w500 online casino Will the government save in a fuel security emergency? After a long FOI fight, the Federal Government’s plan has been made public, and it’s not comforting, Rex Patrick reports. After a year-long $150K Freedom of Information (FOI) fight to keep secret their plans for dealing with a fuel security emergency, the Australian Government has been forced to come clean and hand them over. Should we be reassured or alarmed? There’s no single fuel emergency scenario. Australian Governments rightly ‘wargame’ all sorts of possibilities to see how they, the Australian economy and people might cope with a major disruption of liquid fuel supplies. Australia still predominantly runs on petroleum products, without which our nation would come to a crashing halt. If the pipeline between the Gore Bay Marine Terminal, west of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the storage tanks at Clyde near Parramatta that feed the nearby road tanker loading facilities were to fail, there would be fuel disruption across the greater Sydney metropolitan area and the State. This would be an emergency that would engage the NSW Minister for Energy, who has extensive powers under the Energy and Utilities Administrative Act (NSW), and the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, keepers of the Petroleum Supply Disruption Response Plan. The Commonwealth Government might keep a watching brief on the State’s response, and offer assistance where required, but would not formally get involved. Each State and Territory has their own fuel security legislation and response plans. Only if there was a pending or actual nationwide shortage would the Federal Government step up and take charge. A range of scenarios exist, mostly external, that could cause a national issue. A scenario in the 2019 Fuel Security emergency report the Government wanted kept from us gave a plausible scenario: a developing conflict in the Middle East where ships were being attacked in the Straits of Hormuz – at the end of an intense Australian bushfire season at which domestic fuel stocks were depleted. A read of the 82-page ‘ National Liquid Fuel Emergency Response Plan ’, which is now finally public, tells the planned response story. At the outset of a crisis, the public would start to hear of an unfamiliar new acronym – NOSEC. The National Oil Supplies Emergency Committee , chaired by the Commonwealth but including State government officials and large fuel suppliers such as Ampol, BP, Viva (formerly Shell) and ExxonMobil, would meet up and make an initial assessment of the situation. The response may start off in a light-handed manner. Officials and their political masters would likely seek information on the supply situation and try to avoid startling the horses. Let’s not start a panic would be the mantra. Rising prices caused by reduced supply will cause a market response whereby less fuel is used. The Government estimates this may cause a 4-6% reduction in consumption. The Government may also start eco-driving (website information on reducing fuel usage), car-pooling and public transport campaigns. The ACCC may authorise fuel companies to co-ordinate activities and to give priority to certain customers (normally a breach of the Trade Practices Act, until an emergency has been declared). They would also commence intense monitoring of retail fuel prices against international prices to discourage and, if necessary, prevent price gouging. Whilst the Government’s preference would be to let industry respond, it may eventually be necessary to invoke powers under the Commonwealth’s Liquid Fuel Emergency ( LFE ) Act. Quiet preparation will take place to do this. Consultation with stakeholders will occur. It may be that the states, coordinated through NOSEC to ensure an integrated approach, invoke their own fuel emergency powers first. The Federal government will watch to see how light-handed market measures and any state responses are working and how the international circumstances that caused the supply issues are playing out. Oficials will advise and prepare for LFE implementation, allocating and placing resources on standby while preparing necessary legal documents and media releases. State ministers must be consulted (a legal requirement under the LFE Act) before a fuel emergency can be declared. If Australia experienced a decline in fuel supplies of more than 7 per cent and this decline was not global (e.g. a significant natural disaster), Australia may also consider the merit of drawing on its rights as a member of the International Energy Agency (IEA) to seek additional petroleum supplies from other IEA member countries, if available and feasible. Once an emergency is declared and announced through the media, other measures may kick in. The LFE Act overrides any State measures in play to the extent that they are inconsistent with national measures. The LFE Act allows the government to direct fuel refinery products and quantity outputs. That may have only limited effect as we have only two refineries now. All participants in the fuel supply chain may have minimum stock requirements placed on them and be required to provide the government with near-real-time fuel stock data. This would be used to prevent excessive drawdowns. A temporary reduction in fuel standards to assist with supply may also be considered. Fuel distribution would be controlled by the Federal Government to ensure even distribution and to direct fuels to certain priority customers. It would likely invoke fuel rationing, e.g. $40 of fuel per customer per day, or odd licence plates one day, evens the next. This would involve an associated media campaign to ensure consumers understood the rules, as per example below. If the situation worsens, fuels could be directed to particular users: Defence, ships, transport vehicles, police/ambulance/fire, corrective services, public transport, state emergency services and health. The government co-ordination requirements would be considerable: intra-government (Attorney Generals, ACCC, Agriculture and Water, Communications, Industry, jobs and small business, Defence, Home Affairs, Social Security, DFAT, PM&C, Treasury and Finance), inter-government and with industry. Media will be engaged to announce the declaration and to keep the nation informed of measures. The Government has a plan in place. It’s now public, which means it’s available to the media in the event of a looming crisis (to assist in informing the public), and for others to scrutinise. The response to a fuel security emergency requires advanced planning and coordination. The Government has good planning documentation in place. But the release of the documents, including a 2019 fuel emergency exercise report, reveals some concerning issues that the Government does not seem to have got on top of. In a 2019 exercise report, it was revealed that it might take 21 days to declare an emergency. That concern has to be understood in the context of typical in-country diesel supplies of 24 to 26 days. It’s not clear how the government estimated that period, but it’s hugely problematic. It may be an accumulation of the need to approach a crisis in an iterative manner, determined by legislative requirements, the number of Federal agencies involved, the number of stakeholders beyond the Federal government, a lack of clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the various players, the lack of clear guidance on the order things ought to be done and a lack of clear thresholds for steps to be taken. In April 2019, the Morrison Government announced a review of the LFE Act to address the issues with the LFE Act. However, the review of the LFE Act did not proceed beyond scoping and planning because it was overtaken by events, mainly the COVID-19 pandemic. Nothing seems to have happened under the Albanese government. It’s quite focussed on AUKUS, it would seem. One must presume this 21-day implementation timeframe still exists and that’s a big vulnerability while our national fuel stocks remain so low. Another deficiency in planning is the presumption that Australians will act rationally if a fuel emergency commences. COVID toilet paper hoarding showed us that citizens acting rationally is not to a given. If diesel were to run out, food would quickly run out. We have just over a week of dry goods consumption available at our supermarkets and about a week for chilled and frozen foods. Pharmacies will start running out of medicine in about a week. The thought of not having food in cupboards and fridges or prescription medicines would likely exercise people’s minds a lot more than not having toilet paper. Fuel security is an important national security issue. The most recent forced release of information under our FOI laws shows that on top of the limited supplies we have in-country at any time, we’re likely to have a three-week delay before full response measures can be put in place. But by that time, the bulk of our national buffer may already be depleted. Things could turn ugly fast and rapidly move beyond the scenarios the Federal and State governments have war-gamed. But it’s not obvious anyone cares. It’s not just a muck-up; it’s an inexcusable national security failure for which we could all pay a heavy price in troubled and uncertain times.Swiss National Bank decreased its holdings in Nova Ltd. ( NASDAQ:NVMI – Free Report ) by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 57,052 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after selling 476 shares during the quarter. Swiss National Bank owned 0.20% of Nova worth $11,975,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Employees Retirement System of Texas purchased a new position in Nova in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $68,000. FSC Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Nova during the 2nd quarter worth $79,000. Signaturefd LLC increased its holdings in Nova by 15.9% during the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 767 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $180,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in Nova by 46.2% in the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 1,038 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $184,000 after purchasing an additional 328 shares in the last quarter. Finally, OLD National Bancorp IN purchased a new position in shares of Nova in the 2nd quarter valued at about $205,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.99% of the company’s stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of analysts recently weighed in on NVMI shares. Needham & Company LLC restated a “hold” rating on shares of Nova in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Citigroup lowered shares of Nova from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $273.00 to $224.00 in a report on Monday, September 16th. Finally, Benchmark lifted their price objective on shares of Nova from $240.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Nova presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $227.80. Nova Price Performance Shares of NVMI opened at $179.76 on Friday. Nova Ltd. has a 1-year low of $123.44 and a 1-year high of $247.21. The stock has a market cap of $5.22 billion, a PE ratio of 33.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.47. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $194.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $208.69. Nova Profile ( Free Report ) Nova Ltd. designs, develops, produces, and sells process control systems used in the manufacture of semiconductors in Israel, Taiwan, the United States, China, Korea, and internationally. Its product portfolio includes a set of metrology platforms for dimensional, films, and materials and chemical metrology measurements for process control for various semiconductor manufacturing process steps, including lithography, etch, chemical mechanical planarization, deposition, electrochemical plating, and advanced packaging. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NVMI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Nova Ltd. ( NASDAQ:NVMI – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Nova Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nova and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

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The rideshare industry has just been shaken up by a new that is rapidly expanding to major cities around the country including Atlanta, Miami, Orlando, Nashville, Phoenix, and many other locations. BlackWolf, like Uber and Lyft, is a rideshare app that will take you anywhere you need to go. The kicker is this service has drivers who are armed with guns. But they aren’t just the typical Joes with firearms, the company claims that they only hire law enforcement officers, veterans, and others who have worked in the private security sector for at least four years, according to t . As for how they screen potential drivers, the founder, Kerry KingBrown, told that they perform a detailed background check, reviewing documentation from the law enforcement or military agency that the potential employee previously worked at. Founded by KingBrown in May 2023, he was inspired to start the company during a unique encounter with a female client who alleged that she had previously been a victim of sex trafficking. This happened while he was working as a private investigator. He shared in an interview with , “She was trafficked for three years and [during] the last couple of months that I had with this particular client, she told me to create a transportation system for herself and her daughter.” Initially, KingBrown only transported women and children who were victims of domestic violence or trafficking. Now, he’s made his special rideshare service to anyone who wants that extra sense of security while driving. Currently, the app has more than 300,000 users nationwide and will be expanding to some of the biggest cities in Texas such as Austin, Houston, and Dallas by the end of 2025 according to . But how have they been able to get so many users after only a year? KingBrown gives all the credit to social media, specifically TikTok, telling Houston Public Radio, “TikTok has given us a boost of a lifetime. When we started in May [2023] we probably had a thousand followers. By the time we got to December, we were well over 200,000. ... The biggest thing is the concept we’ve created. It’s the realness in every video we put out. We think like how the people think because we’re a people-driven business.”Cybersecurity is an important but often overlooked aspect of business growth. As companies scale, so do the risks associated with cyber threats . This article explores essential strategies for managing cyber risks during periods of expansion. From proactive security measures to compliance with regulations, businesses must prioritize cybersecurity to safeguard their operations and reputation. Managing account access is a crucial form of cybersecurity hygiene within a growing business. Limiting access to sensitive systems and data only to those who require it for their roles means that organizations can minimize the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches. Effective account access management involves implementing role-based access controls (RBAC), multi-factor authentication (MFA), and regular audits to ensure compliance with security policies. By adopting these measures, businesses can enhance their security posture and safeguard against unauthorized data access or manipulation. Businesses need to educate employees about cybercriminals' tactics, such as phishing emails, social engineering and malware attacks. Knowledge empowers a workforce to identify and report suspicious activities promptly. As Kiana Lake, Co-Founder of LUXE Pickleball , emphasizes, "Building a culture of security awareness is crucial in today's digital landscape. Regular training sessions and simulated phishing exercises help employees develop the skills and knowledge to protect sensitive information and mitigate cyber risks effectively." You should tailor ongoing education and awareness initiatives to your organization’s needs and roles. This approach ensures employees understand their responsibilities in safeguarding company assets and data. A secure network infrastructure is the backbone of a business's cybersecurity framework, serving as the first line of defense against potential cyber threats. According to Erin Banta, Co-Founder and CEO of Pepper Home, a company known for their custom curtains , "Deploying advanced security technologies and regularly updating network defenses helps businesses fortify their digital infrastructure and minimize the risk of data breaches." Continuously monitoring and proactively maintaining network components is crucial for identifying and addressing vulnerabilities promptly. Regular security audits and penetration testing help businesses identify potential weaknesses in their network infrastructure and implement necessary remediation measures to enhance overall resilience against cyber threats. By regularly backing up critical data, businesses help ensure the availability and integrity of their information in the event of unexpected incidents. As Bob Craycraft, CEO of Cadence , says, "By establishing redundant backup systems and implementing automated backup schedules, businesses can minimize downtime and quickly restore operations in the event of data loss." Regular testing and validation of backup systems ensure their reliability and effectiveness in real-world scenarios. Businesses should regularly review and update their BDR plans to accommodate technological, infrastructure, and regulatory requirements changes. When businesses convert data into ciphertext through encryption algorithms, they can ensure that data remains unintelligible to unauthorized parties even if it’s intercepted. "Encrypting sensitive data adds a layer of security, safeguarding it from potential breaches or cyberattacks,” shares Brianna Bitton, Co-Founder of O Positiv, a company known for their MENO menopause supplements . “Implementing encryption protocols across all data transmission and storage channels enhances data confidentiality and integrity, reducing the risk of data compromise." Businesses should prioritize using strong encryption protocols and regularly updating encryption keys. This safeguard will help mitigate the risk of cryptographic vulnerabilities and ensure the ongoing protection of sensitive information. By thoroughly assessing and monitoring vendor security practices, businesses can mitigate potential risks associated with outsourcing services or utilizing external products. "Effective vendor risk management involves conducting comprehensive assessments of vendors' security controls and practices," emphasizes Justin Soleimani, Co-Founder of Tumble, a company known for their washable rugs . “Establishing clear criteria for vendor selection and regularly auditing their security measures means businesses can minimize the risk of data breaches or supply chain attacks." Inking thorough contractual agreements with vendors with clauses related to data security and compliance encourages accountability and helps companies source vendors to uphold stringent security standards. When businesses adopt these practices, they can proactively mitigate risks associated with third-party relationships and maintain the integrity of their operations. Businesses can respond to potential threats in real time when they leverage advanced threat detection technologies and analyze threat intelligence data. Brandon Adcock, Co-Founder and CEO of Nugenix, a company known for their Instaflex Advanced joint supplement, notes, "Monitoring and analyzing threats require a comprehensive approach that combines automated threat detection tools with human intelligence. When companies continuously monitor network traffic, analyze system logs and stay informed about emerging threats, they can effectively detect and mitigate cybersecurity incidents before they escalate." Conducting regular security assessments helps businesses identify vulnerabilities in their systems and infrastructure. By doing so, they can proactively address weaknesses and strengthen their overall cybersecurity posture. Detailed incident response plans minimize cybersecurity breaches’ impacts on business operations. These plans outline predefined steps and procedures to follow during a security breach, ensuring a coordinated and efficient response. "An incident response plan is like a playbook for cybersecurity incidents," says Griff Duncan, Digital Marketing Manager of CON-CRĒT, a company that specializes in creatine gummies . "It provides clear guidelines for identifying, containing and mitigating security breaches, helping organizations minimize downtime and data loss." Regular testing and simulation exercises of incident response plans are essential to ensure effectiveness. This proactive decision helps organizations refine their response strategies and prepare a response to cyber threats before they even occur. Adhering to regulatory requirements like GDPR, HIPAA or PCI DSS helps organizations mitigate legal and financial liabilities associated with data breaches. Natalia Kuvelas, Marketing Manager of Custom Goods , notes, "Compliance with regulations and standards is the baseline for cybersecurity best practices. In aligning with regulatory frameworks and industry standards, businesses demonstrate their commitment to safeguarding sensitive information and maintaining customer trust." What’s more, compliance initiatives promote a culture of accountability and transparency within the organization. With these initiatives, companies can instill a security-first mindset among employees. Nowadays, businesses need to adopt a proactive stance towards cybersecurity by continuously evolving their security measures. Stay abreast of emerging threats, technology advancements, and industry best practices to better ensure protection against cyberattacks. Kit Ng, General Manager of RedWolf Airsoft, a company that specializes in airsoft guns , emphasizes, "Regularly reassessing and updating security protocols, implementing new technologies, and conducting ongoing training for employees are essential to staying one step ahead of cyber threats." Organizations need to foster a culture of innovation and adaptability by encouraging collaboration between IT security teams, management, and employees. When they conduct frequent and thorough testing, businesses can address vulnerabilities before malicious actors can exploit them. According to Anthony Tivnan, President and Co-Founder of Magellan Jets, a company known for their charter private jet flights, "Regularly testing code and applications allows businesses to detect and remediate potential security flaws, minimizing the risk of data breaches and other cyber threats." Implementing automated testing processes can streamline the testing workflow, enabling faster detection and resolution of security issues. When businesses integrate automated testing tools into the development pipeline, they can ensure consistent and comprehensive testing coverage across their software ecosystem. Proactive measures are essential to protect your company against cyber threats. This article outlines why businesses need to fortify their digital infrastructure and offers several strategies for doing so. By implementing the tactics outlined, organizations can bolster their resilience, ensuring sustainable growth amidst cyber threats. Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!Five-star quarterback commit Bryce Underwood took to social media to celebrate Michigan ’s upset win over rivals Ohio State . On Saturday at Ohio Stadium, the Wolverines stunned the No. 2 Buckeyes thanks to game-changing plays on special teams alongside a resolute defensive performance to come away 13-10 victors. The result stunned the fans, with the stuttering Michigan offense doing just enough to move into Ohio State territory to set up Dominic Zvada’s game-winning 21-yard field goal. The defeat severely damaged Ohio State’s chances of reaching the Big Ten championship game, and Michigan players went to celebrate by planting a large flag with a Block M at midfield. Their actions sparked a mass brawl in the middle of the field, which lasted several minutes. Ashton Jeanty shows class after making Boise State history in final Heisman push Michigan vs. Ohio State erupts into mass brawl as cops intervene, pepper spray used Underwood is a Michigan native who recently hit headlines as he flipped his commitment from LSU to the Wolverines . He has already ingratiated himself among the team’s fans, but the 17-year-old certainly garnered more support by posting the Michigan logo on his Instagram story. Underwood represents the first five-star player to sign with the Wolverines since cornerback Will Johnson, who established himself as one of the best defensive backs in college football and will likely be a premier selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. Michigan has missed out on high-profile in-state quarterbacks in recent years and desperately needed a strong prospect to overhaul the offense under first-year head coach Sherrone Moore. Underwood, the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2025 ESPN 300 recruiting rankings , announced the news with a video posted to Instagram with the caption "Hometown Hero." With his flip, the teenager becomes the highest-rated commit in Michigan program history and the top prospect in Moore's inaugural recruiting class. Follow us on X for the best and latest in sports news While starring for Belleville High School, Underwood has led the Tigers to back-to-back state titles in his first two seasons under center, then earned Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year honors as a junior in 2023 while completing 64.8 percent of his passes for 3,329 yards and 44 touchdowns. With only one regular-season loss since Sept. 2021, Underwood and Belleville entered the state playoffs this month as favorites to claim the program's third state championship in four years. Underwood had been committed to LSU since January 2024, only for Michigan to entice him thanks to a competitive NIL package . The Wolverines’ successful pursuit of the No. 1 ranked recruit was ultimately boosted by Larry Ellison, the world's second-richest man. Once Underwood signs with the Wolverines, he will become the first No. 1 overall recruit to join the program since defensive tackle Rashan Rary in 2016. Underwood also would join Gary and defensive backs Jabrill Peppers (2014 class) and Dax Hill (2019) as the only five-star prospects to land in Ann Arbor since 2006, while he represents the Wolverines' highest-ranked quarterback pledge since Ryan Mallett in the 2007 class. Michigan, the defending NCAA champions, is 7-5 following the dramatic win over Ohio State. Meanwhile, the No. 2 Buckeyes could now miss out on a meeting with No. 1 Oregon in the Big 10 Championship, with Penn State likely to clinch a berth. However, Ohio State will certainly be in the inaugural edition of the expanded College Football Playoff bracket. Want to watch more live sports? Peacock has your favorite sports, shows, and more all in one place. Peacock offers plans starting at $7.99 so you can stream live sports like NFL, Premier League, and Big Ten Football.49ers’ Shanahan expects Jake Moody to be his kicker into the future

Hezbollah fires about 250 rockets and other projectiles into Israel in heaviest barrage in weeks BEIRUT (AP) — Hezbollah has fired about 250 rockets and other projectiles into Israel, wounding seven people in one of the militant group’s heaviest barrages in months. Sunday's attacks in northern and central Israel came in response to deadly Israeli strikes in central Beirut on Saturday. Israel struck southern Beirut on Sunday. Meanwhile, negotiators press on with cease-fire efforts to halt the all-out war. And Lebanon's military says an Israeli strike on a Lebanese army center in the southwest killed one soldier and wounded 18 others. Israel's military has expressed regret and said its operations are directed solely against the militants. Israel cracks down on Palestinian citizens who speak out against the war in Gaza UMM AL-FAHM, Israel (AP) — In the year since the war in Gaza broke out, Israel's government has been cracking down on dissent among its Palestinian citizens. Authorities have charged Palestinians with “supporting terrorism” because of posts online or for demonstrating against the war. Activists and rights watchdogs say Palestinians have also lost jobs, been suspended from schools and faced police interrogations. Palestinians make up about 20% of Israel's population. Many feel forced to self-censor out of fear of being jailed and further marginalized in society. Others still find ways to dissent, but carefully. Israel's National Security Ministry counters that, “Freedom of speech is not the freedom to incite.” Israel says rabbi who went missing in the UAE was killed. The government arrests 3 TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel says the body of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi who went missing in the United Arab Emirates has been found, citing Emirati authorities. The UAE’s Interior Ministry said authorities arrested three perpetrators involved in the killing of Zvi Kogan. The statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Sunday said Kogan was killed, calling it a “heinous antisemitic terror incident.” It said: “The state of Israel will act with all means to seek justice with the criminals responsible for his death." Kogan went missing on Thursday, and there were suspicions he had been kidnapped. His disappearance comes as Iran has been threatening to retaliate against Israel after the two countries traded fire in October. Somalia says 24 people have died after 2 boats capsized in the Indian Ocean MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Somalia's government says 24 people died after two boats capsized off the Madagascar coast in the Indian Ocean. Somalia’s Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi said 46 people were rescued. Most of the passengers were young Somalis, and their intended destination remains unclear. Many young Somalis embark every year on dangerous journeys in search of better opportunities abroad. A delegation led by the Somali ambassador to Ethiopia is scheduled to travel to Madagascar on Monday to investigate the incident and coordinate efforts to help survivors. 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. Moscow offers debt forgiveness to new recruits and AP sees wreckage of a new Russian missile KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law granting debt forgiveness to new army recruits who enlist to fight in Ukraine. The measure, whose final version appeared on a government website Saturday, underscores Russia’s needs for military personnel in the nearly 3-year-old war, even as it fired last week a new intermediate-range ballistic missile. Russia has ramped up military recruitment by offering increasing financial incentives to those willing to fight in Ukraine. Ukraine’s Security Service on Sunday showed The Associated Press wreckage of the new intermediate-range ballistic missile that struck a factory in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday. Forecasts warn of possible winter storms across US during Thanksgiving week WINDSOR, Calif. (AP) — Forecasters in the U.S. have warned of another round of winter weather that could complicate travel leading up to Thanksgiving. California is bracing for more snow and rain while still grappling with some flooding and small landslides from a previous storm. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for California's Sierra Nevada through Tuesday, with heavy snow expected at high elevations. Thousands remained without power in the Seattle area on Sunday after a “bomb cyclone” storm system hit the West Coast last week, killing two people. After Trump's win, Black women are rethinking their role as America's reliable political organizers ATLANTA (AP) — Donald Trump's victory has dismayed many politically engaged Black women, and they're reassessing their enthusiasm for politics and organizing. Black women often carry much of the work of getting out the vote, and they had vigorously supported the historic candidacy of Kamala Harris. AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters, found that 6 in 10 Black women said the future of democracy was the single most important factor for their vote this year, a higher share than for other demographic groups. But now, some Black women are renewing calls to emphasize rest, focus on mental health and become more selective about what fight they lend their organizing power to. Pakistani police arrest thousands of Imran Khan supporters ahead of rally in the capital ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Pakistani security officer says police have arrested thousands of Imran Khan supporters ahead of a rally in Islamabad to demand the ex-premier’s release from prison. Khan has been behind bars for more than a year. But he remains popular and his party says the cases against him are politically motivated. Police Sunday arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters in eastern Punjab province, a Khan stronghold. They include five parliamentarians. Pakistan has sealed off the capital with shipping containers. It also suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns.” Uruguay's once-dull election has become a dead heat in the presidential runoff MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Uruguayans are heading to the polls to choose their next president. In Sunday's election, the candidates of the conservative governing party and the left-leaning coalition are locked in a close runoff after failing to win an outright majority in last month’s vote. It's a hard-fought race between Álvaro Delgado, the incumbent party’s candidate, and Yamandú Orsi from the Broad Front, a coalition of leftist and center-left parties that governed for 15 years until the 2019 victory of center-right President Luis Lacalle Pou — overseeing the legalization of abortion, same-sex marriage and the sale of marijuana in the small South American nation.

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Mela ICUs to have AI-based tech for advanced patient careA dedicated last 121 runs culminated in a video where a stick figure appears to dance on a map of his neighborhood. Duncan McCabe tracked 10 months of runs using Strava, an app that's part exercise tracker, part social media. McCabe posted his runs to Strava, which records metrics like distance, calories, time, and average space. Strava also outlines movement in each exercise session with an orange line on a map. McCabe's route took the intentional shape of a stick figure man wearing a cap, whose pose changed slightly every session. After 121 sessions, McCabe was ready to compile each route display into a masterpiece. "Strava art animation through the streets of Toronto!" reads the caption. "This took me 121 runs from January to October 2024." Set to music with a steady beat, the orange stick figure appears to dance across the map for 20 seconds. Over the summer of 2023, McCabe compiled a series of routes he ran in shapes that included dinosaurs, sharks, and even the letters to spell out Toronto. Eager fans will likely need to exercise patience until McCabe releases the next elaborate compilation in his running series.ANDOVER, Mass. , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TransMedics Group, Inc. ("TransMedics") (Nasdaq: TMDX), a medical technology company that is transforming organ transplant therapy for patients with end-stage lung, heart, and liver failure, today announced the appointment of Mr. Gerardo Hernandez as the Company's Chief Financial Officer, effective December 2, 2024 . In this role, Mr. Hernandez joins the TransMedics executive leadership team, succeeding Mr. Stephen Gordon . To enable a smooth transition, Mr. Gordon will remain a non-executive employee of the Company until March 31, 2025 , before serving as a non-employee senior advisor to the Company focusing on national transplant stakeholder engagement until March 31, 2026 . TransMedics also updated its 2024 financial outlook. Dr. Waleed Hassanein , Mr. Gerardo Hernandez and Mr. Stephen Gordon will attend the upcoming Piper Sandler Conference on December 3, 2024 , the TransMedics Investor & Analyst Day on December 10, 2024 , as well as the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in January 2025 . Mr. Hernandez is an accomplished finance leader with over 25 years of experience across the healthcare and consumer packaged goods (CPG) sectors. He most recently served as Vice President Finance, Head of Corporate Financial Planning and Analysis at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company focused on RNAi therapeutics. In this role, Mr. Hernandez led a global team as the company scaled rapidly. Prior to his role at Alnylam, Mr. Hernandez spent nearly a decade at Shire, where he rose through the organization, eventually leading corporate FP&A. During his tenure, Shire was acquired by Takeda in a $62 billion transaction, after which he was instrumental in the integration effort. Mr. Hernandez began his career at Unilever where he held several finance roles of increasing responsibility before joining Shire in 2010. Mr. Hernandez holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Wisconsin , La Crosse and an MBA in Strategy and Economics from Fundação Getulio Vargas , Sao Paulo, Brazil . "Stephen has been an exceptional partner to me as a member of the TransMedics leadership team for nearly a decade. During his tenure we transitioned the Company from a clinical stage organization to a high growth, publicly traded commercial business," said Waleed Hassanein , M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer. "On behalf of the entire management team and the Board, I want to thank Stephen for his countless contributions to our business that will have lasting benefits for the Company. I am grateful for Stephen's dedication and efforts to advance our corporate strategy while delivering considerable shareholder value, and I look forward to his continued partnership to affect a smooth transition as we start our next chapter at TransMedics." "I am delighted to welcome Gerardo to the TransMedics leadership team as our new Chief Financial Officer," added Dr. Hassanein. "His proven record over two decades of leadership across FP&A functions within high-growth, complex global organizations makes him an ideal addition to our team. I am looking forward to partnering with Gerardo as we continue to deliver significant long-term corporate growth and shareholder value." "I am thrilled to join TransMedics as Chief Financial Officer," said Mr. Hernandez. "I look forward to working with the entire leadership team to expand access to the Company's unparalleled products and services in the organ transplant field while enhancing operational efficiency and delivering lasting value to both our shareholders and the patients we serve." Dr. Hassanein concluded, "As we enter the final weeks of the fourth quarter, we are also updating our financial outlook for the full year 2024. Our updated guidance reflects our continued expectation for considerable year-over-year revenue growth. We look forward to providing additional context at our upcoming Investor & Analyst Day." 2024 Financial Outlook TransMedics now expects revenue for the full year 2024 to be in the range of $428 million to $432 million, which represents 77% to 79% growth compared to the Company's prior year revenue. Piper Sandler 36th Annual Healthcare Conference Members of the TransMedics management team will participate in a fireside chat at the upcoming Piper Sandler 36th Annual Healthcare Conference at the Lotte New York Palace. The fireside chat will take place on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 , at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time . A live and archived webcast of the fireside chat will be available on the "Investors" section of the TransMedics website at https://investors.transmedics.com . The Company's standard investor presentation is also available through this link. TransMedics Investor & Analyst Day Details TransMedics will discuss the transition and updated financial outlook, as well as the Company's growth strategy, clinical pipeline, and operations, in greater detail at its Investor & Analyst Day in New York City on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 , at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time . A live and archived webcast of presentations and Q&A sessions will be available on the "Investors" section of the TransMedics website at https://investors.transmedics.com . Please note management will only take questions from the live audience during the question-and-answer session following formal presentations. About TransMedics Group, Inc. TransMedics is the world's leader in portable extracorporeal warm perfusion and assessment of donor organs for transplantation. Headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts , the company was founded to address the unmet need for more and better organs for transplantation and has developed technologies to preserve organ quality, assess organ viability prior to transplant, and potentially increase the utilization of donor organs for the treatment of end-stage heart, lung, and liver failure. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements with respect to, among other things, a leadership transition and our full-year guidance. For this purpose, all statements other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements. The words "believe," "may," "will," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "expect," "should," "could," "target," "predict," "seek" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Our management cannot predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in or implied by any forward-looking statements we may make. In light of these risks and uncertainties, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this press release may not occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated in or implied by the forward-looking statements. Some of the key factors that could cause actual results to differ include: our ability to maintain profitability on a sustained basis; our ability to attract, train and retain key personnel; our existing and any future indebtedness, including our ability to comply with affirmative and negative covenants under our credit agreement to which we will remain subject until maturity; the fluctuation of our financial results from quarter to quarter; our need to raise additional funding and our ability to obtain it on favorable terms, or at all; our ability to use net operating losses and research and development credit carryforwards; our dependence on the success of the Organ Care System or OCS; our ability to expand access to the OCS through our National OCS Program or NOP; our ability to scale our manufacturing and sterilization capabilities to meet increasing demand for our products; the rate and degree of market acceptance of the OCS; our ability to educate patients, surgeons, transplant centers and private and public payors on the benefits offered by the OCS; our ability to improve the OCS platform and develop the next generation of the OCS products; our dependence on a limited number of customers for a significant portion of our revenue; our ability to maintain regulatory approvals or clearances for our OCS products in the United States , the European Union, and other select jurisdictions worldwide; our ability to adequately respond to the Food and Drug Administration or FDA, or other competent authorities, follow-up inquiries in a timely manner; the performance of our third-party suppliers and manufacturers; our use of third parties to transport donor organs and medical personnel for our NOP and our ability to maintain and grow our logistics capabilities to support our NOP and reduce dependence on third party transportation, including by means of attracting, training and retaining pilots, and the acquisition, maintenance or replacement of fixed-wing aircraft for our aviation transportation services or other acquisitions, joint ventures or strategic investments; our ability to maintain Federal Aviation Administration or FAA or other regulatory licenses or approvals for our aircraft transportation services; price increases of the components of our products and maintenance, parts and fuel for our aircraft; the timing or results of post-approval studies and any clinical trials for the OCS; our manufacturing, sales, marketing and clinical support capabilities and strategy; attacks against our information technology infrastructure; the economic, political and other risks associated with our foreign operations; our ability to protect, defend, maintain and enforce our intellectual property rights relating to the OCS and avoid allegations that our products infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate the intellectual property rights of third parties; the pricing of the OCS, as well as the reimbursement coverage for the OCS in the United States and internationally; regulatory developments in the United States, European Union and other jurisdictions; the extent and success of competing products or procedures that are or may become available; our ability to service our 1.50% convertible senior notes, due 2028; the impact of any product recalls or improper use of our products; our estimates regarding revenues, expenses and needs for additional financing; and other factors that may be described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Additional information will be made available in our annual and quarterly reports and other filings that we make with the SEC. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and we are not able to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. Investor Contact: Brian Johnston Laine Morgan 332-895-3222 Investors@transmedics.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/transmedics-appoints-gerardo-hernandez-as-chief-financial-officer-and-provides-updated-2024-financial-outlook-302320060.html SOURCE TransMedics Group, Inc.Morgan Rogers looked to have given Emery’s side another famous win when he slammed a loose ball home in stoppage time, but referee Jesus Gil Manzano ruled Diego Carlos to have fouled Juve goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio and the goal was chalked off. Contact seemed minimal but VAR did not intervene and Villa had to settle for a point in a 0-0 draw. “With the last action, it is the interpretation of the referee,” the Spaniard said. “In England, 80 per cent of those is given a goal and it’s not a foul. It’s very soft. “But in Europe, it could be a foul. We have to accept. “Everybody will know, in England the interpretation is different. The England referees, when actions like that the interpretation is a clear no foul but in Europe that interpretation is different. “They have to be working to get the same decision when some action like that is coming. I don’t know exactly why but we knew before in the Premier League that it is different. A very controversial finish at Villa Park 😲 Morgan Rogers' late goal is ruled out for a foul on Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio and the match ends 0-0 ❌ 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/MyYL5Vdy3r — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 27, 2024 “In Europe for example we are not doing a block like in England and we are not doing in front of the goalkeeper in offensive corners the same situations like in England. “When the action happened, I was thinking here in Europe it’s a foul. In England not, but in Europe I have to accept it. “At first, I thought the referee gave us a goal. In cases like that, it’s confusing because he has to wait for VAR. I don’t know what happened but I think so (the referee changed his mind with VAR).” It was a disappointment for Villa, who remain unbeaten at home in their debut Champions League campaign and are still in contention to qualify automatically for the last 16. “We were playing a favourite to be in the top eight and usually a contender to win this competition,” Emery added. “We are a team who for a long time didn’t play in Europe and the Champions League and this year is very important. “We wanted to play competitive and we are in the right way. Today to get one point is very good, we wanted to win but wanted to avoid some mistakes we made in previous games. “We have 10 points and we’re happy.” Before the game Emery called Juventus one of the “best teams in the world, historically and now”, but this was an Italian side down to the bare bones. Only 14 outfield players made the trip from Turin, with striker Dusan Vlahovic among those who stayed behind. Juve boss Thiago Motta, whose side are 19th but still in contention to reach the top eight, said: “There’s just three games left to qualify. The next home against Man City, then Brugge, then Benfica. “One at a time, as we always did with the goal to qualify for the next round. “In the end we will try and reach our goal which is to go to the next round.”

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Researchers from a local university are conducting a community-led research project to map the drug crisis in Surrey. Michael Ma, PhD and Tara Lyons, PhD from Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) are working with the Surrey Union of Drug Users (SUDU) to highlight "the lack of specific research on Surrey’s toxic drug supply crisis, harm reduction and the regulation of people who use drugs," notes a KPU news release Tuesday (Dec. 10). Surrey had the second-highest number of drug overdose deaths in the province for the first nine months of 2024, according to the B.C. Coroners Service . Gina Egilson, a board member at SUDU, said, "Surrey's losing more and more people to toxic drug overdoses, with at least four to five people dying every week." “There's a deep urgency to improve the system through more support and resources in Surrey. This research will be an empowering skill-building opportunity that will help guide SUDU's advocacy." In an October article for Oxford University Press , Ma noted that the majority of research on overdoses in B.C. is focused on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, even though most overdoses have occurred in Vancouver, Surrey and Victoria. “For too many years there hasn't been enough focus on the escalating drug crisis in Surrey,” Ma said. “So we want to try to build more capacity and support in Surrey through resources, funding and infrastructure.” The project will draw from people with lived experience of substance use, who will take an "active role as participants and collaborators in the research," notes the KPU release. “This research is just not for pure scholarly academic reasons. It’s a community development project that has a research component. It can be leveraged for social action to generate new social, economic and political policy that could benefit people who are suffering, being misunderstood or being under-researched,” Ma said. Pete Woodrow, a board member at SUDU, said, “I've never seen this kind of collaboration between people of lived experience and established researchers." “It not only creates a bridge of understanding between two groups that would not normally have contact, it also gives us an opportunity to gain a greater handle on where services are most needed. So often the intent of help falls short or misses the mark due to the lack of a proper map of marginalized population.” Lyons added, “We don’t see people as objects of study in the work we're doing. They're experts who are guiding the kind of questions we're going to ask and how we will communicate the information.” A $339,159 grant from the College and Community Social Innovation will help fund this project.

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — A rare win as a double-digit underdog came just in time to let the Dallas Cowboys believe their playoff hopes aren't completely gone in 2024. Cooper Rush probably will need three more victories in a row filling in for the injured Dak Prescott for any postseason talk to be realistic. The thing is, the Cowboys (4-7) could be favored in two of those games, and already are by four points as an annual Thanksgiving Day host against the New York Giants (2-9) on Thursday, according to BetMGM. Not to mention the losing record at the moment for each of the next four opponents for the defending NFC East champions, playoff qualifiers each of the past three seasons. The Cowboys have a chance to make something of the improbable and chaotic 34-26 win at Washington that ended a five-game losing streak. “Behind the eight ball,” Micah Parsons said, the star pass rusher acknowledging the reality that Dallas hadn't done much yet. “Let’s see how we can handle adversity and see if we can make a playoff run. But we got a long way to go.” It was a start, though, powered in part by the best 55 minutes from the Dallas defense since the opener, when the Cowboys dismantled Cleveland and looked the part of a Super Bowl contender. The last five minutes for the Dallas defense against the Commanders looked a lot like most of the nine games after that 33-17 victory over the Browns. Which is to say not very good. Jayden Daniels easily drove Washington 69 yards to a touchdown before throwing an 86-yard scoring pass in the final seconds to Terry McLaurin, who weaved through five defenders when a tackle might have ended the game. The Cowboys kept a 27-26 lead thanks to Austin Seibert's second missed extra point, and withstood another blunder when Juanyeh Thomas returned an onside kick recovery for a TD rather than slide and leave one kneel-down from Rush to end the game. Dallas will have to remember it did hold a dynamic rookie quarterback's offense to 251 yards before the madness of the ending in the Cowboys' biggest upset victory since 2010 at the New York Giants. That one was too late to save the season. This one might not be. “We needed it,” embattled coach Mike McCarthy said. “It’s been frustrating, no doubt. We’ve acknowledged that. We’ve got another one right around the corner here, so we have to get some wins and get some momentum.” Rush ended a personal three-game losing streak with his best showing since the previous time he won as the replacement for Prescott, who is out for the season after surgery for a torn hamstring. The 117.6 passer rating was Rush's best as a starter, and the NFL's second-worst rushing attack played a solid complementary role with Rico Dowdle gaining 86 yards on 19 carries. Story continues below video KaVontae Turpin's electrifying 99-yard kickoff return did more than lift the Cowboys when it appeared an 11-point lead might get away in the final five minutes. It eased the worst day of special teams for Dallas since John Fassel took over that phase four years ago. Suddenly struggling kicker Brandon Aubrey had one field-goal attempt blocked and missed another. Bryan Anger had a punt blocked. For the second time in five games, Aubrey's attempt to bounce a kickoff in front of the return man backfired. The ball bounced outside the landing zone, putting the Commanders at the 40-yard line to start the second half and setting up the drive to the game's first touchdown. CB Josh Butler, whose NFL debut earlier this season came five years after the end of his college career, had 12 tackles, a sack and three pass breakups. The pass breakups were the most by an undrafted Dallas player since 1994. Rookie LT Tyler Guyton, who has had an up-and-down season with injuries and performance issues, was benched immediately after getting called for a false start in the fourth quarter. His replacement, Asim Richards, could be sidelined with a high ankle sprain that executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones revealed on his radio show Monday. Veteran Chuma Edoga, who was the projected starter at Guyton's position before a preseason toe injury, was active but didn't play against the Commanders. He's awaiting his season debut. The status of perennial All-Pro RG Zack Martin (ankle/shoulder) and LG Tyler Smith (ankle/knee) will be a question on the short week after both sat against Washington. Stephen Jones indicated Smith could be available and said the same of WR Brandin Cooks, who hasn't played since Week 4 because of a knee issue. TE Jake Ferguson may miss at least a second week with a concussion. The short week might make it tough for CB Trevon Diggs (groin/knee) to return. 75% — Rush's completion rate, his best with at least 10 passes. He was 24 of 32 for 247 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. His other game with multiple TDs and no picks was a 25-10 victory over Washington two years ago, when he went 4-1 with Prescott sidelined by a broken thumb. There's some extra rest after the short week, with Cincinnati making a “Monday Night Football” visit on Dec. 9. The next road game is at Carolina on Dec. 15. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflPresident Nikos Christodoulides reportedly presented a plan of Cyprus’ possible future accession to NATO to US President Joe Biden at their meeting in October 30 at the White House. According to Katherini , the plan, which was “eagerly accepted” by Washington, is “detailed, well-thought-out, with long-term planning and consisting of many interdependent stages.” Kathimerini ’s correspondent in the US capital said the Christodoulides also presented the plan to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the sidelines of the European Political Community Summit in Bucharest. Christodoulides, according to Kathimerini, sets as a priority the formalisation of the relationship between Cyprus and NATO. To achieve this, a chain of events must ensue, starting with developments on the Cyprus problem and progress on Euro-Turkish issues . Nicosia also asked the United States to procure US defence equipment through a three- or five-year agreement; further upgrade the field of training members of the National Guard in US military academies; and decisive contribution of the United States to the gradual modernisation of Cyprus’ defense capabilities and means to NATO standards.90 jili online casino 。

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Stock market today: Wall Street rises toward more records​PEARLAND While other kids circled toys in sales flyers or wrote their long wish lists to Santa, young Summer-Linn’s wish for the holiday season wasn’t the newest toy or trending electronic, it was to see others happy. “Her Christmas wish was to make sure all the foster kids had a good family,” mother Max Ryder said while the family participated Saturday in a Pearland fundraiser. “She took it upon herself to contact the local foster home, made up a list of what they wanted and started baking cookies to raise money.” Summer-Linn makes handcrafted beanies throughout the year of all different styles and themes for her customers. The beanies are easy to make and something the family also uses to help the homeless in their community. “It gives you a good feeling and warms up your heart," Summer-Linn said. “I’m buying items that they want with what I’ve saved up.” The savings come from her allowance and the profits she makes from her fundraisers. Her current goal is to have $5,000 saved before Black Friday. “She takes half of her allowance to buy yarn for the beanies and has made 400 over the last week and a half,” Ryder said. Summer-Linn’s closet is currently stocked with new toys she’s collected for the children, and she is on the lookout for more once Black Friday comes around. “This is something I’m wanting to always continue,” she said. “Seeing my friends and family happy is what makes me happy during the holidays; I don’t really care if I get toys.” The community can support Summer-Linn’s mission by buying items on the family’s Amazon wish list for the foster children or donate money to the family by Venmo, Zelle or Cash App. “With a lot of kids, it’s all about ‘me,’ but she will give you the shirt off her back if you need it,” Ryder said. “It’s who she is and I just love it.” Summer-Linn’s main goal is to see everyone around her have just as great a Christmas as she does, and that is something she finds impactful. “The strongest thing in the world is hope,” Summer-Linn said. “Without hope, we cannot love; without love, we can’t understand; and without understanding, we can’t respect.” Summer and her family continue to raise money for the children and hope to have a fun holiday season by giving back to their community and brining families together this Christmas. “When you help other people, they are encouraged to help others, and it just starts to spread love, hope and happiness,” Ryder said. “Just by giving someone one thing, you are making such a big impact.”

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Believe it or not, Cowboys might have hope yet after chaotic win at WashingtonDecember 23, 2024 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlightedthe following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked peer-reviewed publication trusted source proofread by University of Michigan Bright, twisted light can be produced with technology similar to an Edison light bulb, researchers at the University of Michigan have shown. The finding adds nuance to fundamental physics while offering a new avenue for robotic vision systems and other applications for light that traces out a helix in space. "It's hard to generate enough brightness when producing twisted light with traditional ways like electron or photon luminescence," said Jun Lu, an adjunct research investigator in chemical engineering at U-M and first author of the study on the cover of this week's Science . "We gradually noticed that we actually have a very old way to generate these photons—not relying on photon and electron excitations, but like the bulb Edison developed." Every object with any heat to it, including yourself, is constantly sending out photons (particles of light) in a spectrum tied to its temperature. When the object is the same temperature as its surroundings, it is also absorbing an equivalent amount of photons—this is idealized as " blackbody radiation " because the color black absorbs all photon frequencies. While a tungsten lightbulb's filament is much warmer than its surroundings, the law defining blackbody radiation—Planck's law—offers a good approximation of the spectrum of photons it sends out. All together, the visible photons look like white light, but when you pass the light through a prism, you can see the rainbow of different photons within it. This radiation is also why you show up brightly in a thermal image, but even room-temperature objects are constantly emitting and receiving blackbody photons, making them dimly visible as well. Typically, the shape of the object emitting the radiation doesn't get much consideration—for most purposes (as so often in physics), the object can be imagined as a sphere. But while shape doesn't affect the spectrum of wavelengths of the different photons, it can affect a different property: their polarization. Usually, photons from a blackbody source are randomly polarized—their waves may oscillate along any axis. The new study revealed that if the emitter was twisted at the micro or nanoscale, with the length of each twist similar to the wavelength of the emitted light, the blackbody radiation would be twisted too. The strength of the twisting in the light, or its elliptical polarization, depended on two main factors: how close the wavelength of the photon was to the length of each twist and the electronic properties of the material—nanocarbon or metal, in this case. Twisted light is also called "chiral" because the clockwise and counterclockwise rotations are mirror images of one another. The study was undertaken to demonstrate the premise of a more applied project that the Michigan team would like to pursue: using chiral blackbody radiation to identify objects. They envision robots and self-driving cars that can see like mantis shrimp , differentiating among light waves with different directions of twirl and degrees of twistedness. "The advancements in physics of blackbody radiation by chiral nanostructures is central to this study. Such emitters are everywhere around us," said Nicholas Kotov, the Irving Langmuir Distinguished Professor of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, director of NSF Center of Complex Particles and Particle Systems (COMPASS) and corresponding author of the study. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matter— daily or weekly . "These findings, for example, could be important for an autonomous vehicle to tell the difference between a deer and a human, which emit light with similar wavelengths but different helicity because deer fur has a different curl from our fabric." While brightness is the main advantage of this method for producing twisted light—up to 100 times brighter than other approaches—the light includes a broad spectrum of both wavelengths and twists. The team has ideas about how to address this, including exploring the possibility of building a laser that relies on twisted light -emitting structures. Kotov also wants to explore further into the infrared spectrum. The peak wavelength of blackbody radiation at room temperature is roughly 10,000 nanometers or 0.01 millimeters. "This is an area of the spectrum with a lot of noise, but it may be possible to enhance contrast through their elliptical polarization," Kotov said. Kotov is also the Joseph B. and Florence V. Cejka Professor of Engineering, a professor of macromolecular science and engineering and a member of U-M's Biointerfaces Institute. Lu is an incoming assistant professor of chemistry and physics at the National University of Singapore. The device was built in the COMPASS Lab located at the North Campus Research Complex of U-M and studied at the Michigan Center for Materials Characterization. More information: Jun Lu et al, Bright, circularly polarized black-body radiation from twisted nanocarbon filaments, Science (2024). DOI: 10.1126/science.adq4068 Journal information: Science Provided by University of MichiganAs open enrollment for Affordable Care Act plans continues through Jan. 15, you’re likely seeing fewer social media ads promising monthly cash cards worth hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars that you can use for groceries, medical bills, rent and other expenses. But don’t worry. You haven’t missed out on any windfalls. Clicking on one of those ads would not have provided you with a cash card — at least not worth hundreds or thousands. But you might have found yourself switched to a health insurance plan you did not authorize, unable to afford treatment for an unforeseen medical emergency, and owing thousands of dollars to the IRS, according to an ongoing lawsuit against companies and individuals who plaintiffs say masterminded the ads and alleged scams committed against millions of people who responded to them. The absence of those once-ubiquitous ads are likely a result of the federal government suspending access to the ACA marketplace for two companies that market health insurance out of South Florida offices, amid accusations they used “fraudulent” ads to lure customers and then switched their insurance plans and agents without their knowledge. In its suspension letter, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) cited “credible allegations of misconduct” in the agency’s decision to suspend the abilities of two companies — TrueCoverage (doing business as Inshura) and BenefitAlign — to transact information with the marketplace. CMS licenses and monitors agencies that use their own websites and information technology platforms to enroll health insurance customers in ACA plans offered in the federal marketplace. Suit names long list of defendants The alleged scheme affected millions of consumers, according to a lawsuit winding its way through U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale that seeks class-action status. An amended version of the suit, filed in August, increased the number of defendants from six to 12: — TrueCoverage LLC, an Albuquerque, New Mexico-based health insurance agency with large offices in Miami, Miramar and Deerfield Beach. TrueCoverage is a sub-tenant of the South Florida Sun Sentinel in a building leased by the newspaper in Deerfield Beach. — Enhance Health LLC, a Sunrise-based health insurance agency that the lawsuit says was founded by Matthew Herman, also named as a defendant, with a $150 million investment from hedge fund Bain Capital’s insurance division. Bain Capital Insurance Fund LP is also a defendant. — Speridian Technologies LLC, accused in the lawsuit of establishing two direct enrollment platforms that provided TrueCoverage and other agencies access to the ACA marketplace. — Benefitalign LLC, identified in the suit as one of the direct enrollment platforms created by Speridian. Like Speridian and TrueCoverage, the company is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. — Number One Prospecting LLC, doing business as Minerva Marketing, based in Fort Lauderdale, and its founder, Brandon Bowsky, accused of developing the social media ads that drove customers — or “leads” — to the health insurance agencies. — Digital Media Solutions LLC, doing business as Protect Health, a Miami-based agency that the suit says bought Minerva’s “fraudulent” ads. In September, the company filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors in United States Bankruptcy Court in Texas, which automatically suspended claims filed against the company. — Net Health Affiliates Inc., an Aventura-based agency the lawsuit says was associated with Enhance Health and like it, bought leads from Minerva. — Garish Panicker, identified in the lawsuit as half-owner of Speridian Global Holdings and day-to-day controller of companies under its umbrella, including TrueCoverage, Benefitalign and Speridian Technologies. — Matthew Goldfuss, accused by the suit of overseeing and directing TrueCoverage’s ACA enrollment efforts. All of the defendants have filed motions to dismiss the lawsuit. The motions deny the allegations and argue that the plaintiffs failed to properly state their claims and lack the standing to file the complaints. Defendants respond to requests for comment The Sun Sentinel sent requests for comment and lists of questions about the cases to four separate law firms representing separate groups of defendants. Three of the law firms — one representing Brandon Bowsky and Number One Prospecting LLC d/b/a Minerva Marketing, and two others representing Net Health Affiliates Inc. and Bain Capital Insurance Fund — did not respond to the requests. A representative of Enhance Health LLC and Matthew Herman, Olga M. Vieira of the Miami-based firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, responded with a short message saying she was glad the newspaper knew a motion to dismiss the charges had been filed by the defendants. She also said that, “Enhance has denied all the allegations as reported previously in the media.” Catherine Riedel, a communications specialist representing TrueCoverage LLC, Benefitalign LLC, Speridian Technologies LLC, Girish Panicker and Matthew Goldfuss, issued the following statement: “TrueCoverage takes these allegations very seriously and is responding appropriately. While we cannot comment on ongoing litigation, we strongly believe that the allegations are baseless and without merit. “Compliance is our business. The TrueCoverage team records and reviews every call with a customer, including during Open Enrollment when roughly 500 agents handle nearly 30,000 calls a day. No customer is enrolled into any policy without a formal verbal consent given by the customer. If any customer calls in as a result of misleading content presented by third-party marketing vendors, agents are trained to correct such misinformation and action is taken against such third-party vendors.” Through Riedel, the defendants declined to answer follow-up questions, including whether the company remains in business, whether it continues to enroll Affordable Care Act clients, and whether it is still operating its New Mexico call center using another affiliated technology platform. Lawsuit: COVID relief package made ‘scheme’ possible The suspension notification from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services letter cites several factors, including the histories of noncompliance and previous suspensions. The letter noted suspicion that TrueCoverage and Benefitalign were storing consumers’ personally identifiable information in databases located in India and possibly other overseas locations in violation of the centers’ rules. The letter also notes allegations against the companies in the pending lawsuit that “they engaged in a variety of illegal practices, including violations of the (Racketeer Influenced & Corrupt Organizations, or RICO Act), misuse of consumer (personal identifiable information) and insurance fraud.” The amended lawsuit filed in August names as plaintiffs five individuals who say their insurance plans were changed and two agencies who say they lost money when they were replaced as agents. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of 55 counts of wrongdoing, ranging from running ads offering thousands of dollars in cash that they knew would never be provided directly to consumers, switching millions of consumers into different insurance policies without their authorization, misstating their household incomes to make them eligible for $0 premium coverage, and “stealing” commissions by switching the agents listed in their accounts. TrueCoverage, Enhance Health, Protect Health, and some of their associates “engaged in hundreds of thousands of agent-of-record swaps to steal other agents’ commissions,” the suit states. “Using the Benefitalign and Inshura platforms, they created large spreadsheet lists of consumer names, dates of birth and zip codes.” They provided those spreadsheets to agents, it says, and instructed them to access platforms linked to the ACA marketplace and change the customers’ agents of record “without telling the client or providing informed consent.” “In doing so, they immediately captured the monthly commissions of agents ... who had originally worked with the consumers directly to sign them up,” the lawsuit asserts. TrueCoverage employees who complained about dealing with prospects who called looking for cash cards were routinely chided by supervisors who told them to be vague and keep making money, the suit says. When the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began contacting the company in January about customer complaints, the suit says TrueCoverage enrollment supervisor Matthew Goldfuss sent an email instructing agents “do not respond.” How it started The lawsuit states the “scheme” was made possible in 2021 when Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in the wake of the COVID pandemic. The act made it possible for Americans with household incomes between 100% and 150% of the federal poverty level to pay zero in premiums and it enabled those consumers to enroll in ACA plans all year round, instead of during the three-month open enrollment period from November to January. Experienced health insurance brokers recognized the opportunity presented by the changes, the lawsuit says. More than 40 million Americans live within 100% and 150% of the federal poverty level, while only 15 million had ACA insurance at the time. The defendants developed or benefited from online ads, the lawsuit says, which falsely promised “hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars per month in cash benefits such as subsidy cards to pay for common expenses like rent, groceries, and gas.” Consumers who clicked on the ads were brought to a landing page that asked a few qualifying questions, and if their answers suggested that they might qualify for a low-cost or no-cost plan, they were provided a phone number to a health insurance agency. There was a major problem with the plan, according to the lawsuit. “Customers believe they are being routed to someone who will send them a free cash card, not enroll them in health insurance.” By law, the federal government sends subsidies for ACA plans to insurance companies, and not to individual consumers. Scripts were developed requiring agents not to mention a cash card, and if a customer mentions a cash card, “be vague” and tell the caller that only the insurance carrier can provide that information, the lawsuit alleges. In September, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the claims. In addition to denying the charges, they argued that the class plaintiffs lacked the standing to make the accusations and failed to demonstrate that they suffered harm. The motion also argued that the lawsuit’s accusations failed to meet requirements necessary to claim civil violations of the RICO Act. Miami-based attorney Jason Kellogg, representing the plaintiffs, said he doesn’t expect a ruling on the motion to dismiss the case for several months. The complaint also lists nearly 50 companies, not named as defendants, that it says fed business to TrueCoverage and Enhance Health. Known in the industry as “downlines,” most operate in office parks throughout South Florida, the lawsuit says. Complaints from former employees and clients The lawsuit quotes former TrueCoverage employees complaining about having to work with customers lured by false cash promises in the online ads. A former employee who worked in the company’s Deerfield Beach office was quoted in the lawsuit as saying that senior TrueCoverage and Speridian executives “knew that consumers were calling in response to the false advertisements promising cash cards and they pressured agents to use them to enroll consumers into ACA plans.” A former human resources manager for TrueCoverage said sales agents frequently complained “that they did not feel comfortable having to mislead consumers,” the lawsuit said. Over two dozen agents “came to me with these complaints and showed me the false advertisements that consumers who called in were showing them,” the lawsuit quoted the former manager as saying. For much of the time the companies operated, the ACA marketplace enabled agents to easily access customer accounts using their names and Social Security numbers, change their insurance plans and switch their agents of record without their knowledge or authorization, the lawsuit says. This resulted in customers’ original agents losing their commissions and many of the policyholders finding out they suddenly owed far more for health care services than their original plans had required, the suit states. It says that one of the co-plaintiffs’ health plans was changed at least 22 times without her consent. She first discovered that she had lost her original plan when she sought to renew a prescription for her heart condition and her doctor told her she did not have health insurance, the suit states. Another co-plaintiff’s policy was switched after her husband responded to one of the cash card advertisements, the lawsuit says. That couple’s insurance plan was switched multiple times after a TrueCoverage agent excluded the wife’s income from an application so the couple would qualify. Later, they received bills from the IRS for $4,300 to cover tax credits issued to pay for the plans. CMS barred TrueCoverage and BenefitAlign from accessing the ACA marketplace. It said it received more than 90,000 complaints about unauthorized plan switches and more than 183,500 complaints about unauthorized enrollments, but the agency did not attribute all of the complaints to activities by the two companies. In addition, CMS restricted all agents’ abilities to alter policyholders’ enrollment information, the lawsuit says. Now access is allowed only for agents that already represent policyholders or if the policyholder participates in a three-way call with an agent and a marketplace employee. Between June and October, the agency barred 850 agents and brokers from accessing the marketplace “for reasonable suspicion of fraudulent or abusive conduct related to unauthorized enrollments or unauthorized plan switches,” according to an October CMS news release . The changes resulted in a “dramatic and sustained drop” in unauthorized activity, including a nearly 70% decrease in plan changes associated with an agent or broker and a nearly 90% decrease in changes to agent or broker commission information, the release said. It added that while consumers were often unaware of such changes, the opportunity to make them provided “significant financial incentive for non-compliant agents and brokers.” But CMS’ restrictions might be having unintended consequences for law-abiding agents and brokers. A story published by Insurance News Net on Nov. 11 quoted the president of the Health Agents for America (HAFA) trade group as saying agents are being suspended by CMS after being flagged by a mysterious algorithm that no one can figure out. The story quotes HAFA president Ronnell Nolan as surmising, “maybe they wrote too many policies on the same day for people who have the same income or they’re writing too many policies on people of a certain occupation.” Nolan continued, “We have members who have thousands of ACA clients. They can’t update or renew their clients. So those consumers have lost access to their professional agent, which is simply unfair.” Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071, on Twitter @ronhurtibise or by email at rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com.

Ruben Amorim explains how Man Utd will beat Arsenal in FA Cup rematch after 2-0 defeatCompany's first ultra-low power AI module will be commercially available for wearables and various other battery-powered on-device AI applications starting Q1 2025 SANTA CLARA, Calif. , Dec. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ambient Scientific, The AI Processor Company, announced today its first coin cell battery powered AI module, named the Sparsh-board, targeted for a variety of on-device AI applications such as human activity recognition, voice control, acoustic event detection and more capable of running on a coin cell battery for months of always-on AI operation. Equipped with motion sensors, a digital microphone, BLE module and several other components, the Sparsh module is an extremely powerful and versatile module to enable rapid prototyping of a vast array of battery-powered AI applications. "While traditional MCUs force an undesirable tradeoff between AI performance and power consumption, our ultra-low power AI processor GPX10 ushers a paradigm shift with our groundbreaking analog in-memory computing technology," said GP Singh, Founder and CEO of Ambient Scientific. Product makers can now enable highly accurate and diverse AI applications without compromising on AI performance, battery life, form factor, flexibility and more. Ambient Scientific's exhaustive software stack makes the development of AI applications easier than ever before with support for industry standard AI frameworks such as Tensorflow and keras and a continuously evolving homegrown compiler, capable of supporting essentially all the major types of neural networks. With various sample AI applications and algorithms included, developers can get begin developing AI applications within minutes of downloading our AmbiSense SDK . Current applications being worked on cut across industries, including predictive maintenance, AI-enabled medical devices, wearables, voice controlled toys and more. With increasing demand from product makers, enthusiasts, students and researchers alike, Ambient Scientific plans to launch several reference designs for battery-powered AI applications and similar form factor modules to enable rapid prototyping and fulfill its mission to make AI computing efficient, accessible and affordable for all. Meet Ambient Scientific at CES 2025 Ambient Scientific is excited to unveil its Sparsh AI module at CES 2025 with live demostrations of AI applications running on coin cell batteries such as Fall Detection, voice recognition and more. To explore potential synergies, attendees can schedule meetings CES 2025 with Ambient Scientific at. To learn more about Ambient Scientific, visit our booth at CES 2025 or download our press kit . About Ambient Scientific Ambient Scientific is a fabless semiconductor company pioneering AI hardware and software design to create next-generation low-power processors for edge and on-device AI applications. With a team comprised of Ex-Sun Microsystems, Intel, Broadcom and Google professionals, Ambient Scientific is committed to bringing the power of AI to all, through cutting edge hardware and software products. To learn more about its products, visit www.ambientscientific.ai and follow Ambient Scientific on LinkedIn . Click here for more details about our booth at: https://ces25.mapyourshow.com/8_0/exhibitor/exhibitor-details.cfm?exhid=0013A00001egpuFQAQ . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ambient-scientific-unveils-first-ever-ai-module-powered-by-a-coin-cell-battery-302332996.html SOURCE Ambient Scientific, Inc.jili online casino 。

Anne said "it was like something from a horror film" as the floor began to "bulge" A nan said she ran after hearing the sound of a loud bang as the floor "exploded" in a local café. Anne Davies, 71, was enjoying a sandwich with granddaughter, Heather, and her baby at Lady Lever Art Galley on Lower Road, Bebington , this afternoon (Wednesday) when they began to hear a "crackling, popping noise". At first they thought the noise was coming from the lights on the Christmas tree behind them. But Anne said when the floor beneath them began to "bulge", they instinctively "grabbed the baby and ran". The gallery café was reportedly evacuated following the incident which caused damage to the quarry tiled floor. In a statement posted to X, the art gallery said they will be "closed until further notice" while "repairs" take place. The full statement said: "We need to get our tools out to make some repairs in the café, so the gallery will be closed until further notice, while we work on this. Thanks for your patience while we get everything up and running again. Keep an eye on our social channels for updates." Anne told the ECHO: "We were just sitting there enjoying our sandwiches when we heard this crackling, popping sound. It began to get louder and louder. The lady from the gift shop behind asked if the floor was moving." Anne said she and her granddaughter "grabbed the baby and ran" when the quarry tiled floor began to bulge. They had almost reached the emergency exit when they heard an "enormous bang", and turned to see the tiles popping out the floor "one by one". Anne said: "It was like something from a horror film. About six to eight foot of the quarry tiles were bubbling up. It was just absolutely terrifying." Anne said the incident was "really dramatic" and praised the staff who were working at the gallery, who she said evacuated the café in a "calm and organised manner". Anne said the customers were told to wait in a room in the gallery while staff made sure the area was safe. Customers were offered cups of tea while they waited, and after around two hours the staff returned with their belongings. Anne added: "We're all perfectly alright. It was just unbelievable seeing the floor rearing up out of nowhere! It was definitely not the quiet afternoon I was expecting." The ECHO has approached Lady Lever Art Gallery for comment.Anne said "it was like something from a horror film" as the floor began to "bulge" A nan said she ran after hearing the sound of a loud bang as the floor "exploded" in a local café. Anne Davies, 71, was enjoying a sandwich with granddaughter, Heather, and her baby at Lady Lever Art Galley on Lower Road, Bebington , this afternoon (Wednesday) when they began to hear a "crackling, popping noise". At first they thought the noise was coming from the lights on the Christmas tree behind them. But Anne said when the floor beneath them began to "bulge", they instinctively "grabbed the baby and ran". The gallery café was reportedly evacuated following the incident which caused damage to the quarry tiled floor. In a statement posted to X, the art gallery said they will be "closed until further notice" while "repairs" take place. The full statement said: "We need to get our tools out to make some repairs in the café, so the gallery will be closed until further notice, while we work on this. Thanks for your patience while we get everything up and running again. Keep an eye on our social channels for updates." Anne told the ECHO: "We were just sitting there enjoying our sandwiches when we heard this crackling, popping sound. It began to get louder and louder. The lady from the gift shop behind asked if the floor was moving." Anne said she and her granddaughter "grabbed the baby and ran" when the quarry tiled floor began to bulge. They had almost reached the emergency exit when they heard an "enormous bang", and turned to see the tiles popping out the floor "one by one". Anne said: "It was like something from a horror film. About six to eight foot of the quarry tiles were bubbling up. It was just absolutely terrifying." Anne said the incident was "really dramatic" and praised the staff who were working at the gallery, who she said evacuated the café in a "calm and organised manner". Anne said the customers were told to wait in a room in the gallery while staff made sure the area was safe. Customers were offered cups of tea while they waited, and after around two hours the staff returned with their belongings. Anne added: "We're all perfectly alright. It was just unbelievable seeing the floor rearing up out of nowhere! It was definitely not the quiet afternoon I was expecting." The ECHO has approached Lady Lever Art Gallery for comment.

President-elect Trump and SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son on Monday announced plans by the Japanese internet and telecom company to invest $100 billion in US projects over the next four years, per the . Trump announced the planned investments, which are expected to focus on artificial intelligence, at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Monday, with Son at his side, along with Howard Lutnick, head of investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and Trump's pick for commerce secretary. The investments by SoftBank are "a monumental demonstration of confidence in America's future," said Trump. Son, meanwhile, said that he wanted to "celebrate the great victory of President Trump" and that he will "bring the world into peace again." SoftBank was founded in 1981 by Son, a brash entrepreneur who studied at the University of California, Berkeley. SoftBank makes investments in a variety of companies that it groups together through its capital venture fund. The company's investment portfolio includes search engine Yahoo, Chinese retailer Alibaba, and artificial intelligence company Nvidia. Earlier this year, it joined a partnership with Saudi Arabia to build a robot factory in Riyadh. The reports that SoftBank has $30 billion in cash on hand, noting that it was uncertain how the company planned to fund the new investment. After the president-elect noted the $100 billion was double an investment pledge Son made in 2016 on the eve of Trump's first administration, the technology mogul said he was doubling down. Trump, appearing to joke, asked him at the microphone if he would double the investment again: "Would you make it $200 billion?" (More stories.)

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Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 30 (ANI): The Nifty 50 index opened at 23,796.90 with a marginal decline of 16.50 points or 0.07 per cent, while the BSE Sensex opened at 78,637.90 points with a decline of 61.17 points or 0.08 per cent. Experts noted that weak buying sentiments in the markets have dampened the possibility of a year-end rally. Markets are expected to remain under pressure, and any sharp movement is likely to come only after Donald Trump's policy announcements in his second term. Also Read | Sudden Death at Goa Sunburn Festival 2024: Delhi Resident Collapses and Dies While Attending 1st Day of Sunburn Goa 2024 Event in Dhargal Village, Probe Launched. Ajay Bagga, Banking and Market Expert told ANI said, "Looking like a dull week ahead for Indian markets with Santa Claus deciding that market investors did not deserve a rally this year. Asian markets are soft on the back of the tech led slight fall in US markets on Friday. As Trump takes charge of the White House on 20 th Jan, all eyes will be on his first few Executive orders. Stock markets will wait for clarity as with Trump, every statement is to create opportunistic space for negotiations. Not looking good for now for global or Indian markets". In the sectoral indices on the NSE, all sectoral indices opened with a decline, and selling pressure dominated the markets. In the Nifty 50 list, 14 stocks opened in the green, while 36 stocks declined. Also Read | New Year’s Eve Ball Drop 2024 Live Streaming From New York’s Times Square: Know Date, Timing and Where To Watch Live Telecast of Times Square Ball Drop Celebrations. The top gainers included Adani Enterprises, Adani Ports, Bharti Airtel, ITC, and Nestle India. The top losers included BPCL, ONGC, Hindalco, and JSW Steel. "Support remains inside the 23500 and 23640 areas. As before, a daily close above 24150 is needed for bulls to reassert themselves. Seasonally speaking and based on 25 years of data, the Nifty has risen 71 per cent of the time in the last two days of the calendar year with average and median returns of 0.7 per cent and 0.4 per cent, respectively" said Akshay Chinchalkar, Head of Research, Axis Securities. In 2024, the market started with weak sentiment. After that, it outperformed with back-to-back bullish candles, making new highs. However, from October onwards, it has been falling sharply due to heavy FII selling, exceeding Rs 1,70,863 crore in the last three months. Uncertainty surrounding the U.S. Presidential Election, tensions in the Middle East, rising bond yields, a strong dollar, mixed earnings reports for the September quarter, and elevated stock valuations have all contributed to a grim outlook. "Nifty 50 is trading around strong resistance at 23800. As we are stepping into a new year, this key level is one to definitely note for 2025. 24650 and 25300 act as strong resistance levels. A breakout above these levels would indicate a strong bullish rally in 2025. 23300 acts as a crucial support level. A breakdown below this support would signal a strong downtrend" said Sunil Gurjar, SEBI Registered Research Analyst, Founder- Alphamojo Financial Services. In other Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei 225, Hong Kong's Hang Seng, and Taiwan's Weighted Index were down at the time of filing this report, while South Korea's KOSPI was up marginally. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CoreNest Capital , one of the most dynamic emerging players in venture capital, has announced its latest round of investments, backing seven innovative companies: OpenAI, xAI, Weave Robotics, Blaze Money, Domu, Phonely, Andromeda Surgical, and Texture Capital. These strategic investments underscore CoreNest’s commitment to driving transformative growth across AI, robotics, MedTech, and fintech sectors. “Our focus is on backing founders who are reshaping industries and solving real-world problems with cutting-edge technology,” said Bob Ras , Co-Founder & GP of CoreNest Capital. “This round of investments underscore CoreNest’s commitment to driving impactful innovation and supporting visionary teams that are defining the future of AI, Robotics, MedTech, and Fintech.” OpenAI: OpenAI is setting new standards in artificial intelligence by driving advancements that push the boundaries of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). xAI: xAI , founded by Elon Musk, is pioneering advancements in artificial intelligence, aiming to deepen our understanding of the universe through the development of cutting-edge AI technologies. Weave Robotics: Weave Robotics is reshaping personal robotics with Isaac, the world’s first autonomous home assistant robot, designed to handle tasks like tidying, folding laundry, and home monitoring. Blaze Money: Blaze Money revolutionizes financial services with a seamless app designed for global nomads, enabling instant, fee-minimal payments worldwide. Domu: Domu leverages AI to transform client interactions in the insurance sector, automating real-time, 24/7 sales and service calls. This innovation empowers businesses to engage clients efficiently, handle payment reminders, and respond to inquiries. Phonely: Phonely enhances business communication with AI-driven phone support that handles calls, schedules appointments, and integrates with existing tools, elevating customer service efficiency. Andromeda Surgical: Andromeda Surgical is advancing precision surgery with AI-guided robotic systems, initially focused on endourology, optimizing accuracy and patient outcomes. Texture Capital: CoreNest has strategically invested in Texture Capital , positioning itself to acquire a significant stake in the firm. This investment will support the launch of the SoloTex platform, the first regulated trading and tokenization platform for U.S. stocks. SoloTex is changing the way people trade and invest in U.S. stocks by enabling users to have self-custody of their tokenized stocks and ETFs and allowing fractional trading of these assets, bringing unprecedented flexibility and accessibility to the securities market. This funding round builds on CoreNest’s history of high-impact investments, including companies like Artisan AI , Piramidal , Avatar Medical , OpenCall , Fleak.ai , Algorized , itsElectric , and Dili . Each of these companies is making strides in their fields, reflecting CoreNest’s mission of driving global innovation and delivering meaningful technological progress. About CoreNest Capital CoreNest Capital is a powerhouse for nurturing and funding startups in cutting-edge sectors like AI, Robotics, MedTech, and Fintech. For more information on CoreNest Capital, visit corenest.com . Innovative startups tackling real-world challenges and seeking investment are encouraged to submit their pitch decks for consideration. Pedro Crespo CoreNest Capital op@corenest.comChina's getting a big electric car battery swapping boost in 2025. Would that work across the globe?

Boeing has paused its efforts to install and use employee-monitoring sensors, including at its office in Everett, Washington, after media inquiries followed an employee's leak of the plans. An unnamed Boeing employee at Everett, a key manufacturing site for the aerospace giant's jumbojets, shared an internal PowerPoint presentation with The Seattle Times touting the benefits of the tracking technology. The plan reportedly called for installation of "workplace occupancy sensors" throughout Boeing's office that include motion sensors and cameras mounted in ceiling tiles, intended to monitor building occupancy. "As we shared with some employees last month, we were starting a pilot program using a system for managing energy and space usage in selected office areas," spokespeople for Boeing confirmed to The Register . "The system, used by other companies, analyzes motion data and environmental conditions and does not identify people or documents." "We have paused our pilot program at all locations and will keep employees updated," the aerospace goliath acknowledged. According to the leaked presentation, the system was at least deployed at Boeing's St Louis, Missouri offices in October, and work began on it in Everett on Monday. The planemaker declined to clarify exactly where and how the occupancy tracking technology had been rolled out before the pause. According to the newspaper's reading of the PowerPoint slides, the surveillance system, made by Avuity, is designed to gather information on office occupancy and usage of various spaces. The presentation tries to assuage employee fears about the workplace monitoring by noting the cameras used by the system only take blurry photos that don't identify individuals or the writing on documents, though that may not be sufficient to satisfy concerns. As we reported recently, workplace surveillance is quickly becoming the norm in offices around the world as businesses continue to push remote workers to return to the office - Boeing among them. There's a certain degree of reasonability to the presence of those systems, especially as post-pandemic work shifts have in many cases led to companies deciding to shrink their real-estate footprints. Boeing itself sold off a considerable amount of warehouse and office space in Everett in the wake of the pandemic, and may be looking to justify more offloading of space. That said, installing systems to visually track employees, with or without blurring, may not be the best approach, and Boeing's immediate course reversal on being questioned about the practice makes it seem like the jet builder knows that. "Employees should not accept any kind of indoor location tracking as long as there are no reliable safeguards that prevent employers from misusing the data for problematic purposes," Wolfie Christl, author of a report published last month about workplace surveillance, told The Register for an earlier story. "In Germany and Austria, an employer would need to negotiate the introduction of such a system with employees, who would have a right to audit how the employer uses the data." When it comes to worker's rights, the US and EU aren't exactly on the same page, though, which Christl said needs to change. "The US urgently needs appropriate laws that protect employees from disproportionate surveillance in the workplace," Christl said. Failing that, we'll just have to rely on more employees speaking up, which isn't necessarily a reliable strategy: the 737 Max manufacturer told its employees what it was doing, but not every company is likely to be as forthright, especially after this latest Boeing blowup. ®SANTA CLARA, Calif. , Dec. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- FuriosaAI , an emerging leader in AI semiconductor solutions, is closing out the year with rapid technical and customer progress with its second-generation chip, RNGD (pronounced 'Renegade'). The recently announced AI solution has achieved compelling performance metrics in real-world enterprise deployments meeting the demand for inference with advanced large language and multimodal models. The new performance benchmarks showcase RNGD's ability to meet industry-leading throughput demands for Llama 3.1 models, including the 8B and 70B variants, with additional optimizations already in progress. The company also announced key software features that bring advanced optimization for customers currently sampling RNGD hardware in their production environments. These achievements represent the first phase of Furiosa's vision for AI infrastructure that overcomes the inherent limitations of GPUs. RNGD delivers winning throughput metrics with Llama 3.1 8B and 70B : Building on the AI-native Tensor Contraction Processor (TCP) architecture of RNGD , Furiosa is redefining real-world AI deployments, delivering unmatched performance, programmability, and power efficiency. Furiosa's RNGD recently achieved a throughput of 3,200–3,300 Tokens per Second (TPS) when running the LLaMA 3.1- 8B model. In single-user scenarios, RNGD consistently delivers 40–60 TPS performance. Additionally, RNGD demonstrates exceptional power efficiency, consuming 181W per card, with further optimization efforts underway. Rather than excessively boosting per-user performance, the company aims to maintain performance levels exceeding typical text-reading speeds (10–20 TPS or higher) while optimizing for multi-user environments and achieving a balanced performance approach. Furiosa is advancing the performance and efficiency of the LLaMA 3.1- 70B model. With just two RNGD cards, LLaMA 3.1- 70B can be executed effectively. Currently, a single server supports up to 100 concurrent user queries, with ongoing optimizations aiming to achieve 8,000 TPS per server when equipped with 8 RNGD cards. With the release of SDK v2024.3.0, Furiosa will expand the range of preloaded models. The SDK will also include support for tensor parallelism, enabling seamless processing across multiple elements without requiring model modifications, and a torch.compile, providing the foundation for executing customized models. Integration with HuggingFace Optimum will further empower customers to leverage a broader variety of models. Advanced optimization tools delivered to early RNGD customers: Building on these milestones, domestic and global enterprise customers are conducting tests with Furiosa to find a more efficient solution for scaling the inference of their self-developed models, compared to their existing setup. Their objective is to manage TCO effectively as they prepare for large-scale AI adoption. Furiosa plans to provide a high-quality AI development environment through a powerful and user-friendly SDK optimized for RNGD. The SDK v2024.1.0, currently available through the Early Access Program (EAP), is designed to handle high-performance processing of multiple LLM serving requests. It incorporates optimization techniques such as PagedAttention, Block KV Cache, and Continuous Batching, while also supporting various token sampling methods, including Greedy, Beam Search, and Top-k/p. These features allow developers to seamlessly create AI services customized to meet a wide range of requirements. The SDK and online sample will be available after the release of v2024.3.0. Furiosa remains committed to delivering the most sustainable AI deployment solutions through rigorous optimization at an unprecedented pace. "With RNGD now in customers' hands, we are accelerating the next generation of frontier LLMs to unlock emerging Agentic AI applications—bringing advanced reasoning capabilities to enterprise verticals, all at dramatically lower costs," said June Paik , Co-Founder and CEO of FuriosaAI. Furiosa Expands Global Footprint with Strategic Leadership Appointment Furiosa is scaling production and expanding its leadership team with the appointment of Alex Liu as Senior Vice President of Product and Business. A Technology Emmy Award winner and co-founder of NETINT Technologies, Alex brings over 20 years of expertise in startup management, technology innovation, and strategic leadership. At NETINT, he spearheaded groundbreaking achievements, including the development of the world's first VPU SoC, setting new industry benchmarks and securing the prestigious 2024 Technology Emmy Award. At Furiosa, Alex will lead global product management, go-to-market strategies, and partnerships to drive innovation and align the company's AI-native technologies with a vision to empower the development of planet-scale AI infrastructure. RNGD is currently sampling with customers, and mass production will ramp up in partnership with TSMC for 2025 availability. To learn more about Furiosa, please visit https://furiosa.ai/ . About FuriosaAI FuriosaAI is a semiconductor company dedicated to creating sustainable AI computing solutions that make powerful AI accessible to all. With its innovative Tensor Contraction Processor architecture, FuriosaAI is revolutionizing the AI hardware landscape, offering unparalleled efficiency and programmability for the most demanding AI workloads. For more information, please visit https://furiosa.ai/ . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/furiosaai-ends-2024-on-a-high-note-llama-3-1-performance-sdk-release-leadership-expansion-302336756.html SOURCE FuriosaAIMr. Big Shot: Carson Rehkopf cracks Canada lineup a decade after busting a family appliance

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By JESSICA DAMIANO Finding the perfect gift can be daunting. The only way to truly ensure you get it right would be to ask the recipient what they want, but that wouldn’t be much fun for either of you. Luckily, there’s another tactic to help you earn a “gift whisperer” reputation: seeking out unique, practical, game-changing gifts that will truly surprise and delight. But that’s about as easy as it sounds, which is to say it’s not easy at all. So, we’ve done the legwork for you. Start making your list with this compilation of some of the most innovative, functional and fun gifts of 2024. There’s something for every budget. A pepper grinder, really? Bear with me: The new FinaMill Ultimate Spice Grinder set elevates the pedestrian pepper and spice mill in both function and style. Available in three colors (Sangria Red, Midnight Black and Soft Cream), the rechargeable-battery unit grinds with a light touch rather than hand-tiring twists. That’s easier for everyone and especially helpful for those experiencing hand or wrist issues such as arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome or tendinitis. And it’s fun to use. The set includes a stackable storage tray and four pods that can be easily swapped as needed: The GT microplane grater for hard spices, nuts and chocolate; the MAX for large spices and dried herbs; the ProPlus for smaller and oily spices; and the Pepper Pod for, well, pepper. $110. To build a fire Campers and backyard firepit lovers who have experienced the heartbreak of wet wood will appreciate having a three-pack of Pull Start Fire on hand. Made of 89% recycled materials, including sanding dust, wax and flint, the food-safe, eco-friendly, 3-by-2-by-1-inch fire starters will light a fire quickly without matches, lighters or kindling. Just loop the attached green string around a log, incorporate it into a wood stack, and pull the attached red string to ignite. Each windproof, rainproof block burns for 30 minutes. $29.99. The place for a ladle is on the pot The No Mess Utensil Set from Souper Cubes , a company known for its portioned, silicone freezer trays, lives up to its name. The utensils — a serving spoon and a ladle — have innovative, S-shaped handles designed to rest on the edge of a pot, keeping them upright so they won’t slip in. The design also eliminates the need for a spoon rest or, worse, placing dirty utensils on the kitchen counter or stovetop between stirs. A silicone coating in a choice of Aqua, Charcoal, Cranberry or Blueberry keeps handles cool to the touch. $24.99. Up your birdwatching with this feeder The FeatherSnap Wi-Fi smart bird feeder could turn anyone into an avid birdwatcher. Equipped with an HD camera, the dual-chamber feeder enables up-close livestreaming of avian visitors, as well as species-logging via the free mobile app. An optional premium subscription ($59.99 annually or $6.99 monthly) includes unlimited photo and video storage, AI identification with species-specific details, and the opportunity to earn badges for logging new visitors. Turn on notifications to get alerts sent to your phone whenever there’s activity at the feeder. $179.99. Printing old-fashioned photos via Bluetooth Fujifilm’s Instax Mini Link 3 smartphone printer offers a touch of nostalgia without sacrificing technology. Just load the 4.9-by-3.5-by-1.3-inch printer with Instax Mini instant film and connect it to your Android or iOS device via Bluetooth to print wallet-size photos. If you want to get fancy, you can adjust brightness, contrast and saturation, or apply filters, including 3D augmented-reality effects, via the free Instax Mini Link app. It can also make collages of up to six images, or animate photos to share on social media. Available in Rose Pink, Clay White and Sage Green. $99.95. Houseplants don’t get much easier than this The appropriately named easyplant is one of the best gifts you can give your houseplant-loving friends, regardless of their experience level. Select a pot color, size and plant (or get recommendations based on sunlight requirements, pet friendliness and other attributes) and fill the self-watering container’s built-in reservoir roughly once a month. Moisture will permeate the soil from the bottom as needed, eliminating the often-fatal consequences of over- or under-watering. It’s also a literal lifesaver come vacation time. $49-$259. Making your own (plant-based) milk Related Articles Things To Do | US airports with worst weather delays during holiday season Things To Do | The right book can inspire the young readers in your life, from picture books to YA novels Things To Do | Holiday gift ideas for the movie lover, from bios and books to a status tote Things To Do | ‘Gladiator II’ review: Are you not moderately entertained? Things To Do | Beer pairings for your holiday feasts If you’ve got a no-dairy friend on your list, a plant-based milk maker could save them money while allowing them to avoid sugar, stabilizers, thickeners and preservatives. The Nama M1 appliance both blends and strains ingredients, converting nuts, seeds, grains or oats into velvety-smooth milk in just one minute, with zero grit. And for zero waste, the pasty leftover pulp can be used in other recipes for added nutrients. The device also makes infused oils, flavored waters and soups. And, importantly, cleanup is easy. Available in white and black. $400. The perfect temperature for 350,000-plus wines For friends who prefer stronger beverages, the QelviQ personal sommelier uses “smart” technology to ensure wine is served at its ideal temperature. Unlike traditional wine refrigerators, this device doesn’t take up any floor space. It also doesn’t chill wine to just one or two temperatures based on its color. Instead — paired with the free QelviQ app — the tabletop chiller relies on a database of more than 350,000 wines to bring a bottle to its specific recommended serving temperature in as little as 20 minutes. It also suggests food-wine and wine-food pairings. Plus, the appliance serves as a great icebreaker to inspire dinnertime conversation. Available in Exciting Red, Dashing Black and Dreamy White. $495. Casting light on the grill after dark Grilling food after dark — and ascertaining its doneness — can prove challenging without outdoor lighting, and it’s nearly impossible to cook while holding a flashlight. But as is often the case, the simplest of solutions can make the biggest of impacts: Uncommon Good’s 2-piece LED Grilling Tool Set puts illumination into the handles of its stainless-steel spatula and tongs. After use, the lights can be removed and the utensils run through the dishwasher. $40.Friday's Scores

Sidra Medicine performs Qatar’s1st C-section in angiography suiteToronto, Ontario, Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Capstone Infrastructure Corporation (TSX: CSE.PR.A) (the “Corporation” or “Capstone”) today released its first Environmental, Social, and Governance (“ESG”) Report since its transition to a dedicated, renewables-focused independent power producer. “As a fast-growing company in an increasingly complex and dynamic world, our ESG program has been developed and integrated across the organization to help ensure we repeat and improve the “Capstone Way” of doing things – quality and integrity in our endeavours, protecting people and the environment, and building the value of our company,” says David Eva, Chief Executive Officer of Capstone. The release of the inaugural ESG Report highlights Capstone’s dedication to its core values amidst this rapid growth: the company’s ESG program defines, measures, and sets goals for key ESG factors that support our mandate to drive the energy transition forward in North America. A full copy of the 2023 ESG Report is available on Capstone’s website at: Capstone is generating our low-carbon future, driving the energy transition forward through creative thinking, strong partnerships, and a commitment to quality and integrity in how we do business. A developer, owner, and operator of clean and renewable energy projects across North America, Capstone’s portfolio includes approximately 885 MW gross installed capacity across 35 facilities, including wind, solar, hydro, biomass, and natural gas power plants. Please visit for more information. Certain of the statements contained within this document are forward-looking and reflect management’s expectations regarding the future growth, results of operations, performance and business of Capstone Infrastructure Corporation (‘Capstone’ or the ‘Corporation’) based on information currently available to the Corporation. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of presenting information about management’s current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. These statements use forward-looking words, such as “anticipate”, “continue”, “could”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “intend”, “estimate”, “plan”, “believe” or other similar words. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements and, accordingly, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. The forward-looking statements within this document are based on information currently available and what the Corporation currently believes are reasonable assumptions. The forward-looking statements within this document reflect current expectations of the Corporation as at the date of this document and speak only as at the date of this document. Except as may be required by applicable law, the Corporation does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. This document is not an offer or invitation for the subscription of or a recommendation of securities. It does not take into account the investment objectives. Financial situation and particular needs of any investors. Before making an investment in the Corporation, an investor or prospective investor should consider whether such investment is appropriate to their particular investment needs, objectives and financial circumstances and consult an investment advisor if necessary.

Helena Capital football state championship fire truck scheduled for Wednesday

I visited UK’s strictest pub... there’s a no phone policy & coats go on a hook – but one rule went too farLOS ANGELES — Until he sustained a season-ending knee injury last week in the Western Conference final, Galaxy playmaker Riqui Puig was having a tremendous season. So I heard. I watched Puig play only twice this year, once in the Galaxy's season-opening 1-1 draw with Inter Miami and a second time in his team's Fourth of July defeat to LAFC at the Rose Bowl. Outside of short highlight clips on social media, I never saw the former Barcelona prospect, not even when he assisted on the goal that sent the Galaxy to the MLS Cup final. That wasn't a reflection of my interest. Some of my friends will make fun of me for publicly admitting this, but I like Major League Soccer. I covered the league in my first job out of college and have casually kept up with it since. I take my children to a couple of games a year. My 11-year-old son owns Galaxy and LAFC hats but no Dodgers or Lakers merchandise. When flipping through channels in the past, if presented with the choice of, say, college football or MLS, I usually watched MLS. But not this year. While the MLS Cup final between the Galaxy and New York Red Bulls will be shown on Fox and Fox Deportes, the majority of games are now exclusively behind a paywall, courtesy of the league's broadcasting deal with Apple. MLS Season Pass subscriptions were reasonably priced — $79 for the entire season for Apple TV+ subscribers, $99 for non-subscribers — but I was already paying for DirecTV Stream, Netflix, Amazon Prime, PlayStation Plus and who knows what else. MLS became a casualty in my household, as well as in many others, and the possibility of being out of sight and out of mind should be a concern for a league that is looking to expand its audience. Which isn't to say the league made a mistake. This was a gamble MLS had to take. Now in the second year of a 10-year, $2.5 billion deal with Apple, MLS did what Major League Baseball is talking about doing, which is to centralize its broadcasting rights and sell them to a digital platform. Regional sports networks have been decimated by cord cutting, making traditional economic models unsustainable. The move to Apple not only increased the league's broadcast revenues — previous deals with ESPN, Fox and Univision were worth a combined $90 million annually, according to multiple reports — but also introduced a measure of uniformity in the league. The quality of the broadcasts are better than they were under regional sports networks. Viewers know where to watch games and when, as every one of them is on Season Pass and most of them are scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. local time either on Wednesday or Saturday. "That's been fueling our growth and driving our fan engagement," MLS Commissioner Don Garber said Friday at his annual state of the league address. Apple and MLS declined to reveal the number of League Pass subscribers, but the league provided polling figures that indicated 94% of viewers offered positive or neutral reviews of League Pass. The average viewing time for a game is about 65 minutes for a 90-minute game, according to Garber. In other words, the League Pass is well-liked — by the people who have it. The challenge now is to increase that audience. The launch of League Pass last year coincided with the arrival of Lionel Messi, which presumably resulted in a wave of subscriptions. But the league can't count on the appearance of the next Messi; there is only one of him. MLS pointed to how its fans watch sports on streaming devices or recorded television than any other U.S. sports league, as well as how 71% of its fans are under the age of 45. The league also pointed to how it effectively drew more viewers to the Apple broadcast of Inter Miami's postseason opener with a livestream of a "Messi Cam' on TikTok, indicating further collaborations with wide-reaching entities could be in its future. Garber mentioned how Season Pass is available in other countries. The commissioner also made note of how Apple places games every week in front of its paywall. "What we have, really, is a communication problem," Garber said. "This is new, and we've got to work with Apple, we've got to work with our clubs and we've got to work with our partners to get more exposure to what we think is a great product." The greatest benefit to the league could be Apple's vested interest in improving the on-field product. MLS insiders said Apple has not only encouraged teams to sign more high-profile players but also pushed the league to switch to a fall-to-spring calendar more commonplace in other parts of the world, reasoning that doing so would simplify the process of buying and selling players. The on-field product is what matters. The on-field product is why MLS continues to face competition for viewers from overseas leagues. The on-field product is why the league hasn't succeeded in converting every soccer fan into a MLS fan. And ultimately, if casual viewers such as myself are to pay to watch the Galaxy or LAFC on a screen of some kind, the on-field product will be why. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Percentages: FG .357, FT .875. 3-Point Goals: 7-22, .318 (Briggs 3-5, Marshall 2-3, Strand 1-3, Taylor 1-3, Adnan 0-1, Reddish 0-1, Topuz 0-1, Klaczek 0-2, Neely 0-3). Team Rebounds: 4. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 1 (Taylor). Turnovers: 17 (Marshall 7, Adewale 3, Adnan 2, Klaczek 2, Briggs, Matulu, Topuz). Steals: 14 (Marshall 4, Klaczek 2, Matulu 2, Adewale, Adnan, Briggs, Neely, Reddish, Topuz). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .631, FT 1.000. 3-Point Goals: 9-22, .409 (Mack 3-4, Peavy 3-6, Burks 1-2, Fielder 1-2, Sorber 1-2, Cu.Williams 0-1, Montgomery 0-1, Epps 0-2, Mulready 0-2). Team Rebounds: 2. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 3 (Peavy 3). Turnovers: 15 (Epps 4, Sorber 4, Peavy 3, Mack 2, Burks, Fielder). Steals: 12 (Epps 4, Peavy 4, Sorber 2, Burks, Montgomery). Technical Fouls: None. A_4,227 (20,356).Before the area's prep boys basketball teams head back on the hardwood following Christmas break, here are five teams, players and storylines to keep an eye on when the season resumes. After starting 2023 with a 4-3 record, the Raptors have jumped out to a 7-0 start heading into Christmas break with an average win total of over 23 points. Ridge View has allowed 60+ points once in its first seven games, holding opponents to an average of 43.4 points per game. Four upperclassmen are averaging 10 points per game for the Raptors, led by junior Adam Stephan with 74 points and 43 rebounds while hitting from the field at a 58.5% clip. Senior Kellen Jensen along with juniors Zach Kolpin and Carter Todd each have scored 70 points and connecting on 40.1% of their shots. Despite their second half stumble against Lincoln Pius X at the Bomgaars Invitational, the Black Raiders explosive offense has carried its way to 6-1 record with the help of multiple threats. Averaging a Missouri River Activities Conference high 80.6 points per game, East has used its fast-paced offense to dominant opponents early on and cruise to wins. Sioux City East senior Jang Ruei shoots a free throw against Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson at Sioux City East High School, Tuesday December 17th 2024. Logan Shanks The most consistent threat for the Black Raiders has been sophomore sixth man Fami Yusu who is averaging 15 points, 3.2 assists and 2.4 steals per game. The young point guard is joined by his brothers, juniors Bilal and Naef, as elite scorers with the twins averaging a combined 24.2 points per game. East's dynamic front court of seniors Manasse Kasongo Malu and Jang Ruei have led the team to being the third best rebounding team in the MRAC, combining for 18 rebounds per game. Fresh off its 20-6 finish last season, Pender has carved out a 6-0 start in 2024 off the back of junior duo Trevor Trimble and Alex Roth. Each averaging eight points per game, the two have been a major factor in aiding the Pendragons in several of their blowout wins. Roth and junior Ryan Krueger have also been the Pendragons leading threats off the glass, averaging a combined 15.4 rebounds per game. Half of Pender's wins have come by 20 or more points, including a 70-23 outing against Tekamah-Herman and a 51-21 victory over Stanton. The Pendragons have proven they can take advantage of an early lead and will look to continue building off its recent success from last season where they broke a five-year streak of single digit wins. After losing to West Lyon 78-61 to start the year, the Blackhawks have been on a tear through the War Eagle Conference with six straight wins heading into break. Headlined by three straight wins of a combined points differential of 116, Hinton has emerged as a contender to take the conference. The Blackhawks are the second highest scoring (446) team in the conference behind MMCRU (477), with junior forward Logan Kempema leading the way averaging 14.1 points per game. The veteran squad has also benefited from reliable scorers senior Kyle Leary and junior Karver DeGroot who average a combined 20.2 points per game. With the top scoring offense in the stat, sitting with 630 points through eight games, the Wildcats (7-1) have been one of the most complete teams in the area. Outside of a one-point loss to Sioux Center, West Lyons has been unstoppable to start the year with an average point differential of over 23 points. West Lyon's Carson Hoogeveen (right) drives to the hoop against Hinton's Karver DeGroot (20) during a nonconference game at Hinton High School on Thursday. Ryan Timmerman, Sioux City Journal Led by one of the top scorers in the state in senior Carson Hoogeveen, averaging 18.4 points per game on 48% shooting from the floor, the team has found its reliable threats. Jorden and Ben Meyer, the latter of whom coming off the bench, have been consistent for the Wildcats averaging a combined 28.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Storm Lake's Jaidyn Coon dunks the ball against Sioux City North during a nonconference game at North High on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. Ryan Timmerman, Sioux City Journal Rising his stock with every rim rock and blocked shot, Coon has blossomed as one of the top players in the area with his play this season. Averaging 19.2 points and 6.4 rebounds and two blocks per game, the 6-foot-7 forward has helped the Tornadoes climb out to an undefeated start through five games. At the midseason break, Coon leads the Lakes conference in points (96), blocks (10), field goals made (35) and free throws made (20). Despite the Stars sitting at just 4-2, Chamberlain has emerged as one of the top scorers in the MRAC through six starts. The veteran 6-foot-1 guard leads the conference in points (143), field goals made (45), free throws made (36) and has connected on 17 3-pointers. Averaging 23.8 points per game, Chamberlain has connected on 43.7% of his shots from the floor and is making his case to be an all-conference player come March. After a sophomore season where he led the Rebels with 27 blocks, Versch has continued to show off his defensive talents with 16 blocks in five games this year. The 6-foot-3 guard is also Westwood's leading scorer, averaging 20 points per game, connecting on 47.1% of his shots from the floor. Dakota Valley's Luke Bruns dribles down the court during a game against Bishop Heelan at the Bomgaars Invitational at Tyson Events Center in Sioux City on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. Ryan Timmerman, Sioux City Journal In their quest to get back to the South Dakota State Tournament, the Panthers have relied on the veteran guard Bruns to will the team to their 3-0 start. The floor general have averaged 25.3 points, seven rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.7 steals per game in his senior campaign and is coming off a 25-point outing in the teams win against Bishop Heelan Woodbury Central sophomore Jayden Lloyd attempts to shoot the ball against Westwood at Westwood Community School District on December 13th 2024. Logan Shanks One of the areas youngest emerging stars headed into the break as the Western Valley's runner up in points (116) and assists (31). After dropping three of its first four games by a combined 10 points, Lloyd has helped the Wildcats carve out a pair of wins to get back to 3-3 on the year. In those two wins, Lloyd combined for 40 points on 50.3% shooting from the field. Off to a 5-1 start in 2024, the Indians have made their case to make their return to the Nebraska State Championships. Led in scoring by seniors Zain Stark, Tucker McGill and Jace Wahls, Ponca has found consistent scoring from its weapons last season with each getting in double figures multiple times in 2024. Ponca's Tucker Mcgill keeps the ball away from Homer's Steve Harris during a Feb. 9 game. Jesse Brothers, Sioux City Journal Despite losing 62-23 to Norfolk Catholic in last season's opening round of the state tournament, the Indians look to be building off their 16-0 start to last season. Heading into the midseason break, three teams (Gehlen Catholic, Hinton and MMCRU) are tied in the War Eagle Conference with six wins a piece with the former two having an undefeated league record. The Blackhawks have proven themselves against the other top two teams, with wins over the Jays and the Rebels with the latter being a 49-45 decision. Along with the conference's top three teams, Remsen St. Mary's poses a threat as the team has crawled out to a 5-1 record including two conference wins. As the season continues, matchups between these top four teams will be interesting to see, especially between the Blackhawks and the Rebels who have each defeated their opponents by an average of over 23 points. While a 4-2 record for the defending Class 2A champions may not be impressive to most, the Wolfpack have set themselves up with one of the most challenging schedules in the state. The teams two losses came against Papillion-LaVista South, who have started the season 4-1, and Norris who were the Nebraska Class B runner ups last season. Western Christian's Noah Hilbrands (31) goes up for a layup against Lincoln Lutheran's Trenton Ernst (2) during a game at the Bomgaars Invitational on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City. Ryan Timmerman, Sioux City Journal Since dropping its two games to out of state teams, Western Christian went on a 3-0 tear to go into the break above .500 and showed this grueling schedule is preparing them for March. The Wolfpack return their top two scorers from last season in seniors Kaden Van Regenmorter and Karsten Moret who have averaged a combined 26.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game this season. The Wolfpack will play a variety of the top Siouxland area schools along with some more out of state schools. So even if they enter the postseason with a record that doesn't reflect their talent, they will continue to be a team no one wants to season down the road. Last season at the state tournament, MOC-Floyd Valley and Unity Christian represented the Siouxland Conference which is setting itself up to send two teams again down to Des Moines. Take out West Lyon's late loss to Sioux Center, the Wildcats would be undefeated through eight games with its explosive offense. Unity Christian has jumped out to a 6-1 start with its lone loss coming against MOC-Floyd Valley (5-2) who has dropped games to West Lyon and Omaha Skutt Catholic. Unity Christian's Tyce Van Donge (above) makes a move on West Lyon's Bryson Childress (2) during a Class 2A substate final game at Sioux Center High School on Saturday. Ryan Timmerman, Sioux City Journal Those are the top three contenders in the conference, but Okoboji (5-2, 3-3) and Sioux Center (5-2, 5-1) have also been impressive early on. The Siouxland Conference will be one to keep an eye on, especially Jan 31 when the Wildcats and the Warriors matchup again. Jesse Van Kalsbeek, who now slams dunks and snags rebounds for Northwestern College, is the reigning Mr. Basketball in the state of Iowa and was the first Siouxlander to win the award since 2015 when Daniel Tillo from Sioux City North. The Western Christian bench celebrates a 3-pointer from the Wolfpacks Kaden Van Regenmorter against Sergeant Bluff-Luton at Sergeant Bluff-Luton Elementary School on December 3rd 2024. Logan Shanks In 2024, multiple kids from the area have made their case to keep the honor in the northwest side of the state. Coon and Van Regenmorter each have the chance to claim the award if they continue to ascend with their respective teams. If Sioux City East breaks its state tournament drought and one of the Yusuf brothers continues to shine, don't be surprised if one of their names is thrown around in the conversation. Former Iowa women's basketball head coach Lisa Bluder discusses her life since retirement in a 1-on-1 interview with the Quad City Times' Ethan Petrik on Tuesday, Dec. 17. The Journal’s Jared McNett shows how to download and browse the Sioux City Journal's app. Jesse BrothersTweet Facebook Mail Endometriosis sufferers will have access to a new affordable treatment for the first time in 30 years. The drug Visanne will become available under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), with Health Minister Mark Butler set to announce its listing today. The medication can cost between $380 to $800 a year, or $90 for pension and concession card holders. READ MORE: Man, 31, charged with double murder of husband and wife Endometriosis sufferers will have access to a new affordable treatment for the first time in 30 years. (Getty) Visanne, also sold under dienogest, is daily tablet that can suppress and shrink the growth of abnormal tissue by inhibiting ovulation and menstruation using the hormone progesterone. Women with endometriosis typically have tissue that grows outside the womb, causing inflammation, scarring and painful adhesions that join together pelvic organs. The debilitating condition impacts about 1 million Australian women with a diagnosis taking on average six years. READ MORE: Dreary start to summer brings rain, fog to east coast Obstetrician and gynaecologist from the University of Sydney, Professor Jason Abbott, said hospital admissions due to endometriosis had increased by 40 per cent in the past decade. "Subsidised access to this medicine will be very welcome news for a large number of women living with this invisible disease," said Abbott. "There is no cure for endometriosis, and it can last for decades. Affordable access to treatment options to help control symptoms is extremely important for a patient's quality of life. "Even after surgery, patients will require medication to help manage symptoms that could otherwise substantially affect their life, including reduced participation in school, work and social activities." Syl Freedman, who was diagnosed with stage four endometriosis at 21, has welcomed the subsidy. She and her mum Lesley Freedman, co-founded non-profit charity, EndoActive. "This is wonderful news for endo patients. We commend the Federal Government for supporting Australians living with endo," she said. "Endo is a debilitating condition that can impact every facet of life; employment, family, intimate relationships, physical and mental health. "Affordable and equal access to treatment options is incredibly important." DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP : Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play .

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon announced on Saturday that Dec. 28 will be recognized as "Buffalo Bandits Day" in the city. The proclamation honor's the teams legacy and the unveiling of their sixth National Lacrosse League (NLL) Championship banner at KeyBank Center in downtown Buffalo. "The Bandits have brough immense pride, excitement, and joy to our city and with every win the Bandits unite our community and inspire young athletes across the City of Buffalo and Western New York," Scanlon said in a statement. "Buffalo is Banditland, and this proclamation is a tribute to a team that has made an indelible impact on our city, community, and region." The team was founded in 1992 and is the longest-tenured team in the NLL with 33 years in Buffalo. The team is currently 2-0 for the 2024-2025 regular season. The Buffalo Bandits take on the Rochester Knighthawks in Buffalo for their home opener at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. For more information on the Buffalo Bandits, visit their website here . "They’re going to be really hungry to upset our banner night. Obviously, it’s exciting but once the game starts, it’s going to be all about Rochester.”Read the game preview: https://bit.ly/4gw9Pk9ATLANTA — the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. years old. The died on Sunday, more than a year after entering , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, who , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, and well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A president from Plains A moderate Democrat, as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. And then, the world Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” ‘An epic American life’ Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. A small-town start James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. 'Jimmy Who?' His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Accomplishments, and ‘malaise’ Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. 'A wonderful life' At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.”ph macau online casino 。

After weeks of speculation the Los Angeles Lakers have made their move, and agreed a trade. The LA Lakers and Brooklyn Nets agreed a four-player trade , which involves them saying goodbye to D’Angelo Russell for a second time. Russell heads to the Nets in a trade, just like he did in 2017, along with Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks. The Lakers have acquired Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton , adding two players to the team who will strengthen them defensively. For all Russell’s ability to score, his efforts on the defensive end had been heavily criticised , and it had seemed likely he would eventually be traded ever since he was taken out of the starting line-up by JJ Redick . Why Lakers really traded D’Angelo Russell D’Angelo Russell has averaged 12.4 points per game this season, delivering a season-high 28 points against the Trail Blazers in early December. He also scored 20 in one of the Lakers recent match-ups with Sacramento, although his most recent display wielded just nine points, and five against the Pistons. There was a point where the Lakers needed Russell’s scoring, but not so much any more. This season he is averaging 26.3 mins per game, his second lowest in the NBA, and a drop from 32.7 mins per game last season. JJ Redick has been changing up his team , and the recent improvements he has seen from the Lakers helped him feel secure enough to deal Russell away. Austin Reaves, Max Christie and Gabe Vincent are cited as key to the Lakers’ decision to make the trade. Reaves has been in especially hot form lately , delivering 16 assists in the team’s recent win over the Kings. Lakers insider Anthony Irwin reports: “Per a source, Austin’s play since Max stepped into the starting group and Gabe’s recent stretch made the Lakers comfortable moving on from Russell now.” Per a source, Austin’s play since Max stepped into the starting group and Gabe’s recent stretch made the Lakers comfortable moving on from Russell now. Getting DFS for no firsts allows for further moves too. Lakers will remain active. More Lakers trades possible This may not be the Lakers only trade of the season. Irwin adds: “Getting DFS for no firsts allows for further moves too. Lakers will remain active.” Acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton while ditching Russell’s contract benefits the Lakers financially, as well as potentially on the court. But it does not address the Lakers’ desire to add another center , and they still have enough assets to make another trade before the deadline in early February. The message is clear, the Lakers are not done, especially while they rank as high as fifth in the West , they want to get better and finish as high up the standings as possible. This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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Stock market today: Wall Street gets back to climbing, sending Nasdaq to a recordZiguinchor — La section régionale ziguinchoroise (sud) du Rassemblement islamique du Sénégal (RIS-Alwahda) a clôturé ce weekend ses 72 heures par une conférence religieuse sur le thème « Mouvement islamique et engagement citoyen, quels apports pour une société en quête de justice et d'équité ? », a constaté l'APS. Le RIS-Al Wahda, un mouvement fédérant une quarantaine d'organisations islamiques à travers le pays, a été créé en 2009, dans le but d'arriver à une dynamique unitaire des organisations islamiques. googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display('div-gpt-async-ad-inread-a');}); Cette conférence religieuse s'est tenue au centre culturel de Ziguinchor dans contexte marqué par l'adoption, par le nouveau régime, d'un projet de transformation systémique du Sénégal comme nouveau référentiel des politiques publiques. « Cette conférence, organisée sur le thème le changement dans le développement économique et social, nous permet de comprendre qu'est6ce qui nous attend en tant que musulmans dans le processus de changement du Sénégal et quel type de Sénégal doit-on bâtir pour assurer le développement de notre pays », a expliqué la vice-présidente de la coordination régionale du rassemblement islamique de Ziguinchor, Ismatou Ndiaye. « Cette activité nous permettent d'avoir un épanouissement spirituel, social et économique », a-t-elle ajouté, déclare Ismatou Ndiaye, en présence du secrétaire général du Rassemblement islamique du Sénégal, Mame Abdou Sine. Elle a rappelé que le mouvement a effectué, entre autres actions durant ces 72 heures, des visites à l'hôpital de la Paix et au centre de santé « Silence » de Ziguinchor, pour apporter son soutien moral aux malades. Mme Ndiaye a rappelé que le RIS-Alwahda a été fondé dans le but de regrouper et d'unir les différentes organisations islamiques sénégalaises. « Nous sommes aujourd'hui réunis dans le cadre de la célébration de l'activité dénommée les 72 heures du mouvement islamique, qui est une activité de mobilisation et de fraternisation. Nous voulons vulgariser le message de l'Islam au sein de la population », déclare le secrétaire général du Mouvement islamique du Sénégal, Mame Abdou Sine. « Nous avons un nouveau régime qui prône le changement systémique. Et nous pensons que pour aboutir à ce changement, il faut passer par les principes de l'Islam. Au Sénégal, il faut la préservation des valeurs enseignées par l'Islam pour espérer voir un développement économique et social », croit M. Sine. Lire l'article original sur APS .

Special to the Herald BIG SPRING – The Salvation Army would like to thank the community for the generous support received throughout this year, and especially during the recent Christmas campaign. Now, as we approach the New Year, the final few days of 2024 present a unique opportunity to consider charitable giving and how an act of compassion can have a positive impact on those around you. A year-end, tax deductible donation—no matter the amount—provides essential resources for people who need the programs and services offered by The Salvation Army, all year round. “As the year comes to an end, it is always good to pause and reflect on the blessings you have received and for the important people in your life. In response, The Salvation Army asks that you consider sharing those blessings by making a year-end, tax deductible gift that will Love Beyond 2024 and provide essential services for your neighbors in need during 2025,” said Major Dean Moretz with The Salvation Army. “Donating to charity is always gratifying. It helps build relationships in the community and shows that you care about others. Your actions have a positive impact on your mental health, too. Giving to charity can help reduce stress, boost happiness and increase self-esteem, so everyone benefits!” Financial gifts are essential for The Salvation Army to sustain their wide range of services and programs made available to the community each and every day. “We rely on your help to continue our work and strengthen society. Did you know, donations can be designated for a specific location, project or program?” said Moretz. “This means that you can direct resources toward the issues you care about most. Whether it’s providing shelter for someone experiencing homelessness, keeping a family in their home through financial assistance, or providing hot meals or a grocery box, we make sure your wishes are met. We’d love to provide you a tour of The Salvation Army and show you first-hand how your donation impacts those we serve.” See below various ways to give to The Salvation Army. Information about donation options available at www.SalvationArmyBigSpring.org : • Making a one-time donation. If you have a little extra, give a portion to benefit others. • Committing to a sustaining, monthly donation. Make a conscious effort to be a light to the world by sharing a little bit on a regular basis. This could be a very impactful New Year’s resolution! • Providing a noncash contribution including bonds, funds, stocks and IRA Rollover. By gifting your securities, you can help those who need it most. • Setting an appointment to explore planned giving, wills and gift annuities. Discover why so many people are providing hope for the future with the gift of a planned donation to The Salvation Army. • Donating cryptocurrency. The Salvation Army is now accepting Bitcoin and Ethereum. Other ways to support The Salvation Army include: • Donating goods or shopping at Salvation Army Thrift Stores. The goods you give away and the money you spend in our stores help fund programs that heal broken lives. • Volunteering. You can help bring change and hope to your own community by volunteering to serve in a variety of ways at The Salvation Army. Contact your local Salvation Army to find out more! • Donating airline miles. Donate unused airline miles to help The Salvation Army meet the need all over the United States. • Donating a vehicle. Help put someone on the road to recovery with a vehicle donation. “The Salvation Army is incredibly grateful for the community’s ongoing support and commitment to our mission. Your assistance motivates us to keep improving and finding more ways to serve as we go boldly into 2025. Thank you for walking alongside us on this journey to serve one another as Christ taught us,” said Moretz. To make a donation or for more information go to www.salvationarmybigspring.org , call (432) 267-8239, or visit us at 811 5th Street. About The Salvation Army The Salvation Army annually helps nearly 24 million Americans overcome poverty, addiction, and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry, emergency relief for disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, and clothing and shelter for people in need, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at nearly 7,000 centers of operation around the country. For more information, visit SalvationArmyUSA.org Follow us on X @SalvationArmyUS and #DoingTheMostGoodPromising Stocks For 2025

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You want to know what to me feels like having to sleep on wet wool blankets? Doing research, that’s what. There’s no getting ’round it, it’s just plain tiresome, and I really hate having to do it. Except this time. For this column, the research was way, way cool because I conducted it in my most favorite locations anywhere on earth — restaurants. Any restaurant. Because I could eat while I was doing it and because I could legally eavesdrop on people, because I had to, for the research you see. So, equipped with my palm-sized secret spy decoder tape recorder, I charged off into the vast unknown, prepared to sacrifice my all for this column. My job is my life. I exaggerate just a speck. I do that. The place to which I charged really wasn’t unknown, or even vast. It was downtown. I selected a semi-local eatery, sat and pretended to read a newspaper. (You can always espy a top-notch undercover researcher — they’re the ones pretending to read a newspaper.) But I was really eavesdropping. I heard a mother at the next table casually saying, “Hey! No karate in the restaurant,” to one of her young. Now when did mothers begin to drone that rule of good manners at their kids in restaurants? (And when did kids begin to do that in restaurants?) What happened to “stop playing with your food, get your elbows off the table, and stop those deafening suck/slurpings with your straw” issues? Forbidding karate while dining? I sure never heard that in my time. But that’s probably because karate hadn’t yet been invented. Martial arts for us was not such an exact science or even a phrase; when confronted by trouble, you ran or begged. “Nope,” said another mother pleasantly one day at a lunch booth next to mine, “You most certainly may not get married. You’re only 12. Now finish your meal. Money is tight this week, and I don’t want to waste it by having to send back your food.” Now, call me shallow, but did she seem more concerned with the waste of food than her pubescent’s wanting to be united in holy or otherwise wedlock? I mean, I’m as against starvation or the flagrant waste of money as the next person, but that mother never rippled an eyelash at her still-in-braces junior-high daughter’s request to be espoused. (The espouse was nowhere in sight.) It wasn’t too many years back, (that’s a lie) when I was being dinner time droned at myself, only I was not denied matrimonial bliss at 12. (That came eight years later when I told the folks I was definitely marrying Mongo.) Back then, I was advised to finish my meals because there were starving Chinese or Armenians or some other nationality somewhere out there who apparently, according to my know-it-all parents, went about coveting my mashed turnips. That’s why I had to finish, not because it was wasting money to not eat every scrap. Talking about money at the table, you see, was considered poor manners. If you desired a raise in allowance, for example, it was deemed unseemly to ask for it at the dinner table. Better it be done later at a more proper time, after dinner, preferably when the allowance-dispenser was a little into his after supping cups. The prospects for success were far more favorable that way. And one evening at a fast-eatery I heard, “Now look. Mom’s a little stressy tonight. And when Mom gets stressy and you act like a bunch of bone-nosed savages, you know she’s apt to break your little butts.” Mrs. Stressy’s kids, having obviously heard that empty threat frequently, glanced over at her Stress’s, right” expressions, and without missing a beat, went back to busily demonstrating their considerable behavior problems for the other diners. Overheard from a table at another food establishment where a family was having a goodbye party for their daughter who was off to college: “Honey, honey, we’ll miss you so much,” said the misty-eyed dad. “You’ll have a wonderful time.” “Yeah, yeah, sure Dad,” was the bored answer, delivered in the same tone kids use when you remind them to be home by 10 p.m. The commands I discharged at our progeny while dining were as follows: “Please, I must insist you do not shove peas up your nose in public,” or “Really, I have little desire to see your food being ground up in your mouth. Please consider screaming at your brother after your mouth has emptied,” or “If you feel compelled to belch so repeatedly while we are eating, you may leave the table and indulge that practice in the garage,” or “If you persist in propping yourself up on the table by your elbows, I shall be forced to knock them away with the gravy ladle,” or “It is getting so tiresome having to remind you every single day to remember to bring the food to your mouth, and not your mouth to the food,” or “Your father and I would so appreciate it if you’d cease bashing your brother on his skull with that salad bowl. It is made of a special sort of glass, and are no longer available,” or “For the 20th time this month, you must stop putting that jar of caterpillars on the table during meals. Doesn’t it occur to you that no one can eat when you do that? Be a little more considerate. They’ve been dead for weeks.” I’m telling the truth about all this, I swear. Want to hear just a couple more really good eavesdrops? At a tea room: “OK, OK, if you like really wanna know what I wanna do with my life, it’s like I wanna sleep as much as I can, and when I wake up I like wanna play games on my phone, and I wanna eat fries with ketchup and smoke a little weed, and then like I wanna go back to sleep. OK, you got that? Watcha so upset for? You axt me. Y’happy now?” Come to think of it, doing research isn’t all bad. LC Van Savage is a Brunswick writer. Comments are not available on this story. Send questions/comments to the editors. « PreviousKey posts 6.19am Dashcam captures dangerous motorcycle stunt 6.10am Man, 80, charged with historical child sexual offences after tip-off 5.29am Dutton implies Aboriginal flag should not be flown on Harbour Bridge 5.16am Dutton stands by claim nuclear will be cheaper, despite CSIRO findings Hide key posts Posts area Latest 1 of 1 Go to latest Pinned post from 5.01am Meta outage affecting Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp By Josefine Ganko Social media users report they cannot access Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp, as Meta confirms a mass outage of its platforms. Outage tracking website Downdetector.com was flooded with more than 100,000 reports of problems, which started about 3am (AEST). In a statement posted to X, Meta confirmed it was aware that a “technical issue” was impacting “some users” of their apps. It’s not clear how extensive the outage is, but reports suggest it is worldwide. “We’re working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible and apologise for any inconvenience,” the statement read. Similar statements were issued by Instagram and WhatsApp acknowledging and apologising for the issue. The WhatsApp statement concluded: “We expect things to be back to normal shortly”. Latest posts Latest posts 6.19am Dashcam captures dangerous motorcycle stunt By William Davis Police are trying to catch a motorcyclist who was filmed swerving between oncoming traffic while riding without a helmet. The incident was captured by a dashcam about 2.30pm, November 13, on Gehrke Road in the Lockyer Valley. Police are appealing for anyone who recognises the rider or his passenger, who police said appeared to be female, to come forward. They do not believe anyone was injured in the stunt. 6.10am Man, 80, charged with historical child sexual offences after tip-off By Catherine Strohfeldt An 80-year-old man has been charged with historical child sexual offences almost a month after police arrested him in his Rosemount home, but investigators suspected the man had committed further offences. He was arrested on November 15, after an alleged victim tipped off police and officers executed a search warrant on the man’s property. He was charged with 17 offences – 12 counts of indecent treatment of children, and five counts of unlawful intercourse – with police reporting the man used his involvement in a sports club in the 1990s to repeatedly offend against a child. Sunshine Coast CPIU Detective Senior Sergeant Kerri Della-Vedova thanked the person who had spoken to police and offered information that led to the arrest, but suspected more children had been involved. “If anyone else relates to this offending or has more information, I encourage you to speak to police,” Della-Vedova said. “I’d like to reinforce to anyone who has experienced sexual violence or abuse, even decades ago, that police will listen, we will investigate while respecting your wishes, privacy, health and safety needs.” The 80-year-old man was expected to appear before Maroochydore Magistrates Court today. 5.46am Police believe house was deliberately set on fire overnight By William Davis An overnight house fire is being treated as arson by police. Officers believe the property, on Bindi Street in Logan Central, was reportedly set alight about 11.35pm. No one was home at the time and no injuries have been reported. Queensland Police declared a crime scene and investigations were under way at the house. Anyone with information or CCTV was urged to come forward. Advertisement 5.29am Dutton implies Aboriginal flag should not be flown on Harbour Bridge By Josefine Ganko After confirming he would not stand in front of Indigenous flags if elected prime minister, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has suggested it’s his view that only the Australian flag should be flown on national landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The Aboriginal flag permanently replaced the NSW state flag atop the bridge in June 2022, after a protracted debate about whether it should be flown. The Australian Aboriginal Flag flies high atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Credit: Dylan Coker Asked on Seven’s Sunrise if his stance on the Aboriginal flag at press conferences extended to it being flown on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Dutton didn’t directly answer. He noted it was a state government issue before implying his personal preference was that only the Australian flag was flown. “My preference would be that we just, frankly, accept that we have one national flag,” he said. “For us at a federal level, I’m not going to pretend that our country can be united when we’re asking people to identify in different ways.” He concluded that while we should be “very proud of our Indigenous heritage”, he doesn’t believe the country can be united under three flags. 5.16am Dutton stands by claim nuclear will be cheaper, despite CSIRO findings By Josefine Ganko The Coalition’s nuclear energy policy, set to be released this week, will be cheaper than Labor’s plan, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has maintained. On Monday, the CSIRO released a report that found nuclear power was still about 50 per cent more expensive than renewables, even after the science organisation changed its modelling to accommodate criticism from the Coalition that it had unfairly favoured wind and solar energy sources. Dutton denied he was reconsidering his promise that energy bills would be cheaper using nuclear power because of the reissued report. Loading He said the “international experience” had shown that they couldn’t meet net zero targets with renewable and that energy was cheaper. Pushed on the fact that most of the countries he regularly cites established their nuclear industries in the 20th century and therefore couldn’t be used to demonstrate the cost of an Australian plant, Dutton promised he would release the Coalition’s costings this week. “The costings show that ... it’s cheaper than what the government’s proposing, and we can deliver stability in the market,” he said. “So you need to decarbonise. We need to make sure that we’ve got stability. We can’t operate an economy with blackouts and brownouts.” 5.01am Meta outage affecting Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp By Josefine Ganko Social media users report they cannot access Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp, as Meta confirms a mass outage of its platforms. Outage tracking website Downdetector.com was flooded with more than 100,000 reports of problems, which started about 3am (AEST). In a statement posted to X, Meta confirmed it was aware that a “technical issue” was impacting “some users” of their apps. It’s not clear how extensive the outage is, but reports suggest it is worldwide. “We’re working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible and apologise for any inconvenience,” the statement read. Similar statements were issued by Instagram and WhatsApp acknowledging and apologising for the issue. The WhatsApp statement concluded: “We expect things to be back to normal shortly”. Advertisement 4.58am Here comes the sun, again The deluge of earlier this week in Brisbane is in the rear-view mirror, with a sunny day forecast this Thursday The temperature is expected to reach a top of 30 degrees, and the next few days are expected to be even warmer. Here’s your seven-day outlook: 4.57am At a glance: headlines beyond Brisbane Here are the stories making the rounds further afield this morning: Labor will force big tech companies to pay for Australian journalism under a new scheme that seeks to punish platforms such as Facebook for refusing to sign content deals, raising the prospect of a financial penalty if they do not contribute to local news. What really goes on at Mar-a-Lago? Donald Trump’s Palm Beach palace has effectively become a shadow White House as a roll-call of global statesmen, businessmen and political loyalists fly in to pay court, all striving to serve in, or influence, the president-elect. “What do you do? You wack the CEO.” Authorities say writings found in the possession of Luigi Mangione , who police allege gunned down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, hinted at a hatred of corporate greed. The Reserve Bank says it stands ready to respond to any economic turmoil caused by US President-elect Donald Trump’s ambitious tariff plans. Papua New Guinea will officially be granted a National Rugby League licence at an announcement today. Read more about the deal here. 4.54am The top stories for today Good morning, thanks for joining us for Brisbane Times’ live news blog. It’s Thursday, December 12, and we’re expecting a sunny day and a top temperature of 30 degrees. In this morning’s local headlines: Star Casino has asked cyclists to dismount for 100 metres on the Bicentennial Bikeway at Queen’s Wharf during the Sono Lumo event. Now riders plan to protest in the casino’s driveway. If you’re stuck for Christmas gift ideas, Brisbane Times city reporter Courtney Kruk has compiled some of Brisbane’s best stores for gift-buying – from books and music to antiques and plants. Australian basketball great Leroy Loggins has thrown down the gauntlet to a history-making Brisbane Bullets star, and the way he responds could be what takes his side from the NBL doldrums to championship contention. And Brisbane’s The Gabba is set for a “green mamba” pitch in the third Test against India. Can Nathan McSweeney deal with another Jasprit Bumrah onslaught? Latest 1 of 1 Latest Most Viewed in National Loading

Warren Buffett's favorite defense stock ( ) prepares to report earnings for its fiscal fourth quarter late Tuesday. In intraday trading, Heico stock fell below a key level. Buffett-led ( ) this year. The Florida-based company focuses on making niche replacement parts for commercial aircraft. In the defense market, the company produces niche components used in targeting and simulation equipment. Heico Earnings For the October quarter, analysts expect Heico earnings of 98 cents per share on revenue of $1.031 billion, FactSet shows. That would mark the company's first billion-dollar sales quarter. Year over year, Heico earnings would jump 32% as sales rise 10%. Though robust, sales growth would slow for the fourth consecutive quarter. Heico is likely to offer a fiscal 2025 outlook. For the full year, analysts project Heico earnings of $4.28 a share, a 17% increase from 2024. Investors will listen for progress on the aircraft components maker's recent acquisitions, including a specialty components maker and, separately, U.S. producers of jet cabin components and power distribution systems. They will also be tuned to any news suggesting that Heico is benefiting from 's ( ) ongoing struggles, including its recent strike. Warren Buffett Holding Heico Stock Shares of Heico fell 1% in Tuesday's . Heico stock is trying to recover the 50-day moving average. A November breakout from a seven-week flat base has fizzled. The has begun to trend lower after a sharp rally in the second and third quarters of this year. A rising RS line, the blue line in the chart shown, means that a stock is outperforming the S&P 500 index. ( ), on the , also retreated. Howmet stock neared a test of the 50-day line on Tuesday. Trade And Regulatory Impacts Under Trump Morningstar analyst Nicolas Owens said on Nov. 11 that he is watching trade and regulatory impacts on the aerospace sector under incoming President Donald Trump. "We don't think (challenging) trade conditions between the European Union and the U.S., or accusations of government subsidy between Boeing and ( ) are likely to reemerge in a second Trump administration," he added. Heico runs two business segments: Flight Support Group and Electronic Technologies Group. It touts 13 straight quarters of growth in the larger Flight Support unit. It ties that to an improving commercial aviation market after the coronavirus pandemic. The company also says it has benefited from acquisitions over the past three years. Warren Buffett Defense Play In Q2, Warren Buffett led Berkshire picked up 1.04 million shares of Heico at around 165 per share, with a market value of over $185.37 million, WhaleWisdom data shows. Berkshire added more than 5,000 Heico shares in Q3 while slashing its top holding ( ) by 25%, or 100 million shares. Still, Heico only makes up less than 0.1% of Berkshire's total stock investment portfolio. Apple stock still dominates at a 26% portfolio weight, even after Berkshire Hathaway slashed its stake in the iPhone maker every quarter this year.

You have a parade of options to watch “America’s New Year Celebration” which of course is the 136th Rose Parade and 111th Rose Bowl game. The parade kicks off at 8 a.m. PST Wednesday, Jan. 1, and will be broadcast on ABC, NBC, KTLA Channel 5, Hallmark Channel, RFD-TV and Univision. You can stream the parade on Fubo, PTT Studio, Pluto TV, DirectTV, Hulu+, Live TV, Peacock, Sling TV and YouTube TV. Following the Rose Parade, the 111th Rose Bowl game between the Oregon Ducks and either Ohio State or Tennessee will start at 1 p.m. PST, only on ESPN. Rose Parade 2025: Your guide to every float, band and equestrian unit, in order The Rose Parade airs in many countries worldwide, showing live in Armenia, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Armed Forces Network. Other broadcasts air in more than 170 other countries. According to the Tournament of Roses, which produces the duo of New Year events, more than 45 million viewers catch the spectacle on TV nationally while a live audience of more than 700,000 line the 5.5-mile route along Colorado Boulevard in person. If you have a hankering for a deeper dive, the Tournament of Roses YouTube channel includes videos on the history of the parade, highlights from this year’s events, replays of livestreams and more.

Jalon Moore led No. 12 Oklahoma with 22 points in an 89-67 home win against pesky Prairie View A&M in Norman on Sunday. Jeremiah Fears scored 19 points and Duke Miles added 17 for the Sooners, who are 13-0 for the fourth time in program history and the first time since the 1987-88 season. Tanahj Pettway led PVAMU with 22 points while Marcel Bryant added 14. Braelon Bush and Jordan Tillmon each chipped in 11 points for PVAMU (1-13) which played without leading scorer Nick Anderson (18.9 points per game). The Sooners finally pulled away from the determined Panthers with 5:20 left on a 10-3 run that started when Sam Goodwin tipped in a rebound and was capped by a Glenn Taylor Jr. rebound for an 80-63 lead. A Kobe Elvis 3-pointer capped a game-closing 9-0 Sooners run. Pettway connected on a 3-pointer from the wing that gave the Panthers a 5-2 lead. PVAMU hung tight on a Bryant jumper that tied the game at 7. Even though they were short-handed, the Panthers' largest first-half deficit was only 11. A Pettway layup and his steal in the full-court press that led to Bryant's turnaround jumper in the lane as the Panthers closed within 34-30. PVAMU's rally prompted an Oklahoma timeout after which Miles drilled a 3-pointer to kick off a half-closing 9-2 spurt for a 43-32 halftime lead. Braelon Bush's 3-pointer pulled the Panthers within 58-50 with 11:17 left in the game. It was the Panthers' 12th straight nonconference road game. PVAMU returns to its home court Saturday against Grambling. Oklahoma kicks off its first season in the SEC at No. 5 Alabama on Saturday. --Field Level MediaBOULDER, Colo. — A 72-year-old lifelong Colorado fan with end-stage kidney failure waited to the side of the field in his wheelchair for Travis Hunter and the rest of the Buffaloes. One by one, players strolled over and signed a football for Riley Rhoades, his face lighting up with each signature. Standing close by and taking in the scene was Jeremy Bloom. He's become a wish facilitator for older adults. Bloom, the former Colorado wide receiver and Olympic freestyle skier, started the Wish of a Lifetime foundation in 2008, which has made thousands of aspirations turn into reality for older adults. The list of granted wishes range from taking veterans back to the beaches of Normandy to helping late-in-life authors publish a book. He's staged concerts for musicians, assisted some in daredevil feats such as jumping out of an airplane and even lined up a meeting between an Olympic medalist and former President Barack Obama. People are also reading... For Rhoades, his wish was simply to return to Folsom Field again, the place where he used to have season tickets but hasn't attended a game since 2004. "Everybody has somebody in their life —a grandparent, friend, neighbor — at that age where you wish you had more resources to help," said Bloom, whose college career was cut short two decades ago when the NCAA denied his reinstatement to play football and still ski professionally after receiving endorsement money to fuel his Olympic dreams. "Nothing can compare to seeing someone else's eyes light up because you helped make their dream come true." Granting wishes The foundation is a tribute to his grandparents. But the concept began to take root when he was a teenager. He was in Japan for a World Cup freestyle skiing competition when a woman tried to hop on a crowded bus. There was no room, but everyone in front rose from their seats to make space. That stuck with him, along with seeing these acts of kindness for older adults all over Europe and Asia as he traveled. An idea formed — bring that same level of appreciation to the United States, with a wish-granting element. Bloom's organization has been a charitable affiliate of AARP since 2020. Special moment It was the yearning of Rhoades that brought the two of them to Folsom Field last weekend. Rhoades, who had season tickets at Colorado for 27 years, wanted to see the Buffaloes in person after watching the team's resurgence on television. A few years ago, Rhoades, who was born with spina bifida, was diagnosed with end-stage renal failure. Being among the 54,646 fans Saturday stirred up plenty of emotions for Rhoades, as he watched the 16th-ranked Buffaloes (8-2, 6-1 Big 12, No. 16 CFP) beat Utah. Colorado remains in the race for not only a conference title but a spot in the College Football Playoff. "It's just great to be back here again," Rhoades said as he pointed out the section where he used to watch games. "It's just ... so cool." For Bloom, the success that coach Deion Sanders has brought to the program means more reunions with teammates as they pass through town. "I've been through many years where nobody comes to visit," Bloom said. "It's fun that Boulder has become the epicenter of college football." Paying athletes Leading the way for Colorado this season have been quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way star Hunter, who's the Heisman Trophy frontrunner. But what particularly pleases Bloom is that Sanders, Hunter and the rest of college football players are able to finally profit through name, image and likeness. In his day, Bloom got caught in the NCAA crosshairs for wanting to play both sports and to have sponsors in one (skiing) so he could fund his Olympic aspirations. How time have changed. "I'm just really grateful that this generation of athletes gets to monetize their skills and ability," said Bloom, who finished sixth in moguls at the 2006 Winter Games in Italy. "It's the right thing." He's thrown his passion into fulfilling wishes such as learning ballet, riding in a Formula 1 pace car or taking a flight in a fighter jet. He's also helped reconnect families and friends, including a reunion for a trio of centenarian sisters who hadn't seen each other in more than a decade. This granted wish has stuck with Bloom: A person in Alabama wasn't able to travel after being diagnosed with end-of-life emphysema. So he asked for postcards to be sent, just to learn what made someone's town so special. He received 2,000 postcards from 26 different countries. "There's no end to the things that they've done for us in the world," Bloom said of older adults. "We're one of the organizations that reminds them that their dreams still do matter and that we still appreciate them and we cherish them." Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Browns restructure QB Deshaun Watson's contract to create cap space, flexibility, AP source says

Russia calls for neutrality in IAEA's approach to Iran’s nuclear programIs Poetry Still Alive? Exploring the Relevance of Verse in a Social Media World

Former English Premier League Champions Arsenal are set to offer AC Milan Jakub Kiwior in exchange for Super Eagles forward Samuel Chukwueze, Soccernet.ng reports. Chukwueze has failed to make a significant impression at AC Milan since his €21.1 million transfer from Villareal last year. Last season, the 25-year-old forward registered three goals and three assists in 33 appearances across all competitions. This season, he has gotten three goals and one assist in 21 appearances, but most of them have been off the bench. The Nigerian has never been short of suitors , and due to his struggle for game time, there has been a lot of talk about a possible exit for Chukwueze. Now, according to Team Talk , Chukwueze could get a breakthrough soon. This is as Arsenal want to offer AC Milan Kiwior in exchange for the Nigerian’s services. Kiwior, who is Polish has struggled for game time this season, with just eight Premier League appearances under his belt. The 24-year-old defender is not considered as an important player at the Emirates and could be allowed to leave. Arsenal are long-time admirers of Chukwueze, as they have been linked with the Super Eagles star previously. Now, they will be desperate to get the transfer sorted due to the recent injuries to Raheem Sterling and their star man Bukayo Saka.

Matthew McConaughey helps Dick’s Sporting Goods spread holiday cheer across TexasTORONTO, Dec. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Timbercreek Alternatives LP, a subsidiary of Timbercreek Capital, and Aspen Properties today announced the closing of the previously announced acquisition of the 1 Palliser Square Office Building in Calgary, Alberta for the purpose of converting approximately 418,000 square feet of office into 418 residential units and amenities. 1 Palliser Square is a 27-storey, vacant B-class office building centrally located next to the Calgary Tower, with direct access to residential amenities, entertainment and transit. The project is part of the City of Calgary’s Downtown Development Incentive Program designed to transform vacant office space into new rental housing stock. 1 Palliser Office-to-Residential Project Highlights: The acquisition was completed though a joint venture called 1 Palliser Square LP (the “LP”). As part of the acquisition, the LP completed a private placement offering of units for total proceeds of approximately $21.6 million. Raymond James Ltd. and Canaccord Genuity Corp. acted as co-lead agents and joint bookrunners on behalf of a syndicate of agents, which included, Richardson Wealth Limited, Wellington-Altus Financial Inc. and iA Private Wealth Inc. About Timbercreek Founded in 2000, Timbercreek is one of Canada’s leading alternative asset class investment managers, focused on debt and equity investments in high-quality, value-add commercial real estate in Canada, the United States and Europe. Through active and direct investment, Timbercreek employs a thematic approach to deliver compelling risk-adjusted returns for their investors and partners, leveraging the diversified expertise and relationships of their highly experienced team to invest capital across a wide range of asset classes. Timbercreek’s team of 50+ investment professionals have extensive domain expertise in these markets and combine an entrepreneurial growth focus with institutional risk management. Since 2000, the Timbercreek team has deployed more than $18 billion in equity and debt investments focused on value-add real estate, on behalf of their broad range of capital partners. Timbercreek has offices in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, New York, Dallas and Dublin. About Aspen Aspen Properties is a fully integrated and privately held boutique real estate company with over 25 years of experience in owning and managing real estate in downtown Calgary and Edmonton. Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, Aspen is committed to creating and delivering inspiring amenity-rich real estate with innovative technology and processes that help people thrive and contribute to the development and sustainability of the communities they serve. Together with their investment partners, Aspen Properties owns and manages approximately 4.25 million square feet of office space and nearly 3,800 parking spaces in downtown Calgary and Edmonton. Aspen’s portfolio is comprised of 15 buildings—eleven in Calgary, three in Edmonton and a development site in Calgary. For more information: Timbercreek Alternatives Fraser McEwen President fmcewenf@timbercreek.com www.timbercreek.com Aspen Properties Scott Hutcheson Executive Chair of the Board rsh@aspenproperties.ca www.aspenproperties.casg777 online casino 。

Salt Lake City, Dec. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intermountain Health has named Ryan Smith as its next chief digital and information officer (CDIO), following an extensive national search. He will begin his new role in early 2025. Intermountain’s search for a CDIO included a thorough recruiting process that involved internal and external partners who vetted candidates throughout the United States. Smith is a seasoned leader with deep roots in healthcare technology and an impressive portfolio of experience with Intermountain. He served in several senior leadership roles across the enterprise for nearly 20 years. He then held executive roles with Health Catalyst and served as senior vice president of technology and chief information officer at Banner Health. Following those positions, Smith returned to Intermountain as chief information officer (CIO) from 2020 to 2022 before joining Graphite Health as its chief operating officer. Ryan now serves as Graphite’s interim president and chief executive officer, advancing the nonprofit organization’s endeavor to make healthcare data more universal, accessible, and scalable. “This opportunity is deeply meaningful to me,” said Smith. “I'm excited for the opportunity to make healthcare an easier, safer experience for patients, members, and caregivers alike.” “I’m confident that Ryan is the right leader to help Intermountain successfully navigate both opportunities and obstacles as a model health system in the complex world of healthcare that lies ahead,” said Rob Allen Intermountain Health president and CEO. “He will lead DTS to support our mission, vision, and strategy to simplify, expand proactive care, and improve the healthcare experience for our caregivers, patients, members, and communities.” As Intermountain’s CDIO, Ryan will report directly to Dan Liljenquist, chief strategy officer. He will also serve as a member of the Enterprise Leadership Team. Smith will lead Intermountain's Digital Technology Services (DTS), including DTS Operations, Digital Services, Data Services, Clinical Informatics, Information Security, and Information Technology. Leaders of each team will report directly to Smith and will continue to serve on the DTS Leadership Team. ### Attachment Ryan Smith Lance Madigan Intermountain Health 385.275.8245 intermountainnews@imail.org

Why Matt Gaetz is considered controversial: Explaining the allegations as he withdraws from AG

NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers formally asked a judge Monday to throw out his hush money criminal conviction , arguing that continuing the case would present unconstitutional “disruptions to the institution of the Presidency.“ In a filing made public Tuesday, Trump’s lawyers told Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan that anything short of immediate dismissal would undermine the transition of power, as well as the “overwhelming national mandate" granted to Trump by voters last month. They also cited President Joe Biden’s recent pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, who had been convicted of tax and gun charges . People are also reading... “President Biden asserted that his son was ‘selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,’ and ‘treated differently,’" Trump’s legal team wrote. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, they claimed, had engaged in the type of political theater "that President Biden condemned.” Prosecutors will have until Dec. 9 to respond. They have said they will fight any efforts to dismiss the case but have indicated a willingness to delay the sentencing until after Trump’s second term ends in 2029. In their filing Monday, Trump's attorneys dismissed the idea of holding off sentencing until Trump is out of office as a “ridiculous suggestion.” Following Trump’s election victory last month, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed his sentencing, previously scheduled for late November, to allow the defense and prosecution to weigh in on the future of the case. He also delayed a decision on Trump’s prior bid to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. Trump has been fighting for months to reverse his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier. He says they did not and denies any wrongdoing. The defense filing was signed by Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, who represented Trump during the trial and have since been selected by the president-elect to fill senior roles at the Justice Department. Taking a swipe at Bragg and New York City, as Trump often did throughout the trial, the filing argues that dismissal would also benefit the public by giving him and “the numerous prosecutors assigned to this case a renewed opportunity to put an end to deteriorating conditions in the City and to protect its residents from violent crime.” Clearing Trump, the lawyers added, would also allow him to “to devote all of his energy to protecting the Nation.” Merchan hasn’t yet set a timetable for a decision. He could decide to uphold the verdict and proceed to sentencing, delay the case until Trump leaves office, 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. An outright dismissal of the New York case would further lift a legal cloud that at one point carried the prospect of derailing Trump’s political future. Last week, special counsel Jack Smith told courts that he was withdrawing both federal cases against Trump — one charging him with hoarding classified documents at his Florida estate, the other with scheming to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost — citing longstanding Justice Department policy that shields a president from indictment while in office. The hush money case was the only one of Trump’s four criminal indictments to go to trial, resulting in a historic verdict that made him the first former president to be convicted of a crime. Prosecutors had cast the payout as part of a Trump-driven effort to keep voters from hearing salacious stories about him. Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen paid Daniels. Trump later reimbursed him, and Trump’s company logged the reimbursements as legal expenses — concealing what they really were, prosecutors alleged. Trump has said the payments to Cohen were properly categorized as legal expenses for legal work. A month after the verdict, the Supreme Court ruled that ex-presidents can’t be prosecuted for official acts — things they did in the course of running the country — and that prosecutors can’t cite those actions to bolster a case centered on purely personal, unofficial conduct. Trump’s lawyers cited the ruling to argue that the hush money jury got some improper evidence, such as Trump’s presidential financial disclosure form, testimony from some White House aides and social media posts made during his first term. Prosecutors disagreed and said the evidence in question was only “a sliver” of their case. If the verdict stands and the case proceeds to sentencing, Trump’s punishments would range from a fine to probation to up to four years in prison — but it’s unlikely he’d spend any time behind bars for a first-time conviction involving charges in the lowest tier of felonies. Because it is a state case, Trump would not be able to pardon himself once he returns to office. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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Astronomers have identified mysterious 'UFO galaxies'—red, glowing, disc-shaped objects emerging in the vast darkness of space. Using data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have discovered evidence of 56 'Ultra-red Flattened Objects.' These enigmatic structures had remained hidden for decades, eluding older telescopes like Hubble, a report by Dail Mail stated. The UFO galaxies were likely hidden by clouds of dust and debris surrounding them, which obscured the light from their inner star systems. However, the advanced technology of the JWST, including its infrared-light detection capabilities, allowed it to capture stunning images of these glowing discs. Some of these UFO galaxies are located in regions closer to our Milky Way galaxy than astronomers had previously mapped. Based on images and computer simulations, researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder (UCB) proposed that UFO galaxies are similar in size and shape to the Milky Way, but are "much dustier." Lead author Justus Gibson told Daily Mail, "JWST allows us to see this type of galaxy that we never would have been able to see before." "We thought that closer to us, we already had a pretty good understanding of all the types of galaxies there are," Gibson added. "It tells us that maybe we didn't understand the universe as well as we thought." Gibson further explained that UFO galaxies appear red because they emit very little visible light. The majority of the light escaping from these galaxies is infrared radiation, with the small amount of visible light they emit is at the edge of what the human eye can detect, Daily Mail reported. A combination of computer simulations, neural network emulators, and mathematical models was employed to determine the shapes of these large, red UFO galaxies. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from World and around the world.Glen Burnie man accused of burning Donald Trump’s name into road with flamethrower, authorities say