Former Vice-President Mphoko diesIn a thrilling match against Manchester City, Watford's forward, Munoz, delivered a spectacular performance by scoring a crucial goal. The 26-year-old player expressed his pride and honor in finding the back of the net against one of the toughest opponents in the league. Despite the tough challenge, Munoz remains positive and determined, believing that Watford has what it takes to secure all 3 points in the match.kkjili15 。

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Title: The Signals Released by Jack Ma's 3-Minute SpeechAs the Champions League group stage draws to a close, the stage is set for another thrilling round of matches that are sure to keep football fans on the edge of their seats. With high stakes, intense rivalries, and top-class talent on display, the upcoming fixtures promise to deliver excitement, drama, and unforgettable moments that define the magic of European football. Stay tuned as the drama unfolds and the race for Champions League glory reaches its peak.

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ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey gambling regulators have handed out $40,000 in fines to two sportsbooks and a tech company for violations that included taking bets on unauthorized events, and on games that had already ended. In information made public Monday, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement fined DraftKings $20,000. It also levied $10,000 fines on Rush Street Interactive NJ and the sports betting technology company Kambi. According to documents released by the state, Rush Street accepted 16 bets worth $1,523 in Nov. 2021 on a college basketball game between the University of North Carolina-Asheville and Tennessee Tech University after the game had already concluded with a UNC victory. Kambi told the enforcement division that a trader had failed to manually remove that game from its betting markets, saying it had stopped receiving messages from its own sports data provider due to a network connectivity error. Kambi said it has updated its guidelines and retrained its traders to prevent a recurrence. Kambi, which is based in Malta, did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Monday. Rush Street declined comment, and DraftKings had no immediate comment Monday. DraftKings stopped using Kambi in 2021. In March 2022 Rush Street took seven bets totaling just under $2,900 on three Magic City Jai Alai games after the results were already known. Kambi told the division it experienced a connectivity issue that allowed the bets to be accepted after the games were over. An explanation of what Kambi did to address the situation was blacked out in documents released by the division. A month earlier Rush Street took 13 wagers worth $8,150 with pre-match odds on a Professional Golf Association match after the event had already begun. In this case, Kambi told the division a newly hired trader failed to enter the correct closing time time for bets on the event. The trader and a supervisor underwent retraining. DraftKings was fined for taking bets on unapproved events including Russian basketball for nine months in 2020 and 2021. It eventually voided over $61,000 in bets and returned the money to customers after being directed to do so by the state. In this case, Kambi told the division it misidentified this particular Russian basketball league as one that was approved for wagering in New Jersey. DraftKings told the state it did not catch the error, either. In 2020, DraftKings accepted 484 wagers on unapproved table tennis matches. Kambi incorrectly enabled the events for wagering without conditions required by the state, the division said. In Feb. 2022, the division said DraftKings took pre-season NFL bets involving specific players but did not give the state specific information on what information was to be included in the bets, drawing 182 wagers worth nearly $7,000 that were later voided and refunded to customers. Follow Wayne Parry on X at www.twitter.com/WayneParryAC

Novak Djokovic had a busy first day upon arriving in Brisbane for his first tournament of the year. The Serbian was seen arriving at the center court to train with Jakub Mensik , although he took the time to joke around with Grigor Dimitrov , play media day games, and was outdone by none other than Mirra Andreeva . In a new Daily Dose of Social Media , we take a look at the steps of the top stars from the ATP and WTA Tours who are already beginning the 2025 season in the Australian Swing. Aryna Sabalenka , Jasmine Paolini, Matteo Berrettini, and Ashleigh Barty were among the stars captured on the last day. Novak Djokovic’s eventful day at Brisbane International Novak Djokovic is ready to kick off the 2025 season, arriving in Brisbane, Australia, for his first tournament of the year. The 24-time Grand Slam champion chose to start the season at an ATP 250 event to fine-tune his game ahead of the Australian Open and will be the first seed in a draw featuring three former champions. A video captured Djokovic’s arrival at the Patrick Rafter Arena, where he was seen greeting world No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov at the stadium entrance. Djokovic and Dimitrov shared a few moments of conversation and a friendly hug before the tournament. The Serbian leads their head-to-head record 12-1, with their last meeting at the 2023 Paris Masters final, where Djokovic secured a straight-sets victory. Una publicación compartida de Brisbane International (@brisbaneinternational) Una publicación compartida de Brisbane International (@brisbaneinternational) Djokovic wasted no time and scheduled his first practice session with the 2024 Newcomer of the Year, 19-year-old Jakub Mensik (world No. 48). The Czech player was thrilled to hit the court with the former world No. 1. “Back in Brisbane! and feeling the heat☀️... the 2025 season kicks off soon! Great to see some familiar faces and practice with @djokernole. Idemoo volino! ,” Mensik posted. Nole is set to debut on Monday against local player Rinky Hijikata, who received a wild card to enter the draw. Additionally, on the same Monday, he will team up with Nick Kyrgios to play in the doubles draw, an exciting partnership as both look to find their best form ahead of the Australian Open. Una publicación compartida de Jakub Menšík (@mensik.jakub) Djokovic also made time to participate in promotional activities ahead of the tournament, including the ‘racquet grip challenge.’ In a video, the 37-year-old was seen quickly gripping his racquet in just 9.8 seconds, although it wasn’t enough to take first place. “In your face, Grigor,” he jokingly shouted. “I didn’t end up the last part, it’s okay. And there’s a little hole here, but it’s okay.” Later, Djokovic joked again with Dimitrov when they met in the stadium hallway. “Guys, officially it’s going under second place after (Mirra) Andreeva, and I’m gonna give it to the guy who is in the 3rd place to put this little sticker here, thank you so much.” “No way, so she beat us all?” replied in surprise the Bulgarian who had put Djokovic's sticker in the first place, but the Serb was quick to correct him. “No, it’s not there. No, she was better. She got 7 seconds,” Nole said, returning the Russian teenager’s name to the top of the leaderboard. Una publicación compartida de Brisbane International (@brisbaneinternational) From Sabalenka to Barty: Brisbane mascot welcomes tennis stars The ATP and WTA stars posed for photos with the official mascot ‘Bounce’ of the Brisbane International . Several players participating in the tournament took pictures with the iconic Brisbane International plush. One of them was World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka , returning to the tournament where she was a finalist in 2024 (losing to Elena Rybakina). Similarly, Paula Badosa , Ons Jabeur, and Matteo Berrettini also took photos with the mascot, as did former player and three-time Grand Slam champion Ashleigh Barty. Barty is present as a tournament ambassador and will participate in an exhibition this Sunday — alongside Jabeur, Pat Rafter, and Frances Tiafoe — as part of a campaign raising awareness for the Ash Barty Foundation. The former World No. 1 recently announced her second pregnancy. Una publicación compartida de SaqueAce (@saqueace) Kyrgios and Tiafoe joke around during training session Nick Kyrgios and Frances Tiafoe shared a fun moment joking around during a practice session ahead of the Brisbane International. In a video shared by the Australian star, both players can be seen having fun from the baseline of Pat Rafter Court. “...... what were we talking about though ️️” posted the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up, who received a response from Big-Foe: “My guy ✊✊” he commented. Kyrgios will debut this Monday against World No. 31 Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, 21, who will be making his tournament debut. The Australian will also join Djokovic in the doubles draw. On Tiafoe’s side (No. 21), he will debut the same Monday against local wildcard Adam Walton (No. 93). Una publicación compartida de Nick Kyrgios (@k1ngkyrg1os) Katie Boulter shares Sydney postals before her United Cup debut Katie Boulter shared a series of photos from her first few days in Sydney while waiting for her debut at the United Cup. The British No. 1 will take the court on December 30 in the opening match of the tie against Argentina. The South Americans come off a surprising win over Australia and have the chance to secure a spot in the quarterfinals. Boulter will face former French Open semifinalist Nadia Podoroska in the opening match, and then Billy Harris, replacing Jack Draper as the male singles player, will face World No. 39 Tomas Martin Etcheverry. In the photos posted by Boulter, she can be seen both playing on court and posing with several of her colleagues. First, she is with Iga Swiatek , Jasmine Paolini, and Olivia Gadecki with the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background. She also posed on court with her coach Biljana Veselinovic and her teammate Jodie Burrage, among other snapshots. Una publicación compartida de Katie Boulter (@katiecboulter) Jasmine Paolini shares fun surfing moments in Sydney Jasmine Paolini shared a fun series of photos from her days in Sydney ahead of her first match at the United Cup. The Italian was spotted surfing, in addition to participating in media day activities alongside her Italian teammates, including World No. 31 Flavio Cobolli . The two-time Grand Slam runner-up also posted a video of her attempt at surfing in the Australian city. Paolini’s first match will be on December 29 against Tokyo 2020 gold medalist Belinda Bencic, who is returning after a year-long maternity break. The Swiss player had a brilliant win on the first day against France’s Chloe Pacquet. On Cobolli’s side, he will face Dominic Stricker, who will aim to secure Switzerland’s spot in the semifinals. Una publicación compartida de Jasmine Paolini (@jasmine_paolini) Una publicación compartida de Jasmine Paolini (@jasmine_paolini) This article first appeared on TennisUpToDate.com and was syndicated with permission.Stellar Don't miss out on the headlines from Stellar. Followed categories will be added to My News. Two-and-a-half years ago, the world collectively lost it over Robert Irwin’s unanticipated glow-up. Then just 18, he stepped out of his trademark khakis for his first fashion shoot, appearing on the cover of Stellar in a defining moment that marked the conservationist’s transition from adorable boy with a bowl cut to handsome leading man. “I think it was one of the first times that Australia – and the world, really – got to see Robert out of khakis,” Irwin says of the shoot, which went viral and made headlines around the globe. “It started a new era for me, for my life.” Flattered by the attention he’s since received, in particular the swooning over his transformation into a young sex symbol, Irwin can only laugh good-naturedly. “I’ll take it,” he demurs. “But I don’t get it. As long as it means my message – not just for wildlife conservation, but for positivity – is being heard, then that’s all good.” ‘Life is about pushing yourself and having fun!’ Picture: Robbie Fimmano for Stellar Irwin credits his Stellar makeover in July 2022 with hard-launching an exciting phase of his career, which culminated not only in marriage proposals and modelling offers but also a role on prime time TV, where he replaced Dr Chris Brown as Julia Morris’s co-host this year on the Network 10 reality show I’m A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! As well as holding his own alongside his more experienced co-host, Irwin scored his first Gold Logie nomination, and will start filming his second season in January. “It’s live TV and it’s the biggest adrenaline rush ever. That’s what I love,” he tells Stellar. “Life is about pushing yourself and having fun. And getting to really delve into this experience alongside Julia has been such a gift. I’ve learnt a lot. “I’ve always wanted to continue the legacy – that’s very important to me, obviously – my dad’s legacy, my family’s legacy,” he adds. “But I want to do it in my own way. At the end of the day, my heart still beats khaki. “But to be able to step out and try something different every now and again means the world to me.” Where once Irwin would have shied away from experimenting with fashion, these days he’s more likely to lean in for a play with stylists. He’s also taking tentative steps towards carving out his own niche as a millennial renaissance man. ‘New era!’ Robert Irwin turns 21-years-old today, as he poses on set for the new issue of Stellar. Picture: Robbie Fimmano for Stellar “I love the arts, I love photography, I love painting, I love music,” he explains. “And to me, fashion is part of that. It’s a visual representation of yourself and where you’re at in your life.” That’s why, as he marks his 21st birthday today, Irwin wants this shoot with Stellar to declare, “This is the 2024 Robert Irwin. And he’s tackling some more modern things.” While the family business of wildlife and conservation will always be his first love – including the new-look Crocoseum at Australia Zoo, where he, his sister Bindi, and mum Terri are continuing to burnish their family’s legacy – Robert Irwin 3.0 is also keen to take risks outside the jungle. Not one to ever sit idle, Irwin began learning the guitar during the pandemic, has since picked up the ukulele and now has the banjo in his sights as well. “I’ve never told anyone this but I have written stuff,” he says, explaining he has composed his own songs to process his thoughts and feelings, and unplug from the world. “I’ve written little bits and bobs. I love writing music and putting songs together with different chords. “And I’ve written some stuff that I played for a very small group of people who liked it. But that small group of people are all friends and family, so they’re biased. Who knows if it’s actually good. But [would I release an album]? Who knows?” Picture: Robbie Fimmano for Stellar Picture: Robbie Fimmano for Stellar One of his most passionate groupies is Bindi’s three-year-old daughter Grace, who he says frequently agitates her uncle to make up silly songs. “She will be like: ‘Shu Shu!’ – she calls me Shu Shu, which is Mandarin for uncle – ‘sing a song about sloths riding bicycles.’ “And I’ll be like, ‘Done!’ I don’t think the songs about sloths riding bicycles will be making it onto my album, though.” It’s not just music that Irwin is keen to explore. Last month, he was lightheartedly touted as a potential replacement for Daniel Craig in the next James Bond movie after he shared a photo of himself on Instagram clad in a tuxedo. While he jokes that he prefers his “Bundaberg Ginger Beer shaken not stirred,” Irwin says the idea of playing the debonair spy is not as far-fetched as it first might seem. “One of those people [who suggested me for Bond] was Jasin Boland, who is the photographer for the 007 films with Daniel Craig,” Irwin tells Stellar with a mix of complete sincerity and humour. Read the full interview with Robert Irwin in the latest issue of Stellar. “And when he commented, I was like: ‘Oh, hang on ... [maybe]?’ To be honest, I’ve always loved the idea of getting into acting and doing drama, because I’ve done a lot of different mediums within the television space and whatnot, and I know a lot of people in that industry. It would be an incredible thing to do. “So watch this space. I can do a pretty good British accent.” There’s no doubt that Irwin’s gung-ho approach to seizing the day comes from a mix of nature and nurture. Yes, he inherited the exuberant genes from his father Steve Irwin, but he also explains that his dad’s death in 2006 has been a constant reminder that life can be unpredictable – and short. So Irwin is eager to grab life with both hands, even if it takes him outside his comfort zone. When Stellar asks what’s on his bucket list, he smiles and quickly replies: “That’s easy. Everything. I don’t want to get to the end of my life and say, ‘I wish I’d done ...’ I want to have done it all.” But Irwin isn’t just looking to have fun. He’s eager to galvanise his fame to promote causes that are close to his heart. Promoting mental health awareness has become a priority, which is why he wants to encourage youngsters to spend more time outdoors rather than online. “As I’ve grown up, I’ve wanted to tackle bigger issues,” he explains. ‘I want to have done it all.’ Picture: Matrix “In my work as an environmental advocate, I wanted to sort of step out and start talking about big issues like climate change through social media and my work in front of and behind the camera. “I really want to have a global presence for positivity in the world. “For young people, it can be very hard to navigate. There’s a lot of negativity going around.” Of course, negativity is hard to find in the Irwin household. But that’s a conscious choice rather than a fait accompli. Irwin believes more people should approach life like his father did, adding: “If a little bloke from Beerwah, Queensland – population 1000 in the 1970s – who liked rescuing snakes from the side of the road and set up a little roadside zoo that was two acres can grow up to be one of the biggest and most influential voices in history, I think anyone can do it.” For more from Stellar, listen to the podcast Something To Talk About: Irwin practises what he preaches. He was named a Global Ambassador for Prince William’s Earthshot Prize in September, which led to him spending time with the Prince of Wales in South Africa last month. It wasn’t the first time the pair had met, and Irwin tells Stellar he considers the royal a kindred spirit and “an incredible person to talk to. “But in Cape Town I got a really good chance to spend some time and really, really chat to him. It was amazing. Prince William, left, and Robert Irwin during a visit to Signal Hill in Cape Town, South Africa, last month. Picture: Getty Images “There are so many parallels with what he does with the environment and what we do. “And there’s definitely that unspoken understanding of the things that we all go through. I mean, as a human being, at some point in your life, you’re going to go through grief. If you love, you grieve. “That’s a simple fact, and I think in a way that connects us all. If you dig down, we all have a similar story in the grief department, and we all will at some point. And it can be oddly uniting.” That’s why Irwin welcomes it when strangers come up to tell him where they were when they heard the news that his father had died following a stingray attack while filming a documentary in the Great Barrier Reef on September 4, 2006. “I think the entire world was – and still is – grieving,” Irwin says of his father’s death at the age of 44, when he was just two years old. “I don’t think the world will ever be the same without him. “It’s challenging, obviously, but I really like when people come up and talk about that because it’s pretty cool to have a dad that was like the world’s dad. I’ve always really liked celebrating and acknowledging Dad. ‘He was a superhero!’ The late Steve Irwin and his son, Robert, at Australia Zoo. Picture: AAP Robert Irwin with his mother, Terri, at the Steve Irwin Gala dinner in Brisbane. Picture: NewsWire/Tertius Pickard With I’m A Celebrity co-host Julia Morris, right, at the Logies in August. Picture: Getty Images “And I think my mum, particularly, noticed that from when I was a really young age. He was a superhero, even though I didn’t get him very long.” Irwin cites his sister’s 2020 marriage to husband Chandler Powell and his parents’ own happy relationship as road maps for his own future. “My mum and dad were just this incredible power couple. And then I look at Bindi and Chandler and it’s like they’re literally the same person. “They’re made for each other. I mean, if that isn’t your couple’s goals, what would be?” he says. “I really want to find the perfect person, but I’m not in any rush for it. I’m very open to it. “The thing that I’ve come to discover in that space is you’ve just got to let it happen.” Beneath all of the family’s trademark enthusiasm, the loss of Steve is still felt acutely, particularly around big life moments such as today’s milestone birthday. “It can be heartbreaking,” Irwin admits. “I can’t beat around the bush. It’s really hard, particularly when it’s those milestones. It’s difficult navigating that without a father figure. “But I have to really praise my entire family, and particularly my mum, on the way in which she’s stepped up, to make sure that – while there will always be part of myself missing and I’ll never be complete – I never felt like I missed out on anything.” The now 21-year-old is marking today with an early morning surf alongside his mates, followed by a small gathering with his family and friends. In typical Irwin style, he’ll also be ready to put on a show, feeding crocodiles at Australia Zoo. And throughout the celebrations, Irwin will be thinking of his father. “I hope,” he says, “that somewhere, somehow, he knows I’m trying to make him proud.” The new season of I’m A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! premieres at 7pm on January 19 on Network 10. See the full cover shoot and interview with Robert Irwin in today’s Stellar, out via The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), Sunday Herald Sun (VIC), The Sunday Mail (QLD) and Sunday Mail (SA). For more from Stellar and the podcast, Something To Talk About, click here . More Coverage Exclusive: Lindy Klim breaks silence on marriage rumours Angela Mollard for Stellar Cher blasts critics: ‘I don’t give a sh*t’ Nicholas Fonseca Originally published as Robert Irwin on turning 21, THOSE James Bond rumours and why ‘I want to have done it all’ More related stories Stellar Kate Langbroek’s love letter to summer As summer heralds its return, radio and TV personality Kate Langbroek has some thoughts about the seasonal equivalent of ‘bare shoulders and sticky kisses’. Read more Stellar Georgie Parker: ‘I’ve never felt weird about getting older’ As she prepares to turn 60 this month, Georgie Parker recalls the characters that have shaped who she is – and the progressively debilitating condition she refuses to let define her. Read more09 jili 。

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — CJ Donaldson had two short rushing touchdowns and West Virginia became bowl eligible with a 31-21 victory over UCF on Saturday. Garrett Greene threw a TD pass in his final home game and Jahiem White added a short rushing score for the Mountaineers (6-5, 5-3 Big 12). West Virginia avoided losing for the fifth time at home, which hasn’t happened since 1990. Whether the win was enough for embattled coach Neal Brown to keep his job remains to be seen. UCF (4-7, 2-6) is assured of its second straight losing season under coach Gus Malzahn. Donaldson, averaging 53 rushing yards per game, finished with 96 yards. He came out determined with 56 yards on his first four carries, including a 1-yard run on West Virginia's opening series. West Virginia cornerback Dontez Fagan then recovered a fumble by UCF quarterback Dylan Rizk, and Donaldson ran for 28 more yards on the next series that was capped by White’s 3-yard TD run. Greene struggled in the passing game for most of the first half, then went 4 of 6 for 65 yards just before halftime, hitting Rodney Gallagher with a 12-yard TD toss for a 21-7 lead. Rizk went 11 of 21 for 172 yards, including a 45-yard scoring strike to Kobe Hudson. RJ Harvey, the Big 12’s leading rusher, ran for 130 yards and two scores, including a 9-yard TD run that brought UCF within 31-21 with 5:20 left. But the ensuing onside kick didn't go the required 10 yards. Greene then converted a pair of fourth-down passes and West Virginia ran out the clock. Greene finished 13 of 21 for 118 yards. The takeaway UCF: The Knights outgained West Virginia 348 yards to 318 but now have lost seven of eight games following a 3-0 start. West Virginia: The Mountaineers won despite being stuck in many third-and-long situations on offense against a solid effort from UCF's defensive front. Up next UCF: Hosts Utah on Friday night. West Virginia: Finishes the regular season at Texas Tech next Saturday. Get alerts on the latest AP Top 25 poll throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballColts QB Anthony Richardson ruled out for Week 17 matchup against Giants

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Hardly any PM would have done so much for J&K: Omar Abdullah praises Manmohan Singh for his contributionsMARA Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:MARA) Stock Position Decreased by Stifel Financial Corp

Tributes were paid to the former Scottish first minister, who died suddenly in North Macedonia in October at the age of 69. A private family funeral has already taken place, with Saturday’s memorial service in Edinburgh held to celebrate his love of Scotland and his commitment to the cause of independence. But while some 500 people, including family, friends and politicians from across the spectrum attended the service at St Giles’ Cathedral, his successor Nicola Sturgeon was not present. A rift between her and Mr Salmond – who she had previously described as her mentor – developed during her term as SNP leader. Ms Sturgeon attended the funeral of Scottish comedian Janey Godley in Glasgow on Saturday morning. Her successor, Mr Swinney, was met with boos as he arrived at the service – held on St Andrew’s Day – with at least one person in the crowd outside on the Royal Mile shouting “traitor”. Mr Salmond stood down as SNP leader and first minister after the 2014 referendum in which Scots voted to stay part of the UK. He helped found and went on to lead another pro-independence party, Alba, with Kenny MacAskill, a long-time friend who served as justice secretary in Holyrood under Mr Salmond. Mr MacAskill, now the acting Alba leader, told the congregation – which included Mr Salmond’s widow Moira as well as Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, former Labour first minister Henry McLeish and Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay – that Mr Salmond had been a “giant of man”. Mr MacAskill, who quit the SNP to join Alba, hailed Mr Salmond as “an inspiration, a political genius” and being “most of all a man who had the cause of independence burned into his heart and seared in his soul”. The cause of independence was Mr Salmond’s “guiding light, his north star”, the former justice secretary said, adding that “he came so close to achieving it”. He added: “Those of us who share his dream must conclude that journey on his behalf. That’s the legacy he’d expect and the duty we owe him.” Recalling Mr Salmond’s words from when he stood down as first minister that “the dream shall never die”, Mr MacAskill concluded his address with the words: “Your dream shall be delivered.” Former Conservative Brexit minister and long-time friend of Mr Salmond, David Davis, gave a reading as did former Scottish government minister SNP MSP Fergus Ewing. Scottish folk singer Dougie MacLean performed his famous song Caledonia, while singer Sheena Wellington led mourners in a rendition of Robert Burns’ classic A Man’s A Man For A’ That. Scottish rock duo the Proclaimers were applauded for their performance of Cap in Hand – a pro-independence song which features the line “I can’t understand why we let someone else rule our land, cap in hand”. Brothers Craig and Charlie Reid said: “We’re going to do this for Alex, with love and respect and eternal gratitude for everything you did for our country.” Christina Hendry described her Uncle Alex as a “political giant, a strong leader, a fearless campaigner” but also remembered his as a “dearly loved husband, brother and uncle”. While she said he had been “the top man in Scotland”, he had “always made time for his family”, recalling how he phoned her brother on his birthday – the day after the Scottish independence referendum in 2014 – to apologise for not posting a card “as he’d been busy”, before telling them he would “resigning in 10 minutes”. She told the congregation: “As his family, we always felt loved no matter how far away he was or the time that passed before we saw him next. “We always knew he was standing up for our country, and for that we were grateful.” Ms Hendry continued: “The world will be a much quieter place without Uncle Alex, for Moira, for the wider family and for Scotland. “Uncle Alex passing means a great loss for many. A loss of Scotland’s voice on the international stage. A loss of integrity in Scottish politics. And a great loss to Scotland’s independence movement. “As a family it is likely a loss we will never get over.” Duncan Hamilton KC, who was an SNP MSP after the first Scottish Parliament elections, but also served as a political adviser and legal counsel to Mr Salmond, said the former first minister had “rightly been hailed as one of the greatest Scottish politicians of this, or any, generation”. He told how Mr Salmond took the SNP from being “a fringe act trying to get onto the main stage” to a party of government. “In Scottish politics, his success was both spectacular and unrivalled,” Mr Hamilton said. “Alex Salmond will forever be a pivotal figure in Scotland’s story. He changed a nation. He inspired a country. “History will certainly remember him as a man of talent, charisma and substance. But also as a political leader of courage, vision and intelligence. “He dared to dream. And so should we.” As the service finished the crowd gathered outside applauded and chanted “Alex, Alex” before singing Flower Of Scotland.

Historically, teams are active on the day of the NBA trade deadline, making multiple trades — sometimes within a few minutes of each other — and overwhelming fans with trade information that makes it difficult to know what the heck is going on. The Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets decided to give us all a break from that confusion by making an early deal, providing us ample time to absorb the change of scenery. The change? D'Angelo Russell going to the Nets with Maxwell Lewis and three second-round selections (2027, 2030, and 2031), and Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton going to L.A. Let's be clear immediately. No one here came out looking poorly, and both sides achieved what they wanted to achieve. If you're looking for grades, both scored a solid B+ on this one, and let's get into why. The Lakers are competitive, and they have two of the best players in all of basketball in Anthony Davis and LeBron James. They needed legitimate weapons around him, and Finney-Smith fits that bill as a diverse 6-foot-7 wing-big who can defend at a high level and connect on a high percentage of his 3-point attempts. At 31, Finney-Smith is hitting 43.5% of his 5.4 3 attempts per game, while covering everything from shooting guards to smaller centers, often with a high level of defensive discipline. It should come as no surprise the Lakers sorely needed a two-way player who could participate on both sides of the court for long stretches. Outside of Davis, the roster was loaded with players who had their primary skill geared toward either offense or defense, and with the acquisition of Finney-Smith, they finally found a player whom they can rely on for a potential deep playoff push. Giving up Russell, who's been borderline unplayable during certain periods of this season, is almost addition by subtraction. His defense has been problematic, and his offensive decision-making never seemed to mesh with new head coach JJ Redick. Of course, the Lakers had to pay for that upgrade by relinquishing draft equity, but did so without sacrificing a first-round pick, which is noteworthy. The addition of Milton gives the Lakers an instant-offense-type player off the bench who can see his minutes get extended in a pinch, if need arises. For Brooklyn, this is all about the Benjamins. Russell is an $18.6 million expiring contract who has little trade value, but the Nets are rebuilding. They knew they could lose Finney-Smith, who has a $15.3 million player option next summer, so they decided to get out ahead of that by acquiring a full-fledged expiring deal while securing three second-rounders to add to their draft capital. Russell has no immediate because of his play this season, so Brooklyn likely doesn't have an issue with him leaving for nothing in the 2025 offseason. That said, there's another component to this, which aids the Nets. It turns out Brooklyn has been surprisingly competitive this season (12-20), to the point where you can make a real argument the Nets have won too many games already. Russell as an indirect tank commander could be a low-key shrewd move, as the 6-5 guard isn't exactly an efficient offensive player, nor does he play the caliber of defense that helps you win games. The downgrade from Finney-Smith to Russell is substantial, and that's in large part why the Nets get the same grade as the Lakers, given their aspirations of picking high in the 2025 NBA Draft.The Centre for Ageing Better said data analysed on its behalf suggested more than a fifth of people in this age group are living in a poor-quality home that could be making their existing health condition worse. It said people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, those living in London and those who have a serious health condition or disability are more likely to be affected. Data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing covering 2022/23 was analysed by the National Centre for Social Research on behalf of the charity. It found an estimated 4.5 million people aged 50 or older in England with a health condition aggravated by the cold are living in a home with one or more serious problems. Some 2.8 million were aged between 50 and 70, while 1.7 million were aged 70 and older. Health conditions included respiratory diseases, congestive heart failure, heart disease and lung conditions, including asthma. Housing problems identified in the research included damp, water leaks, bad condensation, electrical or plumbing problems, rot and decay. While some 2.2 million people over 50 with health and housing problems owned their home outright, the biggest proportion of people (51%) with such issues lived in rented accommodation. The charity said older renters with a health condition were up to three times more likely to have five or more issues with their home than someone in the same age group who owns their home. Those with a health condition that can be affected by poor housing who had a significant issue in their homes were most likely to live in London (52%) followed by the North East (35%) and the North West (35%), the West Midlands and the East of England (both on 28%), and the South West (27%). Almost half (46%) of people aged 50 and above from black and minority ethnic backgrounds with one of the health conditions had at least one problem with their home, which the charity said amounted to almost 500,000 people. Among white people in this age group it was just under one in three (32%). The research also suggested people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds living with a health condition were also more than twice as likely to have five or more issues with their housing compared with their white counterparts – 15% compared with 6%. Dr Carole Easton, the charity’s chief executive, said not only does the research show the difficulties faced by those living in poor housing, but it is also “very bad news” for both the economy and the NHS. She said: “Our latest research shows that our poor-quality housing crisis is putting people with health conditions in their 50s, 60s and beyond, in harm’s way. “This is obviously terrible for those individuals who live in homes that carry a very real risk of making them sick, particularly when winter comes around. “But it is also very bad news for the country. Older workers living in homes that are making their health conditions worse are going to be less likely to be able to work and help grow the economy. “Older people whose serious health conditions are made worse by their homes will require treatment, putting additional winter pressures on our health system. “All could be averted if we tackled poor-quality housing with the urgency and priority it demands.” Holly Holder, deputy director for homes at the charity, said the Government must “fix this hidden housing crisis by delivering a national strategy to tackle poor quality housing across all tenures and committing to halving the number of non-decent homes over the next decade”. She added: “No-one should have to live in a home that damages their health, yet it is the norm for far too many people in England today. “By failing to address poor-quality homes we are limiting the lives of some of the country’s poorest and most vulnerable people. “Our new analysis shows that the combination of health and house problems are most likely to impact groups of people who are already disadvantaged by multiple health and wealth inequalities.” A Government spokesperson said: “Despite the challenging inheritance faced by this Government, through our Plan for Change we’re taking action to improve housing conditions across all tenures and ensure homes are decent, safe and warm – especially for the most vulnerable. “We’re consulting on reforms to the Decent Homes Standard next year to improve the quality of social and privately rented housing, and introducing Awaab’s Law to both sectors to tackle damp, dangerous and cold conditions for all renters in England. “Our warm homes plan will also help people find ways to save money on energy bills and deliver cleaner heating, with up to 300,000 households to benefit from upgrades next year.”Capitol One user reveals simple trick to get ‘hundred of dollars’ back from credit card companies – and it takes no work

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LEWISTON, N.Y. (AP) — Jaeden Marshall scored 21 points as Niagara beat Le Moyne 88-69 on Sunday. Marshall shot 5 for 8 (4 for 6 from 3-point range) and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line for the Purple Eagles (6-7). Justice Smith added 15 points while going 6 of 12 from the floor, including 1 for 3 from 3-point range, and 2 for 3 from the line and had five rebounds. Zion Russell shot 4 for 7, including 3 for 3 from beyond the arc to finish with 11 points. AJ Dancier finished with 17 points and four steals for the Dolphins (5-10). Le Moyne also got 11 points and 10 rebounds from Ocypher Owens. Dwayne Koroma had nine points and six rebounds. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .The U.S. Navy is transforming a costly flub into a potent weapon with the first shipborne hypersonic weapon, which is being retrofitted aboard the first of its three stealthy destroyers. The USS Zumwalt is at a Mississippi shipyard where workers have installed missile tubes that replace twin turrets from a gun system that was never activated because it was too expensive. Once the system is complete, the Zumwalt will provide a platform for conducting fast, precision strikes from greater distances, adding to the usefulness of the warship. The USS Zumwalt is seen at the Huntington Ingalls shipyard Nov. 21 in Pascagoula, Miss. “It was a costly blunder. But the Navy could take victory from the jaws of defeat here, and get some utility out of them by making them into a hypersonic platform,” said Bryan Clark, a defense analyst at the Hudson Institute. The U.S. has had several types of hypersonic weapons in development for the past two decades, but recent tests by both Russia and China have added pressure to the U.S. military to hasten their production. Hypersonic weapons travel beyond Mach 5, five times the speed of sound, with added maneuverability making them harder to shoot down. Last year, The Washington Post reported that among the documents leaked by former Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira was a defense department briefing that confirmed China had recently tested an intermediate-range hypersonic weapon called the DF-27. While the Pentagon previously acknowledged the weapon's development, it had not recognized its testing. One of the U.S. programs in development and planned for the Zumwalt is the “Conventional Prompt Strike." It would launch like a ballistic missile and then release a hypersonic glide vehicle that would travel at speeds seven to eight times faster than the speed of sound before hitting the target. The weapon system is being developed jointly by the Navy and Army. Each of the Zumwalt-class destroyers would be equipped with four missile tubes, each with three of the missiles for a total of 12 hypersonic weapons per ship. In choosing the Zumwalt, the Navy is attempting to add to the usefulness of a $7.5 billion warship that is considered by critics to be an expensive mistake despite serving as a test platform for multiple innovations. The USS Zumwalt is seen at the Huntington Ingalls shipyard Nov. 21 in Pascagoula, Miss. The Zumwalt was envisioned as providing land-attack capability with an Advanced Gun System with rocket-assisted projectiles to open the way for Marines to charge ashore. But the system featuring 155 mm guns hidden in stealthy turrets was canceled because each of the rocket-assisted projectiles cost between $800,000 and $1 million. Despite the stain on its reputation, the three Zumwalt-class destroyers remain the Navy’s most advanced surface warship in terms of new technologies. Those innovations include electric propulsion, an angular shape to minimize radar signature, an unconventional wave-piercing hull, automated fire and damage control and a composite deckhouse that hides radar and other sensors. The Zumwalt arrived at the Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi, in August 2023 and was removed from the water for the complex work of integrating the new weapon system. It is due to be undocked this week in preparation for the next round of tests and its return to the fleet, shipyard spokeswoman Kimberly Aguillard said. A U.S. hypersonic weapon was successfully tested over the summer and development of the missiles is continuing. The Navy wants to begin testing the system aboard the Zumwalt in 2027 or 2028, according to the Navy. The U.S. weapon system will come at a steep price. It would cost nearly $18 billion to buy 300 of the weapons and maintain them over 20 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Critics say there is too little bang for the buck. “This particular missile costs more than a dozen tanks. All it gets you is a precise non-nuclear explosion, some place far far away. Is it really worth the money? The answer is most of the time the missile costs much more than any target you can destroy with it,” said Loren Thompson, a longtime military analyst in Washington, D.C. But they provide the capability for Navy vessels to strike an enemy from a distance of thousands of kilometers — outside the range of most enemy weapons — and there is no effective defense against them, said retired Navy Rear Adm. Ray Spicer, CEO of the U.S. Naval Institute, an independent forum focusing on national security issues, and former commander of an aircraft carrier strike force. Conventional missiles that cost less aren’t much of a bargain if they are unable to reach their targets, Spicer said, adding the U.S. military really has no choice but to pursue them. “The adversary has them. We never want to be outdone,” he said. The U.S. is accelerating development because hypersonics have been identified as vital to U.S. national security with “survivable and lethal capabilities,” said James Weber, principal director for hypersonics in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Critical Technologies. “Fielding new capabilities that are based on hypersonic technologies is a priority for the defense department to sustain and strengthen our integrated deterrence, and to build enduring advantages,” he said. Image Credit: Jacob Lund / Shutterstock The financial challenges facing U.S. military households are a significant concern throughout the year. Holidays such as Memorial Day, Armed Forces Day, or Veterans Day highlight the ongoing struggles that service members face, particularly amid rising costs for everyday essentials. Recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey shows a troubling trend: Military personnel and their families are finding it more difficult to cover basic household expenses such as food, housing, and transportation than the average American. Our analysis examines how service members are faring in today’s economy compared to civilian households, highlighting the states where military families report the greatest challenges in managing their finances. As we enter Giving Season, we’ve also highlighted meaningful ways to support service members and their families through charitable contributions, offering an opportunity to make a direct impact on those who serve our nation. Service members are struggling more financially than the average American. Image Credit: Upgraded Points According to recent Household Pulse Survey data, members of the armed services are experiencing financial strain at higher rates than the general U.S. population. Over 40% of service members report difficulty covering their usual household expenses, compared to 36.6% of all U.S. adults. The data also shows heightened anxiety among service members regarding rising prices. Nearly 80% of military personnel express stress about recent price increases, significantly higher than the 71.8% of all U.S. adults who share similar feelings. Furthermore, 81.8% of service members are concerned about future price hikes, reflecting widespread uncertainty about inflation’s long-term impact on household budgets. More than half of service members in certain states have difficulty covering basic household expenses. Image Credit: Upgraded Points Across the U.S., the financial burden on service members varies significantly from state to state, primarily influenced by local economic conditions. According to the most recent data, Utah leads with 53.7% of service members reporting difficulty covering basic household expenses, closely followed by Louisiana (52.9%) and Alaska (52.8%). Other states where over half of service members are struggling include Indiana (52.0%), Tennessee (51.2%), New York (50.8%), and Florida (50.3%). A key issue service members frequently raise is that their Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) has not kept pace with the rapidly rising cost of housing. In states where service members face the greatest financial difficulties, such as Utah, Indiana, Tennessee, and Florida, home price increases have far exceeded the national average, exacerbating the strain on household budgets. Another critical factor affecting military families is the employment challenges military spouses face. According to the Department of Defense, the military spouse unemployment rate was 21% in 2023, compared to a national rate of 3.6% that year. Many military bases are located in rural or remote areas, limiting job opportunities for spouses, particularly in specialized fields. Additionally, frequent relocations make it difficult for spouses to sustain long-term careers, especially for those in professions requiring state-specific occupational licenses that can be difficult to transfer. Service members are also more likely to report financial struggles in states with higher-than-average unemployment rates, such as Louisiana, Alaska, and New York. Conversely, the state unemployment rate is below average in 9 of the 10 states where service members report the least financial difficulty. This suggests that strong local employment opportunities, particularly for spouses, significantly ease the financial burden on military households. Photo Credit: Bumble Dee / Shutterstock One of the most impactful ways to support service members, veterans, and their families who are facing financial hardships is through donations to reputable charities. These organizations are dedicated to addressing the unique challenges faced by military families and veterans, providing vital assistance in areas like housing, medical expenses, scholarships, and career training. To help guide your generosity, we’ve compiled a list of top-rated charities based on scores from Charity Navigator , CharityWatch , and GuideStar , which assess organizations on criteria such as impact, efficiency, accountability, and transparency. Here are some of the best charities supporting military families and veterans in need: 1. USO For over 80 years, the USO has provided crucial support to active-duty service members and their families. From financial assistance programs to community-building initiatives, the USO helps service members stay connected to loved ones while addressing their most pressing needs during deployments and transitions. 2. Homes For Our Troops This charity is focused on providing specially adapted homes for severely injured post-9/11 veterans. It helps veterans regain independence. Homes For Our Troops also provides financial planning and household budgeting to ensure long-term stability for the recipients. 3. Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) Dedicated to advocating for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, IAVA works to improve government policies and programs that support military families. Its advocacy ensures veterans have access to financial resources, healthcare, and education opportunities. 4. Fisher House Foundation This foundation builds “comfort homes” near military and VA medical centers, allowing families to stay free of charge while a loved one is hospitalized. By reducing travel and lodging expenses, Fisher House eases financial stress during difficult times. 5. Hope For The Warriors Offering a range of programs focused on financial stability, wellness, social support, and education, Hope For The Warriors provides critical support to service members, veterans, and their families. Its services include direct financial assistance for transitioning service members and veterans in need, career training and job placement, and scholarships for spouses. 6. Semper Fi & America’s Fund Semper Fi & America’s Fund assists wounded, ill, and injured service members and their families through direct financial assistance and case management during hospitalization and recovery. The organization also provides educational support, career assistance, and health and wellness services. 7. Wounded Warriors Family Support (WWFS) WWFS supports families of those wounded or killed in combat through programs like medical travel grants, meal and housekeeping assistance, in-home care services, and family retreats. By addressing these families' immediate and ongoing needs, WWFS alleviates the financial burdens of those suffering from recent tragic events. For more information, a detailed methodology, and complete results, see Rising Costs Hit Military Families Hard: Here’s How You Can Help on Upgraded Points . Photo Credit: Jacob Lund / Shutterstock Upgraded Points conducted the analysis using the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey Phase 4.0–4.2 , covering the period from January 9, 2024, to September 16, 2024. Service members were defined as adults currently serving in the U.S. armed forces (Active Duty, Reserve, or National Guard) and their spouses. This analysis focuses on 3 key questions from the survey: Statistics with fewer than 50 survey responses were omitted from the analysis. Additional statistics on home prices were sourced from Zillow’s Home Value Index , and unemployment rates were sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates . For complete results, see Rising Costs Hit Military Families Hard: Here’s How You Can Help on Upgraded Points. Be the first to know

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologized to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a "tragic incident" following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people, but stopped short of acknowledging that Moscow was responsible. Putin's apology came as allegations mounted that Russian air defenses shot down the plane while attempting to deflect a Ukrainian drone strike near Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya. Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via videoconference Saturday at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. An official Kremlin statement issued Saturday said that air defense systems were firing near Grozny airport as the airliner "repeatedly" attempted to land there on Wednesday. It did not explicitly say one of these hit the plane. The statement said Putin apologized to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev "for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace." People are also reading... Albany school support staff call for schools to close Jan. 6 As I See It: Why I really resigned from the Corvallis Planning Commission Samaritan Health Services CEO resigns Unsafe left turn on Highway 20 in Linn County leads to fatal crash Two Albany residents killed in Linn County crash Group wants to make Corvallis downtown more sophisticated Group wants to make Corvallis downtown more sophisticated Albany shelter faces federal lawsuit as whistleblower faces homelessness Family of hit-and-run victim seeks closure, clues that will lead to driver As I See It: The people of Benton County deserve leadership that promotes dialogue Christmas Eve hit-and-run causes domino effect in Albany Has a hard nonconference schedule prepared the Oregon State women's basketball team for the WCC? Corvallis high schoolers: We don't trust district to handle bias reports Albany man indicted in attempted murder case Oregon State celebrates Murphy's arrival while Washington State loses coach, quarterback The readout said Russia has launched a criminal probe into the incident, and Azerbaijani state prosecutors have arrived in Grozny to participate. The Kremlin also said that "relevant services" from Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are jointly investigating the crash site near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan. The plane was flying from Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, to Grozny when it turned toward Kazakhstan, hundreds of miles across the Caspian Sea from its intended destination, and crashed while attempting to land. There were 29 survivors. According to a readout of the call provided by Aliyev's press office, the Azerbaijani president told Putin that the plane was subject to "external physical and technical interference," though he also stopped short of blaming Russian air defenses. Part of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane lies on the ground Thursday near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan. Aliyev noted the plane had holes in its fuselage and the occupants sustained injuries "due to foreign particles penetrating the cabin mid-flight." He said that a team of international experts began a probe of the incident at Azerbaijan's initiative, but provided no details. Earlier this week, the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's office confirmed that investigators from Azerbaijan are working in Grozny. On Friday, a U.S. official and an Azerbaijani minister made separate statements blaming the crash on an external weapon, echoing those made by aviation experts who blamed the crash on Russian air defense systems responding to a Ukrainian attack. U.S. President Joe Biden, responding Saturday to a reporter asking whether he thought Putin should take responsibility for the crash, said: "Apparently he did but I haven't spoken to him." Biden made the comment after leaving church in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Passengers and crew members who survived the crash told Azerbaijani media they heard loud noises on the aircraft as it circled over Grozny. Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russia's civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia, said Friday that as the plane was preparing to land in Grozny in deep fog, Ukrainian drones were targeting the city, prompting authorities to close the area to air traffic. Yadrov said after the captain made two unsuccessful attempts to land, he was offered other airports but decided to fly to Aktau. People attend a funeral Saturday for Mahammadali Eganov, who died in the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 crash near the Kazakhstan's airport of Aktau at the age of 13, in Baku, Azerbaijan. Earlier this past week, Rosaviatsia cited unspecified early evidence as showing that a bird strike led to an emergency on board. In the days following the crash, Azerbaijan Airlines blamed "physical and technical interference" and announced the suspension of flights to several Russian airports. It didn't say where the interference came from or provide any further details. If proven that the plane crashed after being hit by Russian fire, it would be the second deadly civil aviation accident linked to fighting in Ukraine. Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was downed with a Russian surface-to-air missile, killing all 298 people aboard, as it flew over the area in eastern Ukraine controlled by Moscow-backed separatists in 2014. Russia denied responsibility but a Dutch court in 2022 convicted two Russians and a pro-Russia Ukrainian man for their role in downing the plane with an air defense system brought into Ukraine from a Russian military base. The grave of Mahammadali Eganov, 13, who died in the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 crash near the Kazakhstan's Aktau airport, is seen Saturday in Baku, Azerbaijan. Following Wednesday's suspension of flights from Baku to Grozny and nearby Makhachkala, Azerbaijan Airlines announced Friday that it would also halt service to eight more Russian cities. Several other airlines made similar announcements since the crash. Kazakhstan's Qazaq Air on Friday said it would stop flying from Astana to the Russian city of Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains for a month. Turkmenistan Airlines, the Central Asian country's flagship carrier, on Saturday halted flights to Moscow for at least a month, citing safety concerns. Earlier this past week, Israel's El Al carrier suspended service from Tel Aviv to the Russian capital, citing "developments in Russia's airspace." Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

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Although blind people cannot see, they often still possess the brain regions that enable vision. Does this mean that blind people can dream in visual images? In some cases, they can. A 2014 study found that people who were not born blind but had lost their vision later in life sometimes reported visual experiences in their dreams. These dreams likely drew from memories from when they still had sight. However, the earlier a person had lost their vision in life, and the longer they were blind, the less likely they were to see images in dreams, the study noted. "A person blind at age 7 or before who has been blind for, say, 20 years, loses virtually all visual experiences in their dreams," study co-author Maurice Ptito , a visual neuroscientist at the University of Montreal, told Live Science. When it comes to people who are congenitally blind — those born without vision — "dreams tend to rely more heavily on other senses such as hearing, touch, taste and smell," Monica Gori , a cognitive neuroscientist at the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa, told Live Science. Most studies suggest visual experiences are generally absent in the dreams of those who are blind from birth. "However, there are a few dream studies that have challenged this notion," Ivana Rosenzweig , head of the Sleep and Brain Plasticity Centre at King's College London, told Live Science. Related: Why can't we remember our dreams? For instance, a 2003 study in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences reported that people with congenital blindness who were scanned with electrodes on their scalps as they slept had evidence of brain waves associated with vision. A 2023 study from Rosenzweig and her colleagues, which analyzed 180 dreams of seven congenitally blind people, also found reports of vision-like descriptions. Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. "What we find most surprising and exciting about the possibility that congenitally blind individuals might dream in visual images is the idea that dreams could provide access to experiences that these individuals have never encountered in their waking lives," Helene Vitali , a cognitive neuroscientist at the Italian Institute of Technology, told Live Science. However, although activity may occur in the visual cortex of blind people's brains as they dream, that does not necessarily mean they see images as they sleep, Ptito said. "In the congenitally blind, the visual cortex has been recruited for other functions," Ptito said. For instance, "with blind people who can read Braille, if you stimulate their visual cortex, they feel sensation in their fingers. The visual cortex does not stop working in blind people — it gets reassigned." Ptito noted that "we've had blind people in fMRI [functional magnetic resonance imaging] scanners and sent smells to their noses while taking pictures of their brains, and found this information goes to their visual cortex." The same held true with auditory and touch sensations, he added. Although Ptito argued that activity in the visual cortex does not mean that blind people see pictures during dreams, Vitali suggested other possibilities. One is that the brain's visual system may form abstract concepts from a blind person's senses that might be represented in a visual way for them. Another is that "REM sleep acts like a virtual reality simulator, helping the brain develop and maintain complex abilities like perception and motor skills," she said. This could mean blind people's brains could generate images within dreams even if they could never have such experiences when they are awake. One key problem with investigating whether congenitally blind people dream in images is that, even if they do see pictures, they have no experience relating them to what sighted people describe as vision, Christopher Baird , an associate professor of physics at West Texas A&M University, explained in a blog post . — Why do babies rub their eyes when they're tired? — Why doesn't your vision 'go dark' when you blink? — Can carrots give you night vision? To help address this problem, Gori and her colleagues are now exploring how blind people construct and experience dream images. "The results are currently being finalized and will be available soon," she said. Ptito also noted that artificial intelligence may one day analyze brain scans of blind people as they dream to help see how similar their brain activity is to what sighted individuals experience. One possible application of this research is the potential to harness dreams as a rehabilitative tool, Vitali said. "There is evidence that dreaming about certain tasks or experiences can enhance memory and learning," Vitali said. This suggests "targeting the dream state through sensory stimulation during sleep could help reinforce specific abilities, such as spatial awareness." This may provide a new way to help people with blindness, as "blind individuals often face challenges in developing spatial maps and performing complex spatial tasks," she noted.

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On the same day they acquired All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker in a trade, the Chicago Cubs gave a two-year contract to free agent catcher Carson Kelly on Friday. The team didn't announce financial terms, but The Athletic and ESPN reported that the deal is worth a total of $11.5 million with a mutual option for 2027. Per The Athletic, Kelly could earn up to another $500,000 in both 2025 and 2026 depending on the number of starts he makes. Kelly, 30, likely will share the position with Miguel Amaya. Kelly changed teams midseason each of the past two years. In August 2023, the Arizona Diamondbacks released him, and he signed days later with Detroit. This year, the Tigers traded him to the Texas Rangers in July in exchange for two minor-leaguers. Over a combined 91 games in 2024, Kelly hit .238 with a .313 on-base percentage, a .374 slugging percentage, nine homers and 37 RBIs. For his career, which began with the St. Louis Cardinals (2016-18), Kelly has a .224/.307/.373 batting line with 54 homers and 207 RBIs in 556 games. --Field Level Media

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10 notable books of 2024, from Sarah J. Maas to Melania Trump21 best of 2024 OTT: Year-end roundup of top Indian TV shows and web seriesLOS ANGELES (AP) — After struggling to run the ball consistently all season, the Los Angeles Rams finally made some progress on the ground in New Orleans. Kyren Williams and rookie Blake Corum carried the Rams (6-6) to a 21-14 win that kept them squarely in the playoff race for another week. Los Angeles racked up a season-high 156 yards rushing against the Saints, with Williams going for 104 yards and a touchdown while Corum added 42 yards on a season high-tying eight carries. The game was the inverse of most afternoons this season for the Rams, who came into the week averaging fewer than 100 yards rushing per game. The running game was sturdy and productive, while Matthew Stafford and his receivers struggled to get into a rhythm at the Superdome. Coach Sean McVay always prefers to use his run game to set up the pass, and it finally worked for once this season. “I thought Kyren ran really well," McVay said. “I thought Corum ran really well. I thought our offensive line set the line of scrimmage in the run game. We really started slow in the pass game, but I thought Matthew was excellent in the second half. We were able to get some different things off of those run actions going, and that ended up being the difference in the game.” Not coincidentally, the Rams' running game worked well on the Sunday when the offensive line finally had a starting five uncompromised by injuries or suspension for the first time all season. Right tackle Rob Havenstein returned from an ankle injury, making the group whole around rookie center Beaux Limmer, who has beaten out high-priced free agent Jonah Jackson for a starting job. The Rams still had yet another slow start in a season full of them. They ran only three plays in the entire first quarter, and they were held scoreless in the first half when their other two drives resulted in a turnover on downs and a punt. But Los Angeles rebounded with an 11-play scoring drive to open the second half featuring seven runs by Williams. He eventually moved up to fifth in the NFL with 926 yards rushing despite averaging just 4.2 yards per carry — nearly a yard less than he had last season, and the lowest average among the league's top 10 rushers this season. The Rams have thrived without a strong rushing attack before: They averaged just 99.0 yards per game on the ground, ranking 25th in the NFL, during their Super Bowl championship season in 2021-22. But McVay prefers his first option to be a strong running attack, which he had during his first three seasons in charge with Todd Gurley in the backfield and Andrew Whitworth at left tackle. “Anytime the guys up front are moving them, and (Williams) is making great reads and moves on the second level, then that is a fun feeling for the offense," Stafford said. “It’s great when you can hand the ball off and get big creases. We converted when we needed to in short-yardage stuff. I thought our guys did a really great job up front, and Kyren ran it great.” What's working The Rams have struggled in the red zone all season, but they scored touchdowns on all three trips in New Orleans. They did it by committing to the run game up the middle, setting up TD passes on the outside to Demarcus Robinson and Puka Nacua. What needs help Alvin Kamara racked up 112 yards rushing in the latest strong game by an opposing running back. Los Angeles is 28th in the league against the run, allowing 144.2 yards rushing per game — including 194 per game over the past three weeks. Stock up Rookie edge rusher Jared Verse had another outstanding game, racking up five tackles, three quarterback hits and numerous big plays that don't show up on stat sheets. He capped the performance by hitting Derek Carr from behind and forcing an incompletion from the Los Angeles 9 on New Orleans' final play. Stock down Cornerback Darious Williams gave up a touchdown pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling and the ensuing 2-point conversion pass to Dante Pettis early in the fourth quarter, capping a second straight rough week for the free-agent signee. Williams is the Rams' best cornerback, but they haven't had an above-average shutdown pass defender since trading Jalen Ramsey. Los Angeles added cornerback depth Monday, claiming 2023 first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes off waivers from Washington. Injuries Robinson injured his hand during the game, and Stafford incurred a lateral ankle sprain. McVay said he doesn't expect either injury to affect the veterans' preparations this week. Key number 17 — Cooper Kupp's yards receiving. That's his lowest total in a game in which he didn't get injured since Oct. 18, 2020. Kupp had only six targets, few downfield routes and curiously scant chances to make big plays. Next steps The Rams are home underdogs this week against powerhouse Buffalo, followed by a Thursday night game at San Francisco. Getting even one win out of these two matchups will be difficult, but probably necessary to keep pace with Seattle and Arizona in the NFC West. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL Greg Beacham, The Associated Press

Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes renewed their vows as they marked their 10th wedding anniversary on Monday. On his Instagram Stories today, the Kapuso Primetime King shared heartfelt snaps from the ceremony, including a tearful Marian walking down the aisle. She wore a white dress and held a bouquet of white flowers. Other photos include the priest praying over DongYan as their kids Zia and Sixto look on, the couple sharing a sweet kiss, and a family photo. Earlier today, the Marian and Dingdong made separate posts on social media in celebration of their 10th anniversary, sharing some photos from their prenuptial photoshoot with photographer Mark Nicdao 10 years ago. The couple first met when they starred in GMA Network's remake of the Mexican series " Marimar " in 2007. The series went on to become the highest-rated primetime show on Philippine television, launching DongYan's career as the network's Primetime King and Queen. The rest, as they say, is history. They got engaged in 2012 privately, and Dingdong proposed to Marian a second time , which aired on GMA's dance show "Marian" in August 2014. The couple tied the knot on December 30, 2014 . They have two kids, Zia and Sixto , who turned nine and five this 2024. Happy anniversary, DongYan! A post shared by Dingdong Dantes (@dongdantes) — CDC, GMA Integrated News

Mbah Hails ESUT’s Speedy Transformation into Centre of Excellence at 20th Convocation

John Healey said that the Government’s “interest” in Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), is “that they live up to their promises to protect” rights, when he spoke to reporters after a Cobra meeting on Thursday. HTS is banned in the UK because of its past association with al Qaida, the terrorist organisation once led by Osama bin Laden. But its leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, cut ties with al Qaida years ago and has sought to present his group as a more moderate and inclusive organisation, leading some to suggest the group should no longer be proscribed. When asked whether the Government was considering the status of the group, Mr Healey said: “Proscription is not a matter for now. “It doesn’t stop us talking to all the parties, and our interest in HTS is that they live up to their promises to protect the rights of all individuals and all groups, to respect international law and to prevent Syria becoming a base for a fresh terrorist threat.” Mr Healey said that Thursday’s meeting was “about making sure we have, as a Government, a laser focus on the role that we can play with allies to see a stable, peaceful transition. “So that the Syrians get the government they need for the future, and the region can see the stability in the future that it also needs.” Cobra meetings are called when ministers or officials need to respond to urgent matters. Following the toppling of the Bashar Assad regime over the weekend, the UK has paused decisions on asylum applications from Syria. Thousands of Syrians have been granted asylum in the UK but, earlier this week, the Home Office said decisions on applications would be paused while events unfold in Damascus. When asked how long the system would be paused for, and whether the move was fair, Mr Healey said on Thursday: “This is early days. “It’s a measure in response to rapidly changing developments, and the most important thing for us now is that the UK plays and will continue to play a full role with allies to see a stable, peaceful, orderly transition and that requires a political process. “It requires dialogue at the heart of it, and today’s ministerial meeting, the Cobra meeting, was about making sure that we do just that.” Earlier on Thursday, G7 leaders said that they “stand with the people of Syria” and “denounce terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms”. In a statement, Sir Keir Starmer and his counterparts said: “The G7 will work with and fully support a future Syrian government that abides by those standards and results from that process.” It went on: “After decades of atrocities committed by the Assad regime, we stand with the people of Syria. We denounce terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms. “We are hopeful that anyone seeking a role in governing Syria will demonstrate a commitment to the rights of all Syrians, prevent the collapse of state institutions, work on the recovery and rehabilitation of the country, and ensure the conditions for safe and dignified voluntary return to Syria of all those who were forced to flee the country.”

Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes Fined $14.1K by NFL for TD Celebration vs. BillsBy HILLEL ITALIE NEW YORK (AP) — Even through a year of nonstop news about elections, climate change, protests and the price of eggs, there was still time to read books. U.S. sales held steady according to Circana, which tracks around 85% of the print market, with many choosing the relief of romance, fantasy and romantasy. Some picked up Taylor Swift’s tie-in book to her blockbuster tour, while others sought out literary fiction, celebrity memoirs, political exposes and a close and painful look at a generation hooked on smartphones. Here are 10 notable books published in 2024, in no particular order. Asking about the year’s hottest reads would basically yield a list of the biggest hits in romantasy, the blend of fantasy and romance that has proved so irresistible fans were snapping up expensive “special editions” with decorative covers and sprayed edges. Of the 25 top sellers of 2024, as compiled by Circana, six were by romantasy favorite Sarah J. Maas, including “House of Flame and Shadow,” the third of her “Crescent City” series. Millions read her latest installment about Bryce Quinlan and Hunter Athalar and traced the ever-growing ties of “Maasverse,” the overlapping worlds of “Crescent City” and her other series, “Throne of Glass” and “A Court of Thorns and Roses.” If romantasy is for escape, other books demand we confront. In the bestselling “The Anxious Generation,” social psychologist Jonathan Haidt looks into studies finding that the mental health of young people began to deteriorate in the 2010s, after decades of progress. According to Haidt, the main culprit is right before us: digital screens that have drawn kids away from “play-based” to “phone-based” childhoods. Although some critics challenged his findings, “The Anxious Generation” became a talking point and a catchphrase. Admirers ranged from Oprah Winfrey to Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee, who in a letter to state legislators advocated such “commonsense recommendations” from the book as banning phones in schools and keeping kids off social media until age 16. Bob Woodward books have been an election tradition for decades. “War,” the latest of his highly sourced Washington insider accounts, made news with its allegations that Donald Trump had been in frequent contact with Russian leader Vladimir Putin even while out of office and, while president, had sent Putin sophisticated COVID-19 test machines. Among Woodward’s other scoops: Putin seriously considered using nuclear weapons against Ukraine, and President Joe Biden blamed former President Barack Obama, under whom he served as vice president, for some of the problems with Russia. “Barack never took Putin seriously,” Woodward quoted Biden as saying. Former (and future) first lady Melania Trump, who gives few interviews and rarely discusses her private life, unexpectedly announced she was publishing a memoir: “Melania.” The publisher was unlikely for a former first lady — not one of the major New York houses, but Skyhorse, where authors include such controversial public figures as Woody Allen and Trump cabinet nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. And its success was at least a minor surprise. Melania Trump did little publicity for the book, and offered few revelations beyond posting a video expressing support for abortion rights — a break from one of the cornerstones of GOP policy. But “Melania” still sold hundreds of thousands of copies, many in the days following her husband’s election. Taylor Swift was more than a music story in 2024. Like “Melania,” the news about Taylor Swift’s self-published tie-in to her global tour isn’t so much the book itself, but that it exists. And how well it sold. As she did with the “Eras” concert film, Swift bypassed the established industry and worked directly with a distributor: Target offered “The Eras Tour Book” exclusively. According to Circana, the “Eras” book sold more than 800,000 copies just in its opening week, an astonishing number for a publication unavailable through Amazon.com and other traditional retailers. No new book in 2024 had a better debut. Midnight book parties are supposed to be for “Harry Potter” and other fantasy series, but this fall, more than 100 stores stayed open late to welcome one of the year’s literary events: Sally Rooney’s “Intermezzo.” The Irish author’s fourth novel centers on two brothers, their grief over the death of their father, their very different career paths and their very unsettled love lives. “Intermezzo” was also a book about chess: “You have to read a lot of opening theory — that’s the beginning of a game, the first moves,” one of the brothers explains. “And you’re learning all this for what? Just to get an okay position in the middle game and try to play some decent chess. Which most of the time I can’t do anyway.” Lisa Marie Presley had been working on a memoir at the time of her death , in 2023, and daughter Riley Keough had agreed to help her complete it. “From Here to the Great Unknown” is Lisa Marie’s account of her father, Elvis Presley, and the sagas of of her adult life, notably her marriage to Michael Jackson and the death of son Benjamin Keough. To the end, she was haunted by the loss of Elvis, just 42 when he collapsed and died at his Graceland home while young Lisa Marie was asleep. “She would listen to his music alone, if she was drunk, and cry,” Keough, during an interview with Winfrey, said of her mother. Meanwhile, Cher released the first of two planned memoirs titled “Cher” — no further introduction required. Covering her life from birth to the end of the 1970s, she focuses on her ill-fated marriage to Sonny Bono, remembering him as a gifted entertainer and businessman who helped her believe in herself while turning out to be unfaithful, erratic, controlling and so greedy that he kept all the couple’s earnings for himself. Unsure of whether to leave or stay, she consulted a very famous divorcee, Lucille Ball, who reportedly encouraged her: “F— him, you’re the one with the talent.” A trend in recent years is to take famous novels from the past, and remove words or passages that might offend modern readers; an edition of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” cuts the racist language from Mark Twain’s original text. In the most celebrated literary work of 2024, Percival Everett found a different way to take on Twain’s classic — write it from the perspective of the enslaved Jim. “James,” winner of the National Book Award, is a recasting in many ways. Everett suggests to us that the real Jim was nothing like the deferential figure known to millions of readers, but a savvy and learned man who concealed his intelligence from the whites around him, and even from Twain himself. Salman Rushdie’s first National Book Award nomination was for a memoir he wished he had no reason to write. In “Knife,” he recounts in full detail the horrifying attempt on his life in 2022, when an attendee rushed the stage during a literary event in western New York and stabbed him repeatedly, leaving with him a blinded eye and lasting nerve damage, but with a spirit surprisingly intact. “If you had told me that this was going to happen and how would I deal with it, I would not have been very optimistic about my chances,” he told The Associated Press last spring. “I’m still myself, you know, and I don’t feel other than myself. But there’s a little iron in the soul, I think.”Jimmy Carter, the 39th US President who died at the age of 100 on Sunday night, shared a special connection with India and even has a village in Haryana named after him called 'Carterpuri'. On January 3, 1978, Mr Carter, along with the then First Lady Rosalynn Carter, travelled to Daulatpur Nasirabad - a village in Haryana which is an hour away from Delhi. According to the Carter Center, an NGO founded by Mr Carter , the visit was so successful that the residents renamed the area 'Carterpuri' in honour of the former US President. They also remained in contact with the White House for the rest of Mr Carter's tenure. January 3 was declared a holiday in 'Carterpuri' since then. When Mr Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, the villagers held massive festivities and celebrated his honour. The visit by the former US President came just a year after the removal of the Emergency and the victory of the Janata Party. During his time in India, he had also addressed the Parliament. Speaking against the authoritarian rule, Mr Carter said, "For the remainder of this century and into the next, the democratic countries of the world will increasingly turn to each other for answers to our most pressing, common challenge: how our political and spiritual values can provide the basis for dealing with the social and economic strains to which they will unquestionably be subjected." Not just this, Mr Carter also shared a personal connection with India as his mother, Lillian, had worked in the country as a health volunteer with the Peace Corps during the late 1960s. Since the Carter administration, the US and India have worked closely on energy, humanitarian aid, technology, space cooperation, maritime security, disaster relief, and counterterrorism. In the mid-2000s, the two countries struck a landmark agreement to work toward full civil nuclear cooperation, and bilateral trade has since skyrocketed, the Carter Center said. Jimmy Carter, the longest-lived US President and Nobel peace laureate, died at the age of 100. He had been in hospice care since mid-February 2023 at his home in Plains, Georgia - the same town where he was born and once ran a peanut farm before becoming governor of the Peach State. "Carter died peacefully at his home in Plains surrounded by his family," the Carter Center wrote in a statement. Mr Carter's son, Chip, told news agency AFP, "My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and unselfish love." US President Joe Biden expressed grief over Mr Carter's death and declared January 9 as the national mourning day. "I call on the American people to assemble on that day in their respective places of worship, there to pay homage to the memory of President James Earl Carter, Jr. I invite the people of the world who share our grief to join us in this solemn observance," he said. Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world

In 2004, Sachin Tendulkar shelved the cover drive on his way to a famous unbeaten double century in Sydney. Virat Kohli may have to follow suit if he is to bow out of Test cricket on his own terms. At a glance, Kohli, 36, has the numbers of a player who is gone, but this is not one of the cases where if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. Virat Kohli departs the MCG on Monday, caught in the cordon again. Credit: AP Unlike Rohit Sharma, whose game looks completely off, Kohli’s issue is a question of technique and temperament. Kohli is still in pristine physical condition. But while his eyes and reflexes may not be as sharp as they once were, it’s a lack of discipline that is hurting him most. Kohli’s career has been built on control, but he is now having trouble suppressing his natural urges, whether it’s ignoring hecklers in the crowd, picking blues with a teenaged debutant or, most obviously, balls outside off stump. All six of Kohli’s dismissals this series have come to catches behind the wicket. His unbeaten ton in the second innings in Perth, when India were already in an unassailable position when he batted, was as close to a junk-time Test century as you can get. His 100 not out is an outlier in a campaign that has also produced scores of 5, 7, 11, 3, 36 and 5. His series average of 27.83 is in keeping with the 31.32 he has averaged in 38 games since the start of 2020. If he was not Virat Kohli, he’d have been dropped a long time ago. The Australians would never say this publicly out of respect for Kohli, and probably fear of Mother Cricket, but they know they have Kohli’s measure. Bowl the ball in the fourth and fifth stump channel outside off, perhaps even wider, and wait for the nick to come. “Well that’s the line I’ve been talking about the whole series. Get it wide and get it full. That’s the sixth time Mitch Starc’s gotten Virat Kohli in Test cricket. The trap was set. The bait was thrown out there and the big fish has fallen for it,” former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said on Seven. With the exception of his century in Perth, when the fizz had gone from the game, the closest Kohli has come to resisting temptation came on the second day of this Test when he made the Australians bowl at him. By ignoring balls outside off stump, he dragged Australia’s lines closer to his pads and scored through the leg side. The drives he played were aimed as close to the bowler as he could instead of the gaping hole, greater than the length of a centre square in the MCG’s winter configuration, between mid-off and gully. His extravagant drive at Mitchell Starc from the final ball before lunch on Monday was directed through cover. Tendulkar, India’s last batting demi-god, provided the template for Kohli. Twenty-one years ago in Sydney, unhappy with being caught behind the wicket earlier in the series, Tendulkar did not hit a boundary through cover in his 241 not out. The plan was devised after a conversation with his brother, who told him his weakness was a matter of shot selection rather than technique. Loading “I need discipline to be in the driving seat,” Tendulkar said in an interview published on his Facebook page in 2021. “My natural instincts, they have to be sitting in the passenger’s seat. “I suddenly realised all the bowlers are bowling in that corridor on the sixth stump, not even fourth stump. If you are going to keep bowling away from me and frustrate me, I’m going to take on this challenge and frustrate you. It’s one versus 11, let’s see who loses patience first. I’m not going to play a single cover drive.” Steve Waugh did it with the hook shot, but warehousing a stroke that has produced so many runs for a batter requires the discipline of a monk. The confidence and self-belief that has driven Kohli through his career will tell him he still can play that shot well. The habits of a lifetime also die hard. “He’s done it so much over the years, its become muscle memory for him – cover drive, cover drive, cover drive,” former Australia opener Simon Katich said on SEN. Loading This should not be unfamiliar territory for Kohli. On his miserable tour of England in 2014 when he was tormented by James Anderson, Kohli was caught by the wicketkeeper or in the cordon in seven of his 10 innings. Four years later, he averaged nearly 60. The difference? “He left it a lot better and he was a lot more patient,” Anderson told the Test Match Special podcast in 2020. “He waited for you to bowl at him, and then he’s very strong off his legs so he could score freely.” Kohli knows what to do, it’s a matter of whether still can. News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Boxing Day Test Australian cricket Test cricket Virat Kohli India Sachin Tendulkar Andrew Wu writes on cricket and AFL for The Age Connect via Twitter or email . Most Viewed in Sport LoadingWASHINGTON — Jimmy Carter lived longer than any other U.S. president in history and was the first of any of them to turn 100 years old. Carter served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981. With his passing , the person that's now the oldest living president — current or former — resides in the White House. President Joe Biden turned 82 last month, further cementing his status as the oldest serving U.S. president. But it's a record that Donald Trump could break in a few years. President-elect Trump will become the oldest person ever sworn into office on Jan. 20, 2025. That's a milestone previously held by Biden when he was sworn in at age 78 back in 2021. On Inauguration Day , Trump will be six months from his 79th birthday. When Biden's presidency ends on Jan. 20, 2025, he will be 82 years and 2 months (or 30,012 days) old. Trump would break that record of being the oldest U.S. president toward the end of his second term on Aug. 15, 2028. We're a ways away from any other living U.S. president even coming close to Carter's record. Biden wouldn't celebrate his 100th birthday until Nov. 20, 2042. After Biden and Trump, the next oldest living presidents are George W. Bush (78), Bill Clinton (78) and Barack Obama (63). Bill Clinton, the 42nd U.S. President, is 78 years old (Aug. 19, 1946) George W. Bush, the 43rd U.S. President, is 78 years old (July 6, 1946) Barack Obama, the 44th U.S. President, is 63 years old (Aug. 4, 1961) Donald Trump, the 45th and soon-to-be 47th U.S. President, is 78 years old (June 14, 1946)ENTRUSTED with our readers’ deep secrets, the Dear Deidre team really have a unique insight into what dilemmas the nation is grappling with. Of course, there are some constants — cheating, differing sex drives, low self-esteem and loneliness. But some issues loom larger in certain years as new problems come to the fore. As 2024 nears an end, we take a look at what exactly our readers have been writing in about. Every year, we help thousands of people by answering every single dilemma with a personalised answer, and we’ve kept a record of the issues we’ve tackled. Relationship issues consistently come out on top, with 23 per cent of the emails Dear Deidre receives focused on romantic problems. READ MORE DEAR DEIDRE Sex came a close second, with 19 per cent of readers writing in with a sexual dilemma. Interestingly, half of every single relationship message addressed cheating. Sometimes, the unfaithful party would be writing in, otherwise a suspicious or heartbroken partner worried about their relationship . Among the emails about cheating on partners, home surveillance and doorbell cameras featured more prominently, with some partners forgetting to turn off cameras before inviting flings to come back to their homes . Most read in The Sun A growing number of readers also wrote in because, although they were separated, financial constraints meant they could not move out of the marital home. The reluctant house sharers were frustrated at being unable to move on — a trend that reflects economic uncertainty in the UK. Notable developments this year have been new requests for support with quitting vaping . Another new issue came in the form of pensioners worrying about losing their winter fuel allowance. Social media has been a common theme in all the categories. It is impossible to quantify but has had a huge impact. So many of the relationship problems relate to partners ogling scantily clad influencers or flirting with others they have met online. Plenty don’t see this as cheating but the feeling of betrayal is real for those on the receiving end. And it’s not just cheating that worries people. Time spent watching endless videos encourages weird infatuations, with one woman complaining her husband had become obsessed with the French election. Opportunity for temptation He insisted they spend their family holiday in France watching speeches — and had previously had no interest in politics . The issue of phone addiction came up, particularly for parents fretting about not only what their children were being exposed to, but also how their mobile activity was affecting their own behaviour. They asked our team for help on how to manage this. And a huge number of adults wrote in fed up with their partner, who had little interest in them but spent all hours playing online games or scrolling through their socials. It’s clear that while technology enables us to do far more and do it efficiently, left unchecked it threatens our real-world connections and provides more opportunity for temptation. Next year, I will be recording when social media, phone usage and the internet are mentioned as part of the problem, and I predict this will be a huge growth area. Below is a reader’s letter about ogling, followed by one about winter fuel allowance. I also break down what percentages of our mail different types of letter make up. Mortified after ex saw me having sex on security cam (Letter from November 14) DEAR DEIDRE: MY ex saw me having sex with a one-night stand using the camera security system he’d installed as a favour to me. I was completely unaware that he was watching this, until he turned up the next morning and got very upset with me. Originally, I was grateful for his help setting up the system, but now I feel really uncomfortable. He said he’d received an alert on his phone and checked it by chance, but I can’t help worrying he’s keeping an eye on me. He insists he hasn’t been watching and that was a one-off, but the whole experience has really unsettled me. I’m 36, my ex is 39, and we were together for eight years before we broke up five months ago. Our split was both mutually agreed, and amicable, and we decided to remain friends. We still met up and sometimes even had sex, but as we didn’t discuss what this meant I thought we were simply friends with benefits . I really appreciated still having him in my life. When I was moving house, he offered to help, knowing how useless I am at DIY. He helped put up shelves, and installed security cameras which he set up online so I could view them through an app. I knew he had access to it all while he set it up but assumed he’d log out. So when I brought a man home, I didn’t think twice. Now I feel mortified. He says he didn’t mean to breach my privacy, but I feel so conflicted. DEIDRE SAYS: Watching you have sex with another man was a huge breach of your privacy, and you shouldn’t take it lightly. As a priority, please ensure that you are the only one with access to your security system. Make sure you’re the primary account holder and change your password so that he doesn’t have access. It’s completely understandable that this experience has made you question the sort of person he is. Unless you decide you can trust him completely, you would be wise to stay away. At the very least, it’s clear that the lines are blurred between you and your ex and some boundaries need to be re-established. As for your relationship with him, you need to decide if there’s any hope of a future together. If you decide there’s not, it would be best to step away so you can both move on. My support pack Moving On will help. Left freezing since losing fuel payment (Letter from December 18) DEAR DEIDRE : SINCE the Government cut my Winter Fuel Payment , I’ve been struggling to afford my bills . Now I’m forced to choose between putting my heating on or buying food, and the stress is making me unwell. I’m a 76-year-old pensioner, and live alone. Until this year, I was receiving £200 payments to cover the cost of my heating bills, and I heavily relied on it. So when the Government announced the change, I went into a complete panic. My pension is already low as it is, so without the extra payments I knew it was going to be a hard couple of months. When I contacted the council for help, they told me that, while I was eligible to apply, I had missed the deadline so now I’d have to go without. Ever since, my life has been an absolute nightmare. Now I wake up every morning to a freezing house – and no matter what I do, I can’t keep warm. The constant dread is getting me down, and I’m now struggling to cope. DEIDRE SAYS: I can only imagine how distressing this must be for you. While the qualifying week for this year’s Fuel Payment has now passed, you may still be eligible if you successfully apply for Pension Credit by December 21. READ MORE SUN STORIES Please note that you only have two days to do this, so please take action today. You may also be eligible for a £150 Warm Home Discount. You can find out more about this on the government website ( gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme ). TOP TOPICS: Relationships 23% Sex 19% Family 8% Parenting 7% Friendships 4% Workplace issues 5% Mental health 11% Health 5% Addictions 8% Bereavement 5% Sexuality 4% Other 1% SEX WOES Sex drive 43% Fetishes 16% Threesomes 12% Erection problems 11% Fantasies 7% Climaxing 4% Menopause 3% Other 4% LOVE Cheating 49% Domestic abuse 12% Addictive love 10% Broken heart 14% Online romance 6% Age gaps 5% Other 4% ADDICTION Alcohol 42% Porn 22% Drugs 13% Smoking 8% Vaping 5% Gambling 9% Shopping and spending 1%

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MONTREAL — Second Cup Canada is cutting ties with a franchisee operating at Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital who was allegedly filmed making hateful and antisemitic comments during a protest in the city last week. Second Cup Canada announced Saturday it was cutting ties with a franchisee for “making hateful remarks and gestures,” and adding in a statement the actions breach the franchise agreement as well as inclusion and community values ​​held by the chain. Peter Mammas, CEO of Montreal-based Foodtastic, which owns Second Cup Canada, said in an interview on Sunday that he was at the movies when his phone started pinging non-stop. He saw the videos and the company’s operations staff spoke to employees that knew the woman, and they confirmed it was indeed the franchisee. Video shot during a pro-Palestinian demonstration outside of Concordia University’s downtown Montreal campus Thursday shows a woman walking around, masked, saying the “final solution is coming your way” — wording used to describe a Nazi plan to eliminate Jews in Europe during the Second World War. Another video also shows what appears to be the same woman, unmasked, making a Nazi salute while walking away. “We’re all for free speech and respectful conversations, but this wasn’t that,” Mammas said. “This was hate speech, and it was something that we thought could incite violence and we’re completely against that, so we sat down with our team and decided to revoke the franchise agreement.” Attempts to reach the franchisee were unsuccessful on Sunday. “Second Cup has zero tolerance for hate speech,” the coffee chain said in a statement on X. “In co-ordination with the hospital, we’ve shut down the franchisee’s café and are terminating their franchise agreement.” Mammas said lawyers for the franchisee and Second Cup were expected to meet on Monday. The regional health agency serving West-Central Montreal, which includes the Jewish General Hospital, said it was made aware of the video “containing antisemitic and hateful messaging.” The video is related to a franchisee of Second Cup, one of the private tenants operating within the (Jewish General), Carl Thériault, a spokesman, said in a statement on Sunday. “We fully support Second Cup’s decision to take swift and decisive action in this matter by shutting down the franchisee’s cafés and terminating their lease agreement.” The hospital has two locations operated by the same franchisee and both were shuttered on Saturday by the owners of the chain. The health agency “is committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and stands firmly against antisemitism and any other form of discrimination or hate speech,” Thériault said. “We have franchisees who are Muslim, we have franchisees who are Jewish, we have franchisees that are Greek, French, we have employees from all different nations,” Mammas said. “So we definitely have no issue with that and we don’t take any political side, but ... hate speech ... you know we can’t accept that.”

Aceh Tsunami: Monuments Help To Remember Disasters - And Forget Them #Aceh #Tsunami: #Monuments #Help #Remember #Disasters #Forget #Them #USA #Russia #Biden #Ukraine #War #Palestine #Gaza #Israel #Stocks closed higher on Wall Street at the start of a holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 rose 0.7% Monday. Several big technology companies helped support the gains, including chip companies Nvidia and Broadcom. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 1%. Honda’s U.S.-listed shares rose sharply after the company said it was in talks about a combination with Nissan in a deal that could also include Mitsubishi Motors. Eli Lilly rose after announcing that regulators approved Zepbound as the first prescription medicine for adults with sleep apnea. Treasury yields rose in the bond market. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. Major stock indexes rose on Wall Street in afternoon trading Monday, after a choppy start to a holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 rose 0.6%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average recovered from an early slide to gain 29 points, or 0.1% as of 3:40 p.m. Eastern time. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite rose 0.8%. Gains in technology and communications stocks helped outweigh losses in consumer goods companies and elsewhere in the market. Semiconductor giant Nvidia, whose enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes, rose 3.3%. Broadcom climbed 5.5% to also help support the broader market. Walmart fell 2% and PepsiCo slid 1.2%. Japanese automakers Honda Motor and Nissan said they are talking about combining in a deal that might also include Mitsubishi Motors. U.S.-listed shares in Honda jumped 13.4%, while Nissan slipped 0.2%. Eli Lilly rose 3.5% after announcing that regulators approved Zepbound as the first and only prescription medicine for adults with sleep apnea. Department store Nordstrom fell 1.6% after it agreed to be taken private by Nordstrom family members and a Mexican retail group in a $6.25 billion deal. The Conference Board said that consumer confidence slipped in December. Its consumer confidence index fell back to 104.7 from 112.8 in November. Wall Street was expecting a reading of 113.8. The unexpectedly weak consumer confidence update follows several generally strong economic reports last week. One report showed the overall economy grew at a 3.1% annualized rate during the summer, faster than earlier thought. The latest report on unemployment benefit applications showed that the job market remains solid. A report on Friday said a measure of inflation the Federal Reserve likes to use was slightly lower last month than economists expected. Worries about inflation edging higher again had been weighing on Wall Street and the Fed. The central bank just delivered its third cut to interest rates this year, but inflation has been hovering stubbornly above its target of 2%. It has signaled that it could deliver fewer cuts to interest rates next year than it earlier anticipated because of concerns over inflation. Expectations for more interest rate cuts have helped drive a roughly 25% gain for the S&P 500 in 2024. That drive included 57 all-time highs this year. Inflation concerns have added to uncertainties heading into 2025, which include the labor market's path ahead and shifting economic policies under an incoming President Donald Trump. "Put simply, much of the strong market performance prior to last week was driven by expectations that a best-case scenario was the base case for 2025," said Brent Schutte, chief investment officer at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company Treasury yields rose in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.59% from 4.53% late Friday. European markets were mostly lower, while markets in Asia gained ground. Wall Street has several other economic reports to look forward to this week. On Tuesday, the U.S. will release its November report for sales of newly constructed homes. A weekly update on unemployment benefits is expected on Thursday. Markets in the U.S. will close at 1 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday for Christmas Eve and will remain closed on Wednesday for Christmas. Damian J. Troise And Alex Veiga, The Associated PressMT. STERLING, Ohio , Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- WillowWood, a global leader in prosthetic solutions, is proud to announce its receipt of the prestigious Gold Anthem Award Honor in the Product and Innovation category for its 2024 rebrand. The award recognizes the transformative collaboration with DD.NYC that has redefined WillowWood's visual identity, emphasizing its mission to improve mobility, push the forefront of the prosthetic industry, and enhance the quality of life for individuals worldwide. The Anthem Awards is the largest and most comprehensive social impact award, recognizing work across five areas of impact including Awareness, Fundraising, Community Engagement, Product, Innovation & Service, and Team & Internal Initiatives, for seven causes: Diversity Equity & Inclusion, Education Art & Culture, Health, Human & Civil Rights, Humanitarian Action & Services, Responsible Technology, and Sustainability Climate & Environment. By amplifying the voices that spark global change, the Anthem Awards are defining a new benchmark for impactful work that inspires others to take action in their own communities. With over 2,300 submissions from 44 countries around the world, 10,000+ reviews from jurors, and over 33,000 supporters in the Anthem Community Voice, the 4th Annual Anthem Award Winners were announced on November 19, 2024 . WillowWood's rebrand stood out among this global competition, showcasing an unwavering commitment to empowering prosthetic users through advanced technology and compassionate care. "This recognition is a testament to the heart and soul of WillowWood's mission and DD.NYC's commitment to reimagining brands in a way that stays true to that heart and soul," said Mahesh Mansukhani , CEO of WillowWood. "Our partnership with Digital Design NYC allowed us to craft a brand identity that not only honors our legacy but also propels us into the future. The rebrand reflects our promise to provide innovative prosthetic solutions that enhance mobility and transform lives." The creative process was a seamless collaboration between WillowWood and DD.NYC. Together, the teams developed a rebrand strategy that blends contemporary design elements with an innovation-centered focus. Key features include a revitalized logo, a cohesive color palette inspired by movement and vitality, and a redesigned website offering an intuitive user experience for clinicians and prosthetic users alike. "From the outset, we sought to encapsulate the essence of WillowWood's dedication to improving lives through innovation," said Anjelika Kour , Creative Director at DD.NYC. "The resulting rebrand is both striking and meaningful, capturing the spirit of mobility and resilience that defines WillowWood." The Gold Anthem Award underscores the significant impact of WillowWood's reimagined brand, resonating with both the prosthetics community and broader audiences. As a leader in the industry, WillowWood continues to champion inclusivity, innovation, and hope. To explore the award-winning rebrand and learn more about WillowWood's mission and products, visit willowwood.com . To learn more about the many industry-changing projects and services of DD.NYC, visit dd.nyc . About WillowWood: Based in Mount Sterling, Ohio , WillowWood Global is an industry leading designer, manufacturer, and distributor of prosthetic products, including liners, feet, vacuum systems and components. Recognized for its products' superior innovation, quality, and patient outcomes, WillowWood's portfolio includes the Alpha ® family of liners, including the first myoelectric Alpha ® Control Liner, the META ® family of feet, the LimbLogic ® vacuum system, and now the XtremityTT ® socket system. For over 117 years, WillowWood's prosthetic products have helped individuals with limb loss find comfort and functionality, remain active and live life to the fullest. About DD.NYC: DD.NYC® is an award-winning Manhattan -based creative agency specializing in branding, web design, packaging, and video storytelling. Since its founding in 2015, the agency has been recognized for its innovative approach and adaptability across industries, with a strong focus on the medical and healthcare sectors. About The Anthem Awards: Launched in 2021 by The Webby Awards, The Anthem Awards honors the purpose & mission-driven work of people, companies and organizations worldwide. By amplifying the voices that spark global change, we're defining a new benchmark for impactful work that inspires others to take action in their own communities. The Anthem Awards honors work across seven core causes: Diversity; Equity & Inclusion; Education; Art & Culture; Health; Human & Civil Rights; Humanitarian Action & Services; Responsible Technology; and Sustainability, Environment & Climate. This season's partners include Ms. Magazine, The Female Quotient, Sustainable Brands, NationSwell, and TheFutureParty. The Awards were founded in partnership with the Ad Council, Born This Way Foundation, Feeding America, Glaad, Mozilla, NAACP, NRDC, WWF, and XQ. About The Webby Awards: Hailed as the "Internet's highest honor" by The New York Times , The Webby Awards is the leading international awards organization honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites and Mobile Sites; Video; Advertising; Media & PR; Apps & Software; Social; Podcasts; Games and AI, Metaverse & Virtual. Established in 1996, The Webby Awards received nearly 13,000 entries from all 50 states and over 70 countries worldwide this year. The Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include WP Engine, LinkedIn, Meltwater, NAACP, KPMG, Wall Street Journal, Vox Media, Deadline, AdAge, TechCrunch, The Hollywood Reporter, The Hustle, Morning Brew, Passionfruit, Embedded, Link in Bio, Creator Economy NYC, Creator Spotlight, AIGA, Vote Save America, and The Publish Press. Media contact: Marketing@willowwood.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/willowwood-rebrand-by-ddnyc-wins-gold-anthem-award-for-product-and-innovation-in-2024-rebrand-302337766.html SOURCE WillowWood Global

This Tesco F&F gold glittery dress is ideal for a Christmas party (Image: CambridgeshireLive) Tesco F&F has released a new gold dress that can be worn to any upcoming Christmas events you might have over the festive period. The glittery mini dress will make you look stylish on a night out with friends. The item was paired with tights for extra warmth and black accessories to complete the outfit. The dress was posted with two other outfits to give you even more fashion inspiration for any kind of party you might be attending over the holiday season. The piece was shared on the Tesco F&F Instagram page, which currently has 787K followers, and was modelled by Jariatu Danita. The post was captioned: "From sparkles to classic reds, head into stores now to shop our latest collection as seen on Jariatu Danita." Fans of Tesco F&F clothing have already started commenting on the dress and other outfits via social media. One user said: "Gorgeous outfits" and another said: "Love them all." Instagram If you want to pick up this chic gold dress or any of the other items shared in the post, you will have to go in person to a Tesco store with a clothing department. F&F currently does not have an online site to buy its clothes from. If you are not a fan of this dress, River Island has some partywear in stock that might be more inline with your style. There is this Black faux leather wrap mini Dress if you are looking for something to wear to a work party or this Burgundy Sequin Pencil Midi Skirt that can be worn with a range of tops to create a few different outfits. Or New Look also has some items that you can wear on a night out with friends. There is this Green Sequinned 2-in-1 Mini Dress that is currently on sale for £27.59 or this Green Sleeveless Sequin Top that you can buy in a variety of colours. Story Saved You can find this story in My Bookmarks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Follow CambridgeLive Facebook Twitter More On Christmas Tesco Shopping

(The Center Square) – After an Iranian national was arrested on Monday in a Boston suburb for his alleged ties to a terrorist attack that killed three U.S. service members, the town's leaders unanimously voted to pass a sanctuary city ordinance. On Monday, Iranian-born Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, a resident of Natick, Mass., was charged in federal court in Boston "with conspiring to export sophisticated electronic components from the United States to Iran in violation of U.S. export control and sanctions laws," The Center Square reported. Sadeghi and others allegedly conspired to evade U.S. export control and sanctions laws by procuring goods, services, and technology from American companies and exporting them to an Iranian-based company that contracts with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a US-designated foreign terrorist organization. The company allegedly manufactured the drones used by the IRGC that killed U.S. soldiers stationed in Jordan in January. Sadeghi faces up to 20 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy that goes back nearly 10 years , according to the complaint . His arrest occurred after an unprecedented number of Iranian and special interest aliens were apprehended after illegally entering the U.S., The Center Square reported . It also occurred after Islamic terrorist incidents increased under President Joe Biden and after he extended a national emergency regarding Iran last month. The U.S. has been in a perpetual state of national emergency related to Iran since Nov. 14, 1979, The Center Square reported . Forty-eight hours after Sadeghi's arrest , on Wednesday night, Natick's Select Board members unanimously passed a sanctuary city policy, 5-0. It prohibits taxpayer-funded town employees from inquiring about or collecting information about residents' citizenship status, among other provisions. Natick joined Boston, Somerville, Northampton, Amherst Cambridge, Concord, Lawrence and Newton in adopting so-called sanctuary city policies ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's stated mass deportation policy. The policy is being implemented in response to more than 14 million illegal border crossers being reported under the Biden administration as crime and national security threat escalated, The Center Square reported. Natick's actions followed the all-Democratic Boston City Council unanimously voting to reaffirm the Boston Trust Act, which prohibits Boston Police Department officers from cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with some exceptions. It also comes after Boston's mayor said the city wasn't planning on cooperating with ICE, The Center Square reported. Massachusetts' sanctuary policies work against law enforcement tasked with protecting residents, Todd Lyons, acting assistant director of field operations for ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations in New England, argues. Elected officials "preaching their sanctuary city status are making it easier for those who commit sex crimes and fentanyl dealers. We need cities and towns to work with us to keep these criminals out of neighborhoods. "We focus on the worst of the worst and all the political rhetoric is not helping," he told the Boston Herald. Democratic leaders describing Massachusetts "as a sanctuary to the international community and that they won't cooperate with federal authorities, sends a dangerous signal to bad actors around the world," the chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party, Amy Carnevale, said , "It tells them that Massachusetts is a safe haven where they can evade prosecution from the United States federal government." Last year, Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll urged residents to house illegal border crossers, saying, " step up if you're willing to have an additional family be part of your family." One year later, the state converted an empty former prison to house them, resulting in local outrage, The Center Square reported . Carnevale said it was time for Driscoll to "stand with the people of Massachusetts and declare that our state will no longer serve as a sanctuary for criminals whether they're here legally or illegally. For the safety and security of our communities, Massachusetts must send a clear message: there is no sanctuary for international criminals in our Commonwealth." ICE agents have been arresting violent criminals in Massachusetts, including men convicted of aggravated rape, assault and battery, and fugitives wanted in their home countries for violent sexual crimes. In many cases, sanctuary jurisdictions refused to cooperate with ICE, and instead released violent offenders into the community who then committed additional crimes, The Center Square reported . New Hampshire's incoming-Gov. Kelly Ayotte has had harsh words for Massachusetts, saying, "Our neighbors to the south seem intent on proving that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. As they struggle with a billion-dollar illegal immigrant crisis, they are instead choosing to double down," she told Fox News Digital. Ayotte, who is replacing outgoing Gov. Chris Sununu, ran on a campaign against the "Mass-i-fication" of New Hampshire. "Here in New Hampshire, we are going to ban sanctuary policies and give law enforcement the tools to work together to ensure this crisis never comes to our towns," she said.Researchers develop an efficient way to train more reliable AI agents

WWE Smackdown Rating & Audience Slip Against College Football PlayoffsBeta Phase Concludes, Formerly Launching Market Influence Platform FAIR LAWN, N.J. , Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Rosica Communications, a national PR agency specializing in education, animal health, nonprofits, and healthcare, has completed beta-testing of its comprehensive tool for assessing thought leadership, now called the Thought Leadership Measurement MatrixTM. This innovative tool utilizes a unique, weighted algorithm to measure and analyze 20 marketing, online, and public relations factors or activities that impact thought leadership and influence industry reputation and standing. This PR thought leadership measurement system provides both qualitative and quantitative assessments of an organization's market influence, pinpointing strengths and uncovering opportunities for advancing thought leadership. After nearly two years of development and retaining an analytics specialist and mathematician in 2024 to advance its thought leadership scoring tables, Rosica's Thought Leadership Measurement MatrixTM is now ready for prime time. Formerly launched by Rosica as the "Thought Leadership Index," this is the only tool that thoroughly measures 20 distinct variables affecting thought leadership. It allows organizations to gauge their leadership presence through an in-depth analysis of performance indicators, SEO, content marketing (owned media), speaking engagements, website traffic and user experience (UX), and influencer or KOL advocacy. "Completing the beta phase with our clients created insights that shaped the final PR and thought leadership measurement platform we're now officially introducing. The Thought Leadership Measurement MatrixTM is the most comprehensive tool available to measure earned, owned, social, and paid media, plus a number of additional online and traditional marketing, PR, and communications activities that move the needle for organizations to impact of their thought leadership," said Chris Rosica , CEO and president of Rosica Communications. "Rosica goes beyond traditional web metrics to deliver a tool that tracks the broader scope of an organization's thought leadership activities. This tool doesn't just measure visibility, it quantifies influence, helping organizations not only get noticed but also become recognized leaders in their industries," said Analytics Specialist Dan Scheuermann . For more information, visit http://www.rosica.com Media Contact Micah Carroll , Rosica Communications, 201-843-5600, [email protected] , www.Rosica.com SOURCE Rosica Communications

ESTERO, Fla. (AP) — Daniel Batcho's 19 points helped Louisiana Tech defeat Eastern Kentucky 78-69 on Wednesday. Batcho added eight rebounds for the Bulldogs (7-0). Amaree Abram added 14 points while going 5 of 11 from the floor, including 1 for 3 from 3-point range, and 3 for 3 from the line and also had eight rebounds. Al Green had 12 points and shot 4 of 9 from the field, including 1 for 5 from 3-point range, and went 3 for 4 from the line. The Bulldogs extended their winning streak to seven games. George Kimble III finished with 21 points for the Colonels (4-3). Devontae Blanton added 17 points and five assists for Eastern Kentucky. Jordan Crawford also had nine points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar . For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Data Skrive.Former Wazzu QB John Mateer transferring to Oklahoma

Is the NORAD Santa tracker safe from a government shutdown?CHICAGO — Diners and families at Sweetgreen in Willis Tower, get ready to meet the chef of the future: a robot that makes your salad to order. The California-based chain is launching its automated Infinite Kitchen system this week at the busy Loop restaurant, putting an assembly line of robotic chefs to work preparing bowls of everything from Kale Caesar to Hummus Crunch. Early rollouts of the technology at nearly a dozen locations nationwide have shown promising results delivering food faster – and perhaps better – by going from farm-to-machine-to-table, according to Nicolas Jammet, a co-founder and chief concept officer at Sweetgreen. “I think the quality of the bowl, of the food, is actually better because each ingredient is held at the perfect temperature, perfect portion, perfect ratios, the greens are crisper,” Jammet said. “I actually think it’s a more consistent experience.” The proprietary technology, which looks like something out of “The Jetsons” – sans the flying cars – features a series of machines that dispense and mix salad ingredients in a bowl traveling along an assembly line. Human sous chefs keep the machines filled and finish the salad with everything from a squeeze of lemon, fresh basil or even a salmon filet, based on the order. Chicago has been something of a testing ground for Sweetgreen, with the first automated kitchen opening last year at a new restaurant in west suburban Naperville. One of the busiest Sweetgreen locations in the Chicago area, the retrofitted Willis Tower restaurant has been expanded by 40 percent with a 1,000-square-foot addition to accommodate the robotic system. The traditional salad line, where diners point at their ingredients and humans serve it up, will remain open side-by-side with the new automated one, Jammet said. The inaugural Infinite Kitchens have all been fully automated – from ordering to food preparation. Willis Tower is the 11th Sweetgreen restaurant to adopt the technology nationwide and the first to utilize a hybrid approach. “At our other Infinite Kitchens, it is just the Infinite Kitchen,” Jammet said. “We’re learning a lot here, so we’re just deciding to test this, and we’ll see how it goes.” Founded in 2007 by three newly minted Georgetown University graduates, Sweetgreen has grown into a national chain with 245 locations in 23 states and its birthplace, Washington. There are 23 locations in the Chicago area, including Willis Tower, which opened in 2019 and serves a large downtown lunch crowd. The Sweetgreen premise, from the first small restaurant opened near the Georgetown campus, was to fill a niche that wasn’t there during their college days by creating fresh and healthy fast food. The idea caught on in a big way. In November 2021, with the restaurant industry still struggling to recover from pandemic disruption , Sweetgreen went public with a splashy initial public offering that raised $364 million and valued the company at $5.5 billion after the first day of trading. The company’s stock price fell back to earth in the ensuing months, but regained traction this year, in part driven by the Infinite Kitchen rollout, lifting its market cap back to about $4.1 billion as of Friday. Two months before the IPO, Sweetgreen bought Boston-based Spyce for an undisclosed price, acquiring the startup’s innovative robotic kitchen technology, which could be used to prepare the growing fast casual chain’s salads without human hands in the mix. In May 2023, Sweetgreen launched its first Infinite Kitchen in Naperville , and has since installed 11 automated systems nationwide, including at a new restaurant inside the CNA building at 151 N. Franklin Street in late October and the expanded Willis Tower location, which debuted its robotic salad assembly line Monday. Sweetgreen is also retrofitting its Wall Street restaurant in New York, which is slated to be the 12th Infinite Kitchen location to open by year’s end. The chain’s robotic salad chef was named one of Time magazine’s best inventions of 2023. While still only available in 5 percent of its locations, its broader rollout could be integral to the future of Sweetgreen, and perhaps the restaurant industry at large. The advantages to the automated kitchen start with cost savings. During its third quarter earnings call in November, Sweetgreen said it has seen a 7 percent labor savings across its Infinite Kitchen locations. Sweetgreen, which is projecting revenue between $675 and $680 million this year, reported a net loss of $61 million through the first nine months, according to financial filings. It costs between $450,000 and $550,000 to install an Infinite Kitchen system at a restaurant, a capital expense the company believes it will bring down as it scales up. Next year, Sweetgreen plans to accelerate the rollout of its automated system, with more than half of its new stores using the format, as well as some additional conversions, Jammet said. Within five years, all new restaurants will likely be built with the technology, he said. “It’s a more productive, efficient labor model,” Jammet said. “In new restaurants, the number of team members you have to hire is less.” At the same time, Jammet said no one has been laid off at the Willis Tower restaurant with the opening of the automated kitchen, and employees who previously assembled salads have been “redeployed” to hospitality positions at the front of the house, he said. How the new robot crew handles the lunchtime rush this week, however, remains to be seen. Chicago office buildings are averaging about 53 percent of pre-pandemic occupancy levels, according to the latest weekly report by Kastle Systems. That has meant less lunchtime traffic for many restaurants in downtown Chicago. But Jammet said traffic has been improving and the Willis Tower restaurant is very busy on most weekdays.

WillowWood Rebrand by DD.NYC Wins Gold Anthem Award for Product and Innovation in 2024 RebrandORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Gratifying as it was for Sean McDermott to catch up with his family and get some rest during Buffalo’s bye week, the Bills coach on Wednesday found comfort returning to his weekly routine and familiar wardrobe — a gray T-shirt and sweatpants. “When I’m not wearing those, I go to my closet and I don’t know what to wear. I’m kind of like not myself,” he said before pulling up his hoodie for emphasis to reveal the gray shirt he had on underneath. “So I was telling some of the guys this morning, ‘It’s good to be back.’” Though there remain challenges ahead, these are upbeat times in Buffalo . The Bills (9-2) are off to their best start since 1992. They remain in contention for the AFC’s top seed by entering their break following a 30-21 win over Kansas City (10-1). And Buffalo is in position to clinch its fifth straight AFC East title as early as Sunday. To do so, the Bills would need Miami to lose to Green Bay on Thursday night, and Buffalo to win its game over San Francisco (5-6) on Sunday night. Buffalo has won six straight since back-to-back losses at Baltimore and Houston, and scored 30 or more points in each of its past five outings. Refreshed as McDermott sounded and appeared, it didn’t take long for him to revert to his game-at-a-time script when assessing what’s on the line this weekend. “We’re mostly focused on our level of play this week against a good football team,” he said. McDermott shed little light on the status of Buffalo’s lengthy list of injured players. There’s no timetable yet on Matt Milano being activated off injured reserve, even though the starting linebacker practiced fully for the first time since tearing his left biceps during a training camp practice in mid-August. Milano has actually missed nearly 14 months since sustaining a season-ending injury to his right leg in Week 5 last season. Milano revealed little during a brief interview following practice. “I feel all right. Getting back into it with the team,” said Milano, who no longer wore a red non-contact jersey in practice. Meantime, rookie receiver Keon Coleman, who has missed two games with a right wrist injury, and starting right tackle Spencer Brown, who missed one game with an ankle injury, were limited in practice. Tight end Dalton Kincaid (knee) was Buffalo's only player not practicing. The Bills also opened the three-week window for backup rookie defensive tackle DeWayne Carter (wrist) and backup offensive lineman Tylan Grable (groin) to return. McDermott has another positive going for him revolving around the bye week. The Bills are 8-0 coming out of their break since McDermott took over as coach in 2017. “I don’t really have the, hey, this is exactly what we do formula,” McDermott said on whether he’s changed his bye week approach. “It’s more of us really just getting back to what we do, getting back to basics.” ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl John Wawrow, The Associated PressMontana’s licensing board for outfitters and guides has opened 100 investigations against licensees — although the state agency overseeing that board has demanded those now under review receive an apology. The source of those investigations is a legislative audit that found 138 alleged violations in which outfitters or guides did not self-report criminal convictions while renewing their license or becoming licensed for the first time. The auditors triggered the investigations when they notified the state Board of Outfitters about the unreported violations. , among other things, ultimately recommended the Board of Outfitters move away from self-reporting requirements and establish rules to conduct background checks of those seeking licensure to lower the risk level "to an acceptable level for the board." And while the Legislative Audit Division contended its work was done properly, auditors received a sharp rebuke last week from the Montana Department of Labor, which houses the Board of Outfitters. Sarah Swanson, director at DLI, contended those licensees' due process rights were violated when legislative auditors conducted "dragnet" background checks on licensed outfitters and guides, something neither the Board of Outfitters nor the Department of Labor have the authority to do themselves. In total, the Legislative Audit Division found licensed guides or outfitters had 234 citations, 30 felonies and 114 misdemeanor convictions. The search was narrowed down only to violations that could affect licensure, including hunting and fishing regulations, recreation and crimes against a person or property. "The source of these complaints was a background check that no one consented to or were notified it was happening," Swanson told the Legislative Audit Committee during an Dec. 17 meeting. The state labor department oversees 29 professional licensing boards in Montana. Swanson said they all have different standards for when licensees need to report criminal convictions, but the department is now working on standardizing those requirements. The 138 cases legislative auditors reported to the licensing board included some outfitters or guides who had not renewed their licenses, Swanson said. Others were dismissed because of instances of "same name, wrong person," hence the 100 open investigations at the Board of Outfitters instead of 138, she told lawmakers. Swanson urged the legislative committee to reject the audit outright and clarify in law whether the Legislative Audit Division had the authority to conduct the background checks as it did. "I believe an apology on behalf of the state of Montana is warranted to each one of these licensees as well," Swanson said. Angus McIver, who heads up the Legislative Audit Division, said his office has done this type of research in several instances in the 20 years he has worked there, and said the process was not a criminal background check, which in most cases requires consent from the subject. He said this process was a Criminal Justice Information Network "data match," which largely leaned on public conviction information. He said Swanson had misunderstood the process. He added the committee in fact does not "accept or reject" any audit recommendations. Rather, lawmakers move forward with policy decisions that are informed by the information they provide. And, McIver noted, all state agencies are required to provide information to the legislative auditor, "confidential or otherwise." "It's an important thing that we do," he told the committee. "I'd urge you in this particular context to focus in on what the real issue is here; which is what is the appropriate balance here, the public safety risk." Board of Outfitters Chair John Way also testified at the hearing, and said the board does not oppose o advocate for being given the authority to conduct background checks of guides or outfitters who apply for licensure. "The overarching protection for the Board of Outfitters is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public and that’s a lens we keep in mind with every decision we make on licensing," he told the committee, later adding, "... We feel that by the audit running background checks on licensees without consent is probably a violation of our licensees rights at this point." The , which also examined the board’s sanctions, working relationship with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and Net Client Hunter Use Days, can be found on the .

Selkirk College instructor reaches new heights of recognition in ceramics (Nelson)B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG Makes New Investment in HF Sinclair Co. (NYSE:DINO)CHICAGO — Diners and families at Sweetgreen in Willis Tower, get ready to meet the chef of the future: a robot that makes your salad to order. The California-based chain is launching its automated Infinite Kitchen system this week at the busy Loop restaurant, putting an assembly line of robotic chefs to work preparing bowls of everything from Kale Caesar to Hummus Crunch. Early rollouts of the technology at nearly a dozen locations nationwide have shown promising results delivering food faster – and perhaps better – by going from farm-to-machine-to-table, according to Nicolas Jammet, a co-founder and chief concept officer at Sweetgreen. “I think the quality of the bowl, of the food, is actually better because each ingredient is held at the perfect temperature, perfect portion, perfect ratios, the greens are crisper,” Jammet said. “I actually think it’s a more consistent experience.” The proprietary technology, which looks like something out of “The Jetsons” – sans the flying cars – features a series of machines that dispense and mix salad ingredients in a bowl traveling along an assembly line. Human sous chefs keep the machines filled and finish the salad with everything from a squeeze of lemon, fresh basil or even a salmon filet, based on the order. Chicago has been something of a testing ground for Sweetgreen, with the first automated kitchen opening last year at a new restaurant in west suburban Naperville. One of the busiest Sweetgreen locations in the Chicago area, the retrofitted Willis Tower restaurant has been expanded by 40 percent with a 1,000-square-foot addition to accommodate the robotic system. The traditional salad line, where diners point at their ingredients and humans serve it up, will remain open side-by-side with the new automated one, Jammet said. The inaugural Infinite Kitchens have all been fully automated – from ordering to food preparation. Willis Tower is the 11th Sweetgreen restaurant to adopt the technology nationwide and the first to utilize a hybrid approach. “At our other Infinite Kitchens, it is just the Infinite Kitchen,” Jammet said. “We’re learning a lot here, so we’re just deciding to test this, and we’ll see how it goes.” Founded in 2007 by three newly minted Georgetown University graduates, Sweetgreen has grown into a national chain with 245 locations in 23 states and its birthplace, Washington. There are 23 locations in the Chicago area, including Willis Tower, which opened in 2019 and serves a large downtown lunch crowd. The Sweetgreen premise, from the first small restaurant opened near the Georgetown campus, was to fill a niche that wasn’t there during their college days by creating fresh and healthy fast food. The idea caught on in a big way. In November 2021, with the restaurant industry still struggling to recover from pandemic disruption , Sweetgreen went public with a splashy initial public offering that raised $364 million and valued the company at $5.5 billion after the first day of trading. The company’s stock price fell back to earth in the ensuing months, but regained traction this year, in part driven by the Infinite Kitchen rollout, lifting its market cap back to about $4.1 billion as of Friday. Two months before the IPO, Sweetgreen bought Boston-based Spyce for an undisclosed price, acquiring the startup’s innovative robotic kitchen technology, which could be used to prepare the growing fast casual chain’s salads without human hands in the mix. In May 2023, Sweetgreen launched its first Infinite Kitchen in Naperville , and has since installed 11 automated systems nationwide, including at a new restaurant inside the CNA building at 151 N. Franklin Street in late October and the expanded Willis Tower location, which debuted its robotic salad assembly line Monday. Sweetgreen is also retrofitting its Wall Street restaurant in New York, which is slated to be the 12th Infinite Kitchen location to open by year’s end. The chain’s robotic salad chef was named one of Time magazine’s best inventions of 2023. While still only available in 5 percent of its locations, its broader rollout could be integral to the future of Sweetgreen, and perhaps the restaurant industry at large. The advantages to the automated kitchen start with cost savings. During its third quarter earnings call in November, Sweetgreen said it has seen a 7 percent labor savings across its Infinite Kitchen locations. Sweetgreen, which is projecting revenue between $675 and $680 million this year, reported a net loss of $61 million through the first nine months, according to financial filings. It costs between $450,000 and $550,000 to install an Infinite Kitchen system at a restaurant, a capital expense the company believes it will bring down as it scales up. Next year, Sweetgreen plans to accelerate the rollout of its automated system, with more than half of its new stores using the format, as well as some additional conversions, Jammet said. Within five years, all new restaurants will likely be built with the technology, he said. “It’s a more productive, efficient labor model,” Jammet said. “In new restaurants, the number of team members you have to hire is less.” At the same time, Jammet said no one has been laid off at the Willis Tower restaurant with the opening of the automated kitchen, and employees who previously assembled salads have been “redeployed” to hospitality positions at the front of the house, he said. How the new robot crew handles the lunchtime rush this week, however, remains to be seen. Chicago office buildings are averaging about 53 percent of pre-pandemic occupancy levels, according to the latest weekly report by Kastle Systems. That has meant less lunchtime traffic for many restaurants in downtown Chicago. But Jammet said traffic has been improving and the Willis Tower restaurant is very busy on most weekdays.

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President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to impose new tariffs on Chinese imports when he takes office, a move that could deepen a trade war he initiated six years ago. He has not provided many specifics, but China is already preparing for economic battle. "Six years of really intense, focused preparatory work has gotten the top leaders in Beijing ready to deal with whatever comes down the pike," said Even Pay, an analyst with research firm Trivium China. Here’s a look at how the showdown between the world’s two largest economies unfolded during Trump’s previous term and where it might head now. What happened during Trump's first term? Trump initiated a trade war in 2018 by imposing 25% tariffs on Chinese imports, including industrial machinery, cars, auto parts and television cameras. These goods accounted for about $50 billion of the $540 billion the United States spent on Chinese-made products that year. The goal was to spur U.S. manufacturing, reduce the trade imbalance and penalize China for what Trump deemed unfair trade practices. In 2018, China imported only $120 billion in U.S. goods. China retaliated with its own 25% tariffs on about $50 billion worth of U.S. goods. Despite trade talks over the next year, both nations continued to escalate tariffs. By 2020, tariffs covered $550 billion in Chinese goods and $185 billion in U.S. goods. Experts said the trade war failed to significantly reduce the U.S. trade deficit or boost U.S. exports. Instead, it weighed on economic growth and cost jobs in both the U.S. and China. In Trump’s final year, the two nations agreed to a truce, signing a trade deal that removed some tariffs and reduced others. China also pledged to purchase an additional $200 billion in U.S. goods and services - a commitment it did not meet. Did things cool off after President Biden took office? Not entirely. While the rhetoric from the White House became less combative, getting tough on China had become a political imperative for any president, and the trade war only intensified. Biden retained the Trump-era tariffs and introduced additional measures, including a 100% tax on Chinese electric car imports, a 50% tax on solar panels and a 25% tax on lithium-ion batteries and steel and aluminum products. He also continued Trump’s use of export bans to restrict China’s access to U.S. technology. Last week, the U.S. expanded its restrictions on semiconductor sales and related manufacturing equipment to China, adding 140 Chinese entities to a blacklist that limits their ability to trade with U.S. businesses on national security grounds. What might Trump do this time? For months, Trump has advocated raising tariffs on Chinese imports by 60% or more. Last month, he stated on social media that he would impose a 10% tariff, "above any additional tariffs," on all products from China. Trump’s motivations extend beyond trade or boosting U.S. manufacturing. He has also suggested using tariffs to pressure China - and Mexico - to take greater action in curbing the U.S. opioid crisis. Both countries are leading sources of fentanyl and its precursor chemicals. How is China preparing for more tariffs? China has already taken steps to mitigate potential damage. The country, which typically purchases corn, soybeans and sorghum from the U.S., has diversified its sources and increased stockpiles. Brazil has emerged as a significant beneficiary of this shift, potentially impacting U.S. farmers, who send about 77% of their sorghum exports to China. China is more vulnerable to tariffs than the U.S., largely because it exports much more than it imports. The current economic situation in China exacerbates its challenges. Growth has stalled amid a real estate downturn, mounting debt, rising youth unemployment and sluggish consumer spending. Larry Hu, chief China economist at Macquarie Group, estimated that a 60% tariff hike from the U.S. would slash Chinese exports by 8% and reduce GDP by 2%. If the U.S. broadens tariffs to include goods from other countries, it would amplify the impact on China, which has circumvented some tariffs by rerouting exports through third-party nations. How can China go on the offense? China’s most significant leverage lies in its dominance of crucial materials essential for U.S. products like semiconductors and missiles. After the latest round of U.S. tech restrictions, China retaliated by banning exports of rare elements like gallium, germanium and antimony, cutting off at least half the U.S. supply, according to U.S. Geological Survey data. This move was seen as a warning to the next administration of China’s ability to disrupt U.S. advancements in key strategic industries. China can also employ monetary policy as a weapon. During the last trade war, it allowed the yuan to depreciate against the U.S. dollar, making Chinese exports cheaper. The U.S. labeled China a currency manipulator, an accusation Beijing denied. After the U.S. began blacklisting Chinese companies under Trump, China launched its own blacklist of entities it considers threats to its national interests. This enables Beijing to swiftly sanction U.S. individuals and businesses in retaliation for trade restrictions. In September, China investigated PVH Corp., the parent company of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, for allegedly boycotting Xinjiang cotton. The U.S. has accused China of genocide against Muslim ethnic groups in Xinjiang and prohibits the use of products tied to forced labor. On Monday, China launched an antitrust probe into Nvidia, a U.S. semiconductor giant whose value has surged amid the AI boom. The U.S. has barred Nvidia from selling certain advanced chips to China. If the trade war escalates, China could expand its list of targeted companies and create hurdles for U.S. businesses operating in China, such as banning staff, restricting sales or imposing burdensome compliance requirements. What are the downsides for China? China has the capability to harm the U.S. economy, but it must act cautiously. Ja-Ian Chong, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore, said punishing U.S. operations in China could deter foreign investment and accelerate efforts to relocate supply chains to other countries. This comes at a time when China is striving to attract more international business. Enforcing a full embargo on crucial materials would be difficult given the complexity of global supply chains and could alienate other trade partners, including Taiwan and South Korea. "Beijing has options, but these options are not cost-free," Chong said. "It comes down to how far China is willing to go."

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Stocks shook off a choppy start to finish higher Monday, as Wall Street kicked off a holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 ended 0.7% higher after having been down 0.5% in the early going. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also recovered from an early slide to eke out a 0.2% gain. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite rose 1%. Gains in technology and communications stocks accounted for much of the gains, outweighing losses in consumer goods companies and elsewhere in the market. Semiconductor giant Nvidia, whose enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes, rose 3.7%. Broadcom climbed 5.5% to also help support the broader market. Walmart fell 2% and PepsiCo slid 1%. Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan said they are talking about combining in a deal that might also include Mitsubishi Motors. U.S.-listed shares in Honda jumped 12.7%, while Nissan ended flat. Eli Lilly rose 3.7% after announcing that regulators approved Zepbound as the first and only prescription medicine for adults with sleep apnea. Department store Nordstrom fell 1.5% after it agreed to be taken private by Nordstrom family members and a Mexican retail group in a $6.25 billion deal. All told, the S&P 500 rose 43.22 points to 5,974.07. The Dow gained 66.69 points to 42,906.95. The Nasdaq rose 192.29 points to 19,764.89. Traders got a look at a new snapshot of U.S. consumer confidence Monday. The Conference Board said that consumer confidence slipped in December. Its consumer confidence index fell back to 104.7 from 112.8 in November. Wall Street was expecting a reading of 113.8. The unexpectedly weak consumer confidence update follows several generally strong economic reports last week. One report showed the overall economy grew at a 3.1% annualized rate during the summer, faster than earlier thought. The latest report on unemployment benefit applications showed that the job market remains solid. A report on Friday said a measure of inflation the Federal Reserve likes to use was slightly lower last month than economists expected. Worries about inflation edging higher again had been weighing on Wall Street and the Fed. The central bank just delivered its third cut to interest rates this year, but inflation has been hovering stubbornly above its target of 2%. It has signaled that it could deliver fewer cuts to interest rates next year than it earlier anticipated because of concerns over inflation. Expectations for more interest rate cuts have helped drive a roughly 25% gain for the S&P 500 in 2024. That drive included 57 all-time highs this year. Inflation concerns have added to uncertainties heading into 2025, which include the labor market's path ahead and shifting economic policies under an incoming President Donald Trump. "Put simply, much of the strong market performance prior to last week was driven by expectations that a best-case scenario was the base case for 2025," said Brent Schutte, chief investment officer at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company Treasury yields rose in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.59% from 4.53% late Friday. European markets closed mostly lower, while markets in Asia gained ground. Wall Street has several other economic reports to look forward to this week. On Tuesday, the U.S. will release its November report for sales of newly constructed homes. A weekly update on unemployment benefits is expected on Thursday. Markets in the U.S. will close at 1 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday for Christmas Eve and will remain closed on Wednesday for Christmas.

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IT is nearly Christmas in Newcastle, and the sun is beating down like an angry god with a grudge against the future jewel of the Asia-Pacific. Login or signup to continue reading By the time December rolls around in this most gorgeous of cities, the humidity is thickened by the stench of contradictions. It's not the crisp, pine-scented cheer one may reasonably hope for, but rather a suffocating, sea fog swamp loaded up with pure, uncut consumerist despair. In the Newcastle mall last week, I ran into a cafe owner on my way back from a visit to Dr Pacific. The owner asked if I was "going to be mean in the Herald " about the City of Newcastle's somewhat austere looking Christmas decoration located in Market Street. At first glance, the decoration provides an easy get for a good serving of mean. While it might appear cheap, the structure's symbolic value is priceless. Recycled timber. Subtle and sustainable. Very Aussie, very Newy. I'd be more than pleased if this style of decoration riddled the landscape rather than the planet destroying rubbish people have been duped into thinking is the real thing. For those who hadn't noticed, we're in the southern hemisphere, where December doesn't mean roaring fireplaces and fluffy snow. It means blistering heat, a haze of bushfire smoke, and sweaty, semi-drunk Santas fumbling through heatstroke in sticky, stinky polyester suits. Despite the oppressive weather and the looming shadow of climate collapse, Australians cling to the rituals of a holiday designed for colder, saner climates. Plastic reindeer melt under UV rays, inflatable snowmen sadly sag, and strings of cheap LED lights droop lazily from gum trees, blinking feebly in 38-degree heat. The entire scene feels like an absurd fever dream. Forget elegant displays of tasteful minimalism; Newcastle's suburban Christmas decorations are a full-throttle assault on the senses. It's all about volume, not quality - brightly coloured baubles that appear radioactive, decorations unravelling when a half-assed nor-easter can be bothered showing up, and plastic Nativity scenes so tacky they'd make the baby Jesus weep. Lawns and balconies offer a chaotic explosion of kitsch, as though the collective goal of this decorative competition is to blind the neighbours. Christmas in Newcastle, and Australia generally, isn't about subtlety or sustainability. What's Christmas without an avalanche of soon-to-be landfill fodder? Every year, the planet churns out billions of tons of cheap plastic crap. The shipping alone is a nightmare: cargo ships belching sulphur into the oceans, planes loaded with packages often destined firstly for porches, secondly for regret and finally for landfill. The ultimate symbol of Australian Christmas absurdity is the lights. Entire suburbs transform into glowing monstrosities, as though competing for the title of "most visible from space". It's not uncommon in some Newcastle suburbs to see houses so aggressively lit that they create their own micro-climates with the heat from the bulbs adding a few degrees to already unbearable evenings. The irony, of course, is that these ostentatious displays exist in a nation haunted by warnings of blackouts and water restrictions. A nation where "sustainability" is preached in schools and ignored in practice. Maybe this over-the-top kitsch is less about joy and more about defiance - a middle finger to the oppressive heat and the grim realities of climate change. If the world's going to hell, why not go out in a blaze of gaudy, glittery glory? It's hard not to respect the sheer audacity of it all. Every Christmas dinner conversation about "how warm it's been lately" or "the weird weather this year" is a quiet confession. The planet is cooking, and yet we further crank up the heat with every string of imported LED lights and every airport run to visit relatives we can barely tolerate. Good on the City of Newcastle for the Market Street Christmas decoration. And the only mean I have in this column for that decoration is that I sincerely mean the decoration is thoughtful for the planet. Of course, it would be remiss to mention this is quite a minor matter when just a couple of hundred metres away in the harbour, another ship transports another coal load to another country. Merry Christmas and a Happy Newy Year to all Herald readers. Try not to catch fire. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Get the latest property and development news here. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. WEEKLY Follow the Newcastle Knights in the NRL? Don't miss your weekly Knights update. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily!

Purdy, Bosa out for 49ers vs. Packers; Allen in as QB1

Shapiro joins Moore, Youngkin in renewed commitment to Chesapeake Bay cleanupIt’s not hard to understand the value tight end Josh Oliver brings to the Vikings. ADVERTISEMENT Just listen to the way people talk about him. “He’s an animal,” tight end T.J. Hockenson said. “Once he gets his hands on somebody, it’s kind of like, ‘Good luck.'” It was similar sentiment from offensive coordinator Wes Phillips. “He’s the best blocking tight end in the league, and that’s no disrespect to anybody else,” Phillips said. “We will take Josh over anybody in this league in the role that he’s in. It’s not only that he’s physically imposing as a 270-pound man. It’s the attitude that he plays with out there.” ADVERTISEMENT What are the Vikings losing now that Oliver has been ruled out with an ankle injury? His absence will be felt most when the Vikings try to run the ball against the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field. Though he has proved he can contribute in the passing game, Oliver has been a force in the running game since signing with the Vikings. There have been multiple times this season that Oliver had singlehandedly carved out space for running back Aaron Jones to go to work. That’s partially why Hockenson has played only about 50% of the offensive snaps since returning from a torn anterior cruciate ligament a few weeks ago. Even if the Vikings are often telegraphing a run when Oliver is on the field, they don’t care because they feel that strongly about his ability as a blocker. “You see it every single week,” Phillips said. “He’s moving large men and putting them on the ground.” ADVERTISEMENT It’s safe to assume Oliver would suit up for the Vikings if he were able to do so. He’s been playing through a wrist injury for the past few weeks, for example, and has still been extremely effective at the point of attack. How tough is it to replace Oliver in a vacuum? “It’s a big challenge because of all the things he does on a snap in and snap out basis,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “We will see some guys make some impacts on some different downs and distances than we have maybe seen up to this point.” ADVERTISEMENT The only other players on the injury report for the Vikings are tight end Nick Muse (hand) and edge rusher Gabe Murphy (knee). Both players were officially listed as questionable and being full participants in the walkthrough on Friday afternoon at TCO Performance Center. ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .

By Jody Godoy NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump tapped Federal Trade Commissioner Andrew Ferguson to lead the consumer protection and antitrust agency, Trump said on social media on Tuesday. Ferguson, one of two Senate-confirmed Republican FTC commissioners appointed by President Joe Biden, will be "the most America First, and pro-innovation FTC Chair in our Country’s History," Trump said. "Andrew has a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great Country," Trump said on his social media platform. Ferguson has said the agency should tackle perceived censorship of conservative viewpoints online. If social media platforms collaborate to suppress such views or advertisers coordinate pulling business from platforms such as Elon Musk's X, they should be charged with violating U.S. antitrust law, Ferguson has said. "We must vigorously enforce the antitrust laws against any platforms found to be unlawfully limiting Americans' ability to exchange ideas freely and openly," Ferguson said in a recent statement. The agency became a political flashpoint under FTC Chair Lina Khan, who promoted antitrust enforcement as a check on corporate power. Her efforts won fans among some Republicans, including incoming Vice President JD Vance, but drew criticism as overly aggressive from some antitrust lawyers and business groups. Her successor will inherit a full slate of cases against Big Tech companies, a lawsuit against the three largest pharmacy benefit managers, and at least a half-dozen lawsuits by companies arguing it has outstripped its authority. It is unclear whether the incoming chair would continue with unfinished probes, including into practices at Microsoft that competitors have complained keep customers from switching to other cloud service providers, and potential privacy concerns involving OpenAI. New leadership could also shift course in two major FTC cases against Amazon.com. One takes aim at practices the agency says keep sellers bound to its platform and help Amazon unlawfully dominate the landscape for online marketplaces, and another over practices allegedly meant to trick Prime subscribers out of cancelling service. The new FTC chair would also oversee a case brought against Meta Platforms, then known as Facebook, in 2020, during Trump's first term. The agency is seeking to unwind the tech company's acquisition of Instagram and Whatsapp. But the judge overseeing the case has cast doubt on whether the agency can prevail at trial in April. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington and Jody Godoy in New York; Editing by Jasper Ward, Rosalba O'Brien and Matthew Lewis)

The are here, and oh, baby. These things are SUPERB. Anytime WNBA players are involved, there's bound to be some fantastic hoops played, and Unrivaled is shaping up to be no different. The new organization revealed the rosters for the league's six teams, and these things run the gamut from sneaky good to "Give them the championship, now!" So, you know I had to get involved and give my totally-expert-but-clearly-super-biased opinion on how the roster talent should be ranked. May the odds be ever in your team's favor. Here’s my ranking of all six new teams: Marina Mabrey, Satou Sabally, Brittney Griner, Natasha Cloud, Katie Lou Samuelson Sabrina Ionescu Phantom BC is a wild team. They might put up the most 3-pointers in the league, and I'm not kidding. Between Natasha Cloud, Marina Mabrey and Sabrina Ionescu, it's like asking, "Do you want to be shot out of the gym here or from the logo? Which is better for you?" It's nearly impossible to defend that. Don't even try. Just hope for the best. Then, here comes Brittney Griner to drop 2-pointers all over the court. How is that even fair? Say what now? MADNESS. Skylar Diggins-Smith, Allisha Gray, Napheesa Collier, Courtney Williams, Cameron Brink, Shakira Austin I refuse to count out any team with Napheesa Collier leading it because, as we saw in the WNBA Finals, THEY JUST DON'T QUIT. How good will this team be? Phee is a Team USA gold medalist and a nasty defender. Allisha Gray is a 3x3 Gold medalist and an underrated defender. And that's before you get to SDS, Courtney Williams, and Shakira Austin, who also can defend and drop points. Did I mention there's also Cameron Brink, a FIBA 3x3 World Cup gold medalist? This squad is sneakily loaded. Chelsea Gray, Kahleah Copper, Angel Reese, Brittney Sykes, Lexie Hull, Azurá Stevens Alright now. This is a sneaky good squad. Having Chelsea Gray, the point gawd, leading is already a good start and adding the bucket slayer, Kahleah Copper, has my attention. But then you have the rebounding queen Angel Reese, who will save a ton of possessions, and that changes things. Add in a little Brittany Sykes and Lexie Hull for additional defense and buckets, and whewwww. TOUGH. Azurá Stevens is a nice, pretty bow to bring it all home. Arike Ogunbowale, Rhyne Howard, Aliyah Boston, Jordin Canada, Rae Burrell, Dearica Hamby BUCKETS. BUCKETS. BUCKETS. Vinyl has a serious advantage because it's got nothing but shooters on it, and that's going to be a problem. Arike and Rhyne will torture teams from behind the arc, and Dearica and Aliyah will bully them inside. WOOOOOO. As if that wasn't enough, Dearica and Rhyne also won 3x3 bronze this summer in Paris, giving them a serious leg up on just how strenuous 3x3 basketball is. This team's conditioning will be immaculate. Jackie Young, Tiffany Hayes, Kayla McBride, Alyssa Thomas, Kate Martin, Stefanie Dolson Let's call the Laces "L'Aces" because this Las Vegas reunion will pay dividends as Kate Martin gets one last chance to play with Jackie Young and Tiffany Hayes. The on-court chemistry will be immediately evident. Looking at the rest of the roster, it also seems a bit daunting. Because in what kind of world will it be fair to choose between Alyssa Thomas or Kayla McBride shredding up your defense? I would QUIT. GIVE ME THE BALL; I'M GOING HOME. And when you think you've had enough, Stefanie Dolson, a 3x3 gold medalist, will politely ask you to move out of the way for more buckets. Jewell Loyd, DiJonai Carrington, Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot, Rickea Jackson, Aaliyah Edwards WHAT SORCERY IS THIS?! I fully expect a ton of blocks, steals, and broken ankles from Stewie and DiJonai, as well as just a barrage of midrange chaos from Rickea and Jewell. MOVE OUT THE WAYYYYYY. And just when you think that's enough, the 3-ball will come raining on your head top from nearly the whole squad. I really shutter to think about the other teams having to defend this. I'm so sorry in advance. GOOD LUCK.Dec 22 – India is on the cusp of an economic transformation that will redefine its position on the global stage. Through groundbreaking reforms, strategic initiatives, and large-scale projects, the country is set to become the world’s third-largest economy by 2027 and achieve a GDP of USD 7 trillion by 2030. This ambitious journey is supported by efforts to modernize infrastructure, embrace technological innovation, and improve the quality of life for its citizens. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp The economic trajectory is fueled by significant advancements in manufacturing, transportation, digital connectivity, and urbanization. These efforts are not only positioning India as a global economic leader but also as a trailblazer in sustainable development and technological innovation. India’s economic growth over the past decade has been remarkable. By 2030, the country’s GDP is expected to grow by more than 70%, from USD 3.8 trillion in 2024 to USD 7 trillion. This growth will make India the world’s third-largest economy, surpassing key global players. Per capita income is also set to rise dramatically, from USD 2,700 in 2024 to USD 4,660 by 2030, reflecting the expansion of the middle class and increased domestic consumption. India’s export sector will be a critical driver of this growth. By 2030, exports are projected to reach USD 2 trillion, a significant leap from USD 778 billion in 2024. This surge will be driven by initiatives like “Make in India” and Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, which focus on high-value sectors such as electronics, renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, and automotive manufacturing. “India is transitioning from being primarily a consumer-driven economy to a major global producer, attracting investment and creating millions of jobs,” analysts note. India’s growth is supported by ambitious changes across various sectors, including transportation, infrastructure, and urban development. Transportation Infrastructure: Indian Railways aims to achieve 100% electrification by 2030, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and improving sustainability. The development of high-speed rail corridors will enhance connectivity and reduce travel times. In aviation, over 200 airports are expected to be operational by 2030, boosting regional and international connectivity. Additionally, the Bharatmala Project will see the development of over 100,000 kilometers of national highways, enhancing goods transportation and economic activities. Urban Development and Smart Cities: Under the Smart Cities Mission, over 100 cities will be transformed by 2030, incorporating renewable energy, efficient public infrastructure, and smart waste management systems. These cities will serve as hubs of sustainability and innovation, improving the quality of life for urban populations. Digital Connectivity: The Digital India initiative aims to provide universal high-speed internet access by 2030. This will drive exponential growth in e-commerce, fintech, edtech, and digital health services, boosting financial inclusion and entrepreneurship across urban and rural areas. India is making significant strides toward sustainability, with renewable energy playing a central role in its economic strategy. By 2030, the country is expected to lead the world in solar and wind power generation, reducing its dependence on imported fossil fuels. These initiatives align with India’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2070, creating millions of jobs in the clean energy sector while safeguarding the environment.kijiji account sign up 。

DETROIT — Fifty years later, a man who grew up in suburban Detroit tried to return a very overdue baseball book to his boyhood library. The answer: You can keep it — and no fine. Chuck Hildebrandt, 63, of Chicago said he visited the public library in Warren while in town for Thanksgiving, carrying a book titled "Baseball's Zaniest Stars." He borrowed it in 1974 as a 13-year-old "baseball nut" but never returned it. Chuck Hildebrandt of Chicago holds the book "Baseball's Zaniest Stars," which was due Dec. 4, 1974, at the Warren, Mich., library, on Dec. 10. "When you're moving with a bunch of books, you're not examining every book. You throw them in a box and go," said Hildebrandt, who lived in many cities. "But five or six years ago, I was going through the bookshelf and there was a Dewey decimal library number on the book. 'What is this?'" Inside the book was a slip of paper indicating it was due back at the Warren library on Dec. 4, 1974. Hildebrandt told The Associated Press he decided to keep the book until 2024 — the 50th anniversary — and then try to return it. He figured the library might want to publicize the long overdue exchange. Chuck Hildebrandt of Chicago shows the library slip in the overdue book "Baseball's Zaniest Stars" on Dec. 10. He said he recently met library director Oksana Urban, who listened to his pitch. Hildebrandt said he hasn't heard anything since then, though Urban told the Detroit Free Press that all is forgiven. "Some people never come back to face the music," she said of patrons with overdue books. "But there was really no music to face because he and the book were erased from our system." So "Baseball's Zaniest Stars" is back on Hildebrandt's shelf. In return, he's now trying to raise $4,564 for Reading is Fundamental , a nonprofit literacy group. The amount roughly represents a 50-year overdue library fine. Hildebrandt seeded the effort with $457. The Major League Baseball draft is unique among professional sports drafts. The 30 organizations pick teenagers and college students who will not join their big league clubs for years—if ever. These athletes will spend that time honing their craft in the minor leagues, where long bus rides and minuscule paychecks are the norm. A few will move quickly up the ranks, seizing playing time opportunities to advance their careers and making their names known to scouts, fans, and other observers around the country. Some of the best will become MLB stars, but there's minimal correlation to draft position. Four of the players on this list were picked after hundreds of other diamond darlings, and only two were #1 overall selections. There's also more than a handful who didn't do much for the teams that drafted them, including superstars such as Nolan Ryan, Ozzie Smith, and Randy Johnson. Each of these players was traded before they evolved into Hall of Famers. Still, calling the draft a "crapshoot" might be going too far. College players are " slightly more likely " than high schoolers to reach the revered stadiums of the majors, and third-rounders have a better chance than fifth-rounders, for example, though the margins are slim, as Vice reported. Teams not only make picks based on years-in-advance projections but also whether they can sign players, a step that must be completed before those youngsters begin playing professionally. To see how clubs have fared since the inaugural draft in 1965, ATS.io compiled a list of the best draft pick by each franchise using data from Baseball Reference . The players were ranked using career wins above replacement , so not one recent choice was named. The amazing Mike Trout, a 32-year-old selected in 2009, is the youngest player. Unsigned picks were not considered, and players who were traded as picks were credited to their acquiring teams. Data is as of June 5, 2024. - Draft: 11th overall pick in 2006 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 457 - Career stats: 214 wins, 3.15 earned run average, 1.08 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: University of Missouri (Columbia, Mo.) - Wins above replacement: 75.0 - Draft: 1st overall pick in 1990 - Position: Shortstop - Games played: 2,499 - Career stats: 468 home runs, .303 batting average, .930 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: The Bolles School (Jacksonville, Fla.) - Wins above replacement: 85.3 - Draft: 31st overall pick in 1984 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 744 - Career stats: 355 wins, 3.16 earned run average, 1.14 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: Valley HS (Las Vegas, Nev.) - Wins above replacement: 106.6 - Draft: 7th overall pick in 1989 - Position: First baseman - Games played: 2,322 - Career stats: 521 home runs, .301 batting average, .974 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Auburn University (Auburn, Ala.) - Wins above replacement: 73.8 - Draft: 333rd overall pick in 1989 - Position: Shortstop - Games played: 2,543 - Career stats: 612 home runs, .276 batting average, .956 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Illinois Central College (East Peoria, Ill.) - Wins above replacement: 73.1 - Draft: 8th overall pick in 1995 - Position: First baseman - Games played: 2,247 - Career stats: 369 home runs, .316 batting average, .953 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: University of Tennessee (Knoxville, Tenn.) - Wins above replacement: 61.8 - Draft: 2nd overall pick in 2004 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 518 - Career stats: 260 wins, 3.25 earned run average, 1.12 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Va.) - Wins above replacement: 81.7 - Draft: 428th overall pick in 1988 - Position: Outfielder - Games played: 2,103 - Career stats: 130 home runs, .299 batting average, .794 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: University of Arizona (Tucson, Ariz.) - Wins above replacement: 68.4 - Draft: 29th overall pick in 1971 - Position: Shortstop - Games played: 2,707 - Career stats: 317 home runs, .305 batting average, .857 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: El Segundo HS (El Segundo, Calif.) - Wins above replacement: 88.6 - Draft: 25th overall pick in 2009 - Position: Centerfielder - Games played: 1,518 - Career stats: 378 home runs, .299 batting average, .991 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Millville Senior HS (Millville, N.J.) - Wins above replacement: 86.1 - Draft: 7th overall pick in 2006 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 425 - Career stats: 210 wins, 2.48 earned run average, 1.00 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: Highland Park HS (Dallas, Texas) - Wins above replacement: 79.7 - Draft: 76th overall pick in 2007 - Position: First baseman - Games played: 1,589 - Career stats: 417 home runs, .258 batting average, .874 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Notre Dame HS (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) - Wins above replacement: 44.3 - Draft: 3rd overall pick in 1973 - Position: Shortstop - Games played: 2,856 - Career stats: 251 home runs, .285 batting average, .772 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: William Howard Taft Charter HS (Woodland Hills, Calif.) - Wins above replacement: 77.4 - Draft: 55th overall pick in 1969 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 692 - Career stats: 287 wins, 3.31 earned run average, 1.20 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: Santiago HS (Garden Grove, Calif.) - Wins above replacement: 94.5 - Draft: 295th overall pick in 1965 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 807 - Career stats: 324 wins, 3.19 earned run average, 1.25 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: Alvin HS (Alvin, Texas) - Wins above replacement: 81.3 - Draft: 6th overall pick in 1992 - Position: Shortstop - Games played: 2,747 - Career stats: 260 home runs, .310 batting average, .817 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Central HS (Kalamazoo, Mich.) - Wins above replacement: 71.3 - Draft: 96th overall pick in 1976 - Position: Outfielder - Games played: 3,081 - Career stats: 297 home runs, .279 batting average, .820 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Oakland Technical HS (Oakland, Calif.) - Wins above replacement: 111.1 - Draft: 30th overall pick in 1971 - Position: Shortstop - Games played: 2,404 - Career stats: 548 home runs, .268 batting average, .908 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Ohio University (Athens, Ohio) - Wins above replacement: 106.9 - Draft: 6th overall pick in 1985 - Position: Outfielder - Games played: 2,986 - Career stats: 762 home runs, .298 batting average, 1.051 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Arizona State University (Tempe, Ariz.) - Wins above replacement: 162.8 - Draft: 86th overall pick in 1977 - Position: Shortstop - Games played: 2,573 - Career stats: 28 home runs, .262 batting average, .666 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) - Wins above replacement: 76.9 - Draft: 2nd overall pick in 1985 - Position: First baseman - Games played: 1,976 - Career stats: 284 home runs, .303 batting average, .880 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Mississippi State University (Mississippi State, Miss.) - Wins above replacement: 56.5 - Draft: 1st overall pick in 1993 - Position: Shortstop - Games played: 2,784 - Career stats: 696 home runs, .295 batting average, .930 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Westminster Christian School (Miami, Fla.) - Wins above replacement: 117.6 - Draft: 402nd overall pick in 1999 - Position: Third baseman - Games played: 3,080 - Career stats: 703 home runs, .296 batting average, .918 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Metropolitan Community College-Maple Woods (Kansas City, Mo.) - Wins above replacement: 101.4 - Draft: 3rd overall pick in 2006 - Position: Third baseman - Games played: 1,986 - Career stats: 342 home runs, .264 batting average, .804 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: California State University, Long Beach (Long Beach, Calif.) - Wins above replacement: 58.6 - Draft: 4th overall pick in 1986 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 486 - Career stats: 211 wins, 3.28 earned run average, 1.22 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, Ga.) - Wins above replacement: 67.8 - Draft: 17th overall pick in 1995 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 416 - Career stats: 203 wins, 3.38 earned run average, 1.18 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: Arvada West HS (Arvada, Colo.) - Wins above replacement: 64.2 - Draft: 48th overall pick in 1978 - Position: Third baseman - Games played: 3,001 - Career stats: 431 home runs, .276 batting average, .788 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Aberdeen HS (Aberdeen, Md.) - Wins above replacement: 95.9 - Draft: 19th overall pick in 1983 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 709 - Career stats: 354 wins, 3.12 earned run average, 1.17 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: University of Texas at Austin (Austin, Texas) - Wins above replacement: 139.2 - Draft: 36th overall pick in 1965 - Position: Catcher - Games played: 2,158 - Career stats: 389 home runs, .267 batting average, .817 on-base plus slugging - College/HS: Binger HS (Binger, Okla.) - Wins above replacement: 75.1 - Draft: 36th overall pick in 1985 - Position: Pitcher - Games played: 618 - Career stats: 303 wins, 3.29 earned run average, 1.17 walks plus hits per inning - College/HS: University of Southern California (Los Angeles, Calif.) - Wins above replacement: 101.1 Data reporting by Karim Noorani. Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Robert Wickwire. Photo selection by Clarese Moller. This story originally appeared on ATS.io and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!

Amazon launched a new delivery drone that has “double the range and half the noise” of any of its predecessors. The new MK30 drone received Federal Aviation Administration approval to begin operations for customers in October and was launched in locations in Arizona and Texas in November, the company said in a Wednesday ( Dec. 11 ) press release . The drone is now delivering items that weigh five pounds or less to designated areas near select addresses close to Amazon’s fulfillment center in Tolleson, Arizona , according to the release . “It is the first drone we have developed from the ground up using a requirements-based process including more stringent requirements that will allow us to eventually reach a half billion customers annually,” Stephen Wells , chief project engineer for the Prime Air team, said in the release. “We designed it with aerospace levels of reliability and redundancy.” The drone can operate safely in light rain, has redundant flight-critical systems to ensure no single point of failure can cause loss of control of the drone, and includes a perception system to detect and avoid aircraft and other obstacles that may not have been captured in satellite imagery, per the release. “The MK30’s operational certification is a huge milestone for Amazon’s goal of having drones deliver 500 million packages globally by the end of the decade,” the release said. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said in an April 11 letter to shareholders that drone delivery has the potential to revolutionize the grocery and pharmacy sectors by offering rapid delivery of packages within the hour, transforming the way perishable items are ordered and received. “It won’t start off being available for all sizes of packages and in all locations, but we believe it’ll be pervasive over time,” Jassy wrote in the letter. “Think about how the experience of ordering perishable items changes with sub-one-hour delivery.” Drone delivery is the latest battleground between Amazon and Walmart , with both retail giants taking to the skies to establish dominance in the delivery game, PYMNTS reported in October 2023. At the time, Walmart had successfully fulfilled over 10,000 deliveries with its drone delivery operations across seven states and 36 stores.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The right frame can freeze a moment in time, creating meaning for the masses from a fist pump over a bloodied ear , a bridge crumbled by a ship , towns shredded by nature , and a victory sealed with an on-field kiss . In 2024, photographers across the U.S. captured glimpses of humanity, ranging from a deeply divisive presidential election , to hurricanes and fires that ravaged communities, to campus protests over the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The gallery from The Associated Press illustrates a new chapter of political history — the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump , the moment President Joe Biden announced he would no longer run again , the campaign sprint by Vice President Kamala Harris in Biden’s place, and the raw emotion from voters during a grueling contest ultimately won by Trump . Hurricanes whipped through the country with devastating imagery, leaving a path of wreckage and death from Florida to Appalachia . After Hurricane Helene , Lake Lure in North Carolina was shown in a jarring photo covered in shards of debris thick enough to hide the surface of the water. Hurricane Milton ripped apart the roof of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, home to Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays. The scale of destruction experienced in some corners of the country in 2024 was hard to capture and might have been harder to fathom. That was the case when a container ship slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse and crumple around the vessel, killing construction workers on the bridge. As flames torched the landscape in California , another image captured firefighters and sheriff’s deputies pushing a vintage car away from a burning home. Elsewhere in California , one photo is aglow with bright orange flames, broken up only by the subtle features of an animal running through them. But hope also persevered in the face of devastation. In Helene’s aftermath , an image from Crystal River, Florida, shows Dustin Holmes holding hands with his girlfriend, Hailey Morgan, as they sloshed through floodwaters with her 4- and 7-year-old children to return to their flooded home. And in Manasota Key, Florida, a family was lit up by the glow of flashlights as they walked to check on their home damaged by Milton. Other photos from 2024 also grabbed the darkness and shadows to emphasize light: among them, a rocket liftoff and a total solar eclipse . And, yes, eclipse glasses were back in style for a shared moment of skygazing. But many other photos delivered a blast of color, from the spectrum of the northern lights across a Maine sky to a crew of workers wading into the deep-red of a Massachusetts cranberry bog . And, once again, Taylor Swift captured the country’s attention, even as a part of the crowd. She rushed down from the stands to kiss her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, after the Chiefs won the AFC Championship , en route to another Super Bowl win.

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HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Billtrust , a B2B order-to-cash and digital payments market leader, has been named a Leader in two IDC MarketScape reports – IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Accounts Receivable Automation Applications for the Enterprise 2024 Vendor Assessment (doc #US51740924, December 2024 ) and IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Accounts Receivable Automation Applications for Small and Midmarket 2024 Vendor Assessment (doc #US52692224, December 2024 ). Billtrust was one of 14 providers evaluated for the enterprise report and one of 11 providers in the small and midmarket report. The IDC MarketScapes evaluate a broad set of SaaS and cloud-enabled accounts receivable automation software vendors based on innovation, functionality, range of services, customer satisfaction, cloud capabilities and architecture. "Billtrust is a Leader in the Accounts Receivable Automation Applications for Enterprise and Small and Midmarket," said Kevin Permenter , Research Director, Financial Applications at IDC. "Billtrust attempts to differentiate itself with a scalable, unified solution that simplifies AR processes and improvement to the payment experience their clients provide their customers, all while empowering their AR teams to turn financial data into insights that contribute to their business strategy. They offer an extensive suite of payment management capabilities designed to streamline and automate the accounts receivable process." Billtrust was recognized for the following strengths: The news of Billtrust's recognition as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape comes as B2B businesses are leveraging technology like generative AI to boost efficiency and optimize operations as they grapple with the challenges of cash flow management, according to a recent IDC InfoBrief study (IDC InfoBrief, sponsored by Billtrust, "AI Pushing the Boundaries of What's Possible for OTC," IDC #US52446224, August 2024 ). Billtrust recently announced new generative AI functionality within its accounts receivable software platform to empower finance professionals to better understand their business, make strategic decisions, maximize cash flow and engage customers more effectively. "We are honored to be recognized as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape, which we believe reflects our dedication to innovation, digital transformation, and delivering exceptional customer outcomes," said Sunil Rajasekar , CEO of Billtrust. "In 2024, we achieved remarkable milestones, including the launch of our generative AI tool, Billtrust Finance Co-Pilot, which provides unmatched, in-depth analysis of customer data. We are proud to support finance teams in working more efficiently, accelerating payments, and enhancing the buyer experience." About IDC MarketScape IDC MarketScape vendor assessment model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of technology and service suppliers in a given market. The research utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each supplier's position within a given market. IDC MarketScape provides a clear framework in which the product and service offerings, capabilities and strategies, and current and future market success factors of technology suppliers can be meaningfully compared. The framework also provides technology buyers with a 360-degree assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of current and prospective suppliers. About Billtrust Finance leaders turn to Billtrust to get paid faster while controlling costs, accelerating cash flow and maximizing customer satisfaction. As a B2B order-to-cash software and digital payments market leader, we help the world's leading brands move finance forward with AI-powered solutions to transition from expensive paper invoicing and check acceptance to efficient electronic billing and payments. With more than $1 trillion invoice dollars processed, Billtrust delivers business value through deep industry expertise and a culture relentlessly focused on delivering meaningful customer outcomes. Media Contact Paul Accardo PR@billtrust.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/billtrust-named-a-leader-in-idc-marketscape-for-worldwide-accounts-receivable-automation-software-for-enterprise-and-small-and-midmarket-2024-302324426.html SOURCE Billtrust

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Mumbai: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Sunday elected party president Ajit Pawar as the leader of the party in the legislative assembly. In a meeting chaired by party state president and Lok Sabha MP Sunit Tatkare, Pawar was appointed as the leader of the legislative party, and his colleague Anil Patil was reappointed as the chief whip. Patil will oversee the attendance of legislators and address their requests to speak on various topics during the sessions. The NCP and its Mahayuti allies, BJP and Shiv Sena, managed a stellar performance, clinching 233 out of 288 seats in the state assembly polls. The party bagged 41 out of 59 seats it contested and defeated its rival faction, NCP (SP), in 29 seats. The newly-elected assembly members of the Shiv Sena have authorised Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde to hold talks with the ruling Mahayuti allies for the formation of next government in the state. The Shiv Sena Legislature Party meeting will be held on Sunday evening after all its newly-elected members reach Mumbai. Sena leader Deepak Kesakar said there was no dispute on the issue of the chief minister’s post. The Mahayuti, comprising the Shiv Sena, BJP and NCP of deputy CM Ajit Pawar, retained power in the state on Saturday by winning 230 of the 288 assembly seats. On Saturday evening, CM Shinde held an online meeting of his party’s working committee and newly-elected members, who authorised him to hold talks with the allies, a party functionary said. He was also authorised to appoint the legislature party group leader, chief whip and other office-bearers. Shiv Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar told reporters on Sunday that the new government has to be sworn in by November 25 as the term of the outgoing assembly ends on November 26. “It looks like the swearing-in may be held at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde are national presidents of their respective parties. They will elect their own group leader while the decision on chief minister will be taken in Delhi,” he said, adding there is no dispute on the issue.The House of Representatives voted to block the immediate release of the ethics report involving former Rep. Matt Gaetz. The vote was 206 to 198 — with all but one Republican, Rep. Tom McClintock, voting to refer the report back to the Ethics Committee. The House Ethics Committee investigated allegations of sexual misconduct involving Gaetz, along with accusations of illicit drug use and the alleged acceptance of improper gifts. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and the Department of Justice announced last year it would not bring charges against him. “Today, the majority of the House of Representatives took the easy way out,” said Rep. Sean Casten. “They could have ensured a vote on whether or not former Members should be held accountable when they face serious and credible allegations of sexual misconduct, including having sex with minors. Instead, the House voted to sweep these allegations under the rug and set an unfortunate precedent that, if you are ever facing scrutiny, resigning from Congress can make your problems go away. Gaetz resigned from Congress in November, days before the potential release of the report. His resignation set off a debate in Washington about whether the report should still be released since he was no longer a sitting member of Congress. RELATED STORY | Johnson against release of House Ethics Committee report involving Gaetz House Speaker Mike Johnson said the report shouldn't be released, claiming it set a bad precedent. "The rules of the House have always been that a former member is beyond the jurisdiction of the Ethics Committee," he said in November. However, there was mounting pressure to release the report from Democrats and some Republicans as Gaetz was the nominee to be the next attorney general. The former congressman ultimately decided to withdraw his name from consideration, saying the nomination had become a distraction. RELATED STORY | Matt Gaetz says he's removing his name for consideration for attorney general

Rutgers women’s hoops struggle in the paint against PrincetonIF you're planning a tasty creamy mash for your Christmas dinner, look no further. A cooking expert has shared her tips for perfecting the festive side dish. Advertisement 3 Calling all mashed potato fans - if you want to know how to make the creamiest side dish, you'll need to listen up Credit: Tiktok / @177milkstreet 3 A food guru has shared her simple trick to making the best mash, and it turns out you need to stop boiling your potatoes in water and use milk instead Credit: Tiktok / @177milkstreet The chef revealed that you've probably been making your mash all wrong. According to the expert, we need to stop boiling our spuds in water if we want it to be extra creamy - yes, you heard that correctly. If you want to make the best mashed potatoes, you need to boil your potatoes in milk. Rosie Gill, director of Milk Street Cooking School, took to social media to share her mashed potatoes recipe - leaving many open-mouthed. Advertisement Read More On Food OH NO Foodie makes festive mashed potatoes using sour cream PRINGLES Mash made in heaven Top tips to reheat mashed potatoes She explained that it’s time to stop boiling your potatoes in water - as you’ll need to use milk instead. She revealed: “We simmer your mashed potatoes in milk, not water! And here’s why. “Potatoes are like pasta, they release starches into their cooking liquid. “That becomes liquid gold - allowing us to get lush, silky, creamy, mashed potatoes. Advertisement Most read in Fabulous FEELING FISHY I've been left with two black eyes after trying bizarre new beauty treatment JAB MANIA From sunken eyes to bulldog features - the scary things Ozempic does to your face Exclusive FACE THE TRUTH My fiance had the first face transplant, I'm accused of gold digging SON'S STRUGGLE Katie Price shares heartbreaking message from Harvey as he begs to come home “When you throw out water that you cook your potatoes in, you throw all that starch down the drain, so you’re wasting it. “The milk becomes our cooking liquid - and a replacement for heavy cream.” I tried the M&S Christmas cafe menu, the gravy dip is a festive revelation As she showed off her finished side dish, she added: “We just mash the potatoes directly in the pot - no mixer needed. “And that is how we get still creamy, but not too heavy, mashed potatoes.” Advertisement Rosie later confirmed: “In the case of pasta, you want to reserve some of that liquid to give the sauce a luscious shine and bind it to the noodles. “In mashed potatoes, cooking in milk, and preserving that starchy liquid, gives your potatoes a natural creaminess and allows you to skip the weighty heavy cream.” The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @177milkstreet, has clearly left many stunned, as it was shared just one day ago, but has quickly gone viral, and has racked up a staggering 3.3 million views. Fridge or cupboard? The essential food storage guide Foods must be stored correctly to keep them fresh and prevent the spread of bacteria. Nutrition expert Birgit Brendel said bread will last longer when stored in the fridge or freezer. However, this can compromise the flavour. Storing in ceramic or pottery containers is an alternative that allows for air to flow easily and slow the growth of mould. Robert Morris, managing director of food safety consultants, Complete Food Safety, revealed the best place to store fresh fruit and vegetables. He said salad foods should be stored in the fridge drawer, but away from anything grown in the soil such as carrots, parsnips and beetroot. Tomatoes are an exception to the rule as fridges can alter the natural ripening process and diminish their taste. He also advised against putting avocados and bananas in the fridge as this will cause them to blacken quicker. But social media users were divided at the cooking tip - while some were impressed, not everyone was as keen. Advertisement One person said: “Awesome tip! I’m married to this from now on!” Another added: “Brilliant.” A third commented: “Genius.” Whilst another food fan beamed: “Great idea.” Advertisement 3 This hack, according to this foodie, will ensure you get the best tasting mash Credit: Tiktok / @177milkstreet However, not everyone was impressed with the foodie’s hack and many revealed that they didn’t actually think her mash looked that great. One user claimed: “Tried it - weird mush. Prefer chicken broth or chicken stock with water.” A second penned: “Looks v lumpy.” Advertisement Someone else chimed in: “They don't look smooth though.” Read more on the Scottish Sun COMIC'S CASTLE Still Game star takes £150,000 hit to offload luxury £4m Scots castle HITTING THE HIGH NOTES Much-loved pub named best music bar in Scotland Whilst another wrote: “That mash looks way too wet.” Fabulous will pay for your exclusive stories. Just email: fabulousdigital@the-sun.co.uk and pop EXCLUSIVE in the subject line .

A look back at 2024 in photos

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Renaissance: The Blood and The Beauty, BBC Two, Monday, Dec 2: Major new three-part drama-documentary series on the era in 16th-century Italy that proved to be one of the highpoints for human culture. Charles Dance stars as Michelangelo, while the lives of Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael will also be explored. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Disney+, Dec 4: George Lucas’s universe gets even bigger with this new series starring Jude Law. Set in the same era as The Mandalorian, the British actor plays a man who really does feel the force. Watch out also for Tipperary actress Kerry Condon in a series that largely focuses on the adventures of four children trying to get back to their home planet. Black Doves, Netflix, Dec 5: Kiera Knightley plays a woman who juggles family commitments with her secret love life and her hidden existence as a spy for shadowy organisation, the Black Doves. When her lover is killed, she teams up with an assassin played by Ben Whishaw to find out who did it. We’ll get an initial six episodes, and season two has already been given the green light. The Late Late Toy Show, RTÉ One, Dec 6: A nation breathed a collective sigh of relief last year when Patrick Kielty proved he was well able for the most important job in the universe. In theory, the second show should be plain sailing, but it’s still the type of show where anything could happen. RTÉ Investigates: Black Market Weight Loss, RTÉ One, Dec 9: While exercise and changes to diet were once the route to losing weight, pharmaceutical advances have brought the tempting option of medicating yourself skinnier. These substances are supposed to be taken under strict medical supervision, but reporter Pamela Fraher and her team show how the injectable pens have made it onto the black market. Wham!: Last Christmas Unwrapped, BBC Two, tbc: The year 1984 was probably the highpoint for seasonal songs with Wham’s ‘Last Christmas’ and Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ battling out at the top of the charts. The charity single reigned supreme, but the creation of Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael has endured as a classic slice of pop. This is the story behind the song. The Young Offenders Christmas Special, BBC One, Dec 20: The Cork rascals return with a seasonal tale. In a story as old as time itself, mammy Mairéad is trying to teach her teenage son Conor to do some of the household chores. It all takes a dark turn, however, when the tidying process reveals a hidden gun. Jason Byrne joins the cast as a hammer-wielding criminal that even Billy Murphy is afraid of. Gavin & Stacey, BBC One, Dec 25: In 2019, the superb comedy-drama returned for a Christmas special but left us wondering if Smithy had said yes to Nessa’s proposal. We’re promised that all will be revealed in this “last ever episode”. They resume the story five years later and much has happened. While mostly set in Barry, we’ll also see what’s been going on for the Billericay branch of the Wales-England union. Squid Game, Netflix, Dec 26: Given that the original series became the streaming service’s biggest ever show, it isn’t surprising that the team has been reassembled for another season. Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), despite winning the deadly game in 2021, also has a taste for more, and is risking it all to play again. Na Lumière Gaelacha, TG4, Dec 26: Documentary on the Horgan brothers of Youghal. Shoemakers by trade, they developed an early interest in moving pictures, and began to film local scenes, including King Edward's visit to Ireland in 1904. As well as becoming pioneers of the cutting-edge technology, they also established a cinema in the East Cork town.

CUPERTINO, Calif. , Nov. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - (TSXV: BWLK) (OTCQB: BWLKF) – Boardwalktech Software Corp. ("Boardwalktech" or the "Company"), a leading digital ledger platform and enterprise software solutions company, is pleased to report its financial results for the three-month period ended September 30, 2024 ("Q2-FY25"). All figures are reported in U.S. dollars, unless otherwise indicated. Boardwalktech's financial statements are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). Please refer to the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis (" MD&A ") for the three and six month period ended September 30, 2024 , filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca for more information. Financial Highlights: "We continue to execute on our updated strategy and positioning established at the beginning of this year," said Andrew T. Duncan , Chief Executive Officer of Boardwalktech. "In the banking sector, the Velocity product continues to grow within our largest customer, a top 5 US bank. We now have over 70 trained and dedicated people from three different partners working on this deployment, which is now in use by over 1,000 professionals within the bank. Velocity is producing the expected ROI and compliance required and this customer is now accelerating the deployment which will be a multi-year engagement. We continue to sign contracts with new partners as we expand our channel sales strategy. We are in multiple later stage deals with several partners and are enthusiastic about the pipeline of opportunities through the partner channel. We continue to see growth and expansion from existing customers and will see both new direct sales and channel sales contracts based on interest in the Boardwalk's software solutions. The foundation has now been set for growth in 2025, including an anticipated increase in revenue and an overall improvement in the business." Earnings Conference Call Details Boardwalktech management will be hosting its earnings conference call today (Novembert 27, 2024) Time: at 4:30 PM Eastern Time / 1:30 PM Pacific Time . To join the call, please use the following dial-in information: US/ Canada : 1-888-510-2154 (toll free) or 437-900-0527 (Local – Toronto ) Audience URL: https://app.webinar.net/A2zRLJKnBDe (copy & paste to your browser) Replay : A replay of the call will be available until December 4, 2024 and can be accessed by dialing 1-888-660-6345 and entering access code 57639# About Boardwalktech Software Corp. Boardwalktech has developed a patented Digital Ledger Technology Platform currently used by Fortune 500 companies running mission-critical applications worldwide. Boardwalktech's digital ledger technology and its unique method of managing vast amounts of structured and unstructured data is the only platform on the market today where multiple parties can effectively work on the same data simultaneously while preserving the fidelity and provenance of the data. Boardwalktech can deliver collaborative, purpose-built enterprise information management applications on any device or user interface with full integration with enterprise systems of record in a fraction of the time it takes other non-digital ledger technology-based platforms. Boardwalktech is headquartered in Cupertino, California with offices in India and operations in North America . For more information on Boardwalktech, visit our website at www.boardwalktech.com . Forward-Looking Information and Statements This press release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and may also contain statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking information and statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only the Company's beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Company's control. Generally, such forward-looking information or statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". By identifying such information and statements in this manner, the Company is alerting the reader that such information and statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such information and statements. An investment in securities of the Company is speculative and subject to several risks including, without limitation, the risks discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's filing statement dated May 30, 2018 . Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information and forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. In connection with the forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release, the Company has made certain assumptions. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing, and the expectations contained in, the forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and statements, and no assurance or guarantee can be given that such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information and statements. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking information and statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf is expressly qualified in its entirety by this notice. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/boardwalktech-reports-second-quarter-fiscal-2025-financial-results-302317774.html SOURCE Boardwalktech Software Corp.Jonah Goldberg Among elites across the ideological spectrum, there's one point of unifying agreement: Americans are bitterly divided. What if that's wrong? What if elites are the ones who are bitterly divided while most Americans are fairly unified? History rarely lines up perfectly with the calendar (the "sixties" didn't really start until the decade was almost over). But politically, the 21st century neatly began in 2000, when the election ended in a tie and the color coding of electoral maps became enshrined as a kind of permanent tribal color war of "red vs. blue." Elite understanding of politics has been stuck in this framework ever since. Politicians and voters have leaned into this alleged political reality, making it seem all the more real in the process. I loathe the phrase "perception is reality," but in politics it has the reifying power of self-fulfilling prophecy. Like rival noble families in medieval Europe, elites have been vying for power and dominance on the arrogant assumption that their subjects share their concern for who rules rather than what the rulers can deliver. Political cartoonists from across country draw up something special for the holiday In 2018, the group More in Common published a massive report on the "hidden tribes" of American politics. The wealthiest and whitest groups were "devoted conservatives" (6%) and "progressive activists" (8%). These tribes dominate the media, the parties and higher education, and they dictate the competing narratives of red vs. blue, particularly on cable news and social media. Meanwhile, the overwhelming majority of Americans resided in, or were adjacent to, the "exhausted majority." These people, however, "have no narrative," as David Brooks wrote at the time. "They have no coherent philosophic worldview to organize their thinking and compel action." Lacking a narrative might seem like a very postmodern problem, but in a postmodern elite culture, postmodern problems are real problems. It's worth noting that red vs. blue America didn't emerge ex nihilo. The 1990s were a time when the economy and government seemed to be working, at home and abroad. As a result, elites leaned into the narcissism of small differences to gain political and cultural advantage. They remain obsessed with competing, often apocalyptic, narratives. That leaves out most Americans. The gladiatorial combatants of cable news, editorial pages and academia, and their superfan spectators, can afford these fights. Members of the exhausted majority are more interested in mere competence. I think that's the hidden unity elites are missing. This is why we keep throwing incumbent parties out of power: They get elected promising competence but get derailed -- or seduced -- by fan service to, or trolling of, the elites who dominate the national conversation. There's a difference between competence and expertise. One of the most profound political changes in recent years has been the separation of notions of credentialed expertise from real-world competence. This isn't a new theme in American life, but the pandemic and the lurch toward identity politics amplified distrust of experts in unprecedented ways. This is a particular problem for the left because it is far more invested in credentialism than the right. Indeed, some progressives are suddenly realizing they invested too much in the authority of experts and too little in the ability of experts to provide what people want from government, such as affordable housing, decent education and low crime. The New York Times' Ezra Klein says he's tired of defending the authority of government institutions. Rather, "I want them to work." One of the reasons progressives find Trump so offensive is his absolute inability to speak the language of expertise -- which is full of coded elite shibboleths. But Trump veritably shouts the language of competence. I don't mean he is actually competent at governing. But he is effectively blunt about calling leaders, experts and elites -- of both parties -- stupid, ineffective, weak and incompetent. He lost in 2020 because voters didn't believe he was actually good at governing. He won in 2024 because the exhausted majority concluded the Biden administration was bad at it. Nostalgia for the low-inflation pre-pandemic economy was enough to convince voters that Trumpian drama is the tolerable price to pay for a good economy. About 3 out of 4 Americans who experienced "severe hardship" because of inflation voted for Trump. The genius of Trump's most effective ad -- "Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you" -- was that it was simultaneously culture-war red meat and an argument that Harris was more concerned about boutique elite concerns than everyday ones. If Trump can actually deliver competent government, he could make the Republican Party the majority party for a generation. For myriad reasons, that's an if so big it's visible from space. But the opportunity is there -- and has been there all along. Goldberg is editor-in-chief of The Dispatch: thedispatch.com . Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!Edwards leads No. 2 South Carolina to 65th straight home win 93-47 over Wofford on Sunday.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Will Howard passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another, TreVeyon Henderson ran for a score and No. 2 Ohio State beat previously undefeated No. 5 Indiana 38-15 on Saturday. All Ohio State (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten, CFP No. 2) has to do now is beat Michigan at home next Saturday and it will earn a return to the Big Ten championship game for the first time since 2020 and get a rematch with No. 1 Oregon. The Ducks beat Ohio State 32-31 in a wild one back on Oct. 12. The Hoosiers (10-1, 7-1, No. 5 CFP) had their best chance to beat the Buckeyes for the first time since 1988 but were hurt by special teams mistakes and disrupted by an Ohio State defense that sacked quarterback Kurtis Rourke five times. “In life, all good things come to an end,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said. Late in the first half, Indiana punter James Evans fumbled a snap and was buried at his own 7-yardline with the Buckeyes taking over. That turned quickly into a 4-yard TD run by Henderson that gave the Buckeyes a 14-7 lead. Early in the second half, Caleb Downs fielded an Evans punt at the Ohio State 21, raced down the right sideline, cut to the middle and outran the coverage for a TD that put the Buckeyes up 21-7. It was the first time a Buckeye returned a punt for a touchdown since 2014. Howard finished 22 for 26 for 201 yards. Emeka Egbuka had seven catches for 80 yards and a TD. “Our guys just played with a chip today, and that’s the way you got to play the game of football,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. Indiana scored on its first possession of the game and its last, both short runs by Ty Son Lawson, who paced the Hoosiers with 79 rushing yards. Rourke was 8 for 18 for 68 yards. “We had communication errors, pass (protection), every time we dropped back to pass, something bad happened," Cignetti said. Indiana's 151 total yards was its lowest of the season. And it was the most points surrendered by the Hoosier's defense. Indiana: Its special season was blemished by the Buckeyes, who beat the Hoosiers for the 30th straight time. Indiana was eyeing its first conference crown since sharing one with two other teams in 1967. That won't happen now. “Ohio State deserved to win,” Cignetti said. “They had those (third quarter scores), and we just couldn’t respond.” Ohio State: Didn't waste the opportunities presented by the Hoosiers when they got sloppy. The Buckeyes led 14-7 at the break and took control in the second half. An offensive line patched together because of multiple injuries performed surprisingly well. “We know what was at stake," Day said. “We don't win this game, and we have no chance to go to Indianapolis and play in the Big Ten championship. And that's real. We've had that approach for the last few weeks now, more than that.” Some voters were obviously unsure of Indiana because it hadn't played a nationally ranked team before Ohio State. After this one, the Hoosiers will drop. Howard made history by completing 80% of his passes for the sixth time this season. No other Ohio State quarterback has done that. He completed his first 14 passes in a row and finished with a 85% completion rate. “I think Buckeye nation is now seeing, after 11 games, that this guy is a winner, he's tough, he cares about his teammates, he's a leader,” Day said. Indiana hosts Purdue in the regular-season finale next Saturday. Ohio State hosts rival Michigan on Saturday. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballNone

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NoneKamala Harris campaign aides make bombshell confession about internal polls against TrumpCANCUN, Mexico (AP) — Darryl Simmons II scored 19 points to help Gardner-Webb defeat SE Louisiana 73-69 on Tuesday. Simmons shot 7 for 13 (2 for 5 from 3-point range) and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line for the Runnin' Bulldogs (3-3). Pharell Boyogueno scored 15 points while going 6 of 13 (3 for 7 from 3-point range) and added seven rebounds and four steals. Anthony Selden shot 6 of 10 from the field and 3 of 6 from the free-throw line to finish with 15 points. Jeremy Elyzee led the Lions (2-4) in scoring, finishing with 22 points, three steals and two blocks. Sam Hines Jr. added 12 points, seven rebounds, six assists and four steals. Jakevion Buckley finished with 11 points, four assists and three steals. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Nexgel director Jerome Zeldis buys common stock worth $9,999Officer kills pet dog mistaken for a coyote in Massachusetts town. The owner says it was unnecessary An animal control officer shot and killed a pet dog in a Massachusetts town after mistaking it for a coyote in an incident local police are describing as a sad mix-up. Police in Northbridge, Massachusetts, say the shooting happened on Tuesday after police received a call of a report of a coyote in a residential backyard. Police say the animal control officer went into the woods to look for the coyote and found what they thought was the animal in a threatening position and shot it. The incident happened as communities around Massachusetts and the country have dealt with an uptick in interactions between coyotes and people. Alyssa Nakken, first full-time female coach in MLB history, leaving Giants to join Guardians CLEVELAND (AP) — Alyssa Nakken, the first woman to coach in an MLB game, is leaving the San Francisco Giants to join the Cleveland Guardians. Nakken made history in 2022 when she took over as first-base coach following an ejection. A former college softball star at Sacramento State, Nakken joined the Giants in 2014 and was promoted to a spot on manager Gabe Kapler’s staff in 2020, becoming the majors’ first full-time female coach. Nakken has been hired as an assistant director within player development for the Guardians, who won the AL Central last season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt. Nakken, 34, will work with former Giants coaches Craig Albernaz and Kai Correa. Kendrick Lamar surprises with new album 'GNX' LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kendrick Lamar gave music listeners an early holiday present with a new album. The Grammy winner released his sixth studio album “GNX” on Friday. The 12-track project is the rapper’s first release since 2022’s “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” Lamar’s new album comes just months after his rap battle with Drake. The rap megastar will headline February's Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans. The 37-year-old has experienced massive success since his debut album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” in 2012. Since then, he’s accumulated 17 Grammy wins and became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize. NBA memo to players urges increased vigilance regarding home security following break-ins MIAMI (AP) — The NBA is urging its players to take additional precautions to secure their homes following reports of recent high-profile burglaries of dwellings owned by Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Kansas City Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo sent to team officials, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, the NBA revealed that the FBI has connected some burglaries to “transnational South American Theft Groups” that are “reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.” Ancient meets modern as a new subway in Greece showcases archaeological treasures THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, is opening a new subway system, blending ancient archaeological treasures with modern transit technology like driverless trains and platform screen doors. The project, which began in 2003, uncovered over 300,000 artifacts, including a Roman-era thoroughfare and Byzantine relics, many of which are now displayed in its 13 stations. Despite delays caused by preserving these findings, the inaugural line has been completed, with a second line set to open next year. Conor McGregor must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her, civil jury rules LONDON (AP) — A civil jury in Ireland has awarded more than $250,000 to a woman who says she was raped by mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor in a Dublin hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. The jury on Friday awarded Nikita Hand in her lawsuit that claimed McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in 2018. The lawsuit says the assault left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced her to do anything and that Hand fabricated her allegations after the two had consensual sex. McGregor says he will appeal the verdict. At least 19 people are sick in Minnesota from ground beef tied to E. coli recall U.S. health officials say at least 19 people in Minnesota have been sickened by E. coli poisoning tied to a national recall of more than 167,000 pounds of potentially tainted ground beef. Detroit-based Wolverine Packing Co. recalled the meat sent to restaurants nationwide. Minnesota state agriculture officials reported multiple illnesses and found that a sample of the product tested positive for E. coli, which can cause life-threatening infections. No illnesses have been reported outside of Minnesota. Symptoms of E. coli poisoning include fever, vomiting, diarrhea and signs of dehydration. Actor Jonathan Majors’ ex-girlfriend drops assault and defamation lawsuit against once-rising star NEW YORK (AP) — Jonathan Majors’ ex-girlfriend has dropped her assault and defamation lawsuit against the once-rising Hollywood star after reaching a settlement. Lawyers for Majors and Grace Jabbari agreed to dismiss the case with prejudice Thursday. Jabbari is a British dancer who had accused Majors of subjecting her to escalating incidents of physical and verbal abuse during their relationship. Representatives for Majors didn’t respond to emails seeking comment Friday. Jabbari’s lawyer said the suit was “favorably settled” and her client is moving on with “her head held high.” Majors was convicted of misdemeanor assault and harassment last December and sentenced to a yearlong counseling program. Hyundai, Kia recall over 208,000 electric vehicles to fix problem that can cause loss of power DETROIT (AP) — Hyundai and Kia are recalling over 208,000 electric vehicles to fix a pesky problem that can cause loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. The recalls cover more than 145,000 Hyundai and Genesis vehicles including the 2022 through 2024 Ioniq 5, the 2023 through 2025 Ioniq 6, GV60 and GV70, and the 2023 and 2024 G80. Also included are nearly 63,000 Kia EV 6 vehicles from 2022 through 2024. The affiliated Korean automakers say in government documents that a transistor in a charging control unit can be damaged and stop charging the 12-volt battery. Dealers will inspect and replace the control unit and a fuse if needed. They also will update software. Christmas TV movies are in their Taylor Swift era, with two Swift-inspired films airing this year Two of the new holiday movies coming to TV this season have a Taylor Swift connection that her fans would have no problem decoding. “Christmas in the Spotlight” debuts Saturday on Lifetime. It stars Jessica Lord as the world’s biggest pop star and Laith Wallschleger, playing a pro football player, who meet and fall in love, not unlike Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. On Nov. 30, Hallmark will air “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.” Instead of a nod to Swift, it’s an ode to family traditions and bonding, like rooting for a sports team. Hallmark’s headquarters is also in Kansas City.

‘The smiling one’ Ruben Amorim says he can be ruthless when he needs to beHarley-Davidson, Inc. Declares DividendAvior Wealth Management LLC Trims Stock Holdings in KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY)Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Sells 10,955 Shares of Carpenter Technology Co. (NYSE:CRS)

WorkFar Robotics Mass Produces Humanoid Robots without Venture CapitalA dramatic finish to an historic night in north Wales saw Ollie Rathbone’s stoppage-time winner strengthen Wrexham’s grip on second place in League One . The Athletic picks out the main talking points, as the promotion chasers once again found a way to win on home soil as the EFL joined the shared reality TV revolution for the first time by beaming the Barnsley game live to fans watching in Los Angeles and Dallas. Defensive masterclass has an unlikely inspiration It didn’t need the hi-tech cameras installed around the SToK Cae Ras for the benefit of those watching from the USA to highlight just what Wrexham’s promotion push is built on. Solid defence has been a major feature of Phil Parkinson’s reign, particularly on home soil, and this season has proved no different with just 11 goals conceded in 18 league outings. No other club in the third tier can match such a miserly record: the next best defences are Birmingham City , Huddersfield Town and Wigan Athletic , who have all let in 15. Advertisement As was again evident against a lively Barnsley side who pressed superbly all night, this defensive solidity is very much a team effort with Wrexham remaining watertight at the back despite losing a second goalkeeper to injury inside a month. Callum Burton , with two clean sheets to his name in three appearances since replacing Arthur Okonkwo , was forced out of the action midway through the first half with a thigh strain that will be scanned on Wednesday morning. The injury was a huge blow for the summer signing from Plymouth Argyle, whose assured performances had been reflected in his expected goals against (xGA) standing at 3 when, in reality, he had been beaten just once — and Louie Barry’s winner for Stockport County was such a stunning strike it’s hard to imagine any goalkeeper keeping it out. Step forward 38-year-old Mark Howard , who showed no sign of rustiness despite not having featured in the league for almost a year. His handling was excellent throughout, while the reflex save to deny Fabio Jalo in the second half was superb. “How well he came in is just a mark of him as a person and a professional,” says Eoghan O’Connell , again exemplary in the middle of the back three. “He’s about 100 years old and we travel to training together. “We have to pull him off the pitch to get back in the car. It shows what he is all about as a person.” Wrexham ’s 11th clean sheet of the season was hard won against a visiting side who pinged the ball around well. Max Cleworth set the tone with a last-ditch tackle to dispossess Davis Keillor-Dunn , just as the former Wrexham man looked to be about to race clear in the fourth minute. George Dobson did something similar early in the second half, while the near telepathic understanding between O’Connell, Cleworth and Lewis Burnt was much to the fore as striker Ollie Palmer also played his part with umpteen clearing headers to repel dangerous Barnsley set-pieces. Advertisement What perhaps makes Wrexham’s defensive record all the more impressive is how the back three has changed several times already with Tom O’Connor and Dan Scarr having had lengthy runs in the team. “A willingness to keep the ball out,” says O’Connell, by way of an explanation for that miserly record. “No matter who is playing. Everyone wants to run for each other, everyone wants to do their bit. The strikers and the midfielders work hard in front of us and that allows us to get on with our job. “If one of us makes a mistake, we’re there for each other. Especially in the back three. To me, that’s the best thing about this. The lads either side of me know if they are going to go tight (with a striker), I’m there for them. Same if I go tight, they are there for me.” Go west to watch Wrexham.. Judging by his post on X just a few minutes into Tuesday’s game, McElhenney is already a big fan of the shared reality coverage that gave those watching in Cosm’s immersive entertainment centres in Los Angeles and Dallas a flavour of what it’s like to be inside The Racecourse. “This is incredible,” he messaged, along with video footage of the Barnsley match being shown on a bank of giant screens. No doubt Rathbone’s late, late winner will only have added to the actor’s enjoyment when watching alongside It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia co-star Danny DeVito in the LA sports bar. Danny Devito giving out high fives as Wrexham nick it against Barnsley. What a world we live in 😍🌎 #WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/7EeBhTgTco — RobRyanRed – Wrexham AFC Podcast (@RobRyanRed) December 3, 2024 For Wrexham to be chosen for the EFL’s first foray into the immersive sports market was no surprise. The Welsh club are a huge draw in the U.S. thanks to the success of the Welcome to Wrexham documentary. So much so they are the only one of the 72 EFL clubs to have had every league fixture broadcast live as part of the new four-year CBS Sports TV deal. By the time the latest TV live picks in the States come to an end over the first weekend of January, Parkinson’s side will have been shown live 25 times. Advertisement A remarkable tally for a League One club, with Birmingham set to have the next highest tally of live appearances among their peers with just seven. As for the ground-breaking shared reality coverage, Wrexham will appear in at least three of the scheduled half dozen EFL games with Birmingham’s trip to Wales on January 23 also selected along with the away game at Huddersfield Town on March 4. This is incredible @CosmLosAngeles 🤯 pic.twitter.com/WiD2lWfRfV — Rob McElhenney (@RMcElhenney) December 3, 2024 Long-term recruitment is reaping rewards A remarkable feature of Wrexham’s rapid rise from non-League to chasing a place in the Championship is how so many players have been part of the entire journey. Take the starting XI against Barnsley. Cleworth, O’Connell, Ryan Barnett , Elliot Lee and Ollie Palmer had all been part of the National League title-winning campaign in 2022-23, as had substitutes Howard and Paul Mullin . In the season’s opening weeks, O’Connor and Andy Cannon had swelled the numbers further to underline the value of the club’s far-sighted recruitment in those days when escaping the fifth tier was the be all and end all. Who’s next? A trip to bottom club Burton Albion on Saturday. (Top photos: Ollie Rathbone and Danny DeVito; Getty Images)