GRAND FORKS — Bemidji State is playing at No. 14 UND to conclude their two-game home-and-home series. The Beavers won the series opener 2-1 in Bemidji's Sanford Center. The series finale is at Ralph Engelstad Arena. Follow the game Time: 6:07 p.m. Place: Ralph Engelstad Arena. TV: Midco Sports (GF Ch. 27/622 HD). Radio: The Fox (96.1 FM). Stream: NCHChockey.com. ADVERTISEMENT In-game updates UND's lines Forwards 29 Jackson Kunz—9 Sacha Boisvert—7 Mac Swanson 26 Dylan James—8 Jake Schmaltz—18 Jayden Perron 22 Owen McLaughlin—15 Carter Wilkie—21 Ben Strinden 19 Cody Croal—20 Cade Littler—5 Dane Montgomery Defense 13 Caleb MacDonald—4 Jake Livanavage 16 Andrew Strathmann—25 Abram Wiebe 3 Jayden Jubenvill—6 E.J. Emery 10 Tanner Komzak Goaltenders 30 Hobie Hedquist 35 T.J. Semptimphelter Not in lineup: F Cameron Berg (inj), F Louis Jamernik V (inj), D Bennett Zmolek (inj), G Kaleb Johnson (inj), F Dalton Andrew, G Aleksi Huson Bemidji State's lines Forwards 20 Kirklan Irey—16 Jere Vaisanen—11 Eric Martin 28 Kasper Magnussen—19 Jackson Jutting—8 Adam Flamming 9 Carter Randklev—26 Reilly Funk—25 Tory Lund 18 Rhys Chiddenton—15 Jaksen Panzer—17 Noah Quinn 14 Alexi Sylvestre Defensemen 21 Vince Corcoran—6 Mitch Wolfe 2 Tony Follmer—7 Isa Parekh 12 A.J. Macaulay—23 Luke Roelofs ADVERTISEMENT Goaltenders 30 Mattias Sholl 35 Raythan Robbins 33 Trent Wiemken Not in lineup: D Will Magnuson (inj), F Austin Jouppi, F Donte Lawson, F Jake McLean, D Patrik Satosaari, D Ryan Henderson Officials Referees — Brady Johnson and Bobby Lukkason Linesmen — Tyler Landman and Nathan Voll Supervisor — Thor Nelson Pregame notes UND continues its goaltender rotation with sophomore Hobie Hedquist coming in for the series finale. He had a shutout last Saturday. Hedquist enters the night on a scoreless streak of 70:14 going back to the series finale at Cornell. . . UND is surprisingly getting Cody Croal back in the lineup for the series finale. He replaces Dalton Andrew. . . UND remains without Cameron Berg, Louis Jamernik V, Bennett Zmolek and Kaleb Johnson. . . Bemidji State made four changes, adding three forwards and one defenseman to the lineup. . . Grand Forks native Jaksen Panzer is in the lineup for Bemidji State. . . The Beavers are looking for their first-ever sweep of UND.In apparent dig at Jan Suraaj Party, Tejashwi accuses PK’s outfit of acting as Nitish’s ‘B-team’
By Suzanne McGee (Reuters) - Three separate asset management firms launched exchange-traded funds on Tuesday, unveiling products focused on securitized debt, the artificial intelligence industry and Ozempic-maker Novo Nordisk in the closing weeks of a year that has seen a deluge of new funds. New ETF offerings have exploded in 2024, as investors sought ways to participate in the soaring U.S. stock market. Year-to-date inflows for U.S.-listed ETFs are poised to cross the $1 trillion mark this week for the first time ever. As of late November, a record 612 ETFs had launched, compared to 480 last year, according to State Street Global Advisors. The latest include the BondBloxx Private Credit CLO ETF, which will give financial advisors and others access to private CLOs, or collateralized loan obligations, issued by middle-market corporations. CLOs are pools of leveraged loans, structured as one actively managed security. They have become a major source of funding for non-investment grade companies seeking debt financing. More broadly, lending to companies by institutions other than banks, known as private credit, has grown rapidly in recent years as stricter regulations made it more expensive for traditional lenders to finance riskier loans. On Tuesday, BlackRock said it will buy private credit firm HPS Investment Partners for about $12 billion in an all-stock deal, as the world's largest asset manager seeks to expand in the red-hot market. Another launch, the VistaShares Artificial Intelligence Supercycle ETF, will seek to invest in companies building data centers and semiconductors for the AI industry. Its largest position is in Vertiv Holdings Co., which designs and builds data center infrastructure and has seen its shares soar nearly 170% this year. The ETF is the first product from VistaShares, a new asset management firm headed by Jon McNeill, former president of Tesla and Adam Patti, former CEO of IndexIQ, an alternative assets investment firm later acquired by New York Life. Meanwhile, Defiance ETFs is offering investors the first chance to get leveraged exposure to pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk via its new Defiance Daily Target 2x Long NVO ETF. The product is designed to deliver double the daily price movement in Novo Nordisk, whose shares have gyrated this year amid publicity for its diabetes and weight loss drug, Ozempic. "As with any new product, it remains to be seen if there will be broad enough adoption to keep any of these new products alive over the longer haul in a competitive market," said Todd Rosenbluth, head of ETF research at VettaFi, a New York-based market analysis firm. (Reporting by Suzanne McGee; Editing by Ira Iosebashvili and David Gregorio)
FACT FOCUS: Vermont ruling does not say schools can vaccinate children without parental consentAman Gupta, co-founder of boAt Lifestyle, recently spilled some beans on one of his actor brand ambassadors. Aman revealed that the actor had an image of being humble, flying economy, being very down-to-earth but he was just the opposite with the boAt team. Gupta revealed that the actor used to throw his weight around and gave them a hard time. "Ek actor tha. Humara brand ambassador tha. Itni akad thi usme...aur news me main padta tha wo kitna sweet hai. Dekho, reporter se kitna acche se baat karta hai. Media se kitna acche se baat karta hai. Dekho zara ye economy class me jaa raha hai. Humaare sath itni akad dikhata tha," he said while speaking to Dostcast on YouTube. (There was an actor who was our brand ambassador. He was so full of himself and in the news, I would read about how sweet he was). "Look how nicely he talks to reporters. See how well he interacts with the media. Oh, look, he's travelling in economy class." But with us, he would show so much arrogance) Aman further detailed how the public had a totally different perception of him that what he was truly. "Mujhe samajh aa gaya tha ki (That's when I realised)...people have mastered the art of being humble," he added. Social media tries to decode Ever since the revelation, social media has gone into an overdrive to deduce who the actor could be. While some are saying it could be Ranveer Singh, some have reasoned that the actor is genuinely humble. There were few who named Diljit Dosanjh but the pop sensation has never flown economy. Majority of people on social media came crashing down on Kartik Aaryan . However, who the actual actor is, only Aman Gupta can clarify. Raj Kapoor's 100th birthday: Alia – Ranbir come hand-in-hand, Kareena – Saif make royal entry, Rekha, Kartik Aaryan, Vicky Kaushal and others attend [Pics] When Kartik Aaryan took a jibe at Singham Again: Singham Again vs Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 BO: Ajay Devgn or Kartik Aaryan; who's winning the number game?A hairstylist’s assist, ‘divine intervention’ and $2.2 million for Inola High SchoolThe Blues found themselves 3-0 down after 29 minutes against a side which had won one of their previous 11 matches – and it only got worse. John Mousinho’s men fully deserved their 4-0 humiliation – and here are our Pompey player ratings... 1 . Nicolas Schmid - 5 A couple of late stops including dramatically clawing one out as it threatened to trickle in. Wasn’t helped by his team-mates. Photo: Jason Brown Photo Sales 2 . Terry Devlin - 4 (Replaced by Zak Swanson on 46 mins) A tough, tough evening. Had his hands full dealing with Mendez-Laing, with two of Derby’s three goals which arrived when the right-back was on the pitch involving the winger. One to forget. Photo: Jason Brown Photo Sales 3 . Marlon Pack - 5 Unfortunate own goal for Derby's fourth and had some decent moments, but was simply part of a defence which really struggled. Photo: Jason Brown Photo Sales 4 . Tom McIntyre - 3 Recalled to the side in place of Poole and endured a dreadful evening. Little went right for the centre-half, including Adams’ goal deflecting off him to put Derby 3-0 up. Should have done far better for the fourth too. Photo: Jason Brown Photo Sales Previous 1 / 6 Next Page Related topics: Blues Portsmouth Neil Allen Pompey John Mousinho
Mystery drone sightings continue in New Jersey and across the US. Here's what we know
BY MELISSA GOLDIN Social media users are misrepresenting a Vermont Supreme Court ruling , claiming that it gives schools permission to vaccinate children even if their parents do not consent. The ruling addressed a lawsuit filed by Dario and Shujen Politella against Windham Southeast School District and state officials over the mistaken vaccination of their child against COVID-19 in 2021, when he was 6 years old. A lower court had dismissed the original complaint, as well as an amended version. An appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court was filed on Nov. 19. But the ruling by Vermont’s high court is not as far-reaching as some online have claimed. In reality, it concluded that anyone protected under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act, or PREP, Act is immune to state lawsuits. Here’s a closer look at the facts. CLAIM: The Vermont Supreme Court ruled that schools can vaccinate children against their parents’ wishes. THE FACTS: The claim stems from a July 26 ruling by the Vermont Supreme Court, which found that anyone protected by the PREP Act is immune to state lawsuits, including the officials named in the Politella’s suit. The ruling does not authorize schools to vaccinate children at their discretion. According to the lawsuit, the Politella’s son — referred to as L.P. — was given one dose of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination clinic held at Academy School in Brattleboro even though his father, Dario, told the school’s assistant principal a few days before that his son was not to receive a vaccination. In what officials described as a mistake, L.P. was removed from class and had a “handwritten label” put on his shirt with the name and date of birth of another student, L.K., who had already been vaccinated that day. L.P. was then vaccinated. Ultimately, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that officials involved in the case could not be sued. “We conclude that the PREP Act immunizes every defendant in this case and this fact alone is enough to dismiss the case,” the Vermont Supreme Court’s ruling reads. “We conclude that when the federal PREP Act immunizes a defendant, the PREP Act bars all state-law claims against that defendant as a matter of law.” The PREP Act , enacted by Congress in 2005, authorizes the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to issue a declaration in the event of a public health emergency providing immunity from liability for activities related to medical countermeasures, such as the administration of a vaccine, except in cases of “willful misconduct” that result in “death or serious physical injury.” A declaration against COVID-19 was issued on March 17, 2020. It is set to expire on Dec. 31. Federals suits claiming willful misconduct are filed in Washington. Social media users described the Vermont Supreme Court’s ruling as having consequences beyond what it actually says. “The Vermont Supreme Court has ruled that schools can force-vaccinate children for Covid against the wishes of their parents,” reads one X post that had been liked and shared approximately 16,600 times as of Tuesday. “The high court ruled on a case involving a 6-year-old boy who was forced to take a Covid mRNA injection by his school. However, his family had explicitly stated that they didn’t want their child to receive the ‘vaccines.’” Other users alleged that the ruling gives schools permission to give students any vaccine without parental consent, not just ones for COVID-19. Rod Smolla, president of the Vermont Law and Graduate School and an expert on constitutional law, told The Associated Press that the ruling “merely holds that the federal statute at issue, the PREP Act, preempts state lawsuits in cases in which officials mistakenly administer a vaccination without consent.” “Nothing in the Vermont Supreme Court opinion states that school officials can vaccinate a child against the instructions of the parent,” he wrote in an email. Related Articles National News | Eminem’s mother Debbie Nelson, whose rocky relationship fueled the rapper’s lyrics, dies at age 69 National News | Founder of failed crypto lending platform Celsius Network pleads guilty to fraud charges National News | Judge weighs whether to order Fani Willis to comply with lawmakers’ subpoenas over Trump case National News | Are you a former SmileDirectClub customer? You might be eligible for a refund National News | Justice Department announces sweeping reforms to curb suicides in federal prisons and jails Asked whether the claims spreading online have any merit, Ronald Ferrara, an attorney representing the Politellas, told the AP that although the ruling doesn’t say schools can vaccinate students regardless of parental consent, officials could interpret it to mean that they could get away with doing so under the PREP Act, at least when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines. He explained that the U.S. Supreme Court appeal seeks to clarify whether the Vermont Supreme Court interpreted the PREP Act beyond what Congress intended. “The Politella’s fundamental liberty interest to decide whether their son should receive elective medical treatment was denied by agents of the State and School,” he wrote in an email to the AP. “The Vermont Court misconstrues the scope of PREP Act immunity (which is conditioned upon informed consent for medical treatments unapproved by FDA), to cover this denial of rights and its underlying battery.” Ferrara added that he was not aware of the claims spreading online, but that he “can understand how lay people may conflate the court’s mistaken grant of immunity for misconduct as tantamount to blessing such misconduct.”Asia stocks mostly fell in thin holiday trade on Monday after tech losses killed off the traditional year-end lift on Wall Street at the end of last week. The "Santa Claus rally" got off to a good start but US stocks then fell across the board on Friday, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq both dropping more than one percent. Tech stocks led the way, with Elon Musk's electric car giant Tesla closing around five percent lower and AI chipmaker Nvidia shedding around two percent. Weighing on investor sentiment were worries about the pace of US interest rate cuts and possible higher import tariffs under incoming US president Donald Trump. "As US stock markets concluded with a downturn on Friday, Asia-Pacific markets are bracing for a slippery penultimate trading day of 2024," said Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management. "With US (bond) yields climbing and liquidity essentially non-existent, there's always the potential for outsized moves. This comes during a critical phase of year-end rebalancing, intensified by hefty equity positions across portfolios," Innes said in a note. In Tokyo, the Nikkei was down 0.75 percent at 40,020.00 points on the last day of trading until January 6. The yen was little changed after hitting 158.08 against the dollar on Thursday, the lowest in almost six months. That came after Bank of Japan governor Kazuo Ueda failed to give a clear signal on a possible interest rate increase next month. In Seoul, Jeju Air shares tumbled more than eight percent after one of its planes crashed in South Korea on Sunday, killing all but two of the 181 people on board. South Korea's transport ministry said on Monday it was "reviewing plans to conduct a special inspection on (Boeing) B737-800 aircraft" after the crash. South Korea was also hit with further political turmoil, with authorities issuing an arrest warrant for suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol. Yoon briefly imposed martial law this month and was then impeachment by parliament. Lawmakers also impeached his acting successor Han Duck-soo last week. Chinese stocks also opened lower on Monday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index down 0.09 percent at 3,397.12. China's purchasing managers' index (PMI) for manufacturing was due on Tuesday. The reading was expected to stay at 50.3, above the 50 line dividing expansion and contraction, according to Bloomberg. Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.75 percent at 40,020.00 points Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.40 percent at 20,001.00 Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.1 percent at 3,397.12 Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0423 from $1.0429 on Friday Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2577 from $1.2579 Dollar/yen: DOWN at 157.82 yen from 157.89 yen West Texas Intermediate: UP at $70.63 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: UP at $74.23 per barrel
C$ unless otherwise stated TSX/NYSE/PSE: MFC SEHK: 945 The prospectus supplement, the corresponding base shelf prospectus and any amendment thereto in connection with this offering will be accessible through SEDAR+ within two business days. TORONTO , Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Manulife Financial Corporation (" MFC ") announced today that it intends to issue $1 billion principal amount of 4.064% fixed/floating subordinated debentures due December 6 , 2034 (the " Debentures "). MFC intends to file a prospectus supplement to its existing base shelf prospectus in respect of this issue. The Debentures will bear interest at a fixed rate of 4.064% until December 6, 2029 and thereafter at a rate of 1.25% over Daily Compounded CORRA. The Debentures mature on December 6, 2034 . Subject to prior regulatory approval, MFC may redeem the Debentures, in whole or in part, on or after December 6, 2029 at a redemption price equal to par, together with accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the date fixed for redemption. The Debentures will constitute subordinated indebtedness, ranking equally and rateably with all other subordinated indebtedness of MFC from time to time issued and outstanding (other than subordinated indebtedness which has been further subordinated in accordance with its terms). The offering is being done on a best efforts agency basis by a syndicate co-led by RBC Capital Markets, CIBC Capital Markets and Scotiabank. The offering is expected to close on December 6, 2024 . MFC intends to use the net proceeds from the offering of the Debentures for general corporate purposes, including investment in subsidiaries and potential future redemptions of existing securities. The Debentures have not been and will not be registered in the United States under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the " Securities Act "), or the securities laws of any state of the United States and may not be offered, sold or delivered, directly or indirectly, in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, a "U.S. person" (as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act) absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy securities in the United States and any public offering of the securities in the United States must be made by means of a prospectus. Access to the prospectus supplement, the corresponding base shelf prospectus and any amendment thereto in connection with the offering of the Debentures is provided in accordance with securities legislation relating to procedures for providing access to a prospectus supplement, a base shelf prospectus and any amendment thereto. The prospectus supplement, the corresponding base shelf prospectus and any amendment thereto in connection with the offering will be accessible within two business days at www.sedarplus.ca . An electronic or paper copy of the prospectus supplement, the corresponding base shelf prospectus and any amendment to the documents may be obtained, without charge, from RBC Capital Markets by email at torontosyndicate@rbccm.com or phone at 416-842-6311, CIBC Capital Markets by email at mailbox.cibcdebtsyndication@cibc.com or phone at 416-594-8515 or Scotiabank by email at syndicate.toronto@scotiabank.com or phone at 416-863-7438. About Manulife Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada , we provide financial advice and insurance, operating as Manulife across Canada , Asia , and Europe , and primarily as John Hancock in the United States . Through Manulife Investment Management, the global brand for our Global Wealth and Asset Management segment, we serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2023, we had more than 38,000 employees, over 98,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 35 million customers. We trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto , New York , and the Philippine stock exchanges, and under '945' in Hong Kong . Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/manulife-announces-subordinated-debenture-issue-302321737.html SOURCE Manulife Financial Corporation
NoneGreater Victoria area emerging as life sciences hub, report finds
AP Business SummaryBrief at 6:23 p.m. ESTPretty much everyone has had their say on what has gone wrong at Manchester City . Every man, woman, pundit, player, manager and their dog have had a go at pinpointing what on earth has happened to the best football team in England. “They’ve lost their legs together, they’ve lost their confidence together,” Gary Neville reckoned . Advertisement “(Confidence) is a big part of it, that’s a mental issue as well,” said Ilkay Gundogan. And Pep Guardiola summed it up succinctly: “We struggle to score and we concede goals.” But as they laboured to an unconvincing but important victory at Leicester City , what was the mood among the only people who should really matter at any football club, the loyal, lifelong fans? GO DEEPER Analysing why Bernardo Silva said Man City 'played like U15s' at the end of the derby After winning four league titles and seven other trophies this decade, there was enough muscle memory to remember how to celebrate, but it had been a while. One victory in any match since October 26, one away win in the league since August, this was a rare thing in late 2024. There was no better way to end the year than with a long overdue victory and a clean sheet to boot. “Frustration has been the overriding feeling,” Simon, a City fan since 1996, tells The Athletic . “Have we got the transfer window wrong with an ageing squad? That’s what I’d look at. And we look so fragile, particularly on the counter. “Not having that ability to close teams out, not having that mentality to keep a clean sheet, which perhaps both come down to changing the defence every week.” It is a prescient comment. City keep their first away clean sheet in the Premier League since the opening day of the season and, despite some shaky moments and a huge miss from Jamie Vardy , it is obvious to suggest the fact Guardiola can name the same defence and keeper in successive matches for the first time since August is a sizeable factor. GO DEEPER Pep Guardiola thinks he is 'not good enough'. Does he have a point? More than most fanbases, City’s atmosphere tends to contrast sharply from home to away. Half-and-half scarf-wearing supporters/tourists fill up the Etihad with the sound of camera clicks to reflect the modern City, while the noisy hardcore regale the City of old with an always-boisterous away end. At the King Power Stadium, they barely stop singing from minute one to minute 95. Even before the goals, there is unity and defiance. Advertisement “It’s a ‘here we go again’ feeling at the Etihad when teams start to threaten us,” Simon adds. “I was really disappointed with a small minority booing at the end of the Everton game. Yes (football tourism) makes for an unusual atmosphere but they’ve paid for their ticket so let them enjoy themselves. “With that, it does bring a different air to the away games. And the real fans, the loyal fans, whether they’re new to the club or time honoured, are behind Pep 100 per cent. “These fans who say, ‘Pep out’, it’s ludicrous, he’s almost unsackable. It’s mostly online, you don’t hear it on the terraces. And that’s why I was alarmed at the Everton game, I hope that comes out of frustration that people are spending £85 ($107) for a children’s ticket to come and watch a game. “But as City fans we have gallows humour, we can still poke fun at ourselves. “And it could be worse, we could be Man United.” At the King Power, they are raucous, loud and unified. All 3,000 are singing Guardiola’s name, loud and proud, in the sixth minute of the match, as they are when he takes their acclaim at full-time. They sing, ‘We are staying up’ after Savinho ’s opening goal, they do the Poznan , they ask, ‘Is this the Etihad?’ as the home fans are so quiet. Gallows humour indeed. “Losing a few matches has probably triggered some emotions we haven’t felt in a while,” City fan Andy says after seeing his first victory in person since September. “It’s been incredibly frustrating and it’s also been hard watching Pep struggle mentally, he’s done so much for us for so many years. But it’s also pretty interesting as to what happens next, with him, with the squad, with the club.” Simon agrees: “I want to see how he (Pep) solves the problem. What crazy ideas has he got up his sleeve? We’re in a slump; has he got a plan that nobody can foresee? The kind of plan that in five years people are teaching in junior football? He’s done it before. Advertisement “I do feel for him, but in an exciting way, I want to see what he’s planning.” If Guardiola has a grand plan for how to fix City, he doesn’t unleash it against Leicester . It it mostly more of the same — nervous defending, some messy possession and an inability to regularly create chances. The difference here is, said nervous defending is not taken advantage of by a poor Leicester team, while City are clinical with the two good chances that come their way. “City are back,” they chanted after the final whistle. Maybe not quite yet, but this one felt good. (Top photo: Mark Leech/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)BY MELISSA GOLDIN Social media users are misrepresenting a Vermont Supreme Court ruling , claiming that it gives schools permission to vaccinate children even if their parents do not consent. The ruling addressed a lawsuit filed by Dario and Shujen Politella against Windham Southeast School District and state officials over the mistaken vaccination of their child against COVID-19 in 2021, when he was 6 years old. A lower court had dismissed the original complaint, as well as an amended version. An appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court was filed on Nov. 19. But the ruling by Vermont’s high court is not as far-reaching as some online have claimed. In reality, it concluded that anyone protected under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act, or PREP, Act is immune to state lawsuits. Here’s a closer look at the facts. CLAIM: The Vermont Supreme Court ruled that schools can vaccinate children against their parents’ wishes. THE FACTS: The claim stems from a July 26 ruling by the Vermont Supreme Court, which found that anyone protected by the PREP Act is immune to state lawsuits, including the officials named in the Politella’s suit. The ruling does not authorize schools to vaccinate children at their discretion. According to the lawsuit, the Politella’s son — referred to as L.P. — was given one dose of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination clinic held at Academy School in Brattleboro even though his father, Dario, told the school’s assistant principal a few days before that his son was not to receive a vaccination. In what officials described as a mistake, L.P. was removed from class and had a “handwritten label” put on his shirt with the name and date of birth of another student, L.K., who had already been vaccinated that day. L.P. was then vaccinated. Ultimately, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that officials involved in the case could not be sued. “We conclude that the PREP Act immunizes every defendant in this case and this fact alone is enough to dismiss the case,” the Vermont Supreme Court’s ruling reads. “We conclude that when the federal PREP Act immunizes a defendant, the PREP Act bars all state-law claims against that defendant as a matter of law.” The PREP Act , enacted by Congress in 2005, authorizes the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to issue a declaration in the event of a public health emergency providing immunity from liability for activities related to medical countermeasures, such as the administration of a vaccine, except in cases of “willful misconduct” that result in “death or serious physical injury.” A declaration against COVID-19 was issued on March 17, 2020. It is set to expire on Dec. 31. Federals suits claiming willful misconduct are filed in Washington. Social media users described the Vermont Supreme Court’s ruling as having consequences beyond what it actually says. “The Vermont Supreme Court has ruled that schools can force-vaccinate children for Covid against the wishes of their parents,” reads one X post that had been liked and shared approximately 16,600 times as of Tuesday. “The high court ruled on a case involving a 6-year-old boy who was forced to take a Covid mRNA injection by his school. However, his family had explicitly stated that they didn’t want their child to receive the ‘vaccines.’” Other users alleged that the ruling gives schools permission to give students any vaccine without parental consent, not just ones for COVID-19. Rod Smolla, president of the Vermont Law and Graduate School and an expert on constitutional law, told The Associated Press that the ruling “merely holds that the federal statute at issue, the PREP Act, preempts state lawsuits in cases in which officials mistakenly administer a vaccination without consent.” “Nothing in the Vermont Supreme Court opinion states that school officials can vaccinate a child against the instructions of the parent,” he wrote in an email. Related Articles National News | Are you a former SmileDirectClub customer? You might be eligible for a refund National News | Justice Department announces sweeping reforms to curb suicides in federal prisons and jails National News | Defense makes closing argument in murder trial of Cash App founder Bob Lee National News | A judge has once again rejected Musk’s multi-billion-dollar Tesla pay package. Now what? National News | Is Enron back? If it’s a joke, some former employees aren’t laughing Asked whether the claims spreading online have any merit, Ronald Ferrara, an attorney representing the Politellas, told the AP that although the ruling doesn’t say schools can vaccinate students regardless of parental consent, officials could interpret it to mean that they could get away with doing so under the PREP Act, at least when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines. He explained that the U.S. Supreme Court appeal seeks to clarify whether the Vermont Supreme Court interpreted the PREP Act beyond what Congress intended. “The Politella’s fundamental liberty interest to decide whether their son should receive elective medical treatment was denied by agents of the State and School,” he wrote in an email to the AP. “The Vermont Court misconstrues the scope of PREP Act immunity (which is conditioned upon informed consent for medical treatments unapproved by FDA), to cover this denial of rights and its underlying battery.” Ferrara added that he was not aware of the claims spreading online, but that he “can understand how lay people may conflate the court’s mistaken grant of immunity for misconduct as tantamount to blessing such misconduct.”A voter-approved Maine limit on PAC contributions sets the stage for a legal challenge
ASI suspendedHOUSTON (AP) — Tyler Herro scored 27 points before being one of six people ejected after a fight in the final minute of the Miami Heat’s 104-100 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night. Herro was thrown to the ground by the Rockets’ Amen Thompson with 35 seconds left and the Heat leading 99-94. Players and coaches from both benches then came onto the court. Both players were thrown out along with Rockets guard Jalen Green, coach Ime Udoka and assistant coach Ben Sullivan. Terry Rozier was also ejected for Miami. Houston led 92-85 after Fred VanVleet’s layup with 8:10 to play, but the Rockets missed their next 11 shots, allowing Miami to tie the game when Herro found Haywood Highsmith for a 3-pointer with 4:47 to play. Herro’s jumper with 1:56 to play put the Heat on top for good. MAGIC 102, NETS 101 ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Cole Anthony drove for a layup with 0.2 seconds left to complete Orlando's 17-point fourth-quarter comeback in a win over Brooklyn. Cam Thomas missed a jumper from the corner at the final horn. Anthony scored 10, and Tristan da Silva scored 13 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter for Orlando, which was down 71-51 midway through the third quarter. Goga Bitadze added 19 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. The Magic’s comeback was their second in eight days after Orlando rallied from 25 points down to beat Miami 121-114 on Dec. 21. Thomas came off the bench with 25 points to lead the Nets in his first game since Nov. 25. Jalen Wilson added 16 points including two free throws with 6.2 seconds left. Thomas, Brooklyn’s leading scorer with 24.7 points per game, played 25 minutes after missing 13 games with a strained left hamstring. PACERS 123, CELTICS 114 BOSTON (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton scored 31 points and Indiana rebounded from a 37-point loss to Boston two nights earlier by winning the rematch. Andrew Nembhard, who returned after missing Friday’s game with tendinitis in his left knee, added 17 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Pacers. Pascal Siakam chipped in with 17 points and Bennedict Mathurin had 14. Jaylen Brown led Boston with 31 points and six assists. Jayson Tatum had 22 points, nine boards and six assists. Payton Pritchard added 21 points and Derrick White scored 17. The Celtics lost their sixth game at home already this season. Last season, they went 37-4 at TD Garden during the regular season and 9-2 in the playoffs en route to the NBA championship. HAWKS 136, RAPTORS 107 TORONTO (AP) — Trae Young had 34 points and 10 assists, De’Andre Hunter scored 22 points and Atlanta routed Toronto for their fourth straight win. Clint Capela had 11 points and 13 rebounds as the Hawks opened a six-game trip by handing the reeling Raptors their 10th consecutive loss. Scottie Barnes scored 19 points and RJ Barrett had 17, but the Raptors fell behind by more than 30 points and allowed more than 130 for the second straight game. Toronto gave up a franchise-worst 155 points in Thursday’s loss at Memphis. Young shot 7 for 13 from 3-point range, singlehandedly making as many shots from distance than the entire Raptors team, who combined to go 7 for 24. Toronto’s Bruce Brown made his season debut after sitting out the first 31 games recovering from right knee surgery. Brown soared for a one-handed dunk for his first points shortly after entering the game in the first quarter. He finished with 12 points in 19 minutes. THUNDER 130, GRIZZLIES 106 OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points and Oklahoma City won their 11th straight game, beating short-handed Memphis in a matchup of Western Conference leaders that turned lopsided before halftime. Rookie Ajay Mitchell scored 17 points, Aaron Wiggins contributed 16 and Jalen Williams added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Thunder (26-5), who opened a five-game lead over second-place Memphis. Gilgeous-Alexander made 14 of 19 shots to go along with seven assists, six rebounds and a team-high four blocks. He sat most of the fourth quarter. Oklahoma City blocked nine shots, including three by center Isaiah Hartenstein. The Thunder led 76-50 at halftime behind 23 points from Gilgeous-Alexander and 12 each from Mitchell and Kenrich Williams, who combined to go 5 for 7 on 3-point shots. Oklahoma City outscored the Grizzlies 42-19 in the second quarter to take control. Desmond Bane had 22 points and nine rebounds for Memphis (22-11), which played without star Ja Morant (shoulder) and Zach Edey, the team’s No. 9 overall draft pick, who was in concussion protocol. Jay Huff added 17 points but Jaren Jackson Jr., the team’s leading scorer at 21.9 points per game, managed 13 points on 3-of-17 shooting. TIMBERWOLVES 112, SPURS 110 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Donte DiVincenzo scored 26 points as Minnesota defeated San Antonio. Rudy Gobert had 17 points and 15 rebounds for the Timberwolves, won won their third straight. Julius Randle had 16 points, while Jaden McDaniels added 12 points and 10 boards for Minnesota. Anthony Edwards, who earlier in the day was fined $100,000 for continued use of profanity in postgame media comments, was held to 14 points, 11 below his season average. After DiVincenzo made one of two free throws with 12.1 seconds left, the Spurs had one more possession down 112-110. San Antonio found a wide-open Jeremy Sochan for 3, but he came up short. Wembanyama led San Antonio with 34 points and eight rebounds. Harrison Barnes had 24 points, Devin Vassell had 22 and Chris Paul dished out 14 assists. The Associated Press
Thank You Rohit Sharma: Fans Demand India Captain's Retirement After Another Failure In IND vs AUS 4th TestThe Smartest Dividend Stocks to Buy With $2,000 Right NowShare Tweet Share Share Email Businesses are constantly seeking innovative ways to enhance customer experiences while optimizing operations. One powerful solution to achieve this is white-label payment solutions. These solutions allow businesses to offer secure, seamless, and branded payment experiences without the need to develop complex systems from scratch. By leveraging white-label technology, companies can focus on their core services while ensuring their payment systems are robust , scalable, and customizable. What Are White-Label Payment Solutions? White-label payment solutions refer to payment platforms and tools that are developed by a third party but can be rebranded and customized by businesses to appear as their own. These solutions offer businesses a ready-made infrastructure for accepting payments, which can be adapted to their specific needs. Essentially, the business can take a pre-built solution and apply its brand, style, and functionality to make it fit seamlessly into their operations. The term “white-label” refers to the concept of taking a product or service and “relabeling” it with your brand. In the context of payment systems, this means that companies can offer a full suite of payment processing tools—such as credit card payments, mobile wallet integration, and bank transfers—without needing to build the technology themselves. The Growing Importance of Custom Payment Experiences In a world where customers expect convenience, speed, and personalization, businesses must adapt their services to meet these demands. A seamless, frictionless payment experience is no longer just a nice-to-have feature; it is a necessity. Whether a customer is making a purchase online, in-app, or in a physical store, the payment experience must be fast, secure, and reliable. This is where white-label payment solutions come into play. They allow businesses to customize the payment experience to align with their brand identity, ensuring a cohesive customer journey. Custom payment experiences can significantly enhance customer satisfaction, leading to higher retention rates, increased loyalty, and more successful transactions. Key Benefits of White-Label Payment Solutions Cost-Effective and Time-Saving Building a payment system from the ground up is a complex, expensive, and time-consuming process. From developing the technology to ensuring compliance with various regulations, it requires significant investment. By choosing a white-label payment solution, businesses can bypass the need for extensive development and focus on integration and customization. This reduces both the time and the costs associated with payment processing. Moreover, since white-label solutions are already tested and optimized, businesses don’t have to worry about managing ongoing software updates, security issues, or compliance concerns. These are handled by the third-party provider, freeing up internal resources to focus on other aspects of the business. Faster Time to Market White-label payment solutions help businesses launch quickly by providing ready-made platforms that can be customized and branded within a short timeframe. With a pre-built payment infrastructure, businesses can deploy the system in a matter of weeks, not months or years. This faster time to market is crucial, especially for startups or small businesses looking to enter the market and establish themselves before competitors. Whether you are an e-commerce store, a mobile app developer, or a service provider, a white-label payment system ensures that you can start accepting payments and generating revenue without delay. Scalability and Flexibility As businesses grow, so do their payment needs. White-label payment solutions are designed to scale with your business. Whether you are expanding into new markets, adding more payment options, or handling a higher transaction volume, these solutions can grow alongside your company. Furthermore, white-label solutions offer the flexibility to tailor the payment system to meet evolving business requirements. Businesses can easily integrate new features, such as multi-currency support or mobile wallet compatibility, without disrupting the payment experience for customers . Enhanced Security and Compliance Security is a critical aspect of any payment system. With the increasing number of cyberattacks and data breaches, businesses must ensure that their payment solutions are secure and compliant with industry standards. White-label payment providers invest heavily in security protocols and technologies, such as encryption, tokenization, and fraud detection, to protect both the business and the customer. Additionally, these providers stay up-to-date with regulations such as Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance and regional regulations like GDPR in Europe. By using a white-label payment solution, businesses can rest assured that their payment systems meet the highest security standards and are in full compliance with relevant regulations. Improved Customer Experience A smooth and seamless payment experience is crucial for customer satisfaction. With white-label payment solutions, businesses can customize the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) to create an intuitive, branded payment process. This means customers can make payments easily, without friction or confusion. Customizing the payment flow allows businesses to incorporate specific features that suit their customer base, such as offering one-click payments, recurring billing, or multi-currency support. A tailored payment experience increases customer confidence and satisfaction, which can lead to more completed transactions and reduced cart abandonment. How White-Label Payment Solutions Work White-label payment solutions work by integrating with a business’s existing infrastructure, enabling them to accept payments securely and efficiently. Typically, businesses will integrate the payment solution through APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) or SDKs (Software Development Kits). These tools allow the payment platform to connect to the business’s website, mobile app, or point-of-sale (POS) system. The integration process involves configuring the solution to match the business’s brand elements, such as logos, color schemes, and payment methods. Once the payment system is integrated, businesses can start accepting payments from their customers. These payments are processed by the third-party provider, who handles the technical aspects of the transaction, such as encryption and fraud prevention. Key Features of White-Label Payment Solutions Multi-Payment Method Support: White-label solutions support a variety of payment methods, including credit and debit cards, digital wallets (like Apple Pay and Google Pay), bank transfers, and even cryptocurrency payments in some cases. This enables businesses to offer customers a wide range of payment options, ensuring flexibility and convenience. Customizable Payment Flow: Businesses can tailor the entire payment process, from the checkout page to the confirmation email. This customization extends to features such as tax calculations, shipping fees, and promotional discounts, all of which can be incorporated into the payment flow. Detailed Reporting and Analytics: Most white-label payment solutions come with built-in reporting and analytics tools. These tools allow businesses to track payments, monitor transaction history, and generate reports to optimize their operations. Advanced reporting capabilities can also help identify patterns, customer behavior, and potential fraud. Global Payment Support: Many white-label payment solutions support multi-currency transactions, allowing businesses to expand into international markets. Customers can make payments in their local currency, which reduces friction and enhances the overall user experience. Choosing the Right White-Label Payment Solution When selecting a white-label payment solution, businesses should consider several factors to ensure they choose the right provider. These include: Compatibility with Existing Systems: The solution should integrate smoothly with the business’s current website, app, or POS system. Compatibility ensures a seamless transition and reduces the time and effort required for integration. Security Features: Security should be a top priority. The solution should offer encryption, fraud detection, and compliance with industry standards. Customization Options: The level of customization offered by the provider is crucial. Look for a solution that allows you to brand the payment experience, adjust the payment flow, and add additional features as needed. Customer Support: A reliable customer support team is essential, especially when dealing with payment-related issues. Choose a provider that offers responsive, 24/7 support. Cost Structure: Consider the provider’s pricing model and how it aligns with your business’s budget. Some providers charge a flat fee per transaction, while others charge based on the volume of payments processed. Conclusion White-label payment solutions offer businesses the opportunity to create custom, branded payment experiences without the need for complex development and maintenance. By leveraging these solutions, businesses can save time and resources, reduce costs, and enhance their customers’ payment experience. The scalability, security, and flexibility of white-label payment solutions make them a valuable asset for businesses of all sizes , from startups to established enterprises. As the demand for seamless, secure payment systems continues to grow, adopting a white-label solution can help businesses stay ahead of the competition and provide exceptional customer service. Related Items: Multi-Payment Method Support , Payment Experiences , White-Label Payment Solutions Share Tweet Share Share Email Comments
A number of prominent pundits, including former City defender and club ambassador Micah Richards, have questioned why the Belgium international has not been starting games amid the champions’ dramatic slump. City have not won in seven outings in all competitions – their worst run since 2008 – with De Bruyne featuring only as a substitute in the last five of those matches after recovering from a pelvic injury. The latest came with a 12-minute run-out in Sunday’s demoralising 2-0 defeat at Premier League leaders Liverpool, a result which left City 11 points off the pace and fifth in the table. Richards said on The Rest is Football podcast it appeared “there’s some sort of rift going on” between De Bruyne and Guardiola while former England striker Gary Lineker added: “It seems like all’s not well.” Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said he felt “something isn’t right” and fellow Sky Sports analyst Gary Neville, the ex-Manchester United right-back, described the situation as “unusual, bizarre, strange”. Guardiola, speaking at a press conference to preview his side’s clash with Nottingham Forest, responded on Tuesday. The Spaniard said: “People say I’ve got a problem with Kevin. Do you think I like to not play with Kevin? No, I don’t want Kevin to play? “The guy who has the most talent in the final third, I don’t want it? I have a personal problem with him after nine years together? “He’s delivered to me the biggest success to this club, but he’s been five months injured (last season) and two months injured (this year). “He’s 33 years old. He needs time to find his best, like last season, step by step. He’ll try to do it and feel better. I’m desperate to have his best.” De Bruyne has not started since being forced off at half-time of City’s Champions League clash with Inter Milan on September 18, having picked up an injury in the previous game. Both the player and manager have spoken since of the pain he was in and the need to ease back into action, but his spell on the bench has been unexpectedly long. The resulting speculation has then been exacerbated because De Bruyne is in the final year of his contract but Guardiola maintains nothing untoward has occurred. He said: “I’d love to have the Kevin in his prime, 26 or 27. He would love it to – but he is not 26 or 27 any more. “He had injuries in the past, important and long ones. He is a guy who needs to be physically fit for his space and energy. You think I’m complaining? It’s normal, it’s nature. “He’s played in 10 or 11 seasons a lot of games and I know he is desperate to help us. He gives glimpses of brilliance that only he can have. “But, always I said, he himself will not solve our problems, like Erling (Haaland) won’t solve it himself. We attack and defend together. “We want the best players back. Hopefully step by step the confidence will come back and we’ll get the best of all of us.”For travelers, Puerto Rico is a floating island of desirability