San Diego FC Gains Goalkeeper, Loans One Out to Denmark ClubDartmouth sorority, two members of fraternity face charges after student who attended party drowned HANOVER, N.H. (AP) — A sorority at Dartmouth College and two members of a fraternity faces charges related to the death of a student who drowned after attending an off-campus party. The Hanover, New Hampshire police department, where Dartmouth is located, said Friday that Alpha Phi was charged with one count of facilitating an underage alcohol house. Two members of the Beta Alpha Omega face a charge of providing alcohol to a person under 21. Won Jang, 20, of Middletown, Delaware, had attended an off-campus party in July hosted by Alpha Phi sorority. Police said the alcohol was provided by Beta Alpha Omega. Tens of thousands of Spaniards protest housing crunch and high rents in Barcelona BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Tens of thousands of Spaniards are marching in downtown Barcelona to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in the popular tourist destination. Protesters cut off traffic on main avenues in the city center, holding up homemade signs in Spanish reading “Fewer apartments for investing and more homes for living." The lack of affordable housing has become one of the leading concerns for the southern European Union country, mirroring the housing crunch across many parts of the world, including the United States. The average rent for Spain has doubled in the last decade. In cities like Barcelona, rental prices have also been driven up by short-term renters including tourists. Jason Kelce's wife announces she is pregnant with the couple's fourth child Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce's wife is announcing she's pregnant with the couple's fourth child. Kylie Kelce posted a photo on Instagram on Friday of the couple's three young daughters reacting to the news. The oldest daughter, Wyatt, appears to be cupping her head in shock. The middle daughter, Ellioette, is smiling. The youngest, Bennett, is in tears. A caption attached to the photo reads: “I feel like we captured a very accurate representation of how each of the girls feel about getting another sister. At least Ellie, mom and dad are on the same page!” Israeli-Moldovan rabbi living in UAE is missing. Israeli officials fear he may have been kidnapped DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Israeli-Moldovan rabbi living in the United Arab Emirates has gone missing, with Israeli authorities raising the suspicion he may have been kidnapped as tensions remain high with Iran. The Israeli prime minister’s office said that Zvi Kogan has been missing since noon Thursday. It said that against the backdrop of information that this was a terrorist incident, an extensive investigation has been opened in the country. Emirati officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday. State-run media in the UAE, an autocratic federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula and home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, did not immediately report the incident. 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. Officer 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. 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.free slot games 。

Barclays PLC cut its stake in Nova Ltd. ( NASDAQ:NVMI – Free Report ) by 81.1% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 6,259 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after selling 26,801 shares during the period. Barclays PLC’s holdings in Nova were worth $1,304,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Quarry LP raised its holdings in shares of Nova by 438.5% in the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 140 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 114 shares in the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Nova by 89.7% in the third quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 165 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. Employees Retirement System of Texas bought a new position in shares of Nova in the second quarter valued at $68,000. Signaturefd LLC lifted its position in shares of Nova by 15.9% during the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 767 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $180,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company bought a new stake in shares of Nova during the 2nd quarter worth $211,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.99% of the company’s stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades NVMI has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Nova in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Citigroup downgraded Nova from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $273.00 to $224.00 in a report on Monday, September 16th. Finally, Benchmark raised their target price on shares of Nova from $240.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $227.80. Nova Trading Down 1.2 % Shares of NVMI stock opened at $200.05 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $5.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.32, a P/E/G ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.44. Nova Ltd. has a 1-year low of $128.74 and a 1-year high of $247.21. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $189.09 and its 200-day simple moving average is $205.92. About Nova ( Free Report ) Nova Ltd. designs, develops, produces, and sells process control systems used in the manufacture of semiconductors in Israel, Taiwan, the United States, China, Korea, and internationally. Its product portfolio includes a set of metrology platforms for dimensional, films, and materials and chemical metrology measurements for process control for various semiconductor manufacturing process steps, including lithography, etch, chemical mechanical planarization, deposition, electrochemical plating, and advanced packaging. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NVMI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Nova Ltd. ( NASDAQ:NVMI – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Nova Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nova and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Takeaways From the Supreme Court Arguments on Transgender Health Care Ban: Conservatives Skeptical

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( MENAFN - Jordan Times) ABIDJAN - If you are looking for an argument in West Africa, try asking which country serves the best jollof. While Senegalese can claim to have invented the popular rice-based dish, Nigerians, Ghanaians and others across the region will fiercely defend their own recipes as the tastiest. But one thing is not in dispute: Much of the rice now used in jollof is grown not by West African farmers, but in India, Thailand and Vietnam. Rice has been cultivated in Africa for more than 3,000 years, and it is now grown by more than 35 million farmers in 40 countries across the region. After maize, it is Africa's most important food staple. Yet, Asian rice accounts for over 40 per cent of consumption in the region, making Africa the world's largest import market for the grain. Though the Senegal River Valley was one of the world's earliest rice centers, Senegal's farmers now struggle to compete in the country's urban centres against imports from India. This development is symptomatic of a wider loss of food self-reliance in Africa, owing to population growth, urbanisation, and an expanding middle class's increased demand for food. While smallholder farming and rural livelihoods still account for over half of employment on the continent, African farmers have been pushed out of local markets, and the region's overall food import bill has risen from $7.9 billion in 1993-95 to $43.6 billion in 2018-20. No region faces a more severe food-security crisis. One in five Africans, some 260 million people, most of them in rural areas, are going hungry. Progress toward the United Nations' goal of achieving“zero hunger” by 2030 stalled in 2014 and, following the supply-chain disruptions triggered by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, has gone into reverse. Sharply rising food import bills are amplifying inflation in a region where food accounts for over 40 per cent of the average consumption basket. Millions of people are being pushed into poverty. Just as COVID-19 underscored Africa's urgent need for greater vaccine self-reliance, the war in Ukraine has exposed the vulnerability that comes with dependence on food imports. That vulnerability is the product of a failed development model. Successive generations of political leaders have paid lip service to food self-reliance, while opening the flood gates for imports of“cheap foods”, many of which are heavily subsidised and considered integral to industrialisation. The systematic neglect of smallholder agriculture has created a vicious cycle, weakening urban-rural linkages, trapping farmers in poverty, and leaving urban populations dependent on volatile world markets. Building a self-reliant food system capable of providing healthy, affordable diets to all will take nothing less than a transformation of agriculture. Current yields are too low either to meet the region's growing demand for food or to support more resilient rural livelihoods. In Bangladesh, a hectare of farmland produces an average of five tons of rice per harvest, which is more than double the level in Nigeria. Similarly, yields for maize, the main food staple in eastern and southern Africa, are less than half the average for Southeast Asia. Moreover, the yield gap between Africa and Asia has widened over the last 20 years. Climate change is compounding the problem. We are already witnessing more protracted and intense droughts, less predictable rainfall, floods, and the climate-related spread of pests, like the plague of desert locusts that devastated crops in eastern Africa in 2019. Dependence on rain-fed farming systems is a risk multiplier for Africa. Modeling reported by the International Panel on Climate Change points to potential yield losses in the range of 10-30 per cent for food staples like maize, sorghum and millet. Many of the policies and technologies needed to close Africa's yield gap and address climate threats are well-known. CGIAR, the world's largest global agricultural research organisation, has developed high-yield, climate-resilient and pest-resistant seeds tailored for agro-ecological conditions across Africa. More than two million smallholder farmers are already growing drought-resistant maize varieties, raising their yields by 20-30 per cent. The African Rice Center has produced more than 80 new rice varieties. These include early-maturing seeds which provide a source of food with higher protein content than standard varieties in the pre-harvest hunger period. Yields are comparable to those in Asia. Evaluations find that farmers, many of them women, adopting these seeds are, in some cases, doubling their income. In Senegal, novel rice varieties are slowly clawing back market share from imported rice, creating new value-chains and rural jobs, and displacing imports used in jollof. But new seed technologies can realise their full potential only if they are part of an integrated response. Farmers also need access to affordable capital, fertiliser and productive infrastructure like irrigation, energy and extension services. As matters stand, Africa's farmers, notably women, are poorly served in all these areas. And while the African Union's Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, initiated in 2003, provides a plan of action, it has an abysmal delivery record. Connecting the dots between food self-reliance and social protection can create win-win scenarios. As the School Meals Coalition points out, millions of African schoolchildren are unable to learn because of hunger. Providing them with nutritious food from local producers would simultaneously combat malnutrition, improve learning and create predictable markets for farmers, attracting the investment needed to raise productivity. The Kenyan government has already set a benchmark, pledging to provide universal school meals by 2030. At a food summit in Dakar, Senegal, earlier this year, African leaders pledged to build more self-sufficient, resilient and equitable food systems, and to restore“food sovereignty”. While Africa's farmers have heard such pledges before, let's hope that this time they will be implemented. Kevin Watkins, a former CEO of Save the Children UK, is a visiting professor at the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa at the London School of Economics. Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2023. MENAFN02122024000028011005ID1108949050 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. 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Turpin's 99-yard kickoff return touchdown was the highlight of the Dallas Cowboys' 34-26 win at Washington on Sunday that ended their losing streak at five. That came with just under three minutes left, and then Juanyeh Thomas returned an onside kick for a TD to provide a little happiness in the middle of a lost season. "Feels good to win," coach Mike McCarthy said. “It’s been a minute.” Chauncey Golston ripping the ball out of Brian Robinson Jr.'s hands for what counted as an interception of Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and Donovan Wilson forcing a fumble of John Bates earlier in the game helped put the Cowboys in position to make it a game, as did the play of Cooper Rush. Turpin's monster return after initially muffing the retrieval had everyone buzzing. "He did that for timing," McCarthy said. “That was part of the plan. He’s a special young man. Obviously a huge play for us.” Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves, the All-Pro special teams selection two seasons ago, was the first one down the field and blamed himself for not tackling Turpin when he had the chance. “I’ve made that play 100 times,” Reaves said. “I didn’t make it today, and it cost us the game.” Turpin's spin move will likely be replayed over and over — and not stopped by many. Receiver CeeDee Lamb called it “his escape move” because Turpin has been showing it off in practice. “I know I can just get them going one way and then spin back the other way,” Turpin said. "That’s just one of my moves when I’m in trouble and I've got nowhere to go: something nobody ever seen before.” In a wacky finish that McCarthy likened to a game of Yahtzee, Thomas' return was almost as unexpected. It came with 14 seconds left after Washington kicker Austin Seibert missed the extra point following Daniels' 86-yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin to leave Dallas up 27-26. “I kind of waited a second and I was like: ‘Should I try? Should I try?’” Thomas said. “I said, ‘I think I’m gonna score the ball,’ so just ran and I scored.” The Cowboys' playoff odds are still incredibly long at 4-7, but with the New York Giants coming to town next for the traditional Thanksgiving Day game at Dallas, players are willing to dream after winning for the first time since Oct. 6. “Lot of games left,” said Rush, who threw two TD passes. “Pretty insane. ... I think both sides of the ball and special teams picked each other up all game. I think it was a full team effort. Finally picking each other up like we’re supposed to.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflArtificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming education, with schools and universities increasingly experimenting with AI chatbots to assist students in self-directed learning. These digital assistants offer immediate feedback, answer questions and guide students through complex material. For teachers, the chatbots can reduce their workload by helping them provide scalable and personalised feedback to students. But what makes an effective AI teaching assistant? Should it be warm and friendly or professional and competent? What are the potential pitfalls of integrating such technology into the classroom? Our ongoing research explores student preferences, highlighting the benefits and challenges of using AI chatbots in education. Warm or competent? We developed two AI chatbots – John and Jack. Both chatbots were designed to assist university students with self-directed learning tasks but differed in their personas and interaction styles. John, the “warm” chatbot, featured a friendly face and casual attire. His communication style was encouraging and empathetic, using phrases like “spot on!” and “great progress! Keep it up!”. When students faced difficulties, John responded with support: “It looks like this part might be tricky. I’m here to help!” His demeanour aimed to create a comfortable and approachable learning environment. Jack, the “competent” chatbot, had an authoritative appearance with formal business attire. His responses were clear and direct, such as “correct” or “good! This is exactly what I was looking for.” When identifying problems, he was straightforward: “I see some issues here. Let’s identify where it can be improved.” Jack’s persona was intended to convey professionalism and efficiency. We introduced the chatbots to university students during their self-directed learning activities. We then collected data through surveys and interviews about their experiences. Distinct preferences We found there were distinct preferences among the students. Those from engineering backgrounds tended to favour Jack’s straightforward and concise approach. One engineering student commented: Jack felt like someone I could take more seriously. He also pointed out a few additional things that John hadn’t when asked the same question. This suggests a professional and efficient interaction style resonated with students who value precision and directness in their studies. Other students appreciated John’s friendly demeanour and thorough explanations. They found his approachable style helpful, especially when grappling with complex concepts. One student noted: John’s encouraging feedback made me feel more comfortable exploring difficult topics. Interestingly, some students desired a balance between the two styles. They valued John’s empathy but also appreciated Jack’s efficiency. The weaknesses of Jack and John While many students found the AI chatbots helpful, several concerns and potential weaknesses were highlighted. Some felt the chatbots occasionally provided superficial responses that lacked depth. As one student remarked: Sometimes, the answers felt generic and didn’t fully address my question. There is also a risk of students becoming too dependent on AI assistance, potentially hindering the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. One student admitted: I worry that always having instant answers could make me less inclined to figure things out on my own. The chatbots also sometimes struggled with understanding the context or nuances of complex questions. A student noted: When I asked about a specific case study, the chatbot couldn’t grasp the intricacies and gave a broad answer. This underscored AI’s challenges in interpreting complex human language and specialised content. Privacy and data security concerns were also raised. Some students were uneasy about the data collected during interactions. Additionally, potential biases in AI responses were a significant concern. Since AI systems learn from existing data, they can inadvertently perpetuate biases present in their training material. Future-proofing classrooms The findings highlight the need for a balanced approach in incorporating AI into education. Offering students options to customise their AI assistant’s persona could cater to diverse preferences and learning styles. Enhancing the AI’s ability to understand context and provide deeper, more nuanced responses is also essential. Human oversight remains crucial. Teachers should continue to play a central role, guiding students and addressing areas where AI falls short. AI should be seen as a tool to augment, not replace, human educators. By collaborating with AI, educators can focus on fostering critical thinking and creativity, skills AI cannot replicate. Another critical aspect is addressing privacy and bias. Institutions must implement robust data privacy policies and regularly audit AI systems to minimise biases and ensure ethical use. Transparent communication about how data is used and protected can alleviate student concerns. The nuances of AI in classrooms Our study is ongoing, and we plan to expand it to include more students across different courses and educational levels. This broader scope will help us better understand the nuances of student interactions with AI teaching assistants. By acknowledging both the strengths and weaknesses of AI chatbots, we aim to inform the development of tools that enhance learning outcomes while addressing potential challenges. The insights from this research could significantly impact how universities design and implement AI teaching assistants in the future. By tailoring AI tools to meet diverse student needs and addressing the identified issues, educational institutions can leverage AI to create more personalised and effective learning experiences. This research was completed with Guy Bate and Shohil Kishore. The authors would also like to acknowledge the support of Soul Machines in providing the AI technology used in this research.

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Speaker schedules opposition motions after Tories opt against own non-confidence voteAussie recruiter reveals the brutal truth about WFH - and what you need to do if you don't want to return to the office READ MORE: The real reason the WFH dream is over: Expert explains the underhand tactic bosses are using By STEVE WILLIAMS FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA Published: 23:32, 24 November 2024 | Updated: 23:51, 24 November 2024 e-mail View comments A recruiter has lashed out at Aussies only wanting a job that offers work-from-home claiming the trend is on its way out as more bosses order staff back to the office. Tammie Ballis unleashed in a TikTok on Sunday saying too many jobseekers had come to her complaining they were unable to find jobs offering WFH. 'Yeah, that's probably right because a lot of work from home jobs or remote jobs are dwindling,' she said. Ms Ballis revealed why she believes WFH and remote jobs are disappearing. 'Cause people have taken the p*ss to be quite frank, and employers and big companies want them back in the office,' she said. She then offered helpful advice on what workers should do if they want to continue working from home or remotely. 'So if you want a remote job, you need to do it yourself. Start your own business,' Ms Ballis said. Ms Ballis later clarified she was not against WFH. Tammie Ballis unleashed in a TikTok on Sunday saying too many jobseekers had come to her complaining they were unable to find jobs offering WFH 'I'm a strong believer in wfh for the right people, however many have taken advantage and have wrecked it for the rest of us,' she wrote in the comment section. Social media users were divided with some agreeing with the recruiter. 'It's a daily thing in the fb mum groups "where can I find a WFH job that so I can keep my kids home with me?"' one wrote. 'What?!? So 50 per cent of your attention on your kids and 50 per cent on your job? Do you want 50 per cent pay from your employer?' 'All staff seem to be taking the p*ss these days,' a second added. 'The entitlement by ppl who want to WFH is a joke. We all went to the office before Covid, we can do it again after it,' another wrote. 'The ones complaining about a 'work/life balance', maybe look at a career change that suits you better.' Another disagreed with Ms Ballis that workers are taking advantage of their employers by working from home. Ms Ballis said she believes WFH and remote jobs are disappearing because 'people have taken the p*ss' (stock image) Read More Worrying sign work from home is over for millions as Atlassian boss weighs in on fierce debate 'I don't believe that it's taking the p*ss at all,' they wrote. 'It's actually more inclusive towards single mums, people with anxiety, disabled who aren't very mobile, and so so many more!!!!' 'I'm very fortunate I get to work from home 99 per cent of the time and most certainly don't take the p*ss,' a second wrote. 'My work shows that too even my boss says I'm one of the hardest workers she's ever had.' One suggested work-from-home is being phased out because of pressure from property developers. Another follower suggested HR departments have caused the problem. 'lol HR teams in the companies are the ones taking the p*ss,' they wrote. One employee argued working from home is all about trust and creating the right culture. 'As a CEO of a tech business we allow WFH but not everyday,' they wrote. 'I trust my staff to complete their work whether they are home or in the office. It all comes down to the culture you build.' TikTok Share or comment on this article: Aussie recruiter reveals the brutal truth about WFH - and what you need to do if you don't want to return to the office e-mail Add comment

slot games real money Hogs Rallying with 20-Year Low in Pork StocksQatar tribune Tribune News Network Doha Qatar Foundation’s Pre-University Education (PUE) has partnered with Management Centre Europe (MCE), a global leader in talent development. This partnership offers professionals in Qatar Foundation access to a unique global accreditation program, setting a global standard for managerial excellence and equipping them with essential leadership skills. This partnership will strengthen leadership capabilities by equipping leaders with the expertise to harness AI for improved decision-making, streamlined processes, and innovation. In addition to other learning and development programs, it focuses on integrating AI technologies into leadership practices, providing a unique approach that strengthens leadership. The agreement was signed by Abeer Al Khalifa, president of Qatar Foundation’s (QF’s) Pre-University Education, and Patrick Faniel, managing director of MCE. As part of the signing event, a workshop titled ‘How AI is Changing the Leadership World’ was held to explore the profound impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on leadership and its implications for managing teams in an era of rapid technological advancement. Abeer Al Khalifa, president of Pre-University Education, highlighted the strategic importance of the partnership in advancing the evolution of education, stating, “This collaboration marks a pivotal step in fostering innovation within education, equipping educators and staff with cutting-edge tools and technologies that enable them to deliver a forward-thinking educational experience.” She further emphasized, “This partnership offers professionals at Qatar Foundation, particularly within Pre-University Education, the opportunity to engage with a distinguished international accreditation program. With global standards for administrative excellence, it provides them with the essential leadership skills needed to drive innovation and creativity, ultimately enriching the educational landscape as a whole.” On this occasion, Dr. Saheim Khalaf Al Tamimi, director of ABP, said: “This workshop offered valuable perspectives on how artificial intelligence is reshaping leadership and management approaches. As a leader, it is crucial to stay informed about emerging trends and technologies to ensure that our operations remain both efficient and innovative while being prepared for the future.” Dr. Al Temimi highlighted the essential need for leaders to acquire the skills and knowledge needed to navigate the complexities of AI-driven transformations confidently and effectively, stressing that this is a step every leader should take. “Through the workshop, I gained a deeper understanding of how AI can enhance decision-making, streamline processes, and drive innovation within Qatar Foundation. This knowledge will be crucial in designing programs that address the evolving needs and challenges of our teachers and staff.” “This initiative enhances our current Learning and Development programs by focusing on the integration of advanced technologies into leadership practices, further solidifying our commitment to staying at the forefront of innovation in the education sector.” During the workshop, Patrick Faniel, managing director of MCE, said: “Leadership is no longer just about managing people; it’s about navigating change and understanding the technological forces shaping our world. “We live in an era of unprecedented change. Technology has completely altered the way we interact and work. As leaders, we must adapt, not just react. The speed at which change is occurring demands a proactive approach to managing teams and businesses.” Faniel emphasized that the speed of technological evolution is palpable, and leaders must not only keep up with the changes but also anticipate what’s next, ensuring their teams are prepared for future challenges. “It’s about using AI as a tool to enhance human capabilities, not replacing them. Leaders must focus on how we can leverage AI to improve operations and better support their teams.” Faniel emphasized that the real challenge is ensuring that our people are prepared for the changes AI will bring, saying: “We can’t assume they will adapt on their own. As leaders, we must guide them through this transition and help them acquire the skills needed to thrive in an AI-driven world.” Faniel also addressed the fear many have about AI, saying: “Some worry AI will lead to job losses, but in reality, it will create new opportunities. The key is preparing and empowering employees to thrive in this new landscape.” Copy 06/12/2024 10

Georgetown ventures out of D.C. for first time to face West VirginiaCAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—Food irradiation—the application of ionizing radiation to food—processing offers a safer and more efficient preservation method than conventional techniques, according to science research experts. Unlike chemical methods, such as ethylene oxide—which is used to disinfect herbs and spices—irradiation has a significant advantage in food sterilization, Haydee M. Solomon, Supervising Science Research Specialist at the Irradiation Services Section of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PNRI), told the BusinessMirror during an exclusive interview at the forum titled “Nuke Talk Series: What’s Your ‘Ulam Bestie’?” held at the recent 2024 National Science and Technology Week in this city. The European Union bans ethylene oxide for food sterilization due to the harmful chemical residues it leaves behind. In contrast, radiation leaves no residue on the product. Solomon clarified that when ionizing radiation is applied, it passes through the product and is absorbed by microorganisms, effectively killing them without leaving any lingering chemicals or by-products. “We irradiate the products in its final form. We do not open it. We do not touch the product itself. It’s just the packaging. So, it’s very convenient,” she explained. She further noted that other preservation methods, such as using ethylene oxide, involve chemicals, while heat treatments can sometimes cause discoloration or even condensation on the product. The moisture from condensation can create an environment conducive to mold growth, making the product less desirable, she said. “Heat can also cook the product, which isn’t the case with ionizing radiation,” Solomon added. She emphasized that radiation is more of a “cold process.” While radiation does emit a small amount of heat, typically raising the temperature of the product by only 1 degree Celsius to 3°C, it is minimal and does not have the same effects as traditional heat treatments. Solomon added that this makes ionizing radiation a more gentle and effective method of sterilization, particularly for products that could be damaged by heat. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Health Organization, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the food irradiation process does not pose any greater toxicological, microbiological, or nutritional risks compared to traditional food processing methods. Despite concerns about the potential chemical changes caused by ionizing radiation, these organizations assure that irradiated foods are safe for human consumption. Asked how to identify if a food item is irradiated or not, experts explained that all irradiated products are required to display the Radura symbol, indicating they have undergone irradiation. The label may also include phrases like “Treated with Radiation” or “Treated by Irradiation.” Addressing concerns about nutrient loss, Solomon cited several studies showing that irradiated foods retain most of their nutrients. The nutrient loss during irradiation is comparable to what occurs during cooking, freezing, canning, and other common food preservation methods. Studies have shown that consuming irradiated foods does not expose individuals to radiation or radioactive materials. Further explaining the safety of food irradiation, Solomon likened it to the safety of medical X-rays on individuals. She said that radiation beams pass through the food much like X-rays pass through a patient during medical imaging. Just as a person is not radioactive after an X-ray, irradiated food does not retain any radiation or radioactive substances. PHL advances in nuclear preservation Moreover, the DOST-PNRI manages a multipurpose gamma irradiation facility designed to process food and agricultural products. Recently, the facility was upgraded to a semi-commercial scale, enhancing its efficiency and increasing its processing capacity. This improvement allows it to address the growing demand for irradiation services from the food and medical sectors. According to Solomon, spices are the primary products benefiting from nuclear-based preservation technologies in the Philippines. This method, which utilize gamma rays, is commonly used to treat various spices, shrimp powder, herbal products and seasonings. Solomon added that the establishment of new facilities, such as the 10 megaelectron volt (MeV) electron beam in Tanay, Rizal, will enable more fresh produce to meet international standards, and is expected to help local growers access global markets, boosting the promotion of Philippine products worldwide. She emphasized that radiation processing is an effective method for eliminating microorganisms while preserving the quality and integrity of products. Clients who use this technology not only comply with Food and Drug Administration standards but also gain a competitive edge in the international market, where irradiated products are widely accepted.

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Crypto Analyst Foresees Pre-Christmas Bitcoin Price SurgeIn a significant milestone, the population of the Indian community in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has reached approximately four million. This demographic boost is essential for the UAE’s economic development and is in line with the vision of the country according to the consul-general of India to Dubai and the Northern Emirates Satish Kumar Sivan. Speaking at a conference organized by the Indian Institute of Chartered Accountants of India’s Dubai Chapter, Sivan said that the Indian expatriates had an important mission to turn the emirate into an international financial centre. He added that the Indian expatriates’ impact is represented across fields of construction, retail, health care and financial domain making them crucial for the UAE economy. “Beyond professional contributions, the Indian community serves as a cultural bridge between our two countries, which already enjoy a historical bond. The contribution of the community which grew from 2.2 million in 2012 to 3.9 million last year has been a key factor in the rapid strengthening of close strategic partnerships between India and the UAE, especially over the past decade”, Sivan said as reported by Khaleej Times. The bilateral relationship between India and UAE has also strengthened the Indian population in the Emirates including the introduction of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in the county and local currency trade mechanisms The Indian community occupies the larger percentage with about 37.96 per cent of the total expatriate population in the UAE. Pakistan is the second largest expatriate population in UAE constituting approximately 26,310, which contributes 8.61 per cent. This demographic factor has been facilitated by the continued flow of Indian professionals in search of employment opportunities within the region. According to the latest figures, more than 130000 Indians have migrated to the UAE in a year, proving that the UAE is a top choice for Indians while they are moving abroad.

NEW YORK (AP) — Lawyers for tried for a third time Friday to persuade a judge to let him leave jail while he awaits his but a decision won’t come until next week. Judge Arun Subramanian said at a hearing that he will release his decision on Combs' latest request for bail after Combs’ lawyers and federal prosecutors file letters addressing outstanding issues. Those letters are due at noon on Monday, Subramanian said. Combs’ lawyers pitched having him await trial under around-the-clock surveillance either his mansion on an island near Miami Beach or — after the judge scoffed at that location — an apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Their plan essentially amounts to putting Combs on house arrest, with strict limits on who he has contact with. But prosecutors argue that Combs has routinely flouted jail rules and can't be trusted not to interfere with witnesses or the judicial process. “The argument that he’s a lawless person who doesn’t follow instructions isn’t factually accurate,” Combs lawyer Anthony Ricco argued. “The idea that he’s an out-of-control individual who has to be detained isn’t factually accurate.” Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to for years with help from a network of associates and employees while silencing victims through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings. His trial is slated to begin May 5. The Bad Boy Records founder remains locked up at a where he spent his Nov. 4 birthday. Two other judges that Combs would be a danger to the community if he is released and an appeals court judge last month denied Combs’ immediate release while a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals weighs his bail request. Friday's hearing was the second time Combs was in court this week. On Tuesday, a judge from using as evidence papers that were seized from his cell during jail-wide sweep for contraband and weapons at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. As he entered through a side door, Combs waved to relatives including his mother and several of his children in the courtroom gallery, tapping his hand to his heart and blowing kisses at them. He then hugged his lead attorney, Marc Agnifilo, before taking a seat at the defense table. He was not handcuffed or shackled and wore a beige jail uniform, occasionally pulling a pair of reading glasses from his pocket as he peered at papers in front of him. Prosecutors maintain that no bail conditions will mitigate the “risk of obstruction and dangerousness to others” of releasing Combs from jail. Prosecutors contend that while locked up the “I'll Be Missing You” artist has orchestrated social media campaigns aimed at tainting the jury pool. They allege that he has also attempted to publicly leak materials he thinks would be helpful to his case and is contacting potential witnesses via third parties. “Simply put, the defendant cannot be trusted,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik argued. Combs’ lawyer Teny Geragos countered that, given the strict release conditions proposed, “it would be impossible for him not to follow rules.” Michael R. Sisak, The Associated PressShillong: Meghalaya was rewarded for the second consecutive year for securing the second place in the Group-D category for the prestigious National Energy Conservation Award for its efforts in promoting energy efficiency, reducing energy consumption and promoting sustainability. The award was organised by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Union ministry of power, recognising Meghalaya's commitment to achieving significant environmental impact through energy-saving initiatives. At a function in New Delhi Saturday, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Union minister of state for power, Shripad Naik, presented the awards to the states recognised for their exemplary contributions towards energy efficiency. "In his address, the vice president commended all the states for their exceptional contributions to national energy conservation goals and their unwavering commitment to sustainability," an official statement said. State power minister Abu Taher Mondal said the govt has initiated several energy-saving measures, including efforts such as reducing energy usage in manufacturing, investing in renewable energy, adopting energy-efficient technologies, and notifying policies related to energy efficiency, some of which are in the final stages of notification. "These initiatives have contributed to a reduction in energy consumption, aligning with the government's long-term goal of achieving carbon neutrality," the minister said and thanked chief minister Conrad K Sangma for his unwavering support to the power department. While recognising the efforts of the consumer in taking up various energy conservation steps, he stated that the award is based on the indicators specified under the State Energy Efficiency Index, along with policies and activities related to energy conservation implemented across various sectors, such as industry, transport, municipalities, buildings, cross sector and MePDCL (Meghalaya PowerDistributionCorporation Ltd. (MePDCL). The power minister highlighted that the govt had notified the Meghalaya Energy Conservation Regulation 2017, which aims to promote the use of BEE (Bureau of Energy Efficiency) star-rated appliances in public procurement and bans the use of incandescent lamps and inefficient magnetic-wire chokes in tube lights. "The govt has constituted a state-level steering committee for the identification of key pillars of energy transition at the state level and to provide policy guidance and recommendations to achieve state-specific energy transition goal. The government also launched the Meghalaya Electric Vehicle Policy 2021, which envisions 15% of the state's motor vehicles being powered by electric batteries by 2025," he said. Commissioner and secretary, power department, Sanjay Goyal said the recognition is a testament to the state's unwavering commitment to fosteringa sustainable and resilient power infrastructure. "The objective is not only to meet the energy requirements of the community but also to establish a foundation for enhanced service reliability and sustainable energy for overall progress in the region," he said and mentioned that a Demand Side Management Cell has also been established in MePDCL with the assistance of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, New Delhi, to formulate a suitable business model for adopting DSM (demand-side management (DSM) activities. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .

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These things are what called to Patrick Malott, 73, of LaPorte, in 2019. “I was like a ship without a rudder," Malott said of the time after his wife died. Now, he teaches guitar at the center and plays in the Good Time Geezers band, performing country and rock favorites at the popular Friday sing-along. “It gives me something to do." "We have more than 1,400 members,” said center Director Tara Miller. “Programming is offered at little or no cost.” Programs at the 16,000-square-foot facility with a kitchen, conference rooms, classrooms and a kiln room, include painting and ceramics, language courses, financial planning and technology classes — and, of course, music. Health and fitness, education, recreation and social programming is overseen by Miller and assistant directors Laura Steele and Dorothy Biller. Like Malott, fellow musician Kurt Smith joined nine years ago after his wife died. “I didn’t have a lot to do after my wife passed away,” Smith said. “I enjoy playing music. Good Time Geezers has played out at Zorn (Brew Works) and open mics.” Smith, a Northern Indiana native and fan of motorcycle travel, enjoys the center because everyone is happy and talks to each other like in the days of old. “And sometimes I come to play a game of pool or something.” Donna Murphy, 77, of LaPorte, sings with the band and has been an active center member for more than three years. “My husband died 13 years ago, and all I did was work, work, work," Murphy said. "Pat (Malott) said, ‘You need to get out and get involved with people.’ My family is scattered all over, so it’s great meeting all the different people, growing friendships and being around good people.” Murphy also volunteers at the monthly Soup Day, where members can get a bowl of soup or soup-to-go for $3-$6. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack And Murphy uses skills she learned in the center’s computer classes to enlarge the chord charts. “Our free BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Class is popular,” added Miller. Health seminars address age-related conditions such as hearing loss. Free hearing evaluations are offered on the first Monday of each month. Weekly exercise classes, including balance improvement and flexibility, also are available. Bingocize, a bingo and health class, is planned for March 2025. Bingo is a favorite, according to Miller. “You can’t beat bingo for a buck,” said Murphy. Craft clubs, games, a poetry group, a pool club, movie night and table games such as dominoes and mahjong are also offered. “More than 100 members volunteer for various activities, classes and fundraisers,” Miller added. Group trips also are on tap in cooperation with First Travel, a local travel agency. The first is a 6-day, 5-night trip to Branson, Mo., in April for $835 per person (double occupancy), which includes transportation, lodging, meals and six shows. The second is a 7-night, 6-day New Orleans adventure in September for $939 per person (double occupancy), which covers transportation, lodging, meals, tours, admission to Mardi Gras World and a Mississippi River cruise. The center has its roots in a seniors group founded by Pauline Herschman in 1956. “At our grand re-opening in the spring, five generations attended to honor her legacy,” Miller said. Herschman’s group expanded to the Michigan City YMCA. After a fire in 1978, then Mayor Joe LaRocco used insurance money along with Community Development Block Grants and municipal funds to establish a dedicated senior center. It's supported by the Michigan City Parks and Recreation Department and nonprofit Michigan City Seniors Inc. Open to those 55 and older, the center's hours are 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Membership fee is $15 per year. The Golden Times, the center's monthly newsletter, keeps members in the know at emichigancity.com . For more information, call 219-873-1504.

Lincoln's Allo announces plans to provide service to Flagstaff, ArizonaPHOENIX — Donald Trump suggested Sunday that his new administration could try to regain control of the Panama Canal that the United States “foolishly” ceded to its Central American ally, contending that shippers are charged “ridiculous” fees to pass through the vital transportation channel linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. President-elect Donald Trump speaks at AmericaFest on Sunday in Phoenix. Rick Scuteri, Associated Press Panama's conservative president José Raúl Mulino, who was elected in April on a pro-business platform, roundly rejected that notion as an affront to his country's sovereignty. The Republican president-elect's comment came during his first major rally since winning the White House on Nov. 5. He also used his comments to bask in his return to power as a large audience of conservatives cheered along. It was a display of party unity at odds with a just-concluded budget fight on Capitol Hill where some GOP lawmakers openly defied their leader's demands. Addressing supporters at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Arizona, Trump pledged that his “dream team Cabinet” would deliver a booming economy, seal U.S. borders and quickly settle wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. “I can proudly proclaim that the Golden Age of America is upon us,” Trump said. “There’s a spirit that we have now that we didn’t have just a short while ago.” His appearance capped a four-day pep rally that drew more than 20,000 activists and projected an image of Republican cohesion despite the past week's turbulence in Washington with Trump pulling strings from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida as Congress worked to avoid a government shutdown heading into the Christmas holiday. House Republicans spiked a bipartisan deal after Trump and Elon Musk, his billionaire ally, expressed their opposition on social media. Budget hawks flouted Trump's request to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, which would have spared some new rounds of the same fight after he takes office Jan. 20, 2025, with Republicans holding narrow control of the House and Senate. The final agreement did not address the issue and there was no shutdown. Trump, in his remarks in Phoenix, did not mention the congressional drama, though he did reference Musk's growing power. To suggestions that "President Trump has ceded the presidency to Elon,” Trump made clear, “No, no. That’s not happening.” “He’s not gonna be president,” Trump said. The president-elect opened the speech by saying that "we want to try to bring everybody together. We’re going to try. We’re going to really give it a shot." Then he suggested Democrats have “lost their confidence” and are “befuddled” after the election but eventually will ”come over to our side because we want to have them.” A cargo ship traverses the Agua Clara Locks of the Panama Canal on Sept. 2 in Colon, Panama. Matias Delacroix, Associated Press Atop a list of grievances — some old, some new — was the Panama Canal. “We’re being ripped off at the Panama Canal,” he said, bemoaning that his country ”foolishly gave it away.” Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts The United States built the Panama Canal in the early 1900s, as it looked for ways to facilitate the transit of commercial and military vessels between its coasts. Washington relinquished control of the waterway to Panama on Dec. 31, 1999, under a treaty signed in 1977 under President Jimmy Carter. The canal depends on reservoirs to operate its locks and was heavily affected by 2023 Central American droughts that forced it to substantially reduce the number of daily slots for crossing ships. With fewer ships using the canal each day, administrators also increased the fees that are charged all shippers for reserving a slot. With weather returning to normal in the later months of this year, transit on the canal has normalized. But price increases are still expected for next year. Mulino, Panama's president, has been described as a conservative populist who aligns with Trump on many issues. Panama is a strong U.S. ally and the canal is crucial for its economy, generating about one-fifth of that government’s annual revenue. Still, Trump said, that, once his second term is underway, "If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America, in full, quickly and without question.” “I’m not going to stand for it," Trump said. "So to the officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly.” He did not explain how that would be possible. A short time after Trump's speech, Mulino released a video declaring that “every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to belong” to his country. Without mentioning Trump by name, Mulino addressed the president-elect's complaints over rising fees for ships crossing the canal, saying that they are set by experts who take into account operational costs, and supply and demand factors. “The tariffs are not set on a whim” Mulino said. He noted that Panama has expanded the canal over the years to increase ship traffic “on its own initiative,” and added that shipping fee increases help pay for improvements. “Panamanians may have different views on many issues” Mulino said. “But when it comes to our canal, and our sovereignty, we will all unite under our Panamanian flag.” The canal aside, Trump’s appearance at Turning Point’s annual gathering affirmed the growing influence the group and its founder, Charlie Kirk, have had in the conservative movement. Kirk’s organization hired thousands of field organizers across presidential battlegrounds, helping Trump make key gains among infrequent voters and other groups of people that have trended more Democratic in recent decades, including younger voters, Black men and Latino men. ”You had Turning Point’s grassroots armies,” Trump said. “It’s not my victory, it’s your victory.” Earlier Sunday, Trump said that Stephen Miran, who worked at the Treasury Department in Trump's first term, was his choice to lead the Council of Economic Advisers. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Wilfredo Lee, Associated Press Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. George Walker IV, Associated Press Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Derik Hamilton Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. Matt Rourke, Associated Press The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. AP Photo/Alex Brandon Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Matt Kelley, Associated Press Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Andrew Harnik, Associated Press Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Andrew Harnik, Associated Press Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. Jacquelyn Martin, Associated Press A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. Andy Cross, The Denver Post via AP President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Evan Vucci Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. AP Photo/Evan Vucci FILE - Former Rep. Doug Collins speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign event at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Oct. 15, 2024, in Atlanta. John Bazemore - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Ted Shaffrey, Associated Press Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press Kash Patel spent several years as a Justice Department prosecutor before catching the Trump administration’s attention as a staffer on Capitol Hill who helped investigate the Russia probe. Patel called for dramatically reducing the agency’s footprint, a perspective that sets him apart from earlier directors who sought additional resources for the bureau. Though the Justice Department in 2021 halted the practice of secretly seizing reporters’ phone records during leak investigations, Patel said he intends to aggressively hunt down government officials who leak information to reporters. José Luis Villegas, Associated Press Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Matt Rourke, Associated Press Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Jonathan Newton - pool, ASSOCIATED PRESS Trump said Atkins, the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner, was a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. “He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The commission oversees U.S. securities markets and investments and is currently led by Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Gensler, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated — Jan. 20, 2025. Atkins began his career as a lawyer and has a long history working in the financial markets sector, both in government and private practice. In the 1990s, he worked on the staffs of two former SEC chairmen, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt. AP Photo/ Evan Vucci, File) Jared Isaacman, 41, is a tech billionaire who bought a series of spaceflights from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk . He is the founder and CEO of a card-processing company and has collaborated closely with Musk ever since buying his first chartered SpaceX flight. He took contest winners on that 2021 trip and followed it in September with a mission where he briefly popped out the hatch to test SpaceX’s new spacewalking suits. John Raoux, Associated Press Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. Jose Luis Magana, Associated Press President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. Andrew Harnik, Associated Press President-elect Donald Trump tapped former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China, saying in a social media post that the former CEO “brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China.” Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and ran unsuccessfully in a primary against Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Perdue pushed Trump's debunked lies about electoral fraud during his failed bid for governor. Brynn Anderson, Associated Press/Pool A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Paul Sancya, Associated Press Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Oded Balilty, Associated Press Guilfoyle is a former California prosecutor and television news personality who led the fundraising for Trump's 2020 campaign and became engaged to Don Jr. in 2020. Trump called her “a close friend and ally” and praised her “sharp intellect make her supremely qualified.” Guilfoyle was on stage with the family on election night. “I am so proud of Kimberly. She loves America and she always has wanted to serve the country as an Ambassador. She will be an amazing leader for America First,” Don Jr. posted. The ambassador positions must be approved by the U.S. Senate. Guilfoyle said in a social media post that she was “honored to accept President Trump’s nomination to serve as the next Ambassador to Greece and I look forward to earning the support of the U.S. Senate.” AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as National Security Advisor to Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence. For the America First Policy Institute, one of several groups formed after Trump left office to help lay the groundwork for the next Republican administration, Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Ted Shaffrey, Associated Press Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. John Bazemore, Associated Press Customs and Border Protection, with its roughly 60,000 employees, falls under the Department of Homeland Security. It includes the Border Patrol, which Rodney Scott led during Trump's first term, and is essentially responsible for protecting the country's borders while facilitating trade and travel. Scott comes to the job firmly from the Border Patrol side of the house. He became an agent in 1992 and spent much of his career in San Diego. When he was appointed head of the border agency in January 2020, he enthusiastically embraced Trump's policies. After being forced out under the Biden administration, Scott has been a vocal supporter of Trump's hard-line immigration agenda. He appeared frequently on Fox News and testified in Congress. He's also a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Mariam Zuhaib, Associated Press Former Rep. Billy Long represented Missouri in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023. Since leaving Congress, Trump said, Long “has worked as a Business and Tax advisor, helping Small Businesses navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations.” AP file Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler was appointed in January 2020 by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and then lost a runoff election a year later. She started a conservative voter registration organization and dived into GOP fundraising, becoming one of the top individual donors and bundlers to Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign. Even before nominating her for agriculture secretary, the president-elect already had tapped Loeffler as co-chair of his inaugural committee. Branden Camp Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Matt Rourke, Associated Press Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Evan Vucci, Associated Press photos Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Trump says he’s picking Kari Lake as director of Voice of America, installing a staunch loyalist who ran unsuccessfully for Arizona governor and a Senate seat to head the congressionally funded broadcaster that provides independent news reporting around the world. Lake endeared herself to Trump through her dogmatic commitment to the falsehood that both she and Trump were the victims of election fraud. She has never acknowledged losing the gubernatorial race and called herself the “lawful governor” in her 2023 book, “Unafraid: Just Getting Started.” AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. The National Institutes of Health funds medical research through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. NIH also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at its labs in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Marty Makary, Food and Drug Administration Makary is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns. He routinely appeared on Fox News during the COVID-19 pandemic and wrote opinion articles questioning masks for children. He cast doubt on vaccine mandates but supported vaccines generally. Makary also cast doubt on whether booster shots worked, which was against federal recommendations on the vaccine. Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, Surgeon General Nesheiwat is a general practitioner who serves as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. She has been a contributor to Fox News. Dr. Dave Weldon, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Weldon is a former Florida congressman who recently ran for a Florida state legislative seat and lost; Trump backed Weldon’s opponent. In Congress, Weldon weighed in on one of the nation’s most heated debates of the 1990s over quality of life and a right-to-die and whether Terri Schiavo, who was in a persistent vegetative state after cardiac arrest, should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed. Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. He announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. Trump said in a statement that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, “therefore making it much better for American Workers.” Hassett, 62, served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. Ron Johnson, Ambassador to Mexico Johnson — not the Republican senator — served as ambassador to El Salvador during Trump's first administration. His nomination comes as the president-elect has been threatening tariffs on Mexican imports and the mass deportation of migrants who have arrived to the U.S.-Mexico border. Johnson is also a former U.S. Army veteran and was in the Central Intelligence Agency. Tom Barrack, Ambassador to Turkey Barrack, a wealthy financier, met Trump in the 1980s while helping negotiate Trump’s purchase of the renowned Plaza Hotel. He was charged with using his personal access to the former president to secretly promote the interests of the United Arab Emirates, but was acquitted of all counts at a federal trial in 2022. Trump called him a “well-respected and experienced voice of reason.” Andrew Ferguson, Federal Trade Commission Ferguson, who is already one of the FTC's five commissioners, will replace Lina Khan, who became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley by blocking billions of dollars worth of corporate acquisitions and suing Amazon and Meta while alleging anticompetitive behavior. “Andrew has a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “Andrew will be the most America First, and pro-innovation FTC Chair in our Country’s History.” Jacob Helberg, undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment Dan Bishop, deputy director for budget at the Office of Budget and Management Leandro Rizzuto, Ambassador to the Washington-based Organization of American States Dan Newlin, Ambassador to Colombia Peter Lamelas, Ambassador to Argentina Jose Luis Magana, Associated Press

"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.

As December rolls in, the year-end brings opportunities for investors to refine their portfolios and position themselves for growth in the coming year. For Canadian investors, offer an attractive avenue for capital appreciation. However, of course, not all growth stocks are created equal, and some are better than others. The good news is that there are unique Canadian growth stocks I think are poised for big gains in 2025 and beyond that are at least worth a look at current levels. Here are three of the top Canadian high-growth names I’ve got on my watch list as potential buys for those looking to rebalance their portfolios heading into the new year. Shopify I’ve long been bullish on Canadian e-commerce giant ( ), and for good reason. The company’s focus on providing a platform for businesses, from start-ups to enterprises, to develop an online presence with their retail stores has enabled millions of companies to establish their own unique online revenue streams outside of the world of existing third-party distributors who often offer such services for businesses at a relatively high cost. The Ontario-based company has grown incredibly over the years, with the stock chart above highlighting just how powerful Shopify’s business model has been for long-term investors. This fantastic growth has been driven by durable secular trends within the e-commerce space. In short, I expect these trends to continue for a long time, providing durability to Shopify’s growth profile over time. The company has continued innovation through new tool integrations, including artificial intelligence-driven analytics, while expanding its ecosystem, offering Shopify Payments, Shopify Capital, and fulfillment services to boot. These concrete offerings enhance the platform’s value proposition to attract new customers and deepen the relationship with the already-established ones. Celestica ( ) is a leading global electronics manufacturing and supply chain solutions provider. The company has carved out a significant niche in fast-growing sectors, including renewable energy, aerospace, and healthcare. With a diversity of portfolios spanning industries with strong growth prospects, Celestica has staked out a position in many growing fields. The company focuses on emerging technologies such as electric vehicles and renewable energy infrastructure to ensure solid growth. Moreover, efficiency and operational excellence initiatives have paid off through improved margins and profitability. Celestica’s ability to help companies manage complex supply chains and deliver innovative solutions makes it stand out among its competitors. The company continues to deliver solid numbers every quarter, indicating its resilience in adaptation to market cycles. As Celestica continues to generate healthy cash flows and maintain its strong balance sheet, investors can bet that continued spending on growth investments will drive further fundamental improvements (and higher stock prices) over time. Kinaxis ( ) is well-known as a top Canadian stock in the tech sector. The company specializes in supply chain management software, an increasingly vital solution in today’s increasingly interconnected global economy. Kinaxis’s flagship product, RapidResponse, leverages advanced analytics and artificial intelligence to provide real-time supply chain visibility and planning. This product has gained notable prominence as companies worldwide grapple with supply chain disruptions. In addition, its client base includes major players across industries such as automotive, consumer goods, and healthcare, underscoring the broad appeal of its services. Kinaxis has demonstrated strong financial performance in recent quarters, with consistent revenue growth driven by new client acquisitions and expanded service offerings. The company’s subscription-based business model ensures recurring revenue, providing financial stability and predictability. Additionally, its focus on innovation and cloud-based solutions positions the company well to capitalize on emerging trends in digital transformation. For December, Kinaxis remains one of the most compelling opportunities for growth-oriented investors, at least in my view. The company’s strategic positioning in the high-demand supply chain tech space, combined with strong fundamentals and a history of innovation, makes it a standout choice in the Canadian stock market.Amazon investing another $10 billion in Ohio-based data centersNEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams appears open to switching parties to become a Republican, as he declined to rule out a future change in political allegiances during a pair of interviews Friday that came as he has increasing warmed to President-elect Donald Trump. The comments from Adams, the top Democrat in one of the country's most liberal cities, riled critics who have grown concerned over the mayor's increasing willingness to throw his support behind Trump and his hardline immigration policies.

Zach Kittley finalizing agreement to take over as Florida Atlantic coach, AP source saysSOUTHERN PINES, N.C., Dec. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- First Bank proudly continues its commitment to community with the successful completion of its 2nd annual companywide food drive. This year, employees, customers and friends from across the Carolinas and in over 110 First Bank locations joined forces to collect 21,750 pounds of food given to over 90 agencies and/or organizations for families in need throughout the community. In addition to addressing food insecurity, First Bank has awarded $319,229 in grants to local nonprofits and schools through the Power of Good Grants throughout 2024 with a total of over $640,000 in philanthropic giving, further solidifying its role as a vital partner in uplifting the communities it serves. The Power of Good Food Drive was held from November 1 – November 30 in honor of Sharon Shaw Adams, a First Bank associate, who passed away in January 2023. Sharon was a Service Excellence champion, the highest level of distinction in First Bank culture, for being an example employee that goes above and beyond. Sharon was a dedicated collector of food items and a relentless warrior against food insecurity. Her passion and commitment to alleviating hunger inspired us all. By organizing this food drive we not only remember her legacy but also carry forward her selfless spirit to combat this pressing issue. First Bank President, Adam Currie, said of the drive, "Sharon was a phenomenal associate and human. For our second year we are using this food drive to show our appreciation and admiration for her legacy, helping those in our communities. We are so proud to have increased our collections, year over year, and we hope this shows that First Bank is committed to caring for our communities in more ways than just providing banking." In the 4th Quarter, First Bank awarded its third set of grant funds in 2024 to 40 nonprofits or schools in order to help continue the excellent work they do, totaling $90,000. The recipients for this round include: Central NC Charlotte Area Western NC Elizabeth Cashwell Elementary School Claire's Army Inc. Asheville GreenWorks Scotland Family Counseling Center Community Care Clinic of Rowan County Brush Creek Elementary School TEAMWORKZ Community Foundations CDC, Inc. Harmony Methodist Church ESL Program Uwharrie Charter Academy Food for Days No Wrong Door for Support and Recovery Rowan Helping Ministries Saluda Pop-Up Pantry Thomasville Community Ministry Inc, dba Cooperative Community Ministry The Council on Aging for Henderson County Western NC Community Health Services Triangle Area Triad Area Florence, SC Area Designed for Joy Bold 2 B U Community Created to Serve Helping Education Growing the Distance, Inc Greater Florence Habitat for Humanity Holly Springs Food Cupboard Hopefulls, Inc Lydia's Bowels of Mercy Home, Inc Meals on Wheels Durham Sister Circle International The Farm at Florence The Joel Fund Upstate & Midlands SC Wilmington Area Eastern NC Center for Developmental Services (CDS) paws4people foundation Beaufort County Community College Foundation Coffee and Cupboard St.Jude's MCC Jacksonville Performing Arts Teen Outreach HOPE Missions of the Upstate The Carousel Center The Partnership for Children of Wayne County Upstate Warrior Solution Learn more about the GOOD being done in the community by First Bank at www.LocalFirstBank.com/Power-of-Good . About us: First Bank is the banking subsidiary of First Bancorp and is headquartered in Southern Pines, North Carolina, with total assets of approximately $12.1 billion. As a state-chartered community bank, First Bank operates 113 bank branches in North Carolina and South Carolina and a nationwide SBA platform. Since 1935, First Bank has taken a tailored approach to banking, combining best-in-class financial solutions, helpful local expertise, and technology to manage a home or business. First Bancorp's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "FBNC." Visit our website at www.LocalFirstBank.com . Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-bank-brings-communities-together-with-2nd-annual-food-drive-and-local-grant-support-302334091.html SOURCE First Bank

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Gearstd Is ZIM Integrated A Buy After The Ex-Dividend Date? We previously covered ZIM Integrated Shipping (NYSE: NYSE: ZIM ) in October 2024, discussing why we had upgraded the stock to a speculative buy for dividend oriented investors, thanks to Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. The analysis is provided exclusively for informational purposes and should not be considered professional investment advice. Before investing, please conduct personal in-depth research and utmost due diligence, as there are many risks associated with the trade, including capital loss. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.Michigan fans mock VP-elect Vance after alma mater Ohio State's upset loss to Michigan

Shopping on Shein and Temu for holiday gifts? You're not the only one

Israel's attorney general has ordered an investigation of Sara Netanyahu, wife of the prime minister, on suspicion of harassing political opponents and a witness in her husband's corruption trial. Gali Baharav-Miara provided little information in making the announcement late Thursday but said the investigation will focus on a report by a TV investigative program, , reports. Her husband released a video earlier in the day to counter the allegations. In it, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the program as "false propaganda, nasty propaganda that brings up lies from the darkness," per the . "My opponents on the left and in the media found a new-old target. They mercilessly attack my wife, Sara," he said. The program obtained WhatsApp messages in which Sara Netanyahu appears to tell a former aide to organize protests against political foes and to intimidate Hadas Klein, a witness in her husband's trial on charges of fraud, breach of trust, and bribery. Allies of the prime minister also criticized the investigation order. "Selective enforcement is a crime," Justice Minister Yariv Levin said in a statement. (More stories.)

Multan [Pakistan], November 24 (ANI): Pver 1200 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers, including members of national and provincial assemblies, were in the Multan division of Pakistan, as the former Prime Minister Imran Khan-founded party was gearing up for its massive nationwide protests. Around 1257 workers have been detained, with over 200 detained while marching towards Islamabad in response to the party's call, as reported by ARY News. Also Read | India's Image Now Transformed Into World's 'Deep Tech Hub' From 'IT Outsourcing Centre' Due to Government's Reforms: Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. Those detained include leaders such as Zain Qureshi, Amir Doggar, Nadeem Qureshi, Waseem Badozai, Moinuddin Qureshi, and Rana Tufail Noon. The arrests were made near Qadirpur Raan, where PTI members of the assembly and other leaders and workers had gathered to start their march towards Islamabad from outside a local hotel. Also Read | Chinese Man Sues Company He Worked at for 20 Years After He Was Fired for Sleeping at Desk, Awarded INR 40 Lakh in Compensation. According to the ARY news, the arrests were made while PTI leaders were leading a convoy to Islamabad for the protest on Sunday. The arrests were made amid heightened political tensions and preparations for PTI protests across the country. Authorities have sealed the entry and exit points of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, and police conducted raids throughout the night to detain party workers. PTI had announced to hold a countrywide protest on Sunday on the call of its founder, Imran Khan. The party has been actively preparing for this protest, despite the government's efforts to prevent it. Police conducted raids throughout the night in a crackdown against party workers. Notably, mobile and internet services are expected to remain suspended in several areas of Pakistan, especially in Islamabad, ARY News reported. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said that mobile internet services will be halted starting November 22, with firewalls being implemented to reduce internet speeds and disrupt access to social media apps. The sources also indicated that authorities could shut down internet and mobile services in certain areas based on the evolving situation. Earlier, Section 144 was imposed in Rawalpindi due to reports of potential unrest ahead of a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest. This decision was made during a district intelligence committee meeting chaired by Rawalpindi DC Hassan Waqar Cheem. The notification stated that public gatherings, rallies, and assemblies of more than four people have been prohibited in Rawalpindi due to reports of potential 'unrest,' 'extremism,' and 'terrorism.' The decision came in the wake of Imran Khan's call for nationwide protests on November 24. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)The Los Angeles Chargers activated running back J.K. Dobbins from injured reserve on Friday. Dobbins is formally listed as questionable but figures to be the team's top running threat for Saturday's road game against the New England Patriots. Teammate Gus Edwards (ankle) was ruled out Thursday. Dobbins has missed the past four games since sustaining a knee injury against the Baltimore Ravens on Nov. 25. He was a full practice participant Thursday before receiving the questionable label. The injury-prone Dobbins was enjoying a solid season prior to the knee ailment, with 766 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground and 28 receptions for 134 yards in 11 games. His career high for rushing yardage is 805 for the Ravens in 2020. Dobbins' return comes with the Chargers (9-6) just one win from clinching an AFC wild-card playoff spot. Los Angeles also elevated safeties Eddie Jackson and Kendall Williamson from the practice squad. --Field Level Media

Biden calls for Assad to be 'held accountable'

Surprising Surge: Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Shocks InvestorsShopping on Shein and Temu for holiday gifts? You're not the only one

His name is Dr. Osatohanmwen Osemwengie, the Nigerian-born genius, better known as the ‘American Drone Builder’. He is also described as “an academic juggernaut” boasting of four PhDs and seven Masters Degrees in the areas of robotics and engineering. Since he relocated to the United States in the ‘80s he has become an indispensable asset to the American Armed Forces; shaping the country’s future in military technology. That is according to the ‘Africa Giant’ online portal. In addition, he played a pivotal role in the innovation and production of the Mars Curiosity Rover, which has been exploring the rugged terrains of Planet Mars and unraveling the Martian mysteries long after it was set in motion. Not done, he is currently immersed in developing a military game collision avoidance software for drones. As aptly stated in the portal, “the next time you see a drone zipping across the sky, remember Osemwengie.” Now you understand why he is ranked as one of the most educated minds on Planet Earth and why his people refer to him as the ‘Edo Pride’. But has Nigeria, as a country benefitted from the hi-tech products of his creative ingenuity? That is the billion-dollar question. Yet, there is more to worry about. For instance, only recently, a 12 year-old Nigerian-born girl, Eniola Shokunbi currently in Connecticut, USA designed an air filter to reduce the spread of air – borne diseases in US schools. The unit is constructed using a simple combination of components: a box fan, four furnace filters, duct tape, and cardboard. In her fifth grade at Commodore MacDonough STEM Academy in Middletown, they were tasked with creating a solution to enhance safety in schools during potential future pandemics. Therefore, to combat airborne viruses like COVID-19, she developed a simple but effective air filter system. “Shokunbi’s air filter design showcases both innovation and cost-effectiveness”. The piece of good news is that the Connecticut State Bond Commission approved $11.5 million in funding for the design. But a similar question remains: Will Nigeria benefit from the air filter? The answer is hanging in the wind. It would be recalled that back in June 2023 one was thrilled with the piece of news that three Nigerian lecturers, Dr. Aliyu Isa Aliyu, Tukur Abdulkadir Sulaiman and Abdullahi Yusuf were listed among the top 2% most-cited scientists in the world. That was a few years after another Nigerian-born Silas Adekunle became the youngest and richest robotics engineer in the world, then at the age of 26. As reflected in my related opinion essay urging the government to take note of such sterling achievements, not left out of the praise-worthy exploits of Nigerian-born scientists, inventors, engineers, innovators, lawyers and entrepreneurs is the interesting fact that Nigerian doctors, nurses, hi-tech entrepreneurs rank amongst the best and highest in number in the United States(US). The million-naira question this soul-lifting scenario raises is that why for instance, are we still grappling with lack of stable electric power supply, as the national grid keeps collapsing one month after another? What is responsible for the absence of good access roads, functional and well-equipped hospitals and an educational delivery system to cater for our myriad of challenges? That is where the leadership question comes in. “Truth be told, we have gotten to a point when governments and institutions should charge our scientists and technologists-both at home and abroad-to find solutions to many of our persisting economic challenges, with mouth-watering prizes to the bargain” – Oyoze Baje (April, 2023) It is worthy of note that yours truly made a passionate appeal to Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, as Acting President in February 2017 to consider constituting a Presidential Committee on Impact Creativity. It was through my opinion essay titled: ‘Making the Best Use of Our Best Brains.’ The aim is to bring together the creative works of our inventors, innovators, top scientists/technologists, thinkers, artists and geniuses-both at home and in the Diaspora- to maximally benefit the technological and economic landscape of the country. Such exists in the United Kingdom, the United States, India, China, Cuba and even Brazil where there are deliberate polices for massive funding of researches and their implementation. The governments-both federal and states- should have credible data on these great achievers and their products. Truth be told, governments and institutions should charge our scientists and technologists to find solutions to many of our persisting economic challenges with mouth-watering prizes to the bargain. For instance, in 1795 the French military offered a cash prize of 12,000 francs for a new method, to preserve food which Appert won in January 1810. The private sector should not be left out. How would it feel should Dangote have a prize for solutions to pot-hole riddled roads? His colleagues in more developed countries are already thinking ahead, on who and what would take over from Sean Parker, Mark Zuckerberg and Evan Spiegel. One billionaire called Peter Thiel has a Foundation that gives out $100,000(dollars) each to young inventors. Out of the over 122 beneficiaries, the most notable is James Proud. His ingenious product called ‘Sense’ is a small hardware gadget worth $149 that monitors how well the buyer sleeps. It has been discovered that the quality of our sleep affects our health and longevity. As patriots who believe in the greatness of ‘One Nigeria’, we are proud to be associated with names of Professors Philip Emeagwali, Gabriel Oyibo, Samuel Achilefu, Babajide Alo and Ayodele Olaiya. They ring a loud and crisp-clear bell in the hallowed halls of creativity, globally. Others include Col. Oviemo Ovadje (Retd), Jelani Aliyu, Brino Gilbert, Shehu Saleh Balami, Saheed Adepoju, to name a few. But Nigeria has not benefited much from their immense intellectual resources. Yet, the fault is not theirs but that of our policy makers. For instance, Emeagwali is regarded as one of the Founding Fathers of the Internet. For his feats, he was awarded the prestigious Gordon Bell Prize normally reserved for 18 scientists. He has been able to use super computers to see the inside of oil fields with greater accuracy. With such, he states that if only one per cent more oil is extracted, it pays for itself as it amounts to billions of dollars! But has Nigeria, an oil-producing country leveraged on his great discovery? The answer is obvious. On his part, Gabriel Oyibo, the Kogi State-born engineer, mathematician, researcher and physicist has done what Albert Einstein could not achieve for thirty years! In 2002 he successfully solved the Grand Unification Field Theory. For that he was allegedly nominated for the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2002 and 2003. But has Nigeria recognized or utilized his technological breakthroughs? I am afraid, not. In a similar vein, Nigeria has not benefited from Prof. Samuel Achilefu’s invention. His is the ground-breaking development of a set of high-tech, cancer-visualizing goggles which assist surgeons to see cancer cells in real-time while operating on patients. It won him the prestigious St. Louis Award in 2014. With all these outstanding global achievements in various fields of human endeavor and given our God-given, rich and vast natural resources Nigeria has no reason to be at the bottom rung of the Human Development Index(HDI), as well as among the world capital of persisting poverty. A more creative approach to governance and pragmatic synergy with the best of our brains will place Nigeria amongst the best in the world of science and hi-technology.If you're buzzing to get cracking with the Christmas pressies or just need to stock up the booze cabinet, Amazon's Black Friday sale has got you covered. Amazon is serving up a humongous 1.5L bottle of - that's down from £53.20. This legendary Irish nectar, famed for being triple distilled, delivers one smooth sip after another and has matured for at least four years. Whether you want to drink it neat, chuck it over rocks, or mix it into cocktails like an old fashioned, this massive bottle will sort you out for any festive events. Customers on Amazon can't get enough of , issuing an average score of 4.7 out of 5 based on 138 reviews. "You can not do wrong with this beautiful tasting whisky with a lovely aroma and smooth as silk and for the price when on offer this is a marvellous drink, best drunk neat with a little ice," raved one buyer. Another described it as a "great whisky" adding, "Love the taste of this Irish beauty.", reports . A third simply put it, "Just what the doctor ordered". While Amazon is typically flooded with positive reviews, a few more critical comments can be found on Sainsbury's site, where a 70cl whisky bottle retails for £25. One customer remarked, "Not bad for cocktails, but don't like it with ice. Smooth and oaky," while another noted a "hint of bitterness" in the drink. If you're pondering over a gift, Marks and Spencer offers the elegantly packaged Collection Islay Single Malt Whisky Gift for £50. Alternatively, if you have a preference for Irish whisky, the Bushmills 10 Year Old Irish Malt Whisky is available at Sainsbury's for £37.

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Trudeau, Carney push back over Trump's ongoing 51st state comments OTTAWA — Two senior members of the federal cabinet were in Florida Friday pushing Canada's new border plan with Donald Trump's transition team, a day after Trudeau himself appeared to finally push back at the president-elect over his social media pos Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press Dec 27, 2024 12:00 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly, centre, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, right, and Dominic LeBlanc participate in a news conference in Ottawa, on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. LeBlanc and Joly are in Florida to meet with officials from President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang Listen to this article 00:01:24 OTTAWA — Two senior members of the federal cabinet were in Florida Friday pushing Canada's new border plan with Donald Trump's transition team, a day after Trudeau himself appeared to finally push back at the president-elect over his social media posts about turning Canada into the 51st state. Both Trudeau and former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, who Trudeau has been courting to become Canada's next finance minister, shared posts on X Thursday, a day after Trump's latest jab at Canada in his Christmas Day message. It isn't clear if Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who has repeatedly insisted Trump's 51st state references are a joke, will raise the issue with Trump's team when he and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly meet with them in Palm Beach. The two are there to discuss Canada's new $1.3 billion border plan with just under four weeks left before Trump is sworn in again as president. He has threatened to impose a new 25 per cent import tariff on Canada and Mexico the same day over concerns about a trade imbalance, as well as illegal drugs and migration issues at the borders. The broad strokes of Canada's plan were made public Dec. 17, including a new aerial intelligence task force to provide round-the-clock surveillance of the border, and improved efforts using technology and canine teams to seek out drugs in shipments leaving Canada LeBlanc's spokesman, Jean-Sébastien Comeau, said the ministers will also emphasize the negative impacts of Trump's threatened tariffs on both Canada and the U.S. Comeau said the ministers will build on the discussions that took place last month when Trudeau and LeBlanc met Trump at Mar-a-Lago just days after Trump first made his tariff threat. It was at that dinner on Nov. 29 when Trump first raised the notion of Canada becoming the 51st state, a comment LeBlanc has repeatedly since insisted was just a joke. But Trump has continued the quip repeatedly in various social media posts, including in his Christmas Day message when he said Canadians would pay lower taxes and have better military protection if they became Americans. He has taken to calling Trudeau "governor" instead of prime minister. Trudeau had not directly responded to any of the jabs, but on Thursday posted a link to a six-minute long video on YouTube from 2010 in which American journalist Tom Brokaw "explains Canada to Americans." The video, which originally aired during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, explains similarities between the two countries, including their founding based on immigration, their trading relationship and the actions of the Canadian Army in World War 2 and other modern conflicts. "In the long history of sovereign neighbours there has never been a relationship as close, productive and peaceful as the U.S. and Canada," Brokaw says in the video. Trudeau did not expand about why he posted a link to the video, posting it only with the words "some information about Canada for Americans." Carney, who is at the centre of some of Trudeau's recent domestic political troubles, also called out Trump's antics on X Thursday, calling it "casual disrespect" and "carrying the 'joke' too far." "Time to call it out, stand up for Canada, and build a true North American partnership," said Carney, who Trudeau was courting to join his cabinet before Chrystia Freeland resigned as finance minister last week. Freeland's sudden departure, three days after Trudeau informed her he would be firing her as finance minister in favour of Carney, left Trudeau's leadership even more bruised than it already was. Despite the expectation Carney would assume the role, he did not and has not made any statements about it. LeBlanc was sworn in as finance minister instead the same day Freeland quit. More than two dozen Liberal MPs have publicly called on Trudeau to resign as leader, and Trudeau is said to be taking the holidays to think about his next steps. He is currently vacationing in British Columbia. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 27, 2024. Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message More National News After cold, snowy Christmas, temperatures to rise across southern Quebec for new year Dec 27, 2024 10:48 AM Gerry Butts says Trudeau less likely to remain leader since Freeland quit Dec 27, 2024 9:52 AM Tugboats, crews try to refloat ship stuck in St. Lawrence River near Montreal Dec 27, 2024 9:40 AM Featured FlyerSANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Dan Campbell stood at the podium after Detroit blew a 17-point lead to San Francisco in last season's NFC title game and talked about how that might have been the Lions' only shot at reaching the Super Bowl. The coach knew how difficult it would be to maintain that high level of play through injuries, attrition and with a target on their back as a top contender in the NFC. Eleven months later as Campbell and the Lions prepare to return to Levi's Stadium for the first time since that loss , that has proved to be prophetic — for San Francisco instead of Detroit. The Lions (13-2) head into the rematch Monday night with the inside track at the top seed in the NFC playoffs, while the 49ers (6-9) have already been eliminated from postseason contention . The element of revenge for last season's 34-31 loss is secondary for Detroit, considering what's on the line the last two weeks of the season. The Lions can clinch the top seed in the NFC by winning their final two games or with a win against the Niners if Minnesota loses to Green Bay on Sunday. “Anytime we lose, the thought of losing is going to motivate you to not want to lose again, particularly with where you were at,” Campbell said. “So, that’s always going to bring its own level of motivation to it. But this is where we’re at in the season, we know that we need another win, we understand where we’re at in the division and the NFC, so I think it’s all encompassing.” While the Lions have no need to search for motivation, that's not the case for the 49ers, who are playing out the string of a lost season after making losing back-to-back NFC title games in 2021-22 and the Super Bowl last season. A run of injuries to key players like Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams, Nick Bosa and Brandon Aiyuk, combined with inconsistent play all season have led to the 49ers having nothing to play for in the final two games. “It’s obviously not where you want to be this time of year,” Bosa said. "It’s different, especially watching where we’re at last year against this team. Just that feeling of December, January football is a feeling that I’ve gotten used to being really competitive and being in the mix. I think we’re doing a good job of staying engaged and obviously this is our job, so we’re going to finish it strong. Detroit’s faith in Jameson Williams is paying off, taking advantage of his game-breaking abilities with big plays. Jared Goff heaved an 82-yard touchdown pass over Williams’ shoulders and into his hands in last week’s win at Chicago. Earlier this season, Goff threw 70-, 64- and 52-yard passes for scores to the third-year receiver. “We work on it a ton, him and I do, and it’s a testament to him,” Goff said. “He’s asking for it. He wants that work, and I’m more than happy to give it to him during the week. It’s good. Our connection continues to grow. He’s obviously one of the best deep threats in our league, even when it’s not perfect.” The 49ers head into the game scrambling to put together an offensive line. Williams has been out for more than a month with an ankle injury and his backup at left tackle, Jaylon Moore, is now sidelined by a quadriceps injury. Left guard Aaron Banks injured his knee last week, while his backup Ben Bartch is already out with an ankle injury. That will leave the Niners with two third-stringers protecting Brock Purdy. But Shanahan said he isn’t thinking of sitting Purdy to protect him. “People deal with that throughout the year on other weeks, too,” he said. “I mean, we’ve got a football team. We’ve got to go out and we’ve got two games here and we’ve got to see what guys we can put out there and whatever we do we’re going to put a game plan together to, as best as we can to give us a chance to win.” Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who may have a chance for the second straight offseason to be an NFL head coach, routinely pulls off trick plays and his latest was a doozy. Goff intentionally stumbled after taking a snap and Jahmyr Gibbs went to the ground as their teammates yelled, “fumble,” to fool the Bears on a 21-yard touchdown pass to Sam LaPorta. “Those make you feel good because everybody is invested in it,” Campbell said. “It’s fun. It’s different. It’s sound. “I know it sounds crazy, but it’s sound.” San Francisco kicker Jake Moody is having a rough second season after being drafted in the third round a year ago. Moody has missed seven field goals this season, including a 41-yarder last week at Miami. Moody is just 10 for 16 since coming back from a high ankle sprain in his kicking foot, but Shanahan said he still has confidence in him. “I still feel the same about him, that I believe he’ll be our guy,” Shanahan said. "I mean everyone’s got to perform and do things like that. I think he has had a tough year. Before his high ankle sprain, he missed one. ... I think he was 12 of 13 before that, so I thought he was doing really well." AP Sports Writer Larry Lage contributed to this report. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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NoneOlivia Olson scored 18 points, including eight straight to open the fourth quarter, as the No. 23 Michigan Wolverines survived a 60-54 scare from the Northwestern Wildcats in the Big Ten opener for each team in Ann Arbor, Mich. Northwestern (4-4, 0-1 Big Ten) led throughout the third quarter and took a four-point lead into the fourth, but Olson capped her 8-0 burst with a 3-pointer, and Syla Swords also nailed a trey to put the Wolverines (8-1, 1-0) ahead 50-44. Michigan has won eight straight games since opening the season with a six-point loss to then-No. 1 South Carolina. Caileigh Walsh's 3-pointer put the Wildcats back in front 53-52 with 3:36 to go. Michigan responded by scoring eight of the game's last nine points, six by Jordan Hobbs. Hobbs finished with 16 points and teammate Mila Holloway had 10. Kyla Jones led Northwestern with 14 points and Walsh notched 10 before fouling out. No. 4 Texas 93, James Madison 62 Madison Booker, Jordan Lee and Rori Harmon dominated the first half as the Longhorns clobbered the host Dukes in Harrisonburg, Va. Booker scored 21 points, Lee added 20 and Harmon 19 by combining on 25-of-33 shooting. They had 49 of their points in the first half as Texas (7-1) piled up a 58-29 halftime lead. The Longhorns, who entered seventh in the nation in scoring at 90 points per game, shot 54 percent for the game to 40 percent for the Dukes. Roshala Scott led James Madison (7-3) with 22 points and Peyton McDaniel and Ashanti Barnes had 12 apiece. McDaniel added eight rebounds for the Dukes, who had 24 turnovers. No. 10 Notre Dame 93, Syracuse 62 The Fighting Irish pulled away from a seven-point halftime lead to demolish the host Orange in the ACC opener for both schools. The trio of Sonia Citron, Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles led Notre Dame's win with double-doubles. Citron had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Hidalgo racked up 24 and 10, respectively, and Miles shone with 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Hidalgo, third in Division I in scoring (24.6 ppg), netted nine points and Citron had eight in the third quarter, as Notre Dame (7-2, 1-0 ACC) outscored Syracuse (4-6, 0-1) 29-13 to pull away. Keira Scott posted 16 points and Sophie Burrows tacked on 13 for the Orange, who shot only 32.5 percent. The Irish shot 50 percent and thrived despite 20 turnovers. No. 16 North Carolina 72, Coppin State 46 The Tar Heels built a comfortable halftime lead and used its bench players freely in devouring the Eagles in Chapel Hill, N.C. North Carolina (9-1) entered second-best in the nation in scoring defense at 49.1 points per game and excelled again, holding Coppin State to 27.3 percent shooting. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels shot 44.4 percent while having 12 players enter the scoring column, led by Maria Gakdeng's 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Reniya Kelly scored six of her eight points in the first quarter as North Carolina took a 23-13 lead. The Tar Heels grew the lead to 46-27 by intermission. Tiffany Hammond and Angel Jones scored 12 points apiece for Coppin State (6-5), and Laila Lawrence added 10 points with 10 rebounds. No. 18 Ole Miss 85, Tennessee State 38 The Rebels had more points by halftime than the Lady Tigers scored in the game after jumping out to a 14-2 lead in the first quarter and 44-19 by intermission. Kennedy Todd-Williams led Ole Miss (6-3) with 15 points and seven rebounds, and Sira Thienou added 12 and six, respectively. The Rebels shot 46 percent for the game. Ole Miss began the day seventh in the nation in scoring defense at 49.8 points allowed per game, and it punished Tennessee State to the tune of 23.6 percent shooting and 22 forced turnovers. XaiOnna Whitfield led the Lady Tigers (4-6) with 10 points. No. 20 Iowa State 82, Central Michigan 56 Audi Crooks scored 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting and added 10 rebounds as the Cyclones slammed the Chippewas in Ames, Iowa. Emily Ryan netted 10 of her 12 points in the first quarter and Crooks scored nine in the period as Iowa State (8-2) jumped out to a 31-13 lead and enjoyed a cushion of at least 18 points the rest of the way. Addy Brown added 18 points for the Cyclones, who shot 52.5 percent and rolled despite having 20 turnovers. Jayda Mosley led Central Michigan (3-6) with 11 points and Madi Morson and Ayanna-Sarai Darrington added 10 apiece. The Chippewas shot only 33.3 percent from the floor and had 26 turnovers. No. 24 Michigan State 89, DePaul 61 The unbeaten Spartans put four scorers in double figures as they systematically disposed of the Blue Demons in East Lansing, Mich. Jaddan Simmons finished with 18 points, five rebounds and five assists, and Julia Ayrault stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals for Michigan State (9-0). Emma Shumate and Jocelyn Tate had 12 and 10 points, respectively. Jorie Allen put up 15 points, 11 boards, seven assists and three steals and Grace Carstensen also notched 15 points for DePaul (3-7), which shot just 28.8 percent despite hitting 9 of 18 of its 3-point attempts. The Spartans led by seven after one quarter and 17 at halftime before coasting through the second half. No. 25 Nebraska 84, Minnesota 65 Strong first quarters by Callin Hake and Amiah Hargrove sent the Cornhuskers on their way to pinning the first loss on the Golden Gophers in the Big Ten Conference opener for each team. Hake scored eight of her 11 points in the first period and Hargrove eight of her 10 as Nebraska (8-1, 1-0 Big Ten) seized a 27-11 lead and never looked back. Hargrove scored eight of the Cornhuskers' 10 straight points to end the quarter. Alberte Rimdal led the winners with 12 points and Alexis Markowski added 11 with nine rebounds. Mallory Heyer collected 12 points and eight rebounds for Minnesota (10-1, 0-1). Tori McKinney scored 11 points and Grace Crocholski and Alexsia Rose 10 apiece, but the Golden Gophers hit just 35.2 percent of their shots. --Field Level Media

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What’s New in Digital Equity: All BEAD Proposals ApprovedAn archbishop's knock formally restores Notre Dame to life as winds howl and heads of state look on49jili slot 。

Syrian insurgents reach the capital's suburbs. Worried residents flee and stock up on supplies BEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents’ stunning march across Syria is gaining speed with news that they have reached the suburbs of the capital of Damascus. The government on Saturday was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The rebels’ moves around Damascus were reported by an opposition war monitor and a rebel commander. They came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including two provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions. The factions are by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. An archbishop's knock formally restores Notre Dame to life as winds howl and heads of state look on PARIS (AP) — France’s iconic Notre Dame Cathedral has formally reopened its doors for the first time since a devastating fire nearly destroyed the 861-year-old landmark in 2019. The five-year restoration is widely seen as a boost for French President Emmanuel Macron, who championed the ambitious timeline, and brings a welcome respite from his domestic political woes. World leaders, dignitaries, and worshippers gathered on Saturday evening for the celebrations under the cathedral's soaring arches. The celebration was attended by 1,500 dignitaries, including President-elect Donald Trump, Britain’s Prince William, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. For Catholics, Notre Dame’s rector said the cathedral “carries the enveloping presence of the Virgin Mary, a maternal and embracing presence.′′ Trump is welcomed by Macron to Paris with presidential pomp and joined by Zelenskyy for their talks PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron has welcomed Donald Trump to Paris with a full dose of presidential pomp. And they held a hastically-arranged meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a day that's mixing pageantry with attention to pressing global problems. The president-elect's visit to France is part of a global a celebration of the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral five years after a devastating fire. Macron and other European leaders are trying to win Trump’s favor and persuade him to maintain support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s invasion. Trump isn't back in office but he's already pushing his agenda and negotiating with world leaders NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump is making threats, traveling abroad, and negotiating with world leaders. He has more than a month-and-a-half to go before he’s sworn in for a second term. But the president-elect is already moving aggressively to not only fill his Cabinet and outline policy goals, but also to try to achieve his priorities. In recent days, Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, two of the country’s largest trading partners. That led to emergency calls and a visit. And he's warned of “ALL HELL TO PAY” if Hamas doesn't release the hostages still being held captive in Gaza. South Korea's president avoids an impeachment attempt over short-lived martial law SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol has avoided an opposition-led attempt to impeach him over his short-lived imposition of martial law. Most of Yoon's ruling party lawmakers boycotted a parliamentary vote Saturday to deny a two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers. The scrapping of the motion is expected to intensify protests calling for Yoon’s ouster and deepen political chaos in South Korea. A survey suggests a majority of South Koreans support the president’s impeachment. Yoon’s martial law declaration drew criticism from his own ruling conservative People Power Party. But the party also apparently fears losing the presidency to liberals. Days after gunman killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO, police push to ID him and FBI offers reward NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly four days after the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, police still do not know the gunman’s name or whereabouts or have a motive for the killing. But they have made some progress in their investigation into Wednesday's killing of the leader of the largest U.S. health insurer, including that the gunman likely left New York City on a bus soon after fleeing the scene. The also found that the gunman left something behind: a backpack that was discovered in Central Park. Police are working with the FBI, which on Friday night announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. UnitedHealthcare CEO's shooting opens a door for many to vent frustrations over insurance The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare's CEO has opened the door for many people to vent their frustrations and anger over the insurance industry. The feelings of exasperation, anger, resentment, and helplessness toward insurers aren’t new. But the shooting and the headlines around it have unleashed a new wave of patients sharing such sentiments and personal stories of interactions with insurance companies. Conversations at dinner tables, office water coolers, social gatherings and on social media have pivoted to the topic. Many say they hope the new amplified voices can bring about change for companies often accused of valuing profits over people. 2 Pearl Harbor survivors, ages 104 and 102, return to Hawaii to honor those killed in 1941 attack PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) — The bombing of Pearl Harbor 83 years ago launched the United States into World War II. Two survivors returned to the Hawaii military base on Saturday for a remembrance ceremony on the attack's anniversary. Both are over 100 years old. They joined active-duty troops, veterans and members of the public for an observance hosted by the Navy and the National Park Service. A third survivor was planning to join them but had to cancel due to health issues. The bombing killed more than 2,300 U.S. servicemen. An explosion destroys an apartment block in a Dutch city, killing at least 3 and injuring others THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — An explosion and fire has rocked a neighborhood in the Dutch city of The Hague, killing three people and injuring other people and destroying several apartments. The cause of the disaster is unclear. Emergency authorities said four people were rescued from the rubble and taken to the hospital. The mayor said rescuers were no longer looking for survivors but for eventual bodies, but could not specify how many people might still be unaccounted for. Residents of the northeastern neighborhood of Mariahoeve in The Hague heard a huge bang and screams before dawn. Dutch authorities have deployed a specialized urban search and rescue team to find victims. How 'Mufasa' rose with Aaron Pierre and Blue Ivy's voices along with new Lin-Manuel Miranda music SAN DIEGO (AP) — When Aaron Pierre was cast as Mufasa, the weight of following in the late James Earl Jones’ legendary footsteps was enough to rattle any actor. But instead of letting the pressure roar too loudly, he harnessed his nerves to breathe fresh life into his young lion character. Pierre found parallels between himself and his character while filming his leading role in “Mufasa: The Lion King,” which opens in theaters Dec. 20. He took the reigns as the new voice of Mufasa after Jones played the iconic King Mufasa in both the 1994 and 2019 versions of Disney’s “The Lion King.” The prequel offers a fresh exploration into Mufasa’s origin story.

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Texans who worked with Jimmy Carter remembered him as a principled and compassionate leader — the last Democrat to win the state in a presidential election. Carter died Sunday afternoon at his Georgia home at age 100. The peanut farmer turned politician was praised for philanthropic efforts that continued well into his ninth decade after a single-term presidency that began with his 1976 defeat of Republican President Gerald Ford. “He’s exactly the kind of human being that needs to be president,” John Pouland, Carter’s state coordinator for the 1976 Democratic primary, said soon after learning that Carter would receive hospice care. “He lived the life that he felt was the right way to live as a Christian.” Born and raised in Plains, Georgia, Carter actively served in the Navy for eight years before returning to his home state to take over the family’s peanut-growing business after his father’s death in 1953. Carter went on to serve in the Georgia Senate and as governor before winning the 1976 presidential election. Texas’ 26 electoral votes helped put Carter over the top, a victory he couldn’t repeat in his landslide loss to Republican Ronald Reagan in 1980. Carter became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Brownsville during a campaign stop in the closing days of the 1980 election season. He praised the area’s farmland, viewed during a low-altitude plane trip from Houston; extolled his record on education; and boasted about appointing more than 200 Hispanic Americans to senior positions, “more than any other previous administration in history.” With the polls pointing toward defeat, his speech in Brownsville also veered into the philosophical, with Carter speaking about the burden of making “the final judgment in the loneliness of the Oval Office.” “Sometimes it has been a lonely job, but with the involvement of the American people, it’s also a gratifying job,” he said in the Nov. 1, 1980, speech. He ended up losing Texas by nearly 14 percentage points, starting a losing streak for Democratic nominees that has lasted through the next 10 presidential elections. A pair of Texans may have played a part in that defeat. In 1980, former Texas Gov. John B. Connally Jr., ran for the Republican nomination to challenge Carter. When Connally lost, he threw his support behind GOP nominee Ronald Reagan. That summer, Connally and former Texas Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes took a trip to the Middle East, meeting with heads of state in various capitals. In the midst of the campaign, the Carter administration was embroiled in the Iranian Hostage Crisis, in which 52 Americans were held captive in Iran. Nightly news of the crisis strained Carter's support and left him vulnerable to charges of ineptitude. During the trip, according to Barnes, Connally told the Middle Eastern leaders to deliver a message to Iran that Reagan would give them a better deal if they waited to release the hostages until after the election. Barnes kept silent about the trip for decades, only revealing it to the New York Times in March after it was announced that Carter had entered hospice care. Connally died in 1993. Connally told an Arab leader in their first meeting, “‘Look, Ronald Reagan’s going to be elected president and you need to get the word to Iran that they’re going to make a better deal with Reagan than they are Carter,’” Barnes told the Times. “He said, ‘It would be very smart for you to pass the word to the Iranians to wait until after this general election is over.’ And boy, I tell you, I’m sitting there and I heard it and so now it dawns on me, I realize why we’re there.” Former Carter aides have speculated that they might have won if they had returned the hostages before the election. The 52 Americans were released on the day Reagan took office. Texans were introduced to Carter in the 1976 Democratic primary, when he faced U.S. Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, a politically established Texan. “The ‘Jimmy who?’ line was not made up,” Pouland said. “We probably heard that refrain more than anything.” Carter defeated Bentsen — the Georgian was established as the party’s standard bearer by the time Texas held its primary — and Pouland attributed Carter’s success to his Navy service and Christian values, characteristics that appealed to Texas voters. freestar At the time, Texas was at the tail end of a century-long, post-Civil War era of domination by Democrats in state politics. There were 133 Democrats in the 150-member state House, and 28 in the 31-member state Senate. The most significant political divides were among liberal and conservative Democrats, not Democrats and Republicans. But in presidential politics, Republicans had made inroads. Richard Nixon had won the state by 33 percentage points four years earlier, breaking a streak for three straight Democratic victories. Carter won the state with 51% of the vote. But the state was changing fast as conservatives flocked to the GOP. The state elected its first Republican governor since Reconstruction, Bill Clements, two years after Carter was elected. Pouland said Carter served as a model for attracting moderate Southern Democrats, something former President Bill Clinton tried but failed to replicate. Garry Mauro, a former Texas land commissioner who worked for Carter’s 1976 presidential bid, remembered the candidate as genuine and earnest. Mauro said it never occurred to Carter to filter people out, and he didn’t restrict access to himself even as his campaign built momentum. Mauro recalled numerous occasions when he dialed a campaign number, only to have the candidate’s wife, Rosalynn Carter, answer the phone. “He really was the people’s president,” Mauro said. Carter’s influence on Texas Democrats was immense, reshaping the state party’s power base to accommodate new faces on his team, Mauro said. “Jimmy Carter empowered a whole new generation of leadership in Texas,” Mauro said. His many years in politics did not change Carter’s altruistic outlook, Pouland added, and Carter took an active role in advancing human rights through his nonprofit organization, the Carter Center, after leaving office. Carter, Pouland said, “went to his same church, worked on his same farm, kept his same friends and continued to live his life as an example for the very thing that he was an advocate of, and that was compassion.” Though Carter was the last Democrat presidential candidate to win Texas, his legacy is still evident in the party, said state Rep. John Bryant, D-Dallas. “He was committed to human rights and gave Democrats the confidence to be for human rights and for peace and for honesty in government,” said Bryant, who served as Carter’s campaign manager in Dallas County during Carter’s first presidential campaign. Bryant points to Carter’s post-presidential years as some of his most impactful. “Instead of serving on corporate boards, or making big speaking fees, or playing golf, he was going to Habitat for Humanity. He was at the [Carter Center]. And he wrote 30 books, the proceeds of which went to nonprofits,” Bryant said, adding that Carter was “just a great example for how to live a life devoted to the public interest. “He lived his faith. He practiced what he preached,” Bryant said. “That’s very important for the country to see that.” In August 2007, Carter joined South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu in calling Texas to stop the execution of Kenneth Foster, an inmate who was on death row for acting as the getaway driver during a killing. Then-Gov. Rick Perry commuted Foster’s sentence to life in prison hours before the execution was scheduled. After the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, Carter joined four other former presidents — Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Clinton and George H.W. Bush — in appealing for donations to help in the recovery. The effort raised more than $41 million in response to the costliest natural disaster of 2017, when extreme flooding in Houston and the surrounding area caused more than $125 billion in damage. Carter maintained his commitment to service through his life, helping to build and repair Dallas homes for Habitat for Humanity as a 90-year-old in 2014. “No matter what your faith may be, we are taught to share what we have with poor people,” he told The Dallas Morning News at the time. “It’s very difficult to cross that divide between people that have everything and people that have never had a decent house. Habitat makes it easy to cross that line.”Around 2.5 crore devotees likely to visit Ayodhya between Jan 13-Feb 12 after attending Maha KumbhJPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) Shares Purchased by Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Austin Seibert missed his second extra point of the game with 21 seconds left after Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin connected on an 86-yard touchdown, Juanyeh Thomas returned the ensuing onside kick attempt for a touchdown and the Dallas Cowboys pulled out a 34-26 victory Sunday that extended the Washington Commanders’ skid to three games. Seibert, who missed the previous two games with a right hip injury, was wide left on the point-after attempt following a low snap. Thomas then took the kick back 43 yards as the Cowboys (4-7) ended their losing streak at five in improbable fashion. Part of that was the play of backup Cooper Rush, who threw for 247 yards and two TDs in his third start in place of starter Dak Prescott. Part was also the defense forcing two turnovers, as Chauncey Golston ripped the ball out of Brian Robinson Jr.’s hands for what was called an interception of Daniels in the second quarter, and Donovan Wilson stripped John Bates midway through the fourth. KaVonte Turpin provided the fireworks with a spinning, 99-yard kickoff return TD seconds after Daniels found Zach Ertz in the end zone and scored on a 2-point conversion to cut the deficit to three with 3:02 left. In the final three minutes alone, the Commanders (7-5) scored 10 points and allowed Thomas’ TD. All that after the score was 10-9 through three quarters before madness ensued. CHIEFS 30, PANTHERS 27 CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns , Spencer Shrader kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired and Kansas City beat Carolina to reach double-digit wins for the 10th straight season. Noah Gray caught two TD passes as the Chiefs (10-1) bounced back from last week’s 30-21 loss at Buffalo and won at the buzzer yet again in a season of narrow escapes. DeAndre Hopkins also had a touchdown catch for the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, who scored on their first five possessions. Bryce Young finished 21 of 35 for 262 yards and a touchdown for the Panthers (3-8), who had their two-game winning streak snapped. David Moore had six receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown. Trailing 27-19, Young completed a fourth-down pass to Adam Thielen to move the chains, then went deep for the veteran receiver, who drew a pass-interference penalty on Chamarri Conner. That set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Chuba Hubbard. LIONS 24, COLTS 6 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for two scores and David Montgomery added a third touchdown run, leading Detroit to a victory over Indianapolis. Gibbs finished with 21 carries for 90 yards as the Lions (10-1) extended their league-high winning streak to nine straight. Detroit has its been 11-game record since the franchise’s inaugural season in 1934. Jared Goff continued his sensational season, too, completing 26 of 36 throws for 269 yards. The Colts (5-7) lost their second straight home game and for the fourth time in their past five games. Anthony Richardson was 11 of 28 with 172 yards while rushing 10 times for 61 yards. While Indy managed to hold the NFL’s highest-scoring offense largely in check Sunday, it was doomed by its inability to finish drives with touchdowns. BUCCANEERS 30, GIANTS 7 EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Baker Mayfield catapulted into the end zone on a spectacular 10-yard scramble for one of Tampa Bay’s four rushing touchdowns, and the Buccaneers beat the Giants and new starting quarterback Tommy DeVito, snapping a four-game losing streak and extending New York’s skid to six. The Giants’ decisions this week to bench and then release quarterback Daniel Jones did nothing to help the NFL’s lowest-scoring offense. DeVito threw for 189 yards, mostly in the second half with New York well on its way to its sixth straight loss at home, where it is winless. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers dominated in every phase in a near-perfect perfect performance that featured TD runs of 1 yard by Sean Tucker, 6 yards by Bucky Irving and 1 yard by Rachaad White. After recent losses to the Ravens, 49ers and Chiefs, Tampa Bay (5-6) moved within one game of idle Atlanta in the NFC South. Tampa Bay scored on five of its on first six possessions to open a 30-0 lead, and none was more exciting than Mayfield’s TD run with 12 seconds left in the first half. On a second-and-goal from the 10, he avoided pressure and went for the end zone. He was hit by Cor’Dale Flott low and Dru Phillips high around the 2-yard line, and he was airborne when he crossed the goal line. The ball came loose when he hit the turf but he jumped up and flexed — seemingly mocking DeVito’s go-to celebration — as the Bucs took a 23-0 lead. DOLPHINS 34, PATRIOTS 15 MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa threw for 317 yards and four touchdowns, including two scores to running back De’Von Achane, and Miami routed New England. The Dolphins (5-6) have a thin margin for error the rest of the season but have kept themselves afloat with a three-game winning streak. With their win at New England (3-9) in Week 5, the Dolphins have swept their division rivals in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1999-2000. Tagovailoa, who moved to 7-0 in his career against New England, entered the game with a league-high 73.4% completion rate and went 29 for 40. Backup Skylar Thompson replaced Tagovailoa with about 11 minutes left in what was already a blowout, but a bad handoff on his first play resulted in a fumble that was recovered by cornerback Christian Gonzalez and returned 63 yards for a touchdown. It cut New England’s deficit to 31-15, and Tagovailoa returned the next drive. TITANS 32, TEXANS 27 HOUSTON (AP) — Will Levis threw for 278 yards and his 70-yard touchdown pass to Chig Okonkwo put Tennessee on top in the fourth quarter and the Titans held on for a win over the Texans. Okonkwo grabbed a short pass and rumbled for the touchdown to put the Titans (3-8) up 30-27 with 91⁄2 minutes remaining. Safety Eric Murray missed a tackle that would have stopped him near midfield. The Texans (7-5) had a chance to tie it with less than two minutes remaining, but Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 28-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide left. He fell to the ground after the miss before getting up and slamming his helmet on the field. Titans coach Brian Callahan held both hands in the air and smiled after watching the miss that allowed his team to win on a day it had three turnovers. The Texans forced a three-and-out, but couldn’t move the ball after that and Harold Landry sacked C.J. Stroud in the end zone for a safety to make it 32-27 and allow Tennessee to snap a two-game skid. VIKINGS 30, BEARS 27, OT CHICAGO (AP) — Sam Darnold threw for 90 of his 330 yards in overtime to set up Parker Romo’s game-ending 29-yard field goal , and Minnesota outlasted Chicago after giving up 11 points in the final 22 seconds of regulation. Darnold threw two touchdown passes, Jordan Addison caught eight passes for a career-high 162 yards and a touchdown, and T.J. Hockenson had 114 yards receiving for the Vikings (9-2), who remained one game behind Detroit in the rugged NFC North. Caleb Williams threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears (4-7), who lost their fifth straight. Minnesota appeared to have the game in hand, leading 27-16 with 1:56 left after Romo kicked a 26-yard field goal. But the Bears weren’t finished. Deandre Carter made up for a muffed punt that led to a touchdown in the third quarter with a 55-yard kickoff return to the 40. Williams took it from there, capping an eight-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen. A 2-point conversion pass to DJ Moore made it 27-24 with 22 seconds remaining. The Bears recovered the onside kick and Williams hit Moore over the middle for a 27-yard gain to the 30 before spiking the ball. Cairo Santos made a 48-yard field goal as time expired.

Trudeau told Trump Americans would also suffer if tariffs are imposed, a Canadian minister saysDOVER, Del. (AP) — A Delaware judge has reaffirmed her ruling that Tesla must revoke Elon Musk’s multibillion-dollar pay package Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick on Monday denied a request by attorneys for Musk and Tesla’s corporate directors to vacate her ruling earlier this year requiring the company to rescind the unprecedented pay package. McCormick also rejected an equally unprecedented and massive fee request by plaintiff attorneys , who argued that they were entitled to legal fees in the form of Tesla stock valued at more than $5 billion. The judge said the attorneys were entitled to a fee award of $345 million. The rulings came in a lawsuit filed by a Tesla stockholder who challenged Musk’s 2018 compensation package. McCormick concluded in January that Musk engineered the landmark pay package in sham negotiations with directors who were not independent. The compensation package initially carried a potential maximum value of about $56 billion, but that sum has fluctuated over the years based on Tesla’s stock price. Following the court ruling, Tesla shareholders met in June and ratified Musk’s 2018 pay package for a second time, again by an overwhelming margin. Defense attorneys then argued that the second vote makes clear that Tesla shareholders, with full knowledge of the flaws in the 2018 process that McCormick pointed out, were adamant that Musk is entitled to the pay package. They asked the judge to vacate her order directing Tesla to rescind the pay package. McCormick, who seemed skeptical of the defense arguments during an August hearing, said in Monday’s ruling that those arguments were fatally flawed. “The large and talented group of defense firms got creative with the ratification argument, but their unprecedented theories go against multiple strains of settled law,” McCormick wrote in a 103-page opinion. The judge noted, among other things, that a stockholder vote standing alone cannot ratify a conflicted-controller transaction. “Even if a stockholder vote could have a ratifying effect, it could not do so here due to multiple, material misstatements in the proxy statement,” she added. Meanwhile, McCormick found that the $5.6 billion fee request by the shareholder’s attorneys, which at one time approached $7 billion based on Tesla’s trading price, went too far. “In a case about excessive compensation, that was a bold ask,” McCormick wrote. Attorneys for the Tesla shareholder argue that their work resulted in the “massive” benefit of returning shares to Tesla that otherwise would have gone to Musk and diluted the stock held by other Tesla investors. They value that benefit at $51.4 billion, using the difference between the stock price at the time of McCormick’s January ruling and the strike price of some 304 million stock options granted to Musk. While finding that the methodology used to calculate the fee request was sound, the judge noted that the Delaware’s Supreme Court has noted that fee award guidelines “must yield to the greater policy concern of preventing windfalls to counsel.” “The fee award here must yield in this way, because $5.6 billion is a windfall no matter the methodology used to justify it,” McCormick wrote. A fee award of $345 million, she said, was “an appropriate sum to reward a total victory.” The fee award amounts to almost exactly half the current record $688 million in legal fees awarded in 2008 in litigation stemming from the collapse of Enron.House leaders on Sara’s claims: Desperate lies

Share this Story : Christmas gift guide with golfers in mind, Callaway tops the list Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Breadcrumb Trail Links Gift Guide Holiday Guide Sports Golf Christmas gift guide with golfers in mind, Callaway tops the list Technology and equipment have never been better; there's plenty to choose from. Author of the article: Tim Baines Published Dec 07, 2024 • 5 minute read Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here . Or sign-in if you have an account. Xander Schauffele of the United States plays his shot from the 12th tee during the final round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on May 19, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. Photo by Christian Petersen / Getty Images Article content With Christmas fast approaching, finding the perfect gift for the golfer in your life can be exhausting. Article content We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Try refreshing your browser, or tap here to see other videos from our team . Christmas gift guide with golfers in mind, Callaway tops the list Back to video Article content Trying to figure out what to choose from a busy market full of equipment, rangefinders, clothing, shoes, golf balls and everything in between can be mind-numbing, especially if you’re on the outside looking in, not knowing what’s hot and what’s not. The good news: Technology and equipment have never been better; there’s plenty to choose from. Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Sign In or Create an Account Email Address Continue or View more offers If you are a Home delivery print subscriber, online access is included in your subscription. Activate your Online Access Now Article content Here are a few ideas. Let’s start with equipment and golf balls. You can’t go wrong with Callaway Golf, long an industry trailblazer. Through its Odyssey brand, Callaway recently launched the Square 2 Square putter, with its zero-torque technology, the hottest trend in putters right now. And they’re selling, a lot. Basically, it helps you aim, sink putts, lower your score. That’s good, right? The company is coming off a huge year for its putters. Thirty-nine players at the Canadian Open were playing a version of the Jailbird putter. Most of them were not on staff; they weren’t being paid to use a Callaway product. They were just swayed by the results of the putters. Callaway is really good with its drivers (Paradym Smoke) and irons (Apex); just ask anybody who’s got them in their golf bag. There are plenty of locations to get them properly fitted, which is always a good idea. “Of course, we’re excited about the Ai 200s, the Ai 300s and the Ti Fusion is amazing,” Callaway Golf Canada’s general manager Bruce Carroll said. “We hadn’t introduced a new Apex iron in three years so we were super excited.” Sports Get the latest sport headlines and breaking news. There was an error, please provide a valid email address. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sports will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again Article content Advertisement 3 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content It’s been a big year for golf ball sales. With Callaway, there are lots of options, some conventional and others a bit more light-hearted, but still producing those great results. Some of the unique offerings in time for Christmas are Chrome Tour’s Ugly Sweater and the Let the Big Dog Eat balls. There’s also the Holiday Double Dozen. Personally, I like the Chrome Soft Triple Track balls; they really help me dial in with my aim. “We have the highest share we’ve ever had,” Carroll said. “Our golf ball business has become huge; it’s the No. 1 category for Callaway, bigger than our driver, bigger than our irons.” “Our Tour ball won three majors, two of them by Xander Schauffele, one with Yuka Saso.” For more info, check out www.callawaygolf.ca . GETTING A GRIP: Golf club grips are something we take for granted. Getting fitted for nice clubs is a great thing; not taking care of them over the years ... not so much. The rule of thumb is replace the grips every 12-18 months, or every 30-40 rounds. It can make a difference. SuperStroke, considered the No. 1 putter grip, has some terrific options; a few attention-grabbing ones caught my eye. Advertisement 4 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content As a bit of a superhero guy, I was drawn to SuperStroke’s partnership with Marvel. The latest release is SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 2.0 grips, inspired by Marvel’s Venom. Previous putter grip collaborations with Marvel have been inspired by Spider-Man, Iron Man, Hulk, Deadpool and Wolverine. For sports fans, there are also NFL, NCAA and MLB putter-grip options. 2UNDR: Looking for the perfect stocking stuffer? A good place to start is 2UNDR ( ca.2undr.com ), an underwear company that has become so much more. Let’s start with the undies that feature technology like the patented Joey Pouch, that “ separates man’s most valuable assets away from the body to reduce unwanted skin-on-skin contact.” Designed in Vancouver, the underwear comes in different collections, including Swing Shift, Sport Shift, Day Shift, Power Shift, Flow Shift and Eco Collection, plus it comes in different lengths. I have a drawer full of them. I love the comfort and I particularly like the ones with the funkier designs. Also in my drawer: The super lightweight Bodhi short, which is featured in 12 colours and has a terrific comfort level on or off the golf course. Advertisement 5 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content ON WITH THE SHOE: There are plenty of golf shoes on the market, a lot of them very good options. I found one earlier this year that’s become my go-to: OG Cush by True Linkswear ( truelinkswear.ca ). A press release from True Linkswear says the OG Cush “ marries a barefoot feel with maximum comfort.” After walking around the golf course, that sounds about right. The shoe has a first-of-its-kind zero-drop Wanderlux foam. The zero drop sole means it’s completely level from heel to forefoot with a cushioned foam platform underfoot for a comfortable walk. The boosted Wanderlux cushioning will wear into each golfer’s foot shape over time to create a natural arch that provides more support with each step, from the course to the trail, the streets or the office. True Linkswear also offers plenty of apparel options. HOME ON THE RANGE(FINDER): I’ve gone through a few rangefinders and watches over the years. Earlier this year, I saw an ad for the Shot Scope V5 GPS watch. So, I bought one. Can’t say enough good things about the watch, with automatic performance tracking; a big key was no subscription fees on the Shot Scope mobile app, which gives you plenty of statistics to crunch. Advertisement 6 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content The watch has a full-colour daylight readable screen and provides front, middle, and back distances to every green as well as measurements to hazards, layups, and doglegs on 36,000 preloaded courses. A big plus for stats geeks: You can measure shot distances with tracking tags you screw into the top of your club. I like gadgets, so I took it a step further and got my hands on the Pro L2, a hand-held rangefinder. A daptive slope technology adjusts your distance, taking the up-and-down hills into account to allow for better club selection. Advanced features include rapid-fire detection and target-lock vibration. It’s lightweight and, despite my shaky hands, seems to lock into the target quicker than other rangefinders I’ve used. The website is ShotScope.com/ca . Recommended from Editorial Ottawa Senators had no serious talks on Jacob Trouba as search for help continues Brady Tkachuk to New York Rangers rumour is 'Total bulls--t' and 'garbage' Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : Christmas gift guide with golfers in mind, Callaway tops the list Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Comments You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments. Create an Account Sign in Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information. Trending Ottawa police release photo of suspect in Riverside Drive shooting News 'Travel advisory' in effect in Ottawa, as 15 cm of snow on the way Local News Ottawa man and woman face drug charges after south-end traffic stop News Pure Kitchen shuts doors on Rideau Street location Local Business Brady Tkachuk to New York Rangers rumour is 'Total bulls--t' and 'garbage' Ottawa Senators Read Next Latest National Stories Featured Local SavingsDear Eric: We live on a lake and love hosting our great-nieces and nephews on school breaks and the entire family on vacations. My husband and I have no children. Our niece’s families are dear to us. Our 11-year-old great-nephew has been gaming now for about a year. When he comes to visit, instead of reading or playing cards or board games with us, he wants to disappear with his video games. We feel vacated. How do we navigate this with his parents who think his being on a video gaming team at school is awesome and I think it is a bad omen? What is a fair place of compromise and balance? — Game Off Dear Game Off: Let his parents parent their child. The other night I re-watched the movie “Network” from 1977. In it, a character in his 60s dismisses a character played by Faye Dunaway by saying, “She’s the television generation. She learned life from Bugs Bunny. The only reality she knows is what comes to her over her TV set.” Every generation has anxieties about the ways that technology is changing social interactions or altering the minds of the generations below. While some of those concerns are valid, those of Faye Dunaway’s generation (now in their 70s and 80s) would argue that they’ve managed to stay quite well-rounded, despite TV. In moderation, video games have been shown to improve a child’s cognitive function and working memory. While your great-nephew’s gaming might not be your choice, it’s important that you not seek to undermine the research and thinking that his parents have done about it. What you’re really yearning for is a sense of togetherness as a family, so try talking to your niece and her spouse about group activities you can plan to meet your great-nephew where he is. Dear Eric: I eat at a local restaurant a couple times a week and tend to get one of three meals. This one waitress asks me what I want to eat, but then interrupts me to make guesses or tell me my choice. I just put my head down and nod yes or no to the guesses. It’s frustrating, but not life-threatening. She enjoys it. I hate it. However, if I were to say something, it would force her to make the choice of being herself, doing something she likes doing, or appeasing me so I can order the way I want to order. I don’t know if this is a big enough problem to have a “high road.” The answer will not change my life. She can easily change, and I can easily suffer. The question is who gets to be themselves? — Speaking Up Dear Speaking Up: I worked in the service industry for more than a decade. I loved it. I loved seeing regulars, meeting new people and carrying a lot of beverages in my hands at one time. The whole bit. I also loved knowing what people wanted, but I would always ask and confirm. That’s part of the job. She may think you’re a regular who likes to be known in this way. So, informing her that that’s not the case won’t be keeping her from being herself. It will be helping her to do her job better. You may not have the kind of temperament that easily or comfortably course-corrects in social situations. That’s just fine. But know you won’t be causing her suffering by saying something like, “I’ve already decided on my meal. Let’s skip the guessing today and I’ll just tell you.” This also clears the path for the two of you to talk about something else, if you want. Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com . Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Purpose Investments Inc. Announces 2024 Final Annual Income and Capital Gains Distributions For Purpose Mutual Fund Trusts with December 15, 2024 Tax Year-EndAfter Iranian arrest tied to U.S. military murders, town advances sanctuary policies

House leaders on Sara’s claims: Desperate liesCARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) — Ali Abdou Dibba had 19 points in Southern Illinois' 73-70 win over Southern Indiana on Saturday. Dibba added three steals for the Salukis (4-6, 0-1 Missouri Valley Conference). Jarrett Hensley added 16 points while shooting 4 for 10 (1 for 4 from 3-point range) and 7 of 10 from the free-throw line while he also had 11 rebounds. Kennard Davis finished 5 of 10 from the field to finish with 11 points. Stephen Olowoniyi finished with 24 points for the Screaming Eagles (4-5). Jayland Randall added 22 points and two steals for Southern Indiana. Jack Mielke finished with six points and six rebounds. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Deputy PP leader cites VAT confusion

Donald Trump Reacts to Jimmy Carter's Death: 'A Debt of Gratitude'Your Guide to Navigating an Unpredictable Trump Era

After being perfect for more than a year and completely dominating the sport, Dawn Staley and South Carolina have finally fallen. No. 5 UCLA rolled to a dominant and stunning 77-62 upset win over the top-ranked Gamecocks on Sunday afternoon at Pauley Pavilion. It marked the Bruins’ first ever win over a No. 1-ranked team in program history, and solidified their place as a legitimate title contender this season. The loss snapped a 43-game win streak for South Carolina and was the first for the Gamecocks since they fell to Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the Final Four in 2023. They were a perfect 5-0 this season after winning the national championship last spring, and had won 85 of their last 86 games before Sunday. UCLA GETS THEIR FIRST WIN OVER A NO. 1 RANKED TEAM IN PROGRAM HISTORY x — FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) The Bruins led from the jump on Sunday, and never looked back. They opened the game on a 15-2 tear, and then sent the Gamecocks into the locker room down more than they have been in years. UCLA took a 21-point lead at halftime after draining six 3-pointers — half of which came from Londynn Jones off the bench — in the opening 20 minutes. Londynn Jones for three AGAIN & is FIRED UP 🔥 — FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) South Carolina’s offense was basically non-existent in the first two quarters, too. The Gamecocks entered halftime with just 22 points as a team, and shot 26.5% from the field as a team. Three South Carolina starters were held scoreless in the first half, and they were out-rebounded by seven. It marked the first time that South Carolina has trailed by double digits at halftime in any game since 2021. According to ESPN, the last time they trailed by 20 points or more at halftime was against Baylor in 2019 — which was more than 2,000 days ago. Though the Gamecocks came out of halftime on a quick 7-2 burst, the Bruins didn’t let up. UCLA carried a 20-point lead into the fourth quarter before cruising to the 15-point win in the final 10 minutes. Jones led UCLA with 15 points off the bench, all of which came from behind the arc. Elina Aarnisalo added 13 points and four assists, and Lauren Betts finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds. Te-Hina Paopao led the Gamecocks with 18 points in the loss while shooting 7-of-13 from the field. Tessa Johnson was the only other player to hit double figures for South Carolina. She finished with 14 points off the bench. The Gamecocks shot better than 36% from the field as a team, and shot just eight total free throws. The next few weeks won’t get any easier for South Carolina. The Gamecocks will take on No. 8 Iowa State next on Thursday in the Fort Myers Tip-Off before games against Purdue, No. 14 Duke and No. 19 TCU. The Gamecocks will fall from No. 1 in the rankings on Monday, too. UCLA, however, now has its marquee non-conference win. If Sunday is any indication, the Bruins should be in a great spot to not only hang with JuJu Watkins and USC, but potentially run the Big Ten in their first season in the league.New Delhi: The BJP 's performance in the Uttar Pradesh assembly bypolls shows that the party succeeded in bringing back the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Scheduled Caste (SC) voters into its fold, say analysts. While the BJP bagged six seats out of the nine for which bypolls were held in UP, its ally Rashtriya Lok Dal won one seat. These seats, in different parts of the state, required different political strategies owing to varied caste combinations. So, it was a tough task for the BJP to work out a separate strategy for each assembly seat. Chief minister Yogi Adiyanath, who spearheaded the BJP's election management, chose to field party candidates from Katehari and Majhawan seats, which had gone to the ally Nishad Party as part of the seat-sharing in 2022 assembly polls. The BJP won both seats, bagging Katehari after three decades. Besides, it retained Phulpur after a close contest. BJP also increased its vote share in Samajwadi Party 's pocket borough of Karahal-vacated by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav after he won the Lok Sabha election from Kannauj-where it polled 89,597 votes. Following the bypolls, the NDA has four more MLAs from the OBC category. BJP's success in snatching Katehari seat from the SP would not have been possible without the support of OBC and SC voters. The party fielded Dharamraj Nishad, a former BSP leader who is a popular face among the local SC voters. He was elected to the state assembly thrice in the past. Apart from the SC voters, this constituency has a considerable presence of Brahmin voters also. The SP had fielded Shobhawati Verma, who is wife of Ambedkar Nagar MP Lalji Verma. This seat was vacated by Lalji Verma after his victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from Ambedkar Nagar. Verma was elected to the state assembly from Katehari in 2017 and 2022 assembly polls. The Katehari seat offered fresh challenges for the BJP in view of Verma's political grip over this seat. Data Science SQL Server Bootcamp 2024: Transform from Beginner to Pro By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Master RESTful APIs with Python and Django REST Framework: Web API Development By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Mastering Full Stack Development: From Frontend to Backend Excellence By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Basics of Generative AI: Unveiling Tomorrow's Innovations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Intermediate Java Mastery: Method, Collections, and Beyond By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Pam Moore By - Pam Moore, Digital Transformation and Social Media Expert View Program Office Productivity Advanced Excel Course - Financial Calculations & Excel Made Easy By - Anirudh Saraf, Founder- Saraf A & Associates, Chartered Accountant View Program Leadership Business Storytelling Masterclass By - Ameen Haque, Founder of Storywallahs View Program Web Development Django & PostgreSQL Mastery: Build Professional Web Applications By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance Financial Literacy for Non-Finance Executives By - CA Raja, Chartered Accountant | Financial Management Educator | Former AVP - Credit, SBI View Program Leadership Crafting a Powerful Startup Value Proposition By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI-Powered Python Mastery with Tabnine: Boost Your Coding Skills By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development JavaScript Essentials: Unlock AI-Driven Insights with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By - Study At Home, Quality Education Anytime, Anywhere View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Generative AI for Dynamic Java Web Applications with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance Financial Literacy i.e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By - CA Rahul Gupta, CA with 10+ years of experience and Accounting Educator View Program Astrology Vastu Shastra Course By - Sachenkumar Rai, Vastu Shashtri View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI for Everyone: Understanding and Applying the Basics on Artificial Intelligence By - Ritesh Vajariya, Generative AI Expert View Program Leadership From Idea to Product: A Startup Development Guide By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Office Productivity Microsoft Word Mastery: From Beginner to Expert By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Java Programming with ChatGPT: Learn using Generative AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program The party worked out a different strategy for the Karhal seat which is referred to as a stronghold of Akhilesh Yadav. The party selected a local Yadav face Anujesh Yadav to improve its performance. But BJP gave a tough fight to the SP here and reduced the margin of SP's victory compared to the 2022 polls. SP candidate Tej Pratap Yadav won this seat by a margin of only 14, 725 votes. Following the debacle that the BJP faced in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the course correction to restore the required balance between the party organisation and the government also enabled the BJP to corner its main political opponent, the SP, in the assembly bypolls, said analysts. Apart from deploying his ministers across the nine assembly seats, Adityanath interacted with the party cadres at the ground level. Riding on his slogan 'Katoge to Batoge', perceived as a call to Hindus to stay united, he continued to attack the SP in his own way, turning the bypolls into a direct contest between him and the SP chief. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )EDMONTON — Alberta’s information and privacy commissioner says she is worried -- but not surprised -- the province voted this week to pass legislation she says will reduce public access to government information. "I am concerned," commissioner Diane McLeod said in an interview. "All of those things I think are going to impact the right of access significantly for Albertans." The government wrapped up the fall sitting of the legislature late Wednesday night, passing a bill from Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally on new rules surrounding freedom of information. The bill creates new exemptions for what documents the public has a right to access. They will not be allowed to see any document created by or for the premier, government ministers or the provincial Treasury Board, including correspondence like emails. When the bill was introduced last month, McLeod wrote to Nally outlining multiple concerns, but no amendments were made to Nally's bill before it passed third and final reading. "There was nothing in (the letter that) would have come as any surprise to them," said McLeod, whose office has been investigating the government's handling of freedom of information requests since the summer of 2023. "I didn't really expect them to respond to my comments and recommendations.” In the letter, McLeod wrote that the proposed changes give the government more power to avoid disclosing information to the public by including in the exempted correspondence “virtually all communication between political staff and (members of cabinet).” Nally has repeatedly rejected the criticism, saying that such electronic communication should be confidential as freedom of information "is about access to government documents, not about political conversation." Nally's bill also extends the time frame for when public bodies must respond to freedom of information applications to 30 business days from 30 days. It also permits public bodies to dismiss information applications if they are deemed not to be "reasonable." What is and is not reasonable is not defined in the bill. Nally has denied the changes will make Alberta's government less transparent. “Every province is a little bit different, but at the end of the day there will be no light between us when it comes to offering access to information to Albertans,” Nally said Wednesday. Irfan Sabir, the Opposition NDP's justice critic, said the bill will make accessing government records much more difficult. "We are dealing with a government that is already very secretive, that is dishonest, that is not transparent, so it will make things way worse," said Sabir. During the sitting, Smith’s government also passed three contentious bills surrounding transgender youth. The bills ban the prescribing of puberty blockers to those under 16, require parental notification and consent if those under 16 wish to use a different name or pronouns in school, and ban transgender athletes from competing in female amateur sports. They also ban minors from receiving gender-affirming "top" surgery. Opposition NDP Leader Christina Gray said Thursday they tried to remedy multiple bills with amendments but were voted down by Smith’s UCP majority. “We were batting zero," said Gray. "None of our (26) amendments were accepted." NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said Smith’s government lost sight of what matters to Albertans. "They tabled ... (13) bills with not a single bill about affordability, about jobs, about housing, about public safety,” said Nenshi. “The only things they had to say on health care and education were 'Let's make sure vulnerable kids are more vulnerable in schools and in the doctor's office,'" said Nenshi. Smith’s government also made headlines during the fall sitting by firing the board of and key executives with the Alberta Investment Management Corp. and naming former prime minister Stephen Harper as the new board chair just weeks later. AIMCo is the agency responsible for managing nearly $170 billion in assets, including public sector pension funds and the province's rainy-day Heritage Savings Trust Fund. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024. Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press5jl slot 。

Stock market today: Wall Street gains ground as it notches a winning week and another Dow recordANAHEIM, Calif. — Ducks forward Trevor Zegras left Anaheim's game against the Vegas Golden Knights with a lower-body injury. Zegras left the ice early in the second period Wednesday night, apparently unable to put weight on his injured leg. The Ducks quickly announced he wouldn't return. The cause of Zegras' injury wasn't clear, but it wasn't a collision. After taking a faceoff in Anaheim's defensive zone, he spun and fell awkwardly when his stick blade got tangled up with William Karlsson's stick. Zegras immediately waved to Anaheim's bench, and he needed help to get off the ice. The 23-year-old Zegras is best known for his puck-handling creativity and for scoring “Michigan” lacrosse-style goals, but this could be his third major injury in just over a year. He was limited to 31 games last season by two injuries, including an ankle problem that required surgery. Zegras had played in all 23 games for Anaheim this season, recording four goals and six assists. Zegras was the ninth overall pick in the 2019 draft. He has 59 goals in 235 games over the past five seasons in Anaheim.RALEIGH, N.C. , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestiQuant, a leading provider of AI-driven, alternative investment solutions, proudly announces the success of its Fall 2024 promotion which raised $13,200 for the International Cancer Care and Research Excellence Foundation, known as iCCARE. Dr. Kristin Schroeder , co-founder of iCCARE, expressed her appreciation stating, "We are extremely grateful for InvestiQuant's support over the past few years. Their donations and commitment have been integral to helping us serve more children and expand the quality and scope of care we provide." Dr. Schroeder added, "We have had momentous success, but there is still a long way to go. We will not stop until we achieve our mission of giving every child the same chance of a cure." In the words of Scott Andrews , CEO of InvestiQuant, "I know of no other opportunity with such an incredible return-on-investment. Success is literally measured in terms of children's lives saved. Having personally reviewed iCCARE's books and operations, and witnessed their life-saving impact on hundreds of children, supporting them is an honor. I encourage all investors to consider supporting iCCARE." Make a direct donation and learn more about InvestiQuant's participation here: https://www.investiquant.com/iccare-thank-you About iCCARE iCCARE is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, founded to address the lack of cancer care available in many low- and middle-income countries. While pediatric cancer has a survival rate of nearly 85% in many developed countries, cancer care is essentially non-existent in many hospitals across lower income countries. Many of these children have little access to cancer care and will die. iCCARE is working to change that. iCCARE works to deliver and improve on cancer care – including curative therapies, supportive care, and palliative care – at Bugando Medical Centre in Mwanza, Tanzania. In 2014 when iCCARE started working in Tanzania, children with cancer had little hope, the survival rate was only 18%. Today, the survival rate has nearly tripled. Their work is made possible through local and international donations, and an incredibly dedicated team of local volunteers in Tanzania. About InvestiQuant Since 2008, InvestiQuant has armed self-directed investors with institutional-quality, alternative investment strategies and solutions. The company's AI driven, fully automated algorithmic strategies help clients better protect and grow their wealth by empowering their portfolios with the ability to generate attractive returns regardless of the direction of the broader stock market. Unlike most alternative investments, investors maintain 100% visibility, access and control of their capital, 24x7. InvestiQuant's principals are West Point graduates with decades of combined retail and professional trading experience. Prior to InvestiQuant, they built a cloud-based, spend management platform for global enterprises and took it public on the NASDAQ exchange. InvestiQuant is backed by its founders and private investors, many of whom were clients during the 2008 financial crisis. For more information: (844) 447-8723 [email protected] www.InvestiQuant.com P.S. This video helps illustrate why a fight for hope matters. Click to view . SOURCE InvestiQuantNone

A November 28th press release from Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan, a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Saskatchewan and established in 2023, announced grant distribution for the second quarter. Grants were awarded to charitable groups and organizations in over 280 communities throughout Saskatchewan. These quarterly grants are provided to organizations in good standing that engage in licensed charitable gaming activities, including bingos, raffles, breakopen ticket sales, Texas hold ‘em poker tournaments, and Monte Carlo events. Minister Responsible for LGS Jeremy Harrison said, “Our government is committed to ensuring that communities across Saskatchewan share in the benefits from gaming. Hundreds of charitable and nonprofit groups throughout the province receive these funds every year, and we encourage more groups to apply.” Quarterly gaming grants provide significant benefits to communities throughout the province, allowing various groups and organizations in cities, towns, and villages to continue their important work. According to the latest information from Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan (LGS), approximately $2.8 million was awarded during the quarter from July 1 to September 30. This funding supports over 1,400 community organizations across the province. The grants represent 25 percent of the net revenue generated by each charitable event, with a maximum limit of $100,000 per organization per year. The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) determines these amounts based on the financial reports and other information submitted by the organizations. Locally, in the most recent quarter, $38,741.21 was distributed to a variety of organizations from dance groups to School Community Councils. · in Aberdeen: Aberdeen Creative Preschool, Aberdeen & District Culture and Recreation Board, Dance Aberdeen = $11,638.15 · in Alvena: Alvena Community Center = $1,877.87 · in Bellevue: St. Isidore de Bellevue Paroisse St. Isidore (St. Isidore Roman Catholic Parish), Bellevue Recreation Board = $413.00 · in Bruno: Bruno Lions Club Inc., Bruno Minor Sports, Bruno School of Dance, Bruno Senior Citizens Friendship Centre, Bruno U7 Flames Hockey, Bruno Wildlife Federation = $6276.26 · in Cudworth: Cudworth & District Parks and Recreation Board Inc., Cudworth Minor Hockey = $6645.66 · in Middle Lake: Middle Lake Lions Club = $970.02 · in One Arrow F. N.: One Arrow Youth & Elders Society = $558.75 · in Rosthern: Rosthern Community School Huskies Football, Rosthern Ukrainian Dolyna Dancers, Lions Club of Rosthern, Rosthern Junior College, Station Arts Centre Co-operative = $4,259.11 · in St. Benedict: Three Lakes Childcare Centre Corp. = $3,104.38 · in St. Louis: Paroisse St. Louis Parish, St. Joseph Senior Club Inc., St. Louis Lions Club = $1,742.74 · in Wakaw: Wakaw Royal Canadian Legion Branch #195, Wakaw & District Recreation Board, Wakaw School SCC = $1,255.27 In the first quarter of the fiscal year, April 1, 2024 - June 30, 2024, $7971.94 was distributed to local groups including: · in Aberdeen, Dance Aberdeen = $544.03 · in Bellevue, L’Association Benevole de Bellevue Inc. = $1,154.01 · in Bruno, Bruno Flames U13 Hockey, Bruno U11 Minor Hockey Team, U20 Bruno Broomball = $5,647.15 · in Cudworth, St. Michael’s Haven Corporation = $280.50 · in Rosthern, Lions Club of Rosthern = $346.25 Groups can apply for grants through SLGA’s charitable gaming licensing process outlined here: https://www.slga.com/permits-and-licences/charitable-gamingWASHINGTON (AP) — Former White House adviser Peter Navarro , who served prison time related to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, will return to serve in Donald Trump’s second administration, the president-elect announced Wednesday. Navarro, a trade adviser during Trump’s first term, will be a senior counselor for trade and manufacturing, Trump said on Truth Social. The position, Trump wrote, “leverages Peter’s broad range of White House experience, while harnessing his extensive Policy analytic and Media skills.”

“Gladiator II” asks the question: Are you not moderately entertained for roughly 60% of this sequel? Truly, this is a movie dependent on managed expectations and a forgiving attitude toward its tendency to overserve. More of a thrash-and-burn schlock epic than the comparatively restrained 2000 “Gladiator,” also directed by Ridley Scott, the new one recycles a fair bit of the old one’s narrative cries for freedom while tossing in some digital sharks for the flooded Colosseum and a bout of deadly sea-battle theatrics. They really did flood the Colosseum in those days, though no historical evidence suggests shark deployment, real or digital. On the other hand (checks notes), “Gladiator II” is fiction. Screenwriter David Scarpa picks things up 16 years after “Gladiator,” which gave us the noble death of the noble warrior Maximus, shortly after slaying the ignoble emperor and returning Rome to the control of the Senate. Our new hero, Lucius (Paul Mescal), has fled Rome for Numidia, on the North African coast. The time is 200 A.D., and for the corrupt, party-time twins running the empire (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger), that means invasion time. Pedro Pascal takes the role of Acacius, the deeply conflicted general, sick of war and tired of taking orders from a pair of depraved ferrets. The new film winds around the old one this way: Acacius is married to Lucilla (Connie Nielsen, in a welcome return), daughter of the now-deceased emperor Aurelius and the love of the late Maximus’s life. Enslaved and dragged to Rome to gladiate, the widower Lucius vows revenge on the general whose armies killed his wife. But there are things this angry young phenom must learn, about his ancestry and his destiny. It’s the movie’s worst-kept secret, but there’s a reason he keeps seeing footage of Russell Crowe from the first movie in his fever dreams. Battle follows battle, on the field, in the arena, in the nearest river, wherever, and usually with endless splurches of computer-generated blood. “Gladiator II” essentially bumper-cars its way through the mayhem, pausing for long periods of expository scheming about overthrowing the current regime. The prince of all fixers, a wily operative with interests in both managing gladiators and stocking munitions, goes by the name Macrinus. He’s played by Denzel Washington, who at one point makes a full meal out of pronouncing the word “politics” like it’s a poisoned fig. Also, if you want a masterclass in letting your robes do a lot of your acting for you, watch what Washington does here. He’s more fun than the movie but you can’t have everything. The movie tries everything, all right, and twice. Ridley Scott marshals the chaotic action sequences well enough, though he’s undercut by frenetic cutting rhythms, with that now-familiar, slightly sped-up visual acceleration in frequent use. (Claire Simpson and Sam Restivo are the editors.) Mescal acquits himself well in his first big-budget commercial walloper of an assignment, confined though he is to a narrower range of seething resentments than Crowe’s in the first film. I left thinking about two things: the word “politics” as savored/spit out by Washington, and the innate paradox of how Scott, whose best work over the decades has been wonderful, delivers spectacle. The director and his lavishly talented design team built all the rough-hewn sets with actual tangible materials the massive budget allowed. They took care to find the right locations in Morocco and Malta. Yet when combined in post-production with scads of medium-grade digital effects work in crowd scenes and the like, never mind the sharks, the movie’s a somewhat frustrating amalgam. With an uneven script on top of it, the visual texture of “Gladiator II” grows increasingly less enveloping and atmospherically persuasive, not more. But I hung there, for some of the acting, for some of the callbacks, and for the many individual moments, or single shots, that could only have come from Ridley Scott. And in the end, yes, you too may be moderately entertained. Related Articles “Gladiator II” — 2.5 stars (out of 4) MPA rating: R (for strong bloody violence) Running time: 2:28 How to watch: Premieres in theaters Nov. 21. Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.None

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The Australian government has withdrawn a bill that would have fined online platforms up to 5 percent of their global revenue if they failed to stop the spread of misinformation. The bill, which was backed by the Labor government, would have allowed the Australian Communications and Media Authority to create enforceable rules around misinformation on digital platforms. In a statement , Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the bill would have “ushered in an unprecedented level of transparency, holding big tech to account for their systems and processes to prevent and minimise the spread of harmful misinformation and disinformation online.” However, she said “based on public statements and engagements with Senators, it is clear that there is no pathway to legislate this proposal through the Senate.” When a revised version of the bill was introduced in September, Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter), criticized it in a one-word post : “Fascists.” Shadow Communications Minister David Coleman was a vocal opponent of the bill, arguing that it would prompt platforms to suppress free speech in order to avoid fines. With the bill now seemingly dead, Coleman posted that it was a “shocking attack on free speech that betrayed our democracy” and called on the prime minister to “rule out any future version of this legislation.” Rowland’s statement, meanwhile, called for Parliament support on “other proposals to strengthen democratic institutions and keep Australians safe online,” including legislation targeting deep fakes, enforcement of “truth in political advertising for elections,” and AI regulation. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is also pursuing a plan to ban social media for children under 16 .NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The largest artificial intelligence data center ever built by Facebook’s parent company Meta is coming to northeast Louisiana, the company said Wednesday, bringing hopes that the $10 billion facility will transform an economically neglected corner of the state. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry called it “game-changing” for his state's expanding tech sector, yet some environmental groups have raised concerns over the amount of energy it would use — and whether it could lead to higher energy bills in the future. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Stock market today: Wall Street gains ground as it notches a winning week and another Dow record

Schmidt scores 19 off the bench, Valparaiso downs Eastern Illinois 81-53

NoneThe ( ) share price has been on quite the rollercoaster this year. Shares in the (ASX: XKO) drone defence company closed yesterday at 70 cents apiece after management an $8.2 million repeat order from a major European military customer. As you can see on the chart above, that puts the DroneShield share price up 120% since this time last year. As you can also see, the past five months have been mostly on the downhill part of the rollercoaster ride. Good fun in an amusement park. Not so much in the world of stock investing. Since closing at $2.60 a share on 15 July, the drone defence stock has plunged 73%. Technology has long played a vital role in military offensive and defensive capabilities. But . This means that the future of the DroneShield share price is likely to depend heavily on how the company manages to roll out the rapidly changing technology into its equipment. At DroneShield's half-year , the company noted, "AI systems are transforming the character of warfare by making it faster, more precise and less reliant on human decision-making." Management also pointed out that: AI systems are increasingly being used to autonomously identify and engage targets while minimising collateral damage. As AI becomes more sophisticated, its integration into military operations will only deepen, necessitating advanced countermeasures. To date, the DroneShield share price has likely gotten support from the company's investments in AI. "DroneShield is at the forefront of current generation C-UxS and developing next-generation counter-drone systems underpinned by cutting-edge proprietary AI-based software," the company stated. Which brings us to Skynet, or rather ChatGPT. As Bloomberg , OpenAI, creator of ChatGPT, and weapons maker Anduril Industries (valued at US$14 billion) are linking up to incorporate cutting-edge AI into Anduril's anti-drone systems. With Anduril tapping into OpenAI's tech to improve its systems in combating drone and other "aerial threats", and OpenAI, in turn, using incoming data to upskill its AI capabilities in the defence realm, DroneShield could be facing some deep-pocketed competition. And that could put further pressure on the DroneShield share price in 2025. Commenting on the partnership, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said: Our partnership with Anduril will help ensure OpenAI technology protects US military personnel and will help the national security community understand and responsibly use this technology to keep our citizens safe and free.

LOS ANGELES — Londynn Jones scored 15 points, making all five of her 3-pointers, and fifth-ranked UCLA stunned No. 1 South Carolina 77-62 on Sunday, ending the Gamecocks' overall 43-game winning streak and their run of 33 consecutive road victories. The Gamecocks (5-1) lost for the first time since April 2023, when Caitlin Clark and Iowa beat them in the NCAA Tournament national semifinals. Te-Hina Paopao scored 18 points and Tessa Johnson scored 14 for the Gamecocks, whose road winning streak was third-longest in Division I history. It was the first time UCLA took down a No. 1 team in school history, having been 0-20 in such games. The program's previous best wins were over a couple of No. 2s — Oregon in 2019 and Stanford in 2008. Elina Aarnisalo added 13 points as one of five Bruins in double figures. UCLA (5-0) dominated from start to finish, with the Bruins' suffocating defense preventing the Gamecocks from making any sustained scoring runs. South Carolina: The Gamecocks trailed by double-digits at halftime for the first time since Dec. 21, 2021, against Stanford, according to ESPN. Chloe Kitts, who averages a team-leading 14 points, finished the game with 2 points on 1 of 7 shooting. UCLA: The Bruins led 43-22 at halftime. Eight different players scored and contributed to 11-0 and 7-0 runs in the first and second quarters as they shot 52% from the field. The first quarter set the tone for a game in which the Gamecocks never led. They missed their first nine shots and were 4 of 18 from the floor in the quarter. UCLA ran off 11 straight points to take a 20-10 lead into the second quarter. The Bruins dominated the boards, 41-34, and held the Gamecocks well under their scoring average of 80.2 points. South Carolina travels to Florida to meet Iowa State in the Fort Myers Tipoff on Thanksgiving. UCLA travels to the Rainbow Wahine Showdown in Hawaii to play UT Martin on Friday. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview , the experimental browser that was first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ to allow users to test features that are planned for future release versions of the Safari browser. ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ 209 includes fixes and updates for Browser, CSS, Rendering, Scrolling, SVG, Text, Web API, Web Extensions, and Web Inspector. The current ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ release is compatible with machines running macOS Sonoma and macOS Sequoia , the newest version of macOS. The ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ update is available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences or System Settings to anyone who has downloaded the browser from Apple’s website. Complete release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website . Apple’s aim with ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while it is designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download and use.

slot go vip NEW YORK (AP) — Brian Thompson led one of the biggest health insurers in the U.S. but was unknown to millions of people his decisions affected. Then Wednesday's targeted fatal shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO on a midtown Manhattan sidewalk thrust the executive and his business into the national spotlight. Thompson, who was 50, had worked at the giant UnitedHealth Group Inc for 20 years and run the insurance arm since 2021 after running its Medicare and retirement business. As CEO, Thompson led a firm that provides health coverage to more than 49 million Americans — more than the population of Spain. United is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans, the privately run versions of the U.S. government’s Medicare program for people age 65 and older. The company also sells individual insurance and administers health-insurance coverage for thousands of employers and state-and federally funded Medicaid programs. The business run by Thompson brought in $281 billion in revenue last year, making it the largest subsidiary of the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group. His $10.2 million annual pay package, including salary, bonus and stock options awards, made him one of the company's highest-paid executives. The University of Iowa graduate began his career as a certified public accountant at PwC and had little name recognition beyond the health care industry. Even to investors who own its stock, the parent company's face belonged to CEO Andrew Witty, a knighted British triathlete who has testified before Congress. When Thompson did occasionally draw attention, it was because of his role in shaping the way Americans get health care. At an investor meeting last year, he outlined his company's shift to “value-based care,” paying doctors and other caregivers to keep patients healthy rather than focusing on treating them once sick. “Health care should be easier for people,” Thompson said at the time. “We are cognizant of the challenges. But navigating a future through value-based care unlocks a situation where the ... family doesn’t have to make the decisions on their own.” Thompson also drew attention in 2021 when the insurer, like its competitors, was widely criticized for a plan to start denying payment for what it deemed non-critical visits to hospital emergency rooms. “Patients are not medical experts and should not be expected to self-diagnose during what they believe is a medical emergency,” the chief executive of the American Hospital Association wrote in an open letter addressed to Thompson. “Threatening patients with a financial penalty for making the wrong decision could have a chilling effect on seeking emergency care.” United Healthcare responded by delaying rollout of the change. Thompson, who lived in a Minneapolis suburb and was the married father of two sons in high school, was set to speak at an investor meeting in a midtown New York hotel. He was on his own and about to enter the building when he was shot in the back by a masked assailant who fled on foot before pedaling an e-bike into Central Park a few blocks away, the New York Police Department said. Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said investigators were looking at Thompson's social media accounts and interviewing employees and family members. “Didn’t seem like he had any issues at all,” Kenny said. "He did not have a security detail.” AP reporters Michael R. Sisak and Steve Karnowski contributed to this report. Murphy reported from Indianapolis.Durosinmi 0-1 1-2 1, Dent 5-9 3-5 15, Jones 6-14 7-8 20, McPherson 5-10 2-3 13, Munden 1-3 0-2 2, Muhammad 5-11 6-6 21, Sotirov 2-5 2-2 7, Nicholls 1-2 0-0 2, Mott 0-0 1-2 1, Gooden 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-55 22-30 82. Ellis 3-6 6-9 12, Co.Schwieger 4-9 7-8 17, De La Cruz Monegro 3-9 6-9 12, DeAveiro 1-6 6-6 8, Wright 5-10 0-0 13, Schmidt 5-9 7-8 17, Sepp 0-4 2-2 2, Shaw 2-3 0-0 5, McNair 0-3 1-2 1. Totals 23-59 35-44 87. Halftime_Valparaiso 41-39. 3-Point Goals_N. Illinois 10-22 (Muhammad 5-7, Dent 2-3, McPherson 1-3, Sotirov 1-3, Jones 1-6), Valparaiso 6-21 (Wright 3-4, Co.Schwieger 2-4, Shaw 1-2, Ellis 0-1, De La Cruz Monegro 0-2, Sepp 0-2, DeAveiro 0-3, McNair 0-3). Fouled Out_Sotirov, Mott. Rebounds_N. Illinois 39 (McPherson 11), Valparaiso 31 (Sepp 8). Assists_N. Illinois 11 (Dent 4), Valparaiso 8 (De La Cruz Monegro, DeAveiro 3). Total Fouls_N. Illinois 32, Valparaiso 20.

UnitedHealthcare CEO kept a low public profile. Then he was shot to death in New York

The lush river valleys of El Zaino y La Arenosa in western Panama, home to hundreds of families that eke out a living farming, fishing and raising cattle, could soon be submerged by a massive man-made reservoir designed to ensure the viability of the Panama Canal in the face of a changing climate. Tres Hermanas, with its farms, two schools, churches and a medical clinic, is one of dozens of towns that would disappear in the next six years if the state-owned Panama Canal's ambitious $1.6 billion project goes ahead. Residents are divided: some do not want to leave, while others are focused on getting fair compensation if they are forced to move. If they are not satisfied, recent history suggests public opposition could endanger the entire project. While the Rio Indio dam project was first proposed two decades ago, more extreme weather in the last decade, including a severe drought in the past year that restricted vessel traffic on the canal, has lent greater urgency to the proposal. The canal accounts for 3.1% of the Central American country's gross domestic product. The waterway, which allows up to 14,000 ships to cross per year, accounts for 2.5% of global seaborne trade and is critical to U.S. imports of autos and commercial goods by container ships from Asia, and for U.S exports of commodities, including liquefied natural gas (LNG). "The Rio Indio reservoir project would be the most complete solution (to more frequent droughts) in a 50-year horizon," the canal's deputy administrator, Ilya Espino de Marotta, told Reuters in an interview in October. The project still needs to pass a long approval process including a public consultation, discussion by the cabinet and the National Assembly's final green light. Panama's President Jose Mulino has said the discussion will be completed next year, but the shipping industry is watching with some trepidation after delays and suspensions of major projects in recent years, including a controversial mining contract with Canada's First Quantum Minerals. After broad public opposition, the Supreme Court last year declared the contract unconstitutional, and the government ordered the mine to be closed. Although the number of people facing relocation for the dam is relatively small, they are backed by an activist group called Countrymen Coordinator for Life, which was instrumental in blocking First Quantum's mining contract. Cesar Petit, senior economist at BancTrust & Co, an investment bank specializing in emerging markets, said there was political consensus in Panama behind the dam project but the government would need to establish a credible plan for compensating people who will be displaced and affected in nearby areas. "There are significant risks that the project to build the multipurpose reservoir on the Rio Indio will be postponed or suspended indefinitely," Petit told Reuters. "The communication strategy of the benefits of the plans and an adequate incentive and compensation program for those affected will be key to successfully implementing this plan." Jose Icaza, minister for Canal Affairs, told Reuters the government understands the "anxiety and concerns" of residents. "Our priority is not to impact the living conditions and the peace of the basin's residents, and for this reason we will continue to work directly with them to meet their needs as we move forward with the construction project," he said. The Panama Canal Authority aims to create a massive dam 840 meters in length and 80.5 meters in height to secure freshwater for its locks. It says the reservoir's 1.25 billion cubic meters of water would allow up to 15 additional vessel transits per day during the dry season, and help provide drinking water to Panama's growing 4.5 million population. Unlike the Suez Canal, which does not have locks, the Panama Canal relies on fresh water to operate three sets of locks that allow ships to cross between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans through a 50-mile artificial waterway. If it wins approval, the dam is expected to be completed by 2030 or 2031, but the clock is ticking: Last year was the third driest in the waterway's 110-year history. The second driest was 2015. Meteorologists forecast Panama will face more severe droughts and faster water evaporation due to higher temperatures in the future. A Supreme Court ruling in July returned to the canal authority a geographic area that almost doubles its territory. It can now be used to expand business and secure water sources, including the dam. According to an initial survey by the canal, the project would demand the relocation of some 2,260 people, and would impact at least partially an additional 2,000 people in the reservoir zone. A census to count more accurately how many people will be affected is expected to be completed in January, Espino said, while some infrastructure work by Panama's government, including a bridge that could accommodate heavy equipment, is visible in the Tres Hermanas area. Panama's ministry of Public Works said in a release the bridge is intended to be used for cars and people to cross the Rio Indio. "There is already a start," Espino said, referring to planning linked to the project's technical aspects. "But of course, the most complicated part is the process of resettling people. These are conversations that have to be held individually with each family." STAY OR GO? Three lawyers and activists from community groups said the Rio Indio plan would have a "high environmental impact" due to deforestation and loss of biodiversity in regions including Capira, west of Panama City. The project, which includes a $400 million budget for its social component, mainly relocations, has divided residents. Some are willing to sell their land and move, while others want to fight the project. "No farmer wants to live in a slum," said Dilubino Agraje, who represents the Rio Indio communities at Countrymen Coordinator for Life. The organization is pressing for more details about the relocation plans. "We were born and raised here. If we leave, it is not because we want to, but because we'll have to," said 60-year-old Paulino Alabarca, a rice farmer born in Tres Hermanas, while riding through the town on his horse. A different plan to transfer water from an existing reservoir fed by the Bayano river that could be finished sooner and would not require family relocations was analyzed and discarded by the canal's administration years ago because of location and higher costs, Espino said. From an environmental damage point of view, the Rio Indio project could have a greater negative impact and few positive benefits that could not be obtained otherwise, said Professor LeRoy Poff, an expert on aquatic ecology from Colorado State University, referring to displacement of people and livelihoods, damages downstream for the fish and for the forests. "There is a real importance, as we go forward amid climate change, in maintaining healthy rivers, because they have the greatest potential to respond to changing environments," he added. The Bayano alternative is gaining traction among many communities, including Tres Hermanas. "There are means for them to leave us alone," said Alabarca referring to that project. But it could bring different complications as it would involve negotiations with power provider AES Panama, a company jointly owned by the state and U.S. AES Corp that owns and operates the Bayano hydroelectric infrastructure, according to lawyers studying that project. AES Panama "is not currently in any process of selling its stakes," it told Reuters in an email. "However, fully understanding the issue and its importance for the country, it is in the best disposition and open to talk to the state to evaluate and reach fair agreements." Canal minister Icaza said the Rio Indio project was imperative for the canal's survival and "the most viable option." Espino said she thinks both projects will be needed in the long run. "Climate change has really ruined the natural navigation channels that existed," she said. The recurrence of the El Niño weather phenomenon has accelerated to every three years, extending Panama's dry season and exhausting much of the water resources in the country with the fifth most rainfall in the world. Its next occurrence, expected in 2027, will be a challenge for the canal again since the Rio Indio project is not expected to be ready before 2030, the canal's chief, Ricaurte Vasquez, told Reuters. In preparation for the next drought, the canal has changed its reservation model, is calling on shippers to consolidate cargoes and is preparing water recycling measures. In recent years, the expansion of housing near the waterway has intensified the canal's competition with its surrounding communities for freshwater, said Panama City-based environmentalist Raisa Banfield. "The canal exists and the canal must operate as efficiently as possible," Banfield said. But, she added, there needs to be a balance. "The question is... How much are we going to sacrifice to continue passing ships, and more ships and bigger ships?"

UnitedHealthcare CEO kept a low public profile. Then he was shot to death in New York

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