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Amid rising cases of cybercrime and bullying involving teenagers and children, the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) has come up with a guidebook for parents. Launched during the Telangana State Police annual press meet on Sunday, the handbook provides insights and resources to assist parents in enabling parental controls on different social media and gaming platforms, encouraging discussions about online safety and identifying and tackling cyberbullying. At a time when incessant online trolling is taking a toll on teen mental health, police urged parents to document evidence of harassment, such as screenshots and utilise in-app reporting features to tackle abusive behaviour. Parents were advised to watch out for behavioural changes, including mood swings, withdrawal or secrecy, and to escalate the matter to local law enforcement or cybercrime units through the 1930 helpline and National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) if the harassment escalates. Online safety Establishing age-appropriate rules that change with child’s age and maturity, device curfews (setting a cut-off time for internet usage), screen-free zones (ensuring certain areas in the house are free from technology) and open dialogue were among the suggestions. Parents are also encouraged to lead by example, demonstrating responsible technology use to instil positive habits in their children. Citing risks like cyberbullying and harassment, exposure to inappropriate content, privacy breaches and identity theft, the guidebook suggested activating ‘Family Centre’ on Instagram to manage comment filters and privacy settings. Parents can also enable YouTube Kids’ to restrict content based on age groups alongside tracking their viewing history. With more offensive and defamatory content being posted on X (formerly Twitter), the police advised to enable the sensitive content filter, mute blocked words and restrict DMs to limit messaging options. In the case of Snapchat, the police said, “disappearing messages may create a false sense of security”. Parents can invite their teen to join the ‘Family Center’, which allows them to monitor their friends and manage privacy settings. A step-by-step guide to activate parental controls on gaming consoles like Xbox and PlayStation was also shared. Legal protection In addition to practical advice, the guidebook offered insights into the key legal protections, including the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act, Section 64 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhitha (BNS) adressing rape, sexual assault and digital exploitation and the Information Technology Act, 2000. These laws criminalise offences such as child pornography, online grooming (or any attempts to engage children in inappropriate or harmful activities), non-consensual capturing or sharing of private images and cyberstalking. By familiarising themselves with these laws, parents can better advocate for their children’s safety and respond effectively to threats, the police said. Published - December 29, 2024 07:37 pm IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Telangana / Hyderabad / children / social issueCheers and beers for Ruud van Nistelrooy as Leicester reign starts with win

NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers formally asked a judge Monday to throw out his hush money criminal conviction , arguing continuing the case would present unconstitutional “disruptions to the institution of the Presidency.“ In a filing made public Tuesday, Trump’s lawyers told Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan that dismissal is warranted because of the “overwhelming national mandate granted to him by the American people on November 5, 2024.” They also cited President Joe Biden’s recent pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, who was convicted of tax and gun charges . “President Biden asserted that his son was ‘selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,’ and ‘treated differently,’" Trump’s legal team wrote. The Manhattan district attorney, they claimed, engaged in the type of political theater "that President Biden condemned.” Prosecutors will have until Dec. 9 to respond. They have said they will fight any efforts to dismiss the case but indicated a willingness to delay the sentencing until after Trump’s second term ends in 2029. Former President Donald Trump walks to make comments to members of the news media May 30 after a jury convicted him of felony crimes for falsifying business records in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York. In their filing Monday, Trump's attorneys dismissed the idea of holding off sentencing until Trump is out of office as a “ridiculous suggestion.” Following Trump’s election victory last month, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed his sentencing, previously scheduled for late November, to allow the defense and prosecution to weigh in on the future of the case. He also delayed a decision on Trump’s prior bid to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. Trump has been fighting for months to reverse his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier. He says they did not and denies wrongdoing. Taking a swipe at Bragg and New York City, as Trump often did throughout the trial, the filing argues that dismissal would also benefit the public by giving him and “the numerous prosecutors assigned to this case a renewed opportunity to put an end to deteriorating conditions in the City and to protect its residents from violent crime.” Clearing Trump, the lawyers added, also would allow him to “to devote all of his energy to protecting the Nation.” The defense filing was signed by Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, who represented Trump during the trial and since were selected by the president-elect to fill senior roles at the Justice Department. A dismissal would erase Trump’s historic conviction, sparing him the cloud of a criminal record and possible prison sentence. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office. Trump takes office Jan. 20. Merchan hasn’t set a timetable for a decision. Merchan could also decide to uphold the verdict and proceed to sentencing, delay the case until Trump leaves office, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court or choose some other option. Prosecutors cast the payout as part of a Trump-driven effort to keep voters from hearing salacious stories about him. Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen paid Daniels. Trump later reimbursed him, and Trump’s company logged the reimbursements as legal expenses — concealing what they really were, prosecutors alleged. Trump pledged to appeal the verdict if the case is not dismissed. He and his lawyers said the payments to Cohen were properly categorized as legal expenses for legal work. A month after the verdict, the Supreme Court ruled that ex-presidents can’t be prosecuted for official acts — things they did in the course of running the country — and that prosecutors can’t cite those actions to bolster a case centered on purely personal, unofficial conduct. Trump’s lawyers cited the ruling to argue that the hush money jury got some improper evidence, such as Trump’s presidential financial disclosure form, testimony from some White House aides and social media posts made during his first term. Prosecutors disagreed and said the evidence in question was only “a sliver” of their case. If the verdict stands and the case proceeds to sentencing, Trump’s punishments would range from a fine to probation to up to four years in prison — but it’s unlikely he’d spend any time behind bars for a first-time conviction involving charges in the lowest tier of felonies. Because it is a state case, Trump would not be able to pardon himself once he returns to office. Presidential pardons apply only to federal crimes. Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, with Melania Trump and Barron Trump, arrives to speak at an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks as Melania Trump looks on at an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Republican Presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives with former first lady Melania Trump and son Barron Trump at the Palm Beach County Convention Center during an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks as former first lady Melania Trump listens after they voted on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks as former first lady Melania Trump listens after they voted on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks as former first lady Melania Trump listens after they voted on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks after voting on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks after voting on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks as former first lady Melania Trump listens after they voted on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks after voting on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks after voting on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump visits his campaign headquarters, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, joined by, from right, Melania Trump and Barron Trump, arrives to speaks at an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives to speak at an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Republican Presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives with =former first lady Melania Trump and son Barron Trump at the Palm Beach County Convention Center during an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump walk after voting on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump walk after voting on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email.

The European benchmark gas contract remained near its highest level in 13 months on Tuesday amid colder weather, the decline of storage inventories and as Asian liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices continue to rise. The benchmark front-month contract at the Dutch TTF hub inched up by 0.25 euro to 48.72 euros per megawatt hour (MWh), or $15.43/mmBtu, by 0917 GMT. It was still at its highest intraday level since Nov. 6, 2023. In Britain, the day-ahead contract gained 0.50 pence to 121.25 pence/therm. Temperatures in north-west Europe are forecast to drop from this weekend onward, LSEG data shows. Gas demand for power is accordingly forecast to rise by 297 gigawatt hour per day (GWh/d) to 3,604 GWh/d with wind speeds also expected to weaken on Wednesday. Demand over the weekend and the working days next week is also expected to be up by 26-27 GWh/d each, said LSEG analyst Yuriy Onyshkiv. Meanwhile, the price spread between European and Asian markets starts to widen, consultancy Auxilione said in a morning note. “For some time now, European prices have been attractive for LNG cargoes, but Asian demand has started to increase – as has the market price – which may start to attract some cargoes initially intended for Europe to divert,” Auxilione said. Russian gas producer Gazprom said it would send 41.3 million cubic metres (mcm) of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Tuesday, up from 40.8 mcm on Monday but still down from more than 42 mcm/day seen in recent months. Europe’s gas inventories have been depleting at the fastest rate for eight years, as the region has experienced repeated bouts of colder-than-normal temperatures and low wind speeds since the start of the winter heating season, energy analyst John Kemp said in a LinkedIn post. “Stocks have fallen more than four times faster than the average over the last ten years, and by the most for any year since 2016, according to data from operators compiled by Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE),” Kemp said. Storage facilities across the region were 87% full on average, sharply lower than 97% on the same date in 2023 and 94% in 2022, he added. In the European carbon market CFI2Zc1, the benchmark contract was down by 0.58 euro at 68.28 euros a metric ton. Source: Reuters (Reporting by Marwa Rashad; editing by Nina Chestney)ARIES Today, focus on studies, career, and enjoyment. Finance: Expect expenditures on children, entertainment, education, house, and health. 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Argentina to start charging non-residents for universities, hospitalsSEVEN months into the war in the Gaza Strip, Mohammed Said al-Halimy began documenting his daily routine in earnest. Al-Halimy, known by his friends and online as Medo, already had a teenager’s knack for capturing sunsets, songs and life’s milestones in short video snippets. That life was fractured after Israeli bombs fell on Gaza in response to the Hamas-led Oct 7, 2023, attack, destroying his university and forcing him into a makeshift beach campsite. As months of fighting ground into the summer, and his displacement became more entrenched, al-Halimy turned his phone camera to the surreal experience of everyday reality in dystopian circumstances. “I wanted to show something positive, some resilience despite the daily suffering,” al-Halimy, 19, said in a July interview, adding that he hoped to capture an “unseen side of our lifestyle.” Palestinians trapped in Gaza have been recording the war since it began, in often harrowing videos that have given a close-up view of the Israeli bombardment to millions of people worldwide. Many of their posts – raw, personal and at times graphic – went viral early in the conflict as traditional news media outlets struggled to get reporters into the blockaded enclave. Now, young Palestinians in Gaza are sharing a different window into their lives: their routines amid a year-old war with seemingly no end in sight. Al-Halimy began posting about the hourslong wait to fill containers with drinking water, about concocting recipes with limited food supplies, and about a new garden plot he created in the soil beside the tent encampment that had for months been his family’s shelter. Showing his new baby mint plant to his Instagram followers, he asked, “Tell me in the comments, what should I name her?” More than 6,000 miles away in central Florida, Sierra Taft, 36, was watching, checking al-Halimy’s accounts regularly for updates and worrying about his wellbeing. “He felt like somebody that if I had met face to face, I could be best friends with,” she said. A still image from a video on the Instagram account of Mohammed Said alHalimy in Gaza. Life in Gaza through Instagram Some Palestinians in Gaza document how they cook meals over open fires, using whatever few ingredients are available. Others unpack aid boxes or share exercise routines where doorways double as pull-up bars. And some show how friendly football and chess games are squeezed between piles of rubble and long lines for water. With a command of English and growing followings, these Palestinian creators share their perspectives and appeal for help using the language of online influencers around the world who have amassed vast audiences by filming the minutiae of their lives. So, when Palestinian creators like al-Halimy portray normal activities such as exercising or cooking against the backdrop of war, it is “a language that reaches,” said Laura Cervi, an associate professor of journalism at the Autonomous University of Barcelona who has studied Palestinian activism online. “It’s not a number. It’s not like the complex journalistic vernacular,” she said, adding that from the perspective of viewers, “It’s a guy like me that is telling me that he exists – in the way I exist.” Before the war, Mohammed Faris said his favourite place was the gym. Faris, a Khan Younis resident, had just started his first year at Al-Aqsa University when the war broke out. His parents, employees of UNRWA, the main United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, encouraged him to start documenting his life. Since April, he has been sharing his diet and exercise routines under the account “Gymrat in Gaza,” which has gained more than 180,000 followers. “Why not grab this opportunity to talk to the world?” he said in a recent interview from Khan Younis while refilling his supply of water. Faris said he had raised nearly US$13,000 (RM58,062) online since he started posting videos, and hoped eventually to evacuate his family from Gaza. He said his audience enjoyed it when he incorporated memes and jokes. “I like to add this touch of sense of humour,” he said. But he struggles with the instability of being displaced from his home and the scarcity of healthy foods, he said. Finding stable internet connections can be a challenge, and he sometimes waits hours for a video to upload. “What I want people to receive from my vlogs is that we are trying to cope with the situation,” he said. The fighting has pushed most Palestinians in Gaza into shrinking areas designated by Israel as “humanitarian zones,” though UN officials and aid groups have said that no place in Gaza is safe and they fear famine. Some viewers have criticised al-Halimy and others like him, accusing them of sharing misinformation, or questioning their struggle given their lighthearted messaging. “I’m just showing you the 1% of my life – the 1% that I’m trying to have fun,” he said in a video posted in May. He added: “We’ve been through hell.” A global reach Even before the war, young Palestinians were adopting the lighter tone of online social media to conduct what Cervi calls “playful activism,” pointing to TikTok trends that incorporate humour to make political points. The insistence on sharing everyday routines or incorporating a lighter tone into material about the war, she added, is its own form of defiance. “It’s very political because they’re saying, ‘We’re surviving and we will keep on,’” she said. Framing these videos as lifestyle content, she said, makes it more likely that social media algorithms will share them with a broader audience. Activists elsewhere have used playfully framed videos on social media platforms to share messaging about other causes, Cervi said, such as the struggle to combat the killing of women in Latin America. Researchers say that social media postings not only can elevate causes but tend to simplify them by removing nuance and centring on each creator’s perspective. What seem like candid moments can actually be carefully chosen and edited for effect. Al-Halimy said creating videos helped him endure his everyday hardships. “I do my best to set up new, bright sides of my tent life and make it a day to remember,” he said in an interview in the summer. “A moment of pain, to a moment of hope.” A graduate of a high school for gifted students, al-Halimy had studied in Texas under a State Department program. He said in July that his family had decided to stay together in Gaza, instead of being separated. His online following was growing fast, and he hoped to raise enough money for them all to leave. On Aug 25, he shared his final video on Instagram. The next afternoon, according to a friend who was with him, al-Halimy was at a makeshift cafe in Khan Younis when he was struck in the head by shrapnel from an Israeli airstrike. His brother, Zeid al-Halimy, said that he died at a Khan Younis hospital. In the months since al-Halimy’s death, his followers have been re-watching his videos and have left dozens of tributes in the comments. Some vowed to plant mint in their own gardens to remember him, and a fundraising effort for his family has surged to more than US$137,000. Weeks after his death, Taft, who had never met al-Halimy in person, said she still thought about him every day. She compared losing him to another recent blow, the death of a close school friend. “It’s the same feeling of loss,” she said. Other Palestinians she followed online are never far from her mind. “I’m wondering who the next one is going to be,” she said. — © 2024 The New York Times Company

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FA to be sued by lesbian and women’s rights advocate over Rainbow Laces campaignNew Delhi, Dec 24 (PTI) The Railway Board has decided to engage its Public Sector Undertakings through competitive bidding to carry out operation and maintenance of newly constructed sheds, depots, workshops as well as rolling stock. In a recent communication to the general managers of all 17 zones, the board conveyed its decision to empower the zones to carry out a limited tendering process to for engaging PSUs. Also Read | President Droupadi Murmu Appoints Governors in 5 States, VK Singh Named Mizoram Governor, Arif Mohammed Khan Shifted To Bihar; Check Full List of Names Here. According to the Board, after the zonal Railways reported challenges related to operationalisation and maintenance of newly created assets, it constituted a committee of principal executive directors from different departments to decide upon the modalities for awarding such work to PSUs. "Executive Dte (Executive Directorate) should write a basic model document of conditions for maintenance by PSUs for each type of their assets," the Board's letter said. Also Read | Poonch Road Accident: 5 Soldiers Killed As Army Vehicle Falls Into 300-Feet-Deep Gorge in Jammu and Kashmir, Indian Army Rules Out Terror Angle (Watch Video). It added, "Based on the document, Zonal Railways may formulate detailed tender documents and engage a Railway PSU through competitive basis by calling limited tender from amongst the Railway PSUs to undertake the maintenance." The Board has also laid down 29 conditions for maintenance in the basic model document such as "Shed/Depott Workshop in its existing shape shall be handed over to the PSU for operation." The PSU shall augment the infrastructure to suit the requirement of maintenance of rolling stock and ensure maintenance of the "infrastructure including M&Ps as per good industrial practice" among others, it said. Keeping safety in mind, one of the conditions said, "Once every year, a safety audit shall be carried out by the Railways. It shall review and analyze the Annual Safety Report and accident data of the preceding year, and undertake an inspection of the rolling stock and the assets of the shed/depot/workshop." The Board has also said the Zonal Railway shall reserve the right to terminate the contract if the performance of the PSU is not found satisfactory. Some of the railway unions have raised their objections based on some news reports which said that depots and sheds are being given to private companies for maintenance. Indian Railway Employees Federation General Secretary Sarvjeet Singh has written a letter to the Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board requesting for a clarification for the same. "A section of media as well as social media has reported that the Railway Board is handing over the operation and maintenance of the Railway's shed/depot/workshop to private companies. If it is true, we strongly oppose this policy," Singh said. Asked for a clarification, Singh said there are over 700 workshops and 300 sheds/depots and Railway is facing an acute shortage of workforce. "In such situation, the privatisation will be against the interest of the workers and all railway unions and federations will fight tooth and nail," he said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)Percentages: FG .440, FT .926. 3-Point Goals: 10-27, .370 (Byrd 4-5, Gonsalves 3-9, Berrett 2-7, Bieker 1-4, Riley 0-2). Team Rebounds: 5. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 4 (Ariyibi 3, Rainwater). Turnovers: 14 (Ariyibi 3, Rainwater 3, Byrd 2, Gonsalves 2, Riley 2, Bieker, Misic). Steals: 5 (Bieker 2, Ariyibi, Byrd, Riley). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .556, FT .550. 3-Point Goals: 8-17, .471 (Washington 3-6, Jones 2-2, Barbee 1-1, Martindale 1-2, Adams 1-3, Beard 0-1, Brinson 0-1, Cain 0-1). Team Rebounds: 4. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 5 (Jones 3, Fofana 2). Turnovers: 11 (Jones 3, Adams 2, Beard, Brinson, Fofana, Fuller, Martindale, Washington). Steals: 7 (Barbee 2, Jones 2, Washington 2, Adams). Technical Fouls: None. A_138 (7,321).ph vlog 。

Adams' 25 help CSU Northridge down Utah Tech 89-79Two break and enters in the north end of Sarnia within two kilometers of one another has prompted Sarnia police to issue an alert to residents. Police say that on Dec. 20th, a home on Wespencer Gate and a home on Huron Shores Drive were targeted. Suspects smashed a pane of glass on the back of the houses, with one being ransacked for valuables. In the other case, it’s believed that the owners returned home and scared off the thieves. One of the incidents placed a suspicious black crossover style SUV nearby. It’s important to take extra precautions around the holiday season, when there is ample opportunity for thieves. Anyone that observes suspicious activity like unknown vehicles or people hanging around in your area is asked to call police. Shopping Trends The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us. Editor's Picks 10 Family Calendars And Planners That'll Help You Keep Track Of Everything In The New Year Our Guide To The Best Winter Boots You Can Get In Canada 16 Cozy Home Essentials That Cost Less Than $100 Home Our Guide To The Best Snow Shovels In Canada In 2024 (And Where To Get Them) 14 Of The Best Home Security Devices You Can Find Online Right Now (And They've Got The Reviews To Prove It) 13 Of The Best Fidget Toys For Adults Gifts The Clock Is Ticking — Shop These 25 Last-Minute Amazon Prime Gifts Now If You Have An Amazon Prime Account, These 70+ Crowd-Pleasing Gifts Will Still Arrive Before Christmas If You Have An Amazon Prime Account, These 50 Brilliant Stocking Stuffers Will Still Arrive Before Christmas Beauty 20 Products Your Dry, Dehydrated Skin Will Thank You For Ordering 14 Hydrating Face Masks That’ll Save Your Skin This December 12 Budget-Friendly Products To Add To Your Winter Skincare Routine Deals PSA: The Michael Kors Boxing Week Sale Is Happening Right Now The Silk & Snow End Of Year Sale Is Officially On — Here's What To Add To Your Cart The Best Early Boxing Day Deals On Amazon Canada For 2024 London Top Stories SIU concludes LPS was justified in striking a man in August arrest Grey-Bruce Public Health appoints first Indigenous chair of board of health Anonymous $2 million donation given to St. Joseph’s Health Care Police issue holiday reminders following pair of break and enters Next chapter for St. Thomas Elevated Park as it joins forces with Railworks Coalition Transitional shelter to open in Ingersoll in 2025 Santa Claus cleared for travel in Canadian airspace Two charged in South Bruce Peninsula break-and-enter CTVNews.ca Top Stories Quebec fugitive killed in Mexican resort town, RCMP say RCMP are confirming that a fugitive, Mathieu Belanger, wanted by Quebec provincial police has died in Mexico, in what local media are calling a murder. Trump again calls to buy Greenland after eyeing Canada and the Panama Canal First it was Canada, then the Panama Canal. Now, Donald Trump again wants Greenland. The president-elect is renewing unsuccessful calls he made during his first term for the U.S. to buy Greenland from Denmark, adding to the list of allied countries with which he's picking fights even before taking office. Canada regulator sues Rogers for alleged misleading claims about data offering Canada's antitrust regulator said on Monday it was suing Rogers Communications Inc, for allegedly misleading consumers about offering unlimited data under some phone plans. Multiple OnlyFans accounts featured suspected child sex abuse, investigator reports An experienced child exploitation investigator told Reuters he reported 26 accounts on the popular adults-only website OnlyFans to authorities, saying they appeared to contain sexual content featuring underage teen girls. King Charles ends royal warrants for Ben & Jerry's owner Unilever and Cadbury chocolatiers King Charles III has ended royal warrants for Cadbury and Unilever, which owns brands including Marmite and Ben & Jerry’s, in a blow to the household names. Man faces murder charges in death of woman who was lit on fire in New York City subway A man is facing murder charges in New York City for allegedly setting a woman on fire inside a subway train and then watching her die after she was engulfed in flames, police said Monday. 'Serious safety issues': Edmonton building where security guard was killed evacuated An apartment building where a security guard was killed earlier this month is being evacuated. Santa Claus cleared for travel in Canadian airspace Santa's sleigh has been cleared for travel in Canadian airspace, the federal government announced on Monday just ahead of the busy holiday season. Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26. Kitchener Parts of southern Ontario under travel advisory Anyone planning to travel today is being urged to be prepared as 5 to 15 cm of snow could hit a large portion of southern Ontario. Beloved bookstore in Uptown Waterloo forced to close for months following fire A beloved bookstore in Uptown Waterloo is bearing the brunt of some holiday misfortune. Must-see moments of 2024: A superstar surprise, roundabout resident and CKCO studios come down From a WWE surprise for a Guelph superfan, to the recovery of a lost aviation artifact, to a reporter getting the story right from the goose's mouth, here are some of our can’t-miss moments from 2024. Barrie Several collisions reported along Highway 11 as driving conditions deteriorate Highway 11 was closed briefly in Oro-Medonte on Monday afternoon as driving conditions deteriorated, causing multiple collisions. Student charged, firearms seized after threats against school: police Police say officers found several firearms during a search at a teen’s home after he allegedly made violent threats against a secondary school. Single-vehicle crash in Springwater Twp. One woman was taken to the hospital following a single-vehicle crash in Springwater Township. Windsor Child luring investigation sees Windsor resident charged According to Essex OPP, 45-year-old Sean Oulette is facing charges of luring a person under 16 years of age by means of telecommunication. City of Windsor reviewing other H4 properties, no longer pursuing Wellington Avenue The City of Windsor has announced it is no longer pursuing land at 700 Wellington Avenue and is looking at other properties for the new Homelessness and Housing Help Hub (H4). Parvovirus found in Belle River A local groomer has confirmed a positive case of parvovirus, found in Belle River. Northern Ontario Fatal snowmobile crash in northern Ont. near Parry Sound A 30-year-old has died following a snowmobile crash near Parry Sound on Sunday. Teen passed out at coffee shop with bottle of booze on the table, northern Ont. police say A 19-year-old from Blind River is facing several charges following incidents at a coffee shop and in jail. Man charged with damaging downtown Sudbury eatery A man free on probation has been charged with causing significant damage to a restaurant on Elgin Street in downtown Sudbury over the weekend. Sault Ste. Marie Northern Ont. hospital to close emergency department for Christmas and Boxing Day A physician shortage is again forcing the closure of the emergency department at the Thessalon Site of the North Shore Health Network – this time for more than 48 hours over the holidays. Suspect charged with headbutting their parent, confining them to a chair in Thessalon, Ont. A member of the family in the northern Ontario community of Thessalon is charged with a vicious assault and forcibly confining their parent. One injured in the Sault after lithium-ion battery starts house fire Sault fire officials have determined a lithium-ion battery to be the cause of a house fire that broke out early this morning. Ottawa EXCLUSIVE | Ottawa mayor speaks on transit funding, federal turmoil in year-end interview Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe spoke with CTV News on a variety of issues, including transit, the city budget and political turmoil on Parliament Hill in a year-end interview. SNOWFALL WARNING | Pre-Christmas storm forecasted in Ottawa with up to 20 cm of snow tonight Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for Ottawa and parts of eastern Ontario with a snowstorm in the forecast Monday afternoon and into the evening. Man handed 5th distracted driving charge for using cellphone on Hwy. 417 in Ottawa An Ottawa driver was charged for using a cellphone behind the wheel on Sunday, the fifth time he has faced distracted driving charges. Toronto DEVELOPING | Parts of Ontario under snowfall warning Monday as holiday travellers hit the road Holiday travellers and commuters could be in for a messy drive on Monday morning as a significant round of snowfall moves into the region. Here are live updates on the situation in Toronto. Doug Ford dresses up like Santa to grant wishes in Christmas video In a video posted on social media on Monday morning, Ford is seen dressed up in a bright red Santa suit performing a personalized rendition of the famous 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas." 3 suspects wanted after alleged armed robbery at Vaughan commercial business York Regional Police (YRP) police are searching for three people after an alleged armed robbery in Vaughan, the latest in a series of violent commercial robberies happening around the Greater Toronto Area. Montreal Quebec fugitive killed in Mexican resort town, RCMP say RCMP are confirming that a fugitive, Mathieu Belanger, wanted by Quebec provincial police has died in Mexico, in what local media are calling a murder. Snow on the way as Montreal is put under weather advisory A weather advisory has been initiated for the Greater Montreal area, with 10 to 15 cm of snow expected to hit the ground. Judge rejects lawsuit tied to controversial 2017 Montreal Formula E car race An entrepreneur who sued the City of Montreal for not considering his bid to organize a 2017 electric car race has failed to obtain the more than $3 million in compensation he was seeking. Atlantic No need to dream, White Christmas all but assured in the Maritimes An early nor'easter followed by a low-pressure system moving into the region all but ensure a Maritime White Christmas Santa Claus cleared for travel in Canadian airspace Santa's sleigh has been cleared for travel in Canadian airspace, the federal government announced on Monday just ahead of the busy holiday season. Court of appeal certifies class action lawsuit against health authority, former nurse A New Brunswick mother who is the lead plaintiff in a court case has received an early Christmas gift after the province’s top court certified her class action law suit. Winnipeg An alleged sniper, pair of animal claims featured on MPI’s top five fraud list for 2024 From hitting animals that weren’t there to a sniper that didn’t exist, Manitoba Public Insurance has released its top five frauds of 2024. Manitoba government to make permanent cut to gas tax Manitobans can expect to see a permanent change at the gas pump as early as next week Snowmobile crash leaves 10-year-old dead: RCMP A 10-year-old boy is dead following a snowmobile crash near Rosebank, Man., on Sunday. Calgary Taxpayers Federation unveils its annual spending 'Naughty and Nice List' A media president and the Prime Minister have topped the Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s annual 'Taxpayer Naughty List' for 2024. Serious crash closes part of Highway 1 near Bassano, Alta. RCMP responded to a serious crash on Highway 1 near Bassano, Alta., on Monday morning. The collision occurred approximately two kilometres east of Highway 56. 2 Alberta men charged with sex crimes involving children in separate investigations Two registered sex offenders are facing charges after separate investigations in northern Alberta. Edmonton 'Serious safety issues': Edmonton building where security guard was killed evacuated An apartment building where a security guard was killed earlier this month is being evacuated. City of Edmonton to lift Phase 1 parking ban Monday evening The City of Edmonton will lift the Phase 1 parking ban on Monday at 5 p.m. 2 Alberta men charged with sex crimes involving children in separate investigations Two registered sex offenders are facing charges after separate investigations in northern Alberta. Regina Estevan police officer arrested following SIRT investigation An officer of the Estevan Police Service (EPS) is facing several charges following an investigation by the province’s police oversight agency. Heavy fog descends over Regina, most of Saskatchewan Dense fog is being reported across much of the province to begin the week of Christmas, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). Riders acquire quarterback Jake Maier in trade with Stampeders The Green and White finalized some Christmas shopping ahead of the holidays, acquiring quarterback Jake Maier in a trade with Calgary on Monday. Saskatoon 'There are lines': In year-end interview, NDP leader says Moe went too far in election campaign Saskatchewan’s two main political leaders had agreed before October's provincial election not to target the families of candidates during the campaign, says Opposition NDP Leader Carla Beck. Sask. RCMP on the scene of rollover on Highway 40 The Saskatchewan RCMP said Highway 40 was closed Monday afternoon following a rollover just west of Hafford, a village just under 100 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon. Saskatoon woman arrested following machete attack A 55-year-old woman was arrested following a stabbing with a machete early Monday morning. Vancouver Cleanup underway after rockslide derails train in B.C. No injuries were reported after a rockslide derailed a freight train, sending railcars into British Columbia's Fraser River, on Sunday night. 1 person in critical condition after crash in New Westminster, B.C. One person was taken to hospital in critical condition Monday after a crash involving a flatbed truck in New Westminster, B.C. Union for striking aviation fuel workers in Vancouver says aging pipeline poses risk A union representing striking aviation fuel workers in British Columbia is warning that diversion of the fuel to get around the industrial action could pose an environmental hazard. Vancouver Island Cleanup underway after rockslide derails train in B.C. No injuries were reported after a rockslide derailed a freight train, sending railcars into British Columbia's Fraser River, on Sunday night. 1 person in critical condition after crash in New Westminster, B.C. One person was taken to hospital in critical condition Monday after a crash involving a flatbed truck in New Westminster, B.C. More than 280M trees planted in 2024 in B.C., focus on fire-damaged areas British Columbia's forests ministry says more than 280 million trees were planted in the province this year. Stay Connected

Carl Black Chevrolet Introduces the 2025 Chevy Suburban for Sale Near Nashville with New Research Pages Available

BOZEMAN, Mont. – Aurora, a self-driving trucking company, is making waves in Bozeman with its innovative technology and job creation. The company uses LIDAR, a tool that employs lasers and photonics to create a 3-D picture of the environment. Montana State University and Gallatin College have developed programs to educate students in photonics, preparing them for real-world applications. Some students have already secured positions with Aurora. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.has never been one to hold back his opinions when it comes to relationships. However, he shocked fans with his new view on the idea of exclusivity when it comes to romantic partnerships. During an appearance on the YouTube show “Lemon Drop with Karleen Roy,” the “So Sick” singer explained that following his 2022 divorce from Crystal Renay Williams, he explored polyamorous relationships and finally feels like he’s living his “truth.” “Society tells you that you’re supposed to be with one person. You get married and y’all supposed to be together forever,” he said. “I am not shitting on marriage. I’m not shitting on anyone who has figured out how to make that thing work for them. Again, everything’s not for everybody. Monogamy is for you. It’s not for me.” Now that the R&B singer has finally figured out what works for him, he feels that “a weight lifted off my shoulders.” “Complete and utter time wasted when I could have just been exactly who I am, said exactly what I want, exactly how I’m rocking, exactly how I’m not, and then waited for those people to gravitate to me because that’s my reality now,” he said. Just so it’s clear, we have no judgment for how Ne-Yo lives his life and handles his relationships. As long as everyone is consenting adults, be free and happy to live your truth. However, social media is not as understanding as we are. In the of Roy’s show, the comments are calling him out for the effect his feelings had on his family before he discovered monogamy wasn’t his ideal lifestyle. Someone feels like his fame may be playing a role in his feelings, replying, “I wanna see if he feels the same in 15 years when he is not as famous and gravity has done its thang.” Another comment pointed to the hurt he caused before he came to this conclusion, posting, “He created so many broken homes trying to figure himself out. He does NOT get an applause for ‘figuring it out now’. It’s not liberating. It’s not freedom. It’s selfishness.” Someone else broke down exactly where the “Closer” singer went wrong, posting, “[He] never had to lie! He lied to get what he wanted in the way he wanted it. He’s known this all along but what he’s seeing now is the freedom in letting someone choose you for how you are versus taking away their choice bc you aren’t forthcoming...women don’t get mad over accepting you for who you are, it’s the lies & betrayal.” One person wished he would’ve realized the truth sooner, , “Too bad he was too cowardly to admit this before creating broken homes.” Another user thinks he’s just an average man, , “Most noncommittal men with minimum self control feels this way.” Obviously, Ne-Yo can live his polyamory life how he sees fit, but he’s one of these celebs who thinks we need a podcast announcement every time he changes his relationship status. You really can just go out and enjoy life without letting us all know what you’re up to.The move could usher in an end to a protracted political crisis in the European Union country following the annulment of a presidential election by a top court. Parliament approved the new administration in a 240-143 vote in Romania’s 466-seat legislature. The new coalition is made up of the leftist Social Democratic Party (PSD) the centre-right National Liberal Party (PNL), the small ethnic Hungarian UDMR party and national minorities. It caps a month-long period of turmoil in which far-right nationalists made significant gains in a parliamentary election on December 1 a week after a first-round presidential race saw the far-right outsider Calin Georgescu emerge as the front-runner. “It will not be an easy mandate for the future government,” Mr Ciolacu, whose PSD party topped the polls in the parliamentary election, said in a statement. “We are aware that we are in the midst of a deep political crisis,” he said. “It is also a crisis of trust, and this coalition aims to regain the trust of citizens, the trust of the people.” Romania’s 16 ministerial positions will be shared among the parties, which will hold a slim majority in the legislature. It is widely seen as a tactical partnership to shut out far-right nationalists whose voices found fertile ground amid high living costs and a sluggish economy. Mr Ciolacu, who came third in the first-round presidential ballot despite polls indicating he would win the most votes, has served as prime minister since June 2023. After parliament’s approval, President Klaus Iohannis swore in the new government and warned the new Cabinet that it is entering a “difficult new period” in which “for many Romanians, there are major concerns”. Romania was plunged into turmoil after Mr Georgescu’s surprise success in the presidential race, after allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference emerged. Days before the December 8 run-off, the Constitutional Court made the unprecedented move to annul the presidential race. “We go through complicated times, but I think we all learned from mistakes of the past,” Mr Ciolacu said. “I hope that together with my colleagues in the coalition, we’ll find the best solutions to get past the challenges we have in front of us.” Mr Ciolacu said that the new government would aim to quickly organise the rerun of the presidential election in which the new coalition has agreed to put forward an agreed common pro-European candidate. Cristian Andrei, a political consultant based in Bucharest, said that the new government made up of the same political parties will likely embrace “soft populist” rhetoric such as economic patriotism, anti-austerity, and a peace solution in neighbouring Ukraine to counter the rise of far-right populism. “This will be a way to answer the concerns of many Romanians who voted for populists... but will not solve the fundamental problem of trust,” he said. “The only decisive factor now will be who and how convincing the pro-European candidates will be against this popular revolt.” George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, which came second in the parliamentary election, said that all politicians from his party on Monday would vote against the Ciolacu government. In 2021, the PSD and the PNL also formed an unlikely but increasingly strained coalition together with UDMR, which exited the Cabinet last year after a power-sharing dispute.

Syrian opposition fighters have reached the suburbs of the capital, Damascus, and government forces are withdrawing from the strategic city of Homs as the rebels' surprising offensive picks up speed and President Bashar Assad's whereabouts are unknown. Homs is an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces that are the Syrian leader’s base of support. In Damascus, residents described a city on edge, with security forces on the streets and many shops running out of staple foods. The rapidly developing events have shaken the region. Lebanon said it was closing all its land border crossings with Syria except for one that links Beirut with Damascus. Jordan closed a border crossing with Syria, too. Eight key countries gathered with the U.N. special envoy on Syria on the sidelines of the Doha Summit for two hours of discussions Saturday night, and more will follow. The U.N. envoy seeks urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Here's the Latest: Two officials with Iran-backed Iraqi militias in Syria say the militias are monitoring the situation and have not made a decision to enter in support of Iran’s ally, Syrian President Bashar Assad. One of the officials said Iranian militias had withdrawn to Iraq from their positions in Syria. “All the militias are waiting to see what Bashar Assad will do in Damascus. If he resists and does not allow Damascus to fall, it is possible that the Iraqi factions will intervene for the purpose of support,” he said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. -- Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad Multi-country discussions on Syria have ended on the sidelines of the Doha Summit. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein says the countries will issue a statement, and there will be follow-up talks “taking into consideration the practical and real situation on the ground.” He said the talks, which lasted over two hours Saturday evening, focused on how to stop the fighting. Eight key countries including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran gathered with the U.N. special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen. When asked where Syrian President Bashar Assad is, Iraq's foreign minister replied, “I don’t know.” He declined to speculate on whether Assad would be overthrown. Opposition fighters have reached the Damascus suburbs. BEIRUT — Lebanon’s Health Ministry says two Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday killed six people and wounded five others. The ministry said an airstrike on the village of Beit Leif killed five people and wounded five, while a drone strike on the village of Deir Serian killed one person. Israel’s military said it was looking into the report. Despite a ceasefire that went into effect on Nov. 27 to end the 14-month fighting between Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants that had escalated into all-out war, violations of the truce have continued. The director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza says the facility came under heavy Israeli bombardment again on Saturday and three medical staff were killed. Dr. Hussam Abu Safia in a statement posted by Gaza’s Health Ministry said the hospital was hit by over 100 projectiles and bombs, and electricity was cut off. He said the surgery department and neonatal unit were hit, and he pleaded for “immediate coordination for repair operations.” Kamal Adwan is one of the last remaining hospitals in northern Gaza. Israeli forces are pressing an offensive that has almost completely sealed off the area from humanitarian aid for two months. Israel’s military said it wasn’t aware of any attack Saturday. The hospital director on Friday said Israeli strikes had killed at least 29 people including four medical staff. Israeli Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi says the military is monitoring the Syrian border to make sure that “local factions do not direct actions towards us,” adding that Israel is not intervening in the events in Syria. Israel’s military has said it is reinforcing its deployment along the border with Syria. Halevi said if “confusion” arises and actions are directed toward Israel by “local factions” taking control of parts of Syria, Israel has a strong “offensive response.” The United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Syria says the U.N. is relocating non-critical staff outside the country. Adam Abdelmoula in a statement Saturday called it a precautionary measure to protect U.N. teams. “Let me emphasize—this is not an evacuation and our dedication to supporting the people of Syria remains unwavering,” Abdelmoula said. The statement did not say how many U.N. staffers were leaving Syria as opposition fighters reached the suburbs of Syria’s capital, Damascus. The statement said the fighting in Syria has displaced over 370,000 people as the humanitarian situation deteriorates, “with many seeking refuge in the northeast and others trapped in frontline areas, unable to escape.” Foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran have gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit along with the U.N. special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, to discuss the situation in Syria. The talks continued late Saturday and no details were immediately available. Qatar, Jordan and Iraq also were part of the discussions as opposition fighters closed in on the Syrian capital, Damascus. BAGHDAD — An Iraqi government spokesperson says about 2,000 Syrian army soldiers have crossed into Iraq seeking refuge as opposition forces advance in Syria. Bassem al-Awadi said the soldiers’ equipment and weapons were registered and taken into custody by the Iraqi army. “We dealt with them according to the principle of good neighborliness and humanity,” he said Saturday. Al-Awadi also said Iraqi officials are concerned about the security of the al-Hol camp and other facilities in northeast Syria where suspected Islamic State group members and their families are detained. The facilities are guarded by U.S.-backed Kurdish forces. Al-Awadi said there is “high security coordination” between Iraqi officials and those forces to “prevent the prisoners from escaping.” Syria's army says it is fortifying its positions in the suburbs of Damascus and in the country’s south, as opposition fighters close in on the capital. The army statement on Saturday also asserted that Syria is being subjected to a “terrorist” and propaganda campaign aiming to destabilize and spread chaos. The statement also said the military is continuing with operations in areas including the central provinces of Hama and Homs, and that it has killed and wounded hundreds of opposition fighters. At least two people were wounded in a car-ramming attack in the West Bank on Saturday, according to the Israeli army and rescue services. The army said the attack took place in the area of the Fawwar refugee camp, near the city of Hebron. It said a soldier was severely wounded, and security forces were looking for the attacker. Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said another man in his 40s suffered light injuries from shrapnel. The West Bank has seen a surge in violence since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza sparked the war there. Israel has intensified its military raids in the West Bank, targeting what it says are militants planning attacks, and there has also been a rise in Palestinian attacks on Israelis. The Israeli military says it is helping United Nations forces to head off an attack on a U.N. position in Syria close to the Israeli border. The army said in a statement Saturday that an attack was carried out by “armed individuals” on a U.N. post near the Syrian town of Hader and it was “assisting U.N. forces in repelling the attack.” On Friday, Israel’s military said it would reinforce its forces in the Golan Heights and near the border with Syria, where civil war has reignited between the government and opposition fighters. Hamas has released a video showing Israeli hostage Matan Zangauker making an emotional plea for his release and describing the conditions he and other hostages face in Gaza after being seized in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel. His mother, Einav, has become a symbol of the fight to bring back the hostages and is an outspoken critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Matan Zangauker, speaking under duress, appealed to the public to protest in front of Netanyahu’s home and “not let him sleep even for a minute.” Zangauker also referred to 420 days of being held by Hamas militants. “We want to return before we go crazy. Isolation is killing us, and the darkness here is frightening,” he said, describing having little food and medicine and “undrinkable” water. President-elect Donald Trump has made his first extensive comments on dramatic advances by opposition fighters in Syria, saying the besieged President Bashar Assad didn’t deserve U.S. support to stay in power. “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT,” Trump posted on the Truth Social platform on Saturday. Syrian opposition activists and regional officials have been watching closely for any indication from both the Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration of how the U.S. would handle the sudden advances against Syria’s Russian- and Iranian-allied leader. Trump condemned the overall U.S. handling of the 13-year civil war in Syria, but spoke favorably of the routing of Assad and Russian forces. ISTANBUL — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that there was “now a new reality in Syria” following the rapid advance of rebel forces. Speaking in Gaziantep, a city less than 30 miles (48 kilometers) from the Syrian border, Erdogan said that “increasing attacks on civilians” in Syria’s northwest Idlib province “triggered the latest events like the straw that broke the camel’s back.” It was not possible for Turkey to ignore developments in a country with which it shares a lengthy border and it would not allow any threats to its national security, he added in a televised speech. “Our wish is for our neighbor Syria to attain the peace and tranquility it has been longing for for 13 years,” he told a rally of supporters. “We want to see a Syria where different identities live side by side in peace. We hope to see such a Syria in the very near future.” Erdogan claimed President Bashar Assad had erred in rebuffing Turkey’s previous efforts to establish relations, saying Damascus “could not appreciate the value of the hand Turkey extended.” Ankara has supported anti-Assad rebel groups since the early months of the conflict and hosts 3 million refugees dislodged by the fighting. While Turkey lists HTS, the group leading the latest offensive, as a terrorist organization, the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army has worked alongside it. BEIRUT — A resident of the Syrian capital of Damascus says the city is very tense as troops and members of security agencies are deployed on main streets and intersections. The resident told The Associated Press that many shops are closed and those that are open have run out of main commodities such as sugar. He added that if food products are available, some shops are selling them for a price three times higher than usual. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said on condition of anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” — Bassem Mroue in Beirut DOHA, Qatar — Russia’s foreign minister says he has met his Turkish and Iranian counterparts in Doha and that all three countries were calling for an “immediate end to hostile activities” in Syria. Russia and Iran are the chief supporters of Syria’s government, while Turkey backs opposition fighters trying to remove President Bashar Assad from power. Speaking at the annual Doha Forum, Sergey Lavrov said Russia continues to help the Syrian army confront insurgents, military via airstrikes. Asked whether Assad’s rule is threatened by the fast-moving rebel offensive, he said, “We are not in the business of guessing what’s gong to happen.” He blamed the United States and the West for the events in Syria and said, “We are very sorry for the Syrian people who became a subject of another geopolitical experiment. “We are doing everything we can not to make terrorists prevail, even if they say they are not terrorists,” Lavrov said, referring to the de facto leader of the Syrian insurgents, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, who says he has cut links with al-Qaida. His group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and United Nations. He said Russia, Iran and Turkey want the full implementation of a U.N. resolution, which endorsed a road map to peace in Syria. Resolution 2254 was adopted unanimously in December 2015. The measure called for a Syrian-led political process, starting with the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Lavrov also downplayed reports that Moscow had withdrawn ships from Russia’s base in Syrian city of Tartus, saying that the vessels had left to take part in naval exercises in the Mediterranean. DOHA, Qatar — The U.S. envoy who brokered the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah says the deal has created a new opportunity for Lebanon to reshape itself. Amos Hochstein told the Doha Forum that the weakness of Hezbollah after nearly 14 months of fighting along, along with blows to its Syrian and Iranian allies, give the Lebanese military and government a chance to reassert itself. “Now is the moment with this ceasefire to rebuild Lebanon again for a much more prosperous future and stronger state institutions,” Hochstein told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the conference. He said Lebanon needs “to do its part” by rebuilding its economy, choosing a president after years of delays and strengthening its central government to attract investors. “And the international community has a requirement and a responsibility to support Lebanon after this devastating conflict and after years of Hezbollah control,” he said. Hochstein told the conference that the turning point in ceasefire efforts was Hezbollah dropping its pledge to keep fighting as long as the war in Gaza continues. He said the change in position was the result of the heavy losses inflicted on Hezbollah, and Lebanese public opinion in favor of delinking the two conflicts. He said key tests for the ceasefire will be whether Israel carries out its promised phased withdrawal from southern Lebanon over the coming two months and whether the Lebanese army is able to move into those areas. BEIRUT — Insurgents and a war monitor say opposition fighters are taking over military posts evacuated by Syrian government forces in the country’s south, bringing them closer to the capital, Damascus. An insurgent official known as Maj. Hassan Abdul-Ghani posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition fighters are now in the town of Sanamein, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the southern outskirts of Damascus, President Bashar Assad’s seat of power. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said insurgents have entered the town of Artouz, which is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) southwest of Damascus. Opposition fighters have captured wide parts of Syria, including several provincial capitals, since they began their offensive on Nov. 27. BEIRUT — Lebanon’s government has approved a plan to deploy more troops along the border with Israel, part of the ceasefire deal that ended the Israel-Hezbollah war. In a rare Cabinet meeting outside of Beirut, held Saturday at a military base in the southern port city of Tyre, the government also approved a draft law to reconstruct buildings destroyed during the Israel-Hezbollah war that broke out in October 2023 and ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire last week. Information Minister Ziad Makary told reporters after the meeting that the committee whose job is to monitor the ceasefire that went into effect on Nov. 27 will hold its first meeting on Monday. The committee is made up of military officials from the U.S., France, Israel and Lebanon as well as the U.N. peacekeeping force deployed along the border. As part of the ceasefire deal, during the first 60 days Israeli troops will have to withdraw from Lebanon, while Hezbollah will have to pull its heavy weapons away from the border area to north of the Litani river. The Lebanese army said this week it will begin recruiting more soldiers, apparently to deploy them along the border with Israel. BEIRUT — The Syrian army withdrew from much of southern Syria on Saturday, leaving more areas of the country, including two provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters, the military and an opposition war monitor said. The redeployment away from the provinces of Daraa and Sweida came as Syria’s military sent large numbers of reinforcements to defend the key central city of Homs, Syria’s third largest, as insurgents approached its outskirts. The rapid advances by insurgents are a stunning reversal of fortunes for Syria’s President Bashar Assad , who appears to be largely on his own, with erstwhile allies preoccupied with other conflicts. His chief international backer, Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine, and Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up his forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran, meanwhile, has seen its proxies across the region degraded by Israeli regular airstrikes. JERUSALEM — Israeli security forces killed a Palestinian man after he attacked them at a border crossing in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Saturday morning, police said. The man shot firecrackers at security forces at the checkpoint and threatened them with a knife, the police statement said. The man wore a t-shirt emblazoned with a symbol of the Islamic State militant group, according to an Associated Press reporter Israeli fire has killed at least 700 Palestinians in the West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war began last year, Palestinian health officials said. In that time, Palestinian militants have launched a number of attacks on soldiers at checkpoints and within Israel. DOHA, Qatar — The prime minister of Qatar says he has seen new momentum in Gaza ceasefire efforts since the U.S. presidential election, with the incoming Trump administration seeking an end to the conflict before it takes office. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, a key mediator in the ceasefire efforts, declined to give specifics of the negotiations but told an international conference in Doha that the gaps between the sides are not large. Qatar, which has served as a mediator throughout the 14-month war, suspended its efforts last month in frustration over the lack of progress. But Sheikh Mohammed said his government has re-engaged in recent days after determining a new willingness by both parties to reach a deal. ’We have sensed after the election that the momentum is coming back,” he told the Doha Forum on Saturday. He said has been in touch with both the outgoing Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration and found that while there are some differences in approach, both are committed to the same goal of ending the war. ’We have seen a lot of encouragement from the incoming administration in order to achieve a deal, even before the president comes to the office,” Sheikh Mohammed said. He declined to discuss details, saying he wanted to “protect the process,” but expressed hope for a deal “as soon as possible.” ’If you look at the gaps and the disagreements, they are not something substantial that really affects the agreement,” he said. CAIRO — At least 29 people were killed, including four medical staff, when Israeli strikes pummeled the area around one of the last remaining hospitals in northern Gaza, Palestinian officials said. The situation in and around the Kamal Adwan hospital is “catastrophic,” according to Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, the director of the hospital. The dead included five children and five women, according to the hospital casualty list, which was obtained by The Associated Press. Friday’s strikes also wounded 55 people including six children and the five women, according to the hospital. Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya is one of the few hospitals still partially operating in the Gaza’s northernmost province , where Israeli forces are pressing an offensive that has almost completely sealed off the area from humanitarian aid for two months. Israel’s military denied that its forces had struck the hospital or operated inside it. The army said that in the past few weeks, “coordinated efforts with international organizations have been underway in order to transfer patients, companions, and medical staff to other hospitals.” An Indonesian medical team which had been assisting in Kamal Adwan for the past week was forced to evacuate on foot after the area was surrounded by Israeli soldiers, according to a statement from the team. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the medical team’s expulsion. Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization representative in the Palestinian territories, said an Israeli tank approached the hospital at around 4 a.m. Friday. Although no official Israeli evacuation order was issued, “people started to climb the wall to escape, and this panic attracted IDF (Israeli) fire,” he said. He spoke by video from Gaza to journalists in Geneva. Kamal Adwan Hospital has been struck multiple times over the past two months since Israel launched a fierce military operation in northern Gaza against Hamas militants. In October, Israeli forces raided the hospital, saying that militants were sheltering inside and arrested a number of people, including some staff. Hospital officials denied the claim. MANAMA, Bahrain — Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has reiterated the kingdom’s call for an end to the war in the Gaza Strip. Prince Faisal bin Farhan described Israel as acting with “impunity and is getting away without punishment” in its war on Hamas there. The prince said that any permanent solution requires a two-state solution, with the Palestinians having east Jerusalem as their capital. After the speech, Prince Turki al-Faisal, a prominent royal in the kingdom who led Saudi intelligence for more than two decades and served as ambassador to the U.S. and Britain, took the stage. He harshly criticized Israel’s conduct in the wars. “Israel has become an apartheid, colonial and genocidal state,” Prince Turki said. “It is about time for the world to address that issue and take the necessary steps to bring those who are thus charged by the International Criminal Court to justice.” Israeli officials could not be immediately reached for comment on Prince Turki’s remarks. The Saudis spoke at the International Institute for Security Studies’ Manama Dialogue in Bahrain.

NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Roadzen Inc. (Nasdaq: RDZN), ("Roadzen” or the "Company”), a global leader in AI at the convergence of insurance and mobility, today announced the closing of its previously announced underwritten public offering of 2,300,000 ordinary shares (or pre-funded warrants (("Pre-funded Warrants")) in lieu thereof), including 300,000 shares sold upon full exercise of the underwriter's option to purchase additional shares (the "Offering”) at a public offering price of $1.25 per share (inclusive of the Pre-Funded Warrant exercise price), for gross proceeds of $2,875,000, before deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and Offering expenses. All of the ordinary shares (and/or Pre-funded Warrants) were sold by the Company. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering primarily for costs directly related to sales and marketing, for research and development, working capital and general corporate purposes, including personnel costs, capital expenditure and the costs of operating as a public company. The Company may also use a portion of the net proceeds to repay indebtedness outstanding. ThinkEquity acted as sole book-running manager for the offering. The Offering was made pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-282966), including a base prospectus, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC”) on November 1, 2024 and declared effective on November 12, 2024. The final prospectus supplement relating to the Offering was filed with the SEC on December 16, 2024 and is available on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov . Copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to the Offering may be obtained from ThinkEquity, 17 State Street, 41 st Floor, New York, New York 10004. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. About Roadzen Inc. Roadzen Inc. (Nasdaq: RDZN) is a global technology company transforming auto insurance using advanced artificial intelligence (AI). Thousands of clients, from the world's leading insurers, carmakers, and fleets to dealerships and auto insurance agents, use Roadzen's technology to build new products, sell insurance, process claims, and improve road safety. Roadzen's pioneering work in telematics, generative AI, and computer vision has earned recognition as a top AI innovator by publications such as Forbes, Fortune, and Financial Express. Roadzen's mission is to continue advancing AI research at the intersection of mobility and insurance, ushering in a world where accidents are prevented, premiums are fair, and claims are processed within minutes, not weeks. Headquartered in Burlingame, California, the Company has 360 employees across its global offices in the U.S., India, U.K. and France. To learn more, please visit www.roadzen.ai . Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act”). We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may,” "should,” "could,” "would,” "expect,” "plan,” "anticipate,” "believe,” "estimate,” and "continue,” or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the intended use of proceeds of the offering described above. Factors that might cause or contribute to such a discrepancy include, but are not limited to, those described in "Risk Factors” in our SEC filings, including the annual report on Form 10-K we filed with the SEC on July 1, 2024, any subsequently filed quarterly reports and other documents we subsequently file with the SEC. We urge you to consider these factors, risks and uncertainties carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to our company or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date of this release. Except as expressly required by applicable securities law, we disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For more information, please contact: Investor Contacts: [email protected] Media Contacts: Roadzen: Sanya Soni [email protected] or [email protected] Gutenberg: [email protected]Taylor added 10 rebounds for the Falcons (2-4). Wesley Celichowski scored 14 points, going 6 of 11 and 2 of 3 from the free-throw line. Luke Kearney had 12 points and shot 4 for 5 from beyond the arc. The Lakers (4-3) were led by Aidan Reichert, who posted 11 points. Jeff Planutis added 10 points for Mercyhurst. Mykolas Ivanauskas also had seven points, six rebounds and three blocks. Air Force took the lead with 15:21 left in the first half and never looked back. The score was 31-24 at halftime, with Taylor racking up nine points. Air Force extended its lead to 45-26 during the second half, fueled by a 14-0 scoring run. Taylor scored a team-high 12 points in the second half as Air Force closed out the win. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

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NFL Veterans Accuse Teammates Of 'Quitting' On SeasonBOZEMAN, Mont. – Aurora, a self-driving trucking company, is making waves in Bozeman with its innovative technology and job creation. The company uses LIDAR, a tool that employs lasers and photonics to create a 3-D picture of the environment. Montana State University and Gallatin College have developed programs to educate students in photonics, preparing them for real-world applications. Some students have already secured positions with Aurora. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get the latest need-to-know information delivered to your inbox as it happens. Our flagship newsletter. Get our front page stories each morning as well as the latest updates each afternoon during the week + more in-depth weekend editions on Saturdays & Sundays.

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

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NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Scottie Scheffler birdied every hole but the par 3s on the front nine at Albany Golf Club on Friday and finished his bogey-free round with an 8-under 64 that gave him a two-shot lead in the Hero World Challenge. Two months off did nothing to slow the world's No. 1 player. Scheffler already has eight victories this year and is in position to get another before the end of the year. Scheffler was at 13-under 131, two ahead of Akshay Bhatia (66) and Justin Thomas (67), both of whom had to save par on the 18th hole to stay in range going into the weekend. Scheffler started with a lob wedge to 2 feet for birdie and never slowed until after he went out in 29 to seize control of the holiday tournament against a 20-man field. Scheffler cooled slightly on the back nine, except it didn't feel that way to him. “Front nine, just things were going my way. Back nine, maybe not as much,” Scheffler said. “A couple shots could end up closer to the hole, a couple putts go in, just little things.” Asked if he felt any frustration he didn't take it lower — he once shot 59 at the TPC Boston during the FedEx Cup playoffs — Scheffler sounded bemused. “I think in this game I think a lot of all y’all are looking for perfection out of us,” he said. “Today I shot 8 under on the golf course, not something I hang my head about. A lot of good things out there — clean card, bogey-free, eight birdies. Overall, I think I'm pretty pleased.” Thomas felt his 67 was stress-free, particularly the way he was driving the ball. The wind laid down again, rare for the Bahamas, though it is expected to pick up on the weekend. Thomas wasn't concerned to see Scheffler get off to a hot start, especially with three par 5s on the front nine and a short par 4 that at worst leaves a flip wedge to the green. “You literally can birdie every hole as soft as the greens are,” Thomas said. “He's a great player, a great wedge player, and you have a lot of birdie holes to start. I'm honestly surprised he only shot 8 under. It's a sneaky course because if you fall asleep on some shots, you can get out of position. But if you're on and focused and really in control of everything — like these last two days with no wind — you can just make so many birdies.” Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley had a 67 and was four shots behind. No matter how benign the conditions, it wasn't always easy. Cameron Young, who opened with a 64 for a two-shot lead, followed with a 75 despite making five birdies. That included a double bogey on the final hole when his approach tumbled down the bank into the rocks framing the lake that goes all the way down the 18th hole. Patrick Cantlay was trying to keep pace playing alongside Scheffler, but he had three bogeys over the final seven holes and fell seven shots behind with a 71. The tournament, hosted by Tiger Woods, is unofficial but offers world ranking points to all but the bottom three players because of the small field. It's the weakest field in 25 years, but Scheffler at No. 1 gives it enough cachet. He is the first player since Woods in 2009 to start and finish a year at No. 1 in the world. And even after a layoff — giving him time to tinker with a new putting stroke — it looks like it might be a while before anyone changes that. AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Robinson will be available to play when the Rams (5-6) visit the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Rams coach Sean McVay said Wednesday. “I think he does understand the severity of this, and how lucky we were that nobody was injured,” McVay said. “I do believe that he's remorseful. We are going to let the legal process take place. The league has a process as well.” Robinson was arrested early Monday morning after California Highway Patrol officers observed a white Dodge sedan driving over 100 mph on the 101 freeway in the western San Fernando Valley, a few miles from the Rams’ training complex in Woodland Hills. The driver, who identified himself as Robinson, had “objective signs and symptoms of alcohol impairment,” the CHP said in a statement released to The Associated Press. Robinson spoke to the team and expressed remorse about his arrest, McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “I think it was a bad decision he made,” McVay said. “I don't think that makes him a bad person, and I do believe this is something that, with the words that he said, our guys will learn from it, and hopefully nobody is ever going to repeat something like this. Let it be a learning opportunity, and a fortunate outcome that nobody was injured.” Robinson has 26 receptions for 384 yards and a team-leading six touchdown catches while starting all 11 games in his second season with the Rams . He caught a TD pass in the Rams' 37-20 loss to Philadelphia several hours before his arrest. The nine-year NFL veteran has served as a capable No. 3 option for Stafford behind star receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. Robinson spent his first six NFL seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, winning a Super Bowl ring in February 2020, and spent one year with Baltimore before joining the Rams last year. “Let this be a lesson to all of us,” Stafford said. “We're lucky with the result that came of it, to be honest with you, that nobody was hurt or injured. I know that D-Rob is a great person. I love being around him. Love him as a teammate. ... I'm just trying to support him, help him out any way I can.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

NoneTOKYO, Dec. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MEDIROM Healthcare Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: MRM) (“MEDIROM”) announces that M3, Inc. (TOKYO PRIME: 2413), or an affiliate within the M3 group, is participating in the Series A equity financing round of MEDIROM MOTHER Labs Inc., a subsidiary of MEDIROM. NFES Technologies Inc. is the lead investor of the Series A financing round at a pre-money valuation of JPY9 billion. Additional information is available here: https://medirom.co.jp/en/ir/20240824/6148%09 Forward-Looking Statements Regarding MEDIROM Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may include estimates or expectations about MEDIROM’s possible or assumed operational results, financial condition, business strategies and plans, market opportunities, competitive position, industry environment, and potential growth opportunities. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “design,” “target,” “aim,” “hope,” “expect,” “could,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “continue,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “goal,” or other words that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. These statements relate to future events or to MEDIROM’s future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause MEDIROM’s actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond MEDIROM’s control and which could, and likely will, affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects MEDIROM’s current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to MEDIROM’s operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. More information on these risks and other potential factors that could affect MEDIROM’s business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition, and stock price is included in MEDIROM’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including in the “Risk Factors” and “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” sections of MEDIROM’s most recently filed periodic report on Form 20-F and subsequent filings, which are available on the SEC website at www.sec.gov . MEDIROM assumes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. ABOUT M3, Inc. M3 is a one of a kind venture company that operates a multitude of global services centred around its physician platform such as m3.com . M3 is the first company incorporated after the year 2000 to be included in the Nikkei 225 Index. Its 330,000+ Japanese and 6,500,000+ global physician member panel serves as a central platform in advancing innovation and reform across healthcare worldwide. Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market (Securities code 2413) 1-11-44 Akasaka Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052 JAPAN Web https://corporate.m3.com/en ABOUT MEDIROM MOTHER Labs Inc. A subsidiary of MEDIROM Healthcare Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: MRM), focuses on the health-tech sector. The company’s core activities include the "Specific Health Guidance Program" offered through the "Lav" health application and development and sales of the 24/7 recharge-free MOTHER Bracelet smart tracker. By leveraging the features of the recharge-free MOTHER Bracelet, MOTHER Labs offers customizable health management solutions across diverse sectors, including caregiving, logistics, manufacturing, etc. MEDIROM Healthcare Technologies Inc. NASDAQ Symbol: MRM Tradepia Odaiba, 2-3-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan Web https://medirom.co.jp/en Contact: ir@medirom.co.jp MEDIROM MOTHER Labs Inc. Tradepia Odaiba, 2-3-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan MOTHER Bracelet is the world's first* 24/7 recharge-free smart tracker. It uses innovative technology from a Silicon Valley tech company that allows for power generation based on temperature differences between body and surrounding air. The recharge-free feature eliminates the risk of data loss when a device is taken off for recharge. MOTHER Bracelet records five basic metrics: heart rate, calories burned, body surface temperature, step count, and sleep. Official Website: https://mother-bracelet.comOusted Syrian leader Assad flees to Moscow after fall of Damascus, Russian state media say DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Russia media say ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad has fled to Moscow and received asylum from his longtime ally. The reports came hours after a stunning rebel advance swept into Damascus to cheers and ended the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule. Thousands of Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire, joyful after a stifling, nearly 14-year civil war. But the swiftly moving events raised questions about the future of the country and the wider region. The rebels face the daunting task of healing bitter divisions in a country still split among armed factions. One rebel commander said “we will not deal with people the way the Assad family did." The fall of Bashar Assad after 13 years of war in Syria brings to an end a decades-long dynasty BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad has fled the country. Assad’s departure on Sunday brings to a dramatic close his nearly 14-year struggle to hold onto power in a brutal civil war that became a proxy battlefield for regional and international powers. Assad’s exit stood in stark contrast to his first months as Syria’s unlikely president in 2000, when many hoped he would be a young reformer after three decades of his father’s iron grip. But faced with protests of his rule that erupted in March 2011, Assad turned to his father's brutal tactics to crush dissent. A long stalemate was quickly broken when opposition groups in northwest Syria launched a surprise offensive late last month. Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syria's Assad? BEIRUT (AP) — Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the militant leader who led the stunning insurgency that toppled Syria’s President Bashar Assad, has spent years working to remake his public image and that of his fighters. He renounced longtime ties to al-Qaida and depicts himself as a champion of pluralism and tolerance. The extent of that transformation from jihadi extremist to would-be state builder is now put to the test. The 42-year-old al-Golani is labeled a terrorist by the United States. He has not appeared publicly since Damascus fell early Sunday. But he and his insurgent force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, stand to be a major player in whatever comes next. Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise US prices and won't rule out revenge prosecutions WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump says he can’t guarantee his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won’t raise prices for American consumers. And he's suggesting once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect made the comments in a wide-ranging interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday. He also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning “things do change.” The hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO's elusive killer yields new evidence, but few answers NEW YORK (AP) — Police don’t know who he is, where he is, or why he did it. As the frustrating search for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer got underway for a fifth day Sunday, investigators reckoned with a tantalizing contradiction: They have troves of evidence, but the shooter remains an enigma. One conclusion they are confident of, however: It was a targeted attack, not a random one. On Sunday morning, police declined to comment on the contents of a backpack found in Central Park that they believe was carried by the killer. Thompson was shot and killed Wednesday outside of a hotel in Manhattan. Trump calls for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and says a US withdrawal from NATO is possible WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump is pushing Russian leader Vladimir Putin to act to reach an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine. Trump describes it as part of his active efforts as president-elect to end the war despite being weeks from taking office. Trump also said he would be open to reducing military aid to Ukraine and pulling the United States out of NATO. Those are two threats that have alarmed Ukraine, NATO allies and many in the U.S. national security community. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says any deal would have to pave the way to a lasting peace. The Kremlin's spokesman says Moscow is open to talks with Ukraine. South Korean prosecutors detain ex-defense chief over martial law imposition SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean prosecutors have detained a former defense minister who allegedly recommended last week’s brief but stunning martial law imposition to President Yoon Suk Yeol. Local media say that ex-Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun voluntarily appeared on Sunday at a Seoul prosecutors’ office, where he had his mobile phone confiscated and was detained. A law enforcement official says Kim was later sent to a Seoul detention facility. Kim's detention came a day after Yoon avoided an opposition-led bid to impeach him, with most ruling party lawmakers boycotting a floor vote to prevent a two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers. Gaza health officials say latest Israeli airstrikes kill at least 14 including children DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian health officials say Israeli airstrikes in central Gaza have killed at least 14 people including children, while the bombing of a hospital in northern Gaza has wounded a half-dozen patients. Israel’s military continues its latest offensive against Hamas militants in northern Gaza, whose remaining Palestinians have been almost completely cut off from the rest of the territory amid a growing humanitarian crisis. One airstrike flattened a residential building in the urban Bureij refugee camp Sunday afternoon. That's according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the nearby city of Deir al-Balah, where the casualties were taken. Trump's return may be a boon for Netanyahu, but challenges abound in a changed Middle East TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is jubilant about President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House. Trump's first term policies skewed heavily in favor of Israel, and he has picked stalwart Israel supporters for key positions in his administration. But much has transpired since Trump left office in early 2021. The turmoil in the Middle East, the lofty ambitions of Netanyahu’s far-right governing coalition and Netanyahu’s own personal relationship with the president-elect could dampen that enthusiasm and complicate what on the surface looks like a seamless alliance. First 12-team College Football Playoff set, Oregon seeded No. 1 and SMU edges Alabama for last spot SMU captured the last open spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff, bumping Alabama to land in a bracket that placed undefeated Oregon at No. 1. The selection committee preferred the Mustangs (11-2), losers of a heartbreaker in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, who had a far less difficult schedule than Alabama (9-3) of the SEC but one fewer loss. The first-of-its-kind 12-team bracket marks a new era for college football, though the Alabama-SMU debate made clear there is no perfect formula. The tournament starts Dec. 20-21 with four first-round games. It concludes Jan. 20 with the national title game in Atlanta.

LOS ANGELES — TikTok’s future in the U.S. is now in greater jeopardy after the popular social video app on Friday lost a major court battle as it tries to prevent its banishment. In May, TikTok sued the government, asking the U.S. Court of Appeals to declare unconstitutional a law that would require its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest TikTok’s U.S. operations or face a U.S. ban. Legislators backing the law said a ban or sale was necessary to address national security concerns posed by the app’s ties to China. The law, signed by President Joe Biden, is set to go into effect Jan. 19. TikTok had said in its lawsuit that the law violated its First Amendment rights to free speech. TikTok contended that the law “offers no support for the idea” that TikTok’s Chinese ownership poses national security risks. More than 170 million Americans use the video app, where people share dance routines, cooking tips, funny videos and news stories. “On the merits, we reject each of the petitioners’ constitutional claims,” the judges said in their decision issued Friday. Legal experts said they anticipate TikTok will appeal its case to the Supreme Court. It is also possible that Biden could offer ByteDance an extension to divest, but some experts said they believe that is unlikely. “The Supreme Court has an established historical record of protecting Americans’ right to free speech, and we expect they will do just that on this important constitutional issue,” said TikTok spokesman Michael Hughes in a statement on Friday. “Unfortunately, the TikTok ban was conceived and pushed through based upon inaccurate, flawed and hypothetical information, resulting in outright censorship of the American people.” Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond, said TikTok could ask the court to put a hold on the ruling until the Supreme Court hears its case. “They still have another shot with the Supreme Court,” Tobias said.UnitedHealth shooting dredges up enmity for health insurers

Andrew Coster switches focus from policing to prevention at Social Investment Agency

Dell Technologies Inc. (DELL): Citi Lowers Price Target to $156 Amid Earnings Miss, Highlights AI and PC Recovery PotentialAfter laying off 20% of its staff early in 2024, Life Is Strange: Double Exposure studio Deck Nine has announced that it's been hit with more layoffs to end the year. pic.twitter.com/7C2xjhrT68 — Deck Nine Games (@DeckNineGames) December 6, 2024 "This was an extremely difficult decision and reflects the challenging times many companies in our industry are currently facing," Lyons wrote. "We are extremely grateful to every individual who has dedicated their hard work, passion and commitment to making transformative entertainment with us." Deck Nine, which is also behind Life Is Strange entries Before the Storm and True Colors as well as The Expanse: A Telltale Series, released Double Exposure to positive reviews ( IGN gave it a 9/10 ) at the end of October. The studio, however, has been plagued with issues before today's layoffs; earlier this year, we at IGN ran an extensive report about its internal struggles with toxicity, hate speech, crunch, and more. Deck Nine announced the last round of layoffs in February. Prior to those layoffs, IGN understood the studio employed roughly between 100 and 130 staffers. It's unclear how many remain after the two rounds of layoffs this year. Deck Nine laid off around 30 employees in May 2023 as well. The original developer of Life Is Strange, Don't Nod, also announced layoffs in October after canceling two in-development projects amid a reorganization. Today's Deck Nine announcement is unfortunately only the latest layoff news to hit the games industry as the year wraps up. Earlier this week, Ubisoft revealed that it would be shutting down two production studios and laying off 277 employees in the process. Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.

Gian Piero Gasperini feels Atalanta ‘thoroughly deserved’ to beat Milan and accuses Paulo Fonseca of trying to ‘distract’ from the result. ‘Let the fans sing’ about the Scudetto after nine straight wins. Gasperini continues to sit out his two-match touchline ban with Tullio Gritti on the bench, but it doesn’t seem to be affecting his team’s form, as they registered a ninth consecutive Serie A victory this evening. That is a club record, one they had already achieved between February and July 2020, and puts them temporarily top of the table awaiting Napoli’s match with Lazio on Sunday. Charles De Ketelaere and Ademola Lookman met set plays , around the Alvaro Morata equaliser. “Naturally, this is a great victory against a team with undoubtedly very talented players among the best in the league and we thoroughly deserved the win. All the statistics were in our favour in a difficult match,” “Milan had a huge chance after a few seconds, then a minute later we had a big opportunity. The equaliser was frankly a bad move from us, we allowed them to get that pass through. We were worried about their pace and pressing, but for the most part we managed to neutralise those strengths and built some very good scoring opportunities of our own. “In the second half, Milan did less, but we never settled for a point, we never wasted time, never threw ourselves to the ground, we wanted to win the game and were rewarded for that attitude. Indeed, Retegui could’ve scored a third in stoppages.” a few minutes before Gasperini came to the microphone, accusing the referee of ‘lacking respect’ towards his team and steering the match in Atalanta’s direction. “If this is an attempt to talk about something else and distract attention away from the match, then that’s his prerogative,” responded Gasperini. “The De Ketelaere goal was an extraordinary leap into the sky. I don’t remember any other incidents that were debatable, unless maybe some throw-ins. “I would put the focus less on Milan and more on Atalanta’s performance. I might be biased, but I thought we absolutely deserved to win the match.” The fans at the Gewiss Stadium were chanting ‘we will win the Scudetto’ at the final whistle, so even the coach is tired of trying to calm this wave of enthusiasm. “I don’t think that ever happened in Bergamo that they’d sing that after 15 games, so let them sing! We’d never been top of the table this far into the season, they had decades of struggle, so let them enjoy it. “The people of Bergamo have their feet firmly on the ground, so don’t take anything for granted. If we were still up there after another 20 games, it’d be different, but as things stand it is an expression of joy and a deserved one too.” Gasperini has been at the club for practically a decade now, so is this his best Atalanta squad so far? “It is a very different Atalanta. I remain fond of all my teams, from the first of which there is only one player left – Toloi – to this version. The results have been remarkable, but I am not the person to put these teams in any kind of order.” Atalanta are in action on Tuesday against Real Madrid in the Champions League, where they remain unbeaten and are on track for a top eight finish. “Tomorrow we can watch the other games, then on Tuesday it is another extraordinary night for the city of Bergamo and for this club. The first target of getting through in the Champions League is close, but we can aim for a little more too.” Atalanta lost to Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup in August, but are they the favourites going into Tuesday’s clash? “That’s subjective, I wouldn’t say that, but I’ll take anything tonight!” laughed Gasperini.

Autry scores 16 as George Washington downs Illinois State 72-64Deutsche Bank chief global strategist outlook for the benchmark US equity index: S & P 500 to rise as high as 7,000 year-end 2025 “We see S & P 500 buybacks rising from an annual run rate of $1.1 trillion currently to about $1.3 trillion next year, rising in line with earnings. We see the demand-supply backdrop for U.S. equities remaining solid even with conservative assumptions, pushing the S & P 500 to around 7000 next year.” sees stronger US economic growth due to potential tax cuts and a deregulation push under the incoming administration Caveats: “main downside risks are more likely to emerge if greater weight is put on aggressive trade and immigration policies” “could be more negative for growth and push up inflation." would lead the Fed to cease its interest rate cutting cycle Fed could possibly contemplate restarting rate increases *** There you go, a couple of scenarios to watch out for. S&P 500, 7000 is off the charts! Well, this one anyway:Over the past few weeks, users on social platform X have been submitting X-rays, MRIs, CT scans and other medical images to Grok, the platform's artificial intelligence chatbot, asking for diagnoses. The reason: Elon Musk , X's owner, suggested it. "This is still early stage, but it is already quite accurate and will become extremely good," Musk said in a post. The hope is that if enough users feed the AI their scans, it will eventually get good at interpreting them accurately. Patients could get faster results without waiting for a portal message or use Grok as a second opinion. Some users have shared Grok's misses, like a broken clavicle that was misidentified as a dislocated shoulder. Others praised it: "Had it check out my brain tumour, not bad at all," one user wrote alongside a brain scan. Some doctors have even played along, curious to test whether a chatbot could confirm their own findings. Although there's been no similar public callout from Google's Gemini or OpenAI's ChatGPT, people can submit medical images to those tools, too. The decision to share information as sensitive as your colonoscopy results with an AI chatbot has alarmed some medical privacy experts. Artificial Intelligence(AI) Basics of Generative AI: Unveiling Tomorrow's Innovations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Mastering Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and 365 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Mastering C++ Fundamentals with Generative AI: A Hands-On 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 Artificial Intelligence(AI) Tabnine AI Masterclass: Optimize Your Coding Efficiency 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 Strategy ESG and Business Sustainability Strategy By - Vipul Arora, Partner, ESG & Climate Solutions at Sattva Consulting Author I Speaker I Thought Leader View Program Astrology Vastu Shastra Course By - Sachenkumar Rai, Vastu Shashtri View Program Leadership Crafting a Powerful Startup Value Proposition By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Web Development JavaScript Essentials: Unlock AI-Driven Insights with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Data Science SQL Server Bootcamp 2024: Transform from Beginner to Pro 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 Finance A2Z Of Finance: Finance Beginner Course By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Finance Startup Fundraising: Essential Tactics for Securing Capital By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Leadership Business Storytelling Masterclass By - Ameen Haque, Founder of Storywallahs View Program Web Development Intermediate Java Mastery: Method, Collections, and Beyond By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer 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 Artificial Intelligence(AI) Java Programming with ChatGPT: Learn using Generative AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Leadership Boosting Startup Revenue with 6 AI-Powered Sales Automation Techniques By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Web Development Intermediate C++ Skills: Master Pointers, Structures and File Stream By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital marketing - Wordpress Website Development By - Shraddha Somani, Digital Marketing Trainer, Consultant, Strategiest and Subject Matter expert View Program Marketing Future of Marketing & Branding Masterclass By - Dr. David Aaker, Professor Emeritus at the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley, Author | Speaker | Thought Leader | Branding Consultant View Program Office Productivity Advanced Excel Course - Financial Calculations & Excel Made Easy By - Anirudh Saraf, Founder- Saraf A & Associates, Chartered Accountant View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) ChatGPT Mastery from Zero to Hero: The Complete AI Course By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Leadership Validating Your Startup Idea: Steps to Ensure Market Fit By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Generative AI for Dynamic Java Web Applications with ChatGPT 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 "This is very personal information, and you don't exactly know what Grok is going to do with it," said Bradley Malin, a professor of biomedical informatics at Vanderbilt University who has studied machine learning in health care. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories The potential consequences of sharing health information When you share your medical information with doctors or on a patient portal, it is guarded by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, the federal law that protects your personal health information from being shared without your consent. But it only applies to certain entities, like doctors' offices, hospitals and health insurers, as well as some companies they work with. In other words, what you post on a social media account or elsewhere isn't bound by HIPAA. It's like telling your lawyer that you committed a crime versus telling your dog-walker; one is bound by attorney-client privilege, and the other can inform the whole neighbourhood. When tech companies partner with a hospital to get data, by contrast, there are detailed agreements on how it is stored, shared and used, Malin said. "Posting personal information to Grok is more like, 'Wheee! Let's throw this data out there and hope the company is going to do what I want them to do,'" Malin said. X did not respond to a request for comment. In its privacy policy, the company has said it will not sell user data to a third party, but it does share it with "related companies." (Despite Musk's invitation to share medical images, the policy also says X does not aim to collect sensitive personal information, including health data.) Matthew McCoy, assistant professor of medical ethics and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania, noted that there may be very clear guardrails around health information uploaded to Grok that the company hasn't described publicly. "But as an individual user, would I feel comfortable contributing health data? Absolutely not." It's important to remember that bits of your online footprint get shared and sold -- which books you buy, for example, or how long you spend on a website. These are all pieces of a puzzle, fleshing out a picture of you that companies can use for various purposes, such as targeted marketing. Consider a PET scan that shows early signs of Alzheimer's disease becoming part of your online footprint, where future employers, insurance companies or even a homeowners association could find it. Laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act can offer protection against discrimination based on certain health factors, but there are carve-outs for some entities, like long-term care insurance and life insurance plans. And experts noted that other forms of health-related discrimination still happen, even if they're not legal. The risk of inaccurate results Imperfect answers might be OK for people purely experimenting with the tool. But getting faulty health information could lead to tests or other costly care you don't actually need, said Suchi Saria, director of the machine learning and health care lab at Johns Hopkins University. Training an AI model to produce accurate results about a person's health takes high-quality and diverse data, and deep expertise in medicine, technology, product design and more, said Saria, who is also the founder of Bayesian Health, a company that develops AI tools for health care settings. Anything less than that, she said, "is a bit like a hobbyist chemist mixing ingredients in the kitchen sink." Still, AI holds promise when it comes to improving patient experiences and outcomes in health care. AI models are already able to read mammograms and analyze patient data to find candidates for clinical trials. Some curious people may know the privacy risks and still feel comfortable uploading their data to support that mission. Malin calls the practice "information altruism." "If you strongly believe the information should be out there, even if you have no protections, go ahead," he said. "But buyer beware."

NoneFrom massive screens to razor-thin frames and stunning resolutions, televisions have come a long way. For many Americans, flipping channels or streaming apps feels like second nature, as many can't remember a time when televisions weren't a household staple. Archive video above: The high cost of high-definition TVs Before 1947, only a few thousand Americans were fortunate enough to own a television set. After World War II, as salaries rose and televisions became more accessible, TV ownership in the United States increased to 12 million, according to the Digital Public Library of America . Now, there are roughly 125 million TV households in the United States, according to the Nielsen TV Universe estimate. TV has come a long way from the boxy black and white models of the 1930s, but when revolutionary new changes, like the remote control, were first introduced, how much did they cost, and how does that compare to today's prices after adjusting for inflation? To create an accurate timeline, Hearst Television consulted the National Capital Radio & Television Museum, the Early Television Foundation and Museum and national news archives. Experts at these institutions, along with news archives, confirmed the debut retail prices of these television models. Prices were then adjusted to today's dollars using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation calculator. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' CPI inflation calculator is an index used to adjust a sum of money from one time period to another, providing the inflation-adjusted cost of these television models starting from the 1930s to the 2010s. Can't see the graphics? Click here. Note: "Today's Adjusted Price" is based on what the toy would have cost in today's dollars according to the Bureau of Labor Statistic's Consumer Price Index inflation calculator. Graphics created by Susie Webb.Manitoba’s acting education minister defended the province against criticism it takes an opaque approach to child-care oversight during question period Monday. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * Manitoba’s acting education minister defended the province against criticism it takes an opaque approach to child-care oversight during question period Monday. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? Manitoba’s acting education minister defended the province against criticism it takes an opaque approach to child-care oversight during question period Monday. The matter was raised by Carrie Hiebert, MLA for Morden-Winkler and families critic, citing a highlighting the lack of transparency around “trackers” the province uses when child-care centres are not meeting “key standards” or have “serious issues.” “The NDP like to talk a big game about transparency. However, if you ask them to actually be transparent, you get silence, vague future dates and spokespersons,” Hiebert said during question period. “Why is this minister taking a secretive approach to the oversight of child-care facilities, as described by the media?” In response, acting Education Minister Tracy Schmidt said: “There is no issue with transparency on this side of the house.” The use of such trackers was discovered through a freedom of information request seeking insight into why the province said it would take more than 8,000 hours to compile and share child-care inspection reports. Internal emails shared in response to the access request suggested that the Department of Education and Early Childhood Learning uses the trackers to keeps tabs on facilities not in full compliance with standards, though staff continued to say it would be too labour-intensive to share all inspection reports. Asked earlier this month how many how many centres are on the lists, a provincial spokesperson would not say. Critics say this is part of a pattern of secrecy and poor record keeping that includes the department not making public inspection reports from child-care centres or knowing how many facilities have temporary “provisional” licences, issues raised during a investigation into the state of child care in Manitoba earlier this year. “Parents deserve better, children deserve better and child-care staff deserve better,” Hiebert said. She said the province refuses to say if it will stop “hiding” the list of facilities with deficiencies and asked if it will commit to making child-care inspection reports public. Schmidt did not answer the question. “The suggestion that we are being anything but transparent is absolutely false,” Schmidt said. “That being said, we are absolutely happy to work with families, to work with the sector, to ensure that if there are deficiencies, that they will absolutely be addressed.” Currently, if the member of the public wishes to access a child-care inspection report, they can request it from the individual facility, but the facility is not required to share it. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. In cases where a facility is not meeting standards as set out by the province, including child-to-staff ratios, criminal record checks, and health and safety requirements, these issues are are noted on the facility’s provisional licence, which is posted online. However, no details are provided and the issues are listed in regulatory jargon making it difficult to understand what the problem is and how it is being addressed. Other provinces share detailed information about child-care inspections including why the inspection took place, what issues were uncovered and how serious the deficiencies are. In Manitoba, if serious issues arise, such as a child left alone for a period of time, it can result in a licensing order issued by the director of the early learning and child-care program. Details of these orders are made public and posted on the province’s website. The asked again Monday if the province will share the number of facilities and names of facilities on its tracking lists or make inspection reports public. A provincial spokesperson did not answer the questions but noted that licensing orders past and present are posted online. “Disclosure of this type of information is amongst the most proactive and transparent in Canada,” the spokesperson said. katrina.clarke@freepress.mb.ca Katrina Clarke is an investigative reporter at the . Katrina holds a bachelor’s degree in politics from Queen’s University and a master’s degree in journalism from Western University. She has worked at newspapers across Canada, including the and the . She joined the in 2022. . Every piece of reporting Katrina produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the ‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about , and . Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider . Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support. Katrina Clarke is an investigative reporter at the . Katrina holds a bachelor’s degree in politics from Queen’s University and a master’s degree in journalism from Western University. She has worked at newspapers across Canada, including the and the . She joined the in 2022. . Every piece of reporting Katrina produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the ‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about , and . Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider . Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support. Advertisement Advertisement

Trinity teen’s family has much to be grateful for

phlove update
2025-01-09   

phlove app What was the best thing you read in 2024? It's a question that book lovers ask themselves and each other at this time of year. Finding out what others gush about gives something to excitedly add to book club or to-read lists for 2025. Some people turn to GoodReads and others turn to BookTok, a TikTok community playing an increasingly important role in the book market, to find out what is worth reading. But, in this writer's opinion, nothing beats getting out into the community and stopping at your local bookshop to see the covers brightly poking out from the shelves and ask a friendly face, 'What's the best thing you read this year?' With Russell Books just down the street from the Victoria News office, they were our first stop. Here are five favourite books from different people who work at this beloved local shop, and a description of why they loved the book in their own words. Zoe's pick: Babel, or the Necessity of Violence by R. F. Kuang Imagine a world in which the industrial revolution was fuelled not by coal, but by language. In R.F. Kuang's unique alternate history, the linguistic tension created by an imperfect translation can be used to propel a train... or detonate a bomb. In this world, the British Empire plunders its colonies not for fossil fuels but for human beings: native speakers of specific languages. Set in an alternate Oxford University in the 1830s, the book follows Robin, an orphan who is plucked from poverty in Canton by a wealthy patron and enrolled in the Royal Institute of Translation (aka Babel). This book is a richly researched, incredibly compelling exploration of colonialism and its devastating effects. I'm still thinking about it months later, and it's my go-to recommendation for anyone who reads either literary fiction or sci-fi/fantasy!" Jack Knox' pick: The Duel: Diefenbaker, Pearson and the Making of Modern Canada by John Ibbitson This is Canadian history-nerd heaven. The Duel, by Globe and Mail political writer John Ibbitson, not only documents the rise and rivalry of Canadian prime ministers Lester Pearson and John Diefenbaker but also shows how their mid-20th century conflict shaped the Canada we know today. The two clashed in every way, with easy-going Pearson comfortable in the halls of power yet harbouring a hidden ruthlessness, while chip-on-his-shoulder Diefenbaker fought for his fellow outsiders but couldn’t keep out of his own way. Still, from universal health care to no-nukes to immigration and the Canada Pension Plan, the rivals built on each other’s decisions, framing the House we take for granted. The depth of Ibbitson’s research is staggering, his analysis cogent and even-handed, and his use of language both economical and precise. Molly Kines' pick: Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion “...and maybe no one else felt the ground hardening and summer already dead even as we pretended to bask in it, but that was how it felt to me, and it might as well have snowed, could have snowed, did snow.” As Joan Didion puts it, whether it snowed one summer in Vermont or it didn't, it doesn't matter. To focus on the snow is to miss the point. To write is to discover your own life, and to feel it how it is meant to be felt by you. Joan finds significance in the every day, in the mundane, and in a possibly fabricated August cold snap — and this is precisely her genius. Read her. She blew my mind in 2023, and she blew my mind just as much this year. You won’t regret it! Leah Henderson's pick: Noopiming (The Cure for White Ladies) by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson I read this book early in the year and then re-read it to absorb it more fully. It is written in the new-to-me genre of “novel in verse”. The language is beautiful, circular, funny, clever, and compassionate. Simpson is a Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg writer and is a skilled artist of words. The story follows seven characters – old man, maple tree, old woman, the giant, the cariboo, and two humans, Asin and Lucy, as they attempt to communicate with the urban settler world. This book made me laugh out loud and sit quietly to let a breathtaking description sink in. It is a creative response by an Indigenous woman to the memoirs of Susannah Moodie, an early Canadian settler. It’s like a dance of understanding between coming to a new land for adventure and conquest, and living with an old land in harmony, and communion with every living thing – lake, trees, animals, rocks – as friends, and not things to be subjugated. I highly recommend this book! Brian's pick: Held by Canadian author Anne Michaels My favourite read of 2024 was the Booker-shortlisted, and Giller Prize-winning novel, Held. This exquisitely written book embroiders a multigenerational tale through the 20th century, beginning with the effect of the First World War on a young man and his family. The pivotal moments of one generation are mapped onto the lives of the next, and Michaels explores which echoes are heard and which are not. The characters she creates are transformed by the preceding generation in ways that are often unknown to them, but always penetrate to their core. The novel was particularly poignant for me because the young soldier that begins this tale was stationed near the River Escaut in northern France, just as my grandfather was during the First World War. I was left wondering what part of him I have held onto 100 years after his momentous experiences.In conclusion, Peyton's steal against Edwards was a turning point in last night's game and a testament to the Lakers' defensive prowess as a team. The importance of effective team defense, communication, and trust were all on display in that crucial moment, showcasing the Lakers' potential as a championship contender. As they continue to grow and develop as a unit, the Lakers have the talent and mindset to overcome any challenges that come their way and emerge victorious in the end.

We sincerely appreciate the understanding and support of our valued patrons during this challenging period. Your safety and well-being are of utmost importance to us, and we are fully committed to regaining your trust and confidence in our bathhouse.

The clandestine affair at Great Wall Investment Bank, attended by top banking executives and government officials including representatives from the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank, has been shrouded in secrecy ever since its inception. The leaked information about the discussions held behind closed doors has sent shockwaves through the market, with analysts and investors alike scrambling to decipher the potential implications for the economy at large. Napoli's interest in Esposito comes as they look to bolster their attacking options for the next campaign. With the departure of several key players in recent years, including club legend Dries Mertens, Napoli is in need of a young, talented striker to lead their front line.

Title: The Calls for Pony to Come Forward and Restore JusticeIn the days following the incident, the village buzzed with speculation and rumors about the mysterious visitor. Some believed that the Four-Not-Alike had a hidden agenda, while others argued that it was simply a lost soul in need of compassion and understanding. Regardless of the varying opinions, one thing was clear - the Four-Not-Alike had left a lasting impression on the villagers, prompting them to reconsider their preconceived notions about the unknown.AP Sports SummaryBrief at 5:51 p.m. EST

phlove home
2025-01-08   

phlove apps THREE KEY FACTS Auckland FC took a 2-1 victory in the second Kiwi A-League derby against Wellington Phoenix. The Black Knights have now beaten the Phoenix home and away. Rival coaches Steve Corica and Giancarlo Italiano have shown there’s no love lost between the two sides. Football writer Michael Burgess looks at the key talking points from Saturday’s blockbuster A-League derby, in front of a sold-out crowd at Go Media Stadium at Mt Smart Are Auckland FC lucky? The new team have certainly benefited from their early season schedule, only having to cross the Tasman once in the first six games.Meta Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend

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Saints hope to ride the Rizzi factor back to relevance after their bye weekBy KENYA HUNTER, Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — As she checked into a recent flight to Mexico for vacation, Teja Smith chuckled at the idea of joining another Women’s March on Washington . As a Black woman, she just couldn’t see herself helping to replicate the largest act of resistance against then-President Donald Trump’s first term in January 2017. Even in an election this year where Trump questioned his opponent’s race , held rallies featuring racist insults and falsely claimed Black migrants in Ohio were eating residents’ pets , he didn’t just win a second term. He became the first Republican in two decades to clinch the popular vote, although by a small margin. “It’s like the people have spoken and this is what America looks like,” said Smith, the Los Angeles-based founder of the advocacy social media agency, Get Social. “And there’s not too much more fighting that you’re going to be able to do without losing your own sanity.” After Trump was declared the winner over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris , many politically engaged Black women said they were so dismayed by the outcome that they were reassessing — but not completely abandoning — their enthusiasm for electoral politics and movement organizing. Black women often carry much of the work of getting out the vote in their communities. They had vigorously supported the historic candidacy of Harris, who would have been the first woman of Black and South Asian descent to win the presidency. Harris’ loss spurred a wave of Black women across social media resolving to prioritize themselves, before giving so much to a country that over and over has shown its indifference to their concerns. AP VoteCast , a survey of more than 120,000 voters, found that 6 in 10 Black women said the future of democracy in the United States was the single most important factor for their vote this year, a higher share than for other demographic groups. But now, with Trump set to return to office in two months, some Black women are renewing calls to emphasize rest, focus on mental health and become more selective about what fight they lend their organizing power to. “America is going to have to save herself,” said LaTosha Brown, the co-founder of the national voting rights group Black Voters Matter. She compared Black women’s presence in social justice movements as “core strategists and core organizers” to the North Star, known as the most consistent and dependable star in the galaxy because of its seemingly fixed position in the sky. People can rely on Black women to lead change, Brown said, but the next four years will look different. “That’s not a herculean task that’s for us. We don’t want that title. ... I have no goals to be a martyr for a nation that cares nothing about me,” she said. AP VoteCast paints a clear picture of Black women’s concerns. Black female voters were most likely to say that democracy was the single most important factor for their vote, compared to other motivators such as high prices or abortion. More than 7 in 10 Black female voters said they were “very concerned” that electing Trump would lead the nation toward authoritarianism, while only about 2 in 10 said this about Harris. About 9 in 10 Black female voters supported Harris in 2024, according to AP VoteCast, similar to the share that backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. Trump received support from more than half of white voters, who made up the vast majority of his coalition in both years. Like voters overall, Black women were most likely to say the economy and jobs were the most important issues facing the country, with about one-third saying that. But they were more likely than many other groups to say that abortion and racism were the top issues, and much less likely than other groups to say immigration was the top issue. Despite those concerns, which were well-voiced by Black women throughout the campaign, increased support from young men of color and white women helped expand Trump’s lead and secured his victory. Politically engaged Black women said they don’t plan to continue positioning themselves in the vertebrae of the “backbone” of America’s democracy. The growing movement prompting Black women to withdraw is a shift from history, where they are often present and at the forefront of political and social change. One of the earliest examples is the women’s suffrage movement that led to ratification in 1920 of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution , which gave women the right to vote. Black women, however, were prevented from voting for decades afterward because of Jim Crow-era literacy tests, poll taxes and laws that blocked the grandchildren of slaves from voting. Most Black women couldn’t vote until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Black women were among the organizers and counted among the marchers brutalized on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama, during the historic march in 1965 from Selma to Montgomery that preceded federal legislation. Decades later, Black women were prominent organizers of the Black Lives Matter movement in response to the deaths of Black Americans at the hands of police and vigilantes. In his 2024 campaign, Trump called for leveraging federal money to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs in government programs and discussions of race, gender or sexual orientation in schools. His rhetoric on immigration, including false claims that Black Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating cats and dogs, drove support for his plan to deport millions of people . Tenita Taylor, a Black resident of Atlanta who supported Trump this year, said she was initially excited about Harris’ candidacy. But after thinking about how high her grocery bills have been, she feels that voting for Trump in hopes of finally getting lower prices was a form of self-prioritization. “People say, ‘Well, that’s selfish, it was gonna be better for the greater good,”’ she said. “I’m a mother of five kids. ... The things that (Democrats) do either affect the rich or the poor.” Some of Trump’s plans affect people in Olivia Gordon’s immediate community, which is why she struggled to get behind the “Black women rest” wave. Gordon, a New York-based lawyer who supported the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s presidential nominee, Claudia de la Cruz, worries about who may be left behind if the 92% of Black women voters who backed Harris simply stopped advocating. “We’re talking millions of Black women here. If millions of Black women take a step back, it absolutely leaves holes, but for other Black women,” she said. “I think we sometimes are in the bubble of if it’s not in your immediate circle, maybe it doesn’t apply to you. And I truly implore people to understand that it does.” Nicole Lewis, an Alabama-based therapist who specializes in treating Black women’s stress, said she’s aware that Black women withdrawing from social impact movements could have a fallout. But she also hopes that it forces a reckoning for the nation to understand the consequences of not standing in solidarity with Black women. “It could impact things negatively because there isn’t that voice from the most empathetic group,” she said. “I also think it’s going to give other groups an opportunity to step up. ... My hope is that they do show up for themselves and everyone else.” Brown said a reckoning might be exactly what the country needs, but it’s a reckoning for everyone else. Black women, she said, did their job when they supported Harris in droves in hopes they could thwart the massive changes expected under Trump. “This ain’t our reckoning,” she said. “I don’t feel no guilt.” AP polling editor Amelia Thomson DeVeaux and Associated Press writer Linley Sanders in Washington contributed to this report. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

NoneMOLLY-MAE Hague has shared a brand new update about her fashion brand Maebe. The social media star faced major backlash recently after fans were left disappointed at failing to get their hands on the pieces amid with Molly herself admitting stock issues were "frustrating". It caused her to tell her fans that she would be working hard to improve the brand's stock levels in the New Year but it appears as though the mum-of-one has managed to sort it earlier. In a new update on the Maebe Instagram account, it was revealed that the brand had THREE brand new T-shirts available for sale. The Power Tee comes in three different colours - Black, White and Wine , a deep red colour. The T-shirts are already available to purchase with Molly's fans likely desperate to get their hands on the garments amid the recent issues. The Love Island alum, 25, launched Maebe - her quality range of staples including boxy jackets, adjustable-waist jeans and short-sleeve knit tops - earlier this year. Huge fan demand saw the garments sell-out completely in 24 minutes - while others took aim at the price point and quality. Molly recently took to her Instagram comments section as fans talked of their struggles to get their hands on the garments , which combine comfort with style. One potential buyer put: "I've never been interested quite frankly. "It's very over-priced for what it is, but I genuinely just liked the set! "It's a rubbish experience, it's just a game of whoever can type the fastest or who has their details saved, most shops allow you a bit of time to check out." The YouTube star - who already owns fake tan brand Filter - then directly commented underneath. In a candid reply she wrote: "I couldn't agree with you more on the stock front, it's really frustrating. "Unfortunately I just didn't back myself enough when we planned these quantities a very long time ago. "I promise you this is something I am in total agreement with you on and it's something that in the New Year we will improve upon now that we have an understanding of the demand. "I'm really sorry you feel let down - I'm learning as I go and will make this a better buying experience for you as soon as we can." EVER since Molly-Mae Hague, 25, walked into the Love Island villa back in 2019, I’ve always been a mega fan. After hearing the news that she was coming out with a fashion brand, of course I was excited. But as much as I hate to admit it, I’m disappointed. I understand that she’s launched Maebe as a more high class brand. I know it’s not going to be Shein quality. But with prices varying from £35 to £140, I’m definitely not impressed. Maebe’s “ultimate blazer” is priced at an eye-watering £140, whilst a very simple, plain white tee is a whopping £35. Not only this, but the “contour popper top” is £50, and a seemingly boring white shirt will set you back a whopping £65. And if that wasn’t bad enough, £90 for a pair of jeans? I understand paying £50 for a pair of good quality denims, but £90?! That’s incredibly steep considering you can get Levi’s, a well-established brand that’s been going for donkey years, for just a tenner more. So, will I be buying anything from Maebe? The only thing I can say to that is Maebe (definitely) not. by Abigail Wilson, Senior Digital Writer

B.C. premier says feds and provinces plan right-left approach to Trump's tariff plans

ATLANTA (AP) — Even when grappling with a four-game losing streak and the uncertainty generated by quarterback Kirk Cousins’ eight interceptions and no touchdown passes in that span, there is some solace for the Atlanta Falcons. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * ATLANTA (AP) — Even when grappling with a four-game losing streak and the uncertainty generated by quarterback Kirk Cousins’ eight interceptions and no touchdown passes in that span, there is some solace for the Atlanta Falcons. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? ATLANTA (AP) — Even when grappling with a four-game losing streak and the uncertainty generated by quarterback Kirk Cousins’ eight interceptions and no touchdown passes in that span, there is some solace for the Atlanta Falcons. They play in the NFC South. There is more good news: The Falcons’ next two opponents, the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants, are tied for the NFL’s worst record at 2-11. Coach Raheem Morris says he is sticking with Cousins for next Monday night’s game at Las Vegas. Sunday’s 42-21 loss at Minnesota dropped Atlanta to 6-7, one game behind Tampa Bay in the NFC South. The Falcons hold the tiebreaker advantage over the Buccaneers, so if they can take advantage of their cushy closing stretch of games that also includes Washington and Carolina, they could salvage their season. “We’re right in this thing,” right guard Chris Lindstrom said Monday before acknowledging he is “obviously not happy or satisfied with where we’re at.” Lindstrom said he maintains “the ultimate belief in what we’re doing and everything that we have going on and everything is still in front of us.” Cousins and the Falcons must solve their red-zone woes to maintain hopes of the team’s first playoff appearance since 2017. The Falcons rank eighth in the NFL with 371 yards per game but only 19th with their average of 21.4 points thanks to their persistent problems inside the 20. Even the forgiving NFC South can’t make up for the scoring problems caused by penalties, turnovers and other persistent breakdowns. “You can’t live with it at all,” Morris said Monday when asked about Cousins’ recent streak of interceptions. Even so, Cousins remains the starter as first-round draft pick Michael Penix Jr. awaits his opportunity. “It’s for sure Kirk is our quarterback but I have no hesitations about what our young man has been doing and how he has been preparing and the things he is ready to do,” Morris said. “So if that time ever came I would have a lot of confidence in what Mike is able to do, but Kirk is our quarterback. Kirk is the guy who is going to lead us.” What’s working With four sacks against the Vikings, the Falcons may have finally solved their longtime pass-rush woes. Atlanta had five sacks in a 17-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 1, giving the team back-to-back games with at least four sacks for the first time since 2019. Outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie had one of Sunday’s sacks, giving him four for the season. With nine sacks in the last two games, the Falcons have almost doubled their NFL-low total of 10 through their first 11 games. What needs help Even as the pass rush was productive, the Falcons’ defense showed a sudden inability to prevent big plays through the air. Atlanta allowed four completions of more than 40 yards as Vikings receivers Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson combined to catch five scoring passes from Sam Darnold, who did not throw an interception. Morris said the Vikings’ strategy was to avoid cornerback A.J. Terrell, “making other people make plays, and we didn’t go out there and make them.” Stock up Running back Tyler Allgeier had nine carries for 63 yards and a touchdown. Even while Bijan Robinson continued to produce with 22 carries for 92 yards and a score, Allgeier re-emerged as a strong complement with his second-highest rushing total of the season. Stock down Cousins has an unhealthy ratio of 17 touchdown passes to 15 interceptions. “Kirk was the guy who led us to the 6-3 record,” Morris said. “We’ve got to find a way to get out of the funk. ... For us, it’s going to be his opportunity to go out and right the ship and he has earned it.” Key number Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 142: Wide receiver Darnell Mooney set a career high with 142 yards on six catches. It was the third game this season Mooney has led the Falcons in receiving yards. Next steps Former Atlanta quarterback Desmond Ridder is expected to start for the Raiders on Monday night after Aidan O’Connell’s knee injury in Sunday’s 28-13 loss at Tampa Bay. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Advertisement AdvertisementCompleted in 2023 and never lived in, the 6,524-square-foot contemporary home sits on nearly 3.5 acres in a 24-hour gated community.

Brooklyn Nets @ Golden State Warriors Current Records: Brooklyn 7-10, Golden State 12-4 When: Monday, November 25, 2024 at 10 p.m. ET Where: Chase Center -- San Francisco, California TV: NBC Sports - Bay Area Follow: CBS Sports App Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.) Ticket Cost: $73.91 The Warriors will be playing the full four quarters on Monday, but they're expected to have things wrapped up well before that. They will challenge the Brooklyn Nets at 10:00 p.m. ET at Chase Center. The Warriors will be looking to keep their five-game home win streak alive. The Warriors are headed into this one after the oddsmakers set last week's over/under low at 229.5, but even that wound up being too high. They fell 104-94 to the Spurs on Saturday. Golden State was up 77-60 in the third but couldn't hold on to the lead. Even though they lost, the Warriors were working as a unit and finished the game with 29 assists (they're ranked second in assists per game overall). That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now racked up at least 27 assists in eight consecutive contests. Meanwhile, the Nets must've known the odds they were up against on Sunday, but they decided it wasn't going to be the story of the game. They secured a 108-103 W over the Kings. The Nets can attribute much of their success to Cameron Thomas, who scored 34 points along with six assists. Thomas had some trouble finding his footing against the 76ers on Friday, so this was a step in the right direction. Golden State's defeat dropped their record down to 12-4. As for Brooklyn, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 7-10. Monday's matchup is shaping up to be a scrappy game: The Warriors have crashing the boards this season, having averaged 49.2 rebounds per game (they're ranked second in rebounds per game overall). It's a different story for the Nets, though, as they've been averaging only 38.4. Given the Warriors' sizable advantage in that area, the Nets will need to find a way to close that gap. The Warriors beat the Nets 109-98 in their previous matchup back in February. Do the Warriors have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Nets turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough. Golden State is a big 12.5-point favorite against Brooklyn, according to the latest NBA odds . The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 12.5-point spread, and stayed right there. The over/under is 224.5 points. See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now . Golden State and Brooklyn both have 5 wins in their last 10 games. Feb 05, 2024 - Golden State 109 vs. Brooklyn 98 Dec 16, 2023 - Golden State 124 vs. Brooklyn 120 Jan 22, 2023 - Brooklyn 120 vs. Golden State 116 Dec 21, 2022 - Brooklyn 143 vs. Golden State 113 Jan 29, 2022 - Golden State 110 vs. Brooklyn 106 Nov 16, 2021 - Golden State 117 vs. Brooklyn 99 Feb 13, 2021 - Brooklyn 134 vs. Golden State 117 Dec 22, 2020 - Brooklyn 125 vs. Golden State 99 Feb 05, 2020 - Brooklyn 129 vs. Golden State 88 Nov 10, 2018 - Golden State 116 vs. Brooklyn 100

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A judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women's volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. The ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player, who has played all season, to compete in the Mountain West Conference women's championship opening this week in Las Vegas. The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by nine current players against the Mountain West Conference challenging the league's policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans woman volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player's name because she has not commented publicly on her gender identity. School officials also have declined an interview request with the player. Crews' ruling referred to the athlete as an "alleged transgender" player and noted that no defendant disputed that the San Jose State roster includes a transgender woman player. San Jose State will "continue to support its student-athletes and reject discrimination in all forms," the university said in a statement, confirming that all its student-athletes are eligible to participate under NCAA and conference rules. "We are gratified that the Court rejected an eleventh-hour attempt to change those rules. Our team looks forward to competing in the Mountain West volleyball tournament this week." The conference did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The players filed a notice for emergency appeal with the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Crews said the players who filed the complaint could have sought relief much earlier, noting the individual universities had acknowledged that not playing their games against San Jose State this season would result in a loss in league standings. He also refused a request to re-seed the tournament without the forfeited losses. The judge said injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo. The conference policy regarding forfeiting for refusing to play against a team with a transgender player had been in effect since 2022 and the San Jose State player has been on the roster since 2022 — making that the status quo. The player competed at the college level three previous seasons, including two for San Jose State, drawing little attention. This season's awareness of her reported identity led to an uproar among some players, pundits, parents and politicians in a major election year. Crews' ruling also said injunctions are meant to prevent harm, but in this case, he argued, the harm has already occurred. The games have been forfeited, the tournament has been seeded, the teams have made travel plans and the participants have confirmed they're playing. The tournament starts Wednesday and continues Friday and Saturday. Colorado State is seeded first and San Jose State, second. The teams split their regular-season matches and both get byes into Friday's semifinals. San Jose State will play the winner of Wednesday's match between Utah State and Boise State — teams that both forfeited matches to SJSU during the regular season. The conference tournament winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. San Jose State coach Todd Kress, whose team has not competed in the national tournament since 2001, has said his team has been getting "messages of hate" and that has taken a toll on his players. Several teams refused to play against San Jose State during the season, earning losses in the official conference standings. Boise State and Wyoming each had two forfeits while Utah State and Nevada both had one. Southern Utah, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, was first to cancel against San Jose State this year. Nevada's players stated they "refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes," without elaborating. Nevada did not qualify for the conference tournament. The nine current players and others now suing the Mountain West Conference, the California State University Board of Trustees and others include San Jose State senior setter and co-captain Brooke Slusser. The teammate Slusser says is transgender hits the volleyball with more force than others on the team, raising fear during practices of suffering concussions from a head hit, the complaint says. The Independent Council on Women's Sports is funding a separate lawsuit against the NCAA for allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports. Both lawsuits claim the landmark 1972 federal antidiscrimination law known as Title IX prohibits transgender women in women's sports. Title IX prohibits sexual discrimination in federally funded education; Slusser is a plaintiff in both lawsuits. Several circuit courts have used a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to conclude that discriminating against someone based on their transgender status or sexual orientation is sex-based discrimination, Crews wrote. That means case law does not prove the "likelihood of success" needed to grant an injunction. An NCAA policy that subjects transgender participation to the rules of sports governing bodies took effect this academic year. USA Volleyball says a trans woman must suppress testosterone for 12 months before competing. The NCAA has not flagged any issues with San Jose State. The Republican governors of Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming have made public statements in support of the team cancellations, citing fairness in women's sports. President-elect Donald Trump likewise has spoken out against allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports. Crews was a magistrate judge in Colorado's U.S. District Court for more than five years before President Joe Biden appointed him as a federal judge in January. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

After a loss in their season opener, the Center Point Pirates came ready to redeem themselves as they took on the Nueces Canyon Panthers, claiming victory, 48-31. “We got a lot of guys involved and rebounded better,” Coach Brent Rider said. “The offense took better care of the ball.” In the first quarter, the Pirates were able to get on top, 6-0, with two baskets by junior Din Arreola and one by senior Jesse Segura, before the Panthers were able to get on the board. With 2:49 left in the first quarter, the two teams were tied at eight points each. The defense was able to hold the Panthers to one point in the second quarter, and the Pirates were able to dominate for the remainder of the half, going into halftime with a 23-12 lead. The Panthers were able to score 11 points to the Pirates 12 in the third quarter. However, they had a tough time with free throws in the fourth quarter, missing all six. With 3:10 left in the game, junior Leighton Johnson was able to steal and run the ball down the court for a lay-up. The Pirates were up, 41-23. With 69 seconds left in the game, junior Jadin Segura was able to steal the ball and pass it to senior Slade Newcomb, who was able to capitalize on a score. The game ended, 48-31. “Overall, we did a good job closing up the lane,” Rider said. The win puts the Pirates at 2-1 for the season. They host Comfort at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3.ATLANTA (AP) — Even when grappling with a four-game losing streak and the uncertainty generated by quarterback Kirk Cousins’ eight interceptions and no touchdown passes in that span, there is some solace for the Atlanta Falcons. They play in the NFC South. There is more good news: The Falcons' next two opponents, the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants, are tied for the NFL's worst record at 2-11. Coach Raheem Morris says he is sticking with Cousins for next Monday night's game at Las Vegas. Sunday's 42-21 loss at Minnesota dropped Atlanta to 6-7, one game behind Tampa Bay in the NFC South. The Falcons hold the tiebreaker advantage over the Buccaneers, so if they can take advantage of their cushy closing stretch of games that also includes Washington and Carolina, they could salvage their season. “We’re right in this thing,” right guard Chris Lindstrom said Monday before acknowledging he is “obviously not happy or satisfied with where we’re at." Lindstrom said he maintains "the ultimate belief in what we’re doing and everything that we have going on and everything is still in front of us.” Cousins and the Falcons must solve their red-zone woes to maintain hopes of the team's first playoff appearance since 2017. The Falcons rank eighth in the NFL with 371 yards per game but only 19th with their average of 21.4 points thanks to their persistent problems inside the 20. Even the forgiving NFC South can't make up for the scoring problems caused by penalties, turnovers and other persistent breakdowns. “You can't live with it at all,” Morris said Monday when asked about Cousins' recent streak of interceptions. Even so, Cousins remains the starter as first-round draft pick Michael Penix Jr. awaits his opportunity. “It’s for sure Kirk is our quarterback but I have no hesitations about what our young man has been doing and how he has been preparing and the things he is ready to do,” Morris said. “So if that time ever came I would have a lot of confidence in what Mike is able to do, but Kirk is our quarterback. Kirk is the guy who is going to lead us.” With four sacks against the Vikings, the Falcons may have finally solved their longtime pass-rush woes. Atlanta had five sacks in a 17-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 1, giving the team back-to-back games with at least four sacks for the first time since 2019. Outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie had one of Sunday's sacks, giving him four for the season. With nine sacks in the last two games, the Falcons have almost doubled their NFL-low total of 10 through their first 11 games. Even as the pass rush was productive, the Falcons' defense showed a sudden inability to prevent big plays through the air. Atlanta allowed four completions of more than 40 yards as Vikings receivers Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson combined to catch five scoring passes from Sam Darnold, who did not throw an interception. Morris said the Vikings' strategy was to avoid cornerback A.J. Terrell, “making other people make plays, and we didn’t go out there and make them.” Running back Tyler Allgeier had nine carries for 63 yards and a touchdown. Even while Bijan Robinson continued to produce with 22 carries for 92 yards and a score, Allgeier re-emerged as a strong complement with his second-highest rushing total of the season. Cousins has an unhealthy ratio of 17 touchdown passes to 15 interceptions. “Kirk was the guy who led us to the 6-3 record,” Morris said. “We’ve got to find a way to get out of the funk. ... For us, it’s going to be his opportunity to go out and right the ship and he has earned it.” 142: Wide receiver Darnell Mooney set a career high with 142 yards on six catches. It was the third game this season Mooney has led the Falcons in receiving yards. Former Atlanta quarterback Desmond Ridder is expected to start for the Raiders on Monday night after Aidan O’Connell's knee injury in Sunday's 28-13 loss at Tampa Bay. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, says effective leadership at any level is critical in deciding success or failure within an organisation. Senator Morris Dixon, during a recent visit to the Green Island High School in Hanover, as part of a tour of schools in Region Four, which includes the parishes of St. James, Hanover, and Westmoreland, underscored the invaluable role of effective leadership in shaping the educational landscape. “Leadership is critical to the overall success of an institution,” the Minister said, highlighting the impressive progress made at Green Island High. “With strong leadership and a dedication to innovation, Green Island High School serves as a shining example of what is possible when a community comes together to support its youth,” the Minister added. She praised the collaborative efforts of the principal, teachers, and the school Board, noting that their unified vision is evident in the school’s achievements. The Minister pointed to Green Island’s impressive achievements in the performing arts, expressing her delight at the school’s dedication to this area. She argued that the arts play an essential role in fostering creativity and self-expression among students. Senator Morris Dixon also noted that the performing arts not only enhance students’ educational experiences but equip them with valuable skills that can be leveraged in various career paths. Minister Morris Dixon also highlighted the importance of technology in education, pointing out that the future of Jamaica’s students hinges on their ability to embrace innovative tools and methods. “Technology is the future, and our students need to be equipped with the skills that will make them competitive in a global marketplace,” she emphasised. The Minister praised Green Island High for its forward-thinking initiatives, which she believes are crucial for preparing students for the demands of the 21st century. “It is clear that the teachers at Green Island High are dedicated to their students’ success. Their commitment to fostering a love for learning is evident in the positive interactions I witnessed today,” she added. The Minister noted that her visit to the region comes at a time when the Jamaican education system is undergoing significant changes, with a renewed focus on improving outcomes for all students. She said that by showcasing successful models like Green Island High School, she hopes to inspire other institutions to adopt similar approaches that prioritise leadership, innovation and collaboration. “We must continue to invest in our schools and our teachers, as they are the backbone of our education system. Together, we can build a brighter future for our children,” Senator Morris Dixon added.These holiday gifts change the game when building fires, printing photos, watching birds and more

How Washington outsider Jimmy Carter wooed voters tired of Vietnam and WatergateMarta's magic helped get the Pride to Saturday's NWSL title game against the Washington Spirit

Marcus Smart scores 18 points, hits clinching free throws in Grizzlies' 115-110 win over KingsKathleen “Butchie” Muscatell went to be with her Lord and Savior on November 19, 2024. She is reunited with the love of her life Tom, and their son Kim. She was born on April 21, 1932 in Mandan, ND. She split her time between Cotton Lake near Detroit Lakes, MN and Bradenton, FL. She was known for her warm hospitality, always welcoming friends and family into her home. Never one to meet a stranger, she kept her candy drawer stocked with sweet treats, eager to share with all who stopped by. Butchie dedicated much of her life to volunteer work, and was an active member of several organizations. She was a proud member of The P.E.O. Sisterhood, Cotton Lake Pride and Joy Homemakers, president of the YWCA and the president of The Children’s Village Family Services. She is survived by her children: Brett (Gina), Ward (Debra), Kathy (Vann), and Marc. Butchie is also survived by 10 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren, who were the light of her life. An avid sports fan, she favored the MN Vikings, always donning her purple and gold suit on game days. She and Tom missed very few NDSU Bison home football games. Butchie was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. Her kindness, compassion, and ability to see the best in everyone will be deeply missed by all who knew her. A family memorial will be held in Mandan, ND at a later date. Online condolences can be made at www.shannonfuneralhomes.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to P.E.O. Chapter DS-El in Bradenton Florida, Cotton Lake Pride and Joy Homemakers, Tidewell Hospice in Bradenton, or United Presbyterian Church in Bradenton are preferred.EAST LANSING, Mich. — The sight was a common one for Andrew Kolpacki. For many a Sunday, he would watch NFL games on TV and see quarterbacks putting their hands on their helmets, desperately trying to hear the play call from the sideline or booth as tens of thousands of fans screamed at the tops of their lungs. When the NCAA's playing rules oversight committee this past spring approved the use of coach-to-player helmet communications in games for the 2024 season, Kolpacki, Michigan State's head football equipment manager, knew the Spartans' QBs and linebackers were going to have a problem. "There had to be some sort of solution," he said. As it turns out, there was. And it was right across the street. Kolpacki reached out to Tamara Reid Bush, a mechanical engineering professor who not only heads the school's Biomechanical Design Research Laboratory but also is a football season ticket-holder. Kolpacki "showed me some photos and said that other teams had just put duct tape inside the (earhole), and he asked me, 'Do you think we can do anything better than duct tape,?" Bush said. "And I said, 'Oh, absolutely.'" Bush and Rylie DuBois, a sophomore biosystems engineering major and undergraduate research assistant at the lab, set out to produce earhole inserts made from polylactic acid, a bio-based plastic, using a 3D printer. Part of the challenge was accounting for the earhole sizes and shapes that vary depending on helmet style. Once the season got underway with a Friday night home game against Florida Atlantic on Aug. 30, the helmets of starting quarterback Aidan Chiles and linebacker Jordan Turner were outfitted with the inserts, which helped mitigate crowd noise. DuBois attended the game, sitting in the student section. "I felt such a strong sense of accomplishment and pride," DuBois said. "And I told all my friends around me about how I designed what they were wearing on the field." All told, Bush and DuBois have produced around 180 sets of the inserts, a number that grew in part due to the variety of helmet designs and colors that are available to be worn by Spartan players any given Saturday. Plus, the engineering folks have been fine-tuning their design throughout the season. Dozens of Bowl Subdivision programs are doing something similar. In many cases, they're getting 3D-printed earhole covers from XO Armor Technologies, which provides on-site, on-demand 3D printing of athletic wearables. The Auburn, Alabama-based company has donated its version of the earhole covers to the equipment managers of programs ranging from Georgia and Clemson to Boise State and Arizona State in the hope the schools would consider doing business with XO Armor in the future, said Jeff Klosterman, vice president of business development. XO Armor first was approached by the Houston Texans at the end of last season about creating something to assist quarterback C.J. Stroud in better hearing play calls delivered to his helmet during road games. XO Armor worked on a solution and had completed one when it received another inquiry: Ohio State, which had heard Michigan State was moving forward with helmet inserts, wondered if XO Armor had anything in the works. "We kind of just did this as a one-off favor to the Texans and honestly didn't forecast it becoming our viral moment in college football," Klosterman said. "We've now got about 60 teams across college football and the NFL wearing our sound-deadening earhole covers every weekend." The rules state that only one player for each team is permitted to be in communication with coaches while on the field. For the Spartans, it's typically Chiles on offense and Turner on defense. Turner prefers to have an insert in both earholes, but Chiles has asked that the insert be used in only one on his helmet. Chiles "likes to be able to feel like he has some sort of outward exposure," Kolpacki said. Exposure is something the sophomore signal-caller from Long Beach, California, had in away games against Michigan and Oregon this season. Michigan Stadium welcomed 110,000-plus fans for the Oct. 26 matchup between the in-state rivals. And while just under 60,000 packed Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, for the Ducks' 31-10 win over Michigan State three weeks earlier, it was plenty loud. "The Big Ten has some pretty impressive venues," Kolpacki said. "It can be just deafening," he said. "That's what those fans are there for is to create havoc and make it difficult for coaches to get a play call off." Something that is a bit easier to handle thanks to Bush and her team. She called the inserts a "win-win-win" for everyone. "It's exciting for me to work with athletics and the football team," she said. "I think it's really exciting for our students as well to take what they've learned and develop and design something and see it being used and executed."Mason Maggio Expected to Sign 2025 NASCAR Season Contract 'Soon'

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President-elect Donald Trump announced on Monday that he plans to nominate a conservative California attorney to lead a critical division of the Department of Justice. Harmeet Dhillon, a former vice chairwoman of the California GOP and a national committeewoman for the Republican National Committee, was selected by Trump to serve as assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Justice Department. She would replace Kristen Clarke, who became the first woman and first Black woman to run the division in 2021. Trump, who described Dhillon as one of the “top Election lawyers” in the country in his Truth Social announcement, said that she would have a large role in voting rights enforcement. “Throughout her career, Harmeet has stood up consistently to protect our cherished Civil Liberties, including taking on Big Tech for censoring our Free Speech, representing Christians who were prevented from praying together during COVID, and suing corporations who use woke policies to discriminate against their workers,” he wrote. Dhillon combated stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic. She filed several lawsuits against government-level regulations, arguing there was overreach. The lawsuits Dhillon filed came after Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom became the first governor to issue statewide stay-at-home orders to shut down nonessential activities and interests to combat the spread of the coronavirus. In 2018, Dhillon founded the conservative nonprofit The Center for American Liberty, which has filed lawsuits challenging vaccine requirements and trans-inclusive school policies. Most notably, Dhillon currently represents Chloe Cole, a young activist who sued Kaiser Permanente in California after she detransitioned from male to female. Cole has rallied alongside Republican politicians and conservative media figures, and has testified in support of dozens of state laws restricting access to gender-affirming care for trans youth. Dhillon is highly critical of blue states that aim to uphold and protect rights for transgender people in light of ongoing legislative attacks. She said Maine’s “shield” law, which protects reproductive health care providers and trans people, is “unconstitutional” and expressed concerns about future protections in California. A staunch opponent of abortion herself, the attorney also unsuccessfully represented anti-abortion activist David Daleiden, who in 2016 used a fake driver’s license to pose as a biomedical company executive and tried to buy fetal tissue from Planned Parenthood , in an effort to accuse the health care provider of selling tissue for profit. Don't let this be the end of the free press. The free press is under attack — and America's future hangs in the balance. As other newsrooms bow to political pressure, HuffPost is not backing down. Would you help us keep our news free for all? We can't do it without you. Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages. Dhillon, who was born in India and is a practicing Sikh, has faced pushback from fellow Republicans due to questions of her faith. After she announced in 2022 that she would challenge RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel for her position, several members of the RNC circulated a video of Dhillon opening a 2016 Republican National Convention with a Sikh prayer. In a letter to Alabama Republicans in 2023 responding to the incident, Dhillon addressed concerns about her faith and slammed McDaniel’s leadership. Alabama Republican Chris Horn questioned how Dhillon’s religion would impact policy to NBC. McDaniel condemned attacks on religion but told Politico her allies questioned how Dhillon’s faith would impact the party. Last year, former Fox News host and conservative political commentator Tucker Carlson hired Dhillon to represent him in a gender discrimination lawsuit by his former producer, Abby Grossberg. The ensuing settlement resulted in Fox paying Grossberg $12 million . “I’m extremely honored by President Trump’s nomination to assist with our nation’s civil rights agenda,” Dhillon said in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter). “It has been my dream to be able to serve our great country, and I am so excited to be part of an incredible team of lawyers led by @PamBondi. I cannot wait to get to work!” Lil Kalish contributed reporting. Related From Our PartnerTikTok files legal challenge of federal government’s shutdown orderlove ph 。

The Department of Telecommunications said in a press release on Tuesday that it wants all telecom service providers to show "international call" on the phone when subscribers receive calls from outside India in order to prevent cyber scams, in which scammers pose as the Indian government and its authorities to deceive people in the country. Airtel has already begun to do this, and other telcos are investigating the viability of the move. A specialized task team established by the DoT to handle the problem of fraudulent calls coming from overseas made this recommendation. The amount of incoming international calls that are mistakenly shown as coming from Indian numbers on caller ID that the DoT's new technology detected and prohibited decreased by 95.6 percent from 13.5 million per day in October to roughly 600,000 per day in December. ALSO READ: Christmas 2025: Delhi Police Issues Traffic Advisory, To Deploy Force Around Churches Tomorrow For the DoT, this indicates that their new system, launched in October, has “successfully tackled the issue of cyber-crimes that were being conducted through calls that were being made from abroad, but the CLI [calling line identity] was tampered to look as Indian number." This system, designated the “International Incoming Spoofed Calls Prevention System”, can detect and prevent such calls before they are even picked up by people in India. Such calls have been used by scammers abroad to target people in India by impersonating as police, FedEx employees, and others. But the DoT cautioned that scammers were now posing as government officials by making calls that showed numbers starting with +8, +85, and +65. Approximately 15 million calls were received in India in October, reaching the international long-distance network of the telcos and displaying a +91 number on the caller ID. This indicates that about 90% of all international calls that flashed +91 in October were spoof calls, which are calls that originate from a non-Indian number but are shown as an Indian number.It will surprise no one that CD Projekt has been thinking long and hard about how not to repeat the mistakes of Cyberpunk 2077 with its upcoming Witcher game, currently codenamed Project Polaris. Speaking to Eurogamer , joint CEO of CD Projekt Michał Nowakowski said part of that was being "smarter in how we want to announce and kick off marketing campaigns" in the future. "To be honest," he said, "when we were kicking off the marketing campaign officially with pre-orders, which was the Keanu on stage [moment, at E3 in June 2019], the plan was actually to launch roughly one year later. It just didn't really work. So we didn't really plan for like a two-year campaign, and I still think that one year would really be fine [in terms of] time for a promotional campaign of that game." While the company has said The Witcher 4 is now in full production, it won't be revealing much more about it in a hurry, having learned to "announce the date when you're like really, really sure of it. And now I think we have much better tools to be sure of that date, which we—on a smaller scale—proved to ourselves with Phantom Liberty." Cyberpunk 2077's well-received expansion had a release date that allowed for six months' worth of marketing. Nowakowski said that, "for a new game, we would still expect a slightly longer—but not two-year—lasting campaign". That said, CD Projekt won't be completely silent on The Witcher 4 until its release date is announced. It just won't be the full-on blitz of trailers and demonstrations we saw before Cyberpunk 2088. "Because the marketing campaign," Nowakowski clarified, "slightly earlier before the launch of the game, that's different than the actual, say, 'mass attack'. Mass attack is when you announce the date, you start collecting the pre-orders and it really is that race from that point, that moment, to the moment you launch the game." So between now and whenever CD Projekt is ready to announce a release date for The Witcher 4, expect the occasional light dusting of promotion rather than a full-blown storm. As Nowakowski puts it, "we want to drop the crumbs here and there so that people—and the media as well—can, you know, pick up on it and try to figure out what it is we're trying to say this time." The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Kosovo’s main ethnic Serb party on Tuesday said its ban from the upcoming general election is “institutional and political violence” against the ethnic minority. Zlatan Elek of Srpska Lista, or Serb List, said the move was “done on the orders of Albin in order to gain some easy political points,” adding they would appeal the decision. Elek was referring to Kosovo’s prime minister, Albin Kurti. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get our free email newsletters — latest headlines and e-edition notifications.

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Access Bangladesh Foundation, in collaboration with The Daily Star, organised a roundtable titled "Building a Disability-Inclusive and Supportive Workplace Culture in Bangladesh" on October 23, 2024. Here, we publish a summary of the discussion. Albert Mollah, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Access Bangladesh Foundation According to the Labour Force Survey 2022, only 27.29 per cent of persons with disabilities aged 15 and older were employed. Meanwhile, the National Survey on Persons with Disabilities 2021 suggests that the percentage is 33.78 per cent. The Labour Force Survey 2022 also reveals that the employment ratio for persons with disabilities is highest in the agriculture sector (52.61 per cent), followed by the service sector (36.71 per cent) and the industry sector (11.13 per cent). However, only 12.81 per cent of persons with disabilities are employed in the formal sector, while 87.19 per cent work in the informal sector. Around 80.91 per cent of persons with disabilities do not have the entry-level educational qualifications required for admission to TVET institutes, with only a small percentage (0.21 per cent) receiving vocational training. The enrolment of women with disabilities in vocational training is even lower (0.13 per cent). The losses incurred by excluding persons with disabilities from the workforce are significant. A study conducted by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in ten low- and middle-income developing countries found that the economic losses from excluding persons with disabilities are estimated to be between 3 and 7 per cent of a country's GDP. Yet, they continue to be excluded from the workforce. This exclusion persists despite various legal frameworks that support employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD). The overarching principle of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – "Leave No One Behind" – also aligns with these issues. Persistent negative perceptions and stereotypes limit work opportunities for persons with disabilities. The lack of accessibility, necessary accommodations, and opportunities for skill development, quality education, and vocational training make it even more difficult for them to receive education and find work. While the country has laws and policies supporting persons with disabilities, inadequate enforcement of these policies and the lack of comprehensive support systems hinder their progress in employment and education. Some key strategies can be implemented to enhance employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. One is to increase awareness and training for employers. Employers should be educated about the benefits of hiring persons with disabilities and trained in inclusive hiring practices. Employers and HR professionals can play a crucial role in fostering an inclusive workplace culture by improving accessibility, providing reasonable accommodations, and developing and implementing supportive policies and practices. The government also needs to strengthen existing laws and policies and ensure their implementation to promote employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. Sufficient budgetary and resource allocation is also crucial for fostering inclusive employment. Investments should be made to make workplaces and public spaces more accessible. Akash Rahman , Assistant Admin and HR Officer, Access Bangladesh Foundation I completed my SSC in 2010 and my HSC in 2012 from the Dhaka board. Subsequently, I earned my bachelor's degree in 2016 and my master's degree in 2017 from Jahangirnagar University, under the Faculty of Sociology in the Department of Government and Politics. Following my studies, I began my job search, facing discrimination and harassment at every step of the process. I participated in over 50 recruitment exams, yet employers consistently chose other candidates over me due to my disability. Eventually, I was given the opportunity to complete a six-month internship at Access Bangladesh Foundation. In 2021, I joined Access Bangladesh Foundation as a full-time staff member, where I have now been working for four years. There are many people like me across the country, so I have one request for employers: please come forward and provide job opportunities for persons with disabilities. Hawa Islam , Job-Seeker I am a woman with hearing and speaking disabilities, and this has hindered my career progression. I sought work in various sectors, starting with a restaurant and then moving on to IT companies, furniture shops, and even RMG factories. However, in most instances, employers would not offer me a suitable role after the three-month training period due to my disability. Accommodation issues also arose. I could only work at the RMG factory for eight months, as my disability was exploited to assign me additional tasks, resulting in work hours nearly every day from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. My experience highlights that women with hearing and speech disabilities face even greater discrimination in the workforce due to communication barriers present in almost every sector. Nazmus Sakib , Diversity and Inclusion Officer, UNDP An educational barrier exists that discriminates against persons with disabilities compared to those without, even before they enter the workforce.The quota system has never truly helped us in this regard. It is important to recognise that job seekers are also users of digital products, and companies should factor this into their recruitment processes. It is the responsibility of organisations to ensure digital accessibility and reasonable accommodations in recruitment exams and interviews for persons with disabilities, making the job-seeking process fair for them. Another important point to remember is that disability is not homogeneous. The struggles of someone with a disability from a remote area in the country are significantly different from my struggles as a person with a disability from an urban area. The types and levels of disabilities are also key factors. People's unconscious biases prevent us from reaching our full potential. Our productivity relies on accommodation and accessibility. Ensuring these factors are in place will enable us to contribute more effectively to the country's economy. Nazma Ara Begum Poppy , National Project Support Officer, UN Women Bangladesh The barriers encountered by women with disabilities are significantly heightened in a system that already discriminates against women without disabilities. This is largely due to our lack of awareness of the issue. In our society, women face numerous security concerns, which are exacerbated for women with disabilities. These challenges can result in a severe shortage of appropriate accommodation and transportation options. These are the reasons why women with disabilities do not receive the necessary moral support from their families when they wish to enter the workforce. In my opinion, accommodation and transportation are two areas on which employers need to focus. We also need documented research to inform policymaking in these aspects. Mahmudul Hasan , Assistant Director, SWID Bangladesh The Neuro-Developmental Disability Protection Trust Act 2013 is not active enough. The government must be held more accountable on this front. It should also analyse the skill levels of this population and identify areas where they can be employed without difficulty. The findings of such analyses should be disseminated among employers. At the same time, employers need to be educated and trained on the abilities of persons with intellectual disabilities. Persons with intellectual disabilities require job security, support, and coaching facilities, which employers must ensure. Meanwhile, the Special Education Programme should prioritise rehabilitation rather than focusing solely on teaching basic life skills. It needs to be more relevant and tailored to vocational training and employment opportunities. Ridma Khan , Director, Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry Systemic discrimination against persons with disabilities prevents them from accessing mainstream education and employment opportunities. Women with disabilities face multiple layers of marginalisation – for being women and for having disabilities. Creating awareness to remove the stigma associated with disabilities is extremely crucial. Businesses are profit-driven ventures, and they need proper incentives for hiring and training persons with disabilities. Affirmative action involves more than just quotas. Providing employment opportunities for persons with disabilities is the first step; however, it is equally important to sensitise the workplace to meet their specific needs. We must ensure that we are actively advocating for these issues while implementing women-specific policies to facilitate their inclusion in the workforce, including as entrepreneurs. Muhammad Habibur Rahman , Assistant Secretary-General (Legal Affairs), Bangladesh Employers' Federation (BEF) I believe that, just as employers have a responsibility to include persons with disabilities in their companies, we also have a responsibility to give our best to the job. The government also bears the responsibility of implementing the legal provisions for persons with disabilities. It is not only about enforcing existing laws but also about fostering social acceptance. For instance, the law mandates reserving 5 per cent of seats on public transportation for persons with disabilities. However, in my experience, attempting to claim these rights often leads to unpleasant consequences. These issues require attention, and raising awareness is key in this regard. Bangladesh's Labour Law should properly address the challenges faced by employees with disabilities. Dr Mohammad Sohrab Hossain , Executive Director, CRP Workplace modifications through accessibility audits are essential for creating disability-friendly environments. Currently, many young individuals have been admitted to the CRP following injuries sustained during the July uprising. Our plan is to rehabilitate them after their treatment by offering access to training, employment opportunities, and additional support such as microcredit schemes. This is undoubtedly a challenging undertaking, and we hope to gain your support in this endeavour. I am confident that today's discussion will lead to valuable recommendations and promote collaboration to address accessibility issues. This initiative is a significant step in raising awareness and driving meaningful change. Moving forward, it is essential to prioritise actionable strategies that can effectively improve accessibility and foster more inclusive environments. Md Ayub Ali Sarker, Senior Specialist, TVET & Skills Development, UCEP The National Skill Development Policy 2022 must be implemented effectively to ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the skills system. Ensuring accessibility is one of UCEP's core responsibilities, and we are working on infrastructural accommodation in collaboration with relevant organisations. However, our capacities are also limited. Capacity development is crucial when it comes to ensuring accessibility and inclusion. Tasmiah Tabassum Rahman , Associate Director, BRAC Skills Development Programme BRAC's current module provides 70 per cent of informal training for persons with disabilities through the STAR model. It is based on a pedagogical method that relies on the relationship between a mentor and a mentee. For example, we send our beneficiaries to a tailoring shop to learn the craft from the head of the business. We focus on informal training because research shows that most persons with disabilities are employed in the informal sector, largely due to the barriers they face in accessing mainstream education. Additionally, it is often easier for them to secure employment in informal sectors than in more technical fields. The real challenge begins after the training period concludes. Securing employment or establishing a business can take an additional three to four years. The difficulty often lies in obtaining the necessary funding and ongoing support during this extended phase. To address these challenges, it is crucial to update training materials and methodologies to be more disability-friendly. Trainers should also be educated in disability-sensitive practices to ensure the training process is inclusive and effective. Rtn Md Mashequr Rahman Khan , PHF, President, Bangladesh Society for Human Resources Management (BSHRM) We should focus on the abilities of persons with disabilities rather than their disabilities to address employment challenges. It is worth remembering that some of the brightest individuals the world has known, such as Stephen Hawking and Helen Keller, had disabilities. Our organisation includes HR professionals from across the country, enabling collaboration through our network to make workplaces accessible and inclusive. A. B. M. Faqrul Alam , Group Sustainability Lead, Urmi Group We need to restructure or redesign jobs to make workplaces more inclusive. Accessible workstations, stairs, dormitories, regular training, and social support should also be prioritised. Additionally, employing family members is a key strategy to help retain staff and maintain a stable workforce. Rather than treating these measures as CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activities, we need to incorporate them as routine practices. Farjana Reza , National Programme Officer, Social Protection, ILO We are deeply committed to promoting social justice and ensuring that all workers, including persons with disabilities (PWDs), have the opportunity to lead decent and fulfilling lives. However, societal barriers often hinder the inclusion of PWDs in the workforce. Bangladesh has made significant strides in recognising the rights of PWDs, such as ratifying the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2007. Despite this, challenges persist in translating these commitments into tangible actions. For example, while the government has implemented a 1 per cent employment quota for PWDs in public and semi-public sectors, the actual employment rate remains significantly lower due to underreporting and limited data. To address these issues, the government has initiated programmes such as the Inclusive National Employment Policy 2023 and the 8th Five-Year Plan, which provide vocational rehabilitation and microcredit support for PWDs. Partnerships with organisations like the Inclusive Job Centre (IJC) and the Bangladesh Business Disability Network (BBDN) are also encouraging private sector participation in inclusive employment practices. Despite these efforts, systemic barriers—including societal stigma, lack of awareness, and bureaucratic hurdles—continue to limit opportunities for PWDs. To overcome these challenges, it is crucial to strengthen data collection systems, evaluate the effectiveness of existing programmes, and address systemic issues hindering the inclusion of PWDs. The ILO is actively working to promote inclusive employment for PWDs through initiatives such as developing service-based employment models, providing access to education and skills development programmes, and advocating for inclusive workplaces. By prioritising the inclusion of PWDs, Bangladesh can create a more just and equitable society. We urge all stakeholders, including the government, employers, and civil society organisations, to work together to realise this vision. Murteza Rafi Khan , Chief Executive Officer, Bangladesh Business and Disability Network (BBDN) The National Action Plan on Disability recognises the role of employers in making the workforce more accessible and inclusive for persons with disabilities. However, the implementation of these plans is not always consistent. Nonetheless, the initiative represents a positive step towards involving multiple sectors in creating an inclusive environment. One of the key challenges is upskilling individuals with disabilities and integrating them into the workforce. This remains a significant issue in employment, and we aim to adopt a demand-driven approach to address it. Such an approach would involve close collaboration with employers to ensure that the training provided is aligned with market needs and meets established quality standards. It is essential to recognise that disability is simply another human experience—a form of diversity. The business incentive to include persons with disabilities lies in building a diverse workforce that embraces cross-sectional perspectives and innovative approaches. Mohua Paul , Co-Founder and Chairperson, Access Bangladesh Foundation Instead of creating new job opportunities, we should focus on assimilating persons with disabilities into existing jobs by matching their abilities and skills. I have been working for 42 years, and accessibility remains a persistent issue. Transportation is another crucial area that demands attention. Currently, only the metro rail system is fully accessible for persons with disabilities. The situation is even more challenging in rural areas, particularly for women with disabilities and individuals with severe conditions such as cerebral palsy, autism, intellectual, visual, speech, and hearing impairments. It is imperative to address these issues comprehensively. Tanjim Ferdous , In-Charge, NGOs & Foreign Missions, Business Development Department, The Daily Star & Moderator In Bangladesh, persons with disabilities face numerous obstacles in various spheres of society, especially in employment. They are often deprived of services and opportunities due to social prejudice, discrimination, negative mindsets, and infrastructural limitations. The challenges are even more pronounced for women. Women with disabilities are at increased risk of violence and social isolation due to exclusion from employment, education, and social activities. Through this discussion, we hope to drive positive change and promote equity and inclusion for persons with disabilities in the workplace. Recommendations Ensure that infrastructure and information at all levels are accessible and disability-friendly. Enforce existing policies adequately and provide comprehensive support. Promote awareness-raising programmes highlighting the capacities of persons with disabilities, particularly women, to reduce stigma and stereotypes. Undertake targeted employment programmes for persons with severe disabilities. Recognise employers who champion inclusive hiring and workplace accommodations, showcasing their contributions as role models for others. Ensure the implementation of employment quotas for persons with disabilities in both government and private sectors. Formulate career-centric special education and training programmes. Conduct audits to assess the accessibility of infrastructure and information. Ensure digital accessibility, particularly for employing visually impaired persons. Design disability-friendly training modules. Make financial products more accessible for persons with disabilities. Focus on safe accommodation and disability-friendly transportation. Provide sufficient vocational training opportunities for persons with disabilities. Access Bangladesh Foundation, in collaboration with The Daily Star, organised a roundtable titled "Building a Disability-Inclusive and Supportive Workplace Culture in Bangladesh" on October 23, 2024. Here, we publish a summary of the discussion. Albert Mollah, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Access Bangladesh Foundation According to the Labour Force Survey 2022, only 27.29 per cent of persons with disabilities aged 15 and older were employed. Meanwhile, the National Survey on Persons with Disabilities 2021 suggests that the percentage is 33.78 per cent. The Labour Force Survey 2022 also reveals that the employment ratio for persons with disabilities is highest in the agriculture sector (52.61 per cent), followed by the service sector (36.71 per cent) and the industry sector (11.13 per cent). However, only 12.81 per cent of persons with disabilities are employed in the formal sector, while 87.19 per cent work in the informal sector. Around 80.91 per cent of persons with disabilities do not have the entry-level educational qualifications required for admission to TVET institutes, with only a small percentage (0.21 per cent) receiving vocational training. The enrolment of women with disabilities in vocational training is even lower (0.13 per cent). The losses incurred by excluding persons with disabilities from the workforce are significant. A study conducted by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in ten low- and middle-income developing countries found that the economic losses from excluding persons with disabilities are estimated to be between 3 and 7 per cent of a country's GDP. Yet, they continue to be excluded from the workforce. This exclusion persists despite various legal frameworks that support employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD). The overarching principle of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – "Leave No One Behind" – also aligns with these issues. Persistent negative perceptions and stereotypes limit work opportunities for persons with disabilities. The lack of accessibility, necessary accommodations, and opportunities for skill development, quality education, and vocational training make it even more difficult for them to receive education and find work. While the country has laws and policies supporting persons with disabilities, inadequate enforcement of these policies and the lack of comprehensive support systems hinder their progress in employment and education. Some key strategies can be implemented to enhance employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. One is to increase awareness and training for employers. Employers should be educated about the benefits of hiring persons with disabilities and trained in inclusive hiring practices. Employers and HR professionals can play a crucial role in fostering an inclusive workplace culture by improving accessibility, providing reasonable accommodations, and developing and implementing supportive policies and practices. The government also needs to strengthen existing laws and policies and ensure their implementation to promote employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. Sufficient budgetary and resource allocation is also crucial for fostering inclusive employment. Investments should be made to make workplaces and public spaces more accessible. Akash Rahman , Assistant Admin and HR Officer, Access Bangladesh Foundation I completed my SSC in 2010 and my HSC in 2012 from the Dhaka board. Subsequently, I earned my bachelor's degree in 2016 and my master's degree in 2017 from Jahangirnagar University, under the Faculty of Sociology in the Department of Government and Politics. Following my studies, I began my job search, facing discrimination and harassment at every step of the process. I participated in over 50 recruitment exams, yet employers consistently chose other candidates over me due to my disability. Eventually, I was given the opportunity to complete a six-month internship at Access Bangladesh Foundation. In 2021, I joined Access Bangladesh Foundation as a full-time staff member, where I have now been working for four years. There are many people like me across the country, so I have one request for employers: please come forward and provide job opportunities for persons with disabilities. Hawa Islam , Job-Seeker I am a woman with hearing and speaking disabilities, and this has hindered my career progression. I sought work in various sectors, starting with a restaurant and then moving on to IT companies, furniture shops, and even RMG factories. However, in most instances, employers would not offer me a suitable role after the three-month training period due to my disability. Accommodation issues also arose. I could only work at the RMG factory for eight months, as my disability was exploited to assign me additional tasks, resulting in work hours nearly every day from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. My experience highlights that women with hearing and speech disabilities face even greater discrimination in the workforce due to communication barriers present in almost every sector. Nazmus Sakib , Diversity and Inclusion Officer, UNDP An educational barrier exists that discriminates against persons with disabilities compared to those without, even before they enter the workforce.The quota system has never truly helped us in this regard. It is important to recognise that job seekers are also users of digital products, and companies should factor this into their recruitment processes. It is the responsibility of organisations to ensure digital accessibility and reasonable accommodations in recruitment exams and interviews for persons with disabilities, making the job-seeking process fair for them. Another important point to remember is that disability is not homogeneous. The struggles of someone with a disability from a remote area in the country are significantly different from my struggles as a person with a disability from an urban area. The types and levels of disabilities are also key factors. People's unconscious biases prevent us from reaching our full potential. Our productivity relies on accommodation and accessibility. Ensuring these factors are in place will enable us to contribute more effectively to the country's economy. Nazma Ara Begum Poppy , National Project Support Officer, UN Women Bangladesh The barriers encountered by women with disabilities are significantly heightened in a system that already discriminates against women without disabilities. This is largely due to our lack of awareness of the issue. In our society, women face numerous security concerns, which are exacerbated for women with disabilities. These challenges can result in a severe shortage of appropriate accommodation and transportation options. These are the reasons why women with disabilities do not receive the necessary moral support from their families when they wish to enter the workforce. In my opinion, accommodation and transportation are two areas on which employers need to focus. We also need documented research to inform policymaking in these aspects. Mahmudul Hasan , Assistant Director, SWID Bangladesh The Neuro-Developmental Disability Protection Trust Act 2013 is not active enough. The government must be held more accountable on this front. It should also analyse the skill levels of this population and identify areas where they can be employed without difficulty. The findings of such analyses should be disseminated among employers. At the same time, employers need to be educated and trained on the abilities of persons with intellectual disabilities. Persons with intellectual disabilities require job security, support, and coaching facilities, which employers must ensure. Meanwhile, the Special Education Programme should prioritise rehabilitation rather than focusing solely on teaching basic life skills. It needs to be more relevant and tailored to vocational training and employment opportunities. Ridma Khan , Director, Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry Systemic discrimination against persons with disabilities prevents them from accessing mainstream education and employment opportunities. Women with disabilities face multiple layers of marginalisation – for being women and for having disabilities. Creating awareness to remove the stigma associated with disabilities is extremely crucial. Businesses are profit-driven ventures, and they need proper incentives for hiring and training persons with disabilities. Affirmative action involves more than just quotas. Providing employment opportunities for persons with disabilities is the first step; however, it is equally important to sensitise the workplace to meet their specific needs. We must ensure that we are actively advocating for these issues while implementing women-specific policies to facilitate their inclusion in the workforce, including as entrepreneurs. Muhammad Habibur Rahman , Assistant Secretary-General (Legal Affairs), Bangladesh Employers' Federation (BEF) I believe that, just as employers have a responsibility to include persons with disabilities in their companies, we also have a responsibility to give our best to the job. The government also bears the responsibility of implementing the legal provisions for persons with disabilities. It is not only about enforcing existing laws but also about fostering social acceptance. For instance, the law mandates reserving 5 per cent of seats on public transportation for persons with disabilities. However, in my experience, attempting to claim these rights often leads to unpleasant consequences. These issues require attention, and raising awareness is key in this regard. Bangladesh's Labour Law should properly address the challenges faced by employees with disabilities. Dr Mohammad Sohrab Hossain , Executive Director, CRP Workplace modifications through accessibility audits are essential for creating disability-friendly environments. Currently, many young individuals have been admitted to the CRP following injuries sustained during the July uprising. Our plan is to rehabilitate them after their treatment by offering access to training, employment opportunities, and additional support such as microcredit schemes. This is undoubtedly a challenging undertaking, and we hope to gain your support in this endeavour. I am confident that today's discussion will lead to valuable recommendations and promote collaboration to address accessibility issues. This initiative is a significant step in raising awareness and driving meaningful change. Moving forward, it is essential to prioritise actionable strategies that can effectively improve accessibility and foster more inclusive environments. Md Ayub Ali Sarker, Senior Specialist, TVET & Skills Development, UCEP The National Skill Development Policy 2022 must be implemented effectively to ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the skills system. Ensuring accessibility is one of UCEP's core responsibilities, and we are working on infrastructural accommodation in collaboration with relevant organisations. However, our capacities are also limited. Capacity development is crucial when it comes to ensuring accessibility and inclusion. Tasmiah Tabassum Rahman , Associate Director, BRAC Skills Development Programme BRAC's current module provides 70 per cent of informal training for persons with disabilities through the STAR model. It is based on a pedagogical method that relies on the relationship between a mentor and a mentee. For example, we send our beneficiaries to a tailoring shop to learn the craft from the head of the business. We focus on informal training because research shows that most persons with disabilities are employed in the informal sector, largely due to the barriers they face in accessing mainstream education. Additionally, it is often easier for them to secure employment in informal sectors than in more technical fields. The real challenge begins after the training period concludes. Securing employment or establishing a business can take an additional three to four years. The difficulty often lies in obtaining the necessary funding and ongoing support during this extended phase. To address these challenges, it is crucial to update training materials and methodologies to be more disability-friendly. Trainers should also be educated in disability-sensitive practices to ensure the training process is inclusive and effective. Rtn Md Mashequr Rahman Khan , PHF, President, Bangladesh Society for Human Resources Management (BSHRM) We should focus on the abilities of persons with disabilities rather than their disabilities to address employment challenges. It is worth remembering that some of the brightest individuals the world has known, such as Stephen Hawking and Helen Keller, had disabilities. Our organisation includes HR professionals from across the country, enabling collaboration through our network to make workplaces accessible and inclusive. A. B. M. Faqrul Alam , Group Sustainability Lead, Urmi Group We need to restructure or redesign jobs to make workplaces more inclusive. Accessible workstations, stairs, dormitories, regular training, and social support should also be prioritised. Additionally, employing family members is a key strategy to help retain staff and maintain a stable workforce. Rather than treating these measures as CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activities, we need to incorporate them as routine practices. Farjana Reza , National Programme Officer, Social Protection, ILO We are deeply committed to promoting social justice and ensuring that all workers, including persons with disabilities (PWDs), have the opportunity to lead decent and fulfilling lives. However, societal barriers often hinder the inclusion of PWDs in the workforce. Bangladesh has made significant strides in recognising the rights of PWDs, such as ratifying the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2007. Despite this, challenges persist in translating these commitments into tangible actions. For example, while the government has implemented a 1 per cent employment quota for PWDs in public and semi-public sectors, the actual employment rate remains significantly lower due to underreporting and limited data. To address these issues, the government has initiated programmes such as the Inclusive National Employment Policy 2023 and the 8th Five-Year Plan, which provide vocational rehabilitation and microcredit support for PWDs. Partnerships with organisations like the Inclusive Job Centre (IJC) and the Bangladesh Business Disability Network (BBDN) are also encouraging private sector participation in inclusive employment practices. Despite these efforts, systemic barriers—including societal stigma, lack of awareness, and bureaucratic hurdles—continue to limit opportunities for PWDs. To overcome these challenges, it is crucial to strengthen data collection systems, evaluate the effectiveness of existing programmes, and address systemic issues hindering the inclusion of PWDs. The ILO is actively working to promote inclusive employment for PWDs through initiatives such as developing service-based employment models, providing access to education and skills development programmes, and advocating for inclusive workplaces. By prioritising the inclusion of PWDs, Bangladesh can create a more just and equitable society. We urge all stakeholders, including the government, employers, and civil society organisations, to work together to realise this vision. Murteza Rafi Khan , Chief Executive Officer, Bangladesh Business and Disability Network (BBDN) The National Action Plan on Disability recognises the role of employers in making the workforce more accessible and inclusive for persons with disabilities. However, the implementation of these plans is not always consistent. Nonetheless, the initiative represents a positive step towards involving multiple sectors in creating an inclusive environment. One of the key challenges is upskilling individuals with disabilities and integrating them into the workforce. This remains a significant issue in employment, and we aim to adopt a demand-driven approach to address it. Such an approach would involve close collaboration with employers to ensure that the training provided is aligned with market needs and meets established quality standards. It is essential to recognise that disability is simply another human experience—a form of diversity. The business incentive to include persons with disabilities lies in building a diverse workforce that embraces cross-sectional perspectives and innovative approaches. Mohua Paul , Co-Founder and Chairperson, Access Bangladesh Foundation Instead of creating new job opportunities, we should focus on assimilating persons with disabilities into existing jobs by matching their abilities and skills. I have been working for 42 years, and accessibility remains a persistent issue. Transportation is another crucial area that demands attention. Currently, only the metro rail system is fully accessible for persons with disabilities. The situation is even more challenging in rural areas, particularly for women with disabilities and individuals with severe conditions such as cerebral palsy, autism, intellectual, visual, speech, and hearing impairments. It is imperative to address these issues comprehensively. Tanjim Ferdous , In-Charge, NGOs & Foreign Missions, Business Development Department, The Daily Star & Moderator In Bangladesh, persons with disabilities face numerous obstacles in various spheres of society, especially in employment. They are often deprived of services and opportunities due to social prejudice, discrimination, negative mindsets, and infrastructural limitations. The challenges are even more pronounced for women. Women with disabilities are at increased risk of violence and social isolation due to exclusion from employment, education, and social activities. Through this discussion, we hope to drive positive change and promote equity and inclusion for persons with disabilities in the workplace. Recommendations Ensure that infrastructure and information at all levels are accessible and disability-friendly. Enforce existing policies adequately and provide comprehensive support. Promote awareness-raising programmes highlighting the capacities of persons with disabilities, particularly women, to reduce stigma and stereotypes. Undertake targeted employment programmes for persons with severe disabilities. Recognise employers who champion inclusive hiring and workplace accommodations, showcasing their contributions as role models for others. Ensure the implementation of employment quotas for persons with disabilities in both government and private sectors. Formulate career-centric special education and training programmes. Conduct audits to assess the accessibility of infrastructure and information. Ensure digital accessibility, particularly for employing visually impaired persons. Design disability-friendly training modules. Make financial products more accessible for persons with disabilities. Focus on safe accommodation and disability-friendly transportation. Provide sufficient vocational training opportunities for persons with disabilities.'Major breakthrough in Mirror Justice for our Daughters campaign with key demands met'

( MENAFN - Jordan Times) AMMAN - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in Jordan have launched their joint project entitled“Protection of Family Links (PFL) to Alleviate Suffering and to Contribute to Peacebuilding in Conflict-affected Communities.” With this PFL project funded from KOICA, the ICRC will support families of people who went missing during the conflicts in Syria, be they in Syria, Lebanon, or Jordan, by helping them access PFL services, according to an ICRC statement. ICRC's project includes providing psychosocial group sessions, offering relief aid and livelihood support, ensuring access to healthcare through emergency cash aid, and assisting with legal and administrative challenges to safeguard their rights and legal status amidst the turmoil of disappearance. At the launch ceremony held in Amman on November 27, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Jordan Kim Pil-woo highlighted the importance of the KOICA-ICRC joint project in helping families separated by regional conflicts reunite and overcome their suffering. "The Korean people have tremendous empathy for those dispersed by conflict in this region, because Korea had similar experiences during and after the Korean War in the 1950s," the ambassador said. While praising the close partnership between KOICA and the ICRC, he also expressed confidence that this project, combined with the ICRC's expertise, dedication, and passion, will produce a successful outcome. ICRC's Head of Delegation in Jordan Sarah Avrillaud expressed her appreciation to KOICA and the Korean government for their generous support of some $10.5 million to the ICRC in support of families of the missing persons, noting this is the first ICRC project financed by KOICA on PFL. Avrillaud further emphasised the profound impact these families endure, stating that“the full scale of the missing issue is often unacknowledged, yet the devastating and lasting effects on individuals, families, and communities cannot be underestimated." "Families endure years of uncertainty and anguish, seeking information about their missing loved ones, creating not only an emotional burden but also a legal and financial struggle, particularly if the missing person was the family's primary provider, she added. KOICA collaborates with international organisations, including the ICRC, to implement programmes that support fragile and conflict-affected communities. These programmes aim to strengthen the capacity of states to manage and respond to social, political, economic, and environmental risks, thereby promoting sustainable development. ICRC and KOICA have cooperated on development and humanitarian projects since 2021 with a special focus on assisting the people and communities affected by conflicts – such as economic security in Azerbaijan, health sector in Nigeria, South Sudan, Yemen, and water and habitation in Venezuela, according to the statement. Building on this previous partnership, the two organisations have decided to expand their collaboration around working to protect and restore family links, clarify the fate and whereabouts of persons missing as a result of armed conflict, natural or man-made disasters, or migration, and protect the dignity of the deceased to contribute to trust building and peacebuilding in conflict-affected communities. The ICRC's role and mandate to search for the missing and provide support to their families is recognised by states, international organisations, and civil society organisations alike and, as a neutral, impartial, and independent organisation, it is "uniquely" positioned to contribute to this imperative humanitarian effort. MENAFN30112024000028011005ID1108942227 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. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.A Fugitive Gains Fame in New Orleans Eluding Dart Guns and Nets

SAN DIEGO , Dec. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Realty Income Corporation (Realty Income, NYSE: O), The Monthly Dividend Company ® , today announced it has declared an increase in the company's common stock monthly cash dividend to $0.2640 per share from $0.2635 per share. The dividend is payable on January 15, 2025 , to stockholders of record as of January 2, 2025 . This is the 128 th dividend increase since Realty Income's listing on the NYSE in 1994. The new monthly dividend represents an annualized dividend amount of $3.168 per share as compared to the prior annualized dividend amount of $3.162 per share. "Throughout our 55-year history, Realty Income has declared 654 consecutive monthly dividends," said Sumit Roy , Realty Income's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Today's declaration represents the 109 th consecutive quarter that we have declared a dividend increase since our 1994 NYSE listing, demonstrating our commitment to providing stockholders a dependable monthly dividend that increases over time." About Realty Income Realty Income (NYSE: O), an S&P 500 company, is real estate partner to the world's leading companies. Founded in 1969, we invest in diversified commercial real estate and have a portfolio of over 15,450 properties in all 50 U.S. states, the U.K., and six other countries in Europe . We are known as "The Monthly Dividend Company ® ," and have a mission to invest in people and places to deliver dependable monthly dividends that increase over time. Since our founding, we have declared 654 consecutive monthly dividends and are a member of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ® index for having increased our dividend for the last 30 consecutive years. Additional information about the company can be found at www.realtyincome.com . Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. When used in this press release, the words "estimated," "anticipated," "expect," "believe," "intend," "continue," "should," "may," "likely," "plans," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include discussions of our business and portfolio; cash flows; the intentions of management; and dividends, including the amount, timing and payment of dividends related thereto. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions about us, which may cause our actual future results to differ materially from expected results. Some of the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are, among others, our continued qualification as a real estate investment trust; general domestic and foreign business, economic, or financial conditions; competition; fluctuating interest and currency rates; inflation and its impact on our clients and us; access to debt and equity capital markets and other sources of funding (including the terms and partners of such funding); continued volatility and uncertainty in the credit markets and broader financial markets; other risks inherent in the real estate business including our clients' solvency, client defaults under leases, increased client bankruptcies, potential liability relating to environmental matters, illiquidity of real estate investments, and potential damages from natural disasters; impairments in the value of our real estate assets; changes in domestic and foreign income tax laws and rates; property ownership through joint ventures, partnerships and other arrangements which may limit control of the underlying investments; epidemics or pandemics, including measures taken to limit their spread, the impacts on us, our business, our clients, and the economy generally; the loss of key personnel; the outcome of any legal proceedings to which we are a party or which may occur in the future; acts of terrorism and war; the anticipated benefits from mergers and acquisitions including from the merger with Spirit Realty Capital, Inc.; and those additional risks and factors discussed in our reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future plans and performance and speak only as of the date of this press release. Actual plans and operating results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in this press release and forecasts made in the forward-looking statements discussed in this press release might not materialize. We do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements or publicly release the results of any forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date these statements were made. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/128th-common-stock-monthly-dividend-increase-declared-by-realty-income-302328137.html SOURCE Realty Income Corporation

Stephanie Armour, Julie Rovner | (TNS) KFF Health News Many of President-elect Donald Trump’s candidates for federal health agencies have promoted policies and goals that put them at odds with one another or with Trump’s choice to run the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., setting the stage for internal friction over public health initiatives. Related Articles National Politics | Elon Musk’s preschool is the next step in his anti-woke education dreams National Politics | Biden will decide on US Steel acquisition after influential panel fails to reach consensus National Politics | Biden vetoes once-bipartisan effort to add 66 federal judgeships, citing ‘hurried’ House action National Politics | A history of the Panama Canal — and why Trump can’t take it back on his own National Politics | President-elect Trump wants to again rename North America’s tallest peak The picks hold different views on matters such as limits on abortion, the safety of childhood vaccines, the COVID-19 response, and the use of weight-loss medications. The divide pits Trump picks who adhere to more traditional and orthodox science, such as the long-held, scientifically supported findings that vaccines are safe, against often unsubstantiated views advanced by Kennedy and other selections who have claimed vaccines are linked with autism. The Trump transition team and the designated nominees mentioned in this article did not respond to requests for comment. It’s a potential “team of opponents” at the government’s health agencies, said Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute, a libertarian policy organization. Kennedy, he said, is known for rejecting opposing views when confronted with science. “The heads of the FDA and NIH will be spending all their time explaining to their boss what a confidence interval is,” Cannon said, referring to a statistical term used in medical studies. Those whose views prevail will have significant power in shaping policy, from who is appointed to sit on federal vaccine advisory committees to federal authorization for COVID vaccines to restrictions on abortion medications. If confirmed as HHS secretary, Kennedy is expected to set much of the agenda. “If President Trump’s nomination of RFK Jr. to be secretary is confirmed, if you don’t subscribe to his views, it will be very hard to rise in that department,” said Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease specialist and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “They will need to suppress their views to fit with RFK Jr’s. In this administration, and any administration, independent public disagreement isn’t welcome.” Kennedy is chair of Children’s Health Defense , an anti-vaccine nonprofit. He has vowed to curb the country’s appetite for ultra-processed food and its incidence of chronic disease. He helped select Trump’s choices to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institutes of Health. If confirmed, he would lead them from the helm of HHS, with its more than $1.7 trillion budget. Clashes are likely. Kennedy has supported access to abortion until a fetus is viable. That puts him at odds with Dave Weldon, the former Florida congressman whom Trump has chosen to run the CDC. Weldon, a physician, is an abortion opponent who wrote one of the major laws allowing health professionals to opt out of participating in the procedure. Weldon would head an agency that’s been in the crosshairs of conservatives since the COVID pandemic began. He has touted his “100% pro-life voting record” on his campaign website. (He unsuccessfully ran earlier this year for a seat in Florida’s House of Representatives.) Trump has said he would leave decisions about abortion to the states, but the CDC under Weldon could, for example, fund studies on abortion risks. The agency could require states to provide information about abortions performed within their borders to the federal government or risk the loss of federal funds. Weldon, like Kennedy, has questioned the safety of vaccines and has said he believes they can cause autism. That’s at odds with the views of Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins surgeon whom Trump plans to nominate for FDA commissioner. The British American said on the “Brian Kilmeade Show” on Fox News Radio that vaccines “save lives,” although he added that it’s good to question the U.S. vaccine schedule for children. The American Academy of Pediatricians encourages parents and their children’s doctors to stick to the recommended schedule of childhood vaccines. “Nonstandard schedules that spread out vaccines or start when a child is older put entire communities at risk of serious illnesses, including infants and young children,” the group says in guidance for its members. Jay Bhattacharya, a doctor and economist who is Trump’s selection to lead NIH, has also supported vaccines. Kennedy has said on NPR that federal authorities under his leadership wouldn’t “take vaccines away from anybody.” But the FDA oversees approval of vaccines, and, under his leadership, the agency could put vaccine skeptics on advisory panels or could make changes to a program that largely protects vaccine makers from consumer injury lawsuits. “I do believe that autism does come from vaccines,” Kennedy said in 2023 on Fox News . Many scientific studies have discredited the claim that vaccines cause autism. Ashish Jha, a doctor who served as the White House COVID response coordinator from 2022 to 2023, noted that Bhattacharya and Makary have had long and distinguished careers in medicine and research and would bring decades of experience to these top jobs. But, he said, it “is going to be a lot more difficult than they think” to stand up for their views in the new administration. It’s hard “to do things that displease your boss, and if [Kennedy] gets confirmed, he will be their boss,” Jha said. “They have their work cut out for them if they’re going to stand up for their opinions on science. If they don’t, it will just demoralize the staff.” Most of Trump’s picks share the view that federal health agencies bungled the pandemic response, a stance that resonated with many of the president-elect’s voters and supporters — even though Trump led that response until Joe Biden took office in 2021. Kennedy said in a 2021 Louisiana House oversight meeting that the COVID vaccine was the “deadliest” ever made. He has cited no evidence to back the claim. Federal health officials say the vaccines have saved millions of lives around the globe and offer important protection against COVID. Protection lasts even though their effectiveness wanes over time. The vaccines’ effectiveness against infection stood at 52% after four weeks, according to a May study in The New England Journal of Medicine, and their effectiveness against hospitalization was about 67% after four weeks. The vaccines were produced through Operation Warp Speed, a public-private partnership Trump launched in his first term to fast-track the shots as well as other treatments. Makary criticized COVID vaccine guidance that called for giving young children the shots. He argued that, for many people, natural immunity from infections could substitute for the vaccine. Bhattacharya opposed measures used to curb the spread of COVID in 2020 and advised that everyone except the most vulnerable go about their lives as usual. The World Health Organization warned that such an approach would overwhelm hospitals. Mehmet Oz, Trump’s choice to head the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, an agency within HHS, has said the vaccines were oversold. He promoted the use of the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment. The FDA in 2020 revoked emergency authorization of hydroxychloroquine for COVID, saying that it was unlikely to be effective against the virus and that the risk of dangerous side effects was too high. Janette Nesheiwat, meanwhile, a former Fox News contributor and Trump’s pick for surgeon general, has taken a different stance. The doctor described COVID vaccines as a gift from God in a Fox News opinion piece . Kennedy’s qualms about vaccines are likely to be a central issue early in the administration. He has said he wants federal health agencies to shift their focus from preparing for and combating infectious disease to addressing chronic disease. The shifting focus and questioning of vaccines concern some public health leaders amid the spread of the H5N1 bird flu virus among dairy cattle. There have been 60 human infections reported in the U.S. this year, all but two of them linked to exposure to cattle or poultry. “Early on, they’re going to have to have a discussion about vaccinating people and animals” against bird flu, said Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “We all bring opinions to the table. A department’s cohesive policy is driven by the secretary.” ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Jackson Acquisition Company II Announces Pricing of $200 Million Initial Public OfferingMAPS Investors Have Opportunity to Lead WM Technology, Inc. Securities Fraud Lawsuit

Jordan Neely’s father blames racism and ‘system’ for son’s death — but where was he?Let your little ones glide with the best kids’ ski boots

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He made the observation on Thursday, December 19, while delivering a presentation to a general assembly of the National Consultative Forum of Political Organisations (NFPO). The presentation focused on national policy and strategies for public transport in Rwanda, especially in Kigali. ALSO READ: Expert on solutions to Kigali’s public transport issues Gasore said that the government is looking for leaders of the company for it to start operations, after the Cabinet approved its establishment. With this move, he said, scheduled bus departures will follow, regardless of the number of passengers in it, pointing out that “profit and loss will go to the public company.” Among other reforms in fleet management, he said, there is integrating technology that helps people to know [on their phone] where buses are, where there are passengers, and where they are not. “The company will do all that so that we have buses that are professionally managed,” he said, adding that “the City of Kigali is expanding such that having one or two staff responsible for public transport is no longer enough for us to deliver good service to Rwandans.” There are countries that address long waiting times through means including subsidising public transport so that privately owned buses can leave following set schedule. This is intended to ensure that if a bus leaves with few passengers compared to its capacity, the government covers the cost for empty seats, Gasore pointed out. “You cannot tell a person who got a bank loan to start a bus while empty yet they have to repay it. That is not possible unless, as the government, you get committed to paying for empty seats any time the bus leaves,” he said. He indicated that the option is very expensive [for the government], going by examples of where such a model is the case, citing Singapore. Rwanda had not yet reached a level to implement such a model, he said, adding that it decided to set up the company, instead. The fleet under the company’s management, he said, includes 200 buses [powered by diesel] that were bought by the government recently [late 2023 and early 2024]. ALSO READ: 100 new buses start operations in Kigali Phanuel Murenzi, an accountant of Liberal Party (PL) said that the current state of public transport does not discourage people from buying private cars – but rather encourages them to do so – as it is marred by some problems, citing long waiting time during off-peak period. NFPO Spokesperson Alphonse Nkubana said that privately owned buses leave stations or parks soon after reaching there as there are relatively many passengers during peak hours (morning period until 9 am), but they delay in terms of transporting passengers from 3 am to 4 pm as that is an off-peak hour period. He said that the creation and operationalisation of the company will prevent public transport disruption during off-peak hours, as the government can get means to cover expenses incurred as a result of limited number of passengers. “For the government, a bus [with 70-passenger capacity] can depart with five or ten passengers, but for a private investor, passengers may take about two hours at a bus station for it to be full,” he said. ALSO READ: Is it possible to unlock Kigali's peak-hour jam? Traffic jam [especially during peak hours] is also among factors that impair the quality of public transport service as it slows movement of buses, Gasore pointed out. To address this issue, the government plans to implement some projects to ease bus movement such as by upgrading selected junctions in Kigali, having dedicated bus lanes, and road expansion, Gasore observed. He said that the details of the company’s operations, as well as its name, will be communicated in due course. 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Addresses the Speed and Reach Limitations of Passive, Direct-attached Copper (DAC) Cables SANTA CLARA, Calif. , Dec. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Marvell Technology, Inc . (NASDAQ: MRVL ), a leader in data infrastructure semiconductor solutions, today announced the general availability of a 200G per lane optimized transimpedance amplifier (TIA) and laser driver chipset, enabling 800 Gbps and 1.6 Tbps linear-drive pluggable optics (LPO). Designed to address next-generation short-reach, scale-up compute fabric connectivity requirements, LPO modules enabled by the chipset overcome the reach limitations of passive, DAC cable interconnects. The LPO chipset expands the industry-leading interconnect portfolio from Marvell, which includes PAM4 optical DSPs , coherent DSPs , data center interconnects, Alaska® A active electrical cable (AEC) DSPs and Alaska P PCIe retimers , delivering an optimized optical solution for short-reach compute fabric connections, delivering an optimized optical solution for short-reach compute fabric connections. As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies advance, the demand for higher-bandwidth interconnects in data center networks is accelerating rapidly. This is particularly evident in compute fabric networks, which connect XPUs within and across racks. The next generation of XPU compute fabric networks will transition to data rates of 200 Gbps per lane, where passive DACs fall short of meeting speed and distance requirements. To address this, cloud data centers will transition to a new type of interconnect that meets their specific requirements. Marvell introduced Alaska A for customers looking to extend copper capabilities using AECs, while others can leverage specialized LPO modules featuring the Marvell TIA and driver chipset. Designed for short and predictable host channels, these LPO modules enable longer reach, higher bandwidth and improved performance compared to copper interconnects. "Marvell 1.6 Tbps LPO TIA and laser driver chipset is designed to address the growing demand for short-reach, high-bandwidth interconnect solutions, where passive copper cables are hitting a wall," said Xi Wang , vice president of product marketing for Optical Connectivity at Marvell. "As AI-driven data centers continue to scale, optimizing interconnect solutions across each layer of the network is becoming increasingly critical. The new LPO chipset complements and expands our industry-leading 1.6 Tbps connectivity portfolio, to address the growing spectrum of interconnects that cloud operators are seeking to optimize." "LPO has been a technology in search of the right solution. By optimizing chipsets for short, inside-the-rack connections, Marvell brings clarity and focus to LPO, delivering it in a more compelling and scalable manner," said Alan Weckel , co-founder of 650 Group. "Marvell's innovative approach to achieving performance gains helps drive better AI cluster TCO and highlights the industry's direction in optimizing networking links." The 1.6 Tbps LPO chipset, one of the latest additions to the Marvell interconnect portfolio, is optimized for specific use cases to help data centers maximize infrastructure utilization and performance while reducing overall cost and power per bit. This extensive portfolio spanning optical and copper interconnects includes Ara , the industry's first 3nm PAM4 interconnect platform; Aquila , the industry's first O-band-optimized coherent-lite DSP platform; Nova family of PAM4 DSPs featuring 200 Gbps electrical and optical interfaces; and Alaska A PAM4 DSP for active electrical cables. LPO Chipset Key Features TIA provides best-in-class linearity, power and BER for AI applications. Laser driver to improve module performance margin while reducing overall transceiver module design complexity, power consumption, and TCO. TIA and laser driver chipset provide adjustable equalization to compensate for channel loss. About Marvell To deliver the data infrastructure technology that connects the world, we're building solutions on the most powerful foundation: our partnerships with our customers. Trusted by the world's leading technology companies for over 25 years, we move, store, process and secure the world's data with semiconductor solutions designed for our customers' current needs and future ambitions. Through a process of deep collaboration and transparency, we're ultimately changing the way tomorrow's enterprise, cloud, automotive, and carrier architectures transform—for the better. Marvell and the M logo are trademarks of Marvell or its affiliates. Please visit www.marvell.com for a complete list of Marvell trademarks. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or imply future events, results or achievements. Actual events, results or achievements may differ materially from those contemplated in this press release. Forward-looking statements are only predictions and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict, including those described in the "Risk Factors" section of our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents filed by us from time to time with the SEC. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and no person assumes any obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For further information, contact: Kim Markle [email protected] SOURCE MarvellNew Aquila DSP Delivers Cost, Power, and Scalability for 2 km to 20 km Connectivity, Extending Marvell Optical Interconnect Leadership SANTA CLARA, Calif. , Dec. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Marvell Technology, Inc . (NASDAQ: MRVL), a leader in data infrastructure semiconductor solutions, today announced Marvell® Aquila , the industry's first coherent-lite DSP optimized for 1.6 Tbps coherent optical transceiver modules operating at O-band wavelengths. By combining advanced coherent modulation with scalable O-band optics, the Aquila DSP delivers a power and performance-optimized solution tailored for the emerging market for distributed campus data center interconnects spanning up to 20 km with high bandwidth and low latency. The industry is shifting from large-scale facilities to campus-based data centers due to power and space constraints. While PAM4 interconnects remain the standard for inside data center connections and coherent data center interconnect (DCI) interconnects address regional data center connectivity, both areas where Marvell is the industry leader, campus-based data centers require optimized interconnects spanning 2-20 km, driving the need for coherent-lite technology. Marvell, leveraging its unique expertise in both PAM4 and coherent DSPs, is leading this market transformation. Traditional coherent DSPs are optimized for C-band tunable optics, which lack the scalability needed for high-volume data center deployment. The new Aquila coherent-lite DSP introduces an innovative O-band coherent architecture that delivers cost efficiency, power savings, and scalability, enabling the next generation of campus-based data center connectivity. "Interconnect bandwidth, data center traffic, and data center capacity needs are all growing at accelerated rates because of AI, and operators are limited by the available power delivery in a single building," said Xi Wang , vice president of product marketing for Optical Connectivity at Marvell. "Aquila offers data center operators a new, groundbreaking avenue for optimizing their infrastructure for sustainability and developing campus facilities that can scale with their customers' demands for cloud and AI services." "The transition to distributed data centers is creating a growing demand for innovative solutions to address campus connectivity challenges," said Osa Mok , chief marketing officer at TeraHop Ltd. (previously known as InnoLight Technology). "Marvell's Aquila represents a significant step forward, bringing coherent technologies to this evolving market. By combining the advancements from Aquila with TeraHop's expertise in coherent modules and scalable optical solutions, we are establishing a new standard for performance and efficiency in campus networks." "Shipments of coherent-lite solutions are expected to grow from sample volumes this year to over 1 million units per year by 2029," said Vlad Kozlov , founder and CEO of LightCounting. "Coherent-lite technology like Aquila from Marvell expands the options available to hyperscalers, providing a more energy-efficient solution to an emerging and critical use case." Aquila is one of the latest members of the Marvell interconnect portfolio, optimized for specific use cases to help data centers maximize the utilization and performance of their infrastructure while reducing overall cost and power per bit. The extensive 1.6 Tbps portfolio also includes the Marvell LPO TIA and driver chipset; Ara , the industry's first 3nm PAM4 interconnect platform; Nova family of PAM4 DSPs featuring 200 Gbps electrical and optical interfaces; and Alaska® A PAM4 DSP for active electrical cables. Aquila Coherent-lite DSP Attributes Availability The Marvell Aquila coherent-lite DSP is sampling to select customers. About Marvell To deliver the data infrastructure technology that connects the world, we're building solutions on the most powerful foundation: our partnerships with our customers. Trusted by the world's leading technology companies for over 25 years, we move, store, process and secure the world's data with semiconductor solutions designed for our customers' current needs and future ambitions. Through a process of deep collaboration and transparency, we're ultimately changing the way tomorrow's enterprise, cloud, automotive, and carrier architectures transform—for the better. Marvell and the M logo are trademarks of Marvell or its affiliates. Please visit www.marvell.com for a complete list of Marvell trademarks. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or imply future events, results or achievements. Actual events, results or achievements may differ materially from those contemplated in this press release. Forward-looking statements are only predictions and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict, including those described in the "Risk Factors" section of our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents filed by us from time to time with the SEC. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and no person assumes any obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For further information, contact: Kim Markle pr@marvell.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/marvell-unveils-industrys-first-coherent-lite-1-6-tbps-o-band-optimized-dsp-for-data-center-campus-connectivity-302328132.html SOURCE Marvell

A fugitive gains fame in New Orleans eluding dart guns and netsWASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect pick for intelligence chief fresh scrutiny Monday on Capitol Hill about amid the of that country’s hardline Assad rule. Gabbard ignored shouted questions about her as she ducked into one of several private meetings with senators who are being asked to confirm . But the Democrat-turned-Republican Army National Reserve lieutenant colonel delivered a statement in which she reiterated her support for Trump’s America First approach to national security and a more limited U.S. military footprint overseas. “I want to address the issue that’s in the headlines right now: I stand in full support and wholeheartedly agree with the statements that President Trump has made over these last few days with regards to the developments in Syria,” Gabbard said exiting a Senate meeting. The incoming president’s Cabinet and top administrative choices are dividing his Republican allies and , if not full opposition, from Democrats and others. Not just Gabbard, but other Trump nominees including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth, were back at the Capitol ahead of what is expected to be volatile confirmation hearings next year. The incoming president is working to put his team in place for an of mass immigrant deportations, firing federal workers and rollbacks of U.S. support for Ukraine and NATO allies. “We’re going to sit down and visit, that’s what this is all about,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., as he welcomed Gabbard into his office. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary pick to be picking up support from once-skeptical senators, the former Army National Guard major denying sexual misconduct allegations and pledging not to drink alcohol if he is confirmed. The president-elect’s choice to lead the FBI, , who has written extensively about locking up Trump’s foes and proposed dismantling the Federal Bureau of Investigation, launched his first visits with senators Monday. “I expect our Republican Senate is going to confirm all of President Trump’s nominees,” said Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on social media. Despite widespread concern about the nominees’ qualifications and demeanors for the jobs that are among the highest positions in the U.S. government, Trump’s team is portraying the criticism against them as nothing more than political smears and innuendo. Showing that concern, have urged Senate leaders to schedule closed-door hearings to allow for a full review of the government’s files on Gabbard. Trump’s allies have described the in particular as similar to those lodged against Brett Kavanaugh, the former president’s Supreme Court nominee who denied a sexual assault allegation and went on to be confirmed during Trump’s first term in office. Said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., about Hegseth: “Anonymous accusations are trying to destroy reputations again. We saw this with Kavanaugh. I won’t stand for it.” One widely watched Republican, Sen. Joni of Iowa, herself a former Army National Guard lieutenant colonel and sexual assault survivor who had been criticized by Trump allies for her cool reception to Hegseth, appeared more open to him after their follow-up meeting Monday. “I appreciate Pete Hegseth’s responsiveness and respect for the process,” Ernst said in a statement. Ernst said that following “encouraging conversations,” he had committed to selecting a senior official who will “prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks. As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.” Ernst also had praise for Patel — “He shares my passion for shaking up federal agencies” — and for Gabbard. Once a rising Democratic star, Gabbard, who represented Hawaii in Congress, arrived a decade ago in Washington, her surfboard in tow, a new generation of potential leaders. She ran unsuccessfully for president in 2020. But Gabbard abruptly left the party and briefly became an independent before joining with Trump’s 2024 campaign as one of his enthusiasts, in large part over his disdain for U.S. involvement overseas and opposition to helping Ukraine battle Russia. Her visit to Syria to meet with then-President Bashar Assad around the time of Trump’s first inauguration during the country’s bloody civil war stunned her former colleagues and the Washington national security establishment. The U.S. had severed diplomatic relations with Syria. Her visit was seen by some as legitimizing a brutal leader who was accused of war crimes. Gabbard has defended the trip, saying it’s important to open dialogue, but critics hear in her commentary echoes of Russia-fueled talking points. Assad fled to Moscow over the weekend after Islamist rebels overtook Syria in a surprise attack, ending his family’s five decades of rule. She said her own views have been shaped by “my multiple deployments and seeing firsthand the cost of war and the threat of Islamist terrorism.” Gabbard said, “It’s one of the many reasons why I appreciate President Trump’s leadership and his election, where he is fully committed, as he has said over and over, to bring about an end to wars.” Last week, the nearly 100 former officials, who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, said in the letter to Senate leaders they were “alarmed” by the choice of Gabbard to oversee all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. They said her past actions “call into question her ability to deliver unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and to the entire national security apparatus.” The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to coordinate the nation’s intelligence agencies and act as the president’s main intelligence adviser.

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Hope Fair kicks off for the holiday seasonPresident-elect Donald Trump has nominated his son-in-law Jared Kushner's father, Charles Kushner, for a major diplomatic position as he gears up to assume office in January 2025. Trump, 78, announced on Saturday afternoon that pending Senate approval, Charles Kushner would be appointed as the United States Ambassador to France. Jared Kushner and his wife Ivanka Trump, the former president's daughter, have decided to stepped back from active roles during this election cycle and upcoming administration, choosing instead to concentrate on their personal goals and family life in Florida. Trump also highlighted during his announcement some of Charles's major achievements, such as founding Kushner Companies, a privately held real estate enterprise. Trump's Special Gift to Son-in-Law "He is a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, [and] dealmaker, who will be a strong advocate representing our Country & its interests," the former president wrote on Truth Social. "Congratulations to Charlie, his wonderful wife Seryl, their 4 children, & 14 grandchildren," the family-first politician wrote. "Together, we will strengthen America's partnership with France, our oldest Ally, & one of our greatest!" Jared Kushner previously played a key role in the Trump administration, contributing to initiatives such as Operation Warp Speed, criminal justice reform, and the Abraham Accords. Charles Kushner, Jared's father and the son of a Holocaust survivor, was one of 26 people granted a full pardon by Trump during his presidency. Charles had been embroiled in a federal investigation stemming from a family dispute with his business partner, Murray, over campaign contributions. Investigators later uncovered that Charles had defrauded the IRS of amounts ranging from $200,000 to $325,000 by falsely categorizing campaign donations as "office expenses" on 16 tax returns, according to NJ.com. A prominent fundraiser, Charles organized events supporting political figures like President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, and Senator Joseph Lieberman. He also backed Governor James McGreevey, becoming the largest donor to McGreevey's 2001 campaign. Charles Kushner on a New Role However, his legal troubles escalated with a witness tampering charge. Charles paid $25,000 to hire a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law, recording the encounter and sending the footage to his sister as retaliation, NJ.com reported. This charge was among 18 counts to which Charles pled guilty in 2005. At the time, then-U.S. Attorney Chris Christie condemned Charles' actions, calling them "some of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes" he had ever prosecuted. Christie said, "No matter how rich and powerful you are or poor and unpowerful, if you have violated the federal law in the district of New Jersey or if you are corrupting our political system, this office will bring you to justice. "Today, Charles Kushner was brought to justice." Charles Kushner, a 1976 graduate of New York University, earned both an MBA and a law degree before embarking on a successful career. He practiced law for four years before partnering with his father and brother-in-law to establish a real estate business. Under their leadership, the business grew to amass a portfolio valued at over $3 billion, spanning properties in New Jersey and beyond. When granting Charles a pardon, Trump commended him for his dedication to numerous charitable organizations and causes, highlighting his philanthropic contributions following the completion of his prison sentence in 2006.phwow 。

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that he will nominate former White House aide Brooke Rollins to be his agriculture secretary, the last of his picks to lead executive agencies and another choice from within his established circle of advisers and allies. The nomination must be confirmed by the Senate, which will be controlled by Republicans when Trump takes office Jan. 20. Rollins would succeed Tom Vilsack , President Joe Biden’s agriculture secretary who oversees the sprawling agency that controls policies, regulations and aid programs related to farming, forestry, ranching, food quality and nutrition. Then-President Donald Trump looks to Brooke Rollins, president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, as she speaks during a Jan. 11, 2018, prison reform roundtable in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. 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. Rollins previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. The pick completes Trump’s selection of the heads of executive branch departments, just two and a half weeks after the former president won the White House once again. Several other picks that are traditionally Cabinet-level remain, including U.S. Trade Representative and head of the small business administration. Brooke Rollins, assistant to the president and director of the Domestic Policy Council at the time, speaks during a May 18, 2020, meeting with restaurant industry executives about the coronavirus response in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington. Rollins, speaking on the Christian talk show “Family Talk" earlier this year, said Trump was an “amazing boss” and confessed that she thought in 2015, during his first presidential campaign, that he would not last as a candidate in a crowded Republican primary field. “I was the person that said, ‘Oh, Donald Trump is not going to go more than two or three weeks in the Republican primary. This is to up his TV show ratings. And then we’ll get back to normal,’” she said. “Fast forward a couple of years, and I am running his domestic policy agenda.” Trump didn’t offer many specifics about his agriculture policies during the campaign, but farmers could be affected if he carries out his pledge to impose widespread tariffs. During the first Trump administration, countries like China responded to Trump’s tariffs by imposing retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports like the corn and soybeans routinely sold overseas. Trump countered by offering massive multibillion-dollar aid to farmers to help them weather the trade war. Brooke Rollins speaks at an Oct. 27 campaign rally for then-Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York. President Abraham Lincoln founded the USDA in 1862, when about half of all Americans lived on farms. The USDA oversees multiple support programs for farmers; animal and plant health; and the safety of meat, poultry and eggs that anchor the nation’s food supply. Its federal nutrition programs provide food to low-income people, pregnant women and young children. And the agency sets standards for school meals. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, has vowed to strip ultraprocessed foods from school lunches and to stop allowing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program beneficiaries from using food stamps to buy soda, candy or other so-called junk foods. But it would be the USDA, not HHS, that would be responsible for enacting those changes. In addition, HHS and USDA will work together to finalize the 2025-2030 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. They are due late next year, with guidance for healthy diets and standards for federal nutrition programs. Gomez Licon reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Associated Press writers Josh Funk and JoNel Aleccia contributed to this report. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” 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.” Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. 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. 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. 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. McGinley was White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration, and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.” Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox!None

Semi-truck collision with elk raises awareness of wildlife risks on South Dakota roadsSARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — A late rally wasn’t enough as the Skidmore College Thoroughbreds (5-3-0) men’s hockey team fell to the Lake Forest College Foresters (3-5-1), 5-4, Saturday afternoon at the Saratoga City Rink, in the opening game of the Skidmore Thanksgiving Invitational. The Foresters struck first in the first frame. Foresters junior forward Colin Bella scored off a Connor Sullivan feed to make it 1-0 at the 8:53 mark. After a tripping penalty was called on Thoroughbreds forward Brandon Spaulding, the Foresters doubled the lead with the extra attacker. At the 11:09 mark, Foresters junior forward Justin Ross cashed [...]

WASHINGTON (AP) — As a former and potentially future president, Donald Trump hailed what would become as a road map for “exactly what our movement will do” with another crack at the White House. As for a hard-right turn in America became a liability during the 2024 campaign, . He denied knowing anything about the “ridiculous and abysmal” plans written in part by his first-term aides and allies. Now, after being elected the 47th president on Nov. 5, Trump is stocking his second administration with key players in the detailed effort he temporarily shunned. Most notably, Trump has tapped for an encore as director of the Office of Management and Budget; Tom Homan, his former immigration chief, as and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as . Those moves have accelerated criticisms from Democrats who warn that Trump's election hands government reins to movement conservatives who spent years envisioning how to concentrate power in the West Wing and impose a starkly rightward shift across the U.S. government and society. Trump and his aides maintain that he won a mandate to overhaul Washington. But they maintain the specifics are his alone. “President Trump never had anything to do with Project 2025,” said Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt in a statement. “All of President Trumps' Cabinet nominees and appointments are whole-heartedly committed to President Trump's agenda, not the agenda of outside groups.” Here is a look at what some of Trump's choices portend for his second presidency. The Office of Management and Budget director, a role Vought held under Trump previously and requires Senate confirmation, prepares a president's proposed budget and is generally responsible for implementing the administration's agenda across agencies. The job is influential but Vought made clear as author of a Project 2025 chapter on presidential authority that he wants the post to wield more direct power. “The Director must view his job as the best, most comprehensive approximation of the President’s mind,” Vought wrote. The OMB, he wrote, “is a President’s air-traffic control system” and should be “involved in all aspects of the White House policy process,” becoming “powerful enough to override implementing agencies’ bureaucracies.” Trump did not go into such details when naming Vought but implicitly endorsed aggressive action. Vought, the president-elect said, “knows exactly how to dismantle the Deep State” — Trump’s catch-all for federal bureaucracy — and would help “restore fiscal sanity.” In June, speaking on former Trump aide Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, Vought relished the potential tension: “We’re not going to save our country without a little confrontation.” The strategy of further concentrating federal authority in the presidency permeates Project 2025's and Trump's campaign proposals. Vought's vision is especially striking when paired with Trump's proposals to dramatically expand the president's control over federal workers and government purse strings — ideas intertwined with the president-elect tapping mega-billionaire Elon Musk and venture capitalist Vivek Ramaswamy to Trump in his first term sought to remake the federal civil service by reclassifying tens of thousands of federal civil service workers — who have job protection through changes in administration — as political appointees, making them easier to fire and replace with loyalists. Currently, only about 4,000 of the federal government's roughly 2 million workers are political appointees. President Joe Biden rescinded Trump's changes. Trump can now reinstate them. Meanwhile, Musk's and Ramaswamy's sweeping “efficiency” mandates from Trump could turn on an old, defunct constitutional theory that the president — not Congress — is the real gatekeeper of federal spending. In his “Agenda 47,” Trump endorsed so-called “impoundment,” which holds that when lawmakers pass appropriations bills, they simply set a spending ceiling, but not a floor. The president, the theory holds, can simply decide not to spend money on anything he deems unnecessary. Vought did not venture into impoundment in his Project 2025 chapter. But, he wrote, “The President should use every possible tool to propose and impose fiscal discipline on the federal government. Anything short of that would constitute abject failure.” Trump's choice immediately sparked backlash. “Russ Vought is a far-right ideologue who has tried to break the law to give President Trump unilateral authority he does not possess to override the spending decisions of Congress (and) who has and will again fight to give Trump the ability to summarily fire tens of thousands of civil servants,” said Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, a Democrat and outgoing Senate Appropriations chairwoman. Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, leading Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, said Vought wants to “dismantle the expert federal workforce” to the detriment of Americans who depend on everything from veterans' health care to Social Security benefits. “Pain itself is the agenda,” they said. Trump’s protests about Project 2025 always glossed over . Both want to reimpose Trump-era immigration limits. Project 2025 includes a litany of detailed proposals for various U.S. immigration statutes, executive branch rules and agreements with other countries — reducing the number of refugees, work visa recipients and asylum seekers, for example. Miller is one of Trump's longest-serving advisers and architect of his immigration ideas, including his promise of the largest deportation force in U.S. history. As deputy policy chief, which is not subject to Senate confirmation, Miller would remain in Trump's West Wing inner circle. “America is for Americans and Americans only,” Miller said at Trump’s on Oct. 27. “America First Legal,” Miller’s organization founded as an ideological counter to the American Civil Liberties Union, was listed as an advisory group to Project 2025 until Miller asked that the name be removed because of negative attention. Homan, a Project 2025 named contributor, was an acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director during Trump’s first presidency, playing a key role in what became known as Trump's Previewing Trump 2.0 earlier this year, Homan said: “No one’s off the table. If you’re here illegally, you better be looking over your shoulder.” John Ratcliffe, Trump's , was previously one of Trump's directors of national intelligence. He is a Project 2025 contributor. The document's chapter on U.S. intelligence was written by Dustin Carmack, Ratcliffe's chief of staff in the first Trump administration. Reflecting Ratcliffe's and Trump's approach, Carmack declared the intelligence establishment too cautious. Ratcliffe, like the chapter attributed to Carmack, is hawkish toward China. Throughout the Project 2025 document, Beijing is framed as a U.S. adversary that cannot be trusted. Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, wrote Project 2025's FCC chapter and is to chair the panel. Carr wrote that the FCC chairman “is empowered with significant authority that is not shared” with other FCC members. He called for the FCC to address “threats to individual liberty posed by corporations that are abusing dominant positions in the market,” specifically “Big Tech and its attempts to drive diverse political viewpoints from the digital town square.” He called for more stringent transparency rules for social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube and “empower consumers to choose their own content filters and fact checkers, if any.” Carr and Ratcliffe would require Senate confirmation for their posts.

Fall is the best time to think about cooking soup. Here’s 5 recipes you’ll want to tryTinubu’s sudden removal of fuel subsidy shows preparedness to govern – Reno Omokri

Michigan's shocking win over Ohio State on Saturday was a surprise to many around the college football world, as the Buckeyes were favored to beat their rivals by more than three scores. Michigan ended up winning with a late field goal, but much of the conversation around what happened in Columbus involved the actions of both teams after the final whistle. As a Michigan player took a flag with the team's logo and planned to place it at midfield, he was stopped by Buckeyes players who took exception to such a gesture on their home field. The argument quickly turned into a brawl between the two programs on the field, and officers appeared to use pepper spray to stop the teams from fighting one another. After the brawl, Ohio State University Police issued a statement regarding the use of pepper spray during the altercation. Following the game, officers from multiple law enforcement agencies assisted in breaking up an on-field altercation. During the scuffle, multiple officers representing Ohio and Michigan deployed pepper spray. OSUPD is the lead agency for games & will continue to investigate. "Following the game, officers from multiple law enforcement agencies assisted in breaking up an on-field altercation," OSU police said. "During the scuffle, multiple officers representing Ohio and Michigan deployed pepper spray. OSUPD is the lead agency for games & will continue to investigate." During the FOX broadcast, multiple Michigan players could be seen seeking relief after they were pepper sprayed. Jason Mowry/Getty Images Some fans commented on OSU police's use of pepper spray during the brawl, noting that they felt such tactics were excessive at the end of a football game, even if players were fighting. "Nothing to investigate. Your scumbag officers should've exercised better judgment. Pepper spray was completely unnecessary to control the situation," one fan said . "People should be fired Pepper spray on players is soooo not called for Take the L and go home," said another fan . "Plenty of video out there. Planting a flag is not illegal. Starting a riot is," one fan noted . "You sprayed a bunch of kids after a football game. These altercations happen all the time and no one brings out the pepper spray," another fan added . University police were able to put an end to the fight before things truly got out of hand, but it was clear that some felt the use of pepper spray crossed a line at the end of a spirited football game between two rivals. Related: Video Shows Cops Using Pepper Spray To Break Up Ohio State, Michigan BrawlPRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) — When the referee whistled for the free kick just outside the area, Atletico Madrid forward Julián Álvarez quickly picked up the ball and moved in position to take the shot. “When I saw the free kick, I told Rodri (Rodrigo De Paul) that I felt confident with the shot,” Álvarez said. “And it was a great goal.”Unpacking Soft Power Dynamics

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Shlomo Nehama Steps Down as Chairman of the Board of Ellomay Capital Ltd.By Laurie Baratti, TravelPulse A recent survey conducted by the Global Rescue Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey highlights the influence of the recent U.S. elections on Americans’ international travel plans for 2025. The findings show a mix of enthusiasm and caution among travelers regarding their future global itineraries. Approximately 30% of respondents indicated they expect to increase their international trips next year, while 7% foresee scaling back on foreign travel. However, the majority — 55% — anticipate no significant changes to their plans despite the election outcome. The reasons behind increased international travel are varied. Some respondents cited dissatisfaction with the election results as a driving factor, expressing a strong desire to spend more time abroad. One traveler remarked, “I want to spend as much time as possible outside the U.S. over the next four years.” For others, optimism about a potential post-election economic boost played a pivotal role. “The economy should show signs of improvement, and if the new administration can make peace deals around the world, then travel will be as good or better next year,” shared another participant. Conversely, those who reported no change in their travel plans pointed to stable financial conditions. With inflation at its lowest point in three years, many travelers have already secured their 2025 travel arrangements. “I have a general feeling of being better off and secure. I anticipate increased disposable income available, and I’m already booked for 2025,” stated one respondent. Economic factors appear to be bolstering travel confidence overall. Dan Richards, CEO of The Global Rescue Companies and a U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board member, explained: “With inflation at a three-year low, fewer travelers are canceling or postponing trips. In 2024, travelers embarked on their long-postponed dreams of global travel, fueled by a stabilizing economy and a renewed focus on meaningful experiences over material possessions.” Still, a small proportion of respondents (7%) plan to travel less internationally in the coming year, citing personal safety concerns tied to the U.S. elections. “The change of U.S. administration makes me more apprehensive about being in a foreign country with the risk of anger and animosity toward Americans being higher,” one participant admitted. Others attributed their hesitance to ongoing geopolitical tensions, including conflicts and terrorist threats worldwide. ©2024 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Anthropic said Friday that Amazon, a longtime backer of the company, had invested an additional $4 billion in the artificial intelligence startup, doubling its investment in the firm known for its chatbot GenAI Claude. According to Xira data, 82 percent of companies are investing or looking to invest in AI this year. Currently, 37 percent of companies are already investing in AI, 32 percent are planning to invest, and 17 percent are looking to invest. Amazon will maintain its position as a minority investor and will be Anthropic’s primary training partner for AI models, the startup said. It is worth mentioning that Amazon, which is Anthropic’s primary cloud partner, is fiercely competing with Microsoft and Alphabet’s Google to offer AI-powered tools for its cloud customers. The e-commerce company’s largest investment in Anthropic underscores the billions of dollars funneled into AI startups over the past year as investors look to capitalize on the boom in generative AI technology, made popular by OpenAI’s launch of ChatGPT in late 2022. Microsoft-backed OpenAI last month raised $6.6 billion from investors, potentially valuing the company at $157 billion and cementing its position as one of the world’s most valuable private companies. Anthropic plans to train and deploy its base models on Amazon’s Trainium and Inferentia chips. The intensive process of training AI models requires powerful processors, making obtaining expensive AI chips a top priority for startups. Nvidia currently dominates the AI ​​processor market and counts Amazon among its long list of so-called hyperscaler customers. Still, Amazon has been working to develop its own chips through its Annapurna Labs division, which Anthropic said it was “working closely” with to help develop processors. Britain’s competition regulator had said in September that Amazon’s partnership with Anthropic would not be referred for further investigation as it was not under its jurisdiction. Anthropic, co-founded by former OpenAI executives and siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, said last year it had also secured a $500 million investment from Alphabet, which promised to invest another $1.5 billion over time. The startup also uses Alphabet’s Google Cloud services as part of its operations. Cancela en cualquier momento Acceso exclusivo a rankings y radiografías. Análisis profundos y casos de estudio de éxito. Historial de la revista impresa en formato digital. ¡Disfruta de lo mejor del marketing sin costo alguno por unmes!LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers’ signing of Blake Snell became official Saturday, adding the two-time Cy Young Award winner to front a starting rotation stocked with question marks. Snell, who will turn 32 next week, agreed to a five-year, $182 million contract that includes a $52 million signing bonus and $65 million in deferred salary. That deal was pending a physical which Snell passed. The 2018 American League Cy Young Award winner with the Tampa Bay Rays, Snell won the National League Cy Young in 2023 after going 14-9 with a 2.25 ERA for the San Diego Padres. He became a free agent last winter but stayed on the market well into March looking for a long-term deal that never materialized despite his Cy Young history. The Dodgers were involved with Snell at one point before he signed a two-year, $62 million contract with the San Francisco Giants that included an opt-out clause. He exercised that opt-out after going 5-3 with a 3.12 ERA in an injury-interrupted season with the Giants. He had 145 strikeouts and just 44 walks in 104 innings. But he made just 20 starts due to two trips to the injured list with a groin injury (likely related to his late signing affecting his preparation for the season). The 20 starts were his fewest in a full season since his rookie year in 2016 (19 starts). Snell goes to the front of a rotation that includes a number of players returning from injury and/or surgery. Shohei Ohtani is expected to return to pitching after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery in September 2023. But his return to the mound will be delayed by surgery on his non-throwing shoulder following the World Series. Yoshinobu Yamamoto finished the 2024 season healthy but missed three months with a rotator cuff strain. Neither he nor Ohtani will be asked to pitch on less than five days of rest and the Dodgers are planning to go with a six-man rotation in 2025. Tyler Glasnow’s 2024 season ended early with an elbow injury and his status for 2025 is uncertain. Tony Gonsolin will be returning from Tommy John surgery. Dustin May did not pitch in 2024 while recovering from his own elbow surgery and a torn esophagus. Emmet Sheehan is expected back at some point in 2025 after his Tommy John surgery. Clayton Kershaw is expected to re-sign at some point. But he underwent foot and knee surgeries in November and is not likely to be available for a full season. Walker Buehler and Jack Flaherty are free agents. The Dodgers will start the 2025 season early again with another trip to Asia. They are scheduled to open the regular season with two games against the Chicago Cubs on March 18 and 19 in Tokyo.