Latest employment data shows little change in tech job market, CompTIA analysis findsU.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday tapped Jared Isaacman to lead NASA, selecting a billionaire private astronaut and business associate of Elon Musk to oversee an agency closely linked to the SpaceX founder's business. Isaacman, CEO of payment processing company Shift4 Payments, has flown to space twice on SpaceX capsules in fully private missions arranged by his Polaris program, working with Musk and spending hundreds of millions of dollars as a key customer of SpaceX's nascent private astronaut business. If confirmed by the Senate, Isaacman, who has no government or political experience, would oversee the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's roughly $25 billion budget. The agency's top priority has been returning humans to the moon under its Artemis program, an effort promoted by Trump during his first term that will lean heavily on SpaceX's Starship. "Jared will drive NASA's mission of discovery and inspiration, paving the way for groundbreaking achievements in Space science, technology, and exploration," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. Trump's pick for NASA came months earlier than in past presidential transitions as Musk, SpaceX's CEO and founder as well as major donor to Trump's election campaign, has used his close proximity to the president-elect to discuss missions to Mars and other space exploration matters that could boost SpaceX. Trump attended SpaceX's sixth Starship test launch in Texas last month. Isaacman, 41, is expected to deepen the agency's strategy of depending on private companies for accessing space as a commercial service. This has posed an existential threat to NASA's Space Launch System rocket, a massive, over-budget launch vehicle built by Boeing and Northrop Grumman and a crucial element of its Artemis program alongside Starship. "Space holds unparalleled potential for breakthroughs in manufacturing, biotechnology, mining, and perhaps even pathways to new sources of energy," Isaacman said in a statement, adding he is "passionate about America leading the most incredible adventure in human history." Isaacman would also command the agency's aeronautics portfolio, which has been funding green aviation concepts, and a sprawling space science unit that in some areas has faced layoffs and budget cuts under Democratic President Joe Biden. NASA's last two appointed administrators were former politicians. Trump's first NASA chief, former Oklahoma congressman Jim Bridenstine, launched the Artemis program and persuaded Congress to increase the agency's budget to fund it. Biden appointed former U.S. Senator Bill Nelson of Florida to run NASA. Dozens of space industry veterans and lobbyists had recommended candidates for NASA chief including SpaceX's Kathy Lueders, who has overseen the company's Starship operation in Texas, and California Republican Representative Mike Garcia, who lost reelection last month, according to five people close to the nomination effort. Isaacman in September was one of four crew members to conduct the first-ever private spacewalk in orbit, using new SpaceX-built spacesuits in a novel mission he helped bankroll.The SEMAF factory, part of the Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI), has signed a cooperation protocol with the Egyptian National Railways Industries Company (NERIC) to produce advanced railway and metro trains for both domestic needs and export to African and Arab markets. The collaboration will promote the “Made in Egypt” brand, advancing local manufacturing and technological localization. This partnership is aligned with the strategic goals of the Arab Organization for Industrialization, which seeks to deepen local manufacturing capabilities and promote technology transfer as part of Egypt’s Vision 2030 for sustainable development. The organization continues to make progress by fostering cooperation, forming key partnerships, and attracting investment to boost Egypt’s industrial sector. Mokhtar Abdel Latif, Chairperson of the Arab Organization for Industrialization, emphasized the importance of this collaboration in strengthening Egypt’s railway and metro infrastructure. He noted that the initiative would not only benefit the national industry and economy but also help reduce dependency on imports. “The goal is to establish a joint alliance capable of meeting the Ministry of Transport’s needs with high-quality, locally manufactured products bearing the ‘Made in Egypt’ label,” said Abdel Latif. “This includes supplying rolling stock and components, both locally and internationally sourced, while ensuring compliance with global standards. It also supports the government’s industrial localization efforts and overall development strategies.” Abdel Latif also highlighted SEMAF’s leadership in the railway industry, particularly its success in increasing local manufacturing and adopting advanced technologies. SEMAF recently earned a quality management certification for its railway manufacturing processes, opening doors to new international partnerships, marketing opportunities, and export potential. This achievement positions SEMAF to secure global contracts and attract investments in the railway, metro, and smart transportation sectors. Karim Sami Saad, a board member of NERIC, expressed pride in the partnership with the Arab Organization for Industrialization, calling it the backbone of Egypt’s industrial sector. He praised the organization’s track record in delivering projects with high efficiency, top-quality standards, and timely completion, including post-sales maintenance services. “This collaboration will significantly benefit the Egyptian economy by leveraging our national manufacturing capabilities to design and produce cutting-edge railway and metro rolling stock and components,” Saad said. “The partnership will contribute to sustainable development and support key infrastructure projects across Egypt and beyond.”jili super ace logo 。

EXCLUSIVE Sadiq Khan warned he 'risks bringing New York-style drugs chaos to the capital' over fears London mayor could introduce softer cannabis laws By BRENDAN CARLIN Published: 22:00, 28 December 2024 | Updated: 22:20, 28 December 2024 e-mail 21 View comments The spectre of Sadiq Khan bringing 'New York-style drugs chaos' to the UK was raised last night. Critics raised fears that a new report ordered by the London Labour mayor will next month call for a major liberalisation of Britain's laws on cannabis. They pointed out that the London Drugs Commission is led by Labour peer Charlie Falconer, who has spoken of his regret for 'supporting the war on drugs'. Created two years ago, the commission was asked by Mr Khan to look at the effectiveness of the UK's drug laws but with a specific focus on cannabis, which in this country remains a class B drug. It was set up in May 2022 – the same time as the London mayor toured a cannabis dispensary in California and visited New York, which legalised the personal use of cannabis in 2021. But last night critics at the centre-Right think-tank Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) warned against any plans for the UK to copy the US, saying that the legalisation in New York State had failed to eliminate the illegal market for cannabis. CSJ deputy policy director Sophia Worringer, who recently joined the NYPD on a patrol, told The Mail on Sunday: 'The persistent smog of cannabis that hangs across Manhattan Island could not possibly be sustained by the small handful of official cannabis shops regulated to sell it. 'Despite the legal options, people still prefer their old illegal dealers – who can promise a to-the-door-service of much stronger stuff all while undercutting the legal market.' Critics raised fears that a new report ordered by the London Labour mayor will next month call for a major liberalisation of Britain's laws on cannabis The London mayor visited New York in 2022, which has legalised the personal use of cannabis She added that the legal framework on drug use in New York was now 'confused' and that 'cops feel hamstrung to enforce the law because drug taking is so widespread. The legalisation of cannabis sends a message about the harmless nature of casual drug-taking.' She concluded: 'The last thing in London – or anywhere in the UK for that matter – is to import a similar chaos to NYC by liberalising drug laws'. This month, the CSJ released research that found three-quarters of police here thought that current drug-possession policies were ineffective, and two-thirds said cannabis had effectively been decriminalised already. But the think-tank has warned that where drug laws have been liberalised, such as in Portugal and parts of the US, it has led to an increase in addictions. The London Drugs Commission, involving experts from the worlds of criminal justice, public health and academia, had been expected to report last autumn. However, Mr Khan, who has said he has an 'open mind' about decriminalising cannabis, said then that the issue was 'on the back-burner'. But yesterday, sources said the commission's research was now complete and was expected to be published in January. Sadiq Khan has said he has an 'open mind' about decriminalising cannabis In 2018, former justice secretary Lord Falconer called on his party to fight 'for an end to the drug war and commit to the legal regulation of drug production'. But last night, he declined to comment ahead of the report's publication. Sir Keir Starmer said before the election that he had 'no intention' of changing drug laws and a government source said last night that remained the position. Share or comment on this article: Sadiq Khan warned he 'risks bringing New York-style drugs chaos to the capital' over fears London mayor could introduce softer cannabis laws e-mail Add comment

Widowed songwriter has new songs, but sons aren’t all earsThe Gender-Based Violence Unit of the Ministry of Social and Community Development, Housing and Gender Affairs wishes to raise urgent awareness about a pressing issue in our society: gender-based violence. This silent epidemic not only violates fundamental human rights but also inflicts harm on our communities, affecting individuals and families alike. In observance of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence from 25 November to 10 December, we invite the public to participate in activities aimed at raising awareness and fostering dialogue around this critical issue. One of the highlights of our campaign will be a commemorative National Candlelight Vigil, which will take place on 5 December from 5 pm – 7:30 pm at the Esplanade Mall. This solemn event serves as a powerful reminder of the impact of gender-based violence and an opportunity for the community to come together in solidarity. Attendees will have the chance to honour survivors, remember those we have lost, and commit to taking action against violence in all its forms. Senator the Hon. Gloria Thomas, Minister for Social and Community Development, Housing, and Gender Affairs emphasised at the church service launch for 16 Days of Activism, “This campaign isn’t just for government or organisations, it is for all of us collectively, each of us has a role to play in preventing violence by speaking out, offering support, reporting and challenging harmful behaviours.” Your presence matters. Please make every effort to attend this important event. Together, we can raise our voices, shine a light on this hidden issue, and work towards creating a safer, more equitable society for all. Information booths will be available starting at 3 pm, offering resources and support for anyone seeking more information about gender-based violence. Our team will be on hand to answer questions, distribute literature, and offer guidance on available services. For more information about the vigil and other activities during the 16 Days of Activism, please contact the Division of Gender and Family Affairs at 440-7952. Ministry of Social and Community Development, Housing and Gender AffairsDELRAY BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A high-speed passenger train collided with a fire truck at a crossing Saturday morning in Florida, injuring three firefighters and at least a dozen train passengers, authorities said. The crash happened at 10:45 a.m. in crowded downtown Delray Beach, multiple news outlets reported. The Brightline train was stopped on the tracks, its front destroyed, about a block away from the Delray Beach Fire Rescue truck, its ladder ripped off and strewn in the grass several yards away, The Sun-Sentinel reported . The Delray Beach Fire Rescue said in a social media post that three Delray Beach firefighters were in stable condition at a hospital. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue took 12 people from the train to the hospital with minor injuries. Emmanuel Amaral rushed to the scene on his golf cart after hearing a loud crash and screeching train brakes from where he was having breakfast a couple of blocks away. He saw firefighters climbing out of the window of their damaged truck and pulling injured colleagues away from the tracks. One of their helmets came to rest several hundred feet away from the crash. “The front of that train is completely smashed, and there was even some of the parts to the fire truck stuck in the front of the train, but it split the car right in half. It split the fire truck right in half, and the debris was everywhere,” Amaral said. Brightline officials did not immediately comment on the crash. A spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board said it was still gathering information about the crash and had not decided yet whether it will investigate. The NTSB is already investigating two crashes involving Brightline’s high-speed trains that killed three people early this year at the same crossing along the railroad’s route between Miami and Orlando. More than 100 people have died after being hit by trains since Brightline began operations in July 2017 — giving the railroad the worst death rate in the nation. But most of those deaths have been either suicides, pedestrians who tried to run across the tracks ahead of a train or drivers who went around crossing gates instead of waiting for a train to pass. Brightline has not been found to be at fault in those previous deaths. Railroad safety has been a concern since a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, in February 2023, spilling toxic chemicals that caught fire. Regulators urged the industry to improve safety and members of Congress proposed a package of reforms, but railroads have not made many major changes to their operations and the bill has stalled. Earlier this month the two operators of a Union Pacific train were killed after it collided with a semitrailer truck that was blocking a crossing in the small West Texas town of Pecos. Three other people were injured, and the local Chamber of Commerce building was damaged. Associated Press writers Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, Chevel Johnson in New Orleans and Julie Walker in New York contributed.

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Latest employment data shows little change in tech job market, CompTIA analysis findsNEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers urged a judge again Friday to throw out his hush money conviction, balking at the prosecution’s suggestion of preserving the verdict by treating the case the way some courts do when a defendant dies. They called the idea “absurd.” The Manhattan district attorney’s office is asking Judge Juan M. Merchan to “pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful,” Trump’s lawyers wrote in a blistering 23-page response. In court papers made public Tuesday, District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books after Trump’s lawyers filed paperwork earlier this month asking for the case to be dismissed. They include freezing the case until Trump leaves office in 2029, agreeing that any future sentence won’t include jail time, or closing the case by noting he was convicted but that he wasn’t sentenced and his appeal wasn’t resolved because of presidential immunity. Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove reiterated Friday their position that the only acceptable option is overturning his conviction and dismissing his indictment, writing that anything less will interfere with the transition process and his ability to lead the country. The Manhattan district attorney’s office declined comment. It’s unclear how soon Merchan will decide. He could grant Trump’s request for dismissal, go with one of the prosecution’s suggestions, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court, or choose some other option. In their response Friday, Blanche and Bove ripped each of the prosecution’s suggestions. Halting the case until Trump leaves office would force the incoming president to govern while facing the “ongoing threat” that he’ll be sentenced to imprisonment, fines or other punishment as soon as his term ends, Blanche and Bove wrote. Trump, a Republican, takes office Jan. 20. “To be clear, President Trump will never deviate from the public interest in response to these thuggish tactics,” the defense lawyers wrote. “However, the threat itself is unconstitutional.” The prosecution’s suggestion that Merchan could mitigate those concerns by promising not to sentence Trump to jail time on presidential immunity grounds is also a non-starter, Blanche and Bove wrote. The immunity statute requires dropping the case, not merely limiting sentencing options, they argued. Blanche and Bove, both of whom Trump has tabbed for high-ranking Justice Department positions, expressed outrage at the prosecution’s novel suggestion that Merchan borrow from Alabama and other states and treat the case as if Trump had died. Blanche and Bove accused prosecutors of ignoring New York precedent and attempting to “fabricate” a solution “based on an extremely troubling and irresponsible analogy between President Trump” who survived assassination attempts in Pennsylvania in July and Florida in September “and a hypothetical dead defendant.” Such an option normally comes into play when a defendant dies after being convicted but before appeals are exhausted. It is unclear whether it is viable under New York law, but prosecutors suggested that Merchan could innovate in what’s already a unique case. “This remedy would prevent defendant from being burdened during his presidency by an ongoing criminal proceeding,” prosecutors wrote in their filing this week. But at the same time, it wouldn’t “precipitously discard” the “meaningful fact that defendant was indicted and found guilty by a jury of his peers.” Prosecutors acknowledged that “presidential immunity requires accommodation” during Trump’s impending return to the White House but argued that his election to a second term should not upend the jury’s verdict, which came when he was out of office. Longstanding Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution . Other world leaders don’t enjoy the same protection. For example, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on trial on corruption charges even as he leads that nation’s wars in Lebanon and Gaza . Trump has been fighting for months to reverse his May 30 conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records . Prosecutors said he fudged the documents to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier, which Trump denies. In their filing Friday, Trump’s lawyers citing a social media post in which Sen. John Fetterman used profane language to criticize Trump’s hush money prosecution. The Pennsylvania Democrat suggested that Trump deserved a pardon, comparing his case to that of President Joe Biden’s pardoned son Hunter Biden, who had been convicted of tax and gun charges . “Weaponizing the judiciary for blatant, partisan gain diminishes the collective faith in our institutions and sows further division,” Fetterman wrote Wednesday on Truth Social. Trump’s hush money conviction was in state court, meaning a presidential pardon — issued by Biden or himself when he takes office — would not apply to the case. Presidential pardons only apply to federal crimes. Since the election, special counsel Jack Smith has ended his two federal cases , which pertained to Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and allegations that he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A separate state election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, is largely on hold. Trump denies wrongdoing in all. Trump had been scheduled for sentencing in the hush money case in late November. But following Trump’s Nov. 5 election victory, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed the former and future president’s sentencing so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case. Merchan also delayed a decision on Trump’s prior bid to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. A dismissal would erase Trump’s conviction, sparing him the cloud of a criminal record and possible prison sentence. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office.

CHICAGO (AP) — N.J. Benson had 22 points and 17 rebounds in DePaul's 84-65 victory over Loyola Maryland on Saturday. Benson added 17 rebounds for the Blue Demons (9-4). Jacob Meyer added 12 points while shooting 4 for 11 (0 for 3 from 3-point range) and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line while they also had five rebounds. CJ Gunn went 4 of 11 from the field (1 for 5 from 3-point range) to finish with 11 points. The Greyhounds (5-6) were led in scoring by Jacob Theodosiou, who finished with 22 points. Milos Ilic added 13 points, six rebounds and two steals for Loyola (MD). Jordan Stiemke had 10 points. DePaul took the lead with 18:45 left in the first half and did not relinquish it. Benson led their team in scoring with 14 points in the first half to help put them up 44-26 at the break. DePaul extended its lead to 64-36 during the second half, fueled by an 8-0 scoring run. Isaiah Rivera scored a team-high 10 points in the second half as his team closed out the win. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

jili super ace logo png In conclusion, Neymar's decision not to join Barcelona was a strategic move that took into consideration his career prospects and potential risks. By choosing to remain at PSG and avoid uncertainties surrounding his registration, Neymar has demonstrated a level-headed approach to his career that reflects his growth as a player and individual. As Neymar continues to excel on the football field, his decision-making off the pitch will undoubtedly shape his legacy as one of the game's most talented and thoughtful players.One of the key features of the "Peace of Mind Service" plan is the integration of online ordering and delivery services for local businesses. Through partnerships with various merchants and service providers, Gaode Maps now allows users to place orders for food, groceries, and other products directly through the app, with the option for fast and reliable delivery to their doorstep. This not only supports local businesses by expanding their reach to a larger customer base but also enhances the convenience and accessibility of these services for users.As the trial drew to a close, the judge announced a recess to deliberate the evidence and reach a verdict. The families of the victims clung to each other for support, praying for justice to be served. The defendants, facing the prospect of a lifetime behind bars, awaited their fate with a sense of resignation.

The Nanjing office is strategically located in the heart of the city, providing Amazon with a strong foothold in East China and easy access to a large pool of talented professionals in the region. This move comes as part of Amazon's broader strategy to grow its Global Store operations in China, offering customers access to a wider selection of products from around the world.

As the countdown to the release of "GTA 6" continues, the gaming community is holding its collective breath in anticipation of what promises to be a groundbreaking addition to the franchise. And as developers work behind the scenes to ensure that their own games do not collide with the juggernaut that is "GTA 6", one thing is clear: in the fast-paced world of gaming, timing is everything.In recent months, the rental housing market in many cities across the country has been experiencing some positive changes. With supportive policies being implemented in various regions, the market has shown signs of a mild recovery, offering a glimmer of hope for both landlords and tenants alike.Best Coins to Invest in Now: Qubetics Targets $0.25 Post-Presale with $10+ Forecast, Cosmos Expands AI Vision, EOS Powers Next-Gen Web3 ExperiencesIn addition to the beloved character of Nezha, the sequel will introduce new characters and villains that will add depth and complexity to the story. The screenwriters and animators have crafted a narrative that balances action-packed sequences with heartfelt moments, ensuring that audiences will be fully immersed in the world of "Nezha: The Demon Child Makes Waves."

Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time

Elon Musk says the Securities and Exchange Commission wants him to pay a penalty or face charges involving what he disclosed — or failed to disclose — about his purchases of Twitter stock before he bought the social media platform in 2022. In a letter posted by Musk on the platform now called X, his lawyer Alex Spiro tells the outgoing SEC chairman, Gary Gensler, that the commission's demand for a monetary payment is a “misguided scheme” that won't intimidate Musk. The letter also alleges that the commission reopened an investigation this week into Neuralink, Musk's computer-to-human brain interface company. The SEC has not released the letter. Nor would it comment on it or confirm whether it has issued such a demand to Musk. “It is the policy of the SEC to conduct investigations on a confidential basis to preserve the integrity of its investigative process,” an agency spokesperson said in an email Friday. Messages also were left Friday by The Associated Press seeking comment from Spiro. In the letter, Spiro says he is responding to demands from SEC staff members about a multi-year investigation of “certain purchases, sales and disclosures of Twitter shares.” In addition, Spiro is demanding to know who directed the actions. Musk bought Twitter in October 2022 for $44 billion. But a lawsuit filed by a Twitter investor in April 2022 accused Musk of violating a regulatory deadline to reveal that he had accumulated a stake of at least 5%. Instead, according to the complaint, Musk failed to disclose his position in Twitter until he had nearly doubled his stake to more than 9%. That strategy, the lawsuit alleges, hurt ordinary investors who sold shares in the San Francisco company in the nearly two weeks before Musk acknowledged that he held a major stake in Twitter. Eventually, the disclosure of Musk's stake in Twitter caused the value of its shares to soar 27% from its April 1 close to nearly $50 by the end of trading on April 4. That improper delay, according to the lawsuit, deprived investors who had sold shares before Musk's stake in the company was publicly known of the opportunity to realize significant gains. Musk has been engaged in a running battle with the SEC since 2018. That was when he and Tesla, his electric car company, each agreed to pay $20 million in fines over tweets Musk had made about having amassed the necessary funding to take Tesla private. Such a transition never happened; Tesla remains a public company. Musk sought to overturn part of the settlement that required him to have his postings about Tesla reviewed by a Tesla attorney. That provision, he had contended, violated his free speech rights. The dispute made its way to the Supreme Court, which rejected Musk's appeal without comment. Gensler, who was nominated to lead the SEC by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would step down from his post on Jan. 20, when Donald Trump will be inaugurated as president. Trump has announced that intends to nominate cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins to chair the SEC. Trump has named Musk as co-chair of a “Department of Government Efficiency” to try to reform the federal government.Sun Yingsha's humility and warmth shone through as she patiently interacted with each child, encouraging them to pursue their passion for table tennis and strive for excellence in all their endeavors. Her positive attitude and genuine interest in connecting with her young fans left a lasting impression on everyone present, creating a memorable experience that will be cherished for years to come.

In the meantime, the tennis world will continue to buzz with excitement and anticipation, as fans eagerly await the next chapter in Mamadashvili's journey. One thing is for certain – when he does make his comeback, Mamadashvili will be met with thunderous applause and unwavering support from fans around the world.If you’re on the lookout for , you're in luck. Some of our favorite models are already on sale, with some prices expected to drop even further when the big day arrives. Specifically, Ninja's air fryers see some of the best discounts during the across a range of top-selling devices, with almost every model seeing a significant price cut in recent years. I've tested most of Ninja's current line-up of speedy cookers, and I can confidently say the hype is well-deserved. When reviewing air fryers, I'm looking for even, crisp results, quick cooking times, a versatile range of cooking modes and presets and a form factor that suits the modern kitchen; Ninja delivers time and again. However, there are three specific models that I think will be the ones to watch this year. 1. Ninja Air Fryer / Air Fryer Max Looking for an air fryer under $100 or pounds? The standard Ninja Air Fryer has you covered. The smaller, 4qt model is excellent for students, people who live alone or first-timers, and costs just $89 / £99. It remains one of the most popular air fryers sold by Ninja for its simplicity and effectiveness, offering four cooking modes. And if you need a little more capacity you can opt for the Ninja Air Fryer Max with its 5qt capacity. Both of these models usually see pretty hefty discounts during sales events like Black Friday, with the best price we’ve seen on the 4qt model being this year’s sales price of $59 / £68, and the 5qt model dropping as low as $79 or £99. Read our full . 2. Ninja Double Stack XL We think this is one of the you can buy, and it’s the one I personally use at home. Instead of the wide form factor sported by other dual basket air fryers, the double stack, well, double stacks its baskets, offering an unparalleled blend of cooking countertop real estate. If you want to air fry larger foods like a pizza, you’re out of luck, but the Double Stack still offers all the same great features as other Ninja air fryers with its six cooking modes as well as Sync and Match cooking functions, earning it five stars in our review. The XL model, which we’d recommend due to its larger capacity, usually retails for $229 / £269, but we’ve seen it drop as low as $179 / £219 in previous sales events. Read our full 3. Ninja Foodi FlexBasket / FlexDrawer Last but not least is the immense Ninja Foodi FlexBasket – or FlexDrawer, if you’re in the UK. On the other end of the spectrum from the Double Stack is this behemoth air fryer. It features a removable divider to transform its two cooking zones into one Megazone, meaning you can cook larger foods like a whole chicken. It’s an excellent choice for larger households, though you’ll need a fair amount of space to house it. Again, there are two size variations; however, the US fairly exclusively stocks the six-setting 7qt model for $179, while the UK mainly stocks the £279 seven-setting 10.4L model. Both are great, and offer the same sync and match cooking functions. The lowest prices we’ve seen for these models are an astonishing $99 and a slightly more mediocre £179, respectively. Read our full .ASML INVESTOR ALERT: Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP Announces that ASML Holding N.V. Investors with Substantial Losses Have Opportunity to Lead Investor Class Action Lawsuit

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The rising price of paying the national debt is a risk for Trump's promises on growth and inflation WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has big plans for the economy. He also has big debt problem that'll be a hurdle to delivering on those plan. Trump has bold ambitions on tax cuts, tariffs and other programs. But high interest rates and the price of repaying the federal government’s existing debt could limit what he’s able to do. The federal debt stands at roughly $36 trillion, and the spike in inflation after the pandemic has pushed up the government’s borrowing costs such that debt service next year will easily exceed spending on national security. 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator' make gravity-defying theater debuts NEW YORK (AP) — “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” have debuted in theaters with a combined $270 million in ticket sales. Their worldwide performance breathed fresh life into global box office results that have struggled lately. Together the films turned the moviegoing weekend into one of the busiest of the year. Jon M. Chu’s lavish big-budget musical “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, debuted with $114 million domestically and $164.2 million globally. Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” is a sequel to his 2000 best picture-winning original and launched with $55.5 million in ticket sales. “Moana 2” is being released Wednesday, so it looks like Hollywood might be looking at historic sales over the Thanksgiving holiday. Trump's Republican Party is increasingly winning union voters. It's a shift seen in his labor pick WASHINGTON (AP) — Working-class voters helped Republicans make steady election gains this year and expanded a coalition that increasingly includes rank-and-file union members. It's a political shift spotlighting one of President-elect Donald Trump’s latest Cabinet picks: a GOP congresswoman, who has drawn labor support, to be his labor secretary. Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her bid for a second term this month, despite strong backing from union members. They're a key part of the Democratic base but are gravitating in the Trump era toward a Republican Party traditionally allied with business interests. Trump raced to pick many Cabinet posts. He took more time to settle on a treasury secretary WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump launched a blitz of picks for his Cabinet, but he took his time settling on billionaire investor Scott Bessent as his choice for treasury secretary. The Republican not only wanted someone who jibes with him, but an official who can execute his economic vision and look straight out of central casting while doing so. With his Yale University education and pedigree trading for Soros Fund Management before establishing his own funds, Bessent will be tasked with a delicate balancing act. Trump expects him to help reset the global trade order, enable trillions of dollars in tax cuts, ensure inflation stays in check, manage a ballooning national debt and still keep the financial markets confident. Trump chooses Bessent to be treasury secretary, Vought as budget chief, Chavez-DeRemer for Labor WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has chosen hedge fund manager Scott Bessent, an advocate for deficit reduction, to serve as his next treasury secretary. Bessent, 62, is founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management. He previously had worked on and off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. Trump also said he would nominate Russell Vought, 48, to lead the Office of Management and Budget, a position he held during Trump's first term. And Trump chose Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, an Oregon Republican, as his labor secretary, and Scott Turner, a former football player who worked in Trump’s first administration, as his housing secretary. Afraid of losing the US-Canada trade pact, Mexico alters its laws and removes Chinese parts MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico has been taking a bashing for allegedly serving as a conduit for Chinese parts and products into North America. Officials here are terrified that a re-elected Donald Trump or politically struggling Justin Trudeau could simply expel their country from the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement. Mexico's ruling Morena party is so afraid its has gone on a campaign to get companies to replace Chinese parts with locally made ones. And its legislators are consciously tweaking the wording of major laws to try to make them compatible with the trade pact's language. Mexico hopes the rules of the trade pact would prevent the U.S. or Canada from simply walking away. Australia withdraws a misinformation bill after critics compare it to censorship CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s government has withdrawn a bill that would give a media watchdog power to monitor digital platforms and require them to keep records about misinformation and disinformation on their networks. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said Sunday that the government was unable to drum up the support needed to pass the legislation. The opposition spokesman, David Coleman, said the bill “betrayed our democracy” and amounted to “censorship laws in Australia.” The bill would have granted the Australian Communications and Media Authority power over digital platforms by approving an enforceable code of conduct or standards for social media companies if self-regulation fell short. He'll be the last meatpacker in the Meatpacking District. Here's how NYC's gritty 'hood got chic NEW YORK (AP) — The last meatpackers in New York's Meatpacking District have agreed to end their leases early and make way for development on their city-owned lot. A third-generation meatpacker says he is ready to retire and he'll be proud to be there when the building closes. The closure date has not been set, but will mark the end of over a century of industrial life in the Meatpacking District. Starting in the 1970s, a new nightlife scene emerged as bars and nightclubs moved in. Today it's a hub for shopping, tourism, and recreation and only echoes of that grit remain. US budget airlines are struggling. Will pursuing premium passengers solve their problems? DALLAS (AP) — Delta and United Airlines have become the most profitable U.S. airlines by targeting premium customers while also winning a significant share of budget travelers. That is squeezing smaller low-fare carriers like Spirit Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday. Some travel industry experts think Spirit’s troubles indicate less-wealthy passengers will have fewer choices and higher prices. Other discount airlines are on better financial footing but also are lagging far behind the full-service airlines when it comes to recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Most industry experts think Frontier and other so-called ultra-low-cost carriers will fill the vacuum if Spirit shrinks, and that there's still plenty of competition to prevent prices from spiking. What to know about Scott Bessent, Trump's pick for treasury secretary WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has chosen money manager Scott Bessent, an advocate for deficit reduction and deregulation, to serve as his next treasury secretary. Bessent is a past supporter of Democrats who has become an enthusiastic supporter of Trump. He’s an advocate of cutting spending while extending the tax cuts approved by Congress in Trump’s first term. He has said tariffs imposed during a second Trump administration would be directed primarily at China.

All four teams are still in contention for the NFC West, and Week 15's edition of "Thursday Night Football" could play a significant role in deciding the division. The Rams will visit the 49ers to kick off the week's action, with San Fransisco only trailing Los Angeles by one game in the standings. Seattle currently leads the NFC West, but the two teams facing off Thursday are still very much alive in the chase for either a division crown or an NFC wild-card spot. After a 1-4 start to the year, the Rams have found new life. They've won six of their last eight games, capping their recent success with a 44-42 victory over the Josh Allen and the Bills last week in a shootout. Matthew Stafford threw for 320 yards in the win, a season-high for the veteran quarterback, and he has Los Angeles' offense rolling right now with both of his star wide receivers healthy. Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp have been arguably the league's most dominant receiving duo when on the field in 2024. Nacua, who became a star in his rookie season last year, is fresh off of a 162-yard game vs. Buffalo, while Kupp has three 100-plus yard games so far this season. On the other side of things, San Fransisco got a much-needed win over the Bears last week after three-straight losses. It'd be tough for the 49ers to make the playoffs, especially after recent injuries to both Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason in the backfield to add into various injury issues all year. But San Fransisco still has a chance, and Kyle Shanahan's squad still has a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. Although Deebo Samuel hasn't had his usual star production in 2024, he remains a dangerous weapon for the 49ers. George Kittle has remained one of the game's superstar tight ends. And Brock Purdy continues to get the job done for San Fransisco, coming off a 325-yard game vs. Chicago. The winner of Thursday's matchup will be in a much better spot to make a late-season playoff push, while the other could see their postseason odds begin to plummet. The Sporting News is tracking live scoring updates and highlights from Rams vs. 49ers on "Thursday Night Football" in Week 15. Follow along with the action below. MORE: Updated NFL Draft order heading into Week 15 Rams vs. 49ers score Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 F Rams - - - - - 49ers - - - - - Rams vs. 49ers live updates, results, highlights from Week 15 'Thursday Night Football' game (All times ET) 7:58 p.m. — Approaching game time in San Fransisco, Fred Warner is fired up. "THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL AT OUR CRIB" 😤 @49ers | #TNFonPrime pic.twitter.com/YmcmII2ndl 6:56 p.m. — For the Rams, CB Cobie Durant is among their inactives for this matchup. The full list can be found linked through the team's social media post: CB Cobie Durant, OLB Brennan Jackson + more inactive for Week 15. ⤵️ 6:55 p.m. — Good news for San Fransisco's defense: Not only is Greenlaw back, but Nick Bosa will play tonight as well. Here's a look at the 49ers' inactives list: 49ers defense officially has back Nick Bosa and Dre Greenlaw tonight vs. the Rams. 49ers rookie RB Isaac Guerendo also officially is active. 49ers inactives tonight: QB Joshua Dobbs LT Trent Williams DL Khalil Davis S Malik Mustapha RB Israel Abanikanda CB Rock Ya-Sin 6:35 p.m. — 49ers LB Dre Greenlaw will be playing in his first game since last year's Super Bowl tonight. Greenlaw tore his Achilles in that matchup vs. the Chiefs, but will now be back in action. 10 months after tearing his Achilles in Super Bowl LVIII, @49ers LB Dre Greenlaw is back and ready for TNF 👏 #LARvsSF -- 8:15pm ET on Prime Video Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/ST2ucnlB59 Rams vs. 49ers start time Date: Thursday, Dec. 12 Time: 8:15 p.m. ET Thursday's matchup between the Rams and 49ers will kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET from Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. MORE NFL: Week 15 NFL Power Rankings Week 15 NFL picks straight-up Week 15 NFL picks against the spread NFL Draft order heading into Week 15 NFL playoff picture heading into Week 15 What channel is Rams vs. 49ers on today? TV channel: N/A Live stream: Amazon Prime Video (U.S.) | DAZN NFL (Canada) "Thursday Night Football" will not air on national television. Fans can stream the game exclusively on Amazon Prime Video . Viewers in Canada can stream the game on DAZN . NFL HQ: Live NFL scores | Updated NFL standings | Full NFL schedule Rams remaining 2024 schedule Here's a look at Los Angeles' final three games of the regular season after Week 15. Date Matchup Time (ET) Dec. 22 at Jets 1 p.m. TBD vs. Cardinals TBD TBD vs. Seahawks TBD WEEK 15 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kickers 49ers remaining 2024 schedule Here's a look at the final stretch of the regular season for the 49ers. Date Matchup Time (ET) Dec. 22 at Dolphins 4:25 p.m. Dec. 30 vs. Lions 8:15 p.m. TBD at Cardinals TBD If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Learn more >An Aroostook County winter festival will move its snowmobile races from Caribou to Presque Isle to take advantage of better conditions. The third annual SnowBowl, planned in February, will include events from Mars Hill to Van Buren. Racing activities will move from Spud Speedway about 18 miles south to the Aroostook Centre Mall. When Spud Speedway owners Jim Gamage and Troy Haney launched the first SnowBowl in Caribou in 2023, the response was bigger than they dreamed, drawing thousands to the area. But last winter’s lack of snow caused a dismal snowmobile season that devastated local businesses. Organizers hope the 2025 festival will bring a much-needed economic boost to a region that depends on winter recreation. “We’ve got to take what we have for assets and bring them to light. Two of those are the people and the trail system,” co-founder Jim Gamage said. “We want to attract snowmobilers to make The County their destination.” Mild temperatures and little snow last year made the Caribou speedway track too muddy to use. Organizers made a quick decision to move racing to the mall parking area, creating a track in 36 hours with 400 truckloads of snow. It proved to be the perfect spot, Gamage said. Spectators and racers liked the surroundings. There’s also more parking and vendors can set up inside where it’s warm. The 2025 event will offer a weeklong slate of snowmobile racing, a scenic ride, a snowman-building contest, a magic show and “restaurant rumble,” where participants can eat at central Aroostook restaurants and enter their names for drawings, he said. Gamage, Haney and crew are introducing something new this year they hope will inspire residents and entice visitors to northern Maine. The speedway will debut phase one of its Spud Speedway Northern Lights project, similar to Boothbay Harbor’s Gardens Aglow — but with a County twist. “We created a 70-foot tunnel of old quonset hut frames and made six snowmen out of old tractor and skidder tires,” Gamage said. “We’re going to light it all up with Christmas lights. It’s a tunnel you drive through.” Phase two of the project is in the works for the following year, and will transform the speedway grounds into a trail with 15 lit displays showcasing elements of Aroostook: potato harvest, forestry, outdoor recreation, veterans and more. While Caribou is disappointed that some portions of the SnowBowl will move to Presque Isle, the city supports Spud Speedway as it grows the audience for the annual winter event, Caribou City manager Penny Thompson said. “Safety is of paramount importance to this type of experience and, due to the unpredictable nature of our spring weather, the organizers need to consider venues that are easiest to control to keep participants and spectators safe,” she said. The entire region will benefit as people come to the event and spend money locally, Thompson said. The SnowBowl will kick off on Sunday, Feb. 23, with Brian’s Ride, a guided 80-mile ride to the arch hangar at the former Loring Air Force Base , then on to a scenic spot in Van Buren with a hot lunch on the trail. There will be a snowmobile hill climbing contest at BigRock Mountain in Mars Hill, the return of mindreader/magician Kent Axell and an evening at Spud Speedway with demonstration rides, a groomer rodeo, a bonfire and hot dog roast. Everything moves to Presque Isle for the weekend of March 1 and 2, with pro racing and several classes of local competition, Gamage said. Vendors, food trucks, and a vintage sled display are planned at the mall. X Racing owner Joe Duncan of Minnesota, creator of the Winter X Games, will bring his snocross racing team from across the country for a show on Saturday, March 1. Freestyle riders will present a stunt show with jumps and acrobatics. Sunday, March 2, will be a family fun day, Gamage said. More snocross and vintage racing are on tap, along with local competitions in numerous age divisions so anyone can try out the track. The business community has stepped up since day one to support the SnowBowl, he said. People are already booking accommodations for February, and one company has reserved 60 local rooms to bring its entire cohort. That’s exactly what Gamage and Haney hoped for when they started. “​​We want to get the kids out, we want to get the community involved, and we want people to have fun and make a memory and smile,” he said. “We want to give people a reason to celebrate winter.”jili super ace review 。

Twist in Hathras case: 13-year-old boy held for killing fellow studentAs the leaves fall, the heat goes on, the temperatures drop and the sweaters and jackets are pulled from storage, it’s also a great time to think about making a pot of soup. Related Articles Restaurants, Food and Drink | Thanksgiving leftovers? Make this nourishing soup Restaurants, Food and Drink | Do not wash your turkey and other Thanksgiving tips to keep your food safe Restaurants, Food and Drink | Frying a turkey this Thanksgiving? Here are some tips to stay safe Restaurants, Food and Drink | A starry Thanksgiving: Recipes beloved by Donna Kelce, Eric Stonestreet, Taylor Swift Restaurants, Food and Drink | All the Thanksgiving recipes you need, in one place Soup is one of the best comfort foods, perfect for those New England fall and winter days. Whether you fancy clam or corn chowder, a roasted butternut squash soup, a classic Italian sausage orzo or something unique like lasagna soup, there’s a special place in everyone’s heart for that big pot on the stove. We have found five recipes that are sure to make your mouth water. No matter what soup preference you may have, you’ll find something to cook for the whole family. This recipe is by Allrecipes.com . Ingredients Directions This recipe is by Allrecipes.com . Ingredients Directions This recipe is by Allrecipes.com . Ingredients Noodles: Soup Base: Cheese Mixture: Garnish: Directions This recipe is by juliasalbum.com . Ingredients Directions This recipe is by Allrecipes.com . Ingredients Directions

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. (AP) — Jordan Sears scored 25 points, Jalen Reed had 21 points and 13 rebounds, and LSU defeated UCF 109-102 in triple overtime on Sunday to take third place at the Greenbrier Tip-Off. LSU trailed by 18 points early in the second half, then failed to hold a lead at the end of regulation and each of the first two overtime periods. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, obituaries, sports, and more.

Elderly man missing from Central Coast found, police confirm | live updates

Diddy compares himself to Trump in new bail bid. Prosecutors don’t buy it

Twitter, now called X, has been a pioneer in microblogging and remains one of the most popular social media platforms. However, BlueSky is quickly catching up, with a rapidly growing number of registrations . Surprisingly, I found it is relatively easier to increase your follower count here. Here are some tips you can use to grow your followers on BlueSky. I have been on BlueSky for less than a month, and I already have more followers here than on X, where I have had an account since 2009. I’m not very active on social media, so this was surprising to me. The answer lies in BlueSky’s federated, user-controlled structure, which influences all levels of posts and ultimately shapes your feeds and followers. If you’re a new BlueSky user, you won’t feel invisible amid celebrity chat and top trends. Your posts and replies are more likely to be seen and reposted by your real connections (not bots), which helps you grow organically. I wasn’t aware of these decentralized algorithms when I signed up, but it quickly became clear that on BlueSky, the end user controls visibility, not the platform. Here’s how it works. If you remember using X, you would see sections like What’s happening and You might like , which are based on location-based trends. Even if some trends, such as those about politics, may not appeal to you, there’s nothing you can do as X uses a top-down approach to determine what you should see. BlueSky, on the other hand, has a different approach. While celebrities do have a presence here, the platform itself is not celebrity-centric. For example, on my BlueSky home screen and on the main Discover feed, I can see posts from a celebrity like George Takei, whom I follow, alongside a regular user, “Sean,” who I just said hello once. Both are given equal importance. The key to increasing followers on BlueSky is to consistently connect and engage with like-minded individuals on relevant topics. The algorithm takes care of the rest. Unless you’re an actual celebrity, avoid posting just to chase popularity (the absence of fake “influencers” is quite refreshing, to be honest). There are no “blue ticks,” and BlueSky does seem friendlier and better moderated . Closely tied to decentralized algorithms, user engagement is vital for building active trust on BlueSky. This involves responding to posts that resonate with you, contributing original and meaningful content, and replying politely to those who engage with you, including dissenters. If you feel passionate about a topic, consistently posting (with a bit of humor) will eventually attract like-minded people. Instead of trying to gain the attention of celebrities or users with many followers, I found better engagement by responding to those who mirrored my ideas (even if they had 0 followers.) These deep-level user interactions gradually helped grow my own BlueSky followers. While some users may have strong opinions, similar to X, the BlueSky environment is largely troll-free thanks to timely moderation of bad-faith commenters. The end result is an environment where you can express yourself without being overshadowed by platform-promoted trends. You also don’t have to worry about seeing posts from users who you’ve blocked . To know how to get followers on BlueSky or any social media app, sharing quality content is essential. With BlueSky, user ideas are actively considered if they have merit, address a challenge, or offer a surprising original insight. For instance, some of my posts that gained high traction (the one below receiving 73 likes) highlighted concerns on tech user privacy, which I found has a strong pull within the BlueSky community. Naturally, what works for one user may not apply to another. Your core interests might vary, but it’s essential to recognize that there are always others who share those interests. Therefore, it’s important to think carefully about how to find your favorite topics. For example, posts about pets, such as cats, are extremely popular. By posting cute videos of your favorite pets, you may attract a large community of individuals eager to connect with your BlueSky account. That certainly doesn’t mean it would work for everyone. You really need to dig in and find out your niche. Also read : worried about Meta being too intrusive? It is possible to wean yourself from using Meta products and it’s become surprisingly common. It can’t be overstated how crucial your profile picture is in capturing attention and attracting followers, given the average social media user’s attention span is less than 3 seconds. Although there’s no perfect profile picture, having your own photo instead of an anime character or something vague generally yields better results in BlueSky. If you’re a company, website, or brand, using your brand logo is essential. However, you should also post original photos. Some of the most popular BlueSky accounts, like “The Onion,” often use witty cartoons to engage with followers. I don’t think my profile picture had much effect, but having a photo next to my views adds credibility and boosts user engagement. Just like Twitter, BlueSky has hashtags on many topics, and you can create your own. However, since BlueSky is decentralized, users have more control over the hashtags they want to see. This differs from what you’re used to, as hashtags on this platform don’t just follow popular trends but reflect what’s visible within your immediate circle. A great way to explore this is through BlueSky’s hashtag Feeds feature. Here, you’ll find the most relevant feeds, starting with Mutuals , which are BlueSky accounts that follow you back and appear at the top. Engaging with them is an excellent way to build trust within your community. Additionally, you’ll find many niche topic areas in “Feeds,” covering subjects like science, astronomy, news, and events. Keep engaging with users and create innovative hashtags that might resonate with many. As BlueSky is still relatively new, there’s a lot of potential for you to establish new hashtag trends. Also read : new to Instagram Threads? Here’s how you can use this app . Timing is crucial for maximizing engagement on your BlueSky posts. It depends on your content categories. Some evergreen categories, like “pets,” aren’t time-dependent. Event-specific posts are different. They have peak activity spans you’ll discover by consistently posting at the same time every day. Observe your target audience’s patterns. My following post got over a 100 likes because I had observed a pattern of users commenting on social media privacy at a specific time during the day. For me, my best time for posting has actually been morning in my time zone. This is during my peak activity rush for my chosen topics which deal with sweeping technological changes. Finding the right time to post is partly intuitive, but with consistent practice, you’ll get it right. Remember, BlueSky is a decentralized platform where quality interactions thrive. Forcing quick popularity has fewer takers. BlueSky is known to suspend accounts that appear fake or ungenuine. Authenticity here comes from contributing meaningful posts. We saw how to get followers on BlueSky using simple techniques that focus on fair play and consistent user engagement. Being viral often happens by accident. We have another personal story on one of our writers going viral on TikTok . Image Credit: Pixabay . All screenshots by Sayak Boral. Our latest tutorials delivered straight to your inbox Sayak Boral is a technology writer with over eleven years of experience working in different industries including semiconductors, IoT, enterprise IT, telecommunications OSS/BSS, and network security. He has been writing for MakeTechEasier on a wide range of technical topics including Windows, Android, Internet, Hardware Guides, Browsers, Software Tools, and Product Reviews.Limited again, 49ers QB Brock Purdy still fighting sore shoulder

Texans foiled by mistake after mistake in 32-27 loss to TitansA version of this story appeared in CNN’s What Matters newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here . The cold-blooded assassination of a health care CEO has uncorked a torrent of public anger at the health insurance industry. Should the ugliness of that fact make Americans bottle the anger back up? The suspected killer, Luigi Mangione , is preparing for a murder trial in New York, and his lawyer said he will plead not guilty. But the rest of the country has an opportunity, awkward though it is, to examine its long-festering frustration at a health insurance system that is unique in the developed world as it squeezes profits for private companies from patients. CNN’s Tami Luhby gathered insurance horror stories from CNN readers , including a recent college graduate who had to simultaneously fight against cancer and her coverage provider’s decision that she should pay a $13,000 monthly copay for a life-saving drug. It’s no wonder that a sizable minority of Americans have reported being in medical debt. A shift on whether coverage is the government’s responsibility A Gallup poll released this week but conducted before the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, found that most Americans, 62%, think it is the responsibility of the federal government to make sure that all Americans have health care coverage. A minority, 36%, said it’s not the government’s responsibility. Gallup has been asking this question for years, and this new data reflects a gradual reversal from 11 years ago, during the troubled rollout of private health insurance exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. Back then, a minority, 42%, said it was the federal government’s responsibility to make sure people have health coverage, and a majority, 56%, said it was not. There’s a partisan story behind those numbers, since nearly all Democrats, 90%, now say the government is responsible, compared with a little more than two-thirds in 2013. Just about a third of Republicans hold the same view today, although that is up from just 12% who said the government had a responsibility in 2013. Regardless, any health insurance reform effort to increase government participation in the system would be met with fierce resistance, just like it was in 2010, when then-President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law. Satisfaction with the health system has dropped The upward shift in Americans who say the government has a responsibility to make sure its citizens have coverage has tracked with a downward shift in satisfaction with the health care system overall in Gallup’s polling. Back in 2013, a majority, 54% of Americans, were satisfied with the quality of health care in the US. Today, that’s down to 44%. Satisfaction with health care coverage has never been high in the more than two decades during which Gallup has tracked it. It hit a high of 41% in 2012 and today is at 28%, the lowest since the early 2000s, the years before Obamacare drastically reformed the insurance industry and required insurers to cover preexisting conditions and keep young people on their parents’ insurance up to the age of 26, as well as greatly expanded Medicaid coverage. A uniquely American system No other country – certainly no other wealthy country like the US – does it this way, with its reliance on employers to provide optional health coverage to most of the country. Some countries have government-run health care systems. Others require citizens to pay for more affordable private insurance. All, except the US, insure nearly all of their citizens. More expensive health care for a shorter life span Any number of studies say similar things, that the US pays a lot more per person and as a percentage of its gross domestic product, or GDP, to cover a much smaller portion of its population and achieve a much lower life expectancy – although life expectancy in the US is also affected by gun deaths, suicides and drug overdoses. KFF , the Peter G. Peterson Foundation and the Commonwealth Fund all have detailed assessments comparing the US system with insurance in other countries. Takeaways include that administrative costs are much higher in the US than in other wealthy countries. It’s perhaps fed by a universe of insurers, one contributor to those costs. One major distinction with the US is that those other countries require coverage for everyone and subsidize it to a greater degree than the US. Here, the government only provides health care for the neediest, through Medicaid, and older Americans, who generally qualify for government-run health coverage in Medicare. Thanks to Obamacare, the government also subsidizes care for those up to certain income levels who don’t get coverage from their employer. The government also subsidizes employer-provided health care in the form of tax breaks. A side story to watch is the rise of Medicare recipients opting for privately run Medicare Advantage plans that are run by private insurers. The Wall Street Journal has recently documented how Medicare Advantage plans can end up costing the government more and also that the sickest patients, rather than face denial of coverage from private insurers, return to Medicare when they need the costliest procedures. Dropping satisfaction with a notable government-run system Struggles with health insurance are not unique to the US. Perhaps the most notable government-run, single-payer system, the National Health Service in the United Kingdom, enjoyed a 70% satisfaction rate in 2010. That’s fallen to just 24% as of 2023, according to a national survey , although that survey found the British people want to improve the system to cut down on wait times for services rather than scrap it for something else. Yet, the US political conversation barely turned to health insurance during the recently concluded presidential campaign, and the health care system was not at the top of voters’ concerns in public opinion polling. President-elect Donald Trump was elected with only “concepts” of a health care policy. He beat Vice President Kamala Harris, who had proposed minimal expansions of Medicare rather than a major change to the system. The last major change to the system was Obamacare, for which Democrats paid a short-term political price when they lost control of the House of Representatives. The law has slowly become more popular – 62% of Americans have a favorable view, according to a KFF tracking poll . But it clearly did not solve the problem of making health care affordable. A major step toward lowering prescription drug costs came from Democrats during the Biden administration, when, after years of trying, they won Medicare the right to negotiate for lower prices on certain drugs . But that faces an uncertain future in the new Trump administration as it fills out its concepts of a plan.

SM approaches 2025 with cautious optimism

Walker & Dunlop Finances $245 Million for Jersey City DevelopmentEvolv Announces Resolution of FTC Inquiry

Colorado is gearing up for the rugged Big 12 schedule, but first the Buffaloes wrap up their nonconference slate with two more games, starting Friday night when they host South Dakota State in Boulder, Colo. Colorado (7-2) has won two straight after competing in the Maui Invitational, most recently a 72-55 win over in-state rival Colorado State. Now the focus turns to South Dakota State and shoring up issues before conference play. "Defensively, we're understanding what our jobs are. Now, we're not where we need to be for sure," coach Tad Boyle said. "But we're making strides in that area. And I think the guys are getting used to playing with each other, understanding each other." The Buffaloes lost a lot of talent from last year's NCAA Tournament team but boast some quality players. Andrej Jakimovski (13.0 points per game), Julian Hammond III (12.3 ppg) and Elijah Moore (12.0 ppg) lead the team in scoring. Sophomore big man Bangot Dak has shown he can be a force after scoring a career-high 16 points in the win over Colorado State. The Jackrabbits (8-4) are coming off a 77-63 loss at Nevada on Wednesday night and complete a two-game trip in Boulder. South Dakota State is led by senior center Oscar Cluff, who tops the team in scoring (17.3 points) and rebounding (11.0) but had a subpar night against Nevada when he scored a season-low six points while battling an ankle injury. "I wish he was feeling a little better," coach Eric Henderson said of Cluff. "He's going to be fine, but he's still nursing that ankle a little bit." Freshman Joe Sayler is second on the team in scoring at 12.8 ppg and has reached double figures in each of the last three games. Sophomore Kalen Garry is third on the Jackrabbits in scoring at 9.6 per contest, an average that has been hurt by his last three games when he has averaged just 5.3 points. --Field Level Media

Evolv Announces Resolution of FTC Inquiry

NoneGREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Ryan Forrest's 30 points led N.C. A&T over North Carolina Central 85-72 on Saturday. Forrest shot 12 of 18 from the field, including 2 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 4 for 7 from the line for the Aggies (4-10). Landon Glasper scored 25 points while going 7 of 17 from the floor, including 5 for 12 from 3-point range, and 6 for 6 from the line. Jahnathan Lamothe went 3 of 7 from the field (1 for 4 from 3-point range) to finish with nine points, while adding eight rebounds. The Aggies stopped an eight-game skid with the win. Po'Boigh King finished with 21 points for the Eagles (6-10). Keishon Porter added 11 points and seven rebounds for North Carolina Central. Dionte Johnson also recorded 11 points. N.C. A&T took the lead with 1:28 remaining in the first half and never looked back. The score was 46-39 at halftime, with Glasper racking up 18 points. Forrest scored 18 points in the second half to help lead the way as N.C. A&T went on to secure a victory, outscoring North Carolina Central by six points in the second half. NEXT UP Up next for N.C. A&T is a matchup Thursday with Elon at home. North Carolina Central hosts Saint Andrews (NC) on Tuesday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .jili super ace scratch 。

Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of WaFd, Inc ( NASDAQ:WAFD – Free Report ) by 28.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 428,504 shares of the bank’s stock after buying an additional 95,251 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.53% of WaFd worth $14,933,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in WaFd by 6.7% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 26,463 shares of the bank’s stock worth $954,000 after acquiring an additional 1,669 shares during the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of WaFd by 10.1% during the third quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 9,958 shares of the bank’s stock worth $370,000 after purchasing an additional 913 shares during the period. McIlrath & Eck LLC lifted its holdings in WaFd by 112.7% during the 3rd quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 1,323 shares of the bank’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 701 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in WaFd by 10.0% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,759,135 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $61,318,000 after purchasing an additional 159,750 shares during the period. Finally, Barclays PLC grew its holdings in WaFd by 33.3% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 161,958 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $5,643,000 after buying an additional 40,499 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 83.71% of the company’s stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth WAFD has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. DA Davidson boosted their target price on shares of WaFd from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods restated a “market perform” rating and set a $40.00 target price on shares of WaFd in a research report on Monday, October 21st. StockNews.com upgraded shares of WaFd from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. Finally, Piper Sandler cut their price target on WaFd from $36.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $38.00. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, EVP Ryan Mauer sold 12,132 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.33, for a total transaction of $404,359.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 100,376 shares in the company, valued at $3,345,532.08. This represents a 10.78 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink . 2.25% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. WaFd Price Performance WAFD stock opened at $32.61 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $35.26 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $33.83. The firm has a market cap of $2.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.15 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a quick ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21. WaFd, Inc has a 12 month low of $25.78 and a 12 month high of $38.62. WaFd ( NASDAQ:WAFD – Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 17th. The bank reported $0.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.70 by $0.01. WaFd had a net margin of 13.97% and a return on equity of 9.44%. The business had revenue of $389.98 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $190.43 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.72 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that WaFd, Inc will post 2.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. WaFd Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 22nd were issued a dividend of $0.26 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 22nd. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.19%. WaFd’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 41.94%. WaFd Profile ( Free Report ) WaFd, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Washington Federal Bank that provides lending, depository, insurance, and other banking services in the United States. The company offers deposit products, including business and personal checking accounts, and term certificates of deposit, as well as money market accounts and passbook savings accounts. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for WaFd Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for WaFd and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Qatar tribune Immigration is essential to America’s health, otherwise we would be losing population and heading to a downward economic spiral. According to Census Bureau figures published Thursday, international migration accounted for about 84% of the country’s roughly 3.3-million-person increase between 2023 and 2024; without it, the U.S. population would be without a shadow of a doubt stagnating. In fact, newcomers pushed our populace growth to nearly 1%, its fastest rate in 23 years, proving that political calls by Donald Trump and others to close our borders are dumb as well as wrong. Incoming First Pal Elon Musk has long been preoccupied with birthrates in the highly developed nations, adopting the line that these countries are headed to a sort of extinction. Just Saturday, he was back on the topic, using his social media megaphone to warn that “Japan and many other countries face population collapse.” There are a number of public policy interventions that could conceivably help the crisis as Musk envisions it. There could be big increases in housing for would-be families who can barely keep their heads above water in small or shared houses and apartments. There could be safety net fiscal policies like an expanded child income tax credit and child care subsidies to make the decision to have children seem financially feasible in the long run. Yet, the No. 1 policy solution to a declining working-age population and its strains on the economy and the social safety system is the one answer that Trump and Musk won’t embrace: immigration. There is no substitute; no one has found an alternative, anywhere. Japan is on the brink of population disaster because they’ve tried every solution except a broader loosening of immigration laws. Only recently, in the face of an ever-worsening crisis, have the Japanese lurched towards the obvious, too late to head off some of the painful effects of a warped population pyramid: too few young workers to support too many retired seniors. And the problem keeps getting worse as birth rates decline. Europe is on the same path of declining populations, stubbornly refusing to accept that the much-maligned waves of recent immigration have been a lifeline. The anti-immigrant rhetoric has been so acute that an anti-immigration far-right extremist in Germany — ironically himself an immigrant — just attacked a holiday market, killing at least five and injuring hundreds. The United States’ global primacy, the very idea of American exceptionalism itself, rests entirely on a base of mass immigration that has fueled our growth with newcomers from around the world. The immigrants and their descendants then become Americans. This is not and has never been a matter of opinion; opponents will claim that this idea is “woke” or globalist or any number of other loose ideological terms because they cannot refute it on the merits. There is no American Century, no dollar as reserve currency, no unmatched military, no soft power, no cultural dominance, no scientific preeminence, no industrial might without the absorption of talent and labor from everywhere else. We can only hope this most fundamental of American ideals survives the second Trump era, before irreversible damage is done. Copy 29/12/2024 10

ZURICH – Saudi Arabia scored a major win in its campaign to attract major sports events to the kingdom when it was formally appointed as the 2034 World Cup host on Wednesday. Still, many questions remain about the tournament as well as the 2030 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with three games in South America. Recommended Videos Here are some of the key issues that need to be answered over the next decade: Where will games be played? Saudi Arabia proposes 15 stadiums — eight still on paper — in five cities: Eight in the capital Riyadh, four in the Red Sea port city Jeddah, and one each in Abha, Al Khobar and Neom, the planned futuristic mega-project. Each would have at least 40,000 seats for World Cup games. The opening game and final are set for a 92,000-seat venue planned in Riyadh. Some designs are vivid . In Neom, the stadium is planned 350 meters (yards) above street level and one near Riyadh is designed to be atop a 200-meter cliff with a retractable wall of LED screens. Saudi Arabia aims to host all 104 games, though there has been speculation that some games could be played in neighboring or nearby countries. When will the World Cup be played? Surely not in the traditional World Cup period of June-July, when temperatures in Saudi Arabia routinely exceed 40 Celsius (104 degrees). FIFA moved the Qatar-hosted World Cup to November-December 2022, though those dates were not loved by most European clubs and leagues whose seasons were interrupted. Also, that slot is complicated in 2034 by the holy month of Ramadan through mid-December and Riyadh hosting the multi-sport Asian Games. January 2034 could be a possibility even though that would be just before the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The International Olympic Committee has signaled it won’t be opposed to back-to-back major events. In an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, Saudi World Cup bid official Hammad Albalawi said the precise dates of the tournament are up the world soccer body. “That’s a decision by FIFA. We stand ready to be part of this conversation. But ultimately it’s a FIFA decision together with the confederations,” Albalawi said. Will stadiums be segregated for men and women? Giving more rights and freedoms to women in a traditionally conservative society is fundamental to Saudi messaging around the modernization program known as Vision 2030. The kingdom decided in 2017 to let women attend sports events, initially in major cities and in family zones separate from men-only sections. By 2034, at the promised pace of social reforms, female fans should not be restricted. Saudi Arabia launched a women’s professional soccer league in 2022 with players joining from clubs in Europe. They face no restrictions playing in shorts and with hair uncovered. Will alcohol be allowed at the venues or hotels? The Saudi prohibition of alcohol is clear and understood before FIFA signs any sponsor deals for 2034. But will there be any exceptions? The alcohol issue was problematic for the World Cup in Qatar because the expectation was created that beer sales would be allowed at stadiums even before Qatar won its bid in 2010. One year later, FIFA extended a long-time deal to have Budweiser as the official World Cup beer through 2022. Qatar then backtracked on that promise three days before the first game, causing confusion and the sense of a promise broken. In Qatar, alcohol was served only at luxury suites at the stadiums. Visitors could also have a drink in some hotel bars. But Saudi Arabia has even stricter rules on alcohol — and there is no indication that will change. Albalawi noted that Saudi Arabia has successfully hosted dozens of sports events where alcohol wasn't served. “We’re creating a safe and secure family environment for fans to bring their families into our stadiums,” he said. How will workers rights be protected? Saudi promises to reform and enforce labor laws, and fully respect migrant workers, have been accepted by FIFA but face broad skepticism from rights groups and trade unions. A formal complaint is being investigated by the U.N.-backed International Labor Organization. Protecting the migrant workers needed to build stadiums and other tournament projects — a decade after it was a defining issue for Qatar — looms as a signature challenge for Saudi Arabia. Would Israel be allowed to play if it qualified for the 2034 World Cup? Saudi-Israeli relations had been improving when FIFA all but gave the 2034 World Cup to the kingdom on Oct. 4 last year. Three days later Hamas attacked Israel and diplomacy got more complicated. Any soccer federation bidding to host a FIFA tournament accepts a basic principle that whichever team qualifies is welcome. That did not stop Indonesia putting up barriers last year to Israel coming for the men’s Under-20 World Cup. Indonesia does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel which had qualified through a European tournament nine months before the issue flared. FIFA moved the entire tournament to Argentina and the Israeli team reached the semifinals. Israel played at the 1970 World Cup but has never advanced through qualifying in Europe, where it has been a member of UEFA for 30 years. Europe should have 16 places in the 48-team World Cup in Saudi Arabia. Where will the final of the 2030 World Cup be played? Most of the attention at the FIFA Congress on Wednesday was on the Saudi decision, but the soccer body and its members also formally approved the hosts of the 2030 World Cup — the most spread out and longest ever. One game each in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, the original host in 1930, will be played from June 8-9. The tournament resumes four days later for the other 101 games shared between Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Six countries, three continents, multiple languages and currencies. Fans traveling on planes, trains, automobiles and boats across about 14 kilometers (10 miles) of water between Spain and Morocco. The final is due on July 21, 2030 and a decision on where it will be played could cause some tension between the host countries. Morocco wants it in the world’s biggest soccer venue — the planned 115,000-seat King Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca. Spain, meanwhile, has proposed to host the final in either of the remodeled home stadiums of club giants Real Madrid or Barcelona. ___ Associated Press writer Baraa Anwer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, contributed to this report.(BPT) - Tech gifts are consistently some of the most popular presents to give and receive during the holidays. In fact, according to the annual Consumer Technology Holiday Purchase Patterns report , a record 233 million U.S. adults (89%) will buy tech products during the 2024 holiday season. But with so many devices out there, it can be hard to decide on the perfect option for the loved one on your list. A tablet like the new Fire HD 8 from Amazon offers the versatility of an all-in-one device, with access to streaming, gaming, video chatting, reading or writing all at your fingertips. Fire HD 8 also features a vibrant 8-inch HD display and lightweight, portable design, for high-quality entertainment on the go. Plus, Fire HD 8 comes with three new AI features that can help you get the most out of your tablet experience. Check them out below and learn how they can help you with daily tasks this holiday season and beyond. 1. Meet your personal writing assistant Do you struggle with writing a heartfelt message or finessing a tricky email? Fear not! Writing Assist is here to help. Writing Assist works as part of your Fire tablet's device keyboard and compatible apps, including email, Word documents and social media. In just a few taps, you can transform your writing from good to great. Try Writing Assist's pre-set styles to turn a simple email into a professionally written note. Or, you can ask Writing Assist for grammar suggestions to make your writing more concise, or elaborate on your ideas. You can even "emojify" your writing to add more fun and personality. 2. Learn more in less time Say goodbye to scrolling through pages of information. The new Webpage Summaries feature allows you to learn pertinent information as quickly as possible. Available on the Silk browser on Fire tablets, Webpage Summaries provides quick insights on web articles. In a matter of seconds, this feature will distill the key points in an article or on a webpage into a clear, concise summary of what you need to know. 3. Get creative with your device wallpaper With Wallpaper Creator, you can easily add a touch of creative flair and customization to your tablet's home screen. You can choose from one of the curated prompts to get started on creating a unique background. Or, if you're ready to let your imagination run wild, type a description of what you'd like to see. For example, you can ask for an image of a tiger swimming underwater or a watercolor-style image of a desert landscape in space. Wallpaper Creator will then turn your vision into a reality, delivering a high-resolution image that you can use as your tablet's wallpaper. Celebrate an AI-powered holiday season Writing Assist, Webpage Summaries, and Wallpaper Creator are now available on Amazon's new Fire HD 8 and other compatible Fire tablet devices, including the latest Fire HD 10 and Fire Max 11 tablets. To learn more, or to order a new Fire tablet this gift-giving season, visit Amazon.com .

China’s ‘Ice City’ welcomes influx of foreign visitors amid winter tourism boomCleanSpark, Inc. ( NASDAQ:CLSK – Get Free Report ) CTO Taylor Monnig sold 1,350 shares of CleanSpark stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $10.40, for a total value of $14,040.00. Following the sale, the chief technology officer now directly owns 201,520 shares in the company, valued at $2,095,808. The trade was a 0.67 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website . Taylor Monnig also recently made the following trade(s): CleanSpark Trading Down 5.6 % Shares of CleanSpark stock opened at $9.78 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -16.86 and a beta of 4.16. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $12.90 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $13.00. CleanSpark, Inc. has a 1-year low of $6.41 and a 1-year high of $24.72. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Read Our Latest Analysis on CleanSpark Institutional Investors Weigh In On CleanSpark Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Marshall Wace LLP bought a new position in CleanSpark in the 2nd quarter valued at $18,074,000. Van ECK Associates Corp increased its stake in shares of CleanSpark by 64.0% in the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,590,688 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,857,000 after buying an additional 620,792 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of CleanSpark by 9.8% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 6,163,461 shares of the company’s stock valued at $57,577,000 after buying an additional 549,187 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in CleanSpark by 74.6% during the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,251,278 shares of the company’s stock worth $19,958,000 after acquiring an additional 534,825 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC raised its stake in shares of CleanSpark by 364.0% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 389,201 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,634,000 after acquiring an additional 305,316 shares during the last quarter. 43.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. CleanSpark Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) CleanSpark, Inc operates as a bitcoin miner in the Americas. It owns and operates data centers that primarily run on low-carbon power. Its infrastructure supports Bitcoin, a digital commodity and a tool for financial independence and inclusion. The company was formerly known as Stratean Inc and changed its name to CleanSpark, Inc in November 2016. Read More Receive News & Ratings for CleanSpark Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CleanSpark and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Politics, like comedy, is about timing. Albanese will be a victim of the liberal era’s fallNone

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(BPT) - Tech gifts are consistently some of the most popular presents to give and receive during the holidays. In fact, according to the annual Consumer Technology Holiday Purchase Patterns report , a record 233 million U.S. adults (89%) will buy tech products during the 2024 holiday season. But with so many devices out there, it can be hard to decide on the perfect option for the loved one on your list. A tablet like the new Fire HD 8 from Amazon offers the versatility of an all-in-one device, with access to streaming, gaming, video chatting, reading or writing all at your fingertips. Fire HD 8 also features a vibrant 8-inch HD display and lightweight, portable design, for high-quality entertainment on the go. Plus, Fire HD 8 comes with three new AI features that can help you get the most out of your tablet experience. Check them out below and learn how they can help you with daily tasks this holiday season and beyond. 1. Meet your personal writing assistant Do you struggle with writing a heartfelt message or finessing a tricky email? Fear not! Writing Assist is here to help. Writing Assist works as part of your Fire tablet's device keyboard and compatible apps, including email, Word documents and social media. In just a few taps, you can transform your writing from good to great. Try Writing Assist's pre-set styles to turn a simple email into a professionally written note. Or, you can ask Writing Assist for grammar suggestions to make your writing more concise, or elaborate on your ideas. You can even "emojify" your writing to add more fun and personality. 2. Learn more in less time Say goodbye to scrolling through pages of information. The new Webpage Summaries feature allows you to learn pertinent information as quickly as possible. Available on the Silk browser on Fire tablets, Webpage Summaries provides quick insights on web articles. In a matter of seconds, this feature will distill the key points in an article or on a webpage into a clear, concise summary of what you need to know. 3. Get creative with your device wallpaper With Wallpaper Creator, you can easily add a touch of creative flair and customization to your tablet's home screen. You can choose from one of the curated prompts to get started on creating a unique background. Or, if you're ready to let your imagination run wild, type a description of what you'd like to see. For example, you can ask for an image of a tiger swimming underwater or a watercolor-style image of a desert landscape in space. Wallpaper Creator will then turn your vision into a reality, delivering a high-resolution image that you can use as your tablet's wallpaper. Celebrate an AI-powered holiday season Writing Assist, Webpage Summaries, and Wallpaper Creator are now available on Amazon's new Fire HD 8 and other compatible Fire tablet devices, including the latest Fire HD 10 and Fire Max 11 tablets. To learn more, or to order a new Fire tablet this gift-giving season, visit Amazon.com .Ready Capital Corporation Declares Fourth Quarter 2024 Dividends

By Fallon Roth, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS) Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) joined Truth Social, President-elect Donald Trump’s social media platform, on Tuesday, and his first order of business on the site was to call for a pardon for Trump in his New York hush money case. “The Trump hush money and Hunter Biden cases were both (expletive), and pardons are appropriate,” Fetterman said in his first Truth Social post Tuesday evening. Fetterman’s participation on the platform is another example of the junior senator’s signature bluntness and tendency to stray from party lines, offering rare glimmers of bipartisanship in Washington, D.C. Since Election Day, Fetterman has expressed his support for some of Trump’s picks for the incoming administration and said he admired billionaire Elon Musk, a staunch Trump ally . More: Fetterman calls Marco Rubio, a staunch supporter of Israel, a ‘strong choice’ for secretary of state Truth Social was launched in early 2022 after Trump’s ban from several mainstream platforms, including Facebook and Twitter, in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The platform is home to the social media presences of various conservative public officials and figures. A spokesperson for Fetterman did not return a request for comment Wednesday. “Weaponizing the judiciary for blatant, partisan gain diminishes the collective faith in our institutions and sows further division,” Fetterman added in the Truth Social post, in response to a headline from an MSNBC story on Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s response to Trump’s motion to dismiss the hush money case . In May, a Manhattan jury found Trump guilty of falsifying business records to cover up a scheme connected to the 2016 presidential election. Along with Truth Social, Fetterman made a personal account on Bluesky — which many have recently joined as an alternative to Musk’s X after his role in Trump’s campaign — in an effort of “meeting folks where they are,” he said Tuesday. Fetterman had created a professional account on Bluesky in November. His embrace of these platforms come as the senator comes despite a frustration with social media platforms Wednesday, particularly in relation to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the subsequent arrest of suspect Luigi Mangione in Pennsylvania . “He’s the (expletive) that’s going to die in prison. Congratulations if you want to celebrate that,” Fetterman said, in part, Wednesday, according to NBC News. “A sewer is going to sewer. That’s what social media is about this. And I don’t know why the media wants to turn that into a story, just with these trolls saying these kinds of things anonymously like that. I don’t know why that’s news. Remember, he has two children that are going to grow up without their father. ... It’s vile.” More on politics Dauphin County consultant got nearly $200K in grant money from program he oversees Did an N.J. congressman fake his Spotify results to seem like a Springsteen fan? Gov. Shapiro, Lt. Gov. Davis can’t help but hype upcoming Eagles-Steelers game Embattled ex-Dauphin County commissioner had secret business with county’s lobbyist

Fianna Fail and Fine Gael eye independent TDs as option to secure Dail majority

Another View: This journalist is waiting for feds to knock on his door

On-camera Type Microphone Market Outlook and Future Projections for 2030 12-28-2024 12:07 PM CET | Business, Economy, Finances, Banking & Insurance Press release from: Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting On-camera Type Microphone Market The on-camera type microphone market represents a dynamic and continually evolving landscape, shaped by changing consumer demands and technological advancements. In this comprehensive report, we provide an in-depth exploration of the market, designed for a wide range of stakeholders including manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and investors. Our goal is to equip industry participants with essential insights that enable informed decision-making in an ever-changing market environment. This analysis not only examines the current state of the on-camera type microphone market but also forecasts its future trends. Scope and Purpose This report serves as an extensive resource, thoughtfully curated to deliver actionable intelligence to industry stakeholders. It covers critical elements such as market dynamics, competitive environments, growth opportunities, challenges, and regional differences. The insights provided go beyond mere descriptions, offering a valuable tool for stakeholders to refine their strategies and make informed choices in a competitive market. Request for Sample Report: https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/market-report/On-camera-Type-Microphone-Market/request-for-sample-report Comprehensive Market Analysis We are committed to providing a thorough analysis that explores every aspect of market growth, including shifts in consumer preferences and technological innovations driving demand for on-camera type microphone products. We also address the challenges faced by the industry, such as economic uncertainties and intense competition, offering insights to help stakeholders navigate these complexities. Key Players in the On-camera Type Microphone Market: Sony BOYA Saramonic RØDE Movo Sennheiser Deity Comica Shure Sanken Rycote Deity Microphones Strategic Guidance for the Future This report invites stakeholders to delve into a detailed examination of the competitive landscape. By profiling key players in the on-camera type microphone market and analyzing their strategies, we offer crucial insights to help industry participants make informed strategic decisions. Whether it's about outpacing competitors or learning from successful approaches, our analysis is designed to guide stakeholders toward success. Anticipated Insights Understanding the diverse segments within the on-camera type microphone market is critical to success. Our report breaks down segment sizes, potential growth trajectories, and key trends, offering actionable insights that allow stakeholders to develop targeted strategies and optimize resource allocation. The knowledge provided empowers stakeholders to navigate the complexities of the on-camera type microphone market with clarity and confidence. Balancing Market Forces and Strategic Impact This report delivers a comprehensive analysis of the factors shaping the on-camera type microphone market. By evaluating both the drivers of market growth and the obstacles that could impede it, stakeholders gain a holistic understanding of the market's dynamics. For manufacturers, this analysis helps align innovation efforts with consumer demands and regulatory trends, while investors and decision-makers gain a deeper understanding of economic risks and supply chain vulnerabilities, allowing them to make more informed strategic choices. Our goal is to provide stakeholders with the knowledge needed to confidently and successfully navigate the on-camera type microphone market. Competitive Landscape Our in-depth examination of the on-camera type microphone market's competitive landscape highlights key players, scrutinizing their strategies and impacts on the industry. By analyzing the approaches of major companies, stakeholders gain a valuable understanding of market dynamics and can leverage these insights to identify growth opportunities, innovate, and make informed strategic decisions. Market Segmentation The report begins with a detailed analysis of the unique characteristics defining each segment within the on-camera type microphone market. Segmentation can occur across various dimensions, including product types, customer demographics, or specific use cases. Understanding these differences allows stakeholders to tailor their strategies, products, and marketing efforts to meet the specific needs of each segment, enhancing competitive positioning and maximizing opportunities for success. Market Segments: Product Type: Gun Type Non-gun Type Application: Personal Advertising Company Television Company Others Market Size and Segment Growth Potential A crucial part of the report focuses on understanding the size and significance of each market segment. We provide quantitative data that illustrates the market share and contribution of each segment, enabling stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding resource allocation, strategic prioritization, and investment. This section offers insights into the growth potential of each segment, including factors driving future expansion, evolving consumer preferences, and technological adoption. Conclusion This report serves as a strategic guide for stakeholders in the on-camera type microphone market, offering comprehensive insights into market segmentation, competitive dynamics, and growth potential. By understanding the market's complexities and emerging opportunities, industry participants can make well-informed decisions that drive success and innovation in this rapidly evolving market. Other Reports Charcoal Mesh Belt Dryer Market https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/market-report/Charcoal-Mesh-Belt-Dryer-Market PV Junction Box Adhesive Market https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/market-report/PV-Junction-Box-Adhesive-Market Vanilla Market https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/market-report/Vanilla-Market Fence Post Market https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/market-report/Fence-Post-Market "Contact Us Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting Private Limited Contact No: +91 7580990088 Email Id: sales@dhirtekbusinessresearch.com" "About Us Dhirtek Business Research & Consulting Pvt Ltd is a global market research and consulting services provider headquartered in India. We offer our customers syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. Our objective is to enable our clientele to achieve transformational progress and help them to make better strategic business decisions and enhance their global presence. We serve numerous companies worldwide, mobilizing our seasoned workforce to help companies shape their development through proper channeling and execution. We offer our services to large enterprises, start-ups, non-profit organizations, universities, and government agencies. The renowned institutions of various countries and Fortune 500 businesses use our market research services to understand the business environment at the global, regional, and country levels. Our market research reports offer thousands of statistical information and analysis of various industries at a granular level." This release was published on openPR.

Nordson Corporation Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2024 Results

You are amazing! Just a few weeks into our Give Blood, Save Lives campaign to secure 5000 donations of potentially life-saving blood across the Highlands and Moray and already almost 600 big-hearted heroes have come forward. With each donation potentially able to be split three ways that is more than 1700 people in need who have been helped - so far. Among the 590 people who have heeded the call to help are 34 who have given blood for the very first time. A total of 41 plasma donations have also been made, plasma being a specific component of blood that can be used in a variety of ways including to help boost the immune systems of those struggling on that front, for example those undergoing cancer treatment. Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) head of territory Dr Sylvia Armstrong-Fisher said: “Giving blood or plasma only takes around one hour of your time, but it could give a whole new lease of life to patients in need over the festive season. “We’d like to say a huge thank you to all the donors who have already taken the time out of their busy schedules in the run up to Christmas to ensure they’ve given their festive donations. “There are plenty more opportunities to give blood in Inverness and the surrounding area in the next few weeks.” Among those getting in their donations before Christmas were two Highland businesses who gathered colleagues together for a collective act of giving. Among those were donors from telecoms specialists Future Group Communications Division, led by director Fraser Mackenzie who has been a blood donor for over 10 years. Join Highland News and Media campaign to make a difference Blood donations - 12 ways they can help at Christmas (or any time)! Give life-saving plasma donations “It’s such a worthwhile thing to do,” he said. “It takes so little time and effort, and it could make a massive difference to someone else out there. “After speaking with a contact at another business who’d organised a group donation event, I decided to do the same. “It was easy to organise and a great excuse to do something together and have a good laugh outside of work.” Staff from Breedon Group, a leading producer of construction materials, were also in a giving mood, among them first-time donor Stephen Chisholm. “I’ve always known it was a good thing to do,” he said. “Giving blood as a group has made my first donation experience so much more relaxed and I’ve had great support here with me. “It feels really good knowing that we’ve done something together that took so little of our time but can make a huge difference to someone else out there.’ Simon Johnston was something of a “lapsed” donor but was delighted to get back into the saddle “I gave blood years ago at a local community donor session in Elgin but fell out of the habit,” he said. “When I heard the team were organising a group event, I knew I wanted to be involved. “Coming together as a team helps you feel relaxed, and the banter is great too!” There are a range of opportunities to give blood over the festive season and beyond - and if you are a workplace, social or sporting group keen to give collectively we would love to hear from you. Inverness Blood Donor Centre has a range of opening hours throughout the festive period. There will also be a session at Green Drive Community Hall, Culduthel, Inverness on December 30 (2.30-4pm and 5.30-7.30pm) where there are still appointments available. Other community sessions due to be held over the next few weeks include at Elgin on January 5 and Wick on January 8. Book an appointment at www.scotblood.co.uk or give them a call on 0345 90 90 999 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm) to find out more.

online casino game jili super ace png President-elect Donald Trump recently selected venture capitalist David Sacks as the White House artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency czar, a newly formed administration position. Sacks will also head the president’s Council of Advisors for Science and Technology, according to Trump’s Dec. 5 Truth Social announcement. The prominent Silicon Valley investor will take the lead on the incoming administration’s AI and crypto policymaking. This, Trump said, will include establishing a legal framework for the crypto sector, safeguarding digital free speech, and mitigating “Big Tech bias and censorship.” Many of his tech colleagues are delighted with Trump’s pick. He is married to Jacqueline Tortorice, and they have two daughters and one son. The family currently lives in San Francisco. He was integral in devising various teams relating to sales and marketing, business development, fraud operations, and product management and design. Two years later, Sacks created the first enterprise social network, an online tool for internal corporate communication and collaboration. After growing in popularity, it received more than $100 million in venture capital funding. By 2012, Microsoft bought Yammer for $1.2 billion to help build its cloud and social business models. In recent years, he co-founded Craft Ventures, which quickly grew into a firm with $2 billion in assets under management. The firm has been successful by including prominent companies in its funds, such as Bird, Reddit, and SpaceX. At a personal level, Sacks has provided angel investments—seed money for startups in exchange for ownership equity in the business—for some of today’s largest brands, including Airbnb, Facebook, Palantir Technologies, Rumble, SpaceX, Uber, and Wish. The movie was a successful venture for Sacks, premiering at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival and being bought by Twentieth Century Fox. The film received two Golden Globe nominations, including Best Motion Picture. To date, the podcast has produced 224 episodes, covering a wide array of topics, including politics, business, economics, and social issues. Over the last four years, it has featured a diverse list of guests, including billionaire Mark Cuban, Trump, OpenAI chief Sam Altman, Tucker Carlson, and Elon Musk. He became more active in recent years, sponsoring fundraisers for the likes of JD Vance and Blake Masters for their respective GOP senate campaigns. Sacks also spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention.

Aungban to host Chilli, Onion, Ginger Crops Fair in Dec

Texas A&M signed the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class three years ago believing it had built a potential national title contender. Plenty of players from that heralded 2022 class could indeed be participating in the first 12-team College Football Playoff this month. They just won’t be doing it for the Aggies, who no longer have nearly half their 2022 signees. The list of 2022 recruits now with playoff contenders elsewhere includes Mississippi defensive lineman Walter Nolen, Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart, Alabama defensive lineman LT Overton, SMU offensive tackle PJ Williams and injured Boise State receiver Chris Marshall. Texas A&M has done all right without them, going 8-4 as transfers filled about half the starting roles. Texas A&M represents perhaps the clearest example of how recruiting and roster construction have changed in the era of loosened transfer restrictions. Coaches must assemble high school classes without always knowing which of their own players are transferring and what players from other schools could be available through the portal. “It used to be you lost 20 seniors, you signed 20 incoming freshmen,” Duke coach Manny Diaz said. “You just had your numbers right. Now you might lose 20 seniors, but you might lose 20 underclassmen. You just don’t know.” Coaches emphasize that high school recruiting remains critical, but recent results suggest it isn’t as vital as before. The last two College Football Playoff runners-up – TCU in 2022 and Washington in 2023 – didn’t sign a single top-15 class in any of the four years leading up their postseason runs, according to composite rankings of recruiting sites compiled by 247Sports. This year’s contenders have shown there’s more than one way to build a championship-caliber roster. About half of No. 1 Oregon’s usual starters began their college careers elsewhere. No. 5 Georgia, which annually signs one of the nation’s top high school classes, has only a few transfers making major contributions. Colorado’s rise under Deion Sanders exemplifies how a team can win without elite high school recruiting. None of Colorado’s last four classes have ranked higher than 30th in the 247Sports Composite. Three ranked 47th or lower. “If anybody ever did the homework and the statistics of these young men – people have a class that they say is the No. 1 class in the nation – then five of those guys play, or four of those guys play, then the rest go through the spring and then they jump in the portal,” Sanders said. “Don’t give me the number of where you rank (in recruiting standings), because it’s like an NFL team," he added. "You always say who won the draft, then the team gets killed all year (and) you don’t say nothing else about it. Who won the draft last year in the NFL? Nobody cares right now, right?” Wisconsin's Christian Alliegro tries to stop Oregon's Evan Stewart, right, during the first half of a Nov. 16 game in Madison, Wis. Star quarterback Shedeur Sanders followed his father from Jackson State to Colorado in 2023, and Heisman Trophy front-runner Travis Hunter accompanied them. According to Colorado, this year’s Buffaloes team has 50 transfer newcomers, trailing only North Texas’ 54 among Bowl Subdivision programs. Relying on transfers comes with caveats. Consider Florida State's rise and fall. Florida State posted an unbeaten regular-season record last year with transfers playing leading roles. When those transfers departed and Florida State's portal additions this year didn't work out, the Seminoles went 2-10. “There has to be some type of balance between the transfer portal and high school recruiting,” said Andrew Ivins, the director of scouting for 247Sports. “I compare it to the NFL. The players from the transfer portal are your free agents and high school recruiting is your NFL draft picks.” A look at the composite rankings of recruiting sites compiled by 247Sports for the 2020-22 classes shows at least 40 of the top 100 prospects each of those years ended up leaving their original school. Coaches must decide which positions they’re better off building with high school prospects and which spots might be easier to fill through the portal. “The ones that have a ton of learning to do - tight end, quarterback, interior offensive line, inside linebacker, safety, where they are the communicators - they are the guys that are processing a lot of information,” Florida’s Billy Napier said. “Those are the ones in a perfect world you have around for a while. “It’s easier to play defensive line, edge, corner, receiver, running back, tackle, specialists. Those are a little bit more plug-and-play I’d say, in my opinion," Napier said. "Either way, it’s not necessarily about that. It’s just about we need a certain number at each spot, and we do the best we can to fill those roles.” Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, right, congratulates place kicker Cristiano Palazzo after he kicked an extra point during the second half of Friday's game against Oklahoma Stat in Boulder, Colo. Power Four programs aren’t the only ones facing a balancing act between recruiting high schools and mining the transfer portal. Group of Five schools encounter similar challenges. “We’re recruiting every position and bringing in a high school class,” Eastern Michigan coach Chris Creighton said. “That’s not going to be maybe 24 scholarship guys like it used to be. It might be more like 16. It’s not four d-linemen necessarily, right? It might be three. It might not be three receivers. It might be two. And it might not be five offensive linemen. It’s two to three.” The extra hurdle Group of Five schools face is the possibility their top performers might leave for a power-conference program with more lucrative name, image and likeness financial opportunities. They sometimes don’t know which players they’ll lose. “We know who they’re trying to steal,” Miami (Ohio) coach Chuck Martin quipped. “We just don’t know who they’re going to steal.” The obstacles facing coaches are only getting steeper as FBS teams prepare for a 105-man roster limit as part of the fallout from a pending $2.8 billion NCAA antitrust settlement. While having 105 players on scholarship seems like an upgrade from the current 85-man scholarship limit, many rosters have about 125 players once walk-ons are included. Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said last week his program would probably end up with about 30-50 players in the portal due to the new roster restrictions. All the added dimensions to roster construction in the college game have drawn parallels to the NFL, but Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck believes those comparisons are misleading. “When people talk about college football right now, they’re saying, ‘Oh, we have an NFL model,’ or it’s kind of moving toward the NFL,” Fleck said. “First of all, it’s nothing like the NFL. There’s a collective bargaining agreement (in the NFL). There’s a true salary cap for everybody. It’s designed for all 32 fan bases to win the Super Bowl maybe once every 32 years – and I know other people are winning that a lot more than others – but that’s how it’s designed. In college football, it’s not that way.” There does seem to be a bit more competitive balance than before. The emergence of TCU and Washington the last couple of postseasons indicates this new era of college football has produced more unpredictability. Yet it’s also created many more challenges as coaches try to figure out how to put together their rosters. “It’s difficult because we’re just kind of inventing it on the fly, right?” Diaz said. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, foreground right, dives toward the end zone to score past San Francisco 49ers defensive end Robert Beal Jr. (51) and linebacker Dee Winters during the second half of an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus) South Carolina guard Maddy McDaniel (1) drives to the basket against UCLA forward Janiah Barker (0) and center Lauren Betts (51) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) Mari Fukada of Japan falls as she competes in the women's Snowboard Big Air qualifying round during the FIS Snowboard & Freeski World Cup 2024 at the Shougang Park in Beijing, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) LSU punter Peyton Todd (38) kneels in prayer before an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. LSU won 37-17. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma misses a catch during the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at Kingsmead stadium in Durban, South Africa, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, left, is hit by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey, center, as Eagles wide receiver Parris Campbell (80) looks on during a touchdown run by Barkley in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Los Angeles Kings left wing Warren Foegele, left, trips San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, center, during the third period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) Olympiacos' Francisco Ortega, right, challenges for the ball with FCSB's David Miculescu during the Europa League league phase soccer match between FCSB and Olympiacos at the National Arena stadium, in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) Seattle Kraken fans react after a goal by center Matty Beniers against the San Jose Sharks was disallowed due to goaltender interference during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Seattle. The Sharks won 4-2. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) New York Islanders left wing Anders Lee (27), center, fight for the puck with Boston Bruins defensemen Parker Wotherspoon (29), left, and Brandon Carlo (25), right during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland competes in the women's Freeski Big Air qualifying round during the FIS Snowboard & Freeski World Cup 2024 at the Shougang Park in Beijing, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin cools off during first period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Brazil's Amanda Gutierres, second right, is congratulated by teammate Yasmin, right, after scoring her team's first goal during a soccer international between Brazil and Australia in Brisbane, Australia, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Pat Hoelscher) Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) tries to leap over Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Joshua Williams (2) during the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga) Luiz Henrique of Brazil's Botafogo, right. is fouled by goalkeeper Everson of Brazil's Atletico Mineiro inside the penalty area during a Copa Libertadores final soccer match at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) England's Alessia Russo, left, and United States' Naomi Girma challenge for the ball during the International friendly women soccer match between England and United States at Wembley stadium in London, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Gold medalists Team Netherlands competes in the Team Sprint Women race of the ISU World Cup Speed Skating Beijing 2024 held at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Melanie Meillard, center, of Switzerland, competes during the second run in a women's World Cup slalom skiing race, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Killington, Vt. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green goes up for a dunk during the second half of an Emirates NBA cup basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Brazil's Botafogo soccer fans react during the Copa Libertadores title match against Atletico Mineiro in Argentina, during a watch party at Nilton Santos Stadium, in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) Jiyai Shin of Korea watches her shot on the 10th hole during the final round of the Australian Open golf championship at the Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake) Lara Gut-Behrami, of Switzerland, competes during a women's World Cup giant slalom skiing race, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Killington, Vt. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) reaches for an incomplete pass ahead of Arizona Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. (2) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Get local news delivered to your inbox!Last week was an interesting one for owners of one well-known penny share, including myself. Yes it has fallen 45% over five years and the largest shareholder is reportedly unhappy about how the business is being run. But management set out reasons that suggest the 6%-yielder may be undervalued and could potentially take off. The penny share in question is ( ). The name is well known to many of us, whether as customers or simply because we have seen the company’s showrooms at some point. After all, Topps sells one in five tiles bought in the UK. Strong ambition, building on a proven strategy That was the result of a strategy to aim for 20% of the market that the company set and successfully delivered over recent years. As it crowed this week, the company is now aiming for £365m of annual sales. Not only is that a million pounds’ worth of tiles a day on average, it would represent 47% growth from last year’s adjusted revenues. That is ambitious on any measure and especially given that adjusted revenue last year fell 5.4%, albeit from a record high. An ongoing digital push and the acquisition of parts of a failed competitor (currently undergoing regulatory scrutiny) could both help propel Topps’ sales forward. Topps’ performance isn’t the tops However, Topps has disappointed in more ways than one. Not only did adjusted revenues fall last year, but a £6.8m the prior year turned into a £16.2m loss before tax this time around. Meanwhile, shrank from £23.4m to £8.7m. Disappointingly, the dividend per share fell a third to 2.4p. Given its penny share status, that still equates to a 6% yield. After its weak interim results, I had thought there may be a dividend cut and indeed it came to pass. Still, I think that cut is bad for investor confidence and helps explain the 19% fall in the Topps share price so far in 2024. The company points to a tough market and the cyclical nature of tile demand is indeed a risk I see, especially if the housing market slows. It also pointed out last week that, although sales have declined, it has been growing overall market share. The acquisition I mentioned above should help that. Still, the business has seen falling sales, fell into the red last year and has reduced its shareholder payout. Those are rarely signs of a company operating at its best. I’m hanging on Thus, it was no surprise that Topps’ biggest shareholder continued its long-running dispute with the company about how management is doing. With the maximum stake allowed without mounting a takeover bid, the long-term shareholder is understandably focused on Topps’ performance. I think that could help the business over time (if it listens). I continue to like Topps’ strategic ambition, strong market position and relatively straightforward business model. So although I see a risk of further weak performance, I consider the penny share as good value from a long-term perspective and plan to hang on to my holding. I think it has fallen further than is merited by its long-term prospects.

Barnstable scores 23 as St. Thomas downs Bowling Green 93-68HOUSTON (AP) — An elaborate parody appears to be behind an effort to resurrect Enron, the Houston-based energy company that exemplified the worst in American corporate fraud and greed after it went bankrupt in 2001. If its return is comedic, some former employees who lost everything in Enron’s collapse aren’t laughing. “It’s a pretty sick joke and it disparages the people that did work there. And why would you want to even bring it back up again?” said former Enron employee Diana Peters, who represented workers in the company’s bankruptcy proceedings. Here’s what to know about the history of Enron and the purported effort to bring it back. What happened at Enron? Once the nation’s seventh-largest company, Enron filed for bankruptcy protection on Dec. 2, 2001, after years of accounting tricks could no longer hide billions of dollars in debt or make failing ventures appear profitable. The energy company's collapse put more than 5,000 people out of work and wiped out more than $2 billion in employee pensions. Its aftershocks were felt throughout the energy sector. Twenty-four Enron executives , including former CEO Jeffrey Skilling , were convicted for their roles in the fraud. Enron founder Ken Lay’s convictions were vacated after he died of heart disease following his 2006 trial. Is Enron coming back? On Monday — the 23rd anniversary of the bankruptcy filing — a company representing itself as Enron announced in a news release it was relaunching as a “company dedicated to solving the global energy crisis.” It also posted a video on social media, advertised on at least one Houston billboard and a took out a full-page ad in the Houston Chronicle In the minute-long video full of generic corporate jargon, the company talks about “growth” and “rebirth.” It ends with the words, “We’re back. Can we talk?” In an email, company spokesperson Will Chabot said the new Enron was not doing any interviews yet, but "We’ll have more to share soon.” Signs point to the comeback being a joke. In the “terms of use and conditions of sale” on the company's website, it says “the information on the website about Enron is First Amendment protected parody, represents performance art, and is for entertainment purposes only.” Documents filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office show College Company, an Arkansas-based LLC, owns the Enron trademark. The co-founder of College Company is Connor Gaydos, who helped create a joke conspiracy theory claiming all birds are actually government surveillance drones. What do former Enron employees think of the company’s return? Peters said she and some other former employees are upset and think the relaunch was “in poor taste.” “If it’s a joke, it’s rude, extremely rude. And I hope that they realize it and apologize to all of the Enron employees,” Peters said. Peters, 74, said she is still working in information technology because “I lost everything in Enron, and so my Social Security doesn’t always take care of things I need done.” “Enron’s downfall taught us critical lessons about corporate ethics, accountability, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. Enron’s legacy was the employees in the trenches. Leave Enron buried,” she said. But Sherron Watkins, Enron’s former vice president of corporate development and the main whistleblower who helped uncover the scandal, said she didn’t have a problem with the joke because comedy “usually helps us focus on an uncomfortable historical event that we’d rather ignore.” “I think we use prior scandals to try to teach new generations what can go wrong with big companies,” said Watkins, who still speaks at colleges and conferences about the Enron scandal. This story was corrected to fix the spelling of Ken Lay’s first name, which had been misspelled “Key.” Follow Juan A. Lozano on X at https://x.com/juanlozano70

Embiid scores 31 points in return from knee injury

Guantánamo Bay and the Art of ResistanceNEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes drifted lower Tuesday in the runup to the highlight of the week for the market, the latest update on inflation that’s coming on Wednesday. The S&P 500 dipped 0.3%, a day after pulling back from its latest all-time high . They’re the first back-to-back losses for the index in nearly a month, as momentum slows following a big rally that has it on track for one of its best years of the millennium . The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 154 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.3%. Tech titan Oracle dragged on the market and sank 6.7% after reporting growth for the latest quarter that fell just short of analysts’ expectations. It was one of the heaviest weights on the S&P 500, even though CEO Safra Catz said the company saw record demand related to artificial-intelligence technology for its cloud infrastructure business, which trains generative AI models. AI has been a big source of growth that’s helped many companies’ stock prices skyrocket. Oracle’s stock had already leaped more than 80% for the year coming into Tuesday, which raised the bar of expectations for its profit report. In the bond market, Treasury yields ticked higher ahead of Wednesday’s report on the inflation that U.S. consumers are feeling. Economists expect it to show similar increases as the month before. Wednesday’s update and a report on Thursday about inflation at the wholesale level will be the final big pieces of data the Federal Reserve will get before its meeting next week, where many investors expect the year’s third cut to interest rates . The Fed has been easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high since September to take pressure off the slowing jobs market, after bringing inflation nearly down to its 2% target. Lower rates would help give support to the economy, but they could also provide more fuel for inflation. Expectations for a series of cuts through next year have been a big reason the S&P 500 has set so many records this year. Trading in the options market suggests traders aren’t expecting a very big move for U.S. stocks following Wednesday’s report, according to strategists at Barclays. But a reading far off expectations in either direction could quickly change that. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.22% from 4.20% late Monday. Even though the Fed has been cutting its main interest rate, mortgage rates have been more stubborn to stay high and have been volatile since the autumn. That has hampered the housing industry, and homebuilder Toll Brothers’ stock fell 6.9% even though it delivered profit and revenue for the latest quarter that topped analysts’ expectations. CEO Douglas Yearley Jr. said the luxury builder has been seeing strong demand since the start of its fiscal year six weeks ago, an encouraging signal as it approaches the beginning of the spring selling season in mid-January. Elsewhere on Wall Street, Alaska Air Group soared 13.2% after raising its forecast for profit in the current quarter. The airline said demand for flying around the holidays has been stronger than expected. It also approved a plan to buy back up to $1 billion of its stock, along with new service from Seattle to Tokyo and Seoul . Boeing climbed 4.5% after saying it’s resuming production of its bestselling plane , the 737 Max, for the first time since 33,000 workers began a seven-week strike that ended in early November. Vail Resorts rose 2.5% after the ski resort operator reported a smaller first-quarter loss than analysts expected in what is traditionally its worst quarter. All told, the S&P 500 fell 17.94 points to 6,034.91. The Dow dipped 154.10 to 44,247.83, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 49.45 to 19,687.24. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in China after the world’s second-largest economy said its exports rose by less than expected in November. Stocks rose 0.6% in Shanghai but fell 0.5% in Hong Kong. Indexes fell across much of Europe ahead of a meeting this week by the European Central Bank, where the widespread expectation is for another cut in interest rates. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

Halliburton Co. stock underperforms Tuesday when compared to competitorsIs Enron back? If it's a joke, some former employees aren't laughing

slot jili super ace A devastating road accident near Bengaluru that claimed the lives of six members of a family on Saturday has sparked a debate on whether cars made to be safe are effective on unsafe roads. The family was traveling in a Volvo SUV when a container truck overturned and crushed their vehicle, killing everyone inside. The accident occurred on National Highway 48 near Nelamangala, on the outskirts of Bengaluru. How did the accident occur? A preliminary investigation by the police has revealed the sequence of events leading to the tragic accident that claimed six lives . An Eicher truck, carrying aluminum pillars weighing several tonnes, was en route to Bengaluru when the driver lost control of the vehicle while attempting to avoid a collision with another vehicle ahead. Traveling at high speed, the truck veered off course, crossed the median, and overturned onto a Volvo car heading towards Tumakuru. The impact was catastrophic, leaving the car severely damaged. The truck also collided with a tempo before coming to a halt, though the damage to the tempo was minimal. The shocking moment when the truck crushed the Volvo was captured on a nearby CCTV camera. Police are currently analyzing the footage as part of their ongoing investigation into the accident. The deceased have been identified as Chandrayagappa Gaul (48), his wife Gaurabai (42), and their relatives Vijayalakshmi (36), John (16), Deeksha (12), and Arya (6). The family was on their way to Vijayapura when the tragedy struck. Who is Chandram Yegapagol? Chandram Yegapagol , the CEO and managing director of IAST software solutions, was a prominent figure in Bengaluru's tech industry. A resident of HSR Layout, Yegapagol hailed from Morbagi village in Maharashtra's Sangli district. Yegapagol's educational background boasts impressive credentials. He held a diploma in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from GPT Gulbarga and a Bachelor of Engineering degree in the same discipline from the esteemed National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK) Surathkal, as per his LinkedIn profile. According to eyewitnesses, the truck driver, Arif, lost control of the vehicle while trying to save a car that suddenly stopped in front of him. The truck jumped the divider and crashed into the Volvo SUV. The family was on the way to Vijayapura when the accident occurred. As the truck fell on it, the car was badly mangled and the bodies were dismembered, a police officer said. Raging debate on social media The accident has sparked a conversation on social media about road safety , with many users pointing out that even the safest cars cannot save lives if others on the road are driving recklessly. DriveSmart, a social media handle dedicated to promoting road safety, shared disturbing images from the accident site where a Volvo SUV was crushed by a container truck, claiming six lives. The X handle issued a stark warning, stating, "This pic is a reminder that being safer on the road is not achieved by a safer car alone. Safe Roads + Safe Driver + Safe Car --> All three are essential for safety (sic)." Some users, responding to the post, said that while Volvo is renowned for manufacturing safe vehicles, no car can withstand the crushing weight of a container loaded with aluminum. Others took to tagging Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari , urging the government to implement stricter rules and regulations to ensure road safety, highlighting the need for more robust measures to prevent such devastating accidents in the future. Recently during a debate on road safety in the Parliament, Union Minister stated that the number of accidents has gone up significantly. "Forget about reducing the number of accidents, I have no hesitation to admit that it has been increased. This is one area where our department has not achieved success," Gadkari said during the Winter session of the Parliament. He also expressed discontent over the fact that despite so many people dying in road accidents, there is still no fear of law. "Some do not wear helmets, some jump red signal," he said during the Question Hour, while describing the "strange" situation. The union minister noted that parking of trucks on road is a major cause for accidents and many of the trucks don't follow lane discipline. According to government data, over 1.78 lakh people died in road accidents in India last year. This is about 470 deaths every day and a majority of victims are in the 18-34 years age group.ORLANDO, Fla. — UCF coach Gus Malzahn is resigning after four seasons with the school. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report the move, which will see Malzahn to leave to take the offensive coordinator job at Florida State. Malzahn previously worked with FSU coach Mike Norvell during their time at Tulsa under then-coach Todd Graham from 2007-08. The Knights ended a disappointing 4-8 season in which they lost eight of their last nine games, the longest losing streak since 2015. Malzahn, 59, was in the fourth year of a contract through 2028. His buyout, it is reported, would have been $13.75 million. He finished 27-25 at UCF but lost 16 of his last 22 games and was a dismal 4-14 in two seasons in the Big 12. After back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2021-22, the Knights went 6-7 in 2023 and 4-8 in 2024. This season started with high expectations as Malzahn made sweeping changes to the program. He retooled the strength and conditioning department and hired Ted Roof and Tim Harris Jr. as defensive and offensive coordinators, respectively. He also added nearly 50 new players to the roster, leaning heavily on the transfer market. UCF started by winning its first three games against New Hampshire, Sam Houston and a thrilling comeback at TCU, but offensive struggles saw the Knights tumble through a TBD-game losing streak to finish the season. Terry Mohajir hired Malzahn on Feb. 15, 2021, six days after he was hired to replace Danny White. The move came eight weeks after Malzahn had been fired at Auburn after eight seasons of coaching the Tigers. The two briefly worked together at Arkansas State in 2012 before Malzahn left for the Auburn job. “When he [Mohajir] offered the job, I was like, ‘I’m in.’ There wasn’t thinking about or talking about ...,” Malzahn said during his introductory press conference. “This will be one of the best programs in college football in a short time. This is a job that I plan on being here and building it.” UCF opened the 2021 season with non-conference wins over Boise State and Bethune-Cookman before traveling to Louisville on Sept. 17, where quarterback Dillon Gabriel suffered a fractured collarbone in the final minute of a 42-35 loss. Backup Mikey Keene would finish out the season as Gabriel announced his intention to transfer. The Knights would finish the season on the plus side by accepting a bid to join the Big 12 Conference in September and then by defeating Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl. Malzahn struck transfer portal gold in the offseason when he signed former Ole Miss quarterback John Rhys Plumlee. Plumlee, a two-sport star with the Rebels, helped guide UCF to the American Athletic Conference Championship in its final season. However, Plumlee’s injury forced the Knights to go with Keene and freshman Thomas Castellanos. The team finished with losses to Tulane in the conference championship and Duke in the Military Bowl. Plumlee would return in 2023 as UCF transitioned to the Big 12 but would go down with a knee injury in the final minute of the Knights’ 18-16 win at Boise State on Sept. 9. He would miss the next four games as backup Timmy McClain took over the team. Even on his return, Plumlee couldn’t help UCF, on a five-game losing streak to open conference play. The Knights got their first Big 12 win at Cincinnati on Nov. 4 and upset No. 15 Oklahoma State the following week, but the team still needed a win over Houston in the regular-season finale to secure a bowl bid for the eighth straight season. From the moment Malzahn stepped on campus, he prioritized recruiting, particularly in Central Florida. “We’re going to recruit like our hair’s on fire,” Malzahn said at the time. “We’re going to go after the best players in America and we’re not backing down to anybody.” From 2007 to 2020, UCF signed 10 four-star high school and junior college prospects. Eight four-star prospects were in the three recruiting classes signed under Malzahn. The 2024 recruiting class earned a composite ranking of 39 from 247Sports, the highest-ranked class in school history. The 2025 recruiting class is ranked No. 41 and has commitments from three four-star prospects. Malzahn has always leaned on the transfer market, signing 60 players over the past three seasons. Some have paid huge dividends, such as Javon Baker, Lee Hunter, Kobe Hudson, Tylan Grable, Bula Schmidt, Amari Kight, Marcellus Marshall, Trent Whittemore, Gage King, Ethan Barr, Deshawn Pace and Plumlee. Others haven’t been as successful, such as quarterback KJ Jefferson, who started the first five games of this season before being benched for poor performance. Jefferson’s struggles forced the Knights to play musical chairs at quarterback, with true freshman EJ Colson, redshirt sophomore Jacurri Brown and redshirt freshman Dylan Rizk all seeing action at one point or another this season. This season’s struggles led to several players utilizing the NCAA’s redshirt rule after four games, including starting slot receiver Xavier Townsend and kicker Colton Boomer, who have also entered the transfer portal. Defensive end Kaven Call posted a letter to Malzahn on Twitter in which he accused the UCF coaching staff of recently kicking him off the team when he requested to be redshirted.

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Trump wants pardoned real estate developer Charles Kushner to be ambassador to FranceBISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A coalition of conservation groups and Native American tribal citizens on Friday called on President Joe Biden to designate nearly 140,000 acres of rugged, scenic Badlands as North Dakota's first national monument, a proposal several tribal nations say would preserve the area's indigenous and cultural heritage. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A coalition of conservation groups and Native American tribal citizens on Friday called on President Joe Biden to designate nearly 140,000 acres of rugged, scenic Badlands as North Dakota's first national monument, a proposal several tribal nations say would preserve the area's indigenous and cultural heritage. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A coalition of conservation groups and Native American tribal citizens on Friday called on President Joe Biden to designate nearly 140,000 acres of rugged, scenic Badlands as North Dakota’s first national monument, a proposal several tribal nations say would preserve the area’s indigenous and cultural heritage. The proposed Maah Daah Hey National Monument would encompass 11 noncontiguous, newly designated units totaling 139,729 acres (56,546 hectares) in the Little Missouri National Grassland. The proposed units would hug the popular recreation trail of the same name and neighbor Theodore Roosevelt National Park, named for the 26th president who ranched and roamed in the Badlands as a young man in the 1880s. “When you tell the story of landscape, you have to tell the story of people,” said Michael Barthelemy, an enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation and director of Native American studies at Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College. “You have to tell the story of the people that first inhabited those places and the symbiotic relationship between the people and the landscape, how the people worked to shape the land and how the land worked to shape the people.” The National Park Service oversees national monuments, which are similar to national parks and usually designated by the president to protect the landscape’s features. Supporters have traveled twice to Washington to meet with White House, Interior Department, Forest Service and Department of Agriculture officials. But the effort faces an uphill battle with less than two months remaining in Biden’s term and potential headwinds in President-elect Donald Trump ‘s incoming administration. If unsuccessful, the group would turn to the Trump administration “because we believe this is a good idea regardless of who’s president,” Dakota Resource Council Executive Director Scott Skokos said. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Dozens if not hundreds of oil and natural gas wells dot the landscape where the proposed monument would span, according to the supporters’ map. But the proposed units have no oil and gas leases, private inholdings or surface occupancy, and no grazing leases would be removed, said North Dakota Wildlife Federation Executive Director John Bradley. The proposal is supported by the MHA Nation, the Spirit Lake Tribe and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe through council resolutions. If created, the monument would help tribal citizens stay connected to their identity, said Democratic state Rep. Lisa Finley-DeVille, an MHA Nation enrolled member. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department, which oversees the National Park Service, including national monuments. In a written statement, Burgum said: “North Dakota is proof that we can protect our precious parks, cultural heritage and natural resources AND responsibly develop our vast energy resources.” North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven’s office said Friday was the first they had heard of the proposal, “but any effort that would make it harder for ranchers to operate and that could restrict multiple use, including energy development, is going to raise concerns with Senator Hoeven.” Advertisement Advertisement

Bluesky finds with growth comes growing pains — and bots

None5 Common Mistakes New Gold Investors MakeNEW YORK (AP) — The huge rally for U.S. stocks lost momentum on Thursday as Wall Street counted down to a big jobs report that’s coming on Friday. The crypto market had more action, and bitcoin briefly burst to a record above $103,000 before pulling back. The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% from the all-time high it had set the day before, its 56th of the year so far, to shave a bit off what’s set to be one of its best years of the millennium . The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 248 points, or 0.6%, while the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.2% from its own record set the day before. Bitcoin powered above $100,000 for the first time the night before, after President-elect Donald Trump chose Paul Atkins, who's seen as a crypto advocate, as his nominee to head the Securities and Exchange Commission. The cryptocurrency has climbed dramatically from less than $70,000 on Election Day, but it fell back as Thursday progressed toward $99,000, according to CoinDesk. Sharp swings for bitcoin are nothing new, and they took stocks of companies enmeshed in the crypto world on a similar ride. After rising as much as 9% in early trading, MicroStrategy, a company that’s been raising cash just to buy bitcoin, swung to a loss of 4.8%. Crypto exchange Coinbase Global fell 3.1% after likewise erasing a big early gain. Elsewhere on Wall Street, stocks of airlines helped lead the way following the latest bumps up to financial forecasts from carriers. American Airlines Group soared 16.8% after saying it’s making more in revenue during the last three months of 2024 than it expected, and it will likely make a bigger profit than it had earlier forecast. The airline also chose Citi to be its exclusive partner for credit cards that give miles in its loyalty program. That should help its cash coming in from co-branded credit card and other partners grow by about 10% annually. Southwest Airlines climbed 2% after saying it’s seeing stronger demand from leisure travelers than it expected. It also raised its forecast for revenue for the holiday traveling season. On the losing end of Wall Street was Synposys, which tumbled 12.4%. The supplier for the semiconductor industry reported better profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected, but it also warned of “continued macro uncertainties” and gave a forecast for revenue in the current quarter that fell short of some analysts’ estimates. American Eagle Outfitters fell even more, 14.3%, after the retailer said it’s preparing for “potential choppiness” outside of peak selling periods. It was reminiscent of a warning from Foot Locker earlier in the week and raised more concerns about how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain. Solid spending by U.S. consumers has been one of the main reasons the U.S. economy has avoided a recession that earlier seemed inevitable after the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates to crush inflation. But shoppers are now contending with still-high prices and a slowing job market . This week’s highlight for Wall Street will be Friday’s jobs report from the U.S. government, which will show how many people employers hired and fired last month. A report on Thursday said the number of U.S. workers applying for unemployment benefits rose last week but remains at historically healthy levels. Expectations are high that the Fed will cut its main interest rate again when it meets in two weeks. The Fed began easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high in September, hoping to offer more support for the job market. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury edged down to 4.17% from 4.18% late Wednesday. The S&P 500 fell 11.38 points to 6,075.11. The Dow sank 248.33 to 44,765.71, and the Nasdaq composite lost 34.86 to 19,700.26. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mostly calm in Europe after far-right and left-wing lawmakers in France joined together to vote on a no-confidence motion that will force Prime Minister Michel Barnier and his Cabinet to resign. The CAC 40 index in Paris added 0.4%. In South Korea, the Kospi fell 0.9% to compound its 1.4% decline from the day before. President Yoon Suk Yeol was facing possible impeachment after he suddenly declared martial law on Tuesday night. He revoked the martial law declaration six hours later. Crude oil prices slipped after eight members of the OPEC+ alliance of oil exporting countries decided to put off increasing oil production. AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed.

Go Local Holiday Gift GuideAlkami technology's chief strategy officer sells $825,741 in stockCAMBRIDGE - Henry County is one of five counties being sued in a class action suit in which landowners are claiming that in tax sales of their properties, the county is seeking more than it should and not returning enough to the landowner. Executive committee chairman Marshall Jones told the county board of the lawsuit Thursday, asking them to approve a letter of engagement with an attorney to represent the county in federal court. Henry County State's Attorney Catherine Runty would not be able to do so. The board approved the letter of engagement 17-0 with board members Rex Kiser, Jim Thompson and Lynn Sutton absent. "We'll let it go through the courts and see where it goes," said Jones. The initial complaint in the suit was filed in April in the U.S. District Court of Southern Illinois, listing officials and St. Clair and Sangamon counties as defendants. Henry County was added in an amended complaint filed in August, when Aaron Lindquist, a Colona resident, was added as a plaintiff. People are also reading... In other business the board approved an intergovernmental agreement with the village of Cambridge for police protection from the sheriff's department. The agreement provides for up to 80 hours of coverage a month at $29 per hour plus benefits. It is similar to agreements with Andover and Orion. Board member Natalie Hendryx also reported that with two deputies graduating from the police academy and one entering the academy in January, the sheriff's department is fully staffed, although three will be in training. The department is aware, however, that one deputy is leaving to join the state police. The Bishop Hill wind generator project is now completed and emergency generators have been put in place at the highway department. Finance committee chairman Mark Burton reported that the county ended the recent fiscal year in "outstanding financial condition" and has built reserves to continue making capital improvements without incurring any debt. He credited department heads, county administrator Eriun Knackstedt and "every single employee in the county" with putting the county in such a good place. Board members also learned the phone system at Hillcrest Home had failed and was temporarily replaced with cell phones from the Office of Emergency Management. Ultimately a new phone system was installed and the board approved the purchase for $24,119.83. Board member Brian Corkill reported the new system is better technology and working great. The board also approved an architect's agreement for the nursing home which is planning to remodel bathrooms in the facility. Corkill said the Illinois Department of Public Health requires that an architect be used for the project. Corkill said the nursing home is still having to use agency staffing although the census is down to 59. Total capacity at the home is nearly 100. "We encourage them to find the right balance," he said. "We can't keep cutting back." Here’s what you should know about tax deductions. Pennygem’s Natasha Abellard has the story. Hedge funds may soon be banned from owning single-family homes Hedge funds may soon be banned from owning single-family homes The bulk purchase of single-family homes by corporate owners—who then turn them into rentals—has come under increased scrutiny in recent years. Legislators have gradually been responding with bills to rein in and in some cases ban private equity, real estate investment trusts and hedge funds from purchasing single-family homes. According to Next City , the most prominent of these bills was introduced in December 2023: the End Hedge Fund Control of American Homes Act, introduced in the Senate by Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley with companion legislation introduced in the House by Rep. Adam Smith . The bill, which has been referred to committee but has yet to receive a vote, would effectively ban hedge funds from owning any single-family homes within 10 years of its passage. The Merkley/Smith bill as written would force large corporate owners to divest from their current holdings of single-family homes over 10 years. An applicable entity that manages investor funds, is a fiduciary of the funds, and purchases new homes would be taxed half the cost of each additional home. Entities that fail to divest homes they own in excess of the 50-home cap would be taxed $50,000 for each excess home. And hedge funds, specifically, would pay that fine if they own any homes at all (with 10 years to divest of them). The taxes would go toward a new housing trust fund for downpayment assistance for aspiring homeowners. The legislation defines a "hedge fund" as any taxpayer with $50 million or more of assets under management. There are exemptions for nonprofits or any organization that primarily builds or rehabilitates single-family housing. Merkley told Next City/Shelterforce that he first learned about the issue from constituents who were being outbid for starter homes for their families by deep-pocketed investors who were willing to buy the homes sight unseen. "I started to hear the vignettes of people competing with all-cash, no-inspection offers in Oregon," Merkley says. "And three years ago or so I started seeing the stats of the large number of homes that were being purchased." While the overall ownership of single-family homes by private equity remains relatively small, a 2022 report by MetLife estimated that by 2030, 7.6 million single-family rental homes in the United States—more than 40 percent—could be owned by corporate investors. According to a November report from the Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP) the estimate of 1.6 million housing units owned by private equity is "likely a dramatic underestimate due to a lack of transparency in ownership records." The issue was the subject of a much-publicized Congressional hearing in 2022. And on March 7 President Biden released a policy announcement on housing ahead of his State of the Union address that mentioned private equity's influence on housing, saying, "Corporate landlords and private equity firms across the country have been accused of illegal information sharing, price fixing, and inflating rents," a reference not only to rent gouging but to ongoing litigation against RealPage, a data analytics company providing research to landlords, for coordinating rents among customers. Private equity firms generally purchase houses with the goal of quickly turning a profit and then selling them. According to the November report by the Private Equity Stakeholder Project, private equity firms generally seek to turn a 15 percent return to investors within a 3- to 5-year period, and they accomplish this by cutting costs, including "deferring maintenance, skirting regulations, and imposing unnecessary fees on tenants." A 2022 report from Drexel University found that between 2020 and 2021, 19 percent of sales of single-family homes in Richmond, Virginia, went to investors (a broad category that includes individual house flippers and private equity giants), and a quarter of the homes purchased in the same time period in Jacksonville, Florida, and Philadelphia were bought by investors. The bill is one of several pieces of legislation introduced in recent years in an attempt to address private equity purchases of housing, although the other bills are all at the state or local level. Among them is a North Carolina bill that would ban any single entity from owning more than 100 homes in counties that have above 150,000 residents. Every home owned above 100 would result in a daily fine of up to $100. In its report, PESP referred to the bill, which was referred to committee over a year ago but has never received a vote, as "one of the most stringent regulations of corporate landlords ever attempted by any state government." A bill in Minnesota, HF685 , would ban corporate entities from converting single-family homes into rentals. Introduced in January 2023, the bill hasn't received a vote but has been picking up support: it has 18 authors as of this writing. Minnesota has been particularly impacted by private equity landlords. In 2022, Next City covered a group of tenants in single-family homes in Minnesota putting their rent in escrow rather than paying their private equity landlord, Pretium Partners, which was failing to provide needed repairs. Pretium was the subject of a lawsuit by the state's attorney general, Keith Ellison. The Merkley/Smith legislation caps ownership for all pooled investment funds at 50 single-family homes. Merkley told Next City/Shelterforce the number was "arbitrary" but chosen so that large hedge funds don't form smaller companies to evade detection. "We didn't want the large billion-dollar hedge funds to create the same board of officers and create a smaller hedge fund," he says. Private equity owners of single-family homes have continually argued that they are creating supply in the rental market, particularly for growing families who would feel cramped in a small apartment. Merkley says the legislation negates that argument, because it requires private equity landlords to sell off their properties to new homeowners. "That's a completely bogus argument," he says. "You're taking a family out of the rental market when they become the owner of this home." He says that allowing aspiring homeowners to buy homes is "systematically reducing the demand for rental housing." Merkley had a front-row seat to the beginning of this crisis. He entered Congress in 2009, during the financial crisis and mortgage crisis, when the federal government had acquired hundreds of thousands of single-family homes with predatory mortgages that it needed to get rid of. After the financial crisis, the Obama administration began selling off hundreds of thousands of the single-family homes that it had foreclosed on. Rather than selling them to homeowners, they sold them to hedge funds and private equity with massive discounts. Merkley says that he was pushing the Obama administration at the time to make the homes available to Americans who had been victims of the subprime mortgage crisis. The Obama administration, Merkley says, responded that they didn't have time to build capacity for a discounted homeownership program before the buildings started to deteriorate. "I do understand the arguments the administration was making ... they were also worried about pipes freezing, they were worried about houses being broken into, they were worried about houses being stripped of their copper," Merkley says. But he says that whatever the Obama administration's limitations, "That process of selling off houses in these large bulk sales that only large hedge funds can buy them really set this in motion." Hedge funds and private equity firms make money off these homes with or without renters—the buildings appreciate in value, and that appreciation is not subject to taxation until a sale. Merkley then joined the banking committee, where he worked on regulating subprime mortgages. "We made them illegal, they were turning the dream of homeownership into a nightmare," Merkley says. (This is not exactly true, but the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act did put greater guardrails on subprime mortgages, putting them under the purview of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Merkley, along with Sen. Amy Klobuchar, contributed to language in the bill that prohibited mortgage lenders and brokers from receiving financial incentives to offer high-risk loans.) The Merkley/Smith bill also does not address private equity ownership in the multifamily housing market, where it owns a larger share of the market. Since multifamily units are mostly rentals already, private equity does not have the same effect on overall supply. But corporate consolidation of housing can lead to higher rents. Merkley says he doesn't have a plan for multifamily yet. "I don't feel I understand that multifamily issue well enough to propose a specific strategy on it," he says. The End Hedge Fund Control of American Homes Act doesn't have a strong solution for one of the largest impediments to regulating corporate ownership: tracking who owns what. Many rental properties are owned by shell LLCs, making ownership hard to discern. The bill sets up a reporting requirement around acquisitions, and issues a $20,000 fine for not reporting. But it doesn't create a mechanism for uncovering who owns the units, nor does it establish a new database of rental ownership. In an email statement to Next City/Shelterforce, Merkley's office said, "LLC transparency is a key piece of the puzzle to ensuring houses in our communities are homes for families, not profit centers for Wall Street" and that the senator is "exploring the most effective transparency and reporting strategy for tracking future acquisitions." "It's tough to really hold somebody accountable when you don't really know what the true ownership is," says Chris Noble, policy director at the Private Equity Stakeholder Project. The group has endorsed the legislation, saying it addresses the "root cause" of corporate housing consolidation. Noble says any mechanism to track housing ownership would need to be as "robust" as the tax portion of the bill for the legislation to work. PESP has advocated for a national landlord registry. "There has to be some way to track what everybody has because a lot of times it is an LLC that is owned by something else that is ultimately owned by a real estate investment trust or something like that," he says. This story was co-published in collaboration with Shelterforce , the only independent, non-academic publication covering the worlds of affordable housing, community development and housing justice. This story was produced by Next City and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media. Hedge funds may soon be banned from owning single-family homes Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email.

Political tension escalate in Odisha as Cong, BJD, BJP trade barbs over Modi’s remarksOutokumpu invests in a biocarbon plant in Germany to further reduce its direct emissionsUCF coach Gus Malzahn reportedly resigning to take Florida State OC job

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Dominic Zvada kicked a 21-yard field goal with 45 seconds left and Michigan stunned No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 on Saturday, likely ending the Buckeyes ’ hopes of returning to the Big Ten title game. Kalel Mullings broke away for a 27-yard run, setting up the Wolverines (7-5, 5-4) at Ohio State's 17-yard line with two minutes remaining in the game. The drive stalled at the 3, and Zvada came on for the chip shot. Ohio State (10-2, 7-2, No. 2 CFP) got the ball back but couldn't move it, with Will Howard throwing incomplete on fourth down to seal the Wolverines' fourth straight win over their bitter rival. “You come to Michigan to play this game,” Zvada said. “So, it's the biggest one of the year. It's the one that everyone looks forward to, and to be able to come in here and take the win, it's amazing.” This Ohio State loss in the “The Game” might have been the toughest of the past four because Michigan was unranked and wrapping up a disappointing season. The Wolverines were also playing without a couple of top players: tight end Colston Loveland and cornerback Will Johnson. The Buckeyes were favored by 21 points, the widest point spread for this rivalry since 1978, according to ESPN Stats and Info. Records — and point spreads, for that matter — rarely mean much when these two teams meet. “Our defense played outstanding," Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said. "We held a high-powered offense to 10 points, 77 rushing yards.” The Buckeyes were off all afternoon. Howard was 19 for 33 for 175 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions and Jayden Fielding missed two field-goal attempts. The run game was hardly there. “It's hard, man,” an emotional Howard said. “I really don’t have much right now. I do know we're a two-loss team. We're going to get into the playoffs and make a run. But, I mean, this one hurts.” Mullings was Michigan's primary weapon. He rushed for 116 yards and the Wolverines only touchdown of the game in the first half as neither team could get much going offensively on the frigid afternoon. “They made plays, we made plays, so as the game wore on you could definitely, slowly feel them starting to lose confidence, lose that energy and lose that faith,” Mullings said. Howard was clunky all day. In the first half he threw an interception from deep in his own territory that led to Michigan's touchdown. He went out for a play in the second quarter to be checked for a head injury. After the game, he said he was fine. “We're very disappointed, and never thought this would happen right here,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “We expected to win this game and go play in the Big Ten championship game.” After the game, Michigan players attempted to plant their flag at midfield and were confronted by Ohio State players. A skirmish ensued as both teams pushed and shoved before being separated. Michigan: Did just enough and caught Ohio State on an off day. Ohio State: It's inexplicable how badly the Buckeyes played in their biggest game of the season. They would need No. 4 Penn State and No. 10 Indiana to lose later Saturday in order to make it into the Big Ten title game next week. The Buckeyes will fall. There has been talk all season about how many of the Ohio State team leaders, including receiver Emeka Egbuka, running back TreVeyon Henderson and defensive end Jack Sawyer, chose to return for another year instead of entering the NFL draft because they wanted to beat Michigan at least once. Those players were inconsolable after the game. One of them, linebacker Cody Simon, was asked how he felt. “I just can't speak that right now,” Simon said. “I feel like we let the whole Buckeye nation down.” Michigan will wait for a minor bowl game. Ohio State, assuming either Penn State or Indiana wins on Saturday, will see how the final College Football Playoff rankings shakeout on Dec. 8. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football . Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25

PM Modi praises surge in `Made in India` products in KuwaitFORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — When the MLS playoffs began late last month, everyone who follows Inter Miami assumed coach Tata Martino would be preparing his team for the conference semifinals this week. Instead, the runner up for MLS Coach of the Year was in the Chase Stadium interview room on Friday morning announcing his resignation two weeks after the team’s shocking first-round playoff exit. Martino said he wanted to diffuse rumors and stress that he is leaving strictly for personal reasons, that he must return to his hometown of Rosario, Argentina, and that his decision was made before the first playoff game in late-October. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Qatar tribune Tribune News Network Doha As Qatar continues its drive for a sustainable and diversified economy, the logistics and transportation sector must actively contribute to this transformation, Sheikh Abdulla bin Fahad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, GWC Group Managing Director, has said. He was addressing the third Qatar Supply Chain Management Conference (SCMC), which was supported by Gulf Warehousing Company as a platinum sponsor. Under the patronage of Minister of Transport HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulla bin Mohammed Al Thani, the event took place on Monday, highlighting best practices for enhancing supply chain sustainability. it also highlighted the role of digital transformation in facilitating supply chains and ensuring the flow of goods amid global challenges as well as strategies to enhance recovery and sustain supply chains. Sheikh Abdulla said: “Our sponsorship of this conference aligns with the company’s strategic objectives to support initiatives that drive supply chain development, especially amid the challenges facing the logistics sector. “The need to effectively manage and optimize the flow of goods and services from suppliers to consumers has never been more critical.” In Qatar, he added, logistics services play a vital role, extending beyond the transportation of goods from one point to another to include bolstering trade flows, supporting sustainable development goals, and driving economic diversification. “This highlights the key role our work in the logistics sector plays in building a competitive, resilient, and diversified economy in line with Qatar National Vision 2030. “This vision serves as a guiding compass, steering us toward sustainable development that balances economic growth with environmental and social responsibility. “Today, our sector is at a crucial crossroads, amidst rapid transformations driven by digitalization, the growing demand for sustainability, and the urgent need to minimize environmental impact. These evolving trends present both challenges and opportunities, and how we navigate them will ultimately define the future of logistics in Qatar.” Sheikh Abdulla emphasized the importance of focusing on sustainability and reducing carbon emissions, saying: “In line with our national objectives and the global agenda, we must diligently work towards achieving sustainability across all aspects of operations. To aid sustainable transformation, he said prioritizing green technology, renewable energy solutions, and carbon emission reduction strategies is necessary. The accelerating pace of digitalization in this sector has already led to a substantial shift in business practices, enhancing operational efficiency, service quality, and overall performance. “By leveraging advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, big data, and IoT solutions, we can achieve greater efficiency and respond to challenges with agility and flexibility,” Sheikh Abdulla said. “Moreover, agility is becoming increasingly critical, with the key lesson from recent years being the importance of resilience in the face of both positive and negative challenges. For instance, the global COVID-19 pandemic triggered sudden disruptions in supply chains, severely impacting the logistics sector.” Conversely, hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 catalyzed a significant positive transformation in Qatar’s logistics landscape through innovative solutions, He said. “The logistics sector requires strong and agile supply chains capable of withstanding future disruptions. This ability to adapt is particularly vital for Qatar as we expand our partnerships and explore new markets. “GWC’s role goes far beyond just transporting goods; we are dedicated to fostering an ecosystem that drives economic growth, pioneering sustainable practices, and making significant contributions to achieving Qatar National Vision 2030. “This is not only a great honor but also a profound responsibility. It is up to all of us in this sector to embrace emerging trends, innovate, and act with purpose.” Copy 10/12/2024 10

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ORLANDO, Fla. — UCF coach Gus Malzahn is resigning after four seasons with the school. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report the move, which will see Malzahn to leave to take the offensive coordinator job at Florida State. Malzahn previously worked with FSU coach Mike Norvell during their time at Tulsa under then-coach Todd Graham from 2007-08. The Knights ended a disappointing 4-8 season in which they lost eight of their last nine games, the longest losing streak since 2015. Malzahn, 59, was in the fourth year of a contract through 2028. His buyout, it is reported, would have been $13.75 million. He finished 27-25 at UCF but lost 16 of his last 22 games and was a dismal 4-14 in two seasons in the Big 12. After back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2021-22, the Knights went 6-7 in 2023 and 4-8 in 2024. This season started with high expectations as Malzahn made sweeping changes to the program. He retooled the strength and conditioning department and hired Ted Roof and Tim Harris Jr. as defensive and offensive coordinators, respectively. He also added nearly 50 new players to the roster, leaning heavily on the transfer market. UCF started by winning its first three games against New Hampshire, Sam Houston and a thrilling comeback at TCU, but offensive struggles saw the Knights tumble through a TBD-game losing streak to finish the season. Terry Mohajir hired Malzahn on Feb. 15, 2021, six days after he was hired to replace Danny White. The move came eight weeks after Malzahn had been fired at Auburn after eight seasons of coaching the Tigers. The two briefly worked together at Arkansas State in 2012 before Malzahn left for the Auburn job. “When he [Mohajir] offered the job, I was like, ‘I’m in.’ There wasn’t thinking about or talking about ...,” Malzahn said during his introductory press conference. “This will be one of the best programs in college football in a short time. This is a job that I plan on being here and building it.” UCF opened the 2021 season with non-conference wins over Boise State and Bethune-Cookman before traveling to Louisville on Sept. 17, where quarterback Dillon Gabriel suffered a fractured collarbone in the final minute of a 42-35 loss. Backup Mikey Keene would finish out the season as Gabriel announced his intention to transfer. The Knights would finish the season on the plus side by accepting a bid to join the Big 12 Conference in September and then by defeating Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl. Malzahn struck transfer portal gold in the offseason when he signed former Ole Miss quarterback John Rhys Plumlee. Plumlee, a two-sport star with the Rebels, helped guide UCF to the American Athletic Conference Championship in its final season. However, Plumlee’s injury forced the Knights to go with Keene and freshman Thomas Castellanos. The team finished with losses to Tulane in the conference championship and Duke in the Military Bowl. Plumlee would return in 2023 as UCF transitioned to the Big 12 but would go down with a knee injury in the final minute of the Knights’ 18-16 win at Boise State on Sept. 9. He would miss the next four games as backup Timmy McClain took over the team. Even on his return, Plumlee couldn’t help UCF, on a five-game losing streak to open conference play. The Knights got their first Big 12 win at Cincinnati on Nov. 4 and upset No. 15 Oklahoma State the following week, but the team still needed a win over Houston in the regular-season finale to secure a bowl bid for the eighth straight season. From the moment Malzahn stepped on campus, he prioritized recruiting, particularly in Central Florida. “We’re going to recruit like our hair’s on fire,” Malzahn said at the time. “We’re going to go after the best players in America and we’re not backing down to anybody.” From 2007 to 2020, UCF signed 10 four-star high school and junior college prospects. Eight four-star prospects were in the three recruiting classes signed under Malzahn. The 2024 recruiting class earned a composite ranking of 39 from 247Sports, the highest-ranked class in school history. The 2025 recruiting class is ranked No. 41 and has commitments from three four-star prospects. Malzahn has always leaned on the transfer market, signing 60 players over the past three seasons. Some have paid huge dividends, such as Javon Baker, Lee Hunter, Kobe Hudson, Tylan Grable, Bula Schmidt, Amari Kight, Marcellus Marshall, Trent Whittemore, Gage King, Ethan Barr, Deshawn Pace and Plumlee. Others haven’t been as successful, such as quarterback KJ Jefferson, who started the first five games of this season before being benched for poor performance. Jefferson’s struggles forced the Knights to play musical chairs at quarterback, with true freshman EJ Colson, redshirt sophomore Jacurri Brown and redshirt freshman Dylan Rizk all seeing action at one point or another this season. This season’s struggles led to several players utilizing the NCAA’s redshirt rule after four games, including starting slot receiver Xavier Townsend and kicker Colton Boomer, who have also entered the transfer portal. Defensive end Kaven Call posted a letter to Malzahn on Twitter in which he accused the UCF coaching staff of recently kicking him off the team when he requested to be redshirted. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Bombardier Delivers Its 200th Global 7500 Business Jet

Trump Taps Charles Kushner, Jared Kushner’s Father, to Serve as US Ambassador to FranceNEW YORK (AP) — The huge rally for U.S. stocks lost momentum on Thursday as Wall Street counted down to a big jobs report that’s coming on Friday. The crypto market had more action, and bitcoin briefly burst to a record above $103,000 before pulling back. The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% from the all-time high it had set the day before, its 56th of the year so far, to shave a bit off what’s set to be one of its best years of the millennium . The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 248 points, or 0.6%, while the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.2% from its own record set the day before. Bitcoin powered above $100,000 for the first time the night before, after President-elect Donald Trump chose Paul Atkins, who's seen as a crypto advocate, as his nominee to head the Securities and Exchange Commission. The cryptocurrency has climbed dramatically from less than $70,000 on Election Day, but it fell back as Thursday progressed toward $99,000, according to CoinDesk. Sharp swings for bitcoin are nothing new, and they took stocks of companies enmeshed in the crypto world on a similar ride. After rising as much as 9% in early trading, MicroStrategy, a company that’s been raising cash just to buy bitcoin, swung to a loss of 4.8%. Crypto exchange Coinbase Global fell 3.1% after likewise erasing a big early gain. Elsewhere on Wall Street, stocks of airlines helped lead the way following the latest bumps up to financial forecasts from carriers. American Airlines Group soared 16.8% after saying it’s making more in revenue during the last three months of 2024 than it expected, and it will likely make a bigger profit than it had earlier forecast. The airline also chose Citi to be its exclusive partner for credit cards that give miles in its loyalty program. That should help its cash coming in from co-branded credit card and other partners grow by about 10% annually. Southwest Airlines climbed 2% after saying it’s seeing stronger demand from leisure travelers than it expected. It also raised its forecast for revenue for the holiday traveling season. On the losing end of Wall Street was Synposys, which tumbled 12.4%. The supplier for the semiconductor industry reported better profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected, but it also warned of “continued macro uncertainties” and gave a forecast for revenue in the current quarter that fell short of some analysts’ estimates. American Eagle Outfitters fell even more, 14.3%, after the retailer said it’s preparing for “potential choppiness” outside of peak selling periods. It was reminiscent of a warning from Foot Locker earlier in the week and raised more concerns about how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain. Solid spending by U.S. consumers has been one of the main reasons the U.S. economy has avoided a recession that earlier seemed inevitable after the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates to crush inflation. But shoppers are now contending with still-high prices and a slowing job market . This week’s highlight for Wall Street will be Friday’s jobs report from the U.S. government, which will show how many people employers hired and fired last month. A report on Thursday said the number of U.S. workers applying for unemployment benefits rose last week but remains at historically healthy levels. Expectations are high that the Fed will cut its main interest rate again when it meets in two weeks. The Fed began easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high in September, hoping to offer more support for the job market. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury edged down to 4.17% from 4.18% late Wednesday. The S&P 500 fell 11.38 points to 6,075.11. The Dow sank 248.33 to 44,765.71, and the Nasdaq composite lost 34.86 to 19,700.26. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mostly calm in Europe after far-right and left-wing lawmakers in France joined together to vote on a no-confidence motion that will force Prime Minister Michel Barnier and his Cabinet to resign. The CAC 40 index in Paris added 0.4%. In South Korea, the Kospi fell 0.9% to compound its 1.4% decline from the day before. President Yoon Suk Yeol was facing possible impeachment after he suddenly declared martial law on Tuesday night. He revoked the martial law declaration six hours later. Crude oil prices slipped after eight members of the OPEC+ alliance of oil exporting countries decided to put off increasing oil production. AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed.

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Former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the first person of India's minority Sikh faith to hold that office, died in New Delhi on Thursday at age 92. A renowned economist, he was known as the father of economic reforms in India but was seen as a weak leader by many, including some within his party, the Indian National Congress. "India mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished leaders, Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji," Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X. "Rising from humble origins, he rose to become a respected economist. ... As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people's lives." Singh served as prime minister between 2004 and 2014, but political commentators say it was his time as finance minister in the early 1990s that was most significant. His policies during that period set India on the path of economic liberalization and globalization. "Wise, thoughtful, and scrupulously honest" is how former U.S. President Barack Obama described Singh in his memoir A Promised Land. Singh was born on Sept. 26, 1932, in a village called Gah in what is now Pakistan. His family migrated east when Great Britain divided the subcontinent into independent India and the Muslim-majority nation of Pakistan in 1947. The partition triggered mass migration and sectarian violence that killed hundreds of thousands of people, including Singh's grandfather. An Oxford-educated economist, Singh in 1991 drafted what economists call one of the most radical budgets in India's history: It opened up the country to the free market. "Let the whole world hear it loud and clear. India is now wide awake," Singh proclaimed during his budget speech . "The budget declaration was a shocker because it almost turned on its head most of what was the received economic wisdom of the day," says Rajesh Chakrabarti, a finance and public policy expert. Until 1991, Chakrabarti explains, India had been a socialist, public sector-dominated and import-restricted economy. When Singh became finance minister, the situation was dire. India was in a severe balance of payments crisis. "We were importing far, far more than what we were exporting, and our foreign exchange reserves had touched a low," says Chakrabarti. "India had to actually ship out gold — that means physically putting its gold reserves in ships and sending them to [banks in] London, to get money for running the economy." Singh's landmark budget opened India's economy to foreign direct investment, cut import duties and put an end to the Permit Raj, a complex system of regulations and red tape that discouraged private investment. In 2004, Singh was once again thrust into the limelight when Sonia Gandhi, the Italian-born matriarch of the Congress party, named Singh to the top job after she declined to become the prime minister following the party's landslide victory. But critics called him the Gandhis' " puppet ," ridiculed his soft-spoken manner and said he lacked oratory skills. "Humility was his strength and, at some level, his weakness, because he could not play to the gallery," says Rasheed Kidwai, author of a book on the Congress party. Even so, he steered India through several international and domestic crises, says Kidwai. "When the world economy tottered in 2008, India stood firmly," he says. While Singh was in office, "there was no confrontation with difficult neighbors like Pakistan and China," despite a deadly 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai by Pakistani militants. Kidwai says Singh was particularly successful when it came to foreign policy. "He was not one-dimensional," he says. "[Singh] had very good relations and functional ties with Iran, and at the same time he was highly welcomed in Saudi Arabia." Under Singh's leadership, India drew closer to the U.S. on multiple fronts. Notably, the two countries agreed to a nuclear deal lifting a decades-long moratorium on nuclear trade. Singh's other achievements included accelerating India's economy and launching a social welfare program that guaranteed employment in rural areas. But his second term was marred by corruption scandals followed by the worst-ever defeat for his Congress party in the 2014 national elections. Singh did not run again for office in those elections, which were swept by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. He was absolved of wrongdoing in the corruption scandals. After leaving office, Singh continued to live in Delhi with his family. He is survived by his wife, Gursharan Kaur, a historian, and their three daughters. Chakrabarti says Singh was one of India's most graceful prime ministers. "I don't think even his worst critics will ever have anything but respect for the man," he says. "My life and tenure in public office are an open book," Singh, wearing his signature light-blue Sikh turban, said in his farewell speech in 2014. "Serving this nation has been my privilege. There is nothing more that I could ask for."Broke Zimbabwe government fails to pay teachers’ salaries, protests looming

GARDEN RIDGE, Texas, Dec. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Toll Brothers, Inc. (NYSE:TOL), the nation’s leading builder of luxury homes, is pleased to announce that its newest community, Toll Brothers at Enchanted Bluff , is now open for sale in the San Antonio, Texas area. This exceptional new Texas Hill Country community offers expansive one-acre home sites and elegant single- and two-story home designs. The Toll Brothers Sales Center and professionally decorated model home is now open at 8279 Blue Oak Way in Garden Ridge. Toll Brothers at Enchanted Bluff features homes ranging from 3,198 to 5,184+ square feet, each thoughtfully crafted with bright and airy living spaces, stunning covered patios, first-floor primary bedroom suites, 3- to 4-car garages, and versatile loft, flex room, and office options. Homes in the community offer 4 to 5 bedrooms and are priced from the low $900,000s to over $1.14 million. Home buyers will enjoy personalizing their homes with a selection of high-end fixtures and finishes, with expert guidance provided through the Toll Brothers Design Studio experience. “We are thrilled to introduce Toll Brothers at Enchanted Bluff to the Garden Ridge community,” said Matt Foran, Division President of Toll Brothers in San Antonio. “This stunning neighborhood offers an unmatched lifestyle with spacious home sites, exceptional home designs, and access to top-rated schools and amenities.” Residents will appreciate the community’s walking trails and proximity to a variety of outdoor recreation, high-end dining, shopping, and entertainment options in Garden Ridge, Schertz, San Antonio, and New Braunfels. Natural Bridge Caverns, Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, and Bracken Cave Preserve are all located nearby the community, showcasing a drive-through safari and some of the largest caverns available to tour in Texas. Students living in this community will have the opportunity to attend the prestigious Comal Independent School District, including Garden Ridge Elementary, Danville Middle School, and Davenport High School. For more information, prospective home buyers are invited to call (877) 500-0508 or visit TollBrothers.com/Texas. About Toll Brothers Toll Brothers, Inc., a Fortune 500 Company, is the nation’s leading builder of luxury homes. The Company was founded 57 years ago in 1967 and became a public company in 1986. Its common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “TOL.” The Company serves first-time, move-up, empty-nester, active-adult, and second-home buyers, as well as urban and suburban renters. Toll Brothers builds in over 60 markets in 24 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington, as well as in the District of Columbia. The Company operates its own architectural, engineering, mortgage, title, land development, smart home technology, and landscape subsidiaries. The Company also develops master-planned and golf course communities as well as operates its own lumber distribution, house component assembly, and manufacturing operations. In 2024, Toll Brothers marked 10 years in a row being named to the Fortune World’s Most Admired CompaniesTM list and the Company’s Chairman and CEO Douglas C. Yearley, Jr. was named one of 25 Top CEOs by Barron’s magazine. Toll Brothers has also been named Builder of the Year by Builder magazine and is the first two-time recipient of Builder of the Year from Professional Builder magazine. For more information visit TollBrothers.com . From Fortune, ©2024 Fortune Media IP Limited. All rights reserved. Used under license. Contact: Andrea Meck | Toll Brothers, Director, Public Relations & Social Media | 215-938-8169 | ameck@tollbrothers.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/59f05638-9c95-4af0-aeb8-d4cdbe6fb840 Sent by Toll Brothers via Regional Globe Newswire (TOLL-REG)Tech Titans and Retail Giants! The Dow’s Dazzling Stars to Watch.

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. (AP) — Amarion Dickerson had 27 points and 15 rebounds to help Robert Morris hold off Northern Kentucky 97-93 in triple overtime on Sunday. Dickerson blocked five shots and had three steals for the Colonials (9-5, 1-2 Horizon League). Sophomore Alvaro Folgueiras scored 21 points and added a career-high 19 rebounds and six assists. DJ Smith had 13 points. The Norse (7-7, 2-1) were led by LJ Wells, who finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds and two steals. Northern Kentucky also got 17 points and six rebounds from Trey Robinson. Randall Pettus II had 17 points. The Norse saw a five-game win streak come to an end. Dickerson's dunk gave Robert Morris a 94-92 lead with 26 seconds left in the third OT. Dilen Miller made two free throws with 3 seconds left to wrap up the victory. Josh Dilling made the second of two free throws with 8 seconds left for the Norse, forcing a second OT tied at 80. Wells hit a 3-pointer with 2:05 left and neither team scored after that, forcing the third OT tied at 86. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

As countless Australians and overseas travellers prepare for their road trips ahead of the Christmas break, authorities are cautioning drivers on the in the bush. The message comes as shocking footage was shared this week of a along a barren outback highway, showing a badly smashed-up Toyota 4WD flipped on its side with belongings strewn across the side of the road. In the , travel blogger Grant Barnes said the scene served as a timely reminder of how quickly "the tiredness can get you". "This is exactly what you have to watch out for," Barnes said online. "You can see how much money they put into this build," noting the ill-fated driver had the same energy convertor for camping trips. "Sad," he added. "Someone's life here just strewn across the road." The footage was uploaded to social media on Tuesday and appears to be a remote road in Western Australia. Barnes said the spot was some five hours from the nearest town or petrol station, with the terrain all extremely similar in appearance — adding to the likelihood of experiencing fatigue or so-called highway hypnosis. Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, Dr Ingrid Johnston, the CEO of the Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS) said holiday travel often means longer journeys, unfamiliar roads, and busier traffic conditions, "which can increase the risk of crashes". "Tragically, the holiday season is associated with a spike in road fatalities and serious injuries. Evidence shows that key factors such as speed, fatigue, alcohol and drug use, distraction, and failure to wear seatbelts remain leading contributors to road trauma in Australia," Johnston told Yahoo. She said distracted driving was a growing problem that compounds the danger of fatigue on our roads. "Evidence suggests that driver distraction has increased in recent years on Australian roads. Distraction is a growing road safety concern, with significant evidence indicating it contributes to a substantial proportion of road crashes." Johnston said research highlights the fact that increased use of mobile phones and in-vehicle technologies is a "major factor driving the rise in driver distraction." According to the , distraction is a contributing factor in approximately 15 per cent of all serious crashes in Australia. "Mobile phone use alone has been shown to increase the likelihood of a crash by up to four times," she said. In addition to mobile devices, advancements in vehicle infotainment systems, navigation tools, and other in-car technologies can also divide attention. "While these features are designed to improve convenience, they often result in increased cognitive load, visual inattention, and manual distractions, particularly when poorly integrated or used improperly," she said. 🚗 💥 🛣️ Associate Professor Paul Roberts, deputy director at the Western Australian Centre for Road Safety Research echoed much of Johnston's sentiment. He in particular warned over monotonous regional roads and said sometimes it helps to engage in safe "cognitive tasks" to help in remaining alert. "Such roads can precipitate passive fatigue and lead to crashes," he told Yahoo. "I always advise [long-distance driving] should include engagement in a cognitive task that is not too demanding to promote optimal alertness. Trivia games are perfect and I pioneered an on-road version that is used in Queensland." Schedule breaks at least every two hours to rest, stretch, and refresh. Be mindful of times when the body is naturally more tired, such as late at night or early in the morning, aligning travel plans with natural sleep cycles. Ensure at least 7-8 hours of quality sleep before a trip to avoid starting the journey fatigued. If possible, share the driving with others to maintain alertness and reduce the strain on one person. These include yawning, difficulty concentrating, wandering thoughts, and drifting in the lane. Drivers should pull over immediately to rest if they notice these signs. Avoid relying on caffeine, music, or air-conditioning as substitutes for proper rest. These may temporarily delay fatigue but will not prevent it.

Sweden's women's soccer team delivered a commanding 6-0 victory over Serbia, securing their place in next year's Women's European Championship finals in Switzerland. This triumph concluded an 8-0 aggregate victory, ensuring Sweden's participation alongside Nordic neighbors Norway and Finland, who also emerged victorious in Tuesday's playoffs. With seven spots up for grabs, 12,378 fans in Stockholm witnessed a stunning first-half display that dashed Serbian hopes. Filippa Angeldahl opened the scoring with a penalty, followed by Kosovare Asllani and Stina Blackstenius adding to the lead. Midfielder Hanna Bennison added another, and Anna Anvegaard sealed the win, as the Swedes celebrated with a tribute to Caroline Seger. Elsewhere, Norway and Finland secured qualification with respective wins over Northern Ireland and Scotland. Portugal and Poland also advanced with narrow victories. Upcoming matches feature Belgium against Ukraine, and Ireland versus Wales in the final qualifiers. (With inputs from agencies.)