NASSAU, Bahamas — Scottie Scheffler brought a new putting grip to the Hero World Challenge and felt enough improvement to be satisfied with the result, a 5-under 67 that left him three shots behind Cameron Young on Thursday. Young was playing for the first time since the BMW Championship more than three months ago and found great success on and around the greens of Albany Golf Club, chipping beautifully and holing four birdie putts from 15 feet or longer for his 64. He led by two shots over Justin Thomas in his first competition since his daughter was born a few weeks ago. Thomas ran off four straight birdies late in his round and was a fraction of an inch away with a fifth. The big surprise was Scheffler, the No. 1 player in golf who looked as good as he has all year in compiling eight victories, including an Olympic gold medal. His iron play has no equal. His putting at times has kept him from winning more or winning bigger. He decided to try to a "saw" putting grip from about 20 feet or closer — the putter rests between his right thumb and his fingers, with his left index finger pointed down the shaft. "I'm always looking for ways to improve," Scheffler said. Scheffler last year began working with renowned putting instructor Phil Kenyon, and he says Kenyon mentioned the alternative putting grip back then. "But it was really our first time working together and it's something that's different than what I've done in the past," Scheffler said. "This year I had thought about it from time to time, and it was something that we had just said let's table that for the end of the season, take a look at it. "Figured this is a good week to try stuff." He opened with a wedge to 2 feet and he missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-5 third. But he holed a birdie from about the same distance at the next par 5, No. 6, and holed a sliding 6-footer on the ninth to save par. His longest putt was his last hole, from 12 feet for a closing birdie. "I really enjoyed the way it felt," he said. "I felt like I'm seeing some improvements in my stroke." Young, regarded as the best active player without a PGA Tour victory, is treating this holiday tournament as the start of a new season. He worked on getting stronger and got back to the basics in his powerful golf swing. And on this day, he was dialed in with his short game. He only struggled to save par twice and kept piling up birdies in his bogey-free round on an ideal day in the Bahamas. "The wind wasn't blowing much so it was relatively stress-free," Young said. Patrick Cantlay, along with Scheffler playing for the first time since the Presidents Cup, also was at 67 with Ludvig Aberg, Akshay Bhatia and Sahith Theegala. Thomas also took this occasion to do a little experimenting against a 20-man field. He has using a 46-inch driver at home — a little more than an inch longer than his regular driver — in a bid to gain more speed. On a day with little wind, on a golf course with some room off the tee, he decided to put it in play. "Just with it being a little bit longer, I just kind of have to get the club out in front of me and get on top of it a little bit more," Thomas said. "I drove the hell out of it on the back, so that was nice to try something different and have it go a little bit better on the back." Thomas said the longer driver gives him 2 or 3 mph in ball speed and 10 extra yards in the air. "It's very specific for courses, but gave it a try," he said. Conditions were easy enough that only four players in field failed to break par, with Jason Day bringing up the rear with a 75. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
A federal judge appointed by President-elect Donald Trump during his first term overturned an Alabama mayor's decision to pull an LGBTQ+ pride float from his city's Christmas parade Friday. U.S. District Judge R. Austin Huffaker Jr.'s decision required the City of Prattville to allow the local LGBTQ+ Pride group to participate in the annual event that same night. Mayor Bill Gillespie had pulled the float on Thursday following safety concerns raised by Prattville Pride, but the group argued this went against their First and Fourth Amendment rights, as no action had been taken to investigate potential threats to their safety. "The decision to remove Prattville Pride from the 'Christmas in Prattville Christmas Parade' is nothing more than the City of Prattville and Mayor Gillespie bowing to the pressure from extremists and hecklers in the community who oppose the views of Prattville Pride," the group's injunction read. According to the Judge's ruling Friday, seen by Newsweek , the group had simply asked the city council for additional security following "harmful actions to be taken" against them and their float should it appear in Friday's procession, including "possibly slashing the float's tires so that it could not roll down the three mile stretch of the parade route." The city said these online comments were enough of a threat to prevent the group from participating, but the judge said the city provided no evidence that any of these threats could be carried out. During a phone hearing Friday, the city admitted that it could easily provide two additional police officers to walk alongside the Prattville Pride float, which appeared to irk the judge. "The Court struggles with how the City's decision to remove a law abiding parade participant could ever survive any level of scrutiny when the more easily tailored, and reasonable, response is to simply implement additional security measures, such as two or more law enforcement officers who can walk with the float on the parade route and make an arrest if an egg, water, or rock is thrown," he wrote in his decision. Ahead of the parade stepping off, Prattville Pride posted on Facebook that the ruling was "a powerful affirmation of the importance of visibility, representation, and inclusion for all members of our community." Not everyone supported the move, however. Some conservatives on social media said the float's inclusion was inappropriate. "Gender ideology has no place in public events. Especially ones paid for by the taxpayer," Paul A. Syzpula, a conservative poster, said on X, formerly Twitter . "Shame on Judge Huffaker, Jr." The Conservative Alternative argued that the case should be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court on the grounds that freedom of religion was an important civil liberty. "This is a public parade, put on by the city," X user @PkmnTrainerSeth replied. "By the standards of the Constitution, they *have* to let them participate, provided they're not breaking any laws." Despite the protests, the parade went ahead Friday night, including the rainbow-decked pride float, seemingly without incident. "A huge thank you to our incredible legal team and the federal judge who made it possible for us to march in this historic parade," the group posted on Facebook the following day.By DEVNA BOSE One of the country’s largest health insurers reversed a change in policy Thursday after widespread outcry, saying it would not tie payments in some states to the length of time a patient went under anesthesia. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said in a statement that its decision to backpedal resulted from “significant widespread misinformation” about the policy. “To be clear, it never was and never will be the policy of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to not pay for medically necessary anesthesia services,” the statement said. “The proposed update to the policy was only designed to clarify the appropriateness of anesthesia consistent with well-established clinical guidelines.” Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield would have used “physician work time values,” which is published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as the metric for anesthesia limits; maternity patients and patients under the age of 22 were exempt. But Dr. Jonathan Gal, economics committee chair of the American Society for Anesthesiologists, said it’s unclear how CMS derives those values. In mid-November, the American Society for Anesthesiologists called on Anthem to “reverse the proposal immediately,” saying in a news release that the policy would have taken effect in February in New York, Connecticut and Missouri. It’s not clear how many states in total would have been affected, as notices also were posted in Virginia and Colorado . Related Articles National News | The next census will gather more racial, ethnic information National News | As data centers proliferate, conflict with local communities follows National News | NASA’s stuck astronauts hit 6 months in space. Just 2 more to go National News | Imprisoned Proud Boys leader balks at answering a prosecutor’s questions about Capitol attack National News | National Weather Service cancels tsunami warning for the West Coast after 7.0 earthquake People across the country registered their concerns and complaints on social media, and encouraged people in affected states to call their legislators. Some people noted that the policy could prevent patients from getting overcharged. Gal said the policy change would have been unprecedented, ignored the “nuanced, unpredictable human element” of surgery and was a clear “money grab.” “It’s incomprehensible how a health insurance company could so blatantly continue to prioritize their profits over safe patient care,” he said. “If Anthem is, in fact, rescinding the policy, we’re delighted that they came to their senses.” Prior to Anthem’s announcement Thursday, Connecticut comptroller Sean Scanlon said the “concerning” policy wouldn’t affect the state after conversations with the insurance company. And New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in an emailed statement Thursday that her office had also successfully intervened. The insurance giant’s policy change came one day after the CEO of UnitedHealthcare , another major insurance company, was shot and killed in New York City.
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield reverses decision to put a time limit on anesthesia
NEW YORK, Dec. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Monteverde & Associates PC (the "M&A Class Action Firm"), has recovered millions of dollars for shareholders and is recognized as a Top 50 Firm by ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. We are headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City and are investigating: Arch Resources, Inc. (NYSE: ARCH ), relating to its proposed merger with Consol Energy, Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, all Arch Resources common stock will be automatically converted into the right to receive 1.326 shares of Consol Energy stock. ACT NOW . The Shareholder Vote is scheduled for January 9, 2025. Click here for more information https://monteverdelaw.com/case/arch-resources-inc/ . It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you. Universal Stainless & Alloy Products Inc. (Nasdaq: USAP ), relating to its proposed merger with Aperam US Absolute LLC. Under the terms of the agreement, all USAP shares will be automatically converted into the right to receive $45.00 per share. ACT NOW. The Shareholder Vote is scheduled for January 15, 2025. Click here for more information https://monteverdelaw.com/case/universal-stainless-alloy-products-inc/ . It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you. Crossfirst Bankshares, Inc. (Nasdaq: CFB ), relating to its proposed merger with First Busey Corporation. Under the terms of the agreement, Crossfirst common stock will automatically be converted into the right to receive 0.6675 shares of Busey common stock. ACT NOW . The Shareholder Vote is scheduled for December 20, 2024 . Click here for more information https://monteverdelaw.com/case/crossfirst-bankshares-inc/ . It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you. BurTech Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: BRKH ) , relating to the proposed merger with Blaize, Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, shares of BurTech Acquisition will be exchanged for shares of Blaize. ACT NOW. The Shareholder Vote is scheduled for December 23, 2024. Click here for more information https://monteverdelaw.com/case/burtech-acquisition-corp-brkh/ . It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you. NOT ALL LAW FIRMS ARE THE SAME. Before you hire a law firm, you should talk to a lawyer and ask: Do you file class actions and go to Court? When was the last time you recovered money for shareholders? What cases did you recover money in and how much? About Monteverde & Associates PC Our firm litigates and has recovered money for shareholders...and we do it from our offices in the Empire State Building. We are a national class action securities firm with a successful track record in trial and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. No company, director or officer is above the law. If you own common stock in any of the above listed companies and have concerns or wish to obtain additional information free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com or by telephone at (212) 971-1341. Contact: Juan Monteverde, Esq. MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC The Empire State Building 350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4740 New York, NY 10118 United States of America jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com Tel: (212) 971-1341 Attorney Advertising. (C) 2024 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC ( www.monteverdelaw.com ). Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Trump names Andrew Ferguson as head of Federal Trade Commission to replace Lina Khan
Article content TOMS RIVER, N.J. — Gov. Phil Murphy has asked the Biden administration to put more resources into an investigation of mysterious drone sightings that have been reported in New Jersey and nearby states. Recommended Videos Murphy, a Democrat, made the request in a letter Thursday, noting that state and local law enforcement remain “hamstrung” by existing laws and policies in their efforts to successfully counteract any nefarious activity of unmanned aircraft. He posted a copy of the letter on the social media platform X. “This leaves action surrounding the (drones) squarely on the shoulders of the federal government,” Murphy said. “More federal resources are needed to understand what is behind this activity.” Murphy and other officials have repeatedly stressed that there is no evidence that the aircraft pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus. The Pentagon also has said they are not U.S. military drones. The drones have drawn intense public concern and curiosity since residents first reported seeing them last month. Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia said from four to 180 aircraft have been reported to authorities since Nov. 18, appearing from dusk till 11 p.m. The flying objects have been spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility, and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster, but the number of reported sightings has grown greatly since then. Drones were also spotted in Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut and other parts of the Mid-Atlantic region. The FBI, Federal Aviation Administration and other state and federal agencies involved in the investigation have not corroborated any of the reported sightings with electronic detection, and reviews of available images appear to show many of the reported drones are actually manned aircraft. They also say there have been no confirmed sightings in restricted air space. It’s also possible that a single drone has been seen and reported more than once, officials said. Some federal lawmakers have called on the military to “shoot down” the drones. The drones also appear to avoid detection by traditional methods such as helicopter and radio, according to a state lawmaker who was briefed by the Department of Homeland Security. In one case, a medevac helicopter was unable to pick up a seriously injured car accident victim in Branchburg Township in Somerset County late last month due to drones hovering near the planned landing zone, according to NJ.com. The FAA said Thursday that it does not have a report on this incident. Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use but are subject to local and FAA regulations and flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified. Witnesses say the drones they think they have seen in New Jersey appear to be larger than those typically used by hobbyists.
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A silent crisis is unfolding on Costa Rica’s coasts, threatening the natural wealth that defines the nation as an ecological paradise. The massive extraction of seashells, fueled by local and international tourism, is wreaking havoc on marine ecosystems. This often-overlooked practice disrupts the delicate balance of beaches, critical habitats for species that support biodiversity and sustainable tourism. The consequences are severe and far-reaching. As , erosion accelerates, leaving beaches structurally unstable and increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather and rising sea levels. Marine habitats suffer as seashells, crucial for forming calcareous structures supporting organisms like corals, disappear—putting entire ecosystems at risk. Hermit crabs, which rely on shells for shelter, are declining, particularly in areas like Puntarenas, disrupting local food chains. Additionally, the removal of shells exacerbates ocean acidification, depleting vital nutrients like iron and nitrogen. These changes hinder marine species’ reproduction and ability to form calcium carbonate skeletons, threatening biodiversity. In 2023 alone, over five tons of shells were seized at . Without the resources to determine their origin—Pacific or Caribbean—many shells are buried, sidelining their ecological value. This classification challenge requires specialized biologists, months of work, and significant resources, leaving thousands of shells in storage or discarded. Recognizing the gravity of this issue, and its Imperial brand, in collaboration with MINAE-SINAC, AERIS, and the University of Costa Rica, have launched a groundbreaking initiative. At the heart of their efforts is an artificial intelligence (AI) application developed by FIFCO. This AI tool uses a database of 18,500 shell images, contributed by over 200 volunteers, to identify whether shells belong to the Pacific or Caribbean with over 90% accuracy. Already, the technology has classified 36,000 shells, a process that would have taken years using traditional methods. For the first time, confiscated shells are being returned to their natural environments. In a single day, all shells seized over the past year were restored to the sea, where they can once again play a vital role in their ecosystems. This achievement marks a turning point in Costa Rica’s approach to marine conservation. “We call upon you to enjoy wildlife in its natural habitats and not to extract shells from our coasts. Each species plays a fundamental role in maintaining ecological processes that ensure the quality of life for present and future generations,” said Franz Tattenbach, Minister of Environment and Energy. The initiative underscores the importance of sustainable tourism and collective responsibility in preserving Costa Rica’s unparalleled biodiversity. As the country faces mounting environmental challenges, efforts like these provide hope for the future of its ecosystems.Marks & Spencer given permission to demolish flagship Oxford Street store
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By Russell Clark of Capital Flows and Asset Markets substack I turned 50 early this year - but like most men still think I am young. It only really hits home that I have aged when I catch up with a group of friends the same age. Sometimes its the grey hair, sometimes its the bald spots, or sometimes its the universal doom and gloom about markets, and I think “Wow - I am really hanging out with a bunch of old guys!” Having a doom and gloom view about markets really does show your age. Talking about the year 2000, 2001, 2002 or 2008, which were bad bear markets just dates you these days. In the big scheme of things, they were just buying opportunities. Having started in markets in that period, and having seen the long depressing Japanese bear market - I was always more “old man” in my thinking - but being stuck in your ways when the world changes is the ultimate old man trade- like insisting and old Nokia phone is better than iPhone. To be fair to myself and other old men - around 2007 I though China and emerging markets was dead money (and foolishly assumed this would hold back the US). HSCEI is not even at half the level it reach in 2007. My first investing model was the MMM model - macro, micro and market, and it was pretty good at calling the top in China and emerging markets. Macro was current account deficits, exchange rate and money supply among other things, micro was how key industries were acting and investing their own capital. Market was basically investing when market action confirmed micro and macro. The good thing about this model was that it could be used for long and short investing . The macro part of my MMM model turned negative on the US back in 2016 - some 200% and 8 years ago. It also turned negative on the US dollar - so you cannot dress it up - its a failed model. I tied to save this model by adding a political element to it - which I called motivation so I could call it the MMMM model. This birthed the pro-labour trade - and GLD/TLT as well. While GLD/TLT has been good - it also made predictions about asset markets being stagnant, or at least US dollar weakness. This has been wrong. As I have been contemplating these failed models, I have also been ruminating on ideas of empire, the rise of a digital world, and tech for awhile - and have started to think we can fold “old school macro” in to tech and industry analysis, which would create a model that explains the modern world. What I have been thinking about is the vast technological change we are undergoing at the moment, and what precedents we have to think about . 100 years ago the US birthed the auto industry as we know it. This fundamentally changed society - but also changed the US place in the world. US industry quickly dominated the auto industry - and the US became the dominant nation. Post World War 2 - US dominance of the the most important industry in the world - the auto industry- was coming under threat. FDR led unionisation of the auto industry led to US firms becoming uncompetitive and suffering at the hands of German and Japanese auto firms. This led to a US trade deficit and falling gold reserves. The US left the gold standard - and modern day macro investing was born . With the gold standard, making predictions on currency or interest rates were largely unnecessary - fiat currency created the conditions for macro investing. The auto industry is generally estimated to be 10 percent of GDP for most nations, running from manufacturing, repair, sales and financing, but you could also include things like road maintenance and repair. From 1960 onwards, not only was the US importing cars, but the crude oil to run them. Japan, Germany, Saudi, Canada and Mexico all grew wealthy (some more than others) on the back of supplying US auto industry one way or another. However over the last ten years changes in technology has changed all of this. First of all, the shale revolution has made the US is energy self sufficient - which destroys the connection between US growth and energy suppliers. That is a booming US does not necessarily make Canada or Saudi wealthier . Secondly, with the world moving to electric vehicles - the US has the leading company in Tesla. For decades, Toyota was worth more than Ford, the leading US car company. But since 2020, Tesla has been far more valuable than Toyota. The traditional conduits via which US growth is spread to the rest of the world have been or are in the process of being cut. Industry analysis has eaten macro analysis, or at the very least changed it completely. Another feature of Western dominance and now mainly US dominance is a political system that allows the masters of new technology to assume political control. The ability to absorb the masters of new technology into the political system is underrated feature of the West- mainly because the existing old order bitterly resent it. A typical old man gripe would be about the new wave of populist leaders. But one thing common about populist leaders is that they are much more effective on social media. What is interesting about Trump Mark 2.0, is that social media, and new tech leaders have lined up with him, far more than in his first term. Politically, it is hard to see how bringing in the new leading industries into the political world is a bad thing for the US. You can compare and contrast with Volkswagen that is facing a existential crisis, and has to deal with state government owners wishing to keep old engine factories open. One of the best university courses I did was called “Asian Giants” and compared and contrasted how India, China and Japan dealt with the Western Powers and their Asian colonialism. India just accepted them as another ruling class - and eventually saw deindustrialisation as British rulers saw no need in encouraging competition. China rejected all Western influence - and saw its nation carved up by Western powers, while Japan embarked on a process of modernization - which saw traditional leadership move from the samurai class to the merchant class. Within 20 years Japan had kicked out the foreigners and began to build its own empire. Japan also had to go through a violent political reconfiguration - the Meiji Restoration - but ultimately a strong Japan was achieved. One of the things that “old men” often fixate on is the dominance of the US in equity markets. Many, many macro careers have been destroyed by trying to catch a mean reversion trade, that is betting on emerging market or Europe rather than the US. But this chart is driven by two big technological trades. First modern cloud computing means that the need to use local companies for anything is unnecessary and pointless. Economies of scale drive everything to the US (he says as he uses San Francisco based Substack and Stripe - while writing a note on macro investing while in Spain). This is different to say the mobile phone boom in 1999, where Vodafone was the largest stock in the UK. The second feature is that the US and China have stolen a march on Japan and Europe in electric vehicles. This reliance on lagging technology is probably why the Euro and Yen has been such poor currencies, and why the US dollar has been strong. Chinese Yuan has been also better than Euro or Yen. This probably explains why currency has also been the other killing field for macro investors. Short dollar trades have been very poor . Putting it all together, from a tech perspective China is the only threat to the US . Japan and Europe have missed the boat on cloud and social media tech, and are badly compromised on EV, while China is competitive in both these areas. On drone technology, which modern warfare seems to be based, China is probably ahead of the US. For me, we are now at an interesting political, tech and macro crossroads. Chinese and US politics has diverged radically on tech. In the US, we have Elon Musk as best buddy to Trump, and big tech is close to big power. In China, they have chosen to regulate tech move heavily, and encourage far more competition . This has led to the Chinese Yuan outperforming Euro and Yen, but not translated into better equity performance. Macro trading, as far as this old man now understands it, was the result of US technology propagating across the world, and in some cases, like Germany and Japan, taking this technology and improving it . This led to shifts in currencies, interest rates and growth rates. But new technology has led to a shift back to the US. In areas like cloud computing or social media, its hard to see that shifting back to Europe or Japan without government intervention. In EV, we can see that China has probably already stolen a march on Europe and Japan, and is already squeezing Tesla in China. China already has used government intervention to keep cloud computing and social media in domestic hands. Using tech changes to think about macro changes means I think we only see big changes in markets when Europe and Japan get serious about industrial policy. For that, they need strongman politicians, and not the lawyer/banker politicians we have now. That transition is beginning in my view (Germany, France and Japan all going through political transitions). As my university course taught me, the country that can break down the old industries to allow new industries to thrive will be the ones to buy. Macro is a now a tech and political question - something old macro investors are not good at. There is no country for old macro.Moneylion director Chris Sugden sells $2.15 million in stock
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