A week after a demoralizing loss to the Tennessee Titans, the AFC South-leading Houston Texans might have a perfect opportunity to reboot when they face the host Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Then again, maybe not. It depends, Houston coach DeMeco Ryans said, if the Texans (7-5) are "locked in" and able to make a December push. "I just look at it as being intensely focused on your job and being where you're supposed to be, executing the minor details of your job," Ryans said. "It all comes down to minor, minute details that you get exploited if you don't do them the correct way and teams find those and they make you pay. "And a lot of the things, as I talked to our guys about, are things that we can control." Jacksonville (2-9), sitting at the bottom of the AFC South, is coming off a humiliating 52-6 loss to the Detroit Lions. It marked the fourth straight setback for the Jaguars, who had dropped their previous three games by a combined 13 points. Jaguars coach Doug Pederson noted that changes are coming, although he opted not to show his cards. "I'm not going to get into the whole details of things, but there are things in the run game that we have to get back to," Pederson said. "Even in the passing game, tweaking some things there. There are things that can, hopefully, help our production over the last six weeks." One of those things could be the return of starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who has not played since Nov. 3 due to a left shoulder injury. Lawrence was a limited participant during practice on Wednesday, with Pederson telling reporters Monday that the signal-caller's status for Sunday would be determined as the week progresses. Pederson has also had his eye on Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud, who has run into some struggles during his sophomore season. Stroud has thrown nine interceptions in 12 games (all starts) after throwing only five as a rookie. He was picked off twice in the 32-27 setback against Tennessee, also throwing for 247 yards and two touchdowns on 20-for-33 passing. Pederson still believes the 23-year-old can hurt the Jaguars, though. "Playing the quarterback position is hard," Pederson said. "I don't know everything that goes on down there. I'm sure there's been injury, guys have missed (time). He's missed his playmakers from time to time. And then there's the film. There's the film out there." The Texans have lost three of their past four games and four of their past six as defenses continue to solve Stroud. Defensive ends Will Anderson Jr. (ankle) and Denico Autry (knee) were among those who didn't practice for Houston on Wednesday, and safety Jalen Pitre is expected to miss several weeks because of a shoulder injury. Linebacker Yasir Abdullah (hamstring) was the only Jaguar to miss practice on Wednesday. Cornerback Tyson Campbell (shoulder) joined Lawrence as limited. Sunday marks the second meeting of the season between the teams. The Texans topped Jacksonville 24-20 back on Sept. 29. --Field Level MediaSyrians rejoice as Assad flees, ending brutal reignOmnicom Declares Dividendgoogle poker game 。

Restoration Amendment Bill falls short of correcting dark injustices and restoring legal rights of a generation of SamoansNew York Cowboys Dominate Carolina Eagles to Secure Eliminator Spot

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Kaylene Smikle scored 16 points and made a couple key baskets down the stretch to help No. 10 Maryland hold off George Mason 66-56 in a matchup of unbeatens Saturday at the Navy Classic. The Terrapins (7-0) led by just two when Smikle stole the ball and made a layup while being fouled. The free throw pushed the lead to 58-53. Then a putback by Smikle put Maryland up by seven. The Terps won despite shooting 13 of 26 on free throws. George Mason (6-1) trailed by 10 at halftime before outscoring Maryland 18-7 in the third quarter. The Patriots' final lead was 49-48 in the fourth after a jumper by Kennedy Harris. Harris led George Mason with 26 points. Maryland is off to its best start since winning its first 12 games in 2018-19. George Mason: The Patriots have lost all nine meetings with Maryland, but it's been more competitive of late. The Terps won 86-77 last year, and this game was more competitive than the final score suggested. Maryland: After a down season by their standards, the Terps are off to a nice start, but the free-throw problems in this game nearly cost them. With the score 55-53, George Mason had a chance to tie, but the Patriots never really recovered after Smikle swiped the ball from Harris and went the other way for a three-point play with 3:08 remaining. Although Maryland was awful at the line, at least the Terps got there. George Mason was only 3 of 8 from the stripe, and the Terps held the Patriots to 32% shooting from the field. George Mason faces Navy in this event Sunday. Maryland takes on Toledo. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketballWASHINGTON — Donald Trump said he can't guarantee his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won't raise prices for American consumers and suggested once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect, in a wide-ranging interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" that aired Sunday, also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning "things do change." Here's a look at some of the issues covered: President-elect Donald Trump takes the stage before he speaks at the FOX Nation Patriot Awards, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, in Greenvale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa) Trump threatened broad trade penalties, but said he didn't believe economists' predictions that added costs on those imported goods for American companies would lead to higher domestic prices for consumers. He stopped short of a pledge that U.S. an households won't be paying more as they shop. People are also reading... "I can't guarantee anything. I can't guarantee tomorrow," Trump said, seeming to open the door to accepting the reality of how import levies typically work as goods reach the retail market. That's a different approach from Trump's typical speeches throughout the 2024 campaign, when he framed his election as a sure way to curb inflation. In the interview, Trump defended tariffs generally, saying that tariffs are "going to make us rich." He has pledged that, on his first day in office in January, he would impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada unless those countries satisfactorily stop illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. He also has threatened tariffs on China to help force that country to crack down on fentanyl production. "All I want to do is I want to have a level, fast, but fair playing field," Trump said. Biden is considering preemptive pardons for officials and allies before Trump takes office He offered conflicting statements on how he would approach the justice system after winning election despite being convicted of 34 felonies in a New York state court and being indicted in other cases for his handling of national security secrets and efforts to overturn his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. "Honestly, they should go to jail," Trump said of members of Congress who investigated the Capitol riot by his supporters who wanted him to remain in power. The president-elect underscored his contention that he can use the justice system against others, including special prosecutor Jack Smith, who led the case on Trump's role in the siege on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump confirmed his plan to pardon supporters who were convicted for their roles in the riot, saying he would take that action on his first day in office. As for the idea of revenge driving potential prosecutions, Trump said: "I have the absolute right. I'm the chief law enforcement officer, you do know that. I'm the president. But I'm not interested in that." At the same time, Trump singled out lawmakers on a special House committee who investigated the insurrection, citing Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. "Cheney was behind it ... so was Bennie Thompson and everybody on that committee," Trump said. Asked specifically whether he would direct his administration to pursue cases, he said, "No," and suggested he did not expect the FBI to quickly undertake investigations into his political enemies. At another point, Trump said he would leave the matter up to Pam Bondi, his pick as attorney general. "I want her to do what she wants to do," he said. Such threats, regardless of Trump's inconsistencies, have been taken seriously enough by many top Democrats that Biden is considering issuing blanket, preemptive pardons to protect key members of his outgoing administration. Trump did seemingly back off his campaign rhetoric calling for Biden to be investigated, saying, "I'm not looking to go back into the past." Immigration advocates hold a rally in Sacramento, Calif. on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, to protest President-Elect Donald Trump's plans to conduct mass deportation of immigrants without legal status. (AP Photo/Haven Daley) Trump repeatedly mentioned his promises to seal the U.S.-Mexico border and deport millions of people who are in the U.S. illegally through a mass deportation program. "I think you have to do it," he said. He suggested he would try to use executive action to end "birthright" citizenship under which people born in the U.S. are considered citizens — though such protections are spelled out in the Constitution. Asked specifically about the future for people who were brought into the country illegally as children and were shielded from deportation in recent years, Trump said, "I want to work something out," indicating he might seek a solution with Congress. But Trump also said he does not "want to be breaking up families" of mixed legal status, "so the only way you don't break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back." President-elect Donald Trump shakes hands with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Notre Dame Cathedral as France's iconic cathedral is formally reopening its doors for the first time since a devastating fire nearly destroyed the 861-year-old landmark in 2019, Saturday Dec.7, 2024 in Paris ( Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP) Long a critic of NATO members for not spending more on their own defense, Trump said he "absolutely" would remain in the alliance "if they pay their bills." Pressed on whether he would withdraw if he were dissatisfied with allies' commitments, Trump said he wants the U.S. treated "fairly" on trade and defense. He waffled on a NATO priority of containing Russia and President Vladimir Putin. Trump suggested Ukraine should prepare for less U.S. aid in its defense against Putin's invasion. "Possibly. Yeah, probably. Sure," Trump said of reducing Ukraine assistance from Washington. Separately, Trump called for an immediate cease-fire. Asked about Putin, Trump said initially that he has not talked to the Russian leader since Election Day last month, but then hedged. "I haven't spoken to him recently," Trump said when pressed, adding that he did not want to "impede the negotiation." Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference at the Federal Reserve in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) The president-elect said he has no intention, at least for now, of asking Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to step down before Powell's term ends in 2028. Trump said during the campaign that presidents should have more say in Fed policy, including interest rates. Trump did not offer any job assurances for FBI Director Christopher Wray, whose term is to end in 2027. Asked about Wray, Trump said: "Well, I mean, it would sort of seem pretty obvious" that if the Senate confirms Kash Patel as Trump's pick for FBI chief, then "he's going to be taking somebody's place, right? Somebody is the man that you're talking about." Trump promised that the government efficiency effort led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will not threaten Social Security. "We're not touching Social Security, other than we make it more efficient," he said. He added that "we're not raising ages or any of that stuff." He was not so specific about abortion or his long-promised overhaul of the Affordable Care Act. On abortion, Trump continued his inconsistencies and said he would "probably" not move to restrict access to the abortion pills that now account for a majority of pregnancy terminations, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights. But pressed on whether he would commit to that position, Trump replied, "Well, I commit. I mean, are — things do — things change. I think they change." Reprising a line from his Sept. 10 debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump again said he had "concepts" of a plan to substitute for the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which he called "lousy health care." He added a promise that any Trump version would maintain insurance protections for Americans with preexisting health conditions. He did not explain how such a design would be different from the status quo or how he could deliver on his desire for "better health care for less money." Here are the people Trump picked for key positions so far President-elect Donald Trump 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, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Marco Rubio, Secretary of State 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, Secretary of Defense 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. Pam Bondi, Attorney General 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. Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security 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. Doug Burgum, Secretary of the Interior 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., Secretary of Health and Human Services 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, Treasury Secretary 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. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Labor Secretary 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, Housing and Urban Development 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, Secretary of Transportation 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. Chris Wright, Secretary of Energy 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. Linda McMahon, Secretary of Education 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, Secretary of Agriculture 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. Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce 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, Secretary of Veterans Affairs 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, White House press secretary 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. Tulsi Gabbard, National Intelligence Director 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. John Ratcliffe, Central Intelligence Agency Director 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, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director 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. Lee Zeldin, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator 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.” Brendan Carr, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission 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. Paul Atkins, Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission 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, NASA Administrator 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. Elise Stefanik, Ambassador to the United Nations 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. Matt Whitaker, Ambassador to NATO 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. David Perdue, Ambassador to China President-elect Donald Trump tapped former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China, saying in a social media post that the former CEO “brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China.” Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and ran unsuccessfully in a primary against Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Perdue pushed Trump's debunked lies about electoral fraud during his failed bid for governor. Mike Huckabee, Ambassador to Israel 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. Steven Witkoff, Special Envoy to the Middle East 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. Keith Kellogg, Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia 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) Mike Waltz, National Security Adviser 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, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy 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. Tom Homan, ‘Border Czar’ 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. Billy Long, Internal Revenue Service commissioner 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.” Kelly Loeffler, Small Business Administration administrator 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, Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services administrator 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 and Vivek Ramaswamy to advise White House on government efficiency 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, Office of Management and Budget 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. Additional selections to the incoming White House 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. Rodney Scott, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Customs and Border Protection, with its roughly 60,000 employees, falls under the Department of Homeland Security. It includes the Border Patrol, which Rodney Scott led during Trump's first term, and is essentially responsible for protecting the country's borders while facilitating trade and travel. Scott comes to the job firmly from the Border Patrol side of the house. He became an agent in 1992 and spent much of his career in San Diego. When he was appointed head of the border agency in January 2020, he enthusiastically embraced Trump's policies. After being forced out under the Biden administration, Scott has been a vocal supporter of Trump's hard-line immigration agenda. He appeared frequently on Fox News and testified in Congress. He's also a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Pete Hoekstra, Ambassador to Canada 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.” Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

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ASP Isotopes (ASPI) Accused of Deceiving Investors with Bogus Nuclear Tech Claims– Hagens BermanSyria's president Bashar al-Assad fled Syria as Islamist-led rebels swept into Damascus Sunday, triggering celebrations across the country and beyond at the end of his oppressive rule. Russian news agencies late Sunday said Assad and his family were in Moscow. Crowds toured Assad's luxurious home after the rebels declared he had fled, a spectacular end to five decades of brutal Baath party government. The government fell 11 days after the rebels began a surprise advance more than 13 years after Assad's crackdown on anti-government protests ignited Syria's civil war, which had become largely dormant until the rebel push. "This victory, my brothers, is historic for the region," Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, leader of the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group (HTS) that spearheaded the advance, said in an address at the landmark Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. US President Joe Biden said Assad should be "held accountable" but called the nation's political upheaval a "historic opportunity" for Syrians to rebuild their country. "The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice," Biden said from the White House. Residents cheered in the streets as the rebel factions heralded the departure of "tyrant" Assad, saying: "We declare the city of Damascus free." Celebratory gunfire sounded along with shouts of, "Syria is ours and not the Assad family's". AFP correspondents saw dozens of men, women and children wandering through Assad's modern, spacious home whose rooms had been stripped bare. "I can't believe I'm living this moment," tearful Damascus resident Amer Batha told AFP by phone. "We've been waiting a long time for this day," he said. The rebel factions on Telegram proclaimed the end to "50 years of oppression under Baath rule, and 13 years of crimes and tyranny and displacement". It is, they said, "the start of a new era for Syria." The foreign ministry of Assad's key backer, Russia, had announced earlier Sunday that Assad had resigned from the presidency and left Syria. The head of war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP: "Assad left Syria via Damascus international airport before the army security forces left" the facility. Later Sunday, a Kremlin source told Russian news agencies that he and his family had arrived in Moscow where they had been granted asylum "on humanitarian grounds". Around the country, people toppled statues of Hafez al-Assad, Bashar al-Assad's father and the founder of the repressive system of government he inherited. For the past 50 years in Syria, even the slightest suspicion of dissent could land one in prison or get one killed. During their advance, the rebels said they had freed prisoners, including on Sunday at the Sednaya facility, notorious for the darkest abuses of Assad's era. UN war crimes investigators urged those taking charge in the country to ensure the "atrocities" committed under Assad's rule are not repeated. Amnesty International called this a "historic opportunity" for those responsible for the abuses in Syria to face justice. The end of Assad's rule came just hours after HTS said it had captured the strategic city of Homs. Homs was the third major city seized by the rebels, who began their advance on November 27, the same day a ceasefire took place in neighbouring Lebanon between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement. Hezbollah had supported Assad during the long civil war but has been severely weakened by Israeli strikes. The group's forces "vacated their positions around Damascus", a source close to the group said Sunday. HTS is rooted in the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda but has sought to soften its image in recent years. It remains listed as a terrorist organisation by Western governments. On Sunday afternoon the rebels announced a curfew in the capital until 5:00 am (0200 GMT) Monday. The commander of Syria's US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which controls much of northeast Syria, hailed the fall of Assad's "authoritarian regime" as "historic". A military council affiliated with the SDF clashed Sunday with Turkish-backed Syrian fighters in Syria's north, leaving 26 fighters from both sides dead, the Observatory said, as the Turkish-backed group launched an offensive on the Manbij area. The Observatory said Israel had struck government security buildings and weapons depots Sunday on the outskirts of Damascus, as well as in the eastern Deir Ezzor province. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the overthrow of Assad was a "historic day in the... Middle East" and the fall of a "central link in Iran's axis of evil". "This is a direct result of the blows we have inflicted on Iran and Hezbollah, Assad's main supporters," he added. The UN envoy for Syria said the country was at "a watershed moment". Turkey, which has historically backed the opposition, called for a "smooth transition". Iran said it expected "friendly" ties with Syria to continue, even as its embassy in Damascus was vandalised. Since the start of the rebel offensive, at least 910 people, mostly combatants but also including 138 civilians, have been killed, the Observatory said. Syria's war has killed more than 500,000 people, and forced half of the population to flee their homes. Millions fled abroad. "I can barely remember Syria," said Reda al-Khedr, who was only five years old when he and his mother escaped Syria's Homs in 2014. "But now we're going to go home to a liberated Syria," he told AFP in Cairo. Liberated, but facing enormous challenges. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Sunday the bloc would help rebuild a Syria that safeguards minorities after Assad's fall. bur-it/jjQatar tribune PA Media/DPA Doha British driver Abbi Pulling has been crowned champion of the F1 Academy - the all-female racing series - after she finished second in Qatar on Saturday night. Alpine’s Pulling, 21, has taken eight victories from 11 races this season to claim the title ahead of next weekend’s concluding round in Abu Dhabi. Pulling, from Gosberton in Lincolnshire, will be rewarded with a fully-funded season in GB3 – the United Kingdom’s number one single-seater category – with the Rodin team. “It is nice to hear those words,” said Pulling when informed she had won the second edition of series which aims to discover the first female F1 driver in almost half-a-century. “It has been a tougher season than most would think. I had to win this year, I had no choice. I have struggled financially so to get the prize next year makes me so happy. “There are so many people in my corner to thank, my family, the sacrifice my dad has made, it is just a sigh of relief and a weight off my shoulders. I am going to really put in the work and make the most of the opportunity. I will not leave any stone unturned.” Copy 01/12/2024 10

Atletico thrash Valladolid 5-0 to provisionally move to second in LaLiga

Trump taps Charles Kushner, father of his son-in-law, as envoy to FranceSan Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will not play Sunday and head coach Kyle Shanahan said the lingering discomfort is a concern. Purdy sat out Friday after he participated in the start of Thursday's practice with the 49ers, then retreated indoors for what Shanahan said was a treatment session. Brandon Allen, 32, will start in Purdy's place, and the 49ers are also without defensive end Nick Bosa (oblique). Shanahan said players believe in Allen, even if he's an unknown. "Outside of here people haven't seen a lot of Brandon. But it's his second year (with the 49ers)," Shanahan said. "Obviously guys want Brock up, but guys are excited to see Brandon play." Shanahan said they are "a little surprised" Purdy experienced tightness and discomfort in his shoulder after an MRI exam on Monday that showed no long-term cause for concern. "The way it responded this week, it's really up in the air for next week," Shanahan said of Purdy. Allen is familiar to Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, who was an assistant coach with the Rams during Allen's two-year run in Los Angeles. Allen broke into the NFL in 2016 with the Jaguars and is 2-7 in nine career starts. He went 1-2 with the Broncos in 2019 and 1-5 in six starts over two years with the Bengals in 2020 and ‘21. Shanahan said Allen's confidence grew throughout the week and he doesn't anticipate a major change in how he calls the offense. Left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) also missed practice for the third consecutive day. Without disclosing the nature of the ailment to Purdy's throwing shoulder, general manager John Lynch confirmed Friday an MRI exam took place to determine the severity of any injury. Allen worked with the first team most of Thursday and Friday with Joshua Dobbs also taking snaps. Lynch described Purdy's status for the 49ers (5-5) this week as "tenuous." "Hopefully, he makes progress, and we can have a shot at this weekend, but we'll see," Lynch said in an interview with KNBR in San Francisco. "I think it's tenuous." When Purdy was on the field this week, he primarily worked on the side in position-specific drills with QB coach Brian Griese. Williams played through an ankle injury last week after being listed as questionable but exited the stadium with an exaggerated limp on Sunday. Run game coordinator Chris Foerster said the 49ers aren't where they want to be at 5-5 because they haven't won close games, not because of injuries. "Seven games left is like an eternity," Foerster said. "So much can happen. Do the math. What was our record last year? It was 12-5. I was on a 13-win team that was nowhere near as good as the team last year." With or without Purdy, Foerster said the challenge for the 49ers is not to give up the ball to a defense that has 19 takeaways. The 49ers have 13 giveaways this season. --Field Level Media

A role reversal doomed the No. 22 Xavier Musketeers in their only loss of the season, against Michigan at the Fort Myers Tip-Off on Wednesday. Normally a team that avoids committing turnovers and pressures its opponent into making them, Xavier (6-1) will try to recapture its early-season winning form when it hosts South Carolina State on Sunday in Cincinnati. Through their six wins, the Musketeers had just 58 turnovers while forcing 82 by their opponents. But against the Wolverines, they lost the turnover battle 19-10 and the game 78-53. The Musketeers committed 14 turnovers in the first half and fell behind 41-30. Xavier head coach Sean Miller credited his team for typically playing an up-tempo style while avoiding mistakes, while also acknowledging that the turnover bug really bit them against the Wolverines. "We lost to a really good team; no shame in that," Miller said. "We, on top of that, didn't play well." "And that (avoiding turnovers) is something you (usually) do well? That's going to be hard to overcome against a quality team like Michigan." Leading scorer Ryan Conwell (17.6 points per game) gave the Musketeers a boost with 19 points. Zach Freemantle, second on the team at 15.4 ppg, added 14 points and 10 rebounds. Problematically, however, they also contributed to the turnover problem with three apiece. "We didn't play well enough to win the game," Miller said. "The game got out of hand. It's not like our guys quit. Their depth just continued to wear on us." The Musketeers also get 11 points and a team-high 4.4 assists per game from Dayvion McKnight. The guard had just one turnover against Michigan, but he also made just one of his eight shot attempts. Xavier may have an opportunity get right in the turnover area against the Bulldogs (4-4), who are No. 207 in the NCAA in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.11. South Carolina State is fresh off an 82-53 road loss to Marshall on Wednesday, in a game in which turnovers weren't a huge problem. But assists and made shots were hard to come by for the Bulldogs. Leading scorer Drayton Jones (12.0 ppg) again paced his team in points with 10 vs. Marshall, but the Bulldogs as a team managed just six assists and shot terribly at the 3-point (18.8 percent) and the free-throw (47.1 percent) lines. Jones is also the team's leading rebounder with 5.1 a game, but no Bulldogs player is averaging more than two assists. It's all part of the learning process for coach Erik Martin, whose first team went 5-26 in 2022-23. The Bulldogs improved to 14-18 last season, including 9-5 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. "The only way you can grow sometimes is by failure or by struggling," Martin said this offseason. "You have to fail in order to learn how to deal with failure and move on and become the person you're supposed to be." --Field Level Media

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GCC-4001 by Artiva Biotherapeutics for Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: Likelihood of ApprovalWHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. (AP) — Jordan Sears scored 25 points, Jalen Reed had 21 points and 13 rebounds, and LSU defeated UCF 109-102 in triple overtime on Sunday to take third place at the Greenbrier Tip-Off. LSU trailed by 18 points early in the second half, then failed to hold a lead at the end of regulation and each of the first two overtime periods. The Tigers went up by five with a minute to go in the third overtime. UCF cut it to three, then Vyctorius Miller made a driving layup, Jordan Sears followed with a dunk and the Tigers were able to hold on when leading by seven. Cam Carter scored 20 points, Miller had 16 and Dji Bailey 14 for LSU (5-1). Darius Johnson had 25 points, eight assists and six rebounds for UCF (4-2). Keyshawn Hall had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Jordan Ivy-Curry scored 20. South Florida led by 15 points at halftime and maintained a double-digit lead for all but a few possessions in the first 11 1/2 minutes of the second half. UCF led 62-48 with 8 1/2 minutes remaining but Sears hit three 3-pointers and LSU drew to within 64-59 with 6 minutes to go. The Tigers scored the last six points of regulation to force overtime. In the first half, LSU led 15-13 about eight minutes into the game but the Tigers missed 15 of 16 shots while being outscored 25-3 over the next 10 minutes. South Florida led 40-25 at halftime after shooting 46% to 25% for LSU. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. (AP) — Jordan Sears scored 25 points, Jalen Reed had 21 points and 13 rebounds, and LSU defeated UCF 109-102 in triple overtime on Sunday to take third place at the Greenbrier Tip-Off. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. (AP) — Jordan Sears scored 25 points, Jalen Reed had 21 points and 13 rebounds, and LSU defeated UCF 109-102 in triple overtime on Sunday to take third place at the Greenbrier Tip-Off. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. (AP) — Jordan Sears scored 25 points, Jalen Reed had 21 points and 13 rebounds, and LSU defeated UCF 109-102 in triple overtime on Sunday to take third place at the Greenbrier Tip-Off. LSU trailed by 18 points early in the second half, then failed to hold a lead at the end of regulation and each of the first two overtime periods. The Tigers went up by five with a minute to go in the third overtime. UCF cut it to three, then Vyctorius Miller made a driving layup, Jordan Sears followed with a dunk and the Tigers were able to hold on when leading by seven. Cam Carter scored 20 points, Miller had 16 and Dji Bailey 14 for LSU (5-1). Darius Johnson had 25 points, eight assists and six rebounds for UCF (4-2). Keyshawn Hall had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Jordan Ivy-Curry scored 20. South Florida led by 15 points at halftime and maintained a double-digit lead for all but a few possessions in the first 11 1/2 minutes of the second half. UCF led 62-48 with 8 1/2 minutes remaining but Sears hit three 3-pointers and LSU drew to within 64-59 with 6 minutes to go. The Tigers scored the last six points of regulation to force overtime. In the first half, LSU led 15-13 about eight minutes into the game but the Tigers missed 15 of 16 shots while being outscored 25-3 over the next 10 minutes. South Florida led 40-25 at halftime after shooting 46% to 25% for LSU. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball Advertisement

Brian Daboll is now without Daniel Jones for the first time, but it raises the question of how long that era will last. Brian Daboll has had a lot on his plate in the last ten days. The Daniel Jones benching reaction alone has been a lot. However, the Malik Nabers reaction and subsequent drama from the loss to the Buccaneers also has placed headaches on his desk. Put simply, the New York Giants are spiraling. While they aren’t the only New York football team in a tailspin with questions at quarterback and head coach, the New York Jets have a solid head start on the head coach search. If the New York Giants want to beat out the Jets in convincing a new coach to move to New York, the first step to getting toward that end would be to let Brian Daboll go. However, there is a question as to whether the Giants have any intentions with Brian Daboll. NFL insider lays out Brian Daboll’s near future Speaking in a CBS Sports news clip , NFL insider Jonathan Jones addressed what he had heard about Daboll’s future. “I’m not going to sit here and etch this in a stone and promise you my firstborn, that anything in the NFL will or will not happen. ... I expect Brian Daboll to finish out this season. “And while yesterday was bad, I still expect Brian Daboll to come back next year. But that’s based off of what everyone that I talked to has been telling me,” he said. “So again, I know it looks bad... it can get worse. And can things change? Absolutely. But as it stands right now, no, I don’t anticipate that Brian Daboll is going to get fired midseason,” he added. With still six games on the schedule, the Giants could theoretically end up with a 2-15 record. With no quarterback lined up for the 2025 season, that would grant them an opportunity to potentially draft any quarterback of their choosing in the upcoming NFL Draft. Of course, without the correct team placed around said quarterback, the team could be walking into another five years of Daniel Jones-like production. Daniel Jones era in summary Perhaps the most telling statistic about the Daniel Jones era was his record before and after his second contract. The Giants quarterback went 9-6-1 in his contract year, winning a playoff game as well. After signing on the dotted line, the quarterback went 3-13, throwing for ten touchdowns and 13 interceptions. In total, Jones went 24-44-1, throwing for 70 touchdowns and 47 interceptions. As a free agent, the quarterback now has his pick of the litter. If his goal is merely to join the best playoff contender, he has an incentive to wait another month to see how it all shakes out. Which team will the quarterback elect to join? This article first appeared on NFL Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

2024 in review: A challenging year for New Zealand’s Chinese communityRuben Amorim’s mark out of ten for Man Utd stars at Ipswich revealed with players left in no doubt about t... - The Sun

Video game ends ‘collaboration’ with Conor McGregorLisa Carter, from Wallingford, completes an annual Christmas run to deliver gifts to rescued animals at Stokenchurch Dog Rescue and Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary. The gifts are collected by Ms Carter or dropped off at Blakes Pet Shop from people around Wallingford and further afield in Oxfordshire to be given to the lucky pets on Christmas morning. Ms Carter said: "My aim as always is to make sure no animal goes without, I do the run every year to collect food, beds and presents for the animals. "I can't thank every one enough for helping to make this happen again." Stephen Rockell, manager at Stokenchurch Dog Rescue, said: "It's fantastic to get such kind donations from Lisa and everyone else who donates. "We use a lot of it to put into Christmas stockings for each dog, which we'll be giving them on Christmas Day with some toys and treats." He added: "A lot of the donations will last us until March or April next year, so we're talking a quarter of a year's worth of supplies donated in the two weeks up to Christmas. "It makes a huge difference to us as an independent charity, as we solely run off fundraising and donations. So it's fantastic." This year, the animal rescue run had enough donations to fill four cars with presents for the animals. Sign up for a digital subscription now: As a digital subscriber you will get: Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website Advert-light access Reader rewards Full access to our app

Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in shares of Nasdaq, Inc. ( NASDAQ:NDAQ – Free Report ) by 25.4% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 8,860 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 1,795 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in Nasdaq were worth $647,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in NDAQ. American International Group Inc. raised its stake in Nasdaq by 10.6% in the first quarter. American International Group Inc. now owns 102,770 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $6,485,000 after buying an additional 9,887 shares in the last quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Nasdaq by 6,408.3% in the 1st quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC now owns 781 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 769 shares in the last quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Nasdaq in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $352,000. LRI Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Nasdaq during the first quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in Nasdaq by 12.6% in the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 517,000 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $32,624,000 after purchasing an additional 57,900 shares during the period. 72.47% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Nasdaq Stock Up 0.2 % Nasdaq stock opened at $81.07 on Friday. Nasdaq, Inc. has a 12 month low of $53.62 and a 12 month high of $81.35. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $75.11 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $68.09. The company has a current ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84. The firm has a market cap of $46.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.55, a PEG ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 0.95. Nasdaq Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 6th will be paid a $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 6th. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.18%. Nasdaq’s dividend payout ratio is presently 57.49%. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities analysts have commented on the company. Argus raised their price objective on Nasdaq from $76.00 to $82.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of Nasdaq from $90.00 to $88.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Nasdaq from $84.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Nasdaq from $92.00 to $93.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price target on Nasdaq from $73.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Nasdaq has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $80.87. Read Our Latest Report on NDAQ Insider Activity In related news, insider Pc Nelson Griggs sold 6,000 shares of Nasdaq stock in a transaction on Monday, October 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.71, for a total value of $454,260.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 215,563 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,320,274.73. The trade was a 2.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link . Also, EVP Jeremy Skule sold 12,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.92, for a total value of $935,040.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 114,580 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,928,073.60. This trade represents a 9.48 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold 49,459 shares of company stock valued at $3,811,808 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock. Nasdaq Profile ( Free Report ) Nasdaq, Inc operates as a technology company that serves capital markets and other industries worldwide. It operates in three segments: Capital Access Platforms, Financial Technology, and Market Services. The Capital Access Platforms segment sells and distributes historical and real-time market data; and develops and licenses Nasdaq-branded indices and financial products. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NDAQ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Nasdaq, Inc. ( NASDAQ:NDAQ – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Nasdaq Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nasdaq and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Following the death of former president Jimmy Carter on Sunday, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank released a statement expressing his heartfelt condolences to the Carter family. Blank called Carter a friend and role model. “I am deeply saddened by the loss of my dear friend and role model, President Jimmy Carter,” Blank wrote. “He was a great American, a proud Georgian and an inspirational global humanitarian. “He lived his life with great civic responsibility and took it upon himself to be the change he wished to see amongst others. On behalf of my family and our family of businesses, we send a heartfelt message of condolence to his loved ones.” Carter, who won the 1976 presidential election, entered home hospice care in Plains, Georgia in February 2023 after a series of hospital stays. In October, Carter celebrated his 100th birthday. His grandson, Jason Carter, spoke out at the time about the blessing living so long was. “Not everybody gets 100 years on this earth, and when somebody does, and when they use that time to do so much good for so many people, it’s worth celebrating,” Jason Carter, chair of The Carter Center governing board, said in an interview, per the Associated Press . “These last few months, 19 months, now that he’s been in hospice, it’s been a chance for our family to reflect and then for the rest of the country and the world to really reflect on him. That’s been a really gratifying time.” Blank also heaped praise on president Carter for the man he was. “President Carter’s kind and uniting spirit touched so many lives,” Blank’s statement read. “He was a man of deep faith, and did everything with principal and grace, doing things the right way for the right reasons. “We first met at The Home Depot, and I will remember him as an enthusiastic do-it-yourselfer who was willing to roll up his own sleeves to build homes for others. He was also an avid sports fan of our Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United teams.” But where Blank was the most thankful was for Carter’s service to his country, in numerous ways, including in political office. “But mostly, I will remember President Carter as my friend, a guiding light and someone who served humanity day in and day out – a quality he exhibited daily throughout his remarkable life. We will be forever indebted to President Carter for his honorable service as a Navy officer, his tireless diplomatic efforts, his dedicated philanthropic work, and his caring leadership as Georgia’s governor and then as leader of the free world. “I join with the city of Atlanta, the state of Georgia, and a grieving nation in mourning the loss of one of the world’s most compassionate souls. I will miss him dearly.” This article first appeared on 5 GOATs and was syndicated with permission.

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Wall Street stocks surged to fresh records Wednesday on hopes about easing US monetary policy, shrugging off political upheaval in South Korea and France. All three major US indices scored records, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average finishing above 45,000 for the first time. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

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When the snow is falling and hot chocolate is piping, few activities are more refreshing and relaxing than plopping down on the couch and turning on the television. Some will watch live Christmas events from Rockefeller Center, while others will tune into a bowl game. But if you’re of a certain age, you clearly remember the excitement when Nickelodeon began to roll out its litany of timeless Christmas specials. From Kenan & Kel in the 1990s to Danny Phantom in the late 2000s, Nickelodeon has entered the pantheon of networks that have consistently rolled out classic holiday specials. While Nickelodeon’s legacy is cemented, the ranking of its best holiday season episodes is and will always be hotly contested. Not to start a debate at the holiday dinner table, but here are the 10 best classic Nickelodeon holiday specials. Show: Keenan & Kel Air Date: December 14, 1996 Kel ( Kel Mitchell ) loves orange soda and Kenan ( Kenan Thompson ) loves Christmas. He spends the entire year saving money to buy a new bike and takes an extra job as Santa at the mall to help get the last few dollars he needs. However, his plans are derailed when he comes across a brother and sister who dream of a great Christmas filled with presents that their mother can’t afford. In a selfless mood, Kenan uses the money he makes as Santa to surprise the kids and their mom with presents. Kenan’s upset that he didn’t get the bike he wanted, but he knows he did the right thing and Santa rewards him with a bike of his own. As with many Nickelodeon holiday specials, Kenan’s act of giving underscores the importance of family, friends, community, and giving throughout the holiday season. Show: Invader Zim Air Date: December 10, 2002 Name two more idiotically entertaining rivals than Zim ( Richard Steven Horvitz ) and Dib (Andy Berman). I’ll wait. While I wait, also figure out why Dib’s dad, Professor Membrane ( Rodger Bumpass ), named him Dib. Anyway, Zim and Dib’s rivalry takes center stage when Zim learns about the lure of Santa, kidnaps a man dressed up in a Santa suit and drains his brain. Normal holiday festivities, right? Once Zim drains the man’s brain and learns more about the lure of Santa, he devises a plan to build a Santa suit and convince all of humankind that he’s worthy of following and giving their undying devotion too. For the most part, it works and Zim is close to bringing all of human kind to the Tallest in order to extend his rule. However, Dib intervenes and garners the support of his sister, Gaz (Melissa Fahn), and his father, Professor Membrane, and stops Zim before he’s able to fully takeover. Overall, it’s a pretty weird storyline for a kid’s show during the holiday season, but Invader Zim is at its best when it’s weird. Show: Rocko’s Modern Life Air Date: December 1, 1994 Rocko ( Carlos Alazraqui ) is a better person than most because his grace throughout this Christmas special is unmatched. For nearly the entire episode, Rocko works to put together beautiful holiday decorations and host a lovely holiday party. Instead, his friends treat him poorly, other characters bully him, and no one except a magic elf shows up to his party. The elf works his magic and creates a memorable snowfall around Rocko’s house and Rocko’s house only. When the blizzard leaves a perfect amount of snow and holiday cheer around his house, Rocko’s friends show up at his front door to apologize and make the most of the holiday party. Rocko, being the kind soul he is, lets them in and thanks them for coming. Show: iCarly Air Date: December 13, 2008 Timmy Turner ( Tara Strong ) isn’t the only character in the Nickelodeon multiverse to have their dreams come true during the holiday season. When Carly’s brother, Spencer ( Jerry Trainor ), builds an electromagnet Christmas tree that sets fire to holiday gifts, Carly ( Miranda Cosgrove ) wishes that her brother was a bit more normal. However, things aren’t as great as Carly hoped they’d be. Spencer becomes a “normal” lawyer dating Ms. Benson (Mary Scheer) while Freddie ( Nathan Kress ) no longer has a crush on Carly, and Sam ( Jennette McCurdy ) is in a juvenile detention center. Most shockingly, Carly, Spencer, and Freddie were never friends in this alternate universe and never launched a webcast. The weirdness of the episode pays off in the end because Carly realizes what we’ve always known: her life is pretty great as is. Show: As Told by Ginger Air Date: December 10, 2001 As Told by Ginger is one of the most underrated series in the Nickelodeon catalog for various reasons, including its humor and ability to reach both young and older audiences. Case in point, the show’s “Even Steven” holiday special is immaculate. In the tertiary plot, Ginger (Melissa Disney) discovers that her grandfather is Jewish and immediately pivots from celebrating Christmas to celebrating Hanukkah. Her shift from Christmas to Hanukkah happens so quickly that it causes a rift between her and Dodie (Aspen Miller) because Ginger refuses to go to Dodie’s Christmas party and hosts her own instead. Splitting the room down the middle, half of Ginger’s party is devoted to celebrating Hanukkah, and the other half is adorned with Christmas decorations. Meanwhile, Hoodsie ( Tress MacNeille) is writing letters to Santa, asking him to give him rhythm for Christmas. Yes, you read that correctly. He genuinely asked Santa for rhythm, the ability to dance on beat. When Ginger’s brother, Carl (Jeannie Elias), finds Hoodsie begging Santa for rhythm, he not only makes fun of him, but also declares that Santa isn’t real. As a result, Carl spends the remainder of the episode attempting to prove that Santa is real. Through this effort, he learns that Carl is not a fan of the holiday season because he routinely asked Santa to bring his father home for Christmas as a kid, and his dad rarely stopped by on the holidays. With this information, Hoodsie runs up to a man dressed as Santa on the street and asks him to bring Hoodsie’s Dad home for Christmas. Little does Hoodsie know, the man dressed up as Santa is Carl’s dad. In the end, Carl’s dad visits him for Christmas, and while they’re talking in the driveway, a fire starts inside as Ginger is hosting her holiday party. Carl’s dad runs in, puts out the fire, and saves the day, making Ginger realize that the most important part of the holidays is being surrounded by family and friends. And no, Carl does not get rhythm. Show: The Fairly OddParents Air Date: December 12, 2001 Clichés may be annoying, but they’ve stood the test of time for a reason. However, when an elder said, “Be careful what you wish for,” Timmy Turner clearly wasn’t listening. Instead, he had to learn the hard way when he told Wanda (Susanne Blakeslee) and Cosmo ( Daran Norris ) that he’d like it to be Christmas every day. In his head, there’d never be school, and he’d get presents every time he woke up. Conversely, Wanda and Cosmo are magically depleted, his parents can’t work, and the other holidays become envious of Santa Claus. As a result, Timmy must make a trip up to the North Pole all alone. Tough luck for a kid who can literally wish for whatever he wants every other day of the year already. Show: Drake & Josh Air Date: December 5, 2008 Give a little girl named Mary Alice the best Christmas ever, or go back to jail. That’s essentially the plot of “Merry Christmas, Drake and Josh.” Drake ( Drake Bell ) desperately wants to host a party on the rooftop of Josh’s workplace, Premier Theater. To the surprise of just about everyone, Josh’s boss agrees to let Drake host the party as long as he volunteers to dress up as Santa for kids in the mall. Drake agrees, but things go haywire when a woman tries to kiss him, and he runs away. While hiding, he runs into a little girl named Mary Alice ( Bailee Madison ) and promises to give her the best Christmas ever. Drake finishes his shift as Santa and gets to host the party after all, but it’s cut short when a few uninvited guests show up, and Josh ( Josh Peck ) calls the police. However, there’s a mixup when the police arrive and Josh gets arrested. Being the good stepbrother he is, Drake tries to break Josh out of jail. Unfortunately, Drake gets arrested, too. When Drake and Josh get to speak to a judge, they explain that they need to get out to fulfill Drake’s promises to Mary Alice. The judge releases them, but warns that they will be brought back if they do not give Mary Alice the best Christmas ever. No pressure, right? Show: Rugrats Air Date: December 6, 1992 It may not seem like it, but there is not much of a difference between The Boondocks ‘ Huey Freeman ( Regina King ) and the children of Rugrats . Huey chases Santa around the mall with a BB gun, screaming, “You gon’ pay what you owe.” Meanwhile, Tommy ( Elizabeth Daily ), Chuckie (Christine Cavanaugh), and the crew are setting dangerous traps for Santa , so they can question him about his character. “The Santa Experience” kicks off at the mall where Angelica (Cheryl Chase) bum rushes the line to see Santa and tells Mr. Claus how much she needs a dream dollhouse for Cynthia. While Mr. Claus pushed her away, mall staff gave her a box of free toys to apologize for Santa rightfully pushing her away. Even with the free presents, Angelica is ungrateful and doesn’t want them. Meanwhile, Tommy and Chuckie are debating whether or not Santa is a good person. You know, typical baby stuff, right? Tommy is convinced Santa is a great guy, while Chuckie is, of course, scared of Saint Nick and thinks he’s a bad guy. In the kitchen, the parents are having a relatable conversation about their challenges and struggles, trying to ensure each of their children has a good holiday season. Later, the kids and parents head north to celebrate Christmas in a cabin. There, Chuckie and Tommy set up a booby trap to catch Santa. Much to their disappointment, the trap only manages to catch Stu ( Jack Riley ). Ultimately, everything turns out for the best as Santa just rings the front doorbell and delivers the presents face-to-face. Angelica gets her doll house, Chuckie determines Santa is a good person after all, and the Rugrats get the perfect Christmas. Show: SpongeBob SquarePants Air Date: December 6, 2000 If you ask most fans of SpongeBob SquarePants about Squidward (Rodger Bumpass), most would say he’s closer to being the Grinch than Santa Claus. However, “Christmas Who?” proves otherwise. Spongebob ( Tom Kenny ) visits Sandy ( Carolyn Lawrence ) and finds the proud Texan setting up Christmas decorations around her house. Instead of helping her, Spongebob freaks out because he thinks the lights and decorations have started a fire. It would be nearly impossible to start a fire that far underwater, but I digress. Anyway, Sandy stops him and explains to Spongebob who Santa Claus is and what happens on Christmas. Excited and enchanted, Spongebob shares the story of Christmas and Santa Claus with nearly everyone in Bikini Bottom. As a result, everyone but Squidward sends letters to Santa and spends all night caroling. When Santa doesn’t show up, everyone calls Spongebob a fraud and mocks him, including Squidward. However, Spongebob turns Squidward’s heart from coal to gold when he gives him a handcrafted clarinet for Christmas so that he won’t go without a gift. In return, Squidward dresses up as Santa and surprises Spongebob, who is delighted, and wishes him a merry Christmas. Squidward didn’t account for all of the other citizens of Bikini Bottom spotting him and asking for gifts. Instead of ruining the charade, Squidward ends up giving away nearly everything in his home away as a gift. Thankfully, Squidward is rewarded when the real Santa Claus sends a letter thanking Squidward for helping keep the spirit of Christmas alive. Show: Hey Arnold! Air Date: December 11, 1996 “Arnold’s Christmas” is not only the best Nickelodeon late-year holiday special, but it’s arguably one of the best episodes of the entire series. The series revolves around Arnold (Toran Caudell) attempting to pull off a Christmas miracle for his neighbor, Mr. Hyunh (Baoan Coleman). Through this endeavor, much of Mr. Hyunh’s backstory is revealed, including the heartbreaking story of how he and his daughter, Mai (Hiep Thi Le), have been separated for more than 20 years. While Arnold and his best friend, Gerald (Jamil Walker Smith), fall short in their quest to find Mai and reconnect her with Mr. Hyunh, Helga (Francesca Marie Smith) unexpectedly saves the day and gets Mai in touch with her father. Helga never gets the credit for creating this touching reunion, but she will always be remembered for being the driving force behind one of the most touching moments in Nickelodeon history. More Headlines:In a shocking turn of events, a massive fire broke out at an Alibaba Cloud data center, leading to a chaotic evacuation as hundreds of people rushed to safety. The incident sent shockwaves through the tech industry, raising concerns about the reliability and security of cloud computing infrastructure.

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LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)- President Lazarus Chakwera on Wednesday night, November 27, 2024 ordered Malawi Police Service (MPS) to arrest all individuals behind recent spate of political violence in some parts of the country. Chakwera told the law-enforcers to work professionally arguing that political violence has no place in a peaceful nation as Malawi. Addressing the nation from Kamuzu Palace in the capital Lilongwe, the Malawi leader also joined former heads of state in condemning political violence particularly recent police acts of halting demonstrations. “I want to join the three former Heads of State, Dr. Bakili Muluzi, Dr. Joyce Banda, and Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika in condemning some emerging incidents of political violence. “We have already seen a political party member murdered in Blantyre and demonstrators being intimidated in Lilongwe. These things will take our country nowhere, and I am calling on the Malawi Police Service to do its job of investigating every incident of political violence and bringing suspects to book. “Malawians are peace-loving people and those who use their freedom of political participation orright to demonstrate for violent ends must not be allowed to ruin our reputation as a beacon of democracy in Africa. God bless you for listening and God bless Malawi”, says Chakwera. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

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NoneWith skyrocketing gold prices , it’s no surprise that more people are investing in gold . However, despite the fact that gold can be a good long-term investment, it does have some limitations, particularly when it comes to liquidity. Finding a buyer at the best price can be time-consuming, and when you’re in a bind and need cash quickly, selling your gold may not be easy compared to selling other precious metal investments like shares of gold stocks or gold exchange-traded funds . However, there is a way to leverage your gold in order to quickly access cash: Use your gold as a collateral on a loan. Since your gold acts to secure the loan, you’re more likely to qualify for a loan — even if you have a less-than-perfect credit score . How do gold loans work? A gold loan is a secured loan, meaning you provide something valuable as collateral. If you stop making payments, the lender can keep your collateral and potentially sell it to recoup the amount you still owe. Here’s how a gold loan works: 1. You provide the gold Decide whether you want to offer gold coins, gold bars or gold jewelry as collateral. Depending on the type of gold you’re holding, you may need to have 10-karat, 14-karat, 18-karat, 22-karat or 24-karat gold in order to secure a loan. IRS-approved gold coins, such as American Eagle Gold Proof Coins, are 22-karat gold. Businesses that will accept these and other gold assets include online gold dealers or in-person coin collectors and pawn shops. 2. The lender offers an amount and terms Your gold will be assessed for its quality and value. If you have any certificates of authenticity, provide them to make the process easier. The lender will want to examine the gold to determine its purity, quality and weight. They will then offer you an amount and an interest rate based on those factors. 3. Leave the gold with the lender Your gold is collateral to secure the loan, so you must leave it with the lender. If you’re using a mail service, make sure it’s reputable. Normally, you need to send in your gold and they will store it at a secure facility until you’ve repaid the loan. Often, mail services include insurance. If they don’t, read our guide on how to insure physical gold . Local pawn shops and coin collectors will arrange to store the gold until you make your final payment. Typically, they will give you a receipt or some other paperwork stating what gold items the lender is holding in your name; make sure you keep those records! They may be necessary to redeem your gold later. You receive your gold back once you satisfy the loan amount with interest. Pros and cons of a gold loan Before you decide to use your gold as collateral, you should first understand the advantages and disadvantages of doing so to secure a loan. Pros Use something valuable for cash without selling it. When you get a gold loan, you still own the asset. You don’t have to sell your coins, bars or jewelry in order to get cash. You can get approved with bad credit. An unsecured personal loan requires that you have relatively good credit to avoid paying a very high interest rate. You might not even qualify for a personal loan with poor credit. However, with your gold as collateral, a lender might be willing to provide the cash amount knowing they can sell the gold if needed. Rates can be lower compared to unsecured loans. Depending on the lender and other factors, you might be able to get a lower interest rate than you would normally get with an unsecured loan. Receive a relatively large amount, depending on the value. Based on the value of your physical gold, you might be able to secure a relatively large amount. Some online lenders will provide as much as $25,000 or more if your gold is of high quality. Cons You could lose your gold collateral. As with any other secured loan, you run the risk of losing your asset if you fail to satisfy the loan’s terms. If you can’t make payments and you default on the loan, the lender can keep your gold. If you’re using jewelry with sentimental value, you might not want to risk the loss. Interest rates and fees can be high. Even though you might be able to get a gold loan with bad credit, it doesn’t stop you from paying potentially high interest rates and fees. The quality of the gold might influence your interest rate. You can save on interest and fees if your gold is of sufficiently high quality. Limited loan amounts. The value of your gold limits your loan. Additionally, you likely won’t receive 100% of the value of your loan. Depending on the situation, you might only get an advance of up to 75% of the gold’s value. Funding can take time. Because of the nature of using gold as collateral, receiving your funds can take up to a week or longer. You might get your cash faster at a local coin or pawn shop, but it might still take several days before you receive the money. Who should get a gold loan? Before getting a gold loan, make sure it’s the right move for you. It doesn’t make sense for everyone, so examine your situation before moving forward. Here are some factors to consider if you’re thinking about using gold as collateral for a loan: Term length Consider getting a gold loan only if you know it will be a short-term advance. Try to pay off the loan as quickly as possible so you can recover your assets. Credit score In some cases, especially if you have poor credit, you might be better off getting a gold loan. While rates can be relatively high, they are often still lower on a secured loan than they would be for an unsecured loan with bad credit. If you can’t get the money you need with an unsecured personal loan due to a low credit score, using gold as collateral for a loan might be a good choice. You have high-quality gold Taking a gold loan works best if you have high-quality jewelry, coins or bars. Check to make sure your gold is investment-quality. If you have enough of it, and you don’t have to bring it all in, a gold loan might make sense. You can wait a few days for the money A gold loan can be a good choice if you’re not dealing with an immediate issue. If you need fast cash, you might be able to get it from a coin shop loan, but you still might have to wait. Bottom line on using gold as collateral for a loan High-quality gold can be used as collateral to get a secured loan. However, weighing the risk of losing your gold assets if you can’t make payments is important. Make sure you can get the money you need at a reasonable interest rate before moving forward.

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Enhanced comfort and confidence: The importance of quality in adult diapers 12-20-2024 06:30 PM CET | Associations & Organizations Press release from: ABNewswire 1. Why are adult diapers so comfortable? Disposable high quality Adult diapers [ https://www.newclears.com/index.php?s=Adult+diapers+&cat=490 ] are designed with comfort as a top priority. From soft materials to advanced absorbency technologies, these products are designed to provide wearers with all-day comfort. The inner layer of adult diapers is often made of materials such as cotton or bamboo, which are gentle on the skin and help prevent irritation or chafing. In addition, many good design adult diapers come with 3D leak protection, elastic waistbands, and leg cuffs to ensure a secure and comfortable fit without feeling restrictive. Image: https://www.newclears.com/uploads/Disposable-high-quality-Adult-diapers.jpg 2. How can I feel confident in adult diapers? Confidence is key to wearing adult diapers, and the right product can make a big difference. Disposable high quality Adult diapers are not only comfortable, but also discreet and reliable, allowing wearers to confidently carry out daily activities. Features such as odor control and leak barriers can provide reassurance and make people feel safe in any situation. In addition, many good design adult diapers are designed to resemble regular underwear, further enhancing confidence by maintaining a sense of normalcy. Image: https://www.newclears.com/uploads/good-design-adult-diapers.jpg 3. What are adult diapers used for? The primary purpose of adult diapers is to manage incontinence issues effectively and with dignity. Whether due to aging, illness, or other medical conditions, many people have difficulty controlling their bladder or bowels. Adult diapers offer a practical solution that absorbs urine or feces to prevent leaks and maintain hygiene. In addition, adult diapers are used in a variety of settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, and home care, to assist people who have limited mobility or need assistance using the toilet. 4. How effective are adult diapers? Disposable high quality Adult diapers have made significant advances in terms of efficacy and performance. High absorbency adult diapers [ https://www.newclears.com/index.php?s=High+absorbency+&cat=490 ] are highly absorbent and can handle large amounts of liquid, keeping the wearer dry and comfortable for longer periods of time. The use of advanced materials and technologies ensures that adult diapers not only absorb moisture quickly, but also lock it in to prevent skin irritation and discomfort. In addition, many adult diapers are designed for nighttime use, providing uninterrupted protection for those who need to wear them for long periods of time. Image: https://www.newclears.com/uploads/High-absorbency-adult-diapers.jpg Conclusion: In summary, the quality of adult diapers is very important. By prioritizing comfort, confidence, and effectiveness, these products play a vital role in improving the quality of life of people with incontinence issues or other medical needs. Whether used short-term during recovery or as a long-term solution, choosing the right adult diapers can significantly improve a person's comfort, confidence, and overall well-being. For any inquiries about Newclears products, please contact us at email sales@newclears.com, Whatsapp/Wechat Skype. +86 17350035603, thank you. Media Contact Company Name: Xiamen Newclears Daily Products Co., Ltd. Email:Send Email [ https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=enhanced-comfort-and-confidence-the-importance-of-quality-in-adult-diapers ] Country: China Website: https://www.newclears.com/ This release was published on openPR.Primior to Launch Gaia - A Revolutionary Platform for Asset TokenizationVeradigm (NASDAQ:MDRX) Shares Gap Down – Here’s What Happened

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Black Friday Frenzy Black Friday has evolved from a single day of deep discounts into a month-long retail event, shaping consumer behavior and driving massive sales across the United States. Originally aimed at clearing stock and boosting retail sales in the lead-up to Christmas, Black Friday has now become a worldwide shopping phenomenon, but its impact on consumers and the economy is complex. While retailers aim to maximize profit, consumers often face a dizzying array of deals, many of which are not as beneficial as they appear. Scams, misleading discounts, and strategic pricing tactics can sometimes exploit shoppers’ eagerness for deals, leaving them with purchases that aren't quite the steals they seem. Consumers, know your (shopping) rights! During Black Friday, consumers are drawn in by advertising that emphasizes significant discounts and one-time-only deals. Remember that talking robot almost a decade ago? Well, it posed to strike a good deal with shoppers. However, not all deals are genuine bargains, as retailers often inflate original prices before applying a discount or use lower-quality versions of popular products as "doorbusters." These tactics can easily mislead shoppers, creating a risk of overspending on items that might not hold their value. Additionally, consumers face an increasing threat of online scams . Fake e-commerce sites, phishing emails posing as trusted retailers and fraudulent "limited-time" promotions circulate heavily, targeting bargain hunters. In regions like San Francisco, where tech-savvy consumers may think they’re adept at avoiding scams, the evolving sophistication of these tactics still poses risks. Recognizing reputable sites, paying attention to secure checkout processes, and avoiding suspicious links are essential practices to guard against fraud. Consumer rights laws require retailers to advertise truthfully and honor refund policies, but these protections only go so far when consumers don’t closely read the fine print or verify the legitimacy of offers. Economically, the impact of Black Friday extends beyond the individual shopper to the broader retail ecosystem. For residents in high-cost living areas like California, the illusion of savings can drive unnecessary debt as shoppers often spend on items they wouldn’t typically purchase. Meanwhile, small local businesses, especially in cities like San Francisco, often struggle to compete with the promotional power of large retailers, which siphons consumer spending away from local economies. Nationally, while Black Friday brings a spike in sales, the profits largely benefit big-box stores and e-commerce giants. Smaller businesses face pressure to discount heavily, which can eat into their margins without providing a significant sales boost. As a result, while Black Friday is profitable for large retailers and online marketplaces, the economic gain for the average consumer or small business is often minimal, if not detrimental. The Breakdown While Black Friday does offer consumers some savings opportunities, the primary winners are often large retailers and online platforms, who capitalize on marketing strategies, high sales volumes, and brand trust to maximize profits. In California, where the cost of living is high, residents might feel an added pressure to take advantage of holiday deals, only to find themselves ensnared by misleading pricing or outright scams. A cautious approach to Black Friday may be the best defense for shoppers in regions like San Francisco. Knowing one’s consumer rights, carefully vetting deals, and supporting local businesses can help ensure that this holiday season serves the true interests of the shopper—not just those of the retailer. As Black Friday approaches, awareness and preparation are key for consumers looking to avoid scams and make the most of their holiday spending. *The San Francisco Examiner newsroom and editorial were not involved in the creation of this content.

This is CNBC's live blog covering the European Central Bank's December 2024 meeting. European Central Bank policymakers are set to hold their last meeting of the year on Thursday, with expectations firmly set for the fourth quarter-percentage-point interest rate cut of 2024. > 24/7 San Diego news stream: Watch NBC 7 free wherever you are Such a move would take the deposit facility — its most closely-watched rate — to 3%. The rate had been held at 4% since Sept. 2023, prior to the first cut of the current easing cycle in June 2024. It appears unlikely that a trim of 50 basis points could be in store, even after headline inflation settled near the ECB's 2% target, while growth indicators show continued signs of deterioration in the euro zone's big manufacturing economies, including in Germany. The ECB has done little to sway market predictions of a smaller trim. The European central bank has firmly guided expectations this year, unlike the Federal Reserve, which surprised many with its 50-basis-point rate cut in September , and the Bank of England, which has left market-watchers guessing due to its divided committee. A recent uptick in negotiated wage growth and persistence in service sector inflation have solidified expectations for the 25-basis-point move. Two key details will be in focus: firstly, staff macroeconomic projections for growth and inflation, which were last delivered in September . Secondly, whether the ECB will modify its consistent messaging that it will "keep policy rates sufficiently restrictive for as long as necessary." Money Report European markets set for mixed open ahead of expected ECB rate cut CNBC Daily Open: Nasdaq climbs past 20,000, powered by megacap tech gains Any dovish shift in that language will be seen to support a swifter pace of rate cuts next year, especially given the potential for looming trade tensions with the U.S. The euro zone's weak growth outlook and global uncertainty have already led many analysts to update their forecasts to suggest 25-basis-point cuts at every ECB meeting until September 2025, taking the deposit facility to 1.5%. ECB grappling with sticky services and core inflation Headline inflation in the euro area may have cooled near to the European Central Bank's 2% target in recent months, but core inflation — excluding the effects of energy, food, alcohol and tobacco — has held at 2.7% for three straight months. Services inflation has meanwhile held stubbornly near 4% through the latter half of this year, as negotiated wage growth — another concern for the inflationary outlook — rose to 5.42% in the third quarter from 3.54% in the prior period. In its most recent forecast in September, ECB staff macroeconomic projections put average euro area inflation at 2.5% in 2024, 2.2% in 2025 and 1.9% in 2026. Those forecasts were unchanged from June. — Jenni Reid Economists expect 'lively debate' resulting in a 25-basis-point cut The European Central Bank will debate whether to cut by 25 or 50 basis points on Thursday, but will ultimately settle on the smaller move, several economists told CNBC. A key point of discussion is likely to relate to how low interest rates need to go to become "neutral" — the point at which monetary policy is neither stimulating nor restricting economic growth. Last month, influential policymaker Isabel Schnabel told Bloomberg that rates were getting "closer to neutral territory," which she estimated at 2% to 3%, and cautioned against going too far below that. However, more dovish members such as French central bank Governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau have continued to say that any size of a cut should be an option in December, and that moving rates below neutral — into accommodative territory — could be needed if growth remains subdued and inflation falls below target. "This is the ECB, so they always move very slowly... part of the problem is the ECB council is very divided," Fabio Balboni, senior European economist at HSBC, previously told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe," forecasting "very lively debate" at the December meeting and a 25-basis-point decision. Weak economic data points including German retail sales will all be under consideration, along with disagreement over whether the fight against inflation is "not quite done," Balboni said. Bank of America Global Research strategists said in a note on Tuesday that the ECB was likely to cut by 25 basis points at every meeting, including in December, until September 2025. "With an economy that will be growing at or below trend for most of 2025, we think it will be hard for the ECB to skip a meeting until the [deposit facility] falls slightly below where it sees the neutral rate (2%), to where we see it (1.5%)," they said. — Jenni Reid Also on CNBC Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: Adobe, Chewy and more Stock futures slip after Nasdaq notches record close above 20,000 How Alphabet's unexpected quantum rally pushed the Nasdaq to new highsStrategic hire underscores Assembly's commitment to bolstering its leadership team to deliver best-in-class services and results for its clients. NEW YORK , Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Assembly, a leading global marketing agency within the Stagwell (STGW) network, today announced the appointment of Josh Berman as Executive Vice President, Assembly Lead. Earlier this year, Assembly unveiled a new operating structure with teams organized into 'Assemblies' based on geography and industry sector. Based in New York , Berman will co-lead Assembly East, focusing on deepening brand relationships, driving innovation, and providing more rigor, expertise, and growth for clients. Berman brings 15 years of media industry experience to Assembly. Most recently, as Managing Partner and Client Lead at Wavemaker, he led media planning and buying for a major Church & Dwight brand and contributed to global product development initiatives, leveraging data and technology to craft effective marketing solutions. Over his career, Josh has partnered with marquee brands across various industries, including Citi, Campbell's , IKEA, Tiffany & Co., Amgen, Marriott, and AT&T. Berman's appointment is part of Assembly's ongoing growth efforts, ensuring that the agency remains at the forefront of the industry and continues to meet clients' evolving needs. "Our clients get the best of both worlds—an agency big enough to lead yet small enough to care—which means each client receives the attention, dedicated leadership, and prioritization the industry and clients are demanding," said Rick Acampora , Global CEO of Assembly. "Josh's extensive experience in media strategy, analytics, client leadership, and innovation, coupled with his ability to fuse media and creative to unlock and accelerate brand performance, will be instrumental as we continue to elevate and find the change that fuels growth for our clients. We are thrilled to have him join our team." Berman's role is effective immediately. ABOUT ASSEMBLY Assembly is a leading global omnichannel media agency that merges data, talent, and technology to catalyze growth for the world's most esteemed brands. Our holistic approach weaves together compelling brand narratives with a comprehensive suite of global media capabilities, driving performance and fostering significant business expansion. Our initiatives are powered by STAGE, our proprietary operating system, and executed by a dedicated global team of over 2,300 professionals across 35 offices worldwide. Committed to purposeful action, Assembly leads the way in social and environmental impact within the agency realm. As a proud member of Stagwell, the challenger network designed to revolutionize marketing, Assembly continues to set new standards of excellence. For more information, please visit assemblyglobal.com . Contact Mariana Delacqua mariana.delacqua@assemblyglobal.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/josh-berman-joins-assembly-as-evp-assembly-lead-in-north-america-302337752.html SOURCE Assembly

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook a large area of Northern California on Thursday, knocking items of grocery store shelves, sending children scrambling under desks and prompting a brief tsunami warning for 5.3 million people along the U.S. West Coast. The quake struck at 10:44 a.m. west of Ferndale, a small city in coastal Humboldt County, about 130 miles (209 km) from the Oregon border, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was felt as far south as San Francisco, some 270 miles (435 km) away, where residents felt a rolling motion for several seconds. It was followed by multiple smaller aftershocks. There were no immediate reports of major damage or injury. The tsunami warning was in effect for roughly an hour. It was issued shortly after the temblor struck and covered nearly 500 miles (805 km) of coastline, from the edge of California’s Monterey Bay north into Oregon. “It was a strong quake, our building shook, we’re fine but I have a mess to clean up right now,” said Julie Kreitzer, owner of Golden Gait Mercantile, a store packed with food, wares and souvenirs that is a main attraction in Ferndale. “We lost a lot of stuff. It’s probably worse than two years ago. I have to go, I have to try and salvage something for the holidays because it’s going to be a tough year,” Kreitzer said before hanging up. The region — known for its redwood forests, scenic mountains and the three-county Emerald Triangle’s legendary marijuana crop — was struck by a 6.4 magnitude quake in 2022 that left thousands of people without power and water. The northwest corner of California is the most seismically active part of the state since it’s where three tectonic plates meet, seismologist Lucy Jones said on the social media platform BlueSky. Shortly after the quake, phones in Northern California buzzed with the tsunami warning from the National Weather Service that said: “A series of powerful waves and strong currents may impact coasts near you. You are in danger. Get away from coastal waters. Move to high ground or inland now. Keep away from the coast until local officials say it is safe to return.” South of San Francisco in Santa Cruz, authorities cleared the main beach, taping off entrances with police tape. Numerous cities urged people to evacuate to higher ground as a precaution, including Eureka. “I thought my axles had fallen apart,” said Valerie Starkey, a Del Norte County supervisor representing Crescent City, a town of fewer than 6,000 about 66 miles (106 km) north of Eureka. “That’s what I was feeling ... ‘My axles are broken now.’ I did not realize it was an earthquake.” Gov. Gavin Newsom said he has signed off on a state of emergency declaration to quickly move state resources to impacted areas along the coast. State officials were concerned about damages in the northern part of the state, Newsom said. Crews in Eureka, the biggest city in the region, were assessing if there was any major damage from the quake, Eureka Mayor Kim Bergel said. Bergel, who works as a resource aid at a middle school, said lights were swaying and everyone got under desks. “The kids were so great and terrified. It seemed to go back and forth for quite a long time,” she said. Some children asked, “Can I call my mom?" The students were later sent home. In nearby Arcata, students and faculty were urged to shelter in place at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt. The campus in was not in the tsunami hazard zone and after inspections, “all utilities and building systems are normal and operational,” the university said in a statement. Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal said residents experienced some cracks in their homes’ foundations, as well as broken glass and windows, but nothing severe. There also have been no major infrastructure problems, building collapses or roadway issues, and no major injuries or deaths have been reported, he said. Honsal said he was in his office in the 75-year-old courthouse in downtown Eureka when he felt the quake. “We’re used to it. It is known as ‘earthquake country’ up here,” he said. “It wasn’t a sharp jolt. It was a slow roller, but significant.” Michael Luna, owner of a Grocery Outlet in Eureka, said that besides a few items falling off shelves, the store on Commercial Street was unscathed by the earthquake. “We didn’t have any issues but a couple of deodorants fall off.... I think the way the earthquake rumbled this time, it was a good thing for our store because the last earthquake was a huge mess," he said. They evacuated customers and closed their doors temporarily until officials lifted the tsunami warning, he said, rushing off the phone to attend to a growing line of customers at check-out. The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, known as BART, stopped traffic in all directions through the underwater tunnel between San Francisco and Oakland, and the San Francisco Zoo’s visitors were evacuated. Dave Snider, tsunami warning coordinator for the Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska, said the computer models indicated that this was the type of earthquake that was unlikely to cause a tsunami and gauges that monitor waves then confirmed it, so forecasters canceled the warning. This quake was a strike-slip type of temblor that shifts more horizontally and is less prone to cause tsunamis, unlike the more vertical types, said National Weather Service tsunami program manager Corina Allen in Washington state. The California Geological Survey says the state’s shores have been struck by more than 150 tsunamis since 1800, and while most were minor, some have been destructive and deadly. On March 28, 1964, a tsunami triggered by a powerful earthquake in Alaska smashed into Crescent City hours later. Much of the business district was leveled and a dozen people were killed. More recently, a tsunami from a 2011 earthquake in Japan caused about $100 million in damages along the California coast, much of it in Crescent City. Dazio reported from Los Angeles. AP writers Chris Weber and Dorany Pineda in Los Angeles; Martha Mendoza in Santa Cruz, California; Sophie Austin and Tran Nguyen in Sacramento, California and Seth Borenstein in Washington, D.C. contributed to this report.Nvidia-backed SoundHound Eyeing 45% Weekly Gain. Why Stock's Massive Rally Also Poses Risks.NoneTransmisr Transportation and Trading (TMT) has announced the inauguration of its new customs station, the Hossni El-Antably Customs Bonded Area, with an initial investment of EGP 100m. The facility, located in Alexandria, spans 7,500 square meters in its first phase and is designed to store empty containers, with a capacity to handle up to 1,500 containers. Mohamed El-Antably, Chairperson and Managing Director of TMT, emphasized that the launch of the Hossni El-Antably station represents a significant step in the company’s expansion within Egypt’s logistics sector. Founded in 1971, TMT offers a wide range of services including sea, air, and land freight, customs clearance, and transportation solutions. Looking ahead, El-Antably revealed that TMT plans to expand the station with a second phase, expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2025. This expansion will cover an additional 3,000 square meters, with an investment of over EGP 50m. The second phase will introduce a variety of new services, including the consolidation of less-than-container load (LCL) shipments, full container loads (FCL), and the storage of non-duty-paid goods for clients. The expanded facility will also offer container repairs and cleaning services, reinforcing TMT’s goal to establish the station as a fully integrated customs area. El-Antably further outlined that TMT currently operates a fleet of 75 pieces of equipment, including transport vehicles, cranes, and modern machinery, all designed to ensure the security and efficient handling of client cargo. The company employs advanced technologies such as GPS and Twist Lock systems to safeguard shipments, with highly trained drivers managing operations. TMT’s extensive network spans all Egyptian ports and airports, enhancing its ability to serve clients across the country. The company holds ISO certification, is an agent for several Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC) lines, and is a member of multiple international organizations, including FIATA, IATA, FONASBA, BIMCO, and the Alexandria Chamber of Shipping (ACS), among others. In recognition of its excellence in the logistics industry, TMT was recently awarded the title of Best Agent in Africa and the Middle East by the PANGEA Logistics Network. This prestigious accolade is awarded by a global network that connects top independent freight agents across major airports and seaports worldwide.

W e have come to you, the banner read: Twenty-three thousand tonnes of steel powered by two nuclear engines, the Arktika had cut its way through metres of ice in August 1977, becoming the first ship to reach latitude 90°N, the North Pole. The word ‘conquered’ had been considered for the banner, Soviet sailor Alexander Barinov later recorded, but then dropped. “Man has no power over nature,” Barinov explained , “and sometimes he is powerless before the elements. He can hide, wait, adapt, but he is unable to subjugate them.” He was wrong. Earlier this week, United States President-elect Donald Trump reiterated his five-year-old call to acquire Greenland, a gargantuan territory sprawling over 2.1 million square kilometres. “The United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” Trump asserted . Like in 2019, Trump’s demand received a frosty response from Greenland, with Prime Minister Múte Egede saying his country was “not for sale.” Trump’s demand to purchase Greenland might seem crazed—but there’s meaning behind the apparent madness. Less than two and a half decades from now, geographer Mia Benett has written, the metres-thick sheets of ice that cover the Arctic will have been claimed by global warming. Ever since 2018, China has publicly pushed for what it calls a Polar Silk Road, linking its industrial centres to the Atlantic and Pacific. China also wants to invest in exploiting the Arctic’s massive energy and mineral resources. And that makes Greenland one of the world’s most important regions—critical to the US’ strategic control not just in the Northeast and Northwest Passage, but also the Central Passage that will open up across the ice. About 14 years after the end of the Second World War, a team of US military engineers built Camp Century, a miniature city eight metres under Greenland’s ice sheet, with a portable nuclear-powered generator providing light and heat for up to 200 soldiers. “Modern technology will make possible military operations in the Far North—under the ice, on the ice, over the ice—previously inconceivable,” a report by a military think-tank recorded. “Science will permit our use of Greenland as an Arctic sword and shield.” Even though Denmark retained control of Greenland after the Treaty of Kiel in 1814, America had an early interest in the region. The naval explorer Charles Hall, allegedly murdered on his expedition to the Arctic in 1871, was the first to survey northwestern Greenland. The American explorer Robert Peary, who declared his expedition the first to reach the North Pole in 1909 after two decades of dangerous effort, laid claim to the islands’ north. The US chose to withdraw its claims in 1917, in return for Denmark’s West Indies colonies—important to the defence of the Panama Canal. In 1940, though, Nazi Germany occupied Denmark and set up weather stations in Greenland. The US, historian Dawn Berry records, responded by invading the islands, sending Coast Guard personnel disguised as volunteers. Among America’s major motivations were the island’s enormous reserves of cryolite, a mineral vital to the production of aluminium. President Harry S. Truman wanted to buy Greenland after World War II, as part of a Cold War strategy for boxing out Soviet forces. The Danish government was less than delighted but made deep concessions to facilitate the presence of American forces. The US began construction of Thule Air Base—today called Pittufik Space Base—which was the northernmost deployment of its military. The Army conducted studies to house up to 600 nuclear-capable missiles under Greenland’s ice. The island also housed a number of electronic intelligence gathering facilities and a radar, monitoring Soviet aircraft and missile tests, as well as ships passing through what is known as the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom ice gap. Also read: Reciprocity will define Trump 2.0 – trade ties with India will be purely transactional Even though the tunnels built to house Camp Century have been claimed by climate change , Greenland has new strategic significance. From July to September, months now often blocked by ice, the Arctic route would shrink the journey from Shanghai to Rotterdam from 11,500 nautical miles to some 6,500 nm. The journey would take 18 days, instead of 30. This would reduce costs, and insulate Chinese shipping from the volatile geopolitics of the Middle East. It would enable shorter, faster access to ports on the Atlantic seaboard. The Chinese government, almost certainly, also hopes to make hydrocarbon discoveries in the Arctic, which will allow it to diversify its resource base and mitigate its energy dependence on the Middle East—where the US, again, has long enjoyed a strategic chokehold. According to studies carried out by the United States Geological Survey, the Arctic holds a third of the world’s undiscovered gas and 13 per cent of its oil. Iceland and China have a free-trade agreement, which was signed in 2013. Labelling itself a near-Arctic state, although its northernmost tip is some 800 nm from the Arctic Circle, China is pushing for recognition as a stakeholder in the region. Even though it had no significant corpus of Arctic scientific research, it was granted observer status in the key regional intergovernmental organisation, the Arctic Council, in 2013. The reason was simple: Norway and other European states feared that Beijing would otherwise simply set up its own Arctic club. The Arctic Council, though, also balanced China’s entry by allowing in several other states, including India, Japan, South Korea and Singapore. For its part, scholar Rush Doshi writes, China views Great Power competition as entailing a “struggle over and control of global public spaces’ like the Arctic and Antarctic. Thus, the argument goes, China ‘cannot rule out the possibility of using force’ in this coming ‘scramble for new strategic spaces.’ This isn’t to suggest that the Arctic routes are ready to go. Commercial ship owners transiting the southeastern and northwestern passages, a report by the authoritative Congressional Research Service states, will need to use smaller vessels to transit the waters, or deploy icebreakers. Both options come with significant costs—at least until the ice melts even further. For obvious reasons, the Donald Trump administration doesn’t want to risk a Beijing-controlled Greenland’s energy and mineral industries. In general, public opinion in Greenland—which has a high degree of federal independence of action from Denmark—has stood firmly on the American side. Like all other countries in a similar situation, though, Greenland likely wishes to secure all it can from its situation, without giving up its sovereignty. Also read: US Cold War fixation let nuclear genie out of the bottle in Pakistan. Sanctions won’t help Like so much else to do with Trump, it’s hard to understand where impulse ends, and a well-crafted strategy begins: Everything the US seeks in Greenland and the Arctic it can, and will, be able to secure through diplomacy. The President-elect’s parallel call for US control over the Panama Canal suggests Trump is reviving the 1823 doctrine of President James Monroe, which declared that any European attempt to “extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety.” A maze of questions, though, lies between the words and the meaning of Trump’s Greenland plans. For one, the US already has a substantial military presence on the islands, and its government would be willing to grant more to defend against Russia and China. There is no particular reason to seek colonisation of Greenland, any more than the US has done in other parts of Europe. For its part, China has set about asserting its claims to the Arctic with what can only be called theatrical performances. In 2022, artist-turned-sailor Zhai Mo completed the circumnavigation of the Arctic, as part of a larger government-managed programme to assert China’s claims on the region. This one thing is clear, though: As geopolitical competition intensifies in the age of Trump, the incoming US President is determined to exercise more direct, physical control over America’s near neighbourhood. Even if he delivers on threats to dismantle NATO, and rain a hell of sanctions on America’s trading partners, Trump is also determined to wield absolute control over foreign powers arriving on US shores. Little doubt exists Trump has subtler, and more effective tools at his disposal to secure that end. What remains to be seen is how far he is willing to go, and how much he’s willing to do to compel reluctant partners to heed his will. In 1778, the adventurer James Cook poetically described his journey through the Arctic, sailing “close to the edge of the ice, which was as compact as a wall, and seemed to be ten or twelve feet high.” Those sights will no longer exist for a new generation of sailors crossing the three passages. The sailors now heading into the sea will see just blue water—a grim reminder that nation-states competing for influence in the Arctic might be obsessed with the wrong problem. Praveen Swami is contributing editor at ThePrint. He tweets @praveenswami. Views are personal. (Edited by Zoya Bhatti) var ytflag = 0;var myListener = function() {document.removeEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);lazyloadmyframes();};document.addEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);window.addEventListener('scroll', function() {if (ytflag == 0) {lazyloadmyframes();ytflag = 1;}});function lazyloadmyframes() {var ytv = document.getElementsByClassName("klazyiframe");for (var i = 0; i < ytv.length; i++) {ytv[i].src = ytv[i].getAttribute('data-src');}} Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Nasdaq surges above 20,000 after US inflation data matches estimatesMicrovast (NASDAQ:MVST) Shares Gap Up – Here’s Why

RTÉ Prime Time presenter Fran McNulty has tied the knot with his partner and colleague, Doireann O'Hara. The couple, who are both working at the national broadcaster, with O’Hara as a producer, celebrated their festive wedding on Saturday. “After a beautiful weekend celebrating our wedding, the out of office is on and some time away to celebrate some more!” he wrote on social media site X. A number of other RTÉ stars and colleagues were in attendance, including Prime Time’s Miriam O’Callaghan, who shared some snaps from the big day. "It was such a special day yesterday celebrating the wedding of the beautiful couple,” said O’Callaghan, who attended with her husband Steve Carson. A post shared by Miriam O Callaghan (@instmiriam) She described them as a “gorgeous couple” adding that “all of us Prime Time and RTÉ folk had a truly wonderful day”. "We all greatly missed though our former recently departed colleagues Rhona and Paul who no doubt whatsoever were watching it all from Heaven,” she added. In response to O’Callaghan, Mr McNulty said: “What a day. Absolutely loved having you, Steve and the gang here.” Mr McNulty, from Longford, is an award-winning presenter, who has been reporting and presenting with RTÉ since 2005. He was previously Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Correspondent, as well a Morning Ireland presenter, having started in Shannonside Northern Sound radio. Speaking earlier this year, he described meeting his wife Doireann O’Hara as the “second chance in life that you never think you’d get” following the breakdown of his first marriage, six years ago. Colleagues from across RTÉ and the media industry congratulated the newlyweds. Drivetime presenter Sarah McInerney wrote: “Gorgeous photos of a beautiful couple. Congratulations again.” While RTÉ’s Mid-West correspondent Cathy O’Halloran said: “Ahhh..congratulations to you both and best for the future.”Spain's King Felipe addresses the nation with his yearly Christmas messagevr poker game 。

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Prosus is acquiring online travel agency Despegar.com for US$1.7-billion (R32-billion) as the Dutch technology investor seeks to expand its online commerce presence in Latin America. Despegar’s board approved the offer of $19.50/share, a 33% premium to the closing price on 20 December, Prosus said in a statement on Monday. “This acquisition demonstrates our strategy to build value by creating high-quality ecosystems of complementary technology businesses,” Prosus CEO Fabricio Bloisi said. “We will accelerate Despegar’s growth by leveraging the extensive customer touchpoints within our portfolio.” Prosus parent Naspers was an early investor in Tencent Holdings, and Prosus is now scouring the globe for companies in an effort to replicate its success with the Chinese internet firm. Bloisi, who prior to taking the helm at Prosus in July ran its Latin American iFood delivery service, stands to earn a $100-million moonshot pay package if he can double the company’s value in four years. The group has sold off some investments since Bloisi took over, including a stake in Indian online food delivery firm Swiggy during its initial public offering and its holding in China’s Trip.com for about $1.5-billion. This is its first big acquisition under Bloisi, although more deals are expected as he seeks rapid growth. Despegar operates in 19 countries and handles over 9.5 million transactions a year. The company did $5.3-billion in gross bookings in its 2023 financial year. The deal, which is expected to close during the second quarter of 2025 pending regulatory approval, will add to Prosus’s e-commerce portfolio in Latin America, where it also has a classified business OLX, iFood and events platform Sympla. Upon completion, the group will have about 100 million customers and over $500-million in e-commerce earnings before interest and tax in Latin America, according to a Prosus presentation. Read: Naspers plans more IPOs after Swiggy success Prosus has redoubled its efforts to deploy the company’s capital, focusing on sectors including online food, classifieds, payments and fintech, Prosus chief investment officer and president Ervin Tu said last month. Prosus, through Naspers, made a blockbuster investment in Tencent in 2001, when it paid $34-million for nearly half of the company. Today, it owns about a quarter of the firm, which has a market value of about $480-billion. The group’s investment in the Chinese tech giant has distorted Prosus’s stock price and created a gap between the value of the stake and the rest of the group’s businesses. — (c) 2024 Bloomberg LP Get breaking news from TechCentral on WhatsApp. Sign up hereTitans QB Mason Rudolph gets another chance at starting, this time against the JagsA senior bishop of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church in Kerala took a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi through a social media post on Tuesday, ahead of Christmas, sparking a controversy. Yuhanon Meletius, the Metropolitan bishop of the Thrissur diocese of the Church, wrote in Malayalam on Facebook, “There, bishops are revered and cribs are bowed to. Here, cribs are destroyed. Isn’t there a phrase in Malayalam for such an action?” The bishop was referring to the Christmas event hosted by the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) in Delhi on Monday, where the PM was the chief guest. Simultaneously, he pointed out the two separate incidents that took place at Palakkad district in Kerala, in which suspected Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) supporters allegedly attempted to disrupt Christmas celebrations at a government school on December 20, and a crib was found to be vandalised at another school on Monday. The Christian leader’s remarks came at a time when the BJP is conducting an outreach programme with a focus on the Christian community in Kerala and elsewhere. Under the programme, BJP leaders and workers are heading to Christian homes across the state to convey Christmas greetings of the PM as part of its attempts to get closer to the community, which accounts for 18% of the state’s population. The incident involving VHP leaders took place at the Government Upper Primary School in Nallepilly where they allegedly questioned the teachers and other staff about the reasons for celebrating Christmas and ignoring Hindu festivals. In the second incident, the crib, set up as part of Christmas celebrations at a government school in Thathamangalam, was allegedly vandalised. Three VHP leaders have been arrested for the first incident and sent to judicial remand. The Orthodox bishop later told reporters on Tuesday, “I see the Delhi event (of the CBCI) as a drama. In Malayalam, there’s a saying ‘cutting the neck while blowing from mouth’. That’s the fashion I see.” He meant that the BJP and the PM were indulging in contrasting actions at the same time. After the remarks, Mar Andrews Thazhath, president of the CBCI, told reporters, “We didn’t invite a BJP leader to the event. We invited the Prime Minister of India. We thanked him for attending the event. At the same time, we appealed to him to take the country forward by following the basic tenets of the Constitution and including people of all faiths such as Christians and Muslims in the process.” Congress MP KC Venugopal hit out at PM Modi saying, “Are people in Manipur able to celebrate Christmas? Did the PM utter a single word about it? Instead he spoke about the incident in Germany (where there was an attack on a Christmas market).” BJP state president K Surendran condemned the incident of Christmas celebration disruption at the school in Palakkad and suspected a conspiracy behind it. “Members of the VHP or other Sangh Parivar outfits are not responsible for it. I condemn it in the strongest terms. It cannot be encouraged. There must be strong action. I suspect a conspiracy behind it. For the past few years, the BJP has been interacting with the Christian community in a loving and harmonious way. There are some people who don’t like it. Some people who have left the BJP may have been involved. I demand a fair and transparent probe,” he said.

AI Vanguard Art Resurrects 18th-Century Destroyed Painting Using Artificial IntelligenceABS WavesightTM, the ABS-affiliated Software-as-a-Service company, is pleased to announce that UNI-FLEET SDN BHD, a specialized shipping company operating tanker vessels primarily focused on the transportation of ammonia across Asia, has chosen to implement Nautical Systems (NS) Maintenance Manager and Purchasing Manager modules to revolutionize their maintenance and inventory processes. “We’re excited for the opportunity to support UNI-FLEET with Nautical Systems,” said Staci Satterwhite, CEO at ABS Wavesight. “The integration of NS Maintenance Manager and NS Purchasing Manager will equip UNI-FLEET with the tools they need to automate maintenance processes, manage inventory efficiently and drive operational excellence.” NS Maintenance Manager will provide UNI-FLEET with a powerful, integrated database that brings together critical maintenance and purchasing information to streamline scheduling, tracking and forecasting, helping to reduce costs and increase uptime. NS Purchasing Manager will assist UNI-FLEET in revolutionizing procurement and inventory control activities by facilitating competitive bidding, contracting and inventory tracking and connecting these activities back to their maintenance operations. “The implementation of ABS Wavesight’s Nautical Systems solutions marks a significant step forward for our organization in enhancing our maintenance and procurement operations,” said Mohd Iylia Tan, General Manager at UNI-FLEET SDN BHD. “We are confident that this technology will streamline our processes and strengthen our operational efficiency.” Source: ABS Wavesight

Bethlehem marked another somber Christmas Eve on Tuesday (December 24, 2024) in the traditional birthplace of Jesus under the shadow of war in Gaza . The excitement and cheer that typically descends on the West Bank during Christmas week were nowhere to be found. The festive lights and giant tree that normally decorate Manger Square were missing, as were the throngs of foreign tourists that usually fill the square. Palestinian scouts marched silently through the streets, a departure from their usual raucous brass marching band. Some carried a sign that read, “We want life, not death.” Security forces, meanwhile, arranged barriers near the Church of the Nativity, built atop the spot where Jesus is believed to have been born. "Always the message of Bethlehem is a message of peace and hope," said Mayor Anton Salman. “And these days, we are also sending our message to the world: peace and hope, but insisting that the world must work to end our suffering as Palestinian people.” Palestinian scouts carry posters, one reads “Peace for Gaza and its people,” while they march during Christmas Eve celebrations at the Church of the Nativity, traditionally recognized by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on December 24, 2024. | Photo Credit: AP The cancellation of Christmas festivities is a severe blow to the town's economy. Tourism accounts for an estimated 70% of Bethlehem’s income — almost all of it from the Christmas season. Salman said unemployment is hovering around 50% — higher than the 30% unemployment across the rest of the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Finance Ministry. Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land, noted the shuttered shops and empty streets and expressed hope that next year would be better. Pizzaballa held a special pre-Christmas Mass in Holy Family Church in Gaza City on Sunday. “This has to be the last Christmas that is so sad,” he told hundreds of people gathered in Manger Square, where normally tens of thousands would congregate. “I bring you the greetings, the prayers, of our brothers and sisters in Gaza.” The number of visitors to the town plunged from a pre-COVID high of around 2 million per year in 2019 to fewer than 100,000 in 2024, said Jiries Qumsiyeh, the spokesperson for the Palestinian Tourism Ministry. Bethlehem is an important center in the history of Christianity, but Christians make up only a small percentage of the roughly 14 million people spread across the Holy Land. There are about 182,000 in Israel, 50,000 in the West Bank and Jerusalem and 1,300 in Gaza, according to the U.S. State Department. Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land, is received by local community while crossing an Israeli military checkpoint from Jerusalem for Christmas Eve celebrations at the Church of the Nativity, traditionally recognized by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on December 24, 2024. | Photo Credit: AP After nightfall, the golden walls of the Church of the Nativity were illuminated as a few dozen people quietly milled about. A young boy stood holding a pile of balloons for sale, but gave up because there were no customers to buy them. The war in Gaza has deterred tourists and has prompted a surge of violence in the West Bank, with more than 800 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire and dozens of Israelis killed in militant attacks. Palestinian officials do not provide a breakdown of how many of the deceased are civilians and how many are fighters. Since the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack that sparked the war, access to and from Bethlehem and other towns in the West Bank has been difficult, with long lines of motorists waiting to pass through Israeli military checkpoints. The restrictions have prevented some 150,000 Palestinians from leaving the territory to work in Israel, causing the economy there to contract by 25%. In the Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel, Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took more than 250 Israeli hostages. Israeli officials believe that around 100 hostages remain in captivity in the Gaza Strip. Elsewhere, Christmas celebrations were also subdued. Scores of Syrian Christians protested Tuesday in Damascus, demanding protection after the burning of a Christmas tree in Hama the day before. Videos and images shared on social media showed the large, decorated tree burning at a roundabout in Suqalabiyah, a town in the Hama countryside. It remains unclear who was responsible for setting the tree on fire. In a video that circulated on social media, a representative of Syria’s new leadership, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, could be seen visiting the site and addressing the community. He said: “This act was committed by people who are not Syrian, and they will be punished beyond your expectations.” German celebrations were darkened by a car attack on a Christmas market on Friday that left five people dead and 200 people injured. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier rewrote his annual recorded Christmas Day speech to address the attack. He plans to acknowledge that “there is grief, pain, horror and incomprehension over what took place in Magdeburg,” while urging Germans to “stand together,” according to an early copy of the speech. A snowstorm in the Balkans stranded drivers and downed power lines, but some saw the beauty in it. “I’m actually glad its falling, especially because of Christmas,” said Mirsad Jasarevic in Zenica, Bosnia. “We did not have snow for Christmas for 17 years here, and now is the time for wonderful white Christmas.” American Airlines briefly grounded flights across the U.S. on Tuesday due to a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive. Winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Meanwhile, the flight-tracking site FlightAware reported that 1,447 flights entering or leaving the U.S., or serving domestic destinations, were delayed Tuesday, with 28 flights canceled. Published - December 25, 2024 02:11 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Christmas / christianity / christmas / Israel-Palestine Conflict

Even by the standards of a litigious business, Drake’s recent legal actions against Universal Music Group and other companies look like odd filings. On Nov. 25, Drake filed an action accusing UMG and Spotify of acting to “artificially inflate” the popularity of Kendrick Lamar ’s “Not Like Us”; the next day, he made a similar filing against UMG and iHeartRadio , alleging that UMG’s release of the song could also constitute defamation. The basic idea seems to be that “Not Like Us,” Lamar’s diss track against Drake, became so successful because it was rigged. “UMG did not rely on chance, or even ordinary business practices,” Drake’s lawyers wrote in the first filing. “It instead launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves.” The filings accuse UMG and its partners of acting in ways that are fraudulent, including using “bots” and payola, but little proof is provided — a “whistleblower,” an “inside source known to petitioner” and an assertion that Drake “learned of at least one UMG employee making payments to an independent radio promoter” who had agreed to pay stations. (The company has said in a statement to Billboard that “the suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue.”) These filings aren’t lawsuits, but rather legal attempts to get information that might provide the basis for them. And since Lamar’s success doesn’t really come at the expense of Drake’s — at least any more than any artist becomes popular at the expense of any other — it’s hard not to wonder if Drake is just upset that, with “Not Like Us,” Lamar seems to have won the long-running feud between them. That’s a long story — well-summarized here — but Drake and Lamar basically traded diss tracks for hip-hop fans until Lamar’s scathing “Not Like Us” topped the Billboard Hot 100. Drake is essentially claiming that UMG — for which both rappers record under different labels — cheated on Lamar’s behalf. It was rigged. Quick: What other famous person does this remind you of? Hints: When he wins, he revels in his success; when he loses, he blames it on unfairness and litigates. Yes, I’m going there: Drake has become Trumpian . Before Team Drizzy throws bottles of Virginia Black Whiskey by Drake, Drake is a skilled rapper, a compelling performer, and a fantastic Drake — it’s hard to compare him to other artists, both because he doesn’t fit neatly into a genre and because his greatest talent is being Drake. (Drake the artist seems to be an exaggerated version of Drake the person, with the soap operatic conflict amped up and the more mundane parts edited out.) Both Drake and Trump thrive on success and fandom — their fans root for them because they win and they win because their fans root for them. (Trump the politician seems to be an exaggerated version of Trump the person, with the cultural conflict amped up and the boring parts edited out.) Neither gets a ton of respect from critics, but they are both popular beyond belief, and they love to win and then show off that they did. Drake’s feud with Lamar became so compelling because each was a champion in his own way — Drake the unmatched entertainer, Lamar the iconic old-school lyricist. By scoring a No. 1 single with a diss track, an unusual achievement, Lamar essentially beat Drake at his own game. Is this why Drake is filing legal actions? Most people file litigation for financial restitution, to get an injunction to stop something, or to win negotiating leverage. In this case, the first would be hard to calculate, the second involves practices that would be hard to prove and the third seems unlikely — why would Drake want out of the UMG deal he signed in 2021 , which includes publishing and merchandise rights and was described as “Lebron sized.” The only thing we know about Drake’s motive is that his second filing says he “brings this action for a discrete and specific purpose: to understand whether, and how, UMG funneled payments to iHeartRadio and its radio stations as part of a pay-to-play scheme.” Perhaps, like Trump, he simply can’t imagine the possibility that he would lose a fair fight. Does Drake have a case? If UMG really had the power to make any song a hit, wouldn’t it do so more frequently? If anyone thinks Drake hasn’t received enough marketing or promotion — and I have yet to meet such a person — it’s worth considering that some Spotify subscribers found the service’s promotion of Scorpion so extensive that they asked for a refund . This, too, has political echoes: If U.S. elections are as unfair as Trump claims, how can he trust the one in November? Like Trump, Drake loves the one-upmanship drama of competition — but only, apparently, when he wins. Trump ran several campaigns based partly on the politics of insult comedy — his dog-whistle racism was obviously far worse — but he doesn’t like to be on the receiving end of it. (The kind of thin skin that would be a personal fault in most is terrifying in the U.S. president.) If rappers could pursue defamation claims for diss tracks, much less against the labels that release them, hip-hop never would have made it out of the Bronx. Lamar called Drake a certified pedophile, which is an ugly accusation, and a pun on Drake’s Certified Lover Boy , but not an actual thing; the reason Drake looks bad isn’t because people believe it but because “Not Like Us” is catchier and wittier than his own diss tracks. Drake certainly has the right to ask about music promotion practices — even in a legal filing. If no evidence of this emerges, though, he will need to seek satisfaction the old-fashioned way — by releasing a more compelling single.By Priyanka G and Krystal Hu (Reuters) -SandboxAQ said on Wednesday it has raised more than $300 million in funding, valuing the startup spun off from Alphabet at $5.6 billion, as it aims to fast-track the development of advanced artificial intelligence systems for computation. The new funding, from investors including New York-based investment firm Fred Alger Management, T. Rowe Price, and Breyer Capital, will be used to accelerate the development of its large quantitative models (LQMs) and other AI applications in industries from healthcare to finance. This follows a $500 million fundraising last year to build its quantum computing platform to serve business customers. SandboxAQ says its AI technology differs from the large language models that power ChatGPT in the generative AI wave. Instead of training on a huge number of language tokens, its models train on large numerical data. “The majority of the economy is actually not based on language. It’s actually based on quantitative relationships,” said Jack Hidary, CEO at SandboxAQ. The Palo Alto, California-based company plans to invest the capital in building news modules for specific use cases for big enterprise customers, from drug discovery to materials science, Hidary said. Breyer Capital founder and CEO Jim Breyer, an early backer in SandboxAQ, said the company can train quantitative models on existing hardware like Nvidia GPUs. It could also benefit from future breakthroughs in the quantum chip space. Google, for example, said earlier this month that its new chip called Willow has overcome a key challenge in quantum computing, prompting its shares to jump. SandboxAQ was spun off from Alphabet as an independent startup in 2022, with former Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt as chairman. The company caters to various sectors such as cybersecurity, encryption and life sciences. (Reporting by Priyanka.G in Bengaluru and Krystal Hu in Toronto; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar and Sandra Maler) Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content. var ytflag = 0;var myListener = function() {document.removeEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);lazyloadmyframes();};document.addEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);window.addEventListener('scroll', function() {if (ytflag == 0) {lazyloadmyframes();ytflag = 1;}});function lazyloadmyframes() {var ytv = document.getElementsByClassName("klazyiframe");for (var i = 0; i < ytv.length; i++) {ytv[i].src = ytv[i].getAttribute('data-src');}} Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Coach Brian Callahan is sticking with Mason Rudolph at quarterback for a second straight game to see if the Tennessee Titans can build on the veteran who's played in four of their highest scoring games this season. Callahan said Tuesday that he thinks Rudolph earned another chance to play despite a 38-30 loss to Indianapolis. “Obviously the one interception was probably his only really poor moment," Callahan said. "The rest of it was pretty well executed on his part and operated in a drop-back passing game and had to fight his way back through it. And it was good to see, so we’ll let him take another crack at it.” Rudolph is 2-4 in the six games he's played in this season. That includes coming in for an injured Will Levis on Sept. 30 in a 31-12 win at Miami , and he tried to rally the Titans in a turnover-plagued 37-27 loss to Cincinnati before being selected as the starter last week. Rudolph, who is in Tennessee on a one-year deal, was 23 of 34 for 252 yards with two touchdown passes and three interceptions. One went off running back Tony Pollard's hands with the final pick coming on the last play of the game after Rudolph led a rally from a 38-7 deficit in the final 18 minutes. Rudolph's ability to avoid sacks is a key piece of sticking with him over Levis, the 33rd pick overall in the 2023 draft. The quarterbacks' stats are similar with Rudolph having eight TD passes and eight interceptions, completing 63.8% of his passes with a 78.8 passer rating. That’s similar to Levis completing 63.7% of his passes with 12 TD passes and 12 interceptions. But Levis has been sacked 40 times compared to just seven for Rudolph. “He’s got the ability to avoid the negative play when it comes to sacks," Callahan said of Rudolph. “He gets the ball out. He knows where to go with it quickly.” That means Rudolph gets a chance Sunday when the Titans (3-12) visit the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12) to see if he can guide the offense to more than the six points Levis managed against their AFC South rival in a 10-6 loss on Dec. 8 in Nashville. Rudolph said he knows he put the Titans defense in a bad spot with some turnovers. "I’m ready to prove that I can take care of the ball better and keep scoring points,” Rudolph said. The Titans held a walk-through Tuesday with Callahan giving the team Wednesday off for Christmas. An injury report won't be released until Wednesday, and Callahan said it'll likely be lengthy. RG Dillon Radunz, who was knocked out of last week's game with an injury, will be on that report. Lineman Jaelyn Duncan, who hurt a hamstring badly enough early in his first start at right tackle Oct. 20 that he wound up on injured reserve , will be available. Callahan said he is excited to see Duncan play. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Edo: FRSC confirms death of two persons in road accident

A new report says that media freedoms in Zambia are under attack. The report says more than 60 percent of people surveyed think that the media cannot operate freely, due to frequent instances of harassment and intimidation faced by journalists and bloggers. The Media Institute of Southern Africa, or MISA, launched its report on December 17 in Zambia’s capital, Lusaka. MISA chairperson Lorraine Mwanza said that journalists in Zambia still face censorship and violence in the course of their duties. Both she and the report cited the case of Thomas Zgambo, an investigative journalist, who has been arrested three times in the last 13 months for writing stories that Zambian authorities deemed overly critical. Zgambo faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of charges that include libel and sedition. Zgambo told VOA that he will not stop writing and reporting. “All the three cases basically, it’s a journalist trying to find answers on behalf of the public but I’m now in court because instead of the government answering, they have decided to use the police to criminalize journalism and take me to court. So I’m in court with three criminal charges. I’m in court with three criminal cases before three different magistrates,” he said. Zgambo’s legal troubles started in November 2023, when he was arrested in connection with an article in which he alleged a government institution was renting a property from President Hakainde Hichilema. In August of this year, he was arrested for a 2022 story about an allegedly illegal government purchase of fertilizer. And in October, he was arrested for an article he wrote about food imports. The most recent arrest came hours after President Hichilema promised to uphold press freedom in a speech read on his behalf by chief government spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa. Joan Chirwa, the founder of a Zambian media advocacy group, the Free Press Initiative, told VOA she agrees with the findings of the MISA report. “We have seen political party figures still storming radio stations to disturb programming and threaten journalists there," she said. "We have seen journalists being detained by the police. We have also seen journalists been lumped with criminal charges just because of what they have written and our biggest worry right now is what may likely happen as we get closer to the 2026 election.” Chirwa criticized colonial-era laws being used by authorities against journalists in Zambia. These include criminal defamation, sedition and state security laws which Chirwa says are a hindrance to journalists playing their role as a watchdog on the government. However, at the launch of the MISA report, an official at the information ministry, Mumanga Morden Mayembe, argued that the government has not interfered with media freedoms at all. Mayembe said the government has opened up the media space, as evidenced by its licensing of more than 200 radio stations, 50 TV stations and many online platforms. “When platforms are few, then there will be few people expressing themselves on those platforms. When we just had [one] tv station, for you to appear on tv you needed to be a president, you needed to be a vice president, a minister or at least somebody with a name in society,” said Mayembe. However, Muthoki Mumo, the Africa program coordinator with the Committee to Protect Journalists, said in a recent statement that the continued harassment of Zgambo paints a stark picture of the emptiness behind the government ‘s pledges to protect journalists.League title would be the perfect anniversary gift for Belfast Giants fans, says Adam Keefe

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A lot is happening in carbon, and we sat down with Magnus again after speaking with him in 2022 . What are you currently most excited about in the carbon markets? Two things excite me the most: First, the real, quiet shift towards removal, and second, the increasing adoption of long-term portfolios. While the big-bang purchases of removal remain being executed by a very small number of buyers that essentially stayed the same over the past years and often require payment at delivery in the future, we now see an expansion of removal investments within portfolios that happens more quietly but seems more resilient with actual spot purchases of nature-based, hybrid, and engineered removals. On average, we’ve seen an increase in removal share of over 30% year-on-year. These are transactions that often come with normal payment terms and allow early cash-in for project developers and aren’t necessarily used for large marketing announcements. It’s rather a real risk perspective that drives them. Similarly, this increase drives companies to think about balanced portfolios for the long term. With net-zero ambitions in 2030, the target years are no longer in a distant future for many companies. As buyers have made their experiences in the market, they’re starting to be more aware of the supply and price risk that is to come. Rather than focusing on short-term project investments with flashy narratives, buyers are starting to construct portfolios with a 3 to 5-year time horizon. At CEEZER , we advocate for this approach, which mirrors the required build-up of high-quality supply. By spreading investments across various technologies, geographies, registries, and years, corporates increasingly pursue a risk-hedging strategy that helps supply-side growth at scale. This strategy enables risk mitigation and offers the opportunity to support high-quality, high-cost removal projects while reducing long-term market risks. Since we last spoke, how has financing and transparency on the quality of projects developed? Since our last discussion in late 2022, financing and transparency in carbon projects have seen significant advancements. 2023 posed what I would call “positive challenges” for carbon market players, with declines in carbon credit issuances and retirements of certain credit categories following controversial news that impacted the market’s reputation. Expectations were high for COP28 and Article 6 negotiations to give “UN-sanctioned” guidance, but unfortunately, they did not yield the anticipated results. Something that might have driven a sudden increase in the market. However, amidst these challenges, regulatory changes and increased public scrutiny have led to elevated quality standards for carbon credits. There are a few private market initiatives that, while early, are prone to wider adoption. For example, on June 6th, the Integrity Council of the Voluntary Carbon Market announced the first carbon-crediting methodologies that meet its high-integrity Core Carbon Principles. This will allow buyers to eventually look for ‘CCP-labeled’ credits, hopefully giving them confidence that these are aligned with an industry-leading standard. That said, the process of accreditation is still ongoing and it remains to be seen how robust the CCP label will be in a very quickly evolving market. Also, both for buyers and suppliers, the competing quality frameworks are starting to be a bit of a headache. We focus on “credit fundamentals,” i.e. metric-driven properties of carbon credits that we collect, vet, and harmonize to be able to quickly derive adherence to any possible standard. For now, that seems to be the only way to manage the variety of quality definitions out there. Luckily, deepened collaborations among major players in the Voluntary Carbon Market, including ICVCM, VCMI, SBTi, and others, are at least signaling a concerted effort to build trust and confidence in the market. A quick harmonization will be crucial if we want companies to act. What spurred controversy was the announcement of the Science Based Targets Initiative’s potential acceptance of carbon credits towards Scope 3 targets, and the VCMI’s beta Scope 3 flexibility claim. There remain large differences within the carbon world on the best and most impactful way to deploy negative emissions as part of the decarbonization journey. While the concern around negative emissions as an “easy way out” is probably shared by everyone, a parallel deployment of removal next to internal reduction is necessary in most market scenarios. First, to make sure supply can grow quickly. Then, to “derisk” the often ambitious decarbonization timelines towards 2050 with removals before target years. In practice, we’ve hardly seen corporates investing significant amounts into removal when an internal decarbonization plan was not in place. Initiatives like the SBTi are central to corporate climate commitments but ultimately also rely on corporations adhering to their principles voluntarily. That is not an easy balance to keep – but even if discussions are controversial, that exchange is crucial at the current time. Removals are part of almost any climate scenario, and the time for “either/or” has long passed. If you were purchasing carbon credits for an enterprise or a government, how would you approach it? I firmly believe that no matter who is purchasing carbon credits, it’s essential to adopt a data-driven approach that aligns with long-term climate goals and optimizes the climate impact of investments. In any case, the first step is accurately measuring the carbon footprint across all activities, followed by identifying and implementing abatement initiatives. Once reduction efforts are initiated, buyers should define a strategy for compensating remaining emissions (ideally both along the way towards net zero, and definitely the residual emissions at net-zero). Advanced buyers today come with a set of requirements that we help to translate into objective metrics. As said, we’ve seen a significant increase in removals and help our partners understand what differences there are in terms of permanence, reversal risk, co-benefits, etc. When purchasing, CEEZER strongly advocates for creating a balanced portfolio that takes into account these specific risks as well as supply and price risks. Additionally, portfolio design is best done over multiple years, taking into account current and projected market dynamics. For example, it might make sense to secure specific project types like hybrid removals with a smaller pipeline but a large projected demand already today. For other project types, like really experimental technologies, it might be more beneficial to do some initial forward contracts but keep the flexibility to re-contract at lower prices later. Increasingly, buyers are concerned with the post-purchase part of things, also thanks to regulations like the VCMDA in California or CSRD in Europe. Transparent reporting and communication are important and should be easy. Making sure the use of credits is tracked and logged internally across all parts of the company is equally challenging when working across different registries. What is useful financing, and what is useless financing? Useful financing is investing in projects that contribute to tangible climate action and carbon reduction goals. Maybe this is controversial, but at large I believe the financing gap is less on the VC side of things, but really in project finance. The financial profile of carbon projects is similar to that of energy assets and other comparable investments. You have a relatively high upfront investment that can be earned back over a long period of time with regular issuances. The key difference is that off-take prices for carbon are hard to understand and predict at the moment. That challenges traditional financing solutions like energy project finance with predictable and often state-guaranteed feed-in tariffs. In short, for a bank, carbon projects are pretty risky for the long time horizon they cover. However, there is a real opportunity there for banks and mezzanine capital can play a huge role. It requires a certain risk appetite for sure but should be doable. In practice, corporate and private buyers can still help. This can include investing in high-quality carbon credits as a long-term off-take contract or supporting early-stage carbon removal technologies to encourage the development of new solutions with the ability to generate significant discounts. Clearly, this requires buyers to take a larger risk. Determining the risk profile of a project requires a thorough, data-driven approach. CEEZER has gathered and analyzed millions of data points and conducts a rigorous vetting process for every project and complements that with external ratings to help guide buyers into the right decision. Further, buyers can engage with high-quality projects early via the CEEZER Carbon Coalition , a collection of early-stage carbon removal players we guide to market. As a player with the data and the firm demand points, we also play our own role in backing long-term carbon portfolios with external financing. This allows later cash-out for buyers and early cash-in for project developers. Useless financing I’d say is the kind that does not actually happen. A lot of larger removal deals run as “payment on delivery.” So the headline reads that multiple millions went into carbon removal, while the suppliers haven’t yet seen a single dollar. The financing pressure hence remains on the often smaller suppliers. The buyers who truly lead have to do more these days. What is the main product offering of CEEZER, and what’s the future of your product suite? CEEZER’s platform enables enterprises to screen, purchase, and manage negative emissions. CEEZER uniquely combines the broadest supply overview with harmonized quality data to direct investments into impactful projects in balanced portfolios. We allow buyers to focus on mitigating risk and maximizing impact – while CEEZER takes care of the rest: Transaction handling in the registry, retirement, payment alignment, and post-purchase management of carbon assets. I feel like we are unique in how we look at quality and risk, with a data- and science-driven approach that is ingrained into every part of the platform. We allow you to leverage over 13 million data points on quality, volume, and pricing and have up to 530 data points for a single project that we can translate into meaningful information. In sum, we offer a tool that simplifies carbon purchases, reduces long-term quality and volume risk, and facilitates accurate reporting and communications from CDP to CSRD. Looking ahead, we focus on three things. First, the need for longer volume commitments requires a different view on long-term risk within projects, both around quality and volume availability. We are actively testing new ways to manage and mitigate that risk right on platform to make sure buyers get what they need, when they need it. Second, we’re offering additional tooling to manage already purchased credits within your organization — or make them available to external parties like suppliers and customers in case they want to. Transparency and a bullet-proof record are key there of course. Lastly, we have a larger role to play in financing carbon credit portfolios. As said above, the worst kind of financing is the one that doesn’t happen. A lot of what we do we can leverage to make carbon portfolios more bankable — allowing timely cash-in for the supply side. What trends do you think are overlooked in cleantech and climate? In the public debate and news coverage the fact that buyers, and especially large corporates, are increasingly quality-conscious, is cut short. There is an actual shift towards improving climate action that we see in every portfolio we manage, going far beyond the few landmark deals that are being talked about. Companies are starting to think about their climate strategy in longer cycles, leading to an increasing share of long-term off-take agreements and a shift towards higher-quality removal. Additionally, we see many companies that were considered traditional buyers are now looking at carbon as a potential revenue stream. Particularly in the process industries, companies with existing technological capabilities and suitable supply chains are realizing that deploying DACCS and BECCS within their supply chain is not only a means to reduce their own emissions but might be a potential source of income in a net-zero world. This will bring significant opportunities for equipment manufacturers, verifiers, and other players. That said, the practical use cases are far from clear. There are quite some questions around the additionality and applicability of CDR from traditional industrial supply chains that remain open — and will likely be subject to emerging regulation as well. Where would you like to see CEEZER in 3 years? In 3 years, I see CEEZER playing a pivotal role as the global carbon infrastructure, facilitating scalable CDR portfolios for every company, not just a few. We’re really looking at three perspectives on the way there. First, we focus on large corporates in approaching carbon management with the same rigor as financial performance. By providing robust tools and data-driven insights, we help make informed decisions and integrate negative emissions into crucial decisions. Second, we continue to focus on balanced portfolios to lower the entry threshold into permanent removals. If done right, this maximizes climate impact today while helping secure supply in the future. Last, we continue to invest in the broader ecosystem that brings together different stakeholders across the whole carbon value chain. There are gaps at every stage and we have a careful eye on where we can add value. In the current phase of the market, I believe it makes sense to look at where the market should be going forward and do your part to get it there. CleanTechnica's Comment Policy LinkedIn WhatsApp Facebook X Email Mastodon Reddit

Trelleborg’s Marine and Infrastructure operation has announced it is strengthening its presence in India through the construction of a new manufacturing facility near Ahmedabad, India. The state-of-the-art facility will produce Trelleborg’s full range of marine and infrastructure products and will be located close to the company’s existing global engineering center, enabling closer collaboration with key regional customers. “We are excited about the opportunities this new facility presents,” said Richard Hepworth, Business Unit President of Trelleborg Marine and Infrastructure. “By establishing a local manufacturing presence in India, we are not only positioning ourselves to better serve our customers but also aligning with the country’s economic growth trajectory.” The investment targets India’s expanding markets, particularly in port infrastructure, energy facilities and water networks. This expansion marks a significant step in Trelleborg’s global growth strategy, reinforcing its position as a leading provider of engineered polymer and technology solutions for marine, infrastructure, and energy projects worldwide. Source: TrelleborgIn a world of great need there are more ways to donate money than ever. How should you give?Even with technology taking over much of our day-to-day lives, board games still offer quality entertainment that can’t be beaten. Of course, the popular board games of today are a far cry from the games your parents grew up playing. are perfect for encouraging your family to work together or for bringing your group of friends around the table for an evening. If you’d like to start up a weekly game night, let this helpful list of the most popular board games be your guide. This game will have every player rolling in stitches with each ridiculous phrase that’s uttered. Combine crazy accents and hilarious phrases to impress the Nonsense Judge and win the round. The player with the highest number of wins ultimately wins the game, but the true fun of this card game is listening to your fellow players trying to say some of the most entertaining phrases of all time. This game is perfect for game nights or parties. This hilarious game is perfect if you have teenagers or are hosting a party with all adults. To play, you insert a mouthpiece that alters the sound of your speech, making every word sound silly. Set the timer and read one of the phrases on the cards and try to help your teammate guess what you’re saying. Speak Out easily provides hours of fun that even grandparents will love. What’s the next best thing to trying to break out of a room? Escape Room in a Box, of course. This thrilling, immersive game involves solving 2D and 3D puzzles in order to prevent a mad scientist from turning you and your friends or family into werewolves. Work together to escape your fate and use Amazon Alexa to enhance the experience. This fun strategy game is perfect for anyone with teenagers. Form two teams and select a spymaster on each team. Using clues, spymasters try to help their teammates find all 25 of the agents they’re in contact with, hopefully without selecting the other team’s agents or running into the deadly assassin. This innovative game offers a challenging and rewarding time working together. Excite your kids on game night with this modern twist on a classic. Play as six recognizable Hogwarts characters — Harry, Hermione, Ron, Luna, Ginny or Neville — to solve the mystery behind a fellow student’s disappearance. It’s up to you to figure out who attacked the student, what bewitching spell they used and where it occurred. Watch out for the Dark Mark, moving staircases and secret passages as you travel along in this magical family game. If you’ve ever wanted to save humanity from a deadly outbreak, you’ll love spending an hour playing Pandemic. You and your teammates must fight to contain four deadly diseases threatening the human race. Players must learn to work with their teammates to control outbreak hotspots and treat diseases. Win the game by curing all diseases without wiping out humanity first. ​​​​​​​ This tactical 60-minute game will push your imagination to its limits as you embark on a journey across Catan. Acquire crucial resources as you travel, build roads, buildings, and cities, and be wary of the ruthless robber and other players halting you on your own road. Through careful trading and clever decisions, you can lead your travelers to victory in this role-playing game of limitless possibilities. Play again and again. Every game is different. Train lovers will enjoy this innovative board game which has won numerous awards. This cross-country train adventure game mimics the concept of traveling around the world in 80 days. Collect train cars and claim railways across the country. Players earn the most points by establishing long train routes and connecting distant cities. Each game takes roughly 30 to 40 minutes to complete, and every adventure is different. This quick-paced game gives each player five seconds to name items on a certain topic. Although the topics are objectively easy —“Name 3 Mountains,” “Name 3 Types of Hats” or “Name 3 Super Heroes,” the pressure of the time crunch is likely to put you on edge. Race the clock and remain composed to win this game. You can even make up your own topics if you prefer. Half the fun is just hearing what other people blurt out, whether it’s relevant to the topic or not.

VP Kamala Harris addresses election loss, urges supporters to hold ‘power’MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City's players were booed by their own fans Tuesday after blowing a three-goal lead against Feyenoord in the Champions League to extend their winless run to six games. Jeers rang around the Etihad Stadium after the final whistle of a dramatic 3-3 draw. After five-straight losses in all competitions, City looked to be cruising to victory after going three up inside 50 minutes. But Feyenoord mounted an improbable comeback and leveled the game in the 89th minute to leave the home crowd stunned. While the worst losing streak of Guardiola’s managerial career was brought to an end, his wait for a first win since Oct. 26 goes on. Erling Haaland had scored twice, with Ilkay Gundogan also on target to put City in control. But goals from Anis Hadj Moussa in the 75th, Santiago Gimenez in the 82nd and David Hancko in the 89th turned the game on its head. City's players, including Bernardo Silva, Josko Gvardiol and Haaland looked visibly frustrated as they left the field to cheers of the delirious traveling Dutch fans in the away section of the stadium. City plays Premier League leader Liverpool on Sunday — defeat would leave it 11 points adrift of its title rival. James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer13 card poker game 。

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are rising toward records Tuesday after Donald Trump’s latest talk about tariffs created only some ripples on Wall Street, even if they could roil the global economy were they to take effect. The S&P 500 climbed 0.5% and was on track to top its all-time high set a couple weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 81 points, or 0.2%, to its own record set the day before, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.5% higher, with less than an hour remaining in trading. Stock markets abroad were down, but mostly only modestly, after President-elect Trump said he plans to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he takes office. Stock indexes were down 0.1% in Shanghai and nearly flat in Hong Kong, while Canada's main index edged down by just 0.1%. Trump has often praised the use of tariffs , but investors are weighing whether his latest threat will actually become policy or is just an opening point for negotiations. For now, the market seems to be taking it more as the latter. Unless the United States can prepare alternatives for the autos, energy products and other goods that come from Mexico, Canada and China, such tariffs would raise the price of imported items all at once and make households poorer, according to Carl Weinberg and Rubeela Farooqi, economists at High Frequency Economics. They would also hurt profit margins for U.S. companies, while raising the threat of retaliatory tariffs by other countries. General Motors sank 8.2%, and Ford Motor fell 2.6% because both import automobiles from Mexico. Constellation Brands, which sells Modelo and other Mexican beer brands in the United States, dropped 3.9%. Beyond the pain such tariffs would cause U.S. households and businesses, they could also push the Federal Reserve to slow or even halt its cuts to interest rates. The Fed had just begun easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high a couple months ago to offer support to the job market . While lower interest rates can boost the overall economy and prices for investments, they can also offer more fuel for inflation. “Many” officials at the Fed's last meeting earlier this month said they should lower rates gradually, according to minutes of the meeting released Tuesday afternoon. Unlike tariffs in Trump's first term, his proposal from Monday night would affect products across the board. Trump’s tariff talk came almost immediately after U.S. stocks rose Monday amid excitement about his pick for Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent. The hope was the hedge-fund manager could steer Trump away from policies that balloon the U.S. government deficit, which is how much more it spends than it takes in through taxes and other revenue. The talk about tariffs overshadowed another set of mixed profit reports from U.S. retailers that answered few questions about how much more shoppers can keep spending. They’ll need to stay resilient after helping the economy avoid a recession, despite the high interest rates instituted by the Fed to get inflation under control. Kohl’s tumbled 17.6% after its results for the latest quarter fell short of analysts’ expectations. CEO Tom Kingsbury said sales remain soft for apparel and footwear. A day earlier, Kingsbury said he plans to step down as CEO in January. Ashley Buchanan, CEO of Michaels and a retail veteran, will replace him. Best Buy fell 4.7% after likewise falling short of analysts’ expectations. Dick’s Sporting Goods topped forecasts for the latest quarter thanks to a strong back-to-school season, but its stock lost an early gain to fall 1.4%. A report on Tuesday from the Conference Board said confidence among U.S. consumers improved in November, but not by as much as economists expected. J.M. Smucker jumped 5.4% for one of the biggest gains in the S&P 500 after topping analysts' expectations for the latest quarter. CEO Mark Smucker credited strength for its Uncrustables, Meow Mix, Café Bustelo and Jif brands. Big Tech stocks also helped prop up U.S. indexes. Gains of 2.8% for Amazon and 2% for Microsoft were the two strongest forces lifting the S&P 500. In the bond market, Treasury yields rose following their big drop from a day before driven by relief following Trump’s pick for Treasury secretary. The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed to 4.30% from 4.28% late Monday, but it’s still well below the 4.41% level where it ended last week. In the crypto market, bitcoin continued to pull back after topping $99,000 for the first time late last week. It's since dipped back toward $91,600, according to CoinDesk. It’s a sharp turnaround from the bonanza that initially took over the crypto market following Trump’s election. That boom had also appeared to have spilled into some corners of the stock market. Strategists at Barclays Capital pointed to stocks of unprofitable companies, along with other areas that can be caught up in bursts of optimism by smaller-pocketed “retail” investors. AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.BJP Celebrates Monumental Triumph in Maharashtra Elections

Hezbollah Inflicts Pain On Israeli Soldiers; Pummels IDF's Shraga Base Again, Burns Merkava Tank

Jane Moore spills beans on I’m A Celeb secrets as she tells of close friendship with ‘the Queen of Clean’ Coleen Rooney

The act of shedding the long robe symbolizes a liberation from the constraints of conformity and expectation. It represents a bold declaration of independence, a defiance against the established norms and conventions that seek to dictate one's identity and choices. For these web celebrities, the decision to bare it all - both literally and figuratively - is a strategic move to stand out in a sea of mediocrity, to carve a niche for themselves in a crowded digital landscape.In recent months, there have been several incidents involving Chinese naval vessels sailing close to Taiwan's territorial waters, including provocative actions such as sailing through the Taiwan Strait and conducting military exercises near the island. These actions have been viewed as a show of force by Beijing and a demonstration of its military capabilities in the region.3 card poker game rules 。

As negotiations and discussions continue behind the scenes, Napoli fans will be eagerly awaiting updates on the club's pursuit of Esposito. With the summer transfer window approaching, the possibility of seeing Esposito in the iconic sky blue jersey of Napoli is becoming more and more tangible.The timing could not be more perfect for businesses to jump on the cross-border bandwagon. The global e-commerce market is projected to reach new heights in the coming years, with more consumers turning to online shopping for their everyday needs. This presents a golden opportunity for businesses to tap into new markets, expand their customer base, and increase their revenue streams.

JAAF partners with GTEX to drive textile innovation and competitiveness in Sri LankaAC Milan, known as the Rossoneri or the Red and Blacks, have been rocked by rumors of a potential departure of a key player. The club has not yet confirmed the identity of the player in question, but speculation is rife among fans and pundits alike. The potential sale could have significant implications for the team's performance in the upcoming matches, as the player in question is a vital cog in the AC Milan machine.

In the world of cinema and collectibles, certain items transcend their original purpose and become priceless pieces of history. Such is the case with the iconic red ruby slippers worn by Dorothy in the classic film "The Wizard of Oz," which were recently auctioned off for a staggering $32.5 million, setting a new record for movie memorabilia.

Martinez had gone eight matches since last finding the back of the net against Venezia on November 3 but after Alessandro Bastoni opened the scoring in the 54th minute, the Argentina international struck in Sardinia. The Inter captain took his tally against Cagliari to 10 goals in as many games after 71 minutes before Hakan Calhanoglu capped an excellent night for the visitors from the penalty spot a few moments later. This moment >>> #ForzaInter #CagliariInter pic.twitter.com/aZwbAZvRVI — Inter ⭐⭐ (@Inter_en) December 28, 2024 Inter’s fifth-successive league victory led to them temporarily leapfrogging Atalanta, who reclaimed top spot but saw their lead cut to a single point following a 1-1 draw at Lazio. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side were grateful for a point in the end after falling behind to Fisayo Dele-Bashiru’s first-half strike, only drawing level with two minutes remaining thanks to Marco Brescianini. Lautaro Valenti’s last-gasp strike condemned rock-bottom Monza to a 10th defeat in 18 matches as Parma edged a 2-1 victory, while Genoa defeated Empoli by the same scoreline.6. **Research and Development**:However, despite the euphoria surrounding the current rally in Chinese assets, investors remain cautious of potential risks and uncertainties that could derail the market's momentum. Geopolitical tensions, regulatory changes, and unexpected economic developments both domestically and internationally could introduce volatility and unpredictability into the market.The woman, identified as Sarah Chen, was believed to have gone missing in 2008 while pursuing her master's degree in psychology. Her sudden reappearance in a remote village in the outskirts of town sparked a frenzy of speculation and allegations. Local authorities were quick to respond to the situation, launching an investigation into the circumstances of her disappearance and alleged captivity.

By Alexandra Alper and Karen Freifeld (Reuters) -The Biden administration plans to blacklist a Chinese company whose TSMC-made chip was illegally incorporated into a Huawei artificial-intelligence processor, according to a person familiar with the matter. The Chinese company, Sophgo, drew attention after a chip found on Huawei’s Ascend 910B multi-chip system matched one it ordered from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Sophgo is the latest Chinese company slated to be punished by the U.S. for helping Huawei. Earlier this month, the Commerce Department added other companies viewed as part of Huawei’s shadow network to the U.S. Commerce Department’s restricted trade list. Sophgo, an affiliate of bitcoin mining equipment supplier Bitmain, is in the process of being placed on the list, known as the Entity List, the source said. Companies are added to the list for activities contrary to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests. Exporters are then barred from shipping goods and technology to them without a license, which is likely to be denied. China’s Huawei, a telecommunications equipment maker and technology conglomerate, was placed on the list in 2019. Since 2020, it has been a violation to ship even foreign-made chips to the company without a license. A spokesperson for the Commerce Department declined to comment. Sophgo did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In an October statement, the company said it “has never been engaged in any direct or indirect business relationship with Huawei.” This fall, tech research firm TechInsights took apart the Huawei 910B, discovered the chip and informed TSMC, which notified the U.S. Commerce Department, as Reuters reported in October. After determining the chip matched Sophgo’s design, TSMC suspended shipments to the company, sources said. TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said in October it has not supplied Huawei since 2020. A Taiwan official said that month that TSMC alerted Taiwan and U.S. authorities and began a detailed investigation. A TSMC spokesperson declined comment on Friday about what the investigation had turned up. Huawei said in October it has not produced any chips via TSMC since the U.S. imposed new export rules on the company in 2020. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. (Reporting by Karen Freifeld and Alexandra Alper. Additional reporting by Fanny Potkin. Editing by Chris Sanders, Chizu Nomiyama and Rod Nickel) Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content. var ytflag = 0;var myListener = function() {document.removeEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);lazyloadmyframes();};document.addEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);window.addEventListener('scroll', function() {if (ytflag == 0) {lazyloadmyframes();ytflag = 1;}});function lazyloadmyframes() {var ytv = document.getElementsByClassName("klazyiframe");for (var i = 0; i < ytv.length; i++) {ytv[i].src = ytv[i].getAttribute('data-src');}} Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Emerance Maschmeyer turned in 34 saves on 35 shots on goal and the Ottawa Charge held off the New York Sirens 3-1 on Sunday for their second win in six games. Read this article for free: Already have an account? As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed. Now, more than ever, we need your support. Starting at $14.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website. or call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527. Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community! NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Emerance Maschmeyer turned in 34 saves on 35 shots on goal and the Ottawa Charge held off the New York Sirens 3-1 on Sunday for their second win in six games. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Emerance Maschmeyer turned in 34 saves on 35 shots on goal and the Ottawa Charge held off the New York Sirens 3-1 on Sunday for their second win in six games. Playing their first game in 10 days, the Charge got a first-period goal from Emily Clark and Shiann Darkangelo and Kateřina Mrázová added second-period goals to build a 3-0 lead through two periods. Ottawa has scored at least three goals in all five of its meetings with New York over two seasons. Alex Carpenter earned a third-period assist to extend her scoring streak to nine straight games dating to last season. Sarah Fillier’s goal moved her into a tie for the league lead with eight points in her first eight games after being drafted No. 1 by the Sirens. Ottawa’s defense neutralized much of New York’s speed advantage and used a strong penalty kill to take a 1-0 lead after one period after Clark tipped home a wrist shot from the point by Brianne Jenner six minutes into the game. The Charge added two goals in the first seven minutes of the second period but could not capitalize on a pair of power plays late in the period. Fillier wasted little time getting New York on the board in the third period, firing a shot past Maschmeyer 23 seconds into the period, but the keeper saved the next dozen shots, including an almost three-minute finish when the Sirens pulled goalkeeper Corinne Schroeder to gain a player advantage. New York’s Jill Saulnier was activated off long-term injured reserve following an upper body injury sustained in the opening game December 1. ___ AP hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/hockey AdvertisementDan Chadwick leaves legacy of public service in Idaho | JonesChiefs' Isiah Pacheco and Charles Omenihu Remain Limited, Week 12 in Question

Title: Speedsell takes a stand against internal competition while supporting new businesses, the best time to join the cross-border race has arrivedThree cheap ASX stocks fund managers are snapping up before 2025