12-3) have a two-game lead in the NFC East over the Commanders. One more win would secure the division title for Philadelphia and no lower than the No. 2 seed in the NFC. They also remain in the mix for the top seed — a game behind a pair of NFC North foes in the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings. Advertisement Hurts has thrown for 2,903 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions this season, and rushed for 630 yards and 14 touchdowns. Combined with Saquon Barkley — the NFL’s leading rusher — Philadelphia has the league’s best rushing attack (averaging 187.9 yards per game). In the passing game, Hurts has connected with big-play receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith for 113 of his 248 completions. The Eagles acquired Pickett in a March trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who drafted the quarterback in the 2022 first round. He has now appeared in four games with the Eagles, completing 15-of-27 pass attempts for 148 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Required reading (Photo: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)
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LOS ANGELES, Calif., Dec. 6, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Scientology Network’s DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE, the weekly series providing a platform for Independent filmmakers to air films on important social, cultural and environmental issues, presents the documentary “ Piano to Zanskar .” DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Scientology Network. Desmond O’Keeffe, a 65-year-old piano tuner facing retirement, accepts the challenge of a lifetime—to personally deliver a 100-year-old upright piano from London, England, to Zanskar, one of the most isolated places in the world, located high in the Himalayas. Directed by Michał Sulima and produced by Jarek Kotomski, the documentary follows Desmond and his team as they enter a world of unforgiving terrain and natural beauty. Their quest is ultimately a connection of cultures through the universal joy of music. Piano to Zanskar is the winner of multiple awards including the Grand Prize at the Banff Mountain Film Festival, the First Prize at the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival and Best Film at the Sheffield Adventure Film Festival. ABOUT MICHAŁ SULIMA Michał Sulima is a Warsaw-born film director and a graduate of photography from University of the Arts London. Piano to Zanskar is his Independent debut, marking an entrance into feature-length and documentary formats. ABOUT JAREK KOTOMSKI Jarek Kotomski is a graduate of photography from University of the Arts London. Piano to Zanskar is his first feature film. As the co-founder of the agency Between Friends, he has nearly 10 years of experience in the production of commercial videos and musical documentaries, including the film Scriabin in the Himalayas . In an interview with Scientology Network for DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE, Jarek said: “The variety of Independent documentary films and inspiring stories that are featured on Documentary Showcase is quite amazing, and we’re very pleased that we can show our film to a broader audience. And especially in a multilanguage format, reaching as many people as possible.” ABOUT DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE Fundamental to Scientology is a humanitarian mission that extends to some 200 nations with programs for human rights, human decency, literacy, morality, drug prevention and disaster relief. For this reason, the Scientology Network provides a platform for Independent filmmakers who embrace a vision of building a better world. DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE debuts films weekly from award-winning Independent filmmakers whose goal is to improve society by raising awareness of social, cultural and environmental issues. For more information, visit Scientology.tv/docs . Scientology Network debuted on March 12, 2018, launched by David Miscavige , Chairman of the Board Religious Technology Center and ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion. Since then, Scientology Network has been viewed in over 240 countries and territories worldwide in 17 languages. Satisfying the curiosity of people about Scientology, the network takes viewers across six continents, spotlighting the everyday lives of Scientologists, showing the Church as a global organization and presenting its Social Betterment programs that have touched the lives of millions worldwide. The network also showcases documentaries by Independent filmmakers who represent a cross section of cultures and faiths, but share a common purpose of uplifting communities. Scientology Network’s innovative content has been recognized with more than 125 industry awards, including Tellys, Communitas and Hermes Creative Awards. Broadcast from Scientology Media Productions, the Church’s global media center in Los Angeles, Scientology Network is available on DIRECTV Channel 320, DIRECTV STREAM and AT&T U-verse and can be streamed at Scientology.tv , on mobile apps and via the Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV platforms. LEARN MORE: https://www.Scientology.tv https://www.scientology.tv/watch/series/inside-scientology/scientology-media-productions.html VIDEO: https://www.scientology.tv/series/documentary-showcase/piano-to-zanskar/ https://www.scientology.tv/watch/series/documentary-showcase/piano-to-zanskar/videos/an-inside-look.html https://www.scientology.tv/watch/series/documentary-showcase/piano-to-zanskar/videos/teaser.html https://www.scientology.tv/watch/series/documentary-showcase/piano-to-zanskar/videos/trailer.html IMAGE link for media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/24-1206-s2p-COS-Zanskar-300dpi.jpg Image caption: “Piano to Zanskar” Conducts a Musical Journey Across the Himalayas on Documentary Showcase. TAGS: #DocumentaryShowcase #ScientologyNetwork #PianoToZanskar NEWS SOURCE: Church of Scientology International Keywords: Religion and Churches, Piano to Zanskar, Musical Journey Across the Himalayas, Documentary Showcase, LOS ANGELES, Calif. This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Church of Scientology International) who is solely responsibile for its accuracy, by Send2Press® Newswire . Information is believed accurate but not guaranteed. Story ID: S2P122676 APDF15TBLLI To view the original version, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/piano-to-zanskar-conducts-a-musical-journey-across-the-himalayas-on-documentary-showcase/ © 2024 Send2Press® Newswire, a press release distribution service, Calif., USA. Disclaimer: This press release content was not created by nor issued by the Associated Press (AP). Content below is unrelated to this news story.BC SPCA recovers adult cats and kittens from Kamloops property