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haha777 customer service LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James has been ruled out of the Los Angeles Lakers' game at Minnesota on Friday night due to soreness in his left foot. James will miss his second straight game when the Lakers return from a four-day break to face the Timberwolves, the Lakers announced Thursday. The top scorer in NBA history was away from the team this week with an excused absence attributed to “personal reasons,” coach JJ Redick said Wednesday. It's unclear whether James will even make the quick round trip to Minnesota before the Lakers' next game at home against Memphis on Sunday. James missed his first game of his record-tying 22nd NBA season when the Lakers beat Portland at home last Sunday. That absence also was attributed to his foot injury. James is averaging 23.0 points, 9.1 assists and 8.0 rebounds for the Lakers (13-11), who have lost seven of 10 after a 10-4 start. The Lakers upgraded starter Austin Reaves to questionable for the game at Minnesota after he missed LA's previous five games with a pelvic bruise. Anthony Davis is listed as probable with left plantar fasciitis. AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBADFCC pioneering spirit continues with Green Bond dual listing in Luxembourg

He can fly! Watch this Coastal Carolina wide receiver do a running backflip in full pads

A boost for tourismNo. 14 Kentucky women roll past Arizona State with scoring and rebounding balance 77-61

ALLEGANY – Mark Schmidt designated specific responsibilities to the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team as it prepared to face Bryant: Get the ball to Noel Brown. St. Bonaventure Bonnies center Noel Brown (24) works against Bryant University Bulldogs forward Kvonn Cramer (1) during the second half at the Reilly Center on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. It gave the Bonnies a huge advantage – literally and figuratively. The Bulldogs had no answer for Brown, a 6-foot-11 center who rose to the occasion in an 85-70 win against Bryant on Sunday at the Reilly Center. As good, he has helped the Bonnies to a 6-0 start for the first time since 1973, a byproduct of coaching, a well-distributed offense and the Bonnies’ livelihood, its defense. “It takes, one, good coaching,” said Brown, who had a game-best 22 points and seven rebounds against Bryant and is averaging 12.6 points and 5.2 rebounds. “It takes a lot of dedication and practice, every day, and it takes a team effort. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but over the spread of a few games, the points have been spread out, over player to player to player, and it begins on defense. Honestly, I think it just begins with an identity that starts with hard work.” Bona guard Melvin Council Jr. explained what Brown has done to lift himself from being a role player in his first season at Bona, as a transfer from George Washington, to being the center in charge in his second year with the Bonnies. The St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team began the weekend 5-0 for the first time since 2021, and is now 6-0 for the first time since 1973 after an 85-70 win against Bryant on Saturday at the Reilly Center in Allegany. “A lot of people don’t know this, and I don’t want to give the secret out for Noel, but he comes back late at night to work on paint touches and stuff like that, so it looks easy,” said Council, who scored 18 points. “We always tell him, ‘We’re going to run through you for the offense. We’ve got to get you a touch before we do anything.’ That’s what we try to do, every game.” Brown scored in double digits for the fourth time in five games and bested his previous career high of 18 points on Feb. 14 at Fordham. He and his teammates even got into a little trash talking with former Bona guard Barry Evans, now with the Bulldogs (3-3). Evans hit a jumper with 8:12 left in the first half ... and got called for a technical foul after having words with the Bona bench. “We expected that to happen,” Council said, chuckling. “He said, ‘You know how I get!” Bona’s 6-0 start hasn’t come without some stress – including Sunday. Bryant wiped out two significant leads for the Bonnies. The Bulldogs used a 15-1 run in the final five minutes of the first half to cut the Bonnies' lead to 46-40 at halftime. In the second half, they came within at least eight points twice in the final seven minutes, but the Bonnies slowed down the pace, capitalized in transition and opened a 75-66 lead to 82-66 inside the final two minutes. Brown took the lead in the locker room at halftime and gave his team instructions: Lock in on defense and the offense will unfold. No excuses in the second half. Come out with an edge. Lajae Jones hit a 3-pointer 20 seconds into the second half, which kicked off an 18-4 run and opened Bona’s lead to 64-44. Now, the Bonnies take their undefeated record on the road, but to a technically neutral court, when they face Utah State at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the ESPN Events NIT Season Tip-Off tournament in Kissimmee, Fla. The field also includes North Texas and Northern Iowa. “We’re trying to celebrate this one,” Schmidt said, wryly, when asked about preparing for the multi-team event at Disney’s Wide World of Sports. “You have a chance to play good teams on a neutral court, and those neutral courts, that’s like playing in the Atlantic 10 tournament,” Schmidt said. “It gets our guys more comfortable playing away from home, against a really good team. You don’t want to play those teams at their place.” But the Bonnies aren’t putting too much stock in their undefeated start. “We can’t be satisfied being 6-0,” Schmidt said. “We’ve got to improve. We can’t listen to the noise and everybody talking about how we’re 6-0, and this and that. It’s the next game. We’ve got to prepare for the next game.” Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! College/high school sports enterprise reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

Their Christmas break over, the Rangers are back to work Friday, practicing, and then flying to Tampa for a two-game trip to the Sunshine State, where they will face the Lightning Saturday and the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers Monday. When last we saw them, the Rangers were an utter mess. They were blown out by the rival Devils Monday in the last game before the break, had lost to Carolina the day before, and on Christmas Day, they were tied for last in the Metropolitan Division with the Islanders, having lost 13 of their last 17 games. Chris Kreider, the longest-tenured Rangers player, and the franchise’s third all-time goalscorer, was a healthy scratch against the Devils, with coach Peter Laviolette saying after the game, “We need more’’ from Kreider. After the Devils game, leading scorer Artemi Panarin was asked what he thought the problem has been. “It could be many things,’’ he said. “I feel like, everywhere, we . . . have extra weight on us. Like everyone is trying too hard. Maybe we’re, I don't know, not relaxed enough or something. Because I can promise, everyone on the team wants to win. Everyone works hard. But sometimes, if you don't have confidence, if you're not in the right place, mentally, you just feel like everything harder than this.’’ So as the 16-17-1 Blueshirts embark on the rest of their season, the only question for them is whether what has gone wrong for them is fixable. With 48 games left in the season, the Rangers have time to turn things around, but how would they do that, exactly? The problems they have had that have caused this nosedive don’t show any signs of being able to correct themselves; and it’s hard to see what the coach, management or ownership could do to reverse the team’s fortunes. This season, they brought back essentially the same team — minus fourth-line center Barclay Goodrow — that won the Presidents’ Trophy last season. So did last season’s team overachieve in a huge way, or has this year’s team underachieved in a massive way? Mika Zibanejad was supposed to be the team’s No. 1 center, but he has struggled, and has been demoted in some games to the third line. Through 34 games, his six goals and 15 assists project to 14 goals and 36 assists (50 points) over a full 82-game season. Those are not first-line center numbers. Even worse, Zibanejad, who’s always been a strong two-way player, is a team-worst minus-19, tied for fourth-worst in the NHL. Plus/minus isn’t a statistic valued by the analytics community, but that’s a bad number. So is Zibanejad a good player having a bad year? Or is he a 31-year-old player entering the back nine of his career? Not that it’s all his fault, either. The defense has been poor, and other players haven’t produced what they’re expected to, either. Vincent Trocheck, who, with Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere made up one of the best lines in the league last season, is on pace for 48 points this season. He had 77 last year. Lafreniere, whose breakout season last year and fast start this year earned him a seven-year, $52.15 million contract extension, has one assist in his last eight games. Might GM Chris Drury, who’s already made two trades this month, sending captain Jacob Trouba to Anaheim and young forward Kaapo Kakko to Seattle, fire Laviolette to try and change things up? It’s probably not something Drury wants to do, but if the losing continues, might he be forced to? Sometimes it’s just not your year. And if Drury reaches that conclusion, then it may make sense for the Rangers to become sellers at the trade deadline, rather than buyers. Maybe they can get back draft picks for players like forward Reilly Smith, free-agent-to-be defensemen Ryan Lindgren and Will Borgen, and re-stock the prospect pipeline. Then they can sign Boston College forward Gabe Perreault after his college season is over, put him in the lineup at the end of the season, and just start getting ready for next year. Is it early to start thinking that way? Maybe a little. But as the great Yogi Berra once said, “It gets late early around here.’’ Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.

Global Citation Management Software Market Size, Share and Forecast By Key Players-Mendeley, Clarivate (EndNote), Chegg (EasyBib), ProQuest (RefWorks), Zotero 12-26-2024 06:02 PM CET | Advertising, Media Consulting, Marketing Research Press release from: Market Research Intellect Citation Management Software Market USA, New Jersey- According to the Market Research Intellect, the global Citation Management Software market is projected to grow at a robust compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.06% from 2024 to 2031. Starting with a valuation of 8.55 Billion in 2024, the market is expected to reach approximately 18.83 Billion by 2031, driven by factors such as Citation Management Software and Citation Management Software. This significant growth underscores the expanding demand for Citation Management Software across various sectors. The Citation Management Software market is experiencing significant growth due to the increasing need for efficient academic research management and proper citation practices. As research becomes more digital and collaborative, researchers, students, and professionals require tools to streamline the process of managing references, citations, and bibliographies. The growing number of academic publications and the rising demand for scholarly work across various fields drive the need for accurate citation management. Additionally, advancements in cloud-based solutions and integrations with popular writing platforms are making citation management tools more accessible and user-friendly. The increasing importance of compliance with citation standards and the shift toward digital education are further fueling the market's growth, leading to a rise in demand for citation management software. The dynamics of the Citation Management Software market are influenced by several key factors, including the increasing volume of academic research, the need for standardized citation practices, and the shift to digital learning. As institutions and researchers focus on maintaining proper citation formats and avoiding plagiarism, demand for efficient citation tools rises. The integration of AI and machine learning into these platforms is enhancing their ability to auto-generate citations and ensure accuracy. Additionally, the growing collaboration between researchers globally requires citation software that supports multiple styles and facilitates sharing references. The rising use of mobile applications and cloud-based solutions for real-time access further drives market adoption. These factors collectively ensure the continued expansion and evolution of the citation management software market. Request PDF Sample Copy of Report: (Including Full TOC, List of Tables & Figures, Chart) @ https://www.marketresearchintellect.com/download-sample/?rid=5751610&utm_source=OpenPr&utm_medium=047 Key Drivers: The growth of the Citation Management Software market is driven by several key factors. Technological advancements in Citation Management Software have enabled greater efficiency and enhanced capabilities, spurring adoption across industries. Additionally, the rising demand for sustainable and eco-friendly solutions is pushing companies to innovate and adopt greener practices. Expanding applications in sectors like Citation Management Software and Citation Management Software are further contributing to market demand, as these industries seek advanced solutions to streamline operations and enhance product quality. Favorable government policies and incentives in regions such as North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific support investment and growth. Moreover, an increasing focus on Citation Management Software for improving operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness is encouraging businesses to embrace new technologies, fostering sustained market expansion. Mergers and Acquisitions Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) play a pivotal role in the Citation Management Software market, as companies look to expand their capabilities, access new technologies, and strengthen market presence. Leading players engage in strategic acquisitions to consolidate their position and gain a competitive edge. These transactions often facilitate the integration of advanced Citation Management Software solutions, helping firms broaden their product portfolios and meet growing customer demands. Additionally, M&A activities support companies in achieving economies of scale and penetrating new regional markets, particularly in high-growth areas like Asia-Pacific. Through such strategic alliances, businesses aim to accelerate innovation, enhance operational efficiency, and address evolving market challenges, ultimately driving the overall growth of the Citation Management Software market. Get a Discount On The Purchase Of This Report @ https://www.marketresearchintellect.com/ask-for-discount/?rid=5751610&utm_source=OpenPr&utm_medium=047 The following Key Segments Are Covered in Our Report By Type Cloud Based Web Based By Application Academic Corporate Government Major companies in Citation Management Software Market are: Mendeley, Clarivate (EndNote), Chegg (EasyBib), ProQuest (RefWorks), Zotero, JabRef, Cite4me, Sorc'd, Citavi, Paperpile Global Citation Management Software Market -Regional Analysis North America: North America is expected to hold a significant share of the Citation Management Software market due to advanced technological infrastructure and the presence of major market players. High demand across sectors like Citation Management Software and Citation Management Software is driving growth, with the U.S. being a key contributor. Additionally, ongoing investments in R&D and innovation reinforce the region's strong market position. Europe: Europe is projected to experience steady growth, driven by stringent regulatory standards and a rising focus on sustainability in Citation Management Software practices. Countries like Germany, France, and the UK are leading due to their advanced industrial base and supportive government policies. The demand for eco-friendly and efficient Citation Management Software solutions is expected to continue fostering market expansion. Asia-Pacific: Asia-Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest-growing region, fueled by rapid industrialization and urbanization. Countries such as China, India, and Japan are driving demand due to expanding consumer bases and increasing investments in infrastructure. The region's robust manufacturing sector and favorable economic policies further enhance growth opportunities in the Citation Management Software market. Latin America: Latin America and the Middle East & Africa are expected to show moderate growth in the Citation Management Software market. In Latin America, growth is supported by rising industrial activities in countries like Brazil and Mexico. Meanwhile, in the Middle East & Africa, infrastructure development and an increasing focus on innovation in sectors like Citation Management Software are key drivers of market expansion. Middle East and Africa: The Middle East and Africa represent emerging markets in the global Citation Management Software market, with countries like UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Nigeria showing promising growth potential. Economic diversification efforts, urbanization, and a young population are driving demand for Citation Management Software products and services in the region. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 1. What is the current size of the Citation Management Software market? Answer: The Citation Management Software market was valued at approximately 8.55 Billion in 2024, with projections suggesting it will reach 18.83 Billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 14.06%. 2. What factors are driving the growth of the Citation Management Software market? Answer: The market's expansion is attributed to several factors, including increased demand for Citation Management Software, advancements in Citation Management Software technology, and the adoption of Citation Management Software across various sectors. 3. Which regions are expected to dominate the Citation Management Software market? Answer: Regions such as North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific are anticipated to lead due to the presence of major industry players and growing investments in Citation Management Software. 4. Who are the key players in the Citation Management Software market? Answer: Prominent companies in the Citation Management Software market include Citation Management Software, Citation Management Software, and Citation Management Software, each contributing to market growth through innovations and strategic partnerships. 5. What challenges does the Citation Management Software market face? Answer: The market faces challenges such as Citation Management Software, regulatory compliance, and competition from alternative solutions. However, ongoing advancements aim to address these issues. 6. What are the future trends in the Citation Management Software market? Emerging trends include the integration of Citation Management Software technology, sustainability practices, and digital transformation in processes, all expected to shape the market's future. 7. How can businesses benefit from the Citation Management Software market? Answer: Businesses can leverage growth opportunities in the Citation Management Software market by adopting new solutions, enhancing operational efficiency, and expanding their offerings to meet evolving consumer demands. 8. Why invest in a Citation Management Software market report from MRI? Answer: MRI's report provides in-depth analysis, future projections, and key insights to support strategic decision-making, enabling businesses to stay competitive and capitalize on growth trends in the Citation Management Software market. For More Information or Query, Visit @ https://www.marketresearchintellect.com/product/global-citation-management-software-market-size-forecast/?utm_source=OpenPr&utm_medium=047 About Us: Market Research Intellect Market Research Intellect is a leading Global Research and Consulting firm servicing over 5000+ global clients. We provide advanced analytical research solutions while offering information-enriched research studies. We also offer insights into strategic and growth analyses and data necessary to achieve corporate goals and critical revenue decisions. Our 250 Analysts and SMEs offer a high level of expertise in data collection and governance using industrial techniques to collect and analyze data on more than 25,000 high-impact and niche markets. Our analysts are trained to combine modern data collection techniques, superior research methodology, expertise, and years of collective experience to produce informative and accurate research. Our research spans a multitude of industries including Energy, Technology, Manufacturing and Construction, Chemicals and Materials, Food and Beverages, etc. Having serviced many Fortune 2000 organizations, we bring a rich and reliable experience that covers all kinds of research needs. For inquiries, Contact Us at: Mr. Edwyne Fernandes Market Research Intellect APAC: +61 485 860 968 EU: +44 788 886 6344 US: +1 743 222 5439 This release was published on openPR.Israel has agreed to a ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon that will take effect at 4 a.m. Wednesday. Moments after U.S. President Joe Biden announced the ceasefire deal , which Israel's Cabinet approved late Tuesday, an Israeli airstrike slammed into the Lebanese capital. Residents of Beirut and its southern suburbs have endured the most intense day of Israeli strikes since the war began nearly 14 months ago, as Israel's nationwide onslaught of bombings signaled it aims to keep pummeling Hezbollah before the ceasefire is set to take hold. At least 42 people have been killed by Israeli strikes across Lebanon on Tuesday, according to local authorities. Hezbollah also fired rockets into Israel on Tuesday, triggering air raid sirens in the country’s north. An Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire would mark the first major step toward ending the regionwide unrest triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. But it does not address the devastating war in Gaza. Hezbollah began attacking Israel a day after Hamas’ attack. The fighting in Lebanon escalated into all-out war in September with massive Israeli airstrikes across the country and an Israeli ground invasion of the south. In Gaza, more than 44,000 people have been killed and more than 104,000 wounded in the nearly 14-month war between Israel and Hamas, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. ___ Here's the Latest: PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah marked a “new page” for Lebanon and called on its leaders to elect a president “without delay.” In a video message on X, Macron said restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty depends on ending the presidential vacuum. “It is the responsibility of Lebanese authorities and all those in senior political roles,” he said. BEIRUT — Ahmad Khateeb, a musician and artist who performs in a renowned theater in Beirut’s Hamra neighborhood, fled to the city’s seaside promenade with seven members of his family after the Israeli army issued evacuation warnings for four targets in central Beirut, including one close to his area. “This is the first time this area in Ras Beirut, Hamra, has received such a threat. This neighborhood has historically been a refuge for everyone,” Khateeb told The Associated Press. Outside the American University of Beirut Medical Center in Hamra, dozens of people sought refuge, hoping the hospital would not be targeted. Among them was Rima Abdkhaluk, who sat on a sidewalk with a backpack at her side. “I was at home having lunch when I received a call from (relatives) in Syria telling me they were about to hit Hamra,” she said. She quickly packed her belongings and left with her mother. She convinced the hospital’s staff to allow her mother inside while she waited outside on a piece of cardboard. Israeli jets struck Beirut’s Mar Elias neighborhood as Abdkhaluk was speaking to The Associated Press. She held her hands tightly together and prayed. “I just need to see where they hit,” she started saying frantically. Asked about the expected ceasefire, Abdkhaluk was skeptical. “I don’t believe it. Israel can’t be trusted.” BEIRUT — The Health Ministry in Lebanon says 18 more people have been killed by Israeli airstrikes across the country, bringing the total death toll on Tuesday to at least 42 people. Eleven people were killed by Israeli bombing in eastern Lebanon, four were killed by strikes on border crossings between northern Lebanon and Syria, and three people were killed in southern Lebanon, the Health Ministry said early Wednesday. In the hours before a ceasefire with Hezbollah was to take effect, Israel launched its most intense wave of strikes on the capital Beirut and its southern suburbs since the start of the conflict. Strikes have targeted what Israel said were Hezbollah-related targets in several other parts of the country as well. Israel’s military issued a record number of evacuation warnings in Beirut, sending people fleeing from their homes. Hezbollah also fired rockets into Israel on Tuesday, triggering air raid sirens across the country’s north. UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations chief welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, and hopes it can end the violence and suffering of people in both countries, the U.N. spokesman says. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Israel and Hezbollah to swiftly implement all commitments under the agreement, and take immediate steps toward fully implementing the 2006 U.N. Security Council resolution that ended the last Israel-Hezbollah war, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said late Tuesday. Resolution 1701 called for the deployment of Lebanese forces throughout the south, which borders Israel and is now mainly controlled by Hezbollah, and it calls for all armed groups including Hezbollah to be disarmed. Neither has happened in the past 17 years. Dujarric said U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and the U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon “both stand ready to support the implementation of this agreement, in line with their respective mandates.” WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump’s senior national security team was briefed by the Biden administration as negotiations unfolded, according to the senior U.S. official. The official, who spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity in a White House-organized call, added that the incoming Trump administration officials were not directly involved in the talks, but that it was important that the incoming administration knew “what we were negotiating and what the commitments were.” The official said “all fire will stop from all parties” at 4 a.m. local time. The next step would be what the official described as a “phased withdrawal” by the Israeli military. As the Israelis pull back, Lebanese national forces will occupy the territories. The process is slated to finish within 60 days. Lebanese forces is supposed to patrol the area and remove Hezbollah weaponry and infrastructure there. “Hezbollah is incredibly weak at this moment, both militarily and politically,” the official said. “And this is the opportunity for Lebanon to re-establish its sovereignty over its territory.” The official said the ceasefire agreement will strengthen what’s known as the “tripartite mechanism” by including the United States and France. The goal is to address violations of the ceasefire without a return to hostilities. UNITED NATIONS – The top U.N. envoy for Lebanon welcomed the ceasefire announcement and urged Israel and Hezbollah militants to take concrete actions to fully implement the 2006 agreement that ended their last war. U.N. Special Coordinator Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said the agreement “marks the starting point of a critical process” that must see both sides fully implement U.N. Security Council resolution 1701. It called for the deployment of Lebanese armed forces in the south bordering Israel and the disarmament of all armed groups including Hezbollah – neither of which has happened in the past 17 years. “Nothing less than the full and unwavering commitment of both parties is required,” Hennis-Plasschaert said. “Neither side can afford another period of disingenuous implementation under the guise of ostensible calm.” She commended the parties for “seizing the opportunity to close this devastating chapter,” stressing that “Now is the time to deliver, through concrete actions, to consolidate today’s achievement.” UNITED NATIONS — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is calling for urgent international intervention to stop what he described as “an ongoing genocidal war” in Gaza. Abbas heads the Palestinian Authority which has limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, but not Gaza, which has been controlled by Hamas. The U.S. and others want a reinvigorated Palestinian Authority to run Gaza when the war ends. In a speech on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Abbas accused Israel of repeating what happened to the Palestinians in 1948 and 1967 – displacing them and seizing their land and resources. Abbas demanded to know how long the world will remain silent and refuse to compel Israel to abide by international law. The speech to U.N. member nations was read by Palestinian U.N. ambassador Riyad Mansour. “The only way to halt the halt the dangerous escalation we are witnessing in the region, and maintain regional and international stability, security and peace, is to resolve the question of Palestine,” Abbas' speech said. This must be done in accordance with U.N. Security Council resolutions which call for a two-state solution, he said. BEIRUT -- Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the U.S.-brokered ceasefire proposal between Israel and Hezbollah, describing it as a crucial step toward stability, the return of displaced people to their homes and regional calm. Mikati made these comments in a statement issued just after U.S. President Joe announced the truce deal. Mikati said he discussed the ceasefire agreement with Biden by phone earlier Tuesday. The prime minister reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to implementing U.N. resolution 1701, strengthening the Lebanese army’s presence in the south, and cooperating with the U.N. peacekeeping force. He also called on Israel to fully comply with the ceasefire and withdraw from southern Lebanon in accordance the U.N. resolution. JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security Cabinet has approved a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah, clearing the way for the truce to take effect. Netanyahu’s office said the plan was approved by a 10-1 margin. The late-night vote came shortly before President Joe Biden was expected to announced details of the deal in Washington. Earlier, Netanyahu defended the ceasefire, saying Israel has inflicted heavy damage on Hezbollah and could now focus its efforts on Hamas militants in Gaza and his top security concern, Iran. Netanyahu vowed to strike Hezbollah hard if it violates the expected deal. WASHINGTON — Rep. Mike Waltz, President-elect Donald Trump’s designate to be national security adviser, credited Trump’s victory with helping bring the parties together toward a ceasefire in Lebanon. “Everyone is coming to the table because of President Trump,” he said in a post on X on Tuesday. “His resounding victory sent a clear message to the rest of the world that chaos won’t be tolerated. I’m glad to see concrete steps towards deescalation in the Middle East.” He added: “But let’s be clear: The Iran Regime is the root cause of the chaos & terror that has been unleashed across the region. We will not tolerate the status quo of their support for terrorism.” BEIRUT — Israeli jets targeted a building in a bustling commercial area of Beirut for the first time since the start of the 13-month war between Hezbollah and Israel. The strike on Hamra is around 400 meters (yards) from the country’s central bank. A separate strike hit the Mar Elias neighborhood in the country’s capital Tuesday. There was no immediate word on casualties from either strike, part of the biggest wave of attacks on the capital since the war started. Residents in central Beirut were seen fleeing after the Israeli army issued evacuation warnings for four targets in the city. Meanwhile, the Israeli army carried out airstrikes on at least 30 targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs Tuesday, including two strikes in the Jnah neighborhood near the Kuwaiti Embassy. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that 13 people were injured in the strikes on the southern suburbs. BEIRUT — Hezbollah has said it accepts the ceasefire proposal with Israel, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday that it had not seen the agreement in its final form. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Al Jazeera news network. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state.” of Lebanon, he said. “Any violation of sovereignty is refused.” Among the issues that may remain is an Israeli demand to reserve the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations under the emerging deal. The deal seeks to push Hezbollah and Israeli troops out of southern Lebanon. JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that he would recommend his Cabinet adopt a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement with Lebanon’s Hezbollah, as Israeli warplanes struck across Lebanon, killing at least 23 people. The Israeli military also issued a flurry of evacuation warnings — a sign it was aiming to inflict punishment on Hezbollah down to the final moments before any ceasefire takes hold. For the first time in the conflict, Israeli ground troops reached parts of Lebanon’s Litani River, a focal point of the emerging deal. In a televised statement, Netanyahu said he would present the ceasefire to Cabinet ministers later on Tuesday, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting. Netanyahu said the vote was expected later Tuesday. It was not immediately clear when the ceasefire would go into effect, and the exact terms of the deal were not released. The deal does not affect Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which shows no signs of ending. BEIRUT — Lebanon’s state media said Israeli strikes on Tuesday killed at least 10 people in Baalbek province the country’s east. At least three people were killed in the southern city of Tyre when Israel bombed a Palestinian refugee camp, said Mohammed Bikai, a representative of the Fatah group in the area. He said several more people were missing and at least three children were among the wounded. He said the sites struck inside the camp were “completely civilian places” and included a kitchen that was being used to cook food for displaced people. JERUSALEM — Dozens of Israeli protesters took to a major highway in Tel Aviv on Tuesday evening to call for the return of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, as the country awaited news of a potential ceasefire in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah. Protesters chanted “We are all hostages,” and “Deal now!” waving signs with faces of some of the roughly 100 hostages believed to be still held in Gaza, at least a third of whom are thought to be dead. Most of the other hostages Hamas captured in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack were released during a ceasefire last year. The prospect of a ceasefire deal in Lebanon has raised desperation among the relatives of captives still held in Gaza, who once hoped that the release of hostages from Gaza would be included. Instead of a comprehensive deal, the ceasefire on the table is instead narrowly confined to Lebanon. Dozens of Israelis were also demonstrating against the expected cease-fire, gathering outside Israel’s military headquarters in central Tel Aviv. One of the protesters, Yair Ansbacher, says the deal is merely a return to the failed 2006 U.N. resolution that was meant to uproot Hezbollah from the area. “Of course that didn’t happen,” he says. “This agreement is not worth the paper it is written on.” FIUGGI, Italy — Foreign ministers from the world’s industrialized countries said Tuesday they strongly supported an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and insisted that Israel comply with international law in its ongoing military operations in the region. At the end of their two-day summit, the ministers didn’t refer directly to the International Criminal Court and its recent arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister over crimes against humanity . Italy had put the ICC warrants on the official meeting agenda, even though the G7 was split on the issue. The U.S., Israel’s closest ally, isn’t a signatory to the court and has called the warrants “outrageous.” However, the EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell said all the other G7 countries were signatories and therefore obliged to respect the warrants. In the end, the final statement adopted by the ministers said Israel, in exercising its right to defend itself, “must fully comply with its obligations under international law in all circumstances, including international humanitarian law.” And it said all G7 members — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States – “reiterate our commitment to international humanitarian law and will comply with our respective obligations.” It stressed that “there can be no equivalence between the terrorist group Hamas and the State of Israel.” The ICC warrants say there's reason to believe Netanyahu used “starvation as a method of warfare” by restricting humanitarian aid and intentionally targeted civilians in Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza — charges Israeli officials deny. BEIRUT — An Israeli strike on Tuesday levelled a residential building in the central Beirut district of Basta — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near the city’s downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded in Beirut, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. It was not immediately clear if anyone in particular was targeted, though Israel says its airstrikes target Hezbollah officials and assets. The Israeli military spokesman issued a flurry of evacuation warnings for many areas, including areas in Beirut that have not been targeted throughout the war, like the capital’s commercial Hamra district, where many people displaced by the war have been staying. The warnings, coupled with fear that Israel was ratcheting up attacks in Lebanon during the final hours before a ceasefire is reached, sparked panic and sent residents fleeing in their cars to safer areas. In areas close to Hamra, families including women and children were seen running away toward the Mediterranean Sea’s beaches carrying their belongings. Traffic was completely gridlocked as people tried to get away, honking their car horns as Israeli drones buzzed loudly overhead. The Israeli military also issued warnings for 20 more buildings in Beirut’s suburbs to evacuate before they too were struck — a sign it was aiming to inflict punishment on Hezbollah in the final moments before any ceasefire takes hold. TEL AVIV, Israel — The independent civilian commission of inquiry into the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel has found Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly responsible for the failures leading up to the attack, alongside former defense ministers, the army chief and the heads of the security services. The civil commission presented its findings today after a four-month probe in which it heard some 120 witnesses. It was set up by relatives of victims of the Hamas attack, in response to the absence of any state probe. The commission determined that the Israeli government, its army and security services “failed in their primary mission of protecting the citizens of Israel.” It said Netanyahu was responsible for ignoring “repeated warnings” ahead of Oct. 7, 2023 for what it described as his appeasing approach over the years toward Hamas, and for “undermining all decision-making centers, including the cabinet and the National Security Council, in a way that prevented any serious discussion” on security issues. The commission further determined that the military and defense leaders bear blame for ignoring warnings from within the army, and for reducing the army’s presence along the Gaza border while relying excessively on technological means. On the day of the Hamas attack, the report says, the army’s response was both slow and lacking. The civil commission called for the immediate establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the Oct. 7 attack. Netanyahu has opposed launching a state commission of inquiry, arguing that such an investigation should begin only once the war is over. JERUSALEM -- The Israeli military says its ground troops have reached parts of Lebanon’s Litani River — a focal point of the emerging ceasefire. In a statement Tuesday, the army said it had reached the Wadi Slouqi area in southern Lebanon and clashed with Hezbollah forces. Under a proposed ceasefire, Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is some 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the Israeli border. The military says the clashes with Hezbollah took place on the eastern end of the Litani, just a few kilometers (miles) from the border. It is one of the deepest places Israeli forces have reached in a nearly two-month ground operation. The military says soldiers destroyed rocket launchers and missiles and engaged in “close-quarters combat” with Hezbollah forces. The announcement came hours before Israel’s security Cabinet is expected to approve a ceasefire that would end nearly 14 months of fighting. BEIRUT — Israeli jets Tuesday struck at least six buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs Tuesday, including one that slammed near the country’s only airport. Large plumes of smoke could be seen around the airport near the Mediterranean coast, which has continued to function despite its location beside the densely populated suburbs where many of Hezbollah’s operations are based. The strikes come hours before Israel’s cabinet was scheduled to meet to discuss a proposal to end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. The proposal calls for an initial two-month ceasefire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River. There were no immediate reports of casualties from Tuesday’s airstrikes. FIUGGI, Italy — EU top diplomat Josep Borrell, whose term ends Dec. 1, said he proposed to the G7 and Arab ministers who joined in talks on Monday that the U.N. Security Council take up a resolution specifically demanding humanitarian assistance reach Palestinians in Gaza, saying deliveries have been completely impeded. “The two-state solution will come later. Everything will come later. But we are talking about weeks or days,” for desperate Palestinians, he said. “Hunger has been used as an arm against people who are completely abandoned.” It was a reference to the main accusation levelled by the International Criminal Court in its arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister. Borrell said the signatories to the court, including six of the seven G7 members, are obliged under international law to respect and implement the court’s decisions. Host Italy put the ICC warrants on the G7 agenda at the last minute, but there was no consensus on the wording of how the G7 would respond given the U.S., Israel’s closest ally, has called the warrants “outrageous.” Italy, too, has said it respects the court but expressed concern that the warrants were politically motivated and ill-advised given Netanyahu is necessary for any deal to end the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. “Like it or not, the International Criminal Court is a court as powerful as any national court,” Borrell said. “And if the Europeans don’t support International Criminal Court then there would not be any hope for justice,” he said. Borrell, whose term ends Dec. 1, said he proposed to the G7 and Arab ministers who joined in talks on Monday that the U.N. Security Council take up a resolution specifically demanding humanitarian assistance reach Palestinians in Gaza, saying deliveries have been completely impeded. “The two-state solution will come later. Everything will come later. But we are talking about weeks or days,” for desperate Palestinians, he said. “Hunger has been used as an arm against people who are completely abandoned.” It was a reference to the main accusation levelled by the International Criminal Court in its arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister. Borrell said the signatories to the court, including six of the seven G7 members, are obliged under international law to respect and implement the court’s decisions. Host Italy put the ICC warrants on the G7 agenda at the last minute, but there was no consensus on the wording of how the G7 would respond given the U.S., Israel’s closest ally, has called the warrants “outrageous.” Italy, too, has said it respects the court but expressed concern that the warrants were politically motivated and ill-advised given Netanyahu is necessary for any deal to end the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. “Like it or not, the International Criminal Court is a court as powerful as any national court,” Borrell said. “And if the Europeans don’t support International Criminal Court then there would not be any hope for justice,” he said. (edited)

 

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The Government will introduce a public, private, people-centric entrepreneur concept to develop the industrial sector, Sunil Handunnetti, Minister of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development said after assuming duties at the Ministry of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development. What existed all this time was a public-private entrepreneur concept. The Government has now focused on a new public, private and people-centric model. The new concept will come under State ownership and private sector management and the people could participate as investors. Although under the purview of the State, management and technology could be provided by the private sector with capital infusion from the public, Handunnetti said. The Minister reiterated that the Government plans to convert Sri Lanka into an attractive place for foreign investment by eradicating bribery, reducing approval time for projects and lowering taxes for investors. He also said heavy taxes, delayed approval time and soliciting bribes were the main reasons that prevent foreign investments from coming into the country. He said the bane of the country was the inordinate delay for a business to get off the ground. It takes about a year and approval from at least 20 entities had to be obtained. He said these delays are purposefully orchestrated to solicit bribes. Handunnetti said under their governance, technology would be used to streamline delays and other strategies put in place to stem bribery and corruption, The Minister also outlined plans to combine vocational training institutes, institutes under the Education and Higher Education Ministry and technological universities with his Ministry to create modern entrepreneurs. He said they will use the unique digital economy concept and the existing industrial zones, industrial cities and ‘industrial parks’ which is a new concept that will be introduced to achieve the target. Handunnetti said the Government plans to start new industries and convert nonprofit State institutions into profit-making entities in a short time. He said they understand the problems industrialists face in the country. Mainly from the time of the corona pandemic industrialists found it difficult to repay loans, as a result many industries faced closure followed by employees being made redundant and their assets being sold under the Parate law. The Minister said due to these issues, continuing business has become a huge problem and entrepreneurs have fallen into a deep crisis. The Government also plans to combine young locals as well as entrepreneurs living overseas to usher in a new era in the country’s industrial sector. He called upon the youth having multiple skills to remain in the country instead of trying to migrate overseas and join the Government to accomplish this task,Louisiana GOP lawmakers want to make it easier to try juveniles as adults

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Carrier Board of Directors Announces an 18 Percent Increase in Quarterly Dividend to $0.225 per ShareBEIRUT — Insurgents’ stunning march across Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the gates of the capital and that government forces had abandoned the central city of Homs. The government denied rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The loss of Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Assad. It stands at an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus — the Syrian leader’s base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base. The pro-government Sham FM reported that government forces took positions outside Syria’s third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it. The capture of Homs is a major victory for insurgents, who have already seized the cities of Aleppo and Hama, as well as large parts of the south, in a lightning offensive that began Nov. 27. Analysts said Homs falling into rebel hands would be a game-changer. The rebels’ moves around Damascus, reported by the monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. For the first time in the country’s long-running civil war, the government now has control of only three of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Latakia and Tartus. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad’s government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. The rapid rebel gains, coupled with the lack of support from Assad’s erstwhile allies, posed the most serious threat to his rule since the start of the war. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad’s chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria’s border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that Assad left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia is busy with its war in Ukraine. Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad’s forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a U.N. resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. In a statement issued late Saturday, the participants affirmed their support for a political solution to the Syrian crisis “that would lead to the end of military activity and protect civilians.” They also agreed on the importance of strengthening international efforts to increase aid to the Syrian people. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hard-line officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama, the country’s fourth largest city. Opposition activists said Saturday that a day earlier, insurgents entered Palmyra, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Cam Miller threw three touchdown passes, ran for another and second-seeded North Dakota State blew past a 14-point deficit to beat 15th-seeded Abilene Christian 51-31 on Saturday in the second round of the FCS playoffs. The Bison (11-2), in the FCS playoffs for a 15th straight season and winner of nine FCS titles, will host seventh-seeded Mercer in the quarterfinals. Abilene Christian (9-5) took a 17-3 lead on a 13-yard TD pass from Maverick McIvor to J.J. Henry, a 90-yard run by Sam Hicks and a Ritse Vaes 29-yard field goal early in the second quarter. The Bison then took over, starting with Jackson Williams' 100-yard kickoff return to start a run of 31 consecutive points, 17 coming in the second quarter for a 20-17 halftime lead. The scoring streak ended when Nehemiah Martinez’s 53-yard return helped set up Hicks’ 3-yard score to get the Wildcats within 34-24. But the Bison matched that TD on their ensuing drive on Miller’s 36-yard connection with Bryce Lance to cap their 21-point third quarter. Again, the Wildcats got within 10 early in the fourth quarter on Rovaughn Banks Jr.’s 2-yard TD run. But NDSU’s Marcus Gulley returned an interception 37 yards to the ACU 9 and the Crosa kicked a field goal and Logan Kopp followed with a 31-yard pick-6. Miller was 20 of 29 for 274 yards passing. McIvor threw for 153 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Hicks ran for 153 yards on 16 carries. ACU, champion of the United Athletic Conference, was in its first FCS playoffs since joining the classification in 2013, and beat Northern Arizona in its first-round game. Crosa has made his 262nd career PAT to pass NDSU's Cam Pederson (2015-18) and set an FCS record. ___ AP college football: and . Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: The Associated PressPresident-elect Donald Trump has signed onto an agreement that will help create a smooth transition of power between administrations. The agreement — known as a memorandum of understanding — was announced by Susie Wiles, Trump’s incoming chief of staff, in a Nov. 26 statement. “After completing the selection process of his incoming Cabinet, President-elect Trump is entering the next phase of his administration’s transition by executing a Memorandum of Understanding with President Joe Biden’s White House,” Wiles said. What exactly does the agreement provide? It allows for Trump’s Cabinet nominees to begin coordinating with the federal departments they are poised to take over in less than two months. The nominees — who include Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state and Scott Bessent for treasury secretary — will now be able to deploy “landing teams” to these departments. “The Transition landing teams will quickly integrate directly into federal agencies and departments with access to documents and policy sharing,” Wiles said. “Per the agreement, the Transition will disclose the landing team members to the Biden Administration.” Wiles also said that the Trump transition team “will operate as a self-sufficient organization.” To that point, the team will not sign a separate agreement with the General Services Administration, which is required by law to offer federal funding, office space and other support to presidents-elect during the transition period. “The agreement dictates that the Trump Vance Transition will utilize private funding,” Wiles said, “providing cost savings to American taxpayers. Donors to the Transition will be disclosed to the public.” The memo also revealed the existence an ethics plan , which includes promises that incoming officials will avoid conflicts of interest and safeguard classified information, among other things. The agreement comes three weeks after Trump won the presidential election, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris. In comparison, Biden signed onto a similar memorandum with the first Trump administration in early September 2020, weeks before the presidential election, according to The Washington Post. Additionally, Trump’s team has not formalized an agreement with the Department of Justice that would authorize the FBI to perform background checks on nominees, according to Reuters. “Circumventing background checks would buck a long-established norm in Washington, but the president has the final authority on whom he nominates and picks to conduct background checks,” according to the outlet. Wiles, in her statement, said Trump’s team has “existing security and information protections built in, which means we will not require additional government and bureaucratic oversight.” Trump vowed to shut down Department of Education. Can he actually do that? Who wants to talk about politics at Thanksgiving? Here’s what a new poll found Who can the president pardon? Here’s what to know as Biden wraps up his term10 hot-ticket gifts we predict will sell out on Black Friday 2024

Championship leaders Leeds United have explored the conditions of a potential deal for Real Salt Lake's MLS Young Player of the Year Diego Luna. The 21-year-old attacker, who can operate from the left flank or as a No.10, scored nine goals and registered eight assists in 36 appearances in all competitions this season. Luna has previously attracted interest from Belgium, Italy, Holland and Spain but his stock is now higher than ever following an eye-catching MLS campaign in which he recorded the best numbers of his young career. Leeds have been keeping a watchful eye over his development and have been tracking the progress of 'Moon Boy' for many months, according to sources. While no deal is thought to be imminent at this stage, the Whites are understood to have shown the strongest interest to date, however, face competition from a number of European clubs for the starlet's signature. Luna's current contract with Real Salt Lake runs until December 2026 and does not contain a release clause. His estimated market value earlier this summer was in the region of $4million (£3m) but has since risen, due to his fine performances. In recent years, the prodigy made visits to the likes of Anderlecht and Vitoria S.C. in Portugal in anticipation that he would eventually seal a career-changing switch across the Atlantic. The skilful playmaker, who has been capped once by the USMNT, made headlines after he declined an 'alternate spot' in the United States squad for the Paris Olympics in July. Luna is believed to have felt aggrieved that he was not named in the squad and was instead invited to be listed as a reserve in the event of a withdrawal. Since then, Luna has told ESPN that he remains open to the prospect of potentially switching international allegiances to Mexico, who he qualifies to represent through his parents. He played 77 minutes for the USMNT senior side in January during a 1-0 friendly defeat to Slovenia, prior to Mauricio Pochettino's appointment. Real Salt Lake owner David Blitzer is also a general partner at Crystal Palace , a limited partner at FC Augsburg and also owns Spanish club AD Alcorcon, Belgian outfit Beveren and Danish side Brondby - so is well-connected in Europe. In August, RSL sold Colombian winger Carlos Andres Gomez to Stade Rennes in France for a reported initial fee of £8.3m and the MLS could use those figures as a yardstick during future negotiations. Join our new WhatsApp community! Click this link to receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.The Philadelphia Eagles appeared to leave last Thursday night’s game against the Washington Commanders without any major injury setbacks, a major plus for a team entering a 10-day break between games. Some red flags were raised this week, however, when wide receiver DeVonta Smith was unable to practice through what has been a weeks-long hamstring issue. The Los Angeles Rams , Philly’s opponent this week on Sunday Night Football, are about as healthy as they’ve been all season. Star wideouts Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua have avoided the injury report entirely since Week 9, after both players missed time during the team’s 1-4 start to the season. MORE: NFL picks, score predictions for Week 12: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Los Angeles Who’s in and who’s out for this key Week 12 NFC matchup? Here’s a full team-by-team injury breakdown, with the latest updates off of Friday’s practice reports: Vikings vs. Titans: Full injury designations Los Angeles Rams DB Charles Woods (ankle) Woods, an undrafted rookie out of SMU, was unable to practice this week and hasn’t played since injuring his ankle during pregame warmups in Week 10 against the Miami Dolphins . He had earned himself a special teams role prior to the injury. He’s played just 13 total snaps on defense this season as a reserve cornerback. OL KT Leveston (ankle) The Rams opened Leveston’s 21-day practice window this week, but he’ll remain on injured reserve despite logging three full practices. The seventh-round rookie’s potential NFL debut will have to wait at least another week. OT Rob Havenstein (ankle) Havenstein appears poised to miss his third consecutive game, as he was unable to ramp up to a full practice this week and drew the doubtful tag. Warren McClendon Jr. got the start at right tackle and held up well last week in the win over the New England Patriots . He’s expected to get the nod again over Joe Noteboom. Philadelphia Eagles WR DeVonta Smith (hamstring) This is a major blow to Philly’s passing game, and an unexpected one coming off the mini bye week. Smith has been dealing with a hamstring issue for weeks, but it was yet to impact his playing time. He was unable to practice at all this week, though, signifying a setback with the injury. Smith’s absence should mean expanded roles for Jahan Dotson and rookies Ainias Smith and Johnny Wilson on Sunday night against the Rams. MORE: Eagles urged to unleash pair of rookie playmakers on offense WR Britain Covey (shoulder) The Eagles opened Covey’s 21-day practice window this week, and he was able to log three full practices. His return could be well timed with Smith already ruled out for the game. Covey was Philly’s top punt returner and caught seven passes for 34 yards over the first three games of the season. He landed on IR after taking a hard hit to the shoulder against New Orleans on Sept. 22. MORE: CBS football writer makes bold prediction for Rams vs. Eagles

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Wisconsin faces its first losing season in 23 years and the end of a bowl streak when the Badgers host arch-rival Minnesota on Friday in the annual Big Ten battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe. Minnesota (6-5, 4-4) lost to No. 4 Penn State 26-25. Wisconsin (5-6, 3-5 Big Ten) lost its fourth straight, 44-25, at Nebraska in a game that was not as close as the score. "Well 1890 is the first time we played this football team coming up and this is what it's all about," Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck said of the rivalry. "And you wouldn't want to have it any other way, being able to end the season with one of your biggest rivals. I know our guys will be ready to go, ready to play." Wisconsin has 22 consecutive winning seasons since going 5-7 under Barry Alvarez in 2001, the longest active streak among Power 4 teams. The Badgers also have played in a bowl game in each of the last 22 seasons, the longest active streak in the Big Ten and third-longest in FBS. Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell is more concerned with the rivalry game than the winning season and bowl streaks. "I'm not downplaying it, I'm not saying it's not important, I'm not saying it's another thing that's on our plate," Fickell said Monday. "But when it gets down to this last week, it's about one thing, it's about the rivalry. It's about preparing to play in the most important game of the year." The Gophers have dropped their last two games after winning four in a row. Minnesota averages 26.6 points per game, while allowing 18.5, 15th-best in the country. Max Brosmer has completed 67 percent of his passes for 221 per game with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. Daniel Jackson is the top target with 69 catches for 802 yards and three scores, and Darius Taylor is the top rusher with 730 yards at 4.8 per carry with nine touchdowns. One week after leading Oregon after three quarters, the Wisconsin defense was shredded for 473 yards and five touchdowns by Nebraska. Braedyn Locke, who took over at quarterback when Tyler Van Dyke suffered an early season-ending knee injury, has thrown at least one interception in eight consecutive games. Locke has completed 56.4 percent of his passes for 180.6 yards per game, with 12 touchdowns and 10 picks. Tawee Walker is the leading rusher with 828 yards at 4.7 per carry with 10 touchdowns. He has failed to reach 60 yards in three of the last four games. Former Wisconsin and NFL standout JJ Watt posted on social media his assessment - and frustration - with the Badgers after the Nebraska game. "Losing happens, it's part of the game. Hearing announcers talk about how much tougher and more physical Nebraska & Iowa are while getting blown out ... that's the issue," Watt wrote on X. "We are Wisconsin. Physicality, running game, great O-Line and great defense. That is our identity." Wisconsin defeated the Gophers 28-14 last after Minnesota had won the previous two meetings. The Badgers have won 7 of the last 10 and lead the storied series 63-62-8. --Field Level MediaDanladi Umar and Retributive JusticeYankees held meeting with veteran free agent bullpen arm

Watkins and the Trojans (4-1) fell behind early and were down 21 points in the fourth quarter. She had 24 points, six rebounds and five assists. Hidalgo came out shooting well, hitting 5 of 8 from the floor in the first quarter and had 16 points at the break. She added six rebounds and eight assists. Hidalgo's backcourt mate, Olivia Miles, added 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Fighting Irish (5-0). Even though Hidalgo outshone her, Watkins’ imprint was all over the game. A documentary about her life aired on NBC leading into the nationally televised game. A buzz arose when Snoop Dogg walked in shortly before tipoff wearing a jacket in USC colors with Watkins' name and number on the front and back. Her sister, Mali, sang the national anthem. Takeaways Notre Dame: The Irish struck quickly, racing to a 20-10 lead in the opening quarter. Even after cooling off a bit, they never trailed and stayed poised when the Trojans got within three in the second and third quarters. USC: The Trojans were without starting guard Kennedy Smith, whose defense on Hidalgo would have proven valuable. It was announced shortly before tipoff that she had a surgical procedure and will return at some point this season. Key moment The Trojans got within three points three times but the Irish remained poised and never gave up the lead. Key stats Notre Dame's defense forced the Trojans into 21 turnovers, which led to 22 points for the Irish. Watkins, Kaleigh Heckel and Talia von Oelhoffen had five each. USC was just 1 of 13 from 3-point range Up next Notre Dame plays TCU on Nov. 29 in the Cayman Islands Classic. USC plays Seton Hall in the Women's Acrisure Holiday Invitational on Nov. 27 in Palm Desert, California.

BEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents' stunning march across Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the suburbs of the capital and that government forces had withdrawn from the central city of Homs. The government was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The loss of Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Assad. It stands at an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus — the Syrian leader’s base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base. The pro-government Sham FM reported that government forces took positions outside Syria’s third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it. The capture of Homs is a major victory for insurgents, who have already seized the cities of Aleppo and Hama , as well as large parts of the south, in a lightning offensive that began Nov. 27. Analysts said Homs falling into rebel hands would be a game-changer. The rebels' moves around Damascus, reported by the monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad's government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. For the first time in the country's long-running civil war, the government now has control of only three of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Latakia and Tartus. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad's chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria's border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that Assad left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine . Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad's forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a U.N. resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. No details were immediately available. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hard-line officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama , the country’s fourth largest city. Opposition activists said Saturday that a day earlier, insurgents entered Palmyra, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra including the main Baath City, activists said. Syrian Observatory said government troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces. The Syrian army said in a statement that it carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists." The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar's top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria and Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report.TJ Bamba led Oregon with 22 points and five assists in the Ducks' 78-68 victory over San Diego State on Wednesday in pool play of the Players Era Festival at Las Vegas. The Ducks (7-0) won both games in the "Power Group" and will play in the championship Saturday against the top team from the "Impact Group." San Diego State (3-2) will await its opponent for one of the secondary games Saturday. The matchups are based on seeding dependent on performance of the first two games. Bamba made 7 of 14 shots from the field, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range. Keeshawn Barthelemy had 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field and hit 3 of 4 from beyond the arc. Nate Bittle finished with 11 points and nine rebounds, Brandon Angel 12 points and six rebounds and Jackson Shelstad paired 12 points with four assists. BJ Davis led San Diego State with 18 points before fouling out. Nick Boyd finished with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. Neither team led by more than four points until Oregon scored nine unanswered to take a 34-27 lead with 2:20 left in the first half. Barthelemy started the run with a jumper and finished it with a 3-pointer. Oregon outscored San Diego State 16-4 in the last 4:23 of the half to take a 41-31 lead into the break. Bamba and Barthelemy combined for 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting in the first half. Boyd led San Diego State with 13 points, making all three of his 3-point attempts and going 5-of-6 overall. A 7-2 run for Oregon increased its advantage to 48-35 with 17:36 remaining, but San Diego State cut the lead to 56-53 with 10:58 left following a 9-0 run. A Bamba 3-pointer closed an 8-2 stretch with 4:15 remaining to increase Oregon's lead to 73-63. San Diego State did not get closer than eight points the rest of the way. Davis fouled out with 31 seconds left and Oregon leading 77-68. --Field Level MediaEvery Black Friday, there’s a number of viral products that everyone has on their Christmas wish list, and we don’t expect this year to be any different. However, not all of these popular items are going to stay in stock, and we have some insight on the ones that won’t. Black Friday is big business, and last year shoppers spent $222.1 billion during the entire holiday shopping season, according to Queue-it. Sales on Black Friday reached $16.4 billion (online and in stores), and this was a 9% increase from the year before. While it comes as no surprise that electronics are the most sought-after products of the holiday season, Queue-it said this accounts for the majority of holiday sales, jumping to $50.8 billion in 2023. Apparel, furniture, groceries and toys are the other hot sellers of Black Friday. Together, these five categories accounted for 65% of sales during the holidays last year and is only expected to grow in 2024. While many items that sell out over Black Friday are driven by a good deal, we also know that a hot product is just that — a gift that most people want to open on Christmas Day. So, here are our picks for the top 10 hot-ticket items that could sell out over Black Friday. Samsung 98-inch QLED TV The holidays are ripe for TV deals, and we expect shoppers to buy a ton of them in 2024, especially at Walmart. Consumers are trending toward bigger TVs and the super low-price deals over Black Friday force many models to sell out. This is especially true of popular models from Samsung, Hisense, LG and more favorites. Apple Watch Series 9 Apple's smartwatches are a top pick among Apple fans. We’ve seen prices on the Apple Watch continue to trend downward, which was only spurred by the release of the new Apple Watch 10 in September. This pushed down prices on earlier models, with the best deals coming on the Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch 9. For Black Friday, we think the prices will drop even lower and sell out due to high demand. Beats Solo3 Wireless headphones are one of the most popular products of 2024, and Beats are one of the top brands. We’re already seeing big markdowns on Beats Wireless Headphones, and we expect these price drops to continue into Black Friday. The Beats Solo3 is likely to be on sale for even cheaper than we’ve already seen, and we think they will sell out for Black Friday, with the possibility of other popular Beats headphones joining them. Apple AirPods (3rd gen) If you haven’t picked up a pair of Apple AirPods yet, this could be your year to do it. With Apple launching a fourth generation of AirPods earlier this year, the price on prevvious models are creeping lower. We think over Black Friday they’ll be at their cheapest price ever, with the AirPods (3rd Gen) likely to sell out. JBL Flip 6 Bluetooth speakers are a must-have for many this year, and with the big sound that comes from JBL’s speakers, it’s easy to see why they might sell out for Black Friday. These popular speakers come in a variety of portable sizes and waterproof designs. We expect big deals on JBL’s top-rated Clip 5 and Flip 6 Bluetooth speaker models. Apple iPad (10th Gen) One of Apple’s most sought-after products of the year was the iPad, and we saw the 9th Gen and 10th Gen models drop to their lowest prices ever. We think this year will bring some iPad bliss with even better discounts, but these deals will disappear just as fast as they arrive. We think that mega discounts on the iPad (9th Gen) and iPad (10th Gen) could cause sell outs, especially on Amazon. Dyson Airwrap The Dyson Airwrap just might be the top product of Black Friday, as this is one of the rare times there’s a discount on the beloved hair styling tool. At $600, the Airwrap carries a hefty price tag, so any discount presented is a welcome surprise. But as we’ve seen in the past, any Black Friday deal on the Dyson Airwrap causes a crush of interest that’s followed by a sell out. Ugg Tasman slippers If you’ve tried to scoop up the UGG Tasman Slippers in previous years, you already know they never stay in stock for long. As the “it” slipper of the holiday season, UGG’s Tasman sells out multiple times over the holidays, even without a discount offered. We think that this year will be similar, with popular sizes and colors of the Tasman Slipper snatched up fast over Black Friday. Bissell Little Green The Bissell Little Green carpet cleaner is a popular home product that just can’t seem to stay in stock. With prices falling under $90, this mighty machine can be a blessing for pet owners and parents, as its compact size makes it easy to store and use when needed. We’ve seen the Little Green Machine sell out before, and we’d be surprised if it didn’t do it again over Black Friday. Furby Galaxy Edition We’d be remiss if we didn’t include a top toy that we think will be hard to find and gift this year. Our pick is the Furby Galaxy Edition. This glow-in-the-dark Furby is based on the original Furby from the late ’90s with even more features, interactive modes and more fun. Making a comeback in 2023, we saw the revival of this popular toy sell out last year, and we expect the new Furby Galaxy Edition to do the same. For the holidays: Get inspiring home and gift ideas – sign up now!

The Ravens looked better defensively last week, but now Roquan Smith's injury is a concern

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Plans for 15m 5G mast in Newton-le-Willows refused permissionTwo years ago, we questioned the sustainability of a rapid e-fuels pathway for shipping. Our position hasn’t changed, but we’ve watched the industry yo-yo between fossil-based alternative fuels and e-fuels. Anchored in energy economics (using renewable energy most efficiently) and our pragmatic view, we argued that LNG has an important role to play in the fuel transition short to medium term, while e-fuel is likely to be part of a longer-term solution. In this piece we will focus more on the commercial development needed to successfully transition to these low carbon molecules, rather than the physical characteristics and arguments. “Fast forward two years, there has been a lot of development and, as many will argue, a lot of missing development.” Let’s begin with methanol. The strong growth in methanol dual-fuel (DF) vessel contracting, first led by Maersk in 2021, continued well into 2023, emerging as one of the leading DF options. It represented 12%1 of contracted gross tonnage (GT) over 5,000 GT in 2023. This growth has been supported by a relatively low capex premium on DF engines, along with a promising supply-side outlook, as new projects continue to be announced. As a result, methanol DF vessel contracting grew in prominence. While we do not intend to fuel the “LNG vs Methanol vs Ammonia” debate – since, as brokers we remain fuel-agnostic and believe that all fuels will play a role in the future – it’s clear that LNG and methanol have been competing closely across principals’ desks over the past couple of years. This is evident in the sharp decline in LNG dual-fuel vessel contracting in 2023 dropping from 28% in 2022 to 14.7% of contracted GT above 5,000 GT, largely due to methanol’s growing popularity. Some of this decline, however, can also be attributed to a surge in gas prices following the sanctions on Russian gas. But in late 2023, we saw the first sign of LNG regaining momentum when liner giant CMA CGM changed an order of eight 9,200 TEU vessels from methanol DF to LNG DF2. While this news passed somewhat quietly, a similar move by Danish competitor Maersk did not. Maersk surprised the industry by revealing plans to invest in LNG DF vessels3. This diversification from previous commitments was justified with the rationale that betting on just one fuel would be risky. Instead their portfolio mix would include the methane molecule, although emphasising that focus is on bio-LNG and not on fossil LNG. Our 2022 argument supports the shift, and like Maersk, points out a more fundamental challenge in the fuel transition: the limited availability of green methanol. They emphasised the need to achieve their decarbonisation goals in a commercially competitive way. In other words, while several e-methanol projects are approaching final investment decisions (FIDs), there remains a shortage of green methanol at acceptable prices. This highlights a key issue in the fuel transition: the need for more movement in green e-fuel project developments. The high cost of low-carbon fuels is a challenge for all fuel alternatives, but we stand by our original position and emphasise our concern for the outlook for methanol. LNG (though a fossil fuel, it still offers clear reductions in GHG emissions) and bio-LNG (a, potentially, carbon-neutral variant) are largely driven by demand from sectors outside shipping. Similarly, we expect the first large-scale demand for low-carbon ammonia to come from industries like coal-fired power plants (for co-firing) or as a hydrogen carrier. This means that shipping, as an offtake sector, doesn’t have to be the primary driver of demand for LNG or ammonia, which is crucial given the industry’s longstanding preference for the cheapest product cracked from crude oil, on the spot market. In contrast, most e-methanol project developers are counting on shipping to be their main offtakers. For these projects to reach FID, shipping companies will need to commit to long-term offtake agreements at prices multiple times higher than conventional fuels, with first volumes expected in 3 to 4 years (the typical production facility lead time). This presents a significant challenge—especially considering that even Maersk, a champion of methanol and leader in decarbonisation, has not been able to make this model commercially viable. Regulations like FuelEU Maritime, and hopefully the IMO’s upcoming Global Fuel Intensity Requirement, will play a crucial role in making low-carbon fuels, including e-methanol, commercially viable. The challenge, however, lies in the fact that many of these fuels depend on long-term shipping offtake agreements to get production projects off the ground. This is complicated by the gradual phase-in of these regulations and the lead time between FIDs and actual fuel production. By the time these regulations start to have a real impact—likely around 2030 to 2035—when fuel prices might become more competitive and willingness to pay increases, the necessary fuel volumes may not yet be available. This timing mismatch presents a major hurdle for the adoption of low-carbon fuels in shipping, and in particular e-methanol (as we argue the other fuels may come with or without us). In the long term, we believe e-fuels like ammonia, which unlike e-methanol and e-LNG, doesn’t rely on biogenic CO2 as a feedstock, will play a significant role in shipping’s fuel mix. A recent study by the Maersk McKinney Møller Centre for Zero Carbon Shipping (MMMZCS) estimated that the global availability of biogenic CO2 is around 370 million tons4—enough to produce around 43% of the e-fuels required to meet shipping’s current energy demand. However, it’s unlikely that shipping will be able to secure all of this, given competition from other sectors. In other words, biogenic CO2 could become a major constraint if shipping focuses solely on e-methanol and e-LNG for large-scale decarbonisation. Ammonia offers a promising alternative, but its main challenge lies in engine technology development. While the progress made by key engine manufacturers like MAN and WinGD is encouraging, and initiatives like the recent ship-to-ship5 transfer of ammonia fuel demonstrate its potential, we are still years away from seeing a significant number of ammonia dual-fuel vessels in operation. So, where do we go from here? As shipping emissions continue to rise, we stress the point, again, that waiting for a perfect end-game solution could hinder shipping’s green transition. We have vocalised concerns about the availability of low-carbon methanol for the methanol dual-fuel vessels set to enter operation in the coming years. While we view ammonia as an appealing long-term solution, we cannot afford to wait for it, as emissions keep accumulating. In the meantime, LNG presents a well-to-wake (WTW) GHG reduction of approximately 17% compared to conventional fuels when burned in a high-pressure two-stroke engine, according to the FuelEU Maritime regulation. Whilst there are valid concerns about upstream methane leakages, several initiatives and regulations (e.g., the Global Methane Pledge)6 are working to ensure these issues are effectively addressed and reduced. Bio-LNG is a very attractive low-carbon fuel for shipping, with the potential to be blended with LNG up to 100%. In conclusion, while the industry grapples with the availability of essential fuels like e-methanol and ammonia, the continued use of LNG and bio-LNG as transitional solutions is vital. In the past, we’ve been challenged on our position of championing fossil-based alternative fuels, but we maintain that not only does it offer immediate reductions in greenhouse gas emissions but also provides a pathway for scaling up low-carbon fuel adoption whilst ensuring that renewable energy resources are deployed for global benefit. We’re pleased to see that these challengers and indeed the data is now starting to align with our stance so that greater progress can be recognised. As we look ahead, collaboration between stakeholders, including brokers, shipowners, and fuel developers, will be essential to overcome hurdles and ensure a smooth transition. The journey may be complex, but with informed guidance and strategic planning, the path forward can lead to a more sustainable future for shipping. Source: Clarkson Plc.

An online spat between factions of Donald Trump 's supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump's movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump's Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer , a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer's comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks, whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar." Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government, weighed in, defending the tech industry's need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump's world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift, and his presidential transition team did not respond to a message seeking comment. Musk, the world's richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect, was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump's movement but his stance on the tech industry's hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry's need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent," he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Trump's own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration, including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order, which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump's businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club, and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country" and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country," he told the “All-In" podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump's budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes.NoneLOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Landin Hacker scored 21 points as Bellarmine beat NAIA-member Brescia 94-66 on Saturday. Hacker finished 7 of 11 from 3-point range for the Knights (3-7). Ben Johnson scored 17 points while going 6 of 13 (5 for 12 from 3-point range) and added six assists. Dylan Branson shot 5 of 7 from the field and 2 for 3 from the line to finish with 12 points, while adding 10 rebounds. Damian Garcia led the way for the Bearcats with 27 points. Gonzalo Luque added nine points, eight rebounds and five assists for Brescia. John Seanz also had eight points and two steals. Both teams next play Saturday. Bellarmine hosts Ball State and Brescia goes on the road to play Cleveland State. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .No. 11 Tennessee crushes UTEP to enhance CFP chances

Among the items that make cold winter mornings bearable are a comfy robe, hot cocoa and a cozy pair of fuzzy slippers. And if your slippers have seen better days (or mornings), then allow us to tempt you with just the right replacement — the , which blend old Hollywood glam with today's high-tech memory foam. Not only that, they're now just $14 (down from $24), saving you 40% in cost and giving back 100% in comfort. There are eight colors on the offer so you can find one to match that comfy robe, and they're just the right gift for any number of people on your list. That's what we call a win-win. These slippers come with a non-slip sole as well as a sassy glitter trim. At $14 this isn't the lowest price we've seen dip, but they're still way more easy on the wallet than high-end brands like Dearfoam or Bombas, which can fall within the $50-$70 range. They're available in eight colors ranging from black to navy and even wine red — and all are over 40% off, so at this price, you can bring comfort to a whole host of lucky folks. Don't let its glam profile fool you: These slippers are as easy on the feet as they are on the eyes, thanks to their high-density 80D memory foam — an upgraded version of the regular memory foam — that gives you oodles of support, they feel like clouds on your feet. The multi-layer sponge and EVA insole absorb shock so you can ease into the day without muscle fatigue. And they've got a non-slip rubber sole to boot. All this and a glitter trim that gives it a bit of Tinseltown style. And dare we say these slippers make the ideal stocking stuffers? (Or if you can't fit them in a stocking, a gift bag will do!) At this price, you can treat yourself and those on your list whose tootsies could use a little TLC. And if you've got a trip planned this holiday, they're also great to bring on the road so you'll have a bit of coziness from home wherever you go. The have racked up nearly 12,000 five-star ratings from Amazon customers, thanks to their comfort and style. Pros 👍 raved that they're "comfortable without you feeling like your feet are sliding. The size/fit is perfect and they are absolutely gorgeous!" "I have been looking for a good pair of slide-in-house shoes," . "I have concrete floors and I need just a little something year-round. These are so thick. Sooo comfortable! They were a little snug at first. But the more I wear them they are loosening up. I ordered a Large ( my regular size is a 9) They are perfect. The bottom has great grip. Love the thickness across the top — keeps my toes warm. Great support." "These are comfortable cozy and very classy looking!" . "I love them. They also have nice cushioning." "Feels like clouds on my feet," . "Amazing quality, and extremely lightweight." Cons 👎 Some shoppers feel the sizing isn't quite right. "Size down," . "For example, if you wear a size 7 1/2, then get the shoe size 5-6. Because this will be your actual size. Other than that, it's a nice slipper." : "Buy one size smaller than your usual size. I don't like how they stretch out, my feet keep coming out of the slippers. Comfortable if you can keep them on." These comfy cozies come in eight colors, though we're particularly fond of this pair in cotton-candy pink. If you have , you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. . (And by the way, those without still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.) Isotoner Mya Microsuede Gloves Gloria Vanderbilt Amanda High-Rise Tapered Jean Adidas Cloudfoam Pure Sneaker Anne Klein Bangle, Watch and Bracelet Set SwissGear Sion Softside Expandable Luggage Orolay Down Jacket Mario Badescu Super Collagen Mask MySmile Teeth Whitening Pen Philips Sonicare 4100 Power Toothbrush Original Peloton Bike

COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. — For a pair of lower-level downhill events, this sure had plenty of Olympic medal-capturing and World Cup-winning ski racers. The stage belonged to Lindsey Vonn, the 40-year-old who took another step on her comeback trail Saturday with her first races in nearly six years. Vonn wasn't particularly speedy and finished in the middle of the pack on a cold but sunny day at Copper Mountain. Times and places weren't the mission, though, as much as getting used to the speed again and gaining the necessary points to compete on the World Cup circuit this season. Vonn accomplished both, finishing 24th in the first downhill race of the day and 27th in the second. She posted on social media after the FIS races that she had enough points to enter World Cup events. The timing couldn't be more perfect — the next stop on the women's circuit is Beaver Creek, Colorado, in a week. Vonn, who used to own a home in nearby Vail, hasn't committed to any sort of timetable for a World Cup return. “Today was a solid start and I had a blast being in start with my teammates again!” Vonn wrote on X. “While I’m sure people will speculate and say I’m not in top form because of the results, I disagree. This was training for me. I’m still testing equipment and getting back in the groove.” Lindsey Vonn reacts after her run at a downhill skiing race at Copper Mountain Ski Resort on Saturday in Copper Mountain, Colo. Her competition — a veritable who's who of high-profile ski racers — applauded her efforts. “I don't expect her to come back and win — just that she comes back and she has fun,” said Federica Brignone of Italy, a former overall World Cup champion and three-time Olympic medalist. “She's having fun, and she’s doing what she loves. That’s the best thing that she could do.” In the first race on a frigid morning, Vonn wound up 1.44 seconds behind the winning time of 1 minute, 5.79 seconds posted by Mirjam Puchner of Austria. In her second race through the course later in the morning, Vonn was 1.53 seconds behind Cornelia Huetter of Austria, who finished in 1:05.99. Huetter is the reigning season-long World Cup downhill champion. “It’s really nice to compare with her again, and nice to have her (racing) again,” Huetter said. “For sure, for the skiing World Cup, we have a lot of more attention. It's generally good for all racers because everyone is looking.” Also in the field were Nadia Delago of Italy, who won a bronze medal in downhill at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and Puchner, the Olympic silver winner in super-G in Beijing. In addition, there was Marta Bassino of Italy, a winner of the super-G at the 2023 world championships, and two-time Olympic champion Michelle Gisin of Switzerland. “For me, it was really a training, but it was fun to have a World Cup race level right here,” Gisin said. “It was a crazy race.” Vonn remains a popular figure and took the time after each run to sign autographs for young fans along with posing for photos. Lindsey Vonn competes in a downhill skiing race at Copper Mountain Ski Resort on Saturday in Copper Mountain, Colo. When she left the sport, Vonn had 82 World Cup race victories, which stood as the record for a woman and within reach of the all-time Alpine record of 86 held by Swedish standout Ingemar Stenmark. The women’s mark held by Vonn was surpassed in January 2023 by Mikaela Shiffrin, who now has 99 wins — more than any Alpine ski racer in the history of the sport. Shiffrin is currently sidelined after a crash in a giant slalom event in Killington, Vermont, last weekend. Vonn’s last major race was in February 2019, when she finished third in a downhill during the world championships in Sweden. The three-time Olympic medalist left the circuit still near the top of her game. But all the broken arms and legs, concussions and torn knee ligaments took too big a toll and sent her into retirement. She had a partial knee replacement last April and felt good enough to give racing another shot. “It's very impressive to see all the passion that Lindsey still has,” Gisin said. Also racing Saturday was 45-year-old Sarah Schleper, who once competed for the United States but now represents Mexico. Schleper was the next racer behind Vonn and they got a chance to share a moment between a pair of 40-somethings still racing. “I was like, ‘Give me some tips, Lindsey,’” Schleper said. “She’s like, ‘Oh, it’s a highway tuck, the whole thing.’ Then she’s like, ‘It’s just like the good old days.’" Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, foreground right, dives toward the end zone to score past San Francisco 49ers defensive end Robert Beal Jr. (51) and linebacker Dee Winters during the second half of an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus) Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green goes up for a dunk during the second half of an Emirates NBA cup basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) South Carolina guard Maddy McDaniel (1) drives to the basket against UCLA forward Janiah Barker (0) and center Lauren Betts (51) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) Mari Fukada of Japan falls as she competes in the women's Snowboard Big Air qualifying round during the FIS Snowboard & Freeski World Cup 2024 at the Shougang Park in Beijing, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) LSU punter Peyton Todd (38) kneels in prayer before an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. LSU won 37-17. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma misses a catch during the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at Kingsmead stadium in Durban, South Africa, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, left, is hit by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey, center, as Eagles wide receiver Parris Campbell (80) looks on during a touchdown run by Barkley in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Los Angeles Kings left wing Warren Foegele, left, trips San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, center, during the third period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) Olympiacos' Francisco Ortega, right, challenges for the ball with FCSB's David Miculescu during the Europa League league phase soccer match between FCSB and Olympiacos at the National Arena stadium, in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) Brazil's Botafogo soccer fans react during the Copa Libertadores title match against Atletico Mineiro in Argentina, during a watch party at Nilton Santos Stadium, in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) Seattle Kraken fans react after a goal by center Matty Beniers against the San Jose Sharks was disallowed due to goaltender interference during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Seattle. The Sharks won 4-2. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) New York Islanders left wing Anders Lee (27), center, fight for the puck with Boston Bruins defensemen Parker Wotherspoon (29), left, and Brandon Carlo (25), right during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Jiyai Shin of Korea watches her shot on the 10th hole during the final round of the Australian Open golf championship at the Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake) Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland competes in the women's Freeski Big Air qualifying round during the FIS Snowboard & Freeski World Cup 2024 at the Shougang Park in Beijing, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) Lara Gut-Behrami, of Switzerland, competes during a women's World Cup giant slalom skiing race, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Killington, Vt. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin cools off during first period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Brazil's Amanda Gutierres, second right, is congratulated by teammate Yasmin, right, after scoring her team's first goal during a soccer international between Brazil and Australia in Brisbane, Australia, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Pat Hoelscher) Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) tries to leap over Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Joshua Williams (2) during the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga) Luiz Henrique of Brazil's Botafogo, right. is fouled by goalkeeper Everson of Brazil's Atletico Mineiro inside the penalty area during a Copa Libertadores final soccer match at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) England's Alessia Russo, left, and United States' Naomi Girma challenge for the ball during the International friendly women soccer match between England and United States at Wembley stadium in London, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Gold medalists Team Netherlands competes in the Team Sprint Women race of the ISU World Cup Speed Skating Beijing 2024 held at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) reaches for an incomplete pass ahead of Arizona Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. (2) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Melanie Meillard, center, of Switzerland, competes during the second run in a women's World Cup slalom skiing race, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Killington, Vt. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Ahead of the festive season of Christmas and New Year, the Pune division of the state excise department on Friday seized fake stock of foreign liquor from Chinchwad valued at ₹ 5.96 lakh. Two persons have been detained in the incident, said police. Police got information about low quality liquor being filled in branded scotch bottles and being sold as branded liquor. Accordingly, a team of the state excise department laid a trap and intercepted an auto-rickshaw in front of Hotel Egale Garden in Chinchwad. During the investigation, officials seized 24 bottles and an auto rickshaw and detained Dhanji Jeth Patel and auto driver Babasaheb Dhaktode. During questioning, officials came to know that stock was being transported from flat no 201 of the Spring Woods Society in Marunji. Police later raided the residence of Patel in Marinji and found 18 one-litre scotch bottles of various brands, labels, seals, and 110 empty scotch bottles of various brands, an auto rickshaw, a motorcycle and a mobile phone total worth ₹ 5,96,510. Charan Singh Rajput, state excise superintendent, said the prime accused Patel filled low-quality liquor in the empty bottles and sold it as a branded foreign liquor. Officials suspect that the accused might have connections with the accused operating from outside of Maharashtra state. Officials requested citizens to call them on 020-26127321 or on toll-free number 18002339999 or use WhatsApp number 8422001133 to register any complaint related to illicit liquor manufacturing, or illicit liquor trade in their region.

 

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haha777 fom Special counsel Jack Smith moved to abandon two criminal cases against Donald Trump on Monday, acknowledging that Trump’s return to the White House will preclude attempts to federally prosecute him for retaining classified documents or trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat. The decision was inevitable, since longstanding Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. Yet it was still a momentous finale to an unprecedented chapter in political and law enforcement history, as federal officials attempted to hold accountable a former president while he was simultaneously running for another term. Trump emerges indisputably victorious, having successfully delayed the investigations through legal maneuvers and then winning reelection despite indictments that described his actions as a threat to the country’s constitutional foundations. “I persevered, against all odds, and WON,” Trump exulted in a post on Truth Social, his social media website. He also said that “these cases, like all of the other cases I have been forced to go through, are empty and lawless, and should never have been brought.” The judge in the election case granted prosecutors’ dismissal request. A decision in the documents case was still pending on Monday evening. The outcome makes it clear that, when it comes to a president and criminal accusations, nothing supersedes the voters’ own verdict. In court filings, Smith’s team emphasized that the move to end their prosecutions was not a reflection of the merit of the cases but a recognition of the legal shield that surrounds any commander in chief. “That prohibition is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Government stands fully behind,” prosecutors said in one of their filings. They wrote that Trump’s return to the White House “sets at odds two fundamental and compelling national interests: on the one hand, the Constitution’s requirement that the President must not be unduly encumbered in fulfilling his weighty responsibilities ... and on the other hand, the Nation’s commitment to the rule of law.” In this situation, “the Constitution requires that this case be dismissed before the defendant is inaugurated,” they concluded. Smith’s team said it was leaving intact charges against two co-defendants in the classified documents case — Trump valet Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira — because “no principle of temporary immunity applies to them.” Steven Cheung, Trump’s incoming White House communications director, said Americans “want an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and we look forward to uniting our country.” Trump has long described the investigations as politically motivated, and he has vowed to fire Smith as soon as he takes office in January. Now he will start his second term free from criminal scrutiny by the government that he will lead. The election case brought last year was once seen as one of the most serious legal threats facing Trump as he tried to reclaim the White House. He was indicted for plotting to overturn his defeat to Joe Biden in 2020, an effort that climaxed with his supporters’ violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. But the case quickly stalled amid legal fighting over Trump’s sweeping claims of immunity from prosecution for acts he took while in the White House. The U.S. Supreme Court in July ruled for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, and sent the case back to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to determine which allegations in the indictment, if any, could proceed to trial. The case was just beginning to pick up steam again in the trial court in the weeks leading up to this year’s election. Smith’s team in October filed a lengthy brief laying out new evidence it planned to use against him at trial, accusing him of “resorting to crimes” in an increasingly desperate effort to overturn the will of voters after he lost to Biden. In dismissing the case, Chutkan acknowledged prosecutors’ request to do so “without prejudice,” raising the possibility that they could try to bring charges against Trump when his term is over. She wrote that is “consistent with the Government’s understanding that the immunity afforded to a sitting President is temporary, expiring when they leave office.” But such a move may be barred by the statute of limitations, and Trump may also try to pardon himself while in office. The separate case involving classified documents had been widely seen as legally clear cut, especially because the conduct in question occurred after Trump left the White House and lost the powers of the presidency. The indictment included dozens of felony counts accusing him of illegally hoarding classified records from his presidency at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and obstructing federal efforts to get them back. He has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing. The case quickly became snarled by delays, with U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon slow to issue rulings — which favored Trump’s strategy of pushing off deadlines in all his criminal cases — while also entertaining defense motions and arguments that experts said other judges would have dispensed with without hearings. In May, she indefinitely canceled the trial date amid a series of unresolved legal issues before dismissing the case outright two months later. Smith’s team appealed the decision, but now has given up that effort. Trump faced two other state prosecutions while running for president. One of them, a New York case involving hush money payments, resulted in a conviction on felony charges of falsifying business records. It was the first time a former president had been found guilty of a crime. The sentencing in that case is on hold as Trump’s lawyers try to have the conviction dismissed before he takes office, arguing that letting the verdict stand will interfere with his presidential transition and duties. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office is fighting the dismissal but has indicated that it would be open to delaying sentencing until Trump leaves office. Bragg, a Democrat, has said the solution needs to balance the obligations of the presidency with “the sanctity of the jury verdict.” Trump was also indicted in Georgia along with 18 others accused of participating in a sprawling scheme to illegally overturn the 2020 presidential election there. Any trial appears unlikely there while Trump holds office. The prosecution already was on hold after an appeals court agreed to review whether to remove Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis over her romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she had hired to lead the case. Four defendants have pleaded guilty after reaching deals with prosecutors. Trump and the others have pleaded not guilty.San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was limited with the right shoulder injury that sidelined him last week and there is growing concern about the long-term status of left tackle Trent Williams. Wednesday's practice was not the start to the NFL workweek head coach Kyle Shanahan had hoped after Purdy was unable to bounce back from a shoulder injury in Week 11. Brandon Allen started at Green Bay and the 49ers (5-6) lost 38-10 with the backup-turned-starter committing three turnovers. Williams was reportedly spotted in the locker room with a knee scooter and is experiencing pain walking. He played through an ankle injury against the Seattle Seahawks Nov. 17. Defensive end Nick Bosa (hip, oblique) also missed practice Wednesday, leaving the 49ers to spend the holiday plotting to play the Buffalo Bills (9-2) without the three Pro Bowlers again. "I don't know anyone who gets Thanksgiving off unless maybe you have a Monday night game. You just start a lot earlier and get the players out," Shanahan said. "We cram everything in so the players get out, tries to be home with the family by 5. I usually get home by 7 and they're all mad at me, then get back to red-zone (installation)." The 49ers are in danger of a three-game losing streak for the first time since Oct. 2021. Injuries have been a common thread since September when running back Christian McCaffrey was a surprise scratch with an Achilles injury for the opener. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (ACL) is out for the season at a position dinged from top to bottom. Star linebacker Fred Warner also is ailing and said Wednesday that he fractured a bone in his ankle on Sept. 29 against the New England Patriots. The game against the Bills will mark his eighth straight game playing with the injury. "It's something I deal with every game," Warner said. "I get on that table before every game and get it shot up every single game just to be able to roll. But it's not an excuse. It's just what it is. That's the NFL. You're not going to be healthy. You've got to go out there, you've got to find ways to execute, to play at a high level and to win every single week." Shanahan wasn't interested in injury talk. He said the 49ers have not played well in the past two weeks, and puts part of his focus on getting more out of the running game with snow in the forecast on Sunday night. He's not in agreement with pundits who doubt McCaffrey's ability early into his return from injured reserve, with a per-carry average of 3.5 yards compared to 5.4 in 2023. "The speculation on Christian is a little unfair to him," Shanahan said. "Christian is playing very well. He's playing his ass off. To think a guy who misses the entire offseason is going to come back and be the exact same the day he comes back would be unfair to any player in the world." San Francisco opened the 21-day practice window for linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who tore his Achilles in the Super Bowl in February. His return date is unclear. --Field Level Media

A new petition on Change.org is pushing to improve transit services in the Central Okanagan. Started by Fraser Young, the petition states that there are no services for Vernon residents to use BC Transit to get to Kelowna's downtown area before 8:30 a.m. Young's request is that Bus 97 which traditionally starts at 6 a.m. at UBC Okanagan in Kelowna's north end connect with Route 90 allowing for Vernon residents to catch a bus to Kelowna or West Kelowna starting at 5 a.m. "We believe that everyone should have equal access to public transportation, and no one should be left stranded due to systemic shortfalls," the petition reads. "Additionally, facilitating easier travel between these areas could stimulate economic and social growth in both communities while lowering environmental footprint by attracting drivers to switch to transit. Tourists and travellers could also make use of this regular occurring bus to go to and from West Kelowna, Kelowna, Lake Country and Greater Vernon to Kelowna International Airport." has gained over 200 signatures since it opened on Nov. 21.Retail stocks resilient to Trump tariffs: top picks for investors

NEW ORLEANS — Ochai Agbaji and Jamison Battle each scored 24 points, and the Toronto Raptors won on the road for the first time this season, 119-93 over the hapless New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night. Djounte Murray returned from a fractured left hand that sidelined him for 17 games and looked rusty early. He finished with 14 points, but missed all seven of his first-half shots and shot 5 of 17 overall as the Pelicans lost their sixth straight game and 15th out of 17. CJ McCollum scored 19 points in his second game since returning from an adductor strain and missing 13 contests. RJ Barrett had 22 points and 11 assists for Toronto, which came in 0-10 on the road. Scottie Barnes added 17 points for the Raptors, who hit a season-high 21 3s. Agbaji went 6 of 7 from 3-point range and Battle went 6 for 8. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Pelicans, who played without starters Zion Williamson (left hamstring), Brandon Ingram (right calf) and Herb Jones (right shoulder), as well as prominent reserve Trey Murphy III (left knee bruise). Takeaways Raptors: Toronto's 21 made 3s were their most since January 2021. Toronto Raptors guard RJ Barrett (9) drives down court against New Orleans Pelicans guard Elfrid Payton (22) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. Credit: AP/Gerald Herbert Pelicans: Coach Willie Green went with a relatively small starting lineup. After 6-foot-11 center Yves Missi, the 6-6 Boston was New Orleans' next-tallest starter, followed by Murray (6-5), Javonte Green (6-4) and McCollum (6-3). The Pelicans went 11 of 35 from deep. Key moment After assisting on Agbaji's alley-oop layup, Barrett scored eight straight points on two free throws and three layups, sparking a 16-2 run that put Toronto up 79-53. Key stat Toronto shot 21 of 52 (40.4%) from 3-point range after coming in last in the NBA in made 3-pointers with 10.4 per game. Up Next The Raptors play at Miami on Friday night, when the Pelicans visit Memphis.SEC THIS WEEKNEW YORK (AP) — Police don't know who he is, where he is, or why he did it. As the frustrating search for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer got underway for a fifth day Sunday, investigators reckoned with a tantalizing contradiction: They have troves of evidence, but the shooter remains an enigma. One conclusion they are confident of, however: It was a targeted attack , not a random one. They know he ambushed Thompson at 6:44 a.m. Wednesday as the executive arrived at the Hilton for his company’s annual investor conference, using a 9 mm pistol that resembled the guns farmers use to put down animals without causing a loud noise. They know ammunition found near Thompson’s body bore the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose,” mimicking a phrase used by insurance industry critics . The fact that the shooter knew UnitedHealthcare group was holding a conference at the hotel and what route Thompson might take to get there suggested that he could possibly be a disgruntled employee or client, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. Over the weekend, police divers were seen searching a pond in Central Park, where the killer fled after the shooting. Officers have been scouring the park for days for any possible clues and found his backpack there Friday. They didn’t immediately reveal what, if anything, it contained but said it would be tested and analyzed. Early Sunday afternoon, police declined to comment on the contents of the backpack, or on the results of the search in the pond, saying no updates were planned. The bag’s apparent manufacturer did not immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press. Investigators have urged patience, saying the process of logging evidence that stands up in court isn’t as quick as it looks like on TV . Hundreds of detectives are combing through video recordings and social media, vetting tips from the public and interviewing people who might have information, including Thompson’s family and coworkers and the shooter’s randomly assigned roommates at the Manhattan hostel where he stayed. Investigators caught a break when they came across security camera images of an unguarded moment at the hostel in which he briefly showed his face. Retracing the gunman’s steps using surveillance video, police say, it appears he left the city by bus soon after the shooting outside the New York Hilton Midtown. He was seen on video at an uptown bus station about 45 minutes later, Kenny said. With the high-profile search expanding across state lines, the FBI announced late Friday that it was offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, adding to a reward of up to $10,000 that the NYPD has offered. Police say they believe the suspect acted alone. Police distributed the images to news outlets and on social media but so far haven’t been able to ID him using facial recognition — possibly because of the angle of the images or limitations on how the NYPD is allowed to use that technology, Kenny said. Late Saturday, police released two additional photos of the suspected shooter that appeared to be from a camera mounted inside a taxi. The first shows him outside the vehicle and the second shows him looking through the partition between the back seat and the front of the cab. In both, his face is partially obscured by a blue, medical-style mask.

and will battle it out for €50 million-rated , while free agent has been linked with a return to France. Join us for the latest transfer news, gossip, and rumors from around the globe. TOP STORIES - - - TRENDING RUMORS - are open to letting captain leave the club but will demand a €50 million fee from any interested party, according to . The Frenchman is highly regarded by several European sides and could leave San Siro as early as this January. Hernández's current contract is set to expire in June 2026, meaning Milan have a narrow window in which they can command a large transfer fee for the player. With talks having stalled over a contract extension, and are now said to be considering a move for the 27-year-old. - are weighing-up an audacious move for free agent Paul Pogba, reports. The side are said to be big admirers of the midfielder, who is aiming to return to the national team in the future. As such, the 31-year-old is receptive to the idea of joining Marseille, which could provide Pogba with a platform to showcase his talents. However, the transfer has also been described as "difficult" by the outlet, with the 2018 winner's salary being one potential stumbling block. - are keeping a close eye on and could launch a bid for the Real Madrid youngster next summer, according to . The 19-year-old has found first-team minutes hard to come by since joining Real in 2023 from . While the Spanish giants have no intention of letting Güler go in January, a summer move in 2025 could materialize if he grows frustrated with his current situation. The international is under contract at Real Madrid until 2029. - , alongside several other top European clubs, are keeping tabs on defender , according to . Reds head coach Arne Slot is said to be a long-term admirer of the Dutchman, who joined Bologna from in 2023. The side have ruled out a January exit for their star defender, but the report says that a summer transfer in 2025 could be possible if Liverpool stump up a fee of at least €25m. Real Madrid and are also said to be monitoring Beukema's progress. - has completed a medical at and will soon join the Hungarian side on a one-year loan deal, according to . The former Liverpool midfielder has struggled massively since joining in the summer of 2023, playing just five games. A deal is now in place for Keïta to join the , which also includes a clause to make the transfer a permanent one at the end of his loan spell.Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Former I'm A Celebrity campmate Dean McCullough enjoyed a relaxing pool date with Danny Jones ' wife, Georgia Horsley , just hours before the 2024 champion was due to be announced. The Northern Irish radio star, 32, posted a photo of himself and Georgia smiling in the sunshine and wrote 'hands up if you're in the @dannyjonesofficial fan club' over the top. Former Miss England Georgia, who flew out to Australia last week in preparation for tonight's final (Sunday, December 8), appeared to be in great spirits - and it might have something to do with the fact her McFly husband was the bookies' favourite to become King of the jungle just a few hours before the announcement. According to reports, the former jungle campmates are put up in a swanky five-star JW Marriott hotel following the eliminations, where they stay until the winner is announced. The hotel is situated halfway between Surfer’s Paradise and Main Beach, just off Ferny Avenue on Australia’s gold coast, which is itself around an hour’s drive South from Brisbane. After becoming the second celebrity to be voted out on Day 14 , Dean appears to have been making the most of some luxury rest and relaxation ahead of tonight's crowning ceremony. Earlier in the day, he shared a carousel of shots from his I'm A Celeb journey, including one of him rowing into camp with Coleen, and another of himself comforting an emotional-looking Oti Mabuse. In the caption he included some of his jungle highlights (and a few lowlights). The lengthy list included jumping out of a helicopter, nearly drowning in a lake", as well as "saying 'I'm a Celeb' (twice fml), scheming with Maura & Rev, getting emosh with Coleen". He signed it off with: "We did that & I’m beyond grateful for the love along the wayyy - thank you now let’s crown a WINNER." His socials also included a video of himself enjoying a "boujie tea party" with fellow evictee Maura Higgins , who left the camp on Day 17. Meanwhile, Danny's wife Georgia flew Down Under with her and Danny's six-year-old son Cooper, joining the McFly star's mum. Ahead of her flight, she said: "Tomorrow is a big day. We fly to Australia. Me and little man. 24 hours. Just us. Nobody asking me any questions. Just me and him. Can’t wait to spend a quality 24hours with Coops... I will report back on that bold statement.”

Beltway Buzz, November 22, 202420 Truly Great Gifts SELF Editors Recommend This YearCDC chief urges focus on health threats as agency confronts political changes

I'm A Celeb's Danny Jones' wife sunbathes with Dean McCullough at plush hotel - hours before finalLEWISTON, N.Y. (AP) — Adam Clark had 18 points in Merrimack's 80-62 victory over Niagara on Sunday. Clark added nine assists for the Warriors (4-6, 2-0 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference). Devon Savage scored 18 points, finishing 6 of 10 from 3-point range. Sean Trumper went 6 of 7 from the field (3 for 3 from 3-point range) to finish with 16 points. Jhaylon Martinez led the way for the Purple Eagles (4-6, 1-1) with 14 points and six rebounds. Zion Russell added 13 points and six rebounds. Jaeden Marshall had 11 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Is The Market Waking Up To Deere?

Julianne Brunet says public libraries are always working to reinvent themselves. Welland Public Library , which started as a mechanic’s institute in 1824 in a schoolhouse that no longer exists, is no different, Brunet, its chief executive officer, said ahead of its 200th anniversary celebration Wednesday. “What I have seen since I have been here is what has defined the library for the last 200 years. It’s a real community spirit. We’re community-led and we want to make sure we are responsive to the needs of residents. I think that has gotten us to where we are and will get us to where we want to go.” Brunet started at the library as manager of public services and became CEO in 2019, overseeing the main library at Welland Civic Square and branches at Seaway Mall and Diamond Trail on Southworth Street. “We need to make sure that we remain relevant. To do that, we have to listen to the people we serve. What was relevant 200 years ago may be relevant in some form today, but we must continue to grow and evolve and ensure we continue to meet those needs,” she said. As of last year, Welland’s three branches have more than 106,000 books in circulation, 3,433 special collection items in print and 3,918 digital items. That’s not counting CDs/DVDs, ebooks and e-audiobooks, print magazines, newspapers and electronic titles. Brunet said many people think literacy is just about reading and writing, but it’s more than that. “Literacy is more about showing people what they can do and how they can do it. The library will always serve a need in that realm.” Literacy also includes music, with the library lending instruments for people to play and practise. It teaches digital literacy, lending tech and offering people use of the internet who might not otherwise have access to it so they can participate in civic life. Board chair Lindsay Bryan said the library’s function is literacy of all kinds, not just serving the reading public. “Being among other people is a function of a modern library as well,” she said, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic with people still feeling a sense of loneliness and social alienation. Brunet said Welland Public Library serves as a community hub. “We are a place where people can connect with different ideas, different trains of thought. It’s an area of open ideas and a place for debate. We have been a pillar in the community for the last 200 years.” Welland Public Library’s main branch is at 50 The Boardwalk. The library celebrates its 200th anniversary Wednesday. And it’s being used more than ever. “We are on track to exceed our pre-pandemic numbers this year.” Online visits to the library catalogue and website are up 153 per cent compared to 2019; Wi-Fi and use of public access terminals are up 91 per cent; electronic circulation is up 926 per cent and program attendances up 172 per cent. While in-person visits are down 2.82 per cent to date, the library expects that number will increase by the end of the year. In 2019, there were 146,407 visits across the three branches. So far this year, there have been 142,277 visits. “We are getting busier and busier across all demographics, ages and all walks of life.” College and university students and seniors flock to the Seaway Mall branch, while students, parents and families use the branch inside Diamond Trail Public School. “We have three study rooms that people can use on a first come first serve basis and two larger rooms we rent out.” With Welland growing, its population is expected to reach 80,000 by 2041, Brunet and Bryan were recently before city council to ask for $120,000 in municipal funding for a nearly $400,000 bookmobile for 2026. The library will fund $278,000 from reserves and development charge revenue for the vehicle, while the city’s funding would pay for a full-time co-ordinator and part-time programmer to operate it. The vehicle would bring books, audiovisual materials, instruments, programming and services to places such as parks, schools, retirement residences and community events. “There are underserved areas of Welland, and as the city develops we’re going to learn more about where those areas are. We’ll see where the needs are within the community,” Brunet said. Original location was in a choolhouse near Brown’s Bridge - 1824 A room over McCaw’s Shoe Store on East Main Street - 1896 Town Hall, King Street - 1901 Carnegie Building, King Street - 1923 Northwest Branch on South Pelham Road -1972 Main Branch - 2005, Diamond Trail Branch - 2013 Seaway Mall Branch - 2017 A bookmobile would allow the library to reach vulnerable sectors and individuals who may not have the means to get to any library branches. With the library running lean — it has had 35 employees over the three branches for several years — Brunet said the two new hires would be needed to operate the vehicle and programming. Brunet said Wednesday’s 200th anniversary celebrations start at 2 p.m. and go until 7 p.m. There will be food, toys and games for children, and speeches from all levels of government starting at 3 p.m. She said library staff having been planning the event for the past two years and through research determined the first local library opened on Nov. 27, 1824. “We’ve survived two world wars, two global pandemics, several iterations of the Welland Canal, the rise of the internet and we’re still here. “We have been relevant in every single decade we have operated and I have no doubt that will continue,” said Brunet.MANCHESTER, England -- As scored to put 2-0 up over in the first half of their Women's Super League clash, the contrast between the scenes in the two dugouts could hardly have been more stark. United boss Marc Skinner spun on his heels and punched the air; Liverpool manager Matt Beard remained rooted to his seat, still shellshocked by Elisabeth Terland's opener which had only arrived a minute earlier. It showed how fine the margins are at the top level of the women's game, and just how quickly the fortunes of a manager and their team can change. United and Liverpool are arguably England's most formidable men's footballing institutions, with more than a century of success on both the domestic and European stage behind them. For their women's teams, though, earning a seat at the WSL's top table is proving considerably more difficult. United's win on Sunday temporarily moved them up the third -- though they were later usurped by following their victory over -- and into the Champions League places. But Skinner's side are six points off leaders , who also have a game in hand, and this season's charge for the title is seemingly already a two-horse race between the London club and . Liverpool, meanwhile, are down in seventh, having won just two of their nine WSL games so far this term. For both teams, the battle to consolidate a place among the division's long-established top three of Chelsea, City and Arsenal remains a work in progress. United's commanding victory over Liverpool at Leigh Sports Village -- secured thanks to goals from Terland, Galton, and -- was the perfect tonic after another difficult week for the club off the pitch. On Saturday, minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who acquired a 27.7% stake in the club earlier this year, sparked controversy with his comments about the women's team. Speaking to , the INEOS chief said: "There's only so much that you can do and our focus has been on the men's team. If not, you get spread too thinly. We need to sort out the main issue, the men's team. The women's team is an opportunity. Women's football is growing really quickly in popularity and size. We need to participate in that. The girls wear a Manchester United badge on their shirt and they're representing the club." It is not the first time Ratcliffe's perceived apathy towards United Women has caused a stir. Back in May, the 72-year-old opted to attend United's Premier League clash with Arsenal instead of the Women's FA Cup final at Wembley, where Skinner's side yielded the club's first major women's trophy with a win over . The following month, Ratcliffe drew further criticism after admitting in an interview with Bloomberg that plans for the future of the women's team were "TBC". While Ratcliffe's string of PR missteps are perhaps rooted in pragmatism, his behaviour has repeatedly undermined the "one-club mentality" United have tried to foster since their women's team was re-established in 2018. "I think you have to assess a lot," Skinner said after Sunday's game, when asked whether it is difficult to constantly have to field questions about matters off the pitch. "I think you have to take a lot as a human. "I think the role of a football manager has changed and it's evolving. You see that in the men's game. Of course we're human, we feel, we have our emotions. But we also have a role and a job and a responsibility to my players the fans and the club. I would be lying if I said it's easy, but also I have a job to do and I've got to do that to the best of my ability." The state of play at United has been further unsettled by the surprise departure of sporting director Dan Ashworth, which was confirmed by the club only hours before Skinner's side kicked off against Liverpool on Sunday. His exit has been viewed in some quarters as a further blow to the women's team, with the 53-year-old having only officially arrived in July after a £3 million settlement was reached with his former club . Ashworth has long been an advocate for the growth of the women's game and had forged a positive relationship with Skinner during his time at United. to supporters in the summer, Ashworth insisted that the women's team was a "key objective" of his job and had been a major part of his remit during his time with Newcastle, and the FA. "Dan Ashworth and Omar Berrada have been fantastic and have both come in with real energy to speak to the group," Skinner said in a news conference earlier this season. "I cannot tell you how personable and authentic those conversations were. They genuinely love women's football and have a real burning ambition for it to be in the forefront of their direction. That will only improve." Whether Ashworth's successor is similarly passionate about empowering United Women remains to be seen. However, after the Liverpool game, Skinner was quick to emphasise the support he and his players continue to feel internally, reiterating his own determination to focus on performances on the field. "What I know about the club is that it has a love and an affinity with our women's team, I know that," he said. "I sense it every day when I go into the training ground. I know the love for our team is there. I don't know what that path looks like quite yet and I'm sure that is a part of the planning process from above to sell us that and I'm sure, over the next few weeks, we'll talk more about it. "But I want us as a team to focus on what we can control and that is the football part, and then away from that, I know we can be a massive part and are a massive part of this club and we've got to work out what that looks like." From a Liverpool perspective, Sunday's defeat was yet another bracing reminder of the gulf that still exists between them and the game's big hitters. Beard's side defied expectations last term to secure a fourth-placed finish, ending the season six-points clear of United, whom they toppled in both of their WSL meetings. Those victories seemed to symbolise an upwardly mobile Liverpool, capable of upsetting the league's top order. While injuries have been a major factor in the team's recent inconsistent form -- with a number of key players, including last season's top scorer, , currently sidelined -- they look some way off being able to compete for the game's top honours. "It's frustrating," Beard said after the game. "We know we've got one of the smallest squads in the division. I've said it before, we can only work with the resources we have budget-wise. I feel like we actually started the game quite well, but we had a moment of madness where two minutes killed the game for us." Beard's reference to the financial parameters he is working within at Liverpool again raises an important point about the disparity between the WSL's top three and the rest of the division. The club have come a long way since being relegated in 2019 -- incidentally the same year that Jurgen Klopp's side lifted the Premier League title -- and have gone to great lengths to improve the professionalism of the women's team, repurchasing Liverpool men's former training ground, Melwood, as a base for Beard's side and breaking the club's transfer record in consecutive summers to bring in Roman Haug and . But with the ruthlessness and knowhow of perennial winners Chelsea leaving little room for error in the WSL, it is clear it will take time for Liverpool to assemble a similarly well-stocked squad. "It's not always about the money," Beard said. "I don't know what all the other teams spend. I know what we spend and we've overachieved in the last two years. If you look at the investment from the other sides - - I'm not saying we've stood still, I don't think we needed many changes. We were consistent last season with team selection whereas this year I don't think I've been able to pick the same team twice." With seven first-team players missing this weekend's clash with United, it is perhaps little wonder Liverpool struggled against Skinner's side. But, with the WSL growing more competitive year-on-year, it is apparent both they and their hosts have a tough road ahead if they are to consistently compete at the highest level.

Penn State kicks off Sunshine Slam by cruising past FordhamSan Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was limited with the right shoulder injury that sidelined him last week and there is growing concern about the long-term status of left tackle Trent Williams. Wednesday's practice was not the start to the NFL workweek head coach Kyle Shanahan had hoped after Purdy was unable to bounce back from a shoulder injury in Week 11. Brandon Allen started at Green Bay and the 49ers (5-6) lost 38-10 with the backup-turned-starter committing three turnovers. Williams was reportedly spotted in the locker room with a knee scooter and is experiencing pain walking. He played through an ankle injury against the Seattle Seahawks Nov. 17. Defensive end Nick Bosa (hip, oblique) also missed practice Wednesday, leaving the 49ers to spend the holiday plotting to play the Buffalo Bills (9-2) without the three Pro Bowlers again. "I don't know anyone who gets Thanksgiving off unless maybe you have a Monday night game. You just start a lot earlier and get the players out," Shanahan said. "We cram everything in so the players get out, tries to be home with the family by 5. I usually get home by 7 and they're all mad at me, then get back to red-zone (installation)." The 49ers are in danger of a three-game losing streak for the first time since Oct. 2021. Injuries have been a common thread since September when running back Christian McCaffrey was a surprise scratch with an Achilles injury for the opener. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (ACL) is out for the season at a position dinged from top to bottom. Star linebacker Fred Warner also is ailing and said Wednesday that he fractured a bone in his ankle on Sept. 29 against the New England Patriots. The game against the Bills will mark his eighth straight game playing with the injury. "It's something I deal with every game," Warner said. "I get on that table before every game and get it shot up every single game just to be able to roll. But it's not an excuse. It's just what it is. That's the NFL. You're not going to be healthy. You've got to go out there, you've got to find ways to execute, to play at a high level and to win every single week." Shanahan wasn't interested in injury talk. He said the 49ers have not played well in the past two weeks, and puts part of his focus on getting more out of the running game with snow in the forecast on Sunday night. He's not in agreement with pundits who doubt McCaffrey's ability early into his return from injured reserve, with a per-carry average of 3.5 yards compared to 5.4 in 2023. "The speculation on Christian is a little unfair to him," Shanahan said. "Christian is playing very well. He's playing his ass off. To think a guy who misses the entire offseason is going to come back and be the exact same the day he comes back would be unfair to any player in the world." San Francisco opened the 21-day practice window for linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who tore his Achilles in the Super Bowl in February. His return date is unclear. --Field Level MediaPercentages: FG 48.980, FT .769. 3-Point Goals: 6-19, .316 (Twidale 4-8, Krimili 1-3, Maul 1-2, Suarez 0-2, Williams 0-1, Donez 0-3) Blocked Shots: 2 (Abigor 1, Onyiah 1) Turnovers: 21 (Suarez 5, Williams 5, Donez 3, Krimili 3, Onyiah 2, Maul 1, Twidale 1, Team 1) Steals: 8 (Donez 3, Williams 3, Onyiah 1, Suarez 1) Technical Fouls: None Percentages: FG 40.000, FT .667. 3-Point Goals: 4-13, .308 (Jah 1-2, Jones 1-1, Paris 1-2, Williams 1-4, Swann 0-4) Blocked Shots: 2 (Beh 1, Jones 1) Turnovers: 13 (Jones 5, Paris 3, Jah 2, Williams 2, Ross 1) Steals: 11 (Jah 4, Jones 2, Williams 2, Dew 1, Paris 1, Swann 1) Technical Fouls: None A_315 Officials_Angie Leite, Clifford Sims, Scott Osborne

Nick Kern came off the bench for 20 points and 13 rebounds as Penn State remained unbeaten with an 85-66 thumping of Fordham in a semifinal of the Sunshine Slam on Monday in Daytona Beach, Fla. The Nittany Lions (6-0), who will play either San Francisco or Clemson for the tournament title on Tuesday, put four other players in double figures. Zach Hicks scored 16 points, while Puff Johnson added 15. Ace Baldwin and Yanic Konan Niederhauser each chipped in 12 points. Penn State sank nearly 53 percent of its field goal attempts and earned a 38-30 advantage on the boards, more than enough to offset missing 12 of its 32 foul shots. Four players reached double figures for the Rams (3-4), led by 15 points apiece from Jackie Johnson III and reserve Joshua Rivera. Romad Dean and Jahmere Tripp each added 13. Fordham was as close as 56-49 after Tripp made a layup with 14:25 left in the game. But the Nittany Lions responded with a 16-1 run, capped with a layup by Kern for a 22-point lead at the 9:33 mark, and they never looked back. The main storyline prior to tipoff was whether Penn State could continue its torrid early start that saw it come into the day leading Division I in steals and ranked second in scoring at 98.2 points per game. The Nittany Lions certainly played to their billing for most of the first half, establishing a 21-8 lead at the 10:08 mark via Hicks' three-point play. Fordham predictably struggled early with the pressure defense, committing four turnovers in the first four minutes. But the Rams got their bearings over the last 10 minutes and made some shots. They got as close as four on two occasions late in the half before Penn State pushed the lead to 42-34 at the half. The officials were busy in the half, calling 23 fouls and administering 27 free throws. --Field Level Media

 

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haha777 free WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday he had an “excellent conversation” with Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club after the president-elect's threat to impose significant tariffs on two of America’s leading trade partners raised alarms in Ottawa and Mexico City . It was unclear, as Trudeau headed back to Canada from Florida, whether the conversation had alleviated Trump’s concerns. A person familiar with the details of the leaders' hastily arranged meeting Friday night said it was a “positive wide-ranging dinner that lasted three hours.” The official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said topics included trade, border security, fentanyl, defense, Ukraine, NATO, China, the Mideast and pipelines, as well as the the Group of Seven meeting in Canada next year. The Republican president-elect has threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico if the countries don’t stop what he called the flow of drugs and migrants across their borders. He said he would impose a 25% tax on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico as one of his first executive orders when he takes office in January. As he was leaving his West Palm Beach hotel, Trudeau stopped briefly to answer a reporter’s question about the dinner meeting, saying it was "an excellent conversation." Trump’s transition team did not respond to questions about what the leaders had discussed. Trump, during his first term as president, once called Trudeau “weak” and “dishonest,” but it was the prime minister who was the first G7 leader to visit Trump since the Nov. 5 election. "Tariffs are a crucial issue for Canada and a bold move was in order. Perhaps it was a risk, but a risk worth taking,” Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal. Among those at the dinner were Howard Lutnick, Trump's pick for commerce secretary; North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, in line to lead the Interior Department; and Mike Waltz, Trump's choice to be his national security adviser. Accompanying Trudeau were Canada's public safety minister, Dominic LeBlanc, whose responsibilities include border security, and Katie Telford, Trudeau's chief of staff. Trudeau had said earlier Friday that he would resolve the tariffs issue by talking to Trump. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said a day earlier after speaking with Trump that she is confident a tariff war with the United States will be averted. Trudeau said Trump got elected because he promised to bring down the cost of groceries but now he's talking about adding 25% to the cost of all kinds of products including potatoes from Prince Edward Island in Atlantic Canada. “It is important to understand that Donald Trump, when he makes statements like that, he plans on carrying them out. There’s no question about it,” Trudeau said before his leaving for Florida. “Our responsibility is to point out that he would not just be harming Canadians, who work so well with the United States, but he would actually be raising prices for Americans citizens as well and hurting American industry and business,” he added. To Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, Trump "doesn’t need convincing that new tariffs on Canadian products would not be in U.S. interests. He knows that, but cannot say it because it would detract from what he has said publicly. His goal is to project the image that he gets action when he talks.” Those tariffs could essentially blow up the North American trade pact that Trump’s team negotiated during his first term. Trudeau noted they were able to successfully renegotiate the deal, which he calls a “win win” for both countries. Trump made the tariff threat Monday while citing an influx of migrants entering the country illegally, even though the numbers at the Canadian border pale in comparison to those at the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump also spoke about fentanyl from Mexico and Canada, even though seizures from the Canadian border are few in comparison to the Mexican border. Canadian officials say lumping Canada in with Mexico is unfair but say they are ready to make new investments in border security. When Trump imposed higher tariffs during his first term in office, other countries responded with retaliatory tariffs of their own. Canada, for instance, announced billions of new duties in 2018 against the U.S. in a response to new taxes on Canadian steel and aluminum. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US $2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. ___ Gillies reported from Toronto.None



UK in AI arms race with Russia as Putin 'wants destruction', minister to warnThe large package of aid includes a significant amount of munitions, including for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and the Hawk air defence system. It also will provide Stinger missiles and 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, officials said. The officials, who said they expect the announcement to be made on Monday, spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public. The new aid comes as Russia launched a barrage of attacks against Ukraine’s power facilities in recent days, although Ukraine has said it intercepted a significant number of the missiles and drones. Russian and Ukrainian forces are also still in a bitter battle around the Russian border region of Kursk, where Moscow has sent thousands of North Korean troops to help reclaim territory taken by Ukraine. Earlier this month, senior defence officials acknowledged that the US Defence Department may not be able to send all of the remaining 5.6 billion dollars (£4.5 billion) in Pentagon weapons and equipment stocks passed by Congress for Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in. Mr Trump has talked about getting some type of negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia, and spoken about his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Many US and European leaders are concerned that it might result in a poor deal for Ukraine and they worry that he will not provide Ukraine with all the weapons funding approved by Congress. The aid in the new package is in presidential drawdown authority, which allows the Pentagon to take weapons off the shelves and send them quickly to Ukraine. This latest assistance would reduce the remaining amount to about 4.35 billion dollars (£3.46 billion). Officials have said they hope that an influx of aid will help strengthen Ukraine’s hand, should Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky decide it is time to negotiate. One senior defence official said that while the US will continue to provide weapons to Ukraine until January 20, there may well be funds remaining that will be available for the incoming Trump administration to spend. According to the Pentagon, there is also about 1.2 billion dollars (£0.9 billion) remaining in longer-term funding through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which is used to pay for weapons contracts that would not be delivered for a year or more. Officials have said the administration anticipates releasing all of that money before the end of the calendar year. If the new package is included, the US will have provided more than 64 billion dollars (£50.8 billion) in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.Some tech industry leaders are pushing the incoming Trump administration to increase visas for highly skilled workers from other nations. Related Articles National Politics | In states that ban abortion, social safety net programs often fail families National Politics | Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case National Politics | New 2025 laws hit hot topics from AI in movies to rapid-fire guns National Politics | Trump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happen National Politics | Exhausted by political news? TV ratings and new poll say you’re not alone The heart of the argument is, for America to remain competitive, the country needs to expand the number of skilled visas it gives out. The previous Trump administration did not increase the skilled visa program, instead clamping down on visas for students and educated workers, increasing denial rates. Not everyone in corporate America thinks the skilled worker program is great. Former workers at IT company Cognizant recently won a federal class-action lawsuit that said the company favored Indian employees over Americans from 2013 to 2022. A Bloomberg investigation found Cognizant, and other similar outsourcing companies, mainly used its skilled work visas for lower-level positions. Workers alleged Cognizant preferred Indian workers because they could be paid less and were more willing to accept inconvenient or less-favorable assignments. Question: Should the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers? Caroline Freund, UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy YES: Innovation is our superpower and it relies on people. Sourcing talent from 8 billion people in the world instead of 330 million here makes sense. Nearly half our Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children. Growing them also relies on expanding our skilled workforce. The cap on skilled-worker visas has hardly changed since the computer age started. With AI on the horizon, attracting and building talent is more important than ever. Kelly Cunningham, San Diego Institute for Economic Research YES: After years of openly allowing millions of undocumented entrants into the country, why is there controversy over legally increasing somewhat the number having desirable skills? Undocumented immigration significantly impacts lower skill level jobs and wages competing with domestic workers at every skill level. Why should special cases be made against those having higher skills? Could they just not walk across the border anyway, why make it more inconvenient to those with desirable skills? James Hamilton, UC San Diego YES: Knowledge and technology are key drivers of the U.S. economy. Students come from all over the world to learn at U.S. universities, and their spending contributed $50 billion to U.S. exports last year. Technological advantage is what keeps us ahead of the rest of the world. Highly skilled immigrants contribute much more in taxes than they receive in public benefits. The skills immigrants bring to America can make us all better off. Norm Miller, University of San Diego YES: According to Forbes, the majority of billion-dollar startups were founded by foreigners. I’ve interviewed dozens of data analysts and programmers from Berkeley, UCSD, USD and a few other schools and 75% of them are foreign. There simply are not enough American graduates to fill the AI and data mining related jobs now exploding in the U.S. If we wish to remain a competitive economy, we need highly skilled and bright immigrants to come here and stay. David Ely, San Diego State University YES: Being able to employ highly skilled workers from a larger pool of candidates would strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. companies by increasing their capacity to perform research and innovate. This would boost the country’s economic output. Skilled workers from other nations that cannot remain in the U.S. will find jobs working for foreign rivals. The demand for H-1B visas far exceeds the current cap of 85,000, demonstrating a need to modify this program. Phil Blair, Manpower YES: Every country needs skilled workers, at all levels, to grow its economy. We should take advantage of the opportunity these workers provide our employers who need these skills. It should be blended into our immigration policies allowing for both short and long term visas. Gary London, London Moeder Advisors YES: San Diego is a premiere example of how highly skilled workers from around the globe enrich a community and its regional economy. Of course Visa levels need to be increased. But let’s go further. Tie visas and immigration with a provision that those who are admitted and educated at a U.S. university be incentivized, or even required, to be employed in the U.S. in exchange for their admittance. Bob Rauch, R.A. Rauch & Associates NO: While attracting high-skilled immigrants can fill critical gaps in sectors like technology, health care and advanced manufacturing, increasing high-skilled immigration could displace American workers and drive down wages in certain industries. There are already many qualified American workers available for some of these jobs. We should balance the need for specialized skills with the impact on the domestic workforce. I believe we can begin to increase the number of visas after a careful review of abuse. Austin Neudecker, Weave Growth YES: We should expand skilled visas to drive innovation and economic growth. Individuals who perform high-skilled work in labor-restricted industries or graduate from respected colleges with relevant degrees should be prioritized for naturalization. We depend on immigration for GDP growth, tax revenue, research, and so much more. Despite the abhorrent rhetoric and curtailing of visas in the first term, I hope the incoming administration can be persuaded to enact positive changes to a clearly flawed system. Chris Van Gorder, Scripps Health YES: But it should be based upon need, not politics. There are several industries that have or could have skilled workforce shortages, especially if the next administration tightens immigration as promised and expected. Over the years, there have been nursing shortages that have been met partially by trained and skilled nurses from other countries. The physician shortage is expected to get worse in the years to come. So, this visa program may very well be needed. Jamie Moraga, Franklin Revere NO: While skilled immigration could boost our economy and competitiveness, the U.S. should prioritize developing our domestic workforce. Hiring foreign nationals in sensitive industries or government-related work, especially in advanced technology or defense, raises security concerns. A balanced approach could involve targeted increases in non-sensitive high-demand fields coupled with investment in domestic STEM education and training programs. This could address immediate needs while strengthening the long-term STEM capabilities of the American workforce. Not participating this week: Alan Gin, University of San DiegoHaney Hong, San Diego County Taxpayers AssociationRay Major, economist Have an idea for an Econometer question? Email me at phillip.molnar@sduniontribune.com . Follow me on Threads: @phillip020

Are international thieves exploiting tourist visas to target pro-athletes' homes?Popular Mozambique rapper Nikotina KF is rattled and stressed after facing police tear gas and rubber bullets just hours earlier but is determined to bring his voice to the youth-led protests running through his country. On the streets and in music videos that get thousands of views on YouTube, the 32-year-old musician is throwing himself into the waves of demonstrations that have gripped Mozambique since disputed October 9 elections. “I don’t think this is a political issue. It’s a social issue,” Nikotina told AFP on a busy street in Maputo’s rundown Mafalala neighborhood, his face tired and drawn after that morning’s protest dispersed by police. Rights groups say security forces killed dozens of people in youth-led protests called by opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who rejects results showing he lost the presidential election to the Frelimo party that has governed for nearly 50 years. “People already had the gunpowder; Venancio lit the fuse,” said Nikotina, whose real name is Higino Fumo. “People realize that one group of people has a lot and another has very little. This creates social divides.” The southern African nation has ample resources — including newly discovered natural offshore gas — but more than 70 percent of its people live in poverty, according to the African Development Bank. Around two-thirds of the population of 33 million is under 25, according to UN figures, and young people are most affected by unemployment or underemployment. The despair of Mozambique’s youth, for whom the election had held the promise of change, is the theme of Nikotina’s latest collaboration, “Pray for Mozambique”, which shows him selling loaves of bread in a humble market. “You want to make a living, but you end up losing it when a policeman takes your peace away,” he sings in Portuguese in the clip, which had nearly 100,000 views in the week after it was published in early December. “I can die for everything, but I won’t live for nothing,” he sings. At least to dream “I’m not mobilizing young people because of Venancio,” the rapper, who often wears his trademark baseball cap and a single earring, told AFP. “I’m using my influence to promote the fundamental right to demonstrate that is in the Constitution of the Republic of Mozambique.” It is a point he makes in “Artigo 51 Uma Aula De Direito” (“Article 51 A Lesson in Law”). “For me, the biggest problem of young people is lack of hope. It is important that the government creates mechanisms for young people to at least dream.” His message and music inspire a huge following of fans and he is regularly stopped in the street to sign autographs or take pictures. As long as there is no hope for a better future, young people will not give up the protests, said Zilton Macas, a 29-year-old barber in Maputo’s Maxaquene neighborhood that has become a demonstration hotspot. “We young people really lack jobs,” he said. “In the past 10 years, Mozambique has become a lion’s den where only some people are able to survive.” Juvencia Bila, 43, graduated more than a dozen years ago with a degree in environmental management but has only found work selling fast food. “You grow up being encouraged by your mum and dad to study to have a better future. I went to school and even looked for a job from an early age, but it came to nothing,” she said from her stall, her university graduation cap on her head. Wilson Lobo, 24, ekes out a meagre living as an agent for mobile wallet apps, a far cry from his plans for a better life that led him to leave his rural province of Zambezia. “We want a different government to see if the country is poor or if it’s the leaders who are making the country poor,” he told AFP. Power to the people Using his profile to speak out in Mozambique’s increasingly bitter standoff has led to threats against him and his family, Nikotina said. It is a mission to which he committed after the death in March 2023 of his idol Mano Azagaia, one of the most respected social justice rappers in Mozambique and other Portuguese-speaking countries. In front of a mural of Azagaia, whose 2008 “Povo no Poder” (“People Power”) has long been an anthem of anti-government protests in Mozambique, he raises a fist of solidarity. — AFP

WASHINGTON (AP) — For years, Pat Verhaeghe didn’t think highly of Donald Trump as a leader. Then Verhaeghe began seeing more of Trump’s campaign speeches online and his appearances at sporting events. There was even the former president’s pairing with Bryson DeChambeau as part of the pro golfer’s YouTube channel series to shoot an under-50 round of golf while engaging in chitchat with his partner. “I regret saying this, but a while ago I thought he was an idiot and that he wouldn’t be a good president,” said the 18-year-old first-time voter. “I think he’s a great guy now.” Verhaeghe isn't alone among his friends in suburban Detroit or young men across America. Although much of the electorate shifted right to varying degrees in 2024, young men were one of the groups that swung sharply toward Trump. More than half of men under 30 supported Trump, according to AP VoteCast , a survey of more than 120,000 voters, while Democrat Joe Biden had won a similar share of this group four years earlier. White men under 30 were solidly in Trump’s camp this year — about 6 in 10 voted for Trump — while young Latino men were split between the two candidates. Most Black men under 30 supported Democrat Kamala Harris, but about one-third were behind Trump. Young Latino men’s views of the Democratic Party were much more negative than in 2020, while young Black men’s views of the party didn’t really move. About 6 in 10 Latino men under 30 had a somewhat or very favorable view of the Democrats in 2020, which fell to about 4 in 10 this year. On the other hand, about two-thirds of young Black men had a favorable view of the Democrats this year, which was almost identical to how they saw the party four years ago. “Young Hispanic men, and really young men in general, they want to feel valued," said Rafael Struve, deputy communications director for Bienvenido, a conservative group that focused on reaching young Hispanic voters for Republicans this year. “They're looking for someone who fights for them, who sees their potential and not just their struggles.” Struve cited the attempted assassination of Trump during a July rally in Pennsylvania as one of the catalyzing moments for Trump’s image among many young men. Trump, Struve said, was also able to reach young men more effectively by focusing on nontraditional platforms like podcasts and digital media outlets. “Getting to hear from Trump directly, I think, really made all the difference," Struve said of the former president's appearances on digital media platforms and media catering to Latino communities, like town halls and business roundtables Trump attended in Las Vegas and Miami. Not only did Trump spend three hours on Joe Rogan's chart-topping podcast, but he took up DeChambeau's “Break 50” challenge for the golfer's more than 1.6 million YouTube subscribers. Trump already had an edge among young white men four years ago, although he widened the gap this year. About half of white men under 30 supported Trump in 2020, and slightly less than half supported Biden. Trump's gains among young Latino and Black men were bigger. His support among both groups increased by about 20 percentage points, according to AP VoteCast — and their feelings toward Trump got warmer, too. It wasn’t just Trump. The share of young men who identified as Republicans in 2024 rose as well, mostly aligning with support for Trump across all three groups. “What is most alarming to me is that the election is clear that America has shifted right by a lot,” said William He, founder of Dream For America, a liberal group that works to turn out young voters and supported Harris’ presidential bid. With his bombastic demeanor and a policy agenda centered on a more macho understanding of culture , Trump framed much of his campaign as a pitch to men who felt scorned by the country’s economy, culture and political system. Young women also slightly swung toward the former president, though not to the degree of their male counterparts. It's unclear how many men simply did not vote this year. But there's no doubt the last four years brought changes in youth culture and how political campaigns set out to reach younger voters. Democrat Kamala Harris' campaign rolled out policy agendas tailored to Black and Latino men, and the campaign enlisted a range of leaders in Black and Hispanic communities to make the case for the vice president. Her campaign began with a flurry of enthusiasm from many young voters, epitomized in memes and the campaign's embrace of pop culture trends like the pop star Charli XCX's “brat” aesthetic . Democrats hoped to channel that energy into their youth voter mobilization efforts. “I think most young voters just didn’t hear the message,” said Santiago Mayer, executive director of Voters of Tomorrow, a liberal group that engages younger voters. Mayer said the Harris campaign’s pitch to the country was “largely convoluted” and centered on economic messaging that he said wasn’t easily conveyed to younger voters who were not already coming to political media. “And I think that the policies themselves were also very narrow and targeted when what we really needed was a simple, bold economic vision,” said Mayer. Trump also embraced pop culture by appearing at UFC fights, football games and appearing alongside comedians, music stars and social media influencers. His strategists believed that the former president’s ability to grab attention and make his remarks go viral did more for the campaign than paid advertisements or traditional media appearances. Trump's campaign also heavily cultivated networks of online conservative platforms and personalities supportive of him while also engaging a broader universe of podcasts, streaming sites, digital media channels and meme pages open to hearing him. “The right has been wildly successful in infiltrating youth political culture online and on campus in the last couple of years, thus radicalizing young people towards extremism,” said He, who cited conservative activist groups like Turning Point USA as having an outsize impact in online discourse. “And Democrats have been running campaigns in a very old fashioned way. The battleground these days is cultural and increasingly on the internet.” Republicans may lose their broad support if they don't deliver on improving Americans' lives, Struve cautioned. Young men, especially, may drift from the party in a post-Trump era if the party loses the president-elect's authenticity and bravado. Bienvenido, for one group, will double down in the coming years to solidify and accelerate the voting pattern shifts seen this year, Struve said. “We don’t want this to be a one and done thing,” he said. ___ Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Michigan, and AP polling editor Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux contributed to this report.

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South Florida defeats Portland 74-68A new survey has revealed that over half of young drivers confess to using their mobile phones illegally while driving. The poll, commissioned by the RAC, found that 55% of motorists under the age of 25 admitted to making and receiving voice calls without hands-free technology while on the road. This is a significant increase from last year's figure of 49%, and up from 52% in 2016 when the question was first included in the RAC's annual motoring report. The research also suggests that illegal phone use among young drivers extends beyond just making and receiving calls. Over two in five (43%) confessed to listening to voice notes without a hands-free kit, 40% admitted to making or receiving video calls, 30% have used their phone to take photos or record videos, and 12% have even played games on their mobiles while driving. A staggering 77% of those surveyed said they would support the widespread introduction of cameras designed to detect illegal phone use at the wheel. Last year, Devon and Cornwall Police trialled the UK's first standalone AI camera to spot traffic offences, catching nearly 300 drivers in just three days. Department for Transport figures reveal that 23 people were killed in crashes on Britain's roads last year where a driver using a mobile phone was a contributory factor. The penalty for illegal mobile phone use behind the wheel was increased in 2017. Drivers caught using their mobile phones or not wearing seatbelts could be hit with six penalty points and a £200 fine. Accumulating 12 or more points within three years typically results in a six-month ban, while new drivers receiving six or more points within two years of passing their test face disqualification. The UK has implemented a near-total ban on hand-held mobile phone use while driving, with recent legislation in March 2022 closing loopholes that previously allowed drivers to avoid penalties for certain activities like taking photos or playing games. RAC road safety spokesman Rod Dennis said: "It’s extremely concerning that despite now having a ‘zero tolerance’ handheld phone law in place, an increasing number of young drivers appear to be using their phones to call, text, voice note or even video chat while operating a vehicle." He added, "We suspect a major reason for this is drivers not believing they are likely to be caught."

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Cutting in line? American Airlines' new boarding tech might stop you at now over 100 airportsBritain would have the cash to fund winter fuel payments for all pensioners if the Treasury stopped losing billions of pounds to “illicit tobacco”, according to a passionate campaigners against contraband cigarettes. It missed out on an estimated £2.2billion in excise duty and VAT in 2022-23 – far more than the £1.4billion the Treasury hopes to raise by limiting winter fuel payments to the poorest pensioners. Former security minister Sir John Hayes described illicit tobacco as an “outrage”. He said: “There’s a lot of evidence it’s foreign-run and foreign-controlled. No effort should be spared to close down these traders, to catch them and prosecute them. “That would mean more legal cigarettes would be sold and the revenue could be collected and hopefully the Government would then be able to change its ludicrous decision to deprive pensioners of their winter fuel which has been drawn into sharp focus by this snap of cold weather when old people will be shivering as a direct result of Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer .” Last year Border Force seized more than 823million cigarettes and there are fears that tightening restrictions on tobacco will increase demand for illegal products. James Lowman, chief executive of the Association of Convenience Stores, said: “The illicit tobacco and vaping market costs the Treasury billions every year in lost revenue, and this will only continue to rise as regulations get tighter on the products that are legal for sale. The Government urgently needs to invest tens of millions more in local enforcement to shut down these rogue traders and support legitimate retailers.” HM Revenue and Customs ( HMRC ) says it has “slashed the tax gap” on illicit cigarettes and tobacco by more than half since 2005. Between April 2023 and March this year, it adds, cigarettes worth more than £678million in tax were seized, alongside hand-rolling tobacco worth £41million. During this time prison sentences totalling 148 years against 107 cigarette and tobacco fraudsters were secured. Hazel Cheeseman of Action on Smoking and Health said the tobacco industry has a “long history of overplaying concerns about illicit tobacco to detract and undermine policy to reduce tobacco use overall”. She said: “A coordinated strategy to address illicit tobacco has been in place for some time and has been effective at driving down the illicit market. During the 1990s, thanks in part to tobacco industry complicity, there were far higher levels of illicit tobacco. “There is always more that can be done though. The Government is bringing in a new retail licensing scheme in as part of the incoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which should help suppress the illicit tobacco market further.”

 

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2025-01-13
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Baltimore (7-4) at Los Angeles Chargers (7-3) Monday, 8:15 p.m. EST, ESPN/ABC BetMGM NFL odds: Ravens by 3. Against the spread: Ravens 5-5-1; Chargers 7-3. Series record: Ravens lead 9-5. Last meeting: Ravens beat Chargers 20-10 in Inglewood, Calif., on Nov. 26, 2023. Last week: Ravens lost to Pittsburgh 18-16; Chargers beat Cincinnati 34-27. Ravens offense: overall (1), rush (2), pass (3), scoring (2). Ravens defense: overall (3), rush (26), pass (2), scoring (23). Chargers offense: overall (18), rush (12), pass (19), scoring (18). Chargers defense: overall (11), rush (11), pass (12), scoring (1). Turnover differential: Ravens plus-2; Chargers plus-8. Ravens player to watch K Justin Tucker missed two field goals last week and is under pressure after spending most of his career beyond reproach. He’s missed six field goals on the season and is 4 for 12 from 50-plus yards since the start of last season. Chargers player to watch WR Ladd McConkey had a career-high 123 yards on six receptions against Cincinnati. The rookie came up with clutch catches of 28 and 27 yards to set up the game-winning touchdown. Key matchup Chargers RB J.K. Dobbins vs. Ravens’ run defense. Dobbins showed promise during his time in Baltimore, but he never was able to live up to that potential because of injuries. Now in Los Angeles on a one-year “prove it” contract, Dobbins has nearly matched his most productive season as a professional with 726 yards and eight touchdowns in 10 games. After seeing Pittsburgh run the ball 34 times last week, the Chargers will be glad to copy that bruising approach with Dobbins. The Ravens are allowing 77.5 rushing yards per game, but even the sturdiest defense can buckle against that volume of work, so getting off the field will be critical. Key injuries Baltimore’s defense has one significant injury concern, with LB Roquan Smith (hamstring) questionable to go this week after he was hurt against the Steelers. The good news is S Kyle Hamilton does not have an injury designation. He has been nursing an ankle problem, although he played against Pittsburgh. ... Chargers OLB Khalil Mack (groin) is questionable after the veteran pass rusher didn’t play against Cincinnati. ... McConkey is also questionable because of a shoulder injury. Series notes The Ravens have won four straight over the Chargers in the regular season, but Los Angeles did earn a 23-17 AFC wild-card round upset in January 2019. ... Baltimore cruised to a 34-6 win over the Chargers in its first visit to SoFi Stadium on Oct. 17, 2021. Stats and stuff Ravens RB Derrick Henry leads the NFL with 1,185 yards rushing and 15 total TDs (13 rushing and two receiving). He’s also run for a league-high 52 first downs. ... Henry is one rushing TD shy of the Ravens’ single-season record, set by Jamal Lewis in 2003. ... Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson is 6-2 on “Monday Night Football” with 20 TD passes and no interceptions. ... Henry is one of four players in the Super Bowl era to score a TD in each of the first 11 games of a season. The others are O.J. Simpson (1975), John Riggins (1983) and Jerry Rice (1987). ... The Ravens have scored touchdowns on a league-best 77.8% of their red zone trips. ... Jackson needs 124 yards passing and 16 yards rushing for a second consecutive season with 3,000 passing and 600 rushing. Since the AFL-NFL merger, only Randall Cunningham (1988-1990), Cam Newton (2011-12), Josh Allen (2021-22) and Jalen Hurts (2021-23) have accomplished that feat. ... Dobbins ran for two touchdowns against Cincinnati, giving him multiple scores in two of his past three games. He did it twice in 24 games as a Raven. ... OLB Tuli Tuipulotu had 1 1/2 sacks of Bengals QB Joe Burrow, his third straight game with more than one. All seven of Tuipulotu’s sacks this season have come in the past four games, and six of his eight tackles for loss have come in that span. ... The Chargers allowed a season-worst 27 points to Cincinnati after holding each of their previous nine opponents to 20 points or fewer. ... QB Justin Herbert has thrown one interception in 277 attempts this season. That lone pick came in Week 2 at Carolina. ... The Chargers lost their fifth turnover of the season when Herbert fumbled to start the fourth quarter. It was their first turnover at home. ... Los Angeles does not have a takeaway in its past two games. Fantasy tip Herbert has heated up after a slow start in terms of fantasy production, having thrown for multiple touchdowns in three of his past four games. He is likely to keep that success going this week. Baltimore has allowed 22 scores through the air, which is tied with Houston for second most in the league, and Herbert should have plenty of chances to add to that total in what could be another high-scoring matchup. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL The Associated PressOn the day of OpenAI's highly anticipated launch of their latest product, Sora, the company's official website was flooded with an overwhelming amount of traffic, causing it to crash within minutes of the announcement. The news spread like wildfire across social media platforms, with tech enthusiasts and AI aficionados eagerly trying to access the site to learn more about Sora and its capabilities.

In light of these four major disruptions, it is crucial for investors to strike a balance between market vitality and a defensive mindset. Market vitality, characterized by active trading, innovation, and dynamism, is essential for generating returns and seizing opportunities in a rapidly changing environment. At the same time, a defensive mindset, involving risk management, regulatory compliance, and a long-term perspective, is crucial for safeguarding investments and mitigating potential losses.

One of the main areas of concern for Arsenal has been their inability to create and convert chances from open play. The Gunners have struggled to break down stubborn defenses and have often relied on set pieces and individual brilliance to score goals. This over-reliance on set pieces and moments of individual brilliance has seen Arsenal's expected goals ranking plummet, highlighting the need for improvement in their attacking play.In conclusion, the decision to remove the throwing Poke Balls summoning mechanism from "Fantasy Beast Palu" has certainly stirred up a hornet's nest within the gaming community. Whether this change will be embraced or rejected by players remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain: the landscape of the game has been forever altered, and only time will reveal the true impact of this bold move by SoftArc Gaming.

 

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A lifelong Chiefs fan had the experience of a lifetime after getting to dance with Travis Kelce during the Tuesday, December 3, episode of Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? “Now he’s danced with Taylor Swift and me,” Allie Dees told the Owensboro Times in an interview published on Wednesday, December 4. “I popped out of the womb a Chiefs fan. Meeting Travis Kelce and dancing on stage with him was surreal.” Dees, a traveling nurse who currently lives in San Diego, took the stage in April earlier this year to compete on the Amazon Prime game show, which Kelce, 35, hosts. The Kentucky native ended up walking away with $15,000 after correctly answering the minimum five questions to take home the prize; however, the subject of geography nearly cost her the winnings. “I had to name a U.S. territory that borders Canada but doesn’t touch the mainland,” she told the outlet after the episode aired. “I panicked and guessed Washington. Looking back, it’s embarrassing because the answer was Alaska.” In addition to appearing on Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? , Dees said she also appeared in a commercial for financial technology company Chime, where she said she won $100,000. “This whole year has been a whirlwind. Between the game show and the commercial, I’ve been able to live out some incredible dreams,” she continued before reflecting on her experience with Kelce and her time on the show. “Up on stage, I just wanted to be authentic and enjoy every second,” she said. “That mindset allowed me to fully embrace the moment and have fun.” It was announced in April that Kelce would serve as host of the new game show, which premiered on Amazon Prime in October and is based on the Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? series. “I grew up loving game shows, and I’m excited to be following in the footsteps of so many TV icons by hosting my very first one with Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? ” Kelce said in a statement earlier this year. “The original show is a great success, so to be bringing a new format with everyone’s favorite celebrities to the screen, will definitely be entertaining.” A source exclusively told Us Weekly that same month why the Kansas City Chiefs tight end was the perfect pick for the show. “He’s funny and has the wits for it,” the insider dished to Us . “He’s the perfect host. It’s a great gig for him.” The show was filmed earlier this year during the Chiefs offseason. The NFL team’s 2024-2025 season kicked off in September, with Kelce’s girlfriend, Swift, 34, making an appearance at Arrowhead Stadium during the Chiefs’ home opener against the Baltimore Ravens. The Tortured Poets Department artist has since appeared at a total of six home games, with the most recent being the Chiefs’ November 29 game against the Las Vegas Raiders , which she attended with her dad, Scott Swift , and Kelce’s mom, Donna Kelce . As the Chiefs take on the Los Angeles Chargers this weekend in the quest for their third consecutive Super Bowl title, the 14-time Grammy winner will be wrapping her years-long Eras Tour with a string of three shows in Vancouver beginning Friday, December 6. She’ll play her final show on Sunday, December 8. You have successfully subscribed. By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from Us Weekly Check our latest news in Google News Check our latest news in Apple News Once the Eras Tour ends, Taylor is reportedly looking forward to spending more time with Travis, whom she began dating in the summer of 2023. “Taylor and Travis are very committed and serious about their future,” a separate source exclusively told Us in September. “Taylor is ready for the next era of her life. She knows it will be special.” A third insider added, “They’ve built a lot of trust. They both knew what they signed up for and navigated it well. They’re in love and don’t care what others think.”Dynagas LNG stock soars to 52-week high, hits $4.8

Bieber re-signs with GuardiansCapricorn – (22nd December to 19th January) Daily Horoscope Prediction says, Nothing beats your morale Take steps to settle the tremor in the relationship today. Your commitment to your job will help in your career. Be wise while handling money. Health demands care. There is no scope for ego clashes in love life. New responsibilities will tighten the schedule today. Fortunately, finance is at your side. However, your health demands special attention. Capricorn Love Horoscope Today Despite minor disagreements in the love affair, you will share some good moments. Have some quality time in an isolated area where you may also make calls in the future. The love life will have many surprises today. Single Capricorns can confidently express their feeling to the crush and receive a positive response. Some female natives will receive surprise gifts from their partners. Self-respect is crucial in a love affair and females who feel it lacking in the love affair can walk out of the relationship today. Capricorn Career Horoscope Today Be careful about office politics and meet the expectations of the management. If you are in the creative field, you may face criticism. Your official decisions should be based on analysis and do not act based on emotions. Lawyers, academicians, judges, receptionists, and bankers will work overtime. You may also receive a job offer today for a better package. However, the final call should be based on considering every factor. Traders may take the trade to new areas. Capricorn Money Horoscope Today Keep the financial life in control. Avoid spending a big amount on luxury. But you can go ahead with the idea of buying essentials and electronic appliances. Some female natives will have income from additional sources which makes it easy to buy electronic appliances A legal issue will need you to spend a big amount today. A sibling or a senior member of the family will also need financial support for medical care. Capricorn Health Horoscope Today Minor health issues will be there and it is good to have control over the lifestyle. Exercise properly and ensure you maintain a balanced office and personal life. Those who have mental stress-related issues must maintain a proper balance between their personal and professional life. People with diabetes and hypertension need to be cautious. Capricorn Sign Attributes Strength: Intelligent, Practical, Trustworthy, Generous, Optimistic Weakness: Persistent, Stubborn, Suspicious Symbol: Goat Element: Earth Body Part: Bones & Skin Sign Ruler: Saturn Lucky Day: Saturday Lucky Color : Grey Lucky Number : 4 Lucky Stone: Amethyst Capricorn Sign Compatibility Chart Natural affinity: Taurus, Virgo, Scorpio, Pisces Good compatibility: Cancer, Capricorn Fair compatibility: Gemini, Leo, Sagittarius, Aquarius Less compatibility: Aries, Libra By: Dr. J. N. Pandey Vedic Astrology & Vastu Expert Website: www.astrologerjnpandey.com E-mail: djnpandey@gmail.com Phone: 91-9811107060 (WhatsApp Only)Special counsel moves to dismiss election interference and classified documents cases against Trump

Tiger Woods has announced he will not return to the PGA Tour to compete at the Hero World Challenge next month, as his battle with injury continues. Woods is the tournament host of the limited-field event in the Bahamas and was expected to tee it up at Albany Golf Course alongside some of the world's best players. On Monday however, the 15-time major champion confirmed he will play no part, and will only take on off-course duties. "I am disappointed that I will not be able to compete this year at the Hero World Challenge," he tweeted. "But always look forward to being tournament host and spending the week with @HeroMotoCorp." Ian Poulter makes LIV Golf transfer pledge as clear decision reached on future LIV Golf manager claims two stars calling to join after rejecting 'big offers' As part of his announcement Woods confirmed three more names had committed to compete, having been made exempted by tournament organisers. Woods' close friend, Justin Thomas is in the field, as is Jason Day and Hero World Challenge debutant, Nick Dunlap. It is yet another knockback for Woods, who is continuing to play part-time golf on the PGA Tour due to a whole host of fitness problems. The 48-year-old has competed in all four major championships this season, as well as the Genesis Invitational in February where he was forced to withdraw in the second round due to illness. On the major stage, Woods has played 72 holes just once - coming at the Masters - having missed the cut at the PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and most recently The Open Championship. The latter saw a struggling Woods battle against the elements on the Scottish coast, failing to make it to the weekend at Royal Troon. Follow us on X for the best and latest in sports news Speaking after his missed cut in July, Woods claimed he had intentions of competing in the Bahamas in December, as well as the parent-child PNC Championship the week later. "I'm not going to play until then," Woods said in Scotland when asked if he could play before the Hero. "I'm going to just keep getting physically better and keep working on it. Hopefully just come back for our -- what is it, our fifth major, the Father-Son, so looking forward to it." Having withdrawn from playing in the Bahamas, it remains to be seen whether Woods will partner son, Charlie, at the PNC. If he is to miss the parent-child event, Woods' next showing will come indoors with the 82-time PGA Tour winner set to represent Jupiter Links Golf Club in the launch of TGL in January. In September, the five-time Masters champion revealed that he had undergone surgery on his back. "The surgery went smoothly and I’m hopeful this will help alleviate the back spasms and pain I was experiencing throughout most of the 2024 season,” he wrote on social media at the time. “I look forward to tackling this rehab and preparing myself to get back to normal life activities, including golf.”

Kiffin calls crammed calendar ‘a dumb system’No. 14 ASU, No. 17 Iowa State front-runners for possibly wild Big 12 finishIowa Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst declined Thursday to commit to supporting Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination to head the U.S. Department of Defense. When asked during a Fox News interview whether she will support Hegseth’s nomination, Ernst said only that she had a “very frank and productive discussion” with Hegseth on Wednesday and that his vetting will continue. U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst Republicans will hold a slim, 53-47 majority in the U.S. Senate next year, making each of the party’s votes crucial to approving Trump’s nominations to federal agency leadership positions. “All I’m saying is we had a very frank and productive discussion and I know that we will continue to have conversation in the coming months,” Ernst said during the Fox News interview. Hegseth is an Army National Guard veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most recently he was a Fox News host. Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be defense secretary, is joined by his wife Jennifer Rauchet on Wednesday as they walk through the basement of the Capitol in Washington. Hegseth has in the past said he believes that women should not serve in combat roles in the U.S. military. And in 2017, a California police report included allegations that Hegseth sexually assaulted a woman at a conference. No charges were filed over the incident, and Hegseth and the woman settled out of court. Ernst, a former officer in the Iowa National Guard, was the first female combat veteran elected to the U.S. Senate and is a sexual assault survivor. She also is a member of the Senate’s Armed Services Committee and has worked on addressing sexual assault in the military. When the Fox News host interviewing Ernst on Thursday said it did not sound like Ernst has “gotten to a yes” on Hegseth’s nomination, and that it sounded like Hegseth’s eventual confirmation hearing will be “critical for his nomination,” Ernst replied, “I think you are right.” “I think for a number of our senators, they want to make sure that any allegations have been cleared,” Ernst said. “And that’s why we have a very thorough vetting process. And that’s why I was happy to sit down with Pete and have that conversation with him yesterday. “So again, all I will say at this time is that we did have a very thorough discussion over a number of those issues, and the vetting will continue, I am certain, through the next month or so until we approach that (confirmation) hearing date.” A confirmation hearing for Hegseth’s nomination has not yet been set, Ernst said. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Kash Patel spent several years as a Justice Department prosecutor before catching the Trump administration’s attention as a staffer on Capitol Hill who helped investigate the Russia probe. Patel called for dramatically reducing the agency’s footprint, a perspective that sets him apart from earlier directors who sought additional resources for the bureau. Though the Justice Department in 2021 halted the practice of secretly seizing reporters’ phone records during leak investigations, Patel said he intends to aggressively hunt down government officials who leak information to reporters. Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Trump said Atkins, the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner, was a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. “He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The commission oversees U.S. securities markets and investments and is currently led by Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Gensler, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated — Jan. 20, 2025. Atkins began his career as a lawyer and has a long history working in the financial markets sector, both in government and private practice. In the 1990s, he worked on the staffs of two former SEC chairmen, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt. Jared Isaacman, 41, is a tech billionaire who bought a series of spaceflights from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk . He is the founder and CEO of a card-processing company and has collaborated closely with Musk ever since buying his first chartered SpaceX flight. He took contest winners on that 2021 trip and followed it in September with a mission where he briefly popped out the hatch to test SpaceX’s new spacewalking suits. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as National Security Advisor to Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence. For the America First Policy Institute, one of several groups formed after Trump left office to help lay the groundwork for the next Republican administration, Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Former Rep. Billy Long represented Missouri in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023. Since leaving Congress, Trump said, Long “has worked as a Business and Tax advisor, helping Small Businesses navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations.” Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler was appointed in January 2020 by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and then lost a runoff election a year later. She started a conservative voter registration organization and dived into GOP fundraising, becoming one of the top individual donors and bundlers to Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign. Even before nominating her for agriculture secretary, the president-elect already had tapped Loeffler as co-chair of his inaugural committee. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. The National Institutes of Health funds medical research through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. NIH also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at its labs in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Marty Makary, Food and Drug Administration Makary is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns. He routinely appeared on Fox News during the COVID-19 pandemic and wrote opinion articles questioning masks for children. He cast doubt on vaccine mandates but supported vaccines generally. Makary also cast doubt on whether booster shots worked, which was against federal recommendations on the vaccine. Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, Surgeon General Nesheiwat is a general practitioner who serves as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. She has been a contributor to Fox News. Dr. Dave Weldon, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Weldon is a former Florida congressman who recently ran for a Florida state legislative seat and lost; Trump backed Weldon’s opponent. In Congress, Weldon weighed in on one of the nation’s most heated debates of the 1990s over quality of life and a right-to-die and whether Terri Schiavo, who was in a persistent vegetative state after cardiac arrest, should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed. Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. He announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. Trump said in a statement that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, “therefore making it much better for American Workers.” Hassett, 62, served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. With Pete Hegseth under pressure, President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly considering Ron DeSantis for the top Pentagon job. (Scripps News) Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As workers were picking up the pieces of the fallen Capitol Christmas Tree Thursday morning due to high winds, lawmakers and legislative staff were trying to determine how to conduct a last-minute special session. By Thursday evening, however, a source in the governor’s office confirmed there would not be a special session and that further details would be forthcoming Friday. Lawmakers first took to social media Wednesday night after a letter was sent to members alerting them to a possible special session to be called by Gov. Jim Justice for Saturday. Members of the state Senate and House of Delegates provided further confirmation Thursday morning. “We were notified on yesterday evening to prepare for the possibility of being called into an extraordinary session by the Governor this weekend,” said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, in a statement. “As with all extraordinary sessions, the Legislature may only convene outside of regular session upon the Governor’s proclamation.” “There was a letter that went out that suggests that there may be a special session starting approximately 6 o’clock (Saturday),” said House Finance Committee Chairman Vernon Criss, R-Wood, by phone Thursday. According to Criss, the proposed special session would have been for consideration of a bill making changes to the Certified Industrial Business Expansion Development program on behalf of the Berkshire Hathaway Energy (BHE) Renewables and Precision Castparts Corp. (TIMET) titanium melt facility/solar microgrid project being built in Jackson County, though he was not aware of the specifics of the bill. Created by Senate Bill 4001 in a special session in September 2022, the program is meant to incentivize investment and construction of high-impact industrial plants and facilities that require access to renewable energy. BHE Renewables and TIMET purchased more than 2,000 acres at the former Century Aluminum site in Jackson County to build a modern titanium melt facility powered by a solar energy microgrid – a $500 million investment. A request for comment from representatives of BHE Renewables/TIMET was not returned for this story. SB 4001 created no more than two 2,250-acre, certified high-impact industrial business development districts that must be on land sold or leased by the state. Any renewable energy project in these districts would not be subject to approval by the Public Service Commission as far as rates, obtaining a certificate of convenience and necessity, conditions of service or complaints. The bill being discussed for a special session would have allowed for an additional district, or a maximum of six districts with approval of the Department of Economic Development, though no more than three districts can be within the same service territory of an investor-owned electric utility in the state. “The Berkshire Hathaway Energy District in the Ravenswood area needs to be modified for some kind of an investment,” Criss said. “I don’t know the details other than that’s the concept and hopefully we’ll hear more or actually see the call later today.” According to a draft bill, the legislation would remove the requirement that certified high-impact industrial business development districts be established on land sold or leased by the state. It would increase the acreage from 2,250 acres to no greater than 5,000 acres as long as it was large enough to support between 500 megawatts and 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy generation. The draft bill would require completion of economic development projects in a certified high-impact business development district within five years. It would also allow electric-generating units in these districts to be taxed at salvage value for property tax purposes, lower than the fair market value. West Virginia Democratic Party Chairman and Delegate Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, criticized Justice for creating confusion by proposing a special session and for wasting taxpayer dollars. Special sessions held outside of coinciding legislative interim meetings can cost as much as $35,000 per day. “Governor Justice is squandering taxpayer dollars to hold a special session to pass a sweetheart deal for a special interest, out-of-state corporation,” Pushkin said in a statement Thursday afternoon. “This is an outrageous abuse of power and a blatant disregard for the people of West Virginia, who deserve a government that prioritizes their needs—not backroom deals for corporate cronies.” The bill was also opposed by at least some on the conservative right. A group called West Virginia Constitutional Conservatives, sent out an email Wednesday urging fellow conservatives to oppose the bill and pressure Justice not to call a special session. “West Virginians shouldn’t have to foot the bill for political stunts that prioritize special interests over hardworking families,” wrote Laura Anders, wife of incoming Delegate S. Chris Anders, R-Berkeley. “Our tax dollars should be used responsibly, not squandered on projects that increase costs and threaten the livelihoods of those in traditional energy sectors.” The possible special session would have created a new set of problems. According to the state Constitution Article 4 Chapter 7, the terms for new lawmakers begin on the first day of December. After last month’s general election, the 100-member House of Delegates will be getting 14 new members, including 13 Republicans and one Democratic lawmaker. In the 34-member Senate, there will be seven new members, including six Republicans and one Democrat. Over the years, legislators will often have informal swearing-in ceremonies in December, with a formal swearing-in ceremony when the Legislature first convenes in January. During a year when a new governor takes office, the Legislature convenes on the second Wednesday in January (Jan. 8 in 2025) to elect leadership and open election returns delivered by the secretary of state. The Legislature then adjourns until the second Wednesday in February (Feb. 12) to begin the regular 60-day legislative session. When a special session was on the table, the question facing staff of the House and Senate clerk’s offices was who would participate? Would it be considered a lame-duck session with members of the 86th Legislature participating, or would new members of the incoming 87th Legislature be seated? According to the Secretary of State’s Office, the only times a special session was called after an election and prior to the start of the next regular legislative session were in 1913 and 1936. In a statement, Deputy Secretary of State and Chief of Staff Donald “Deak” Kersey said state code was amended after 1913 requiring the secretary of state to deliver the election returns to the Legislature of the first session following the election. “In 1936, a special session was called after the election but before the regular session, and the Secretary of State, following the amended law, delivered the certificates to the Legislature at the start of the special session,” Kersey said. “This is still the case today under current law.” “Therefore, if there is (a special) session, the Secretary of State is to deliver the certificates of election to the Legislature at the next ensuing session, which would be the (special) session and the newly elected legislators from the 2024 General Election would take office (so long as they’re in attendance and take the oath),” Kersey said. County clerks had until 30 days following the end of the Nov. 5 general election, or Thursday, to transmit certificates of election results to the Secretary of State’s Office. Joey Garcia, the two-term Democratic delegate representing Marion County, won election in November to represent parts of Marion and Monongalia County in the 13th Senatorial District for a four-year term. Garcia said the current 11-member House Democratic caucus found out indirectly about the special session. “I’m honestly a little bit disappointed in the lack of communication that we’ve received from, I think, House leadership because we found out about this through an email that didn’t come to any of our members,” Garcia said. The state Constitution states that in odd-numbered years each body will elect its officers when it convenes on Jan. 8. According to state Republican Party Chairman Matt Herridge, the GOP members of both bodies are scheduled to have caucuses Sunday afternoon to elect their nominees for House speaker and Senate president, who will be voted on by the respective chambers next month. House members are expected to reelect Delegate Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, as speaker. But with Senate President Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, losing his GOP primary in May, there is a race for the president’s gavel. Known candidates include Senate Majority Leader Tom Takubo, R-Kanawha; Senate Energy, Industry and Mining Chairman Randy Smith, R-Tucker; and Tarr. “I don’t know yet,” said Tarr when asked whether a proposed special session could speed up the timetable for selection of a new Senate president. “I’m trying to get definitive answers on that as well.” Garcia, who took his ceremonial oath of office Wednesday, said it was important for legislative staff to get to the bottom of these issues, otherwise it could lead to possible litigation if someone believes the state Constitution was not being followed. “Whether I would be involved in this as a House member or a Senate, I expected that I was going to come into the Senate on Jan. 8 and take my oath of office then,” Garcia said. “Either way, we really need to know. They need to work this out, and then I’m ready to do whatever needs to be done. “If it’s good policy, if it’s good legislation, if it needs to be done now, it needs to be done later: whatever that may be, I’m here to try to make sure we do what’s right for the State of West Virginia,” Garcia continued.

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Dometic already set us down the path of ditching our precious Pelican and in favor of (or “electric coolers,” if you like) for overlanding and car camping. Now, the company is upping the ante yet again with its premium CFX5 lineup. The CFX5 series is the big brother to Dometic’s existing CFX2 line of budget-friendly portable fridges. That means it is more expensive, but it’s also better in every way. According to the brand, the biggest upgrade is in the use of Vacuum Insulated Panels (VIP), a technology that reduces weight and saves energy. Translation: Lighter, more efficient fridges. VIPs allow Dometic to use thinner insulated panels, which cut the bulk and to make its latest and greatest fridges even more compact. Dometic is also touting a much-improved compressor. The new VMSO 3.5 (that’s “variable motor speed optimization”) auto adjusts its output to maintain the desired temperature. That means it only works as hard as it has to conserve energy and provide a more consistent interior temp. Other features exclusive to the CFX5 series include a high-res color display, an alert when the lid isn’t closed properly, and an 18-watt QC 3.0 USB port for fast charging your smaller tech gadgets without wasting the otherwise used port on your . The Dometic CFX5 series portable fridge is available right now via and directly from . It’s available in five sizes, including the entry-level, 25-liter option ($800 MSRP) and the flagship 95DZ — a 95-liter monster with dual-zone fridge/freezer capabilities for $1,400. The post appeared first on .

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FIFA confirms Saudi Arabia as 2034 World Cup host despite human rights concerns ZURICH (AP) — Saudi Arabia has been officially confirmed by FIFA as host of the 2034 World Cup in men’s soccer. The Saudi bid was the only candidate and was acclaimed by the applause of more than 200 FIFA member federations. They took part remotely in an online meeting hosted in Zurich on Wednesday by the soccer body’s president Gianni Infantino. The decision was combined with approving the only candidate to host the 2030 World Cup. Spain, Portugal and Morocco will co-host in a six-nation project, with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay each getting one of the 104 games. The South American connection will mark the centenary of Uruguay hosting the first World Cup in 1930. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, obituaries, sports, and more.

This tape is for L.A., The LAnd, Cal-a-forn-I-A. The West. Kendrick Lamar solidified his place in rap history this summer after he battled Drake for the game’s top spot and this album feels like a victory lap. GNX is named after the 1987 Buick GNX — the souped up version of their Grand National car that’s apparently very rare. According to the Bentonville Buick GMC blog, there were only 547 of these things made and Kendrick confirms that number on his Instagram burner account. You see, because everything he’s been doing has been done with intention. There was a lot of smoke around rumors that he would be dropping a fresh project before the Super Bowl , and you know that old saying, right? Well, it looks like there’s a fire, folks. He’s far from finished and we should probably get used to it. There’s no sense in fighting it or hating on it, just let it be and let the chips fall where they may. The crown now sits firmly in the West. There’s no more Big 3, that era is done. It’s over with. This guy is a maniac, he’s a tyrant. He’s still talking Drake and the rest of the game all over this record. You remember that “ For Pharrell I’ll inherit the beef ” line? He flipped SWV’s “ Use Your Heart ” from 1996 that was produced by The Neptunes and titled it “ heart pt. 6 .” This is a diabolical mastermind that we’re dealing with here, so join me as I tried to pick and rank the 10 Best Lines from Kendrick Lamar’s new album GNX . Song: “peekaboo” This is an honorable mention right here because it’s not a Kendrick line. This rapped by Dody6 and was a line I kept thinking about, so I included it on here. The fact that he made sure to feature underground West Coast cats like Dody6, AzChike , and Peysoh is a pretty big deal. This is a major look for them and they delivered with some of the best features on this record. Dody snapped with that Her Loss double aunt andre, too. Salute. Song: “tv off” Hey, man, sometimes family be on some b.s. It be like that. Song: “gloria” Some feel like the his bitch being his pen is a little corny, but I was feeling the lead up to it because there’s been a lot of conversation about some of lyrical content and approach. Yeah, he’ll maybe come across as preachy or self righteous, but they in the next breath he’ll crash out. This is the dichotomy of man. Song: “heart pt. 6” This SWV flip is madness and then you couple that with these heartfelt lines about TDE’s come up and you have a special song. I felt like Stefon Diggs doing that postgame interview. You know the one. Song: “reincarnated” This dude flipped 2Pac’s “ Made N—az ” and used his flow on the first verse, but this conversation with God in the last verse stops you in your tracks. Here he goes again putting the war that’s inside him on full display. His vulnerability turns some off, yet it’s one of those things that makes an artist generational. Snoop recently gave him credit for bringing L.A.’s gangs together and how important the “Pop Out” concert was. Song: “squabble up” He has the money and the power to off the competition, but the boogeyman enjoys doing the job himself. Song: “man at the garden” He’s still not finished?? This guy is a menace. Song: “hey now” I’m not sure Noah was killing animals aboard his ark, but I haven’t read the bible in a minute. Great line, either way. And of course, we all know how he’s referring to. Song: “squabble up” So, it looks like we finally got the snippet he did at the start of the “Not Like Us” video and it’s essentially a message to the game that the boogeyman is outside and he wants to play. Song: “peekaboo” Calling diamonds boogers and comparing their carats to Kobe’s 81-point game is what this rap thing is all about. Song: “wacced out murals” To be fair to Snoop, he posts damn near everything on his Instagram account. But him waking up and being confused about hearing his voice on Drake’s diss song and then reposting it was a little head-scratching to say the least. The West Coast legend has been adamant about wanting to stay neutral throughout this whole ordeal, so maybe he didn’t really mean anything by it? Either way, Kendrick’s disappointed in his OG. Let’s hope they can hash this out. Song: “hey now” This is one of the best lines on one of the album’s best songs, and he’s still talking to Drake who some thought was too big to fail. Song: “dodger blue” That line about his chain being so dripped in ice that it resembles the glare on the camera lenses used by some of the game’s greatest directors is special. Song: “wacced out murals” Jigga tapping Dot to headline the Super Bowl has made everyone loose their minds, and perhaps there were some politics happening behind the scenes that made Wayne feel like he and Cash Money were going to get the nod in their hometown, but I’m not really sure how you can not understand this decision. Maybe Weezy gets the call if one of the most important rap battles since Jay-Z vs. Nas didn’t pop off. Song: “man at the garden” The crown sits in the West. We better get used to it. Now we sit back and see who tries to come for it.THE drums of war are beating. Vladimir Putin is threatening to incinerate all of us in a nuclear conflagration. In response, the feeble, cash-strapped European Union is struggling to raise an army after decades of feasting on an ­imaginary peace dividend. Alarm bells are sounding for the first time since the Cold War as Ukraine unleashes UK and US missiles deep inside Russia , raising the risk of pan-European conflict. Scary times. But are we really facing World War Three ? To quote Dad’s Army’s Lance Corporal Jones: “Don’t panic!” Read More on World News At least, not yet. Still, frontline states such as Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland are taking the threat seriously. Peacenik Germany has finally woken up to the Russian menace and invited 800,000 Nato troops to carry out war games on its soil. In America, you can buy “affordable bunkers to survive the apocalypse now — fallout shelters that won’t break the bank” — at $140,000 a pop. Most read in The Sun Here in Britain, an online newspaper captures the mood with survival tips such as: “How to stop your skin melting” and “Why you should keep your mouth open so your eardrums don’t burst . . .” One misstep away from global conflict Nothing sells better than a horror story. The truth is that the world is paying dearly for the absurd 76-day power gap between Donald Trump’s election as US President on November 5 and his inauguration on January 20 . The vacuum is being filled by sabre-rattling as both sides in the Ukraine conflict strive to make irreversible gains before Trump enters the White House . The crisis has been stoked by doddery Joe Biden , who belatedly handed Ukraine the long-range missiles it might have previously used to end the war. Instead, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s attacks deep inside Russia have provoked the Kremlin into threatening nuclear retaliation. On Thursday, after hitting the Ukrainian city of Dnipro with a nuke-capable hypersonic Oreshnik missile, Putin declared the UK and US could now be targets for Russia. We need to calm down. Even Mad Vlad is not crazy enough to nuke the West. And if he were, China wouldn’t let him. Moscow and Beijing may be joined at the hip in seeking to hobble the mighty American colossus. But Beijing dictator Xi Jinping intends to achieve this by stealth and coercion — not by letting his junior partner unleash Apocalypse Now. This is not to understate the unnervingly sinister risk to world peace. We have learned from two ­catastrophic world wars — and the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis — that we are always just one hideous misstep away from global conflict. Amid this crisis, we find ourselves in the hands of the most unpredictable and erratic world leader of modern times. Donald Trump has stoked tensions by threatening to turn the world’s economic, diplomatic and military order on its head. He is ready to crack heads together in the Middle East , sink China’s exports and launch trade wars with Europe. But first up, Ukraine. The 47th President-elect is ready to walk away from a European conflict which he insists has absolutely nothing to do with the US. Yet while European Union leaders have dithered and wrung their hands, American taxpayers forked out £140BILLION in aid and arms to Ukraine. Enough is enough, says Trump. This might be a bluff by the world’s biggest bluffer. But only a fool would call it. Which explains why Kyiv leader Zelensky is grabbing every weapon he can lay hands on to beat off the Russian bear while he still has time. They include the long-range American ATACMS and, thanks to PM Keir Starmer , Britain’s lethal Storm Shadow cruise missiles , already deployed with devastating effect this week. And yet, admirable as this may be in defence of brave Ukraine, it merely prolongs an unwinnable war. Putin, himself a formidable negotiator, has raised the stakes by insisting foreign-made weapons used against Russia are grounds for nuclear retaliation . This leaves the EU dangerously exposed. Despite the overlapping membership of Nato, the EU’s 27 member states have become flabbily impotent. For half a century, taxpayers’ trillions have been lavished on social-welfare spending while mere pennies have been set aside for the military. Armies are depleted while naval and air defences are running on fumes. In the face of the biggest threat to peace since World War Two , Europe today stands effectively defenceless. During his first term of office, President Trump put a bomb under EU leaders, making them cough up more cash for military spending. But not enough. Germany, which once armed its troops with broomsticks instead of rifles, is the worst culprit. Despite its role as the EU’s economic dynamo, the Ukraine conflict has shown it was totally dependent on Russian oil and gas. Now, with the heat on, Berlin is offering to host 800,000 Nato troops on its soil to defend the Fatherland if Russia invades Finland or the Baltic states. Under Article 51 of the Nato alliance, an attack on any of its 32 member nations is deemed an attack on all. Formerly pacifist regimes now understand the only way to preserve peace is to prepare for war. In 1960s, we practised diving under the table Late in the day, Europe’s liberal elites in countries such as Sweden and Holland have ordered industrial and agricultural interests to stockpile food, fuel and vital equipment including diesel generators. Which underscores the madness of Keir Starmer’s declaration of war on Britain’s hard-pressed farmers. We may soon need every acre to plant crops and dig for victory. Nor can Labour now justify its decision to mothball our coal, gas and oil resources at a time of soaring energy prices in pursuit of Ed Miliband’s insane Net Zero deadline. Voters will also ask why this Government is scrapping five Royal Navy warships, dozens of military helicopters and drones and perhaps even our two brand-new aircraft carriers. If our plodding PM has learned anything from his never-ending overseas meetings with world leaders, it is surely that socialism is no substitute for a proper defence policy. We have been through similar crises in the past, not least the decades-long Cold War when the Kremlin really did pose a nuclear threat to our survival. In the 1960s we lived with the possibility of imminent attack, heralded only by a “four-minute warning” on old war-time sirens. We practised diving under the dining room table, or standing in doorways which are more likely to survive a blast. The best-selling book On The Beach portrayed Aussies awaiting their “last days on Earth” after a nuclear war in the northern hemisphere. Peter Sellers made us laugh nervously in Dr Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb. Women protesting against Polaris missiles camped out for years at RAF Greenham Common, while “Red Ken” Livingstone fatuously declared London a “nuclear-free zone”. By the 1980s, East-West negotiations reached the basis for an uneasy truce. It was literally MAD — “Mutually Assured Destruction”. Press the red button and we all die. In my early days as The Sun’s Political Editor, I accompanied PM Margaret Thatcher to Moscow for various talks with Soviet leaders. I had a ringside seat at one of the most significant disarmament summits between Russia’s Mikhail Gorbachev and American President Ronald Reagan . The superpower leaders agreed on huge, if symbolic, missile cuts, captured on Page One of The Sun by an image of nukes launched harmlessly into the Pacific Ocean. “We reaffirmed our solemn conviction that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought,” said the two world leaders in 1988. The Berlin Wall fell one year later, marking the so-called End Of History. But nuclear weapons cannot be disinvented. Mutually Assured Destruction remains the only bulwark against Armageddon. Luckily, Donald Trump is a master of The Art Of The Deal. Putin is desperate to be treated with respect on the world stage, not as a global pariah. For all his bombast, he knows his country has suffered disastrous losses in blood and treasure from his blundering assault on Ukraine. Tough call for so-called European superstate Sanctions have blocked Russia’s stagnant economy from Western advances in technology. A permanent ceasefire is negotiable, but only if Putin is not humiliated. There could be deals which revive Russia’s lucrative trade in oil and gas. Putin will want to be re-admitted to the top table of the world’s most powerful economies, making the G7 into the G8 once again. Brave Ukraine cannot fight on without allied support. Nor should it be abandoned to exist in a “frozen war”, perpetually intimidated by Russia. Which is where the European Union must step in. Ukraine is now Europe’s responsibility, not America’s. The EU’s member states must find the resources to guard their own borders. They can rely on Nato — which includes the US and UK — but only if they raise defence spending by billions. This is a tough call for the so-called European superstate, which has spent the past five decades effectively disarming. READ MORE SUN STORIES A failure of will at this crucial point would be disastrous. If Putin digs his heels in on Ukraine, we might yet find ourselves buying “affordable bunkers to survive the apocalypse”.ZURICH – Saudi Arabia scored a major win in its campaign to attract major sports events to the kingdom when it was formally appointed as the 2034 World Cup host on Wednesday. Still, many questions remain about the tournament as well as the 2030 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with three games in South America. Recommended Videos Here are some of the key issues that need to be answered over the next decade: Where will games be played? Saudi Arabia proposes 15 stadiums — eight still on paper — in five cities: Eight in the capital Riyadh, four in the Red Sea port city Jeddah, and one each in Abha, Al Khobar and Neom, the planned futuristic mega-project. Each would have at least 40,000 seats for World Cup games. The opening game and final are set for a 92,000-seat venue planned in Riyadh. Some designs are vivid . In Neom, the stadium is planned 350 meters (yards) above street level and one near Riyadh is designed to be atop a 200-meter cliff with a retractable wall of LED screens. Saudi Arabia aims to host all 104 games, though there has been speculation that some games could be played in neighboring or nearby countries. When will the World Cup be played? Surely not in the traditional World Cup period of June-July, when temperatures in Saudi Arabia routinely exceed 40 Celsius (104 degrees). FIFA moved the Qatar-hosted World Cup to November-December 2022, though those dates were not loved by most European clubs and leagues whose seasons were interrupted. Also, that slot is complicated in 2034 by the holy month of Ramadan through mid-December and Riyadh hosting the multi-sport Asian Games. January 2034 could be a possibility even though that would be just before the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The International Olympic Committee has signaled it won’t be opposed to back-to-back major events. In an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, Saudi World Cup bid official Hammad Albalawi said the precise dates of the tournament are up the world soccer body. “That’s a decision by FIFA. We stand ready to be part of this conversation. But ultimately it’s a FIFA decision together with the confederations,” Albalawi said. Will stadiums be segregated for men and women? Giving more rights and freedoms to women in a traditionally conservative society is fundamental to Saudi messaging around the modernization program known as Vision 2030. The kingdom decided in 2017 to let women attend sports events, initially in major cities and in family zones separate from men-only sections. By 2034, at the promised pace of social reforms, female fans should not be restricted. Saudi Arabia launched a women’s professional soccer league in 2022 with players joining from clubs in Europe. They face no restrictions playing in shorts and with hair uncovered. Will alcohol be allowed at the venues or hotels? The Saudi prohibition of alcohol is clear and understood before FIFA signs any sponsor deals for 2034. But will there be any exceptions? The alcohol issue was problematic for the World Cup in Qatar because the expectation was created that beer sales would be allowed at stadiums even before Qatar won its bid in 2010. One year later, FIFA extended a long-time deal to have Budweiser as the official World Cup beer through 2022. Qatar then backtracked on that promise three days before the first game, causing confusion and the sense of a promise broken. In Qatar, alcohol was served only at luxury suites at the stadiums. Visitors could also have a drink in some hotel bars. But Saudi Arabia has even stricter rules on alcohol — and there is no indication that will change. Albalawi noted that Saudi Arabia has successfully hosted dozens of sports events where alcohol wasn't served. “We’re creating a safe and secure family environment for fans to bring their families into our stadiums,” he said. How will workers rights be protected? Saudi promises to reform and enforce labor laws, and fully respect migrant workers, have been accepted by FIFA but face broad skepticism from rights groups and trade unions. A formal complaint is being investigated by the U.N.-backed International Labor Organization. Protecting the migrant workers needed to build stadiums and other tournament projects — a decade after it was a defining issue for Qatar — looms as a signature challenge for Saudi Arabia. Would Israel be allowed to play if it qualified for the 2034 World Cup? Saudi-Israeli relations had been improving when FIFA all but gave the 2034 World Cup to the kingdom on Oct. 4 last year. Three days later Hamas attacked Israel and diplomacy got more complicated. Any soccer federation bidding to host a FIFA tournament accepts a basic principle that whichever team qualifies is welcome. That did not stop Indonesia putting up barriers last year to Israel coming for the men’s Under-20 World Cup. Indonesia does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel which had qualified through a European tournament nine months before the issue flared. FIFA moved the entire tournament to Argentina and the Israeli team reached the semifinals. Israel played at the 1970 World Cup but has never advanced through qualifying in Europe, where it has been a member of UEFA for 30 years. Europe should have 16 places in the 48-team World Cup in Saudi Arabia. Where will the final of the 2030 World Cup be played? Most of the attention at the FIFA Congress on Wednesday was on the Saudi decision, but the soccer body and its members also formally approved the hosts of the 2030 World Cup — the most spread out and longest ever. One game each in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, the original host in 1930, will be played from June 8-9. The tournament resumes four days later for the other 101 games shared between Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Six countries, three continents, multiple languages and currencies. Fans traveling on planes, trains, automobiles and boats across about 14 kilometers (10 miles) of water between Spain and Morocco. The final is due on July 21, 2030 and a decision on where it will be played could cause some tension between the host countries. Morocco wants it in the world’s biggest soccer venue — the planned 115,000-seat King Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca. Spain, meanwhile, has proposed to host the final in either of the remodeled home stadiums of club giants Real Madrid or Barcelona. ___ Associated Press writer Baraa Anwer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, contributed to this report.

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Singh Won’t Support Conservative Non-Confidence Motion That Uses His Own WordsOTTAWA, ON , Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - China's recent decision to ban exports of gallium, germanium, antimony, and other high-tech materials with potential military applications in retaliation for U.S. restrictions on semiconductor-related exports, underscores the precariousness of global supply chains. This development highlights the vital role of the Canada-U.S. trade relationship in addressing supply chain vulnerabilities. China's actions serve as a stark reminder of the challenges posed by geopolitical tensions, particularly on the reliable supply of critical minerals. These materials are essential not only for technological innovation and economic growth but also for defense applications critical to national security. Canada has long been a dependable partner, providing certainty to U.S. manufacturing and defense industries by serving as a major supplier of minerals and metals. In 2022, 52% of Canada's mineral exports—valued at over $80 billion—were destined for the U.S.. Strengthening the free flow of minerals and metals between Canada and the U.S. is more critical than ever. Imposing tariffs on Canadian mineral and metal exports to the U.S. would run counter to the shared goals of secure and reliable supply chains. Such measures risk disrupting the essential flow of these resources, undermining the competitiveness of North American industries, and exacerbating vulnerabilities in critical mineral supply chains that both nations are working to address. The partnership on critical minerals between Canada and the U.S. began in earnest with the development of the Joint Action Plan on Critical Minerals Collaboration in 2020 under President Trump. This collaboration has continued under the Biden administration, demonstrating the enduring importance of this strategic alliance. As the U.S. prepares for a new administration, we look forward to working closely with the incoming Trump administration to build on this foundation, ensuring the resilience of critical mineral supply chains and supporting shared economic and defense priorities. "The minerals and metals industry in Canada stands ready to strengthen our partnership with the United States , ensuring the free flow of these essential resources that drive economic growth, defense capabilities, and technological advancement on both sides of the border. The security and well-being of all Canadians and Americans depends on it." said Pierre Gratton , President and CEO of MAC. The mining industry is a major sector of Canada's economy, contributing $161 billion to the national GDP and is responsible for 21 percent of Canada's total domestic exports. Canada's mining sector employs 694,000 people directly and indirectly across the country. The industry is proportionally the largest private sector employer of Indigenous peoples in Canada and a major customer of Indigenous-owned businesses. About MAC The Mining Association of Canada is the national organization for the Canadian mining industry. Its members account for most of Canada's production of base and precious metals, uranium, diamonds, metallurgical coal, mined oil sands and industrial minerals and are actively engaged in mineral exploration, mining, smelting, refining and semi-fabrication. Please visit www.mining.ca . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/strengthening-canada-us-critical-mineral-partnership-amid-rising-geopolitical-tensions-302321578.html SOURCE The Mining Association of Canada

Ravens waive S Eddie Jackson amid latest turmoil for secondaryWayne Rooney has encouraged I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! viewers to vote for his wife to do a Bushtucker Trial as he feels she would want to “put herself to the test”. The former England footballer, 39, said he was “proud” of how Coleen was doing in the Australian jungle in a post on social media on Saturday. The couple, who first met at school and began dating aged 16, share four sons – Kai Wayne, Klay Anthony, Kit Joseph and Cass Mac. Proud of on she’s doing great ❤️ Me and the boys would love to see her doing a trial and we know she’d want to put herself to the test. If you can download the app and let’s get voting! 🗳️🕷️🐍 — Wayne Rooney (@WayneRooney) “Proud of @ColeenRoo on @imacelebrity she’s doing great”, he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, alongside a collage of photos of her on the show. “Me and the boys would love to see her doing a trial and we know she’d want to put herself to the test. “If you can download the #ImACeleb and let’s get voting!” At the end of Saturday’s episode, it was revealed Rooney would be taking on the next Bushtucker Trial alongside BBC Radio 1 presenter Dean McCullough. Your votes mean Coleen and Dean are about to have a trucking terrifying time when they face Absolute Carnage ⚠️ — I'm A Celebrity... (@imacelebrity) During the first task of the series, McCullough chose to partner up with TV personality Coleen as he hailed her as “Wagatha Christie”. Rooney, 38, was given the nickname when she accused Rebekah Vardy, who is married to Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy, of leaking her private information to The Sun in a viral post on social media. In July 2022, a judge at the High Court found the post was “substantially true”. During Vardy’s stint on I’m A Celebrity, she became the third celebrity to leave, saying the series helped her become more tolerant. Earlier this week, Liverpool-born Coleen told her fellow campmate that going to court over her feud with Vardy was her “worst nightmare” as she felt she was “putting on a show for the whole world”. However, she said she was not scared about making the viral post which kicked off the dispute, saying: “I just didn’t think it would have the impact it did, because I was just that sick and tired of it, it was draining.” Later in the episode, Rooney became emotional over the loss of her sister Rosie, after boxing star Barry McGuigan spoke about the death of his daughter. I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! continues on ITV1 and ITVX.

The is a first-of-its-kind tournament that, in FIFA’s dreams, is precisely what its name suggests. It’s a 32-team extravaganza modeled after soccer’s actual , with one key difference: top professional clubs, such as Real Madrid — rather than national teams, such as Spain — are the contestants. It is . And when it does, , it will be “innovative, inclusive, groundbreaking and truly global.” It represents a novel concept in sports, where the vast majority of pro teams compete exclusively within national or continental borders; the Club World Cup, on the other hand, will feature multinational pro teams — soccer’s equivalent of the New York Knicks or Kansas City Chiefs — from Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It is, in theory, a true world championship. But it’s . Its launch has been dogged by organizational missteps, financial battles, player workload concerns and resistance from the European soccer establishment. The resistance has been so fierce that, until recently, some insiders questioned whether the 2025 tournament would even happen at all. Now, though, puzzle pieces are squirming into place. have been chosen. A has been signed. The . The has arrived. The Club World Cup, in other words, is happening. And the following is an attempt to explain it, beginning with the basics, then the complexities. The Club World Cup begins June 14, 2025, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Inter Miami will play Egypt's Al Ahly in the opener at 8 p.m. ET. It concludes July 13 with the in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The full schedule — dates, locations, matchups, kickoff times — is , , and below. The 12 U.S. venues set to host games are: • Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta • Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina • TQL Stadium in Cincinnati • The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California • Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida • GEODIS Park in Nashville • MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey • Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida • Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida • Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia • Lumen Field in Seattle • Audi Field in Washington MetLife will host nine matches, including both semifinals and the final. Philadelphia and Miami will get eight games apiece. Atlanta, Seattle and the Rose Bowl will get six. Which stadium are you looking forward to visiting? 🏟️ — FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) Most venues are on or near the U.S. east coast because of its proximity to Europe, which will send 12 teams, and which boasts coveted media markets. East-coast games will minimize travel (for teams and fans) and inconvenient time differences (for TV viewers). FIFA also made this decision in coordination with CONCACAF, soccer’s North and Central American governing body, which will stage its continental championship, the Gold Cup, simultaneously and . The 32 clubs set to participate are ... Manchester City (England), Chelsea (England), Real Madrid (Spain), Atlético Madrid (Spain), Bayern Munich (Germany), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Juventus (Italy), Inter Milan (Italy), PSG (France), Benfica (Portugal), Porto (Portugal), RB Salzburg (Austria) Inter Miami (U.S.), Seattle Sounders (U.S.), Monterrey (Mexico), Pachuca (Mexico), León (Mexico) Flamengo (Brazil), Palmeiras (Brazil), Fluminense (Brazil), Botafogo (Brazil), River Plate (Argentina), Boca Juniors (Argentina) Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Ulsan (South Korea), Urawa Reds (Japan), Al Ain (UAE) Al Ahly (Egypt), Wydad (Morocco), Espérance (Tunisia), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) Auckland City (New Zealand) In 2023, the Club World Cup’s 32 berths to Europe (12), South America (6), CONCACAF (4), Africa (4), Asia (4), Oceania (1) and the host nation (1). To earn those berths, there were — one simple, one complicated. The simple path was via continental championships. Every club that won the UEFA Champions League, the Copa Libertadores, the CONCACAF Champions Cup, or the Asian and African equivalents between 2021 and 2024 qualified automatically. Beyond those champions, slots were filled by a , but with a caveat: only the top two clubs from any given country could qualify via rankings. So, even though Liverpool ranked eighth in Europe, the Reds missed out because Man City and Chelsea won the Champions League in 2023 and 2021. Barcelona, meanwhile, ranked two spots behind Atlético Madrid — because Barca underperformed in the Champions League over the last four seasons. Salzburg ranked 18th, but snuck in because others from Spain, Italy and Germany also ran up against the two-per-country cap. In South America, four different Brazilian clubs swept the Libertadores titles. Argentine giants Boca and River claimed the two additional seats at the table. In Africa, Al Ahly won three of four Champions League titles, so Espérance and Mamelodi Sundowns joined them and Wydad in the field. In CONCACAF, things were straightforward, with four distinct winners ... except for the “host nation slot.” FIFA never said how a team could claim that slot — until October when FIFA president Gianni Infantino appeared in South Florida, unannounced on the final day of the MLS regular season, to . The Club World Cup will run just like past men’s World Cups, with the 32 teams divided into eight groups of four. The top two in each group will advance to the Round of 16. From there, single-elimination games will decide a champion. For roughly two decades, FIFA ran another tournament also called the Club World Cup. That, though, was a shorter seven-team tournament played annually in the winter, and contested by only the most recent champion of each continent (plus one club from the host country). That tournament has now morphed into the “FIFA Intercontinental Cup.” The 32-team quadrennial summer tournament that will launch in 2025, and that you’re reading about now, is distinct, and unconnected to the seven-team annual version — other than the “Club World Cup” name. The European giants, . Their betting odds and relative standing could change between December and June, but for now the favorites are Manchester City (+320), Real Madrid (+360), Bayern Munich (+600), Chelsea (+700), Inter Milan (+950) and PSG (+1000). A in Miami sorted the teams into the following eight group: Palmeiras (Brazil), Porto (Portugal), Al Ahly (Egypt), Inter Miami (U.S.) PSG (France), Atlético Madrid (Spain), Botafogo (Brazil), Seattle Sounders (U.S.) Bayern Munich (Germany), Auckland City (New Zealand), Boca Juniors (Argentina), Benfica (Portugal) Flamengo (Brazil), Espérance (Tunisia), Chelsea (England), León (Mexico) River Plate (Argentina), Urawa Reds (Japan), Monterrey (Mexico), Inter Milan (Italy) Fluminense (Brazil), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Ulsan (South Korea), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) Manchester City (England), Wydad (Morocco), Al Ain (UAE), Juventus (Italy) Real Madrid (Spain), Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Pachuca (Mexico), RB Salzburg (Austria) That’s the million-dollar question of the Club World Cup. With intercontinental club competitions so scarce, not a soul knows for sure how clubs from Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, MLS, East Asia, North Africa and elsewhere will measure up to the likes of Bayern, PSG and Porto. The assumption — based on rosters and salaries — is that the European teams are superior. But betting markets are somewhat skeptical, and suggest the gap might be thinner than Westerners realize. , Palmeiras is +1900 to win the title — same as Dortmund and Juve. Al Hilal and Flamengo are +2500 — same as Porto and Benfica. There are grounded in analytics that attempt to rank clubs across borders and seas. Most lead to a middle-ground conclusion: the Man Cities, Real Madrids and Bayerns of the world stand confidently atop the sport, but not all European teams do. Upsets will be possible. , which include over 13,000 clubs, rate the 32 Club World Cup contestants as follows: Inter Milan (2, 98.9) Manchester City (3, 98.4) Real Madrid (5, 97.4) Bayern Munich (8, 95.7) PSG (9, 95.7) Chelsea (12, 94.5) Juventus (13, 94.2) Atlético Madrid (14, 93.6) Borussia Dortmund (20, 92.4) Benfica (21, 92.4) Porto (26, 91.3) Al Hilal (30, 90.7) Botafogo (55, 87.9) Palmeiras (58, 87.4) Flamengo (68, 86.4) River Plate (99, 84.8) Al Ahly (106, 84.5) Inter Miami (113, 84.2) Seattle Sounders (143, 83.2) Monterrey (144, 83.2) RB Salzburg (150, 83.0) Boca Juniors (160, 82.5) Fluminense (166, 82.5) Mamelodi Sundowns (220, 80.8) Espérance (324, 78.8) Ulsan (361, 78.4) Pachuca (375, 78.2) Urawa Reds (389, 77.9) León (400, 77.8) Wydad (565, 75.8) Al Ain (678, 74.7) Auckland City (4082, 59.0) Probably. In fact, FIFA’s published state that all participating clubs must “field their strongest team throughout the competition.” But there are questions around how “strongest team” would be defined, and how that rule would be enforced. And there is context. A select few of the biggest clubs, such as Real Madrid, don’t seem all that enthusiastic about participating. They will have to be incentivized to come and try to win. How? With tens of millions of dollars in prize money and appearance fees. Sort of — to the extent that all of modern sport is about money. The Club World Cup is FIFA’s attempt to monetize soccer’s biggest clubs and players — which double as the sport’s most marketable brands. Currently, the vast majority of club soccer games, and therefore revenues — from broadcast rights, sponsorships and more — are controlled by domestic leagues, such as the English Premier League; and by continental confederations, namely UEFA, which runs the hugely profitable Champions League. FIFA, meanwhile, makes billions off the World Cup, a quadrennial showpiece for national teams. But because the Champions League is an annual bonanza, UEFA’s revenues are far greater. Those revenues trickle down to European clubs and national soccer federations, which use the money to recruit or produce players — and consolidate their supremacy. So, FIFA created the Club World Cup, which, for the first time, could allow the global governing body to profit off those same clubs — and share some small percentage of the spoils with 200-plus national soccer federations around the world, rather than solely the European ones. FIFA argues that this would be a . Critics argue it's a “cash grab”; part of a personal battle between Infantino and UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin; and a ploy to reinforce Infantino’s political power — because the presidents of the 200-plus national soccer federations sharing the spoils double as FIFA’s electorate. UEFA and the top European leagues, meanwhile, have and Infantino’s plan, because they want to keep all Real Madrid- or Manchester City-related revenue to themselves. The players and their unions are. FIFPRO Europe, a branch of the global players’ union, has called the Club World Cup a “tipping point” in the broader context of soccer’s ever-congested calendar. They’ve against FIFA, which “unilaterally set” the calendar, with space carved out for the Club World Cup. They that, especially with the new tournament extending seasons by a month, players’ bodies and brains are becoming overworked and overwhelmed. The leagues, on the other hand, say they’re concerned about workload; but really, they want to protect their market share. They already organize dozens of games per club every year; the Club World Cup will merely add a few games for a small handful of teams once every four years. The leagues want to preserve their primacy on the calendar. Their problem is that FIFA controls both the Club World Cup and the calendar. So they, too, have and attacked “FIFA’s conflict of interest.” They’ve argued to the European Commission that FIFA is abusing its position as both a commercially minded organizer and regulator of soccer. Their case, which many experts believe has merit, could muddy the future of this new tournament. The vast majority of the 32 do — and hundreds of others worldwide would love to. (Mainstream European media have largely ignored non-European perspectives.) A noisy minority, however, want to they’re well compensated. Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti explained the dynamic in this past June — albeit with words he later walked back: "One single Real Madrid game is worth €20 million, and FIFA wants to give us that amount for the entire competition. ... Just like us, other clubs will refuse the invitation." Real Madrid and the rest of the clubs have since said they’re committed to the tournament. But behind the scenes, sources have told Yahoo Sports, they’re demanding hefty sums of cash. The last month that some want “significant eight-figure [appearance] fees in addition to prize money.” The question, then, for FIFA, has been: Where’s that money coming from? FIFA, anticipating immense interest in the Club World Cup, initially budgeted billions of dollars in revenue. But broadcasters and sponsors — the two main sources of potential income — were lukewarm. Negotiations with Apple collapsed. At the start of December, no television partners had been announced; and sponsors had only just begun to appear. FIFA, by all accounts, will fall short of its target, leading — and how much it will be able to pay the participating clubs. Part of the answer came Wednesday, when FIFA announced that DAZN, a struggling sports streaming platform, would broadcast all 63 Club World Cup games to viewers around the world for free. But the finances of that deal — and of the Club World Cup more broadly — remain murky. How much DAZN is paying for the tournament, , and whether the rights will be sublicensed to major TV networks in some countries is all unclear. Two people familiar with the deal told Yahoo Sports that, in its entirety, it’s worth around $1 billion. But in their press releases, FIFA and DAZN called the 2025 Club World Cup broadcast rights “the start of a broader partnership.” It’s unclear what portion of the roughly $1 billion is for the Club World Cup, and what portion might be for other rights that are part of a more extensive package. (Spokesmen for FIFA and DAZN both declined to comment on the speculation about potential Saudi involvement.) For now, in the U.S., the answer is no — DAZN, a platform that very few U.S. sports fans use, will be the exclusive broadcaster, and the only place to watch games. FIFA, though, mentioned in its news release “the possibility of sublicensing to local free-to-air linear broadcast networks.” This means that, for example, Fox could pay FIFA and/or DAZN to broadcast some of all of the 63 games. If there is no such sublicensing, the DAZN deal will be disastrous for the visibility of the tournament in the U.S. Nope. , you can “ ” in tickets, but FIFA has not said when or how you’ll be able to buy them. It could be. In many ways, it should be. But with budgets reportedly slashed, and planning far behind schedule, most insiders expect the 2025 edition to be a mixed bag of vibrancy, mishaps, full stadiums and duds. Even a mixed bag, though — in the absence of boycotts or legal interventions — should be enough to get the Club World Cup off the ground, and in position for success in 2029 and beyond. The full schedule is below. All kickoff times are U.S. Eastern Time. Saturday, June 14 8 p.m. — Inter Miami vs. Al Ahly — Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida) Sunday, June 15 Noon — Bayern Munich vs. Auckland City — TQL Stadium (Cincinnati) 3 p.m. — PSG vs. Atlético Madrid — Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California) 6 p.m. — Palmeiras vs. Porto — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey) 10 p.m. — Seattle Sounders vs. Botafogo — Lumen Field (Seattle) 3 p.m. — Chelsea vs. León — Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) 6 p.m. — Boca Juniors vs. Benfica — Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida) 9 p.m. — Flamengo vs. Espérance — Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia) Noon — Fluminense vs. Borussia Dortmund — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey) 3 p.m. — River Plate vs. Urawa Reds — Lumen Field (Seattle) 6 p.m. — Ulsan vs. Mamelodi Sundowns — Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando) 9 p.m. — Monterrey vs. Inter Milan — Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California) Noon — Manchester City vs. Wydad — Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia) 3 p.m. — Real Madrid vs. Al Hilal — Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida) 6 p.m. — Pachuca vs. RB Salzburg — TQL Stadium (Cincinnati) 9 p.m. — Al Ain vs. Juventus — Audi Field (Washington, D.C.) Noon — Palmeiras vs. Al Ahly — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey) 3 p.m. — Inter Miami vs. Porto — Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) 6 p.m. — Seattle Sounders vs. Atlético Madrid — Lumen Field (Seattle) 9 p.m. — PSG vs. Botafogo — Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California) Noon — Benfica vs. Auckland City — Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando) 2 p.m. — Flamengo vs. Chelsea — Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia) 6 p.m. — León vs. Espérance — GEODIS Park (Nashville) 9 p.m. — Bayern Munich vs. Boca Juniors — Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida) Noon — Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Borussia Dortmund — TQL Stadium (Cincinnati) 3 p.m. — Inter Milan vs. Urawa Reds — Lumen Field (Seattle) 6 p.m. — Fluminense vs. Ulsan — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey) 9 p.m. — River Plate vs. Monterrey — Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California) Noon — Juventus vs. Wydad — Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia) 3 p.m. — Real Madrid vs. Pachuca — Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte) 6 p.m. — RB Salzburg vs. Al Hilal — Audi Field (Washington, D.C.) 9 p.m. — Manchester City vs. Al Ain — Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) 3 p.m. — Atlético Madrid vs. Botafogo — Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California) 3 p.m. — Seattle Sounders vs. PSG — Lumen Field (Seattle) 9 p.m. — Inter Miami vs. Palmeiras — Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida) 9 p.m. — Porto vs. Al Ahly — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey) 3 p.m. — Benfica vs. Bayern Munich — Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte) 3 p.m. — Auckland City vs. Boca Juniors — GEODIS Park (Nashville) 9 p.m. — León vs. Flamengo — Camping World Stadium (Orlando) 9 p.m. — Espérance vs. Chelsea — Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia) 3 p.m. — Borussia Dortmund vs. Ulsan — TQL Stadium (Cincinnati) 3 p.m. — Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Fluminense — Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida) 9 p.m. — Urawa Reds vs. Monterrey — Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California) 9 p.m. — Inter Milan vs. River Plate — Lumen Field (Seattle) 3 p.m. — Juventus vs. Manchester City — Camping World Stadium (Orlando) 3 p.m. — Wydad vs. Al Ain — Audi Field (Washington, D.C.) 9 p.m. — Al Hilal vs. Pachuca — GEODIS Park (Nashville) 9 p.m. — RB Salzburg vs. Real Madrid — Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia) Noon — A winner vs. B runner-up — Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia) 4 p.m. — C winner vs. D runner-up — Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte) Noon — B winner vs. A runner-up — Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) 4 p.m. — D winner vs. C runner-up — Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida) 3 p.m. — E winner vs. F runner-up — Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte) 9 p.m. — G winner vs. H runner-up — Camping World Stadium (Orlando) 3 p.m. — H winner vs. G runner-up — Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida) 9 p.m. — F winner vs. E runner-up — Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) 3 p.m. — 1E/2F vs. 1G/2H — Camping World Stadium (Orlando) 9 p.m. — 1A/2B vs. 1C/2D — Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia) Noon — 1B/2A vs. 1D/2C — Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) 4 p.m. — 1F/2E vs. 1H/2G — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey) Rest days. 3 p.m. — 1A/2B/1C/2D vs. 1E/2F/1G/2H — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey) 3 p.m. — 1B/2A/1D/2C vs. 1A/2B vs. 1C/2D — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey) 3 p.m. — Final — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey)None

While most investors around the world are scrambling to ditch coal plants like bad habits, a defiant European billionaire is still pushing all his chips in for this technology - scooping up these assets in a brazen move to cement coal’s place in the energy mix for many more decades to come. Czech billionaire Pavel Tykac, who owns Sev.en Global Investments, is on globe-trotting coal acquisition expedition - snapping up these power plants like rare collectibles. His reported latest conquest? A two-unit coal plant in Vietnam, but he’s not stopping there—his sights are still set on expanding his coal empire across Asia, Australia, and the United States, eyeing everything from coal mines to coal-fed plants. Sources in the coal industry suggest that Tykac’s buying spree is fueled by a fire-sale frenzy sweeping through energy markets, as many companies and even some countries are eager to flaunt their ESG credentials and have been seriously embracing energy transition goals, hence, they tend to unload coal plants even at bargain basement prices. The Czech business magnate started his pursuit to extend coal’s reign in his own country -- seizing both a coal mine and a power station, then he expanded his venture in other European energy markets. Coal’s defiance of the energy transition Whether at the negotiation chambers of the United Nations-led climate change diplomacy or at the power-laden policy tables of energy markets, the burning question persists: will coal be finally cast aside in the evolving energy mix, or does its grip on the future remain unyielding? And this very question echoes at home - that despite Philippine policymakers’ fervent drive to propel renewable energy (RE) investments on a massive scale - a relentless tug-of-war still rages between ambitious green goals and the deep-rooted reliance on fossil fuels to still power the nation’s economic growth. The Department of Energy (DOE) has steadfastly declared that: despite the 2020 coal moratorium, projects already in the pipeline—or those with permits and pre-development milestones—will continue to underpin the nation’s energy capacity, a harsh necessity in the face of a glaring baseload supply deficit that demands immediate action. Clashing voices reverberate: staunch anti-coal environmentalists and advocacy groups ferociously condemn the government for greenlighting new coal plants, while pro-coal investors argue that developing nations like the Philippines deserve a slower, more measured energy transition – all that while pointing fingers at industrialized nations for the lion's share of the climate crisis now jeopardizing the planet. For now, at least three major players have thrown their hats into the ring, unveiling plans for additional coal plant developments: the Aboitiz group’s 150-megawatt Therma Visayas expansion in Cebu, Meralco PowerGen’s massive 1,200MW Atimonan planned coal facility in Quezon, and Semirara Mining and Power Corp's targeted move to resurrect its 700MW Saint Raphael project in Batangas. In bold strokes, several of the country’s leading banks - chief among them RCBC of the Yuchengco group and Ayala-led BPI - have unflinchingly declared that they will no longer finance new coal plants, though they’ve tempered this commitment by acknowledging that existing coal projects, those funded before the shift and already on their books, will continue to be part of their loan portfolios. Other banks, however, have taken ‘more conservative stance’ on coal project financing, leaving the field still open, thus, it is interesting to see which financial giants will blink first to reinforce the gamble for the continued installation of new coal plants in the country despite the growing pressure for change. It’s also a guessing game whether the DOE’s coal retirement plan will be taken seriously under the current administration, or if the government will hold on to every last megawatt of existing coal capacity to stave off tight supply predicaments - particularly for the overburdened grids of Luzon and Visayas. Suffice it to say that the domestic energy market has morphed into an unforgiving mystery puzzle—packed with more questions than answers about coal's future, as this well-entrenched tech is now fighting tooth and nail for its reign while it locks horns with the country's ambitious green energy transformation. For over two decades, the Philippines has been caught in an endless loop of threatening power crisis—that was since the deregulation and restructuring of its power sector in 2001 by virtue of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA). Then each time, the default solution has been coal plants as project sponsor-firms claim that this technology remains the cheaper, albeit not a cleaner option, if compared to gas-fired plants that could promise lower carbon emissions. In the grand scheme, it’ll be intriguing to see if the future will prove that Czech billionaire Tykac’s play on stretching coal plant lifecycles will persist as a defining force in global energy mix— that in addition to his coal asset acquisitions fattening his bank account, the energy transition might still be clinging to coal like a stubborn old friend, powering economies long after it was supposed to have left the party. For feedback and suggestions, please email at: [email protected]By BILL BARROW, Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, 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. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. 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, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor 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 moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race 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. 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 began monitoring U.S. elections 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 frustrating his successors . 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 with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: 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.” 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 taught Sunday School lessons 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 better ex-president than president 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, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . 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, who died in 2022. 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. 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. His mother, Lillian , 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 he married Rosalynn Smith, 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. His decision angered Rosalynn, 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 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly 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. 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 no more talented than he was. 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?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members 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. Walter “Fritz” Mondale 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. 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 Ruth Bader Ginsburg 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 sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him 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. 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 cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” ___ Former Associated Press journalist Alex Sanz contributed to this report.