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niceme With only two weeks remaining in the year, Congress appears poised to pass a government funding deal (the “Further Continuing Appropriations and Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2025”) that includes a welcome holiday gift for health care providers and patients – an expansive health care package that would extend certain telehealth flexibilities promulgated during the COVID-19 public health emergency (“PHE”) for an additional two years. The extended telehealth flexibilities were originally set to expire on December 31, 2024. This extension would generally allow providers to continue to serve Medicare patients via telehealth consistent with the current practices. Flexibilities Extended by the Bill The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) issued a number of telehealth waivers during the PHE, some of which were extended through December 31, 2024, by the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act (“CAA”).[i] The Congressional bill would extend those flexibilities through December 31, 2026. The flexibilities that would be extended by the bill are: Definition of “Originating Site” : The bill would extend the definition of “originating site” to mean any site in the U.S., including the home of an individual. An “originating site” is the location at which the telehealth eligible individual is located at the time the service is furnished via a telecommunications system. Definition of “Practitioner” : The bill would extend the definition of “practitioner” to also include a qualified occupational therapist, qualified physical therapist, a qualified speech-language pathologist, and a qualified audiologist. Prior to the PHE, a “practitioner” was limited to a physician assistant, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, certified registered nurse anesthetist, certified nurse-midwife, clinical social worker, clinical psychologist, and registered dietitian or nutrition professional. RHC and FQHC Telehealth Services : The bill would extend the authorization for Rural Health Clinics (“RHCs”) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (“FQHCs”) to provide and reimburse for telehealth services. In-Person Visit Requirement for Telehealth Mental Health Services : The bill would delay the reimbursement requirement for physicians and practitioners to conduct in-person exams within six months before an initial telehealth service for purposes of diagnosis, evaluation, or treatment of a mental health disorder until January 1, 2027. Audio-Only Telehealth : The bill would provide that telehealth services furnished using audio-only telecommunications technology will continue to be covered and reimbursable. Recertification of Eligibility for Hospice Care : The bill would extend the permissible use of telehealth for conducting face-to-face encounters prior to recertification of eligibility for hospice care. HDHP/HSA Safe Harbor for Telehealth Services : For plan years beginning between December 31, 2022 and January 1, 2027, the bill would extend the ability of health savings account-qualifying high-deductible health plans to cover telehealth services on a pre-deductible basis. Other Notable Provisions In addition to extending the flexibilities described above, the bill also includes the following provisions: Required Use of Modifiers in Certain Circumstances : The bill would direct the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) to establish requirements for codes or modifiers by January 1, 2026, for claims for telehealth services that are furnished: (1) through a telehealth virtual platform by a physician or practitioner that contracts with an entity that owns the platform or has a payment arrangement with an entity for use of the platform or (2) incident to a physician’s or practitioner’s professional service. Acute Hospital Care at Home : The bill would extend hospital at home flexibilities until 2029. Changes Under the CY 2025 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule CMS also recently finalized certain changes to maintain certain telehealth flexibilities within its regulatory authority in the Calendar Year 2025 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule (“Final Rule”).[ii] The changes implemented by the Final Rule include: Extended Allowance of “Remote Direct Supervision” : Certain services, including most incident-to services and many diagnostic tests, must be furnished under specific minimum levels of supervision by a physician or other practitioner. When services require “direct supervision”, the supervising practitioner must be “immediately available” to furnish assistance and direction. “Direct supervision” will be defined to permit the presence and “immediate availability” of the supervising practitioner through real-time audio and visual interactive telecommunications through December 31, 2025. CMS also permanently defines “direct supervision” to include “immediate availability” of the supervising practitioner through audio/video real-time communications technology (excluding audio-only) only for the following incident-to services: services furnished incident to a physician or other practitioner’s service when provided by auxiliary personnel employed by the billing practitioner and working under their direct supervision, and for which the underlying HCPCS code has been assigned a professional component or technical component indicator of “5”, and services described by CPT code 99211 ( Office or other outpatient visit for the evaluation and management of an established patient that may not require the presence of a physician or other qualified health care professional ). Extended Flexibility to Use Enrolled Location as “Distant Site” Address : Telehealth practitioners are permitted to bill from their currently enrolled location instead of their home address when providing telehealth services from their home through December 31, 2025. Revision of “Telecommunications System” Definition to Allow Permanent Use of “Audio-Only” in Certain Circumstances : CMS permanently revises the definition of “telecommunications system” to also include “two-way, real-time audio-only communication technology for any telehealth service furnished to a beneficiary in their home if the distant site physician or practitioner is technically capable of using an interactive telecommunications system as defined as multimedia communications equipment that includes, at a minimum, audio and video equipment permitting two-way, real-time interactive communication, but the patient is not capable of, or does not consent to, the use of video technology” beginning January 1, 2025. Other notable provisions of the Final Rule include: New Additions to the List of Telehealth Services : While CMS did not permanently add any codes to the Medicare List of Telehealth Services, it added the following codes on a provisional basis: HCPS Code G0011 (PrEP for HIV) HCPS Code G0013 (PrEP for HIV) HCPS Codes GCTD1 – 3 (Caregiver Training In Direct Care Strategies and Techniques) HCPS Codes GCTB1 – 2 (Individual Behavior Management/Modification Caregiver Training) CPT Codes 97550-97552 (Caregiver Training in Strategies To Facilitate Patient Functional Performance in the Home or Community) CPT Codes 96202 – 96203 (Group Behavior Management/Modification Caregiver Training) No Recognition of New AMA Telemedicine Evaluation and Management (E/M) Services Codes : The American Medical Association (“AMA”) recently revised the CPT Codebook and valued seventeen new codes (9X075 – 9X091) to describe telemedicine Evaluation and Management (“E/M”) services. CMS declines recognizing and paying for the new codes because they mirror existing office/outpatient E/M codes but assigns a procedure status indicator of “I” to indicate that there is a more specific code that should be used for Medicare purposes. Looking Forward The extension of telehealth flexibilities under the bill and the Final Rule is a relief for many providers and their patients who rely on telehealth for medical care. Nevertheless, the piecemeal approach to telehealth waivers, and Congress’ continued reliance on only temporary extension of critical flexibilities, has created intricate compliance obligations for providers. FOOTNOTES [i] For additional information on the 2023 CAA please see the following resource: Key Healthcare Provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 | Healthcare Law Blog (sheppardhealthlaw.com) . [ii] 89 FR 97710 (Dec. 9, 2024). Listen to this post

Cracker Barrel, or as it's known in full, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, may be a chain restaurant with more than 650 locations across the United States, but it can stake a claim to the culinary and historical authenticity it radiates. With its restaurants (and sprawling gift shops) designed to resemble a Southern homestead, complete with a big porch, rocking chairs, and old and homespun cultural relics filling the walls of the customer seating areas, Cracker Barrel evokes big family homes that serve tremendously generous and gut-busting family meals. Founded in Tennessee, Cracker Barrel made its name with a menu full of foods developed or beloved nearby, including straight from the farm breakfasts, decadent desserts, and slow-cooked Sunday dinners. But Cracker Barrel is a modern restaurant, and it has to compete with other family-friendly sit-down chain eateries. It routinely brings in new menu items at the expense of other products. Popular choices have frequently disappeared from the menu as Cracker Barrel attempts to keep up with changing tastes while keeping its Southern flavor and homespun appeal intact. Here are some of the most popular items in Cracker Barrel history that have since been discontinued by Cracker Barrel that likely won't be making a comeback. Uncle Herschel's Favorite A menu item so reliable and long-standing on the Cracker Barrel menu, the chain received a registered trademark for the name of its popular, customizable, and always available breakfast foods combo meal. Uncle Herschel's Favorite provided a lot of morning food, served standard with two eggs, grits, and biscuits and gravy, along with the customer's choice of fried apples or hash brown casserole, and cured ham or a hamburger steak. The breakfast meal is named after a real person who figured into the formation of Cracker Barrel. The maternal uncle of restaurant creator Dan Evins, the actual Uncle Herschel was a former flour salesman who serviced Southern general stores and served as the company's first goodwill ambassador. The breakfast meal memorialized him, as does a statue at Cracker Barrel's headquarters in Lebanon, Tennessee. At least the statue remains. Customers started reporting on social media in October 2022 that Uncle Herschel's Favorite was no longer being offered at various Cracker Barrel locations. Sunrise Sampler The Sunrise Sampler included a little bit of many Cracker Barrel breakfast items, both signature products of the restaurant and morning stalwarts, and that was a lot of stuff altogether. Customers started out with two eggs prepared in the fashion they prefer, as well as generously portioned side orders of grits, fried apples, hash brown casserole, and biscuits and gravy. There was no need to choose a breakfast meat, because the Sunrise Sampler came with a little bit of three — thick bacon, smoked sausage, and country-style ham. A staple on the menu for many years, diners noticed that the Sunrise Sampler was no longer up for purchase at different locations throughout 2022 and 2023. Cracker Barrel made no announcement regarding the hows and whys of the combo platter's discontinuation. The most likely explanation is that it was a casualty of an ongoing menu reboot operation undertaken by Cracker Barrel in the early 2020s. Haddock dinner A new seafood entree made its way to the Cracker Barrel menu in 2015: the Haddock Dinner. The heaping platter of food was centered around a large filet of haddock, a delicate and mild white fish, breaded in cornmeal and flour that was then grilled rather than fried. Served with the usual Cracker Barrel accompaniments of three vegetable side dishes and a plate of biscuits and muffins, the Haddock Dinner was a relative bargain at just $9.99. Sometime in 2019, Cracker Barrel abruptly pulled the Haddock Dinner off its menu, as indicated by reports from customers on TripAdvisor. Various permutations of more homestyle-skewing seafood like trout, fried shrimp, and catfish remain available, but Cracker Barrel never did restore the Haddock Dinner. The elimination of the dish in late 2019 looked like a warm-up for a more rigorous menu overhaul in 2020. "We delete menu items from time to time to make room for new signature, craveable menu items that our guests love," Cracker Barrel's vice president of Culinary and Menu Strategy Cammie Spillyards-Schaefer explained to Chicken salad sandwich and Cracker Barrel certainly gave that a try. In between the day parts when it sells multi-tiered breakfasts and big Southern dinners, Cracker Barrel rolls out a lunch menu. Historically, it has included several options for a light meal in the Southern tradition, including the luncheon favorite of chicken salad. A choice on the Country Sandwich Platter section, the concoction (heavy on the mayonnaise, grapes, and apples), was heaped onto the customer's bread choice of seared white or wheat sourdough and came with some creamy coleslaw as well as a small serving of soup or french fries. In 2014, Cracker Barrel allowed diners to sub out the bread for lettuce wraps to make a sandwich-like meal that was much lower in carbohydrates. Cracker Barrel's chicken salad, in all of its forms, apparently exited the restaurant's lunchtime menu sometime around 2018. "Cracker Barrel doesn't have chicken salad sandwiches anymore," one customer reported on "It's 2019 and I'm still upset about this," another fan Red-Eye Gravy If Cracker Barrel was going to proclaim itself the top spot for old-fashioned Southern food available across almost the entire country, except for red-eye gravy was going to be a must-have menu item and always-ready condiment. According to legend, Southern-born President Andrew Jackson asked his hungover cook to make some country ham with gravy that was red like the kitchen worker's eyes. It more likely it gets its name from the eye-like imagery that forms when its chief ingredients come into contact. When a pan used to fry ham is deglazed with black coffee, the liquids coalesce into the shape of an eye while also turning into a salty, velvety gravy (that gets thickened and bolstered with the addition of flour). Cracker Barrel serves a lot of ham and other breakfast meats, and until 2017, customers could order those items and more with a side of red-eye gravy. The chain serves Sawmill Gravy, a peppery pork fat-based sauce that's also authentically Southern and used on biscuits and gravy, but the red-eye version hasn't found its way back to Cracker Barrel. Strawberries n' Cream French Toast In 2015, Cracker Barrel launched a special summer-centric menu, with the star of the bill of fare its Strawberries n' Cream French Toast. French toast is a breakfast classic, but it's also well suited for variation, adaptation, and addition. This dish was made with sourdough bread pockets packed with sweetened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and strawberry-flavored syrup, and then abundantly covered in sliced, seasonal strawberries. The Strawberries n' Cream French Toast was available a la carte or as part of a breakfast platter with the customer's choice of bacon, sausage, turkey sausage, or turkey bacon. But like the summer season the Strawberries n' Cream French Toast aimed to embrace and celebrate, this breakfast item couldn't last forever. From the outset, it was designed and marketed as a strictly seasonal item. As of mid-August 2015, Cracker Barrel no longer served Strawberries n' Cream French Toast — nor anything else from its limited-time-only summer menu — at any of its restaurants. Strawberries n' Cream French Toast also never returned for any subsequent summer. Frozen Mug Apple Cider Drinks meant to be served cold can be kept chilly for a reasonable period of time by pouring them into a glass full of ice. But the longer that iced beverage sits out, it increases the likelihood or inevitability of dilution: Ice quickly and gradually melts into water, and that water mixes with the drink and robs it of its flavor. In the 2010s, Cracker Barrel presented one solution to this problem: . The Frozen Mugs worked like hollowed out ice cubes — the drinks went in cold and stayed that way until they were consumed or came up to room temperature. With no ice to melt, the drinks never got watered down. That simple technology was a chief selling point in a late summer 2016 menu addition: Frozen Mug Apple Cider. Often served hot, this cider was served ice cold, and made for a nice way for Cracker Barrel customers to enjoy the transition from summer to fall. Not only did the Frozen Mug Apple Cider leave Cracker Barrel, but so did all of the chilled mugs. Cracker Barrel eliminated that program in 2018. It now uses ice for serving cold drinks. Baked Apple Dumplin' Apple dumplings didn't originate in the South. First made centuries ago in England, the modern version of the dish is based on a dessert prepared by Dutch settlers in Pennsylvania. Historically, an apple dumpling is made from a cored and peeled whole green apple that's been enrobed in pie dough, slathered in spiced butter, and then baked. Despite its northern United States background, the Southern-centric Cracker Barrel once sold a variety of the treat on its menu, the Baked Apple Dumplin'. Introduced to the restaurant chain in 2014, the dessert was built on a foundation of sliced apples and pecan streusel baked in a pie crust and then topped with a thick and sweet apple sauce and some scoops of vanilla ice cream. It was a cheap extravagance, too, costing just $3.99. During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, Cracker Barrel temporarily stopped making and selling many products for economic reasons. While some items eventually returned, some cuts became permanent. Among the forever cut favorites from that time: the Baked Apple Dumplin'. Campfire Meals ; that wasn't the case at Cracker Barrel. Over the course of a few summers in the 2010s, Cracker Barrel moved away from traditional homestyle favorites cooked in traditional ways to offer up a line of meals wildly different from its usual fare. Its "Campfire" entrées were cooked and presented as if they'd been made outside on a camp stove or over an open flame. Big hunks of meat, along with vegetables like red potatoes, carrots, corn on the cob, tomato wedges, and onions, were seasoned in a proprietary blend and then roasted slowly in aluminum foil until everything was tender. After Campfire Beef, made with chuck roast, proved to be a hit, Cracker Barrel introduced glazed chicken and barbecue pork options. That expansion for the summer of 2018 would be the last time that Cracker Barrel made campout food. When fall arrived, Campfire Meals disappeared, never to return for subsequent summers. Sweet potato pancakes There are always and Cracker Barrel attempted one in the 2010s. There are numerous holidays invented and established by companies and industry boards to promote their particular products, including National Sweet Potato Month. February is set aside for this observation of the sweet-and-savory root vegetable, and in 2012 Cracker Barrel utilized the occasion of the fabricated observance period to launch a brand-new entrée to its breakfast menu: Sweet Potato Pancakes. Made with sweet potatoes instead of usual pancake batter fodder like wheat flour, Cracker Barrel's version was served three large flapjacks per order and topped with cinnamon butter, alongside eggs and a breakfast meat of the customer's choice. Cracker Barrel was so confident that customers would enjoy the product that upon launch it also started selling boxes of Sweet Potato Pancake Mix in its restaurant adjacent gift shops. And almost as quickly as Cracker Barrel rolled out pancakes made from sweet potatoes, it took them away. While it never really said the item was temporary, it was. The Sweet Potato Pancakes were gone for good after about just a few months of sales. Fried chicken livers the chicken liver, extremely rich in flavor and physically dense. Breaded and fried organ meat isn't the most crowd-pleasing of foods, but it's an authentically Southern delicacy, which earned it a spot on the Cracker Barrel menu, served as the main part of a dinner along with all of the usual sides and bread. Cracker Barrel customers began mentioning on TripAdviser in early 2021 that the livers weren't being cooked up anymore. In June 2021, a Cracker Barrel representative fielded a comment on Facebook from a customer inquiring about the sudden non-availability of the chicken livers dinner specifically. "Although Chicken Livers are no longer on our menu, we will gladly share your request with our CulinaryTeam," No reason was given why chicken livers can't be found at Cracker Barrel anymore, but the deletion closely followed a chain-wide menu reboot as well as a food-borne illness outbreak centered around chicken livers. Lima beans Lima beans have a common and casual reputation as one of the most-hated vegetables of all time, particularly by children. Despite the detractors, those big, sort-of-crunchy, sort-of-creamy, and very starchy legumes are such an indelible part of family meals that Southern restaurant chain Cracker Barrel once offered lima beans as a side dish, one of the options diners could use to fill out their required two or three vegetables on dinner entrées. Cracker Barrel at least made its lima beans taste as good as they could, seasoned and cooked along with big pieces of bacon. Customers who actually like lima beans raved about the restaurant's preparation online as recently as 2020, just before a system-wide menu truncation took effect. In response to a customer's complaint on a Facebook post about the sudden absence of lima beans from the sides menu, a Cracker Barrel customer representative revealed that the restaurants had gotten rid of the vegetable. Beef stew One of Cracker Barrel's main lines of business is serving big plates of familiar, hearty, Southern and generally American entrées. Along with fried chicken, meatloaf, roast turkey, fried pork chops, and other homemade-approximating standards, Cracker Barrel used to sell beef stew, which fit in nicely with the rest of the lunch and dinner menu. A standard, crowd-pleasing preparation, Cracker Barrel's beef stew was a hefty blend of beef chunks, big pieces of carrots and potatoes, and peas, all in a savory gravy-like sauce. It would seem that the restaurant stopped cooking up beef stew around the fall of 2013. "Okay, so I just found out that Cracker Barrel got rid of their beef stew and I am so upset," one fan wrote on in September 2013. "Stopped by some only to find they took it off the menu last month," another . A grassroots effort to bring back beef stew to Cracker Barrel wasn't successful — a petition on Change.org didn't persuade the restaurant to change the menu. Sugar Plum Mimosa In addition to gigantic farm-style breakfasts and Southern and homestyle comfort foods, some Cracker Barrel locations, where the law allows, serve alcoholic beverages. In addition to a variety of wines, beer, and bottled cocktails, the chain offers classic and specially crafted mimosas, and the exact lineup is subject to seasonal change. For the early winter and holiday season of 2021, Cracker Barrel introduced the Sugar Plum Mimosa. A sweet but boozy drink, it was a combination of sparkling wine with a proprietary "Sugar Plum" syrup made up of winter fruit flavors, particularly cherry, and cost $5.99 in most locations. It didn't involve in any way real candy-coated spice pieces. After the holidays came and went, so too did Cracker Barrel's Sugar Plum Mimosa. The restaurant chain kept around the sugar plum flavoring for a non-alcoholic Sugar Plum Tea, but it moved on with other styles of mimosa. When Cracker Barrel announced its 2024 special winter menu, the Sugar Plum Mimosa wasn't on it, but the Sparkling Plum Mimosa — made with wine and plum syrup and edible glitter — was. Recommended

Pandas An An and Ke Ke celebrate their 1st Christmas in Hong Kong HONG KONG (AP) — A pair of five-year-old pandas, named An An and Ke Ke, celebrated their first Christmas early in a Hong Kong park, munching on special treats and looking cute for the cameras. An An, the male panda, was presented with an ice slab that had “Merry Christmas” written on it with sweet potato and carrots while Ke Ke, his female companion, got a snowman garnished with slices of carrot and apple in a special press event Monday before visitors streamed to the park. China sent the pair to Hong Kong in late September in a bid to boost tourism in the city. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Wemby: Spurs-Knicks Christmas game is also an animated one at Disney World NEW YORK (AP) — There’s a Christmas Day basketball game at Walt Disney World, featuring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Wemby. While Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs are facing the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, an alternate animated telecast will have the teams playing in the Magic Kingdom, with some Disney characters participating. The special alt-cast, the first animated presentation of an NBA game, will be shown on ESPN2 and also stream on Disney+ and ESPN+. 'Squid Game' returns looking for win with season 2 The first season of “Squid Game” was Netflix's most-watched series and went on to win a variety of accolades including the Emmy Award for lead actor in a drama series for Lee Jung-jae and a directing award for Hwang Dong-hyuk. The show returns for its second season on Dec. 26 and is already nominated for a Golden Globe for best drama. It's rare for TV shows made in Korea to have more than one season but Lee describes Hwang as “a genius.” A third and final season has already filmed. Netflix is also invested in expanding its “Squid Game” universe with a reality competition series and an English-language version in development. In the ruins of a bombed-out church in Lebanon, there's now a tiny Christmas tree DARDGHAYA, Lebanon (AP) — A Christmas tree stands among the fallen stones in the ruins of a Catholic church in southern Lebanon that was hit by an Israeli airstrike during the war with Hezbollah. It's a small and modest tree. There are no lights because the war destroyed power lines. The ground is too uneven to set up the Nativity scene. The priest says his blood pressure went up and he lost his balance when he saw the church's destruction. Now he leads Mass in an underground room that serves as a temporary worship space. He tells the community it “is more like the cave where Jesus was born.” Burt, the huge Australian crocodile who had a cameo in ‘Crocodile Dundee,’ dies at 90 The Crocosaurus Cove reptile aquarium in Darwin, Australia, says the huge crocodile that rose to fame with a cameo in the movie “Crocodile Dundee” has died. The aquarium says Burt died over the weekend and was at least 90 years old. A saltwater crocodile, Burt was estimated to be more than 5 meters long. The 1986 movie stars Paul Hogan as the rugged crocodile hunter Mick Dundee. In the movie, American Sue Charlton, played by actress Linda Kozlowski, goes to fill her canteen in a watering hole when she is attacked by a crocodile, before being saved by Dundee. Elaborate holiday light displays are making spirits bright in a big way CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow might be enough to brighten some homes this holiday season. But others are adorned with thousands of blinking lights synched to blasting music. In Mesa, Arizona, 14 homeowners have been going all-out on holiday lights for 30 years, and those buying homes in the neighborhood often find the attics full of décor left behind by previous owners. In Santa Clarita, California, residents began coordinating their holiday lights to bring some joy to their community after an earthquake. And in Edmond, Oklahoma, those looking to the western sky will easily spot the Miranda family’s elaborate display featuring images and music from the movie “Wicked.” Santa braves the sticky heat of the Amazon jungle to bring gifts to children in Brazilian village CATALAO, Brazil (AP) — Santa Claus has braved the sticky heat of the Amazon rainforest this weekend, taking two boats to bring gifts to the children of a small village near the Brazilian city of Manaus. The visit was arranged by Amigos do Papai Noel, a Brazilian charity that has been taking gifts to children in the Amazon rainforest for the past 26 years. More than 600 children from different villages gathered in Catalao to receive presents from Santa, who dressed in his traditional nightcap, white gloves and red suit, while enduring the stifling jungle heat. NASA's Parker Solar Probe aims to fly closer to the sun like never before NEW YORK (AP) — A NASA spacecraft is about to make the closest approach to the sun. The Parker Solar Probe was launched in 2018 to get a close-up look at the sun. On Tuesday, Parker will pass within a record-breaking 3.8 million miles of the sun’s surface. That's nearly seven times closer to the sun than previous spacecraft. Scientists won’t hear from Parker until a few days after the flyby. It’ll continue circling the sun at this distance until at least September. Scientists hope to better understand what drives the solar wind and why the corona is so much hotter than the sun's surface. 174 Colorado skiers and snowboarders rescued after a lift cracks WINTER PARK, Colo. (AP) — Officials are investigating what caused a crack in a Colorado ski lift that forced the evacuation of over 170 stranded skiers and snowboarders. The evacuation happened Saturday on a gondola lift at Winter Park Resort. A spokesperson says the lift stopped automatically when a crack was detected in a structural piece of the lift. Passengers were lowered down by ropes over the course of about five hours. No injuries were reported during the rescues, which came at the start of the busy holiday season. 'Sonic 3' bests 'Mufasa: The Lion King' at the box office NEW YORK (AP) — In the holiday season battle of big-budget family movies, Paramount Pictures’ “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” sped past the Walt Disney Co.’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” to take the top spot at the box office. The results came just ahead of the lucrative Christmas corridor in theaters. According to studio estimates, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” debuted with $62 million in ticket sales over the weekend. “Mufasa,” however, was humbled in its opening weekend, coming in notably shy of expectations. It returned just $35 million in domestic ticket sales.

AP Business SummaryBrief at 3:44 p.m. ESTMiddle East latest: Israel agrees to a ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon

The Centennial football team defeated Northern champion Galena 24-15 to win the Class 5A Division III state championship Monday at Bishop Gorman. Khy Harris rushed for 200 yards and two touchdowns for the Bulldogs. Centennial (7-5) won the 4A title last season. Galena (9-3) lost to Legacy in the 5A Division III title game last year.Pandas An An and Ke Ke celebrate their 1st Christmas in Hong Kong HONG KONG (AP) — A pair of five-year-old pandas, named An An and Ke Ke, celebrated their first Christmas early in a Hong Kong park, munching on special treats and looking cute for the cameras. An An, the male panda, was presented with an ice slab that had “Merry Christmas” written on it with sweet potato and carrots while Ke Ke, his female companion, got a snowman garnished with slices of carrot and apple in a special press event Monday before visitors streamed to the park. China sent the pair to Hong Kong in late September in a bid to boost tourism in the city. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Wemby: Spurs-Knicks Christmas game is also an animated one at Disney World NEW YORK (AP) — There’s a Christmas Day basketball game at Walt Disney World, featuring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Wemby. While Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs are facing the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, an alternate animated telecast will have the teams playing in the Magic Kingdom, with some Disney characters participating. The special alt-cast, the first animated presentation of an NBA game, will be shown on ESPN2 and also stream on Disney+ and ESPN+. 'Squid Game' returns looking for win with season 2 The first season of “Squid Game” was Netflix's most-watched series and went on to win a variety of accolades including the Emmy Award for lead actor in a drama series for Lee Jung-jae and a directing award for Hwang Dong-hyuk. The show returns for its second season on Dec. 26 and is already nominated for a Golden Globe for best drama. It's rare for TV shows made in Korea to have more than one season but Lee describes Hwang as “a genius.” A third and final season has already filmed. Netflix is also invested in expanding its “Squid Game” universe with a reality competition series and an English-language version in development. In the ruins of a bombed-out church in Lebanon, there's now a tiny Christmas tree DARDGHAYA, Lebanon (AP) — A Christmas tree stands among the fallen stones in the ruins of a Catholic church in southern Lebanon that was hit by an Israeli airstrike during the war with Hezbollah. It's a small and modest tree. There are no lights because the war destroyed power lines. The ground is too uneven to set up the Nativity scene. The priest says his blood pressure went up and he lost his balance when he saw the church's destruction. Now he leads Mass in an underground room that serves as a temporary worship space. He tells the community it “is more like the cave where Jesus was born.” Burt, the huge Australian crocodile who had a cameo in ‘Crocodile Dundee,’ dies at 90 The Crocosaurus Cove reptile aquarium in Darwin, Australia, says the huge crocodile that rose to fame with a cameo in the movie “Crocodile Dundee” has died. The aquarium says Burt died over the weekend and was at least 90 years old. A saltwater crocodile, Burt was estimated to be more than 5 meters long. The 1986 movie stars Paul Hogan as the rugged crocodile hunter Mick Dundee. In the movie, American Sue Charlton, played by actress Linda Kozlowski, goes to fill her canteen in a watering hole when she is attacked by a crocodile, before being saved by Dundee. Elaborate holiday light displays are making spirits bright in a big way CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow might be enough to brighten some homes this holiday season. But others are adorned with thousands of blinking lights synched to blasting music. In Mesa, Arizona, 14 homeowners have been going all-out on holiday lights for 30 years, and those buying homes in the neighborhood often find the attics full of décor left behind by previous owners. In Santa Clarita, California, residents began coordinating their holiday lights to bring some joy to their community after an earthquake. And in Edmond, Oklahoma, those looking to the western sky will easily spot the Miranda family’s elaborate display featuring images and music from the movie “Wicked.” Santa braves the sticky heat of the Amazon jungle to bring gifts to children in Brazilian village CATALAO, Brazil (AP) — Santa Claus has braved the sticky heat of the Amazon rainforest this weekend, taking two boats to bring gifts to the children of a small village near the Brazilian city of Manaus. The visit was arranged by Amigos do Papai Noel, a Brazilian charity that has been taking gifts to children in the Amazon rainforest for the past 26 years. More than 600 children from different villages gathered in Catalao to receive presents from Santa, who dressed in his traditional nightcap, white gloves and red suit, while enduring the stifling jungle heat. NASA's Parker Solar Probe aims to fly closer to the sun like never before NEW YORK (AP) — A NASA spacecraft is about to make the closest approach to the sun. The Parker Solar Probe was launched in 2018 to get a close-up look at the sun. On Tuesday, Parker will pass within a record-breaking 3.8 million miles of the sun’s surface. That's nearly seven times closer to the sun than previous spacecraft. Scientists won’t hear from Parker until a few days after the flyby. It’ll continue circling the sun at this distance until at least September. Scientists hope to better understand what drives the solar wind and why the corona is so much hotter than the sun's surface. 174 Colorado skiers and snowboarders rescued after a lift cracks WINTER PARK, Colo. (AP) — Officials are investigating what caused a crack in a Colorado ski lift that forced the evacuation of over 170 stranded skiers and snowboarders. The evacuation happened Saturday on a gondola lift at Winter Park Resort. A spokesperson says the lift stopped automatically when a crack was detected in a structural piece of the lift. Passengers were lowered down by ropes over the course of about five hours. No injuries were reported during the rescues, which came at the start of the busy holiday season. 'Sonic 3' bests 'Mufasa: The Lion King' at the box office NEW YORK (AP) — In the holiday season battle of big-budget family movies, Paramount Pictures’ “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” sped past the Walt Disney Co.’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” to take the top spot at the box office. The results came just ahead of the lucrative Christmas corridor in theaters. According to studio estimates, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” debuted with $62 million in ticket sales over the weekend. “Mufasa,” however, was humbled in its opening weekend, coming in notably shy of expectations. It returned just $35 million in domestic ticket sales.

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Savion Williams rushed for two touchdowns and Josh Hoover threw for 252 yards as TCU pulled away from Arizona in the second half, winning 49-28 on Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas. The Horned Frogs (7-4, 5-3 Big 12) scored touchdowns on five consecutive possessions, starting late in the first half after the Wildcats (4-7, 2-6) pulled within 14-13. Williams carried nine times for 80 yards, scoring on runs of 1 and 20 yards in the first half. Hoover completed 19 of 26 passes, with one touchdown and one interception, before being pulled midway through the fourth quarter when the Frogs were up by 21. TCU took control after leading 21-13 at halftime, going up 35-13 on a 38-yard reception to JP Richardson midway through the third. Arizona kept its hopes alive, ending a 15-play, 75-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Chris Hunter on fourth down on the first play of the fourth quarter. The two-point conversion made it 35-21. But the Horned Frogs responded with another TD drive, capped by a 6-yard run by Cam Cook for a 42-21 advantage. Arizona added a 70-yard fumble return touchdown with one minute to go for the game's final score. Tetairoa McMillan caught nine passes for 115 yards to become the Arizona career leader in receiving yardage with 3,355. He surpassed his receivers coach, Bobby Wade (3,351), at the top spot. The Wildcats' Noah Fifita completed 29 of 44 passes for 284 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, which happened on the game's first snap. TCU promptly scored on a 4-yard run by Trent Battle, and Williams added a 1-yard TD run late in the first quarter for a 14-0 lead. But the Wildcats fought back, getting a 17-yard touchdown reception by Hunter and field goals of 53 and 43 yards from Tyler Loop to climb within 14-13 with 1:55 go before halftime. That's almost how the half ended, but the Horned Frogs converted third-and-18 on the ensuing drive and then gained 24 yards on third-and-25 to the Arizona 20. That set up a 20-yard run by Williams on fourth-and-1 with 13 seconds left for a 21-13 lead. --Field Level Media"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" To keep reading, please log in to your account, create a free account, or simply fill out the form below.