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The Taliban's supreme leader has reportedly ordered a ban on women attending nursing and midwivery institutes, closing a rare avenue they had to pursue an education beyond the sixth grade. Human Rights Watch says the ban was ordered by Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and conveyed to the Ministry of Public Health on Monday, then communicated to private medical training institutes soon after. Although the ban has yet to be formally announced, two government officials who spoke to NPR on condition of anonymity, because of the matter's sensitivity, confirmed it. In addition, several nursing and midwivery students told NPR that this week, they were not allowed to attend classes. The European Union has condemned the ban, while the United Nations chief mission in Afghanistan said it was "extremely concerned about a reported directive" that was preventing women and girls from attending private medical institutions. The state of education for girls under Taliban rule The ban reflects an ongoing Taliban effort to curtail education for girls beyond grade six. Despite the Taliban's policies, girls and women still have some options. In certain parts of the country, Taliban officials have quietly ignored the ban, allowing a small number of girls to take classes offered by private educational institutes and charities. And in February 2024, an important loophole opened for women. Officials in the Ministry of Public Health successfully lobbied the hardline Taliban leaders to allow women to take nursing and midwifery courses in a handful of mostly private training institutes and learning centers, according to Ashley Jackson , who closely tracks developments in Afghanistan as co-director of the Center on Armed Groups, a think-tank based in Switzerland. One motivation for this February decision was that in some provinces, the Taliban does not allow women to seek treatment from male medical professionals. "This new decree [banning women from nursing and midwifery training] will result in unnecessary pain, misery, sickness and death for the women forced to go without health care," said Sahar Fetrat of Human Rights Watch, in a statement. Students turned away from classes Human Rights Watch says the ban was ordered by Taliban leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada and conveyed to the Ministry of Public Health on Monday, then communicated to private medical training institutes soon after. Five Afghan women who were studying nursing and midwifery told NPR that they were turned away from their respective private institutions this week. They spoke to NPR on condition of anonymity to avoid being identified by authorities. One 22-year-old nursing student said she learned about the ban when her friends began calling to express their condolences. "Are you telling the truth?" she said she asked them. The young woman went to her institute in case her friends were misinformed. One of her teachers "told us to go home. The institute is closed until further notice," she said. One 22-year-old, who was studying economics before all women were banned from university study in 2022, told NPR she signed up for nursing classes, desperate to continue studying. She, too, rushed to her classes on Tuesday after word of the ban spread on social media, hoping it was a false rumor. She said the teachers were apologetic, "but unfortunately, we were not allowed to enter," she said. "Unfortunately, we could not do anything." "This is bad news for all Afghan people," she said angrily. "Because men cannot become midwives in Afghanistan." Men are not allowed to be midwives because of strict gender segregation customs. Challenges for medical education institutions Even before this week's news, medical education institutions have found it challenging to include women. "Medical schools have not been functioning as they should in the last three years," said Pashtana Durrani, founder of Learn Afghanistan, an organization operating secret schools in Afghanistan as well as a maternal health clinic where they trained midwives. "All they are doing now is closing any loopholes" of the ban on higher education for females, she said. "Many of us have faced increasing harassment from the authorities," she said. "In just the last two weeks, our staffs were detained and they [the Taliban] asked us for money to be allowed to stay open," she told NPR, adding that the constant harassment forced her organization's schools to transition to online lessons. "We don't have any in-person classes at all because they forced us into shutting down the last of our training program." "When we trained the younger women, I had hoped that maybe all these girls would graduate and establish their own institutions someday. But now that seems unlikely," Durrani said. "People often say that under the Taliban women are just left to reproduce. Well, now with this new ban, women are left to reproduce and then die on that same table because there will be nobody to help them. That's what it has come to," Durrani said. Indeed, Afghanistan is one of the most dangerous places in the world for a woman to give birth. According to a December 2023 statement from Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the U.N. Secretary-General, a woman dies every two hours across Afghanistan in birth-related complications. And the United Nations Population Fund, which tracks women's healthcare globally, reports that the country needs at least 18,000 more trained midwives to ensure basic maternal care to Afghan women. The ban on women studying basic nursing skills "makes absolutely no sense. Even according to the Taliban's own logic," says Jackson of the Center on Armed Groups. She said that even during the Taliban's rule in the 1990s, considered more extreme than the present government, they allowed women to take some medical courses. Jackson also notes that previous exceptions — allowing women to study nursing and midwivery — shows that "there are people inside the system fighting for more sensible policies who realize that Afghanistan needs midwives, it needs female doctors, it needs female nurses." But ultimately, the commands of Akhundzada, their spiritual leader, take precedence. "We know that his beliefs are radical to the extreme," Jackson says. "There's a real paranoia and a fear of losing control, and I think one of the ways that he, as well as the Taliban in the past, have expressed that, is through the control of women's bodies." Even as officials were turning away young Afghan women from health-care education this week, other Afghan women were hoping that soon, there would be some accountability for the Taliban's denial of their human rights. This week, the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan , said he could announce that " very considerable progress has already been made in the investigation of allegations of gender persecution" in Afghanistan. "I am confident that I will soon be in a position to announce concrete results," said Khan. One researcher at Human Rights Watch, Fereshta Abbasi , believes that Khan's statement indicates that he would "soon request applications for arrest warrants" for Taliban officials. Abbasi is from Afghanistan and currently lives in the United Kingdom. "Justice will prevail," she wrote on X. With additional reporting by Fariba Akbari in Paris With additional reporting by Fariba Akbari in Parisjili games golden empire 。

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Jurors end 1st day of deliberations without a verdict in the YSL gang and racketeering trialTAMPA, Fla. — Brandon Hagel tied an NHL record with four assists in the opening period and finished with five as the Tampa Bay Lightning cruised past the Colorado Avalanche 8-2 on Monday. Jake Guentzel scored twice while Mikey Eyssimont, Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Nick Perbix, Anthony Cirelli and Luke Glendening also scored for Tampa Bay. Hagel tied a franchise record with five assists. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 23 shots. Ivan Ivan scored both goals for Colorado, which had a three-game winning streak come to an end. Justus Annunen, who was pulled in the first period but returned for the third, allowed five goals on 16 shots. Alexandar Georgiev allowed three goals on 17 shots. Takeaways Avalanche: Colorado ended a four-game road trip with a record of 3-1. The Avalanche had won six of the previous seven games. ... Ivan registered his first career multi-goal game. Lightning: Cirelli scored for the sixth consecutive game to become the sixth player in franchise history to record a goal in at least six consecutive games, joining Steven Stamkos, Kucherov, Brian Bradley, Point and Vinny Lecavalier. ... Zemgus Girgensons recorded his 100th career assist. Key moment After the Lightning jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Guentzel's power-play goal 7:46 into the first, the Avalanche cut the deficit in half 70 seconds later. But Kucherov scored 1:07 later to regain the two-goal lead and chase Annunen, who allowed three goals on six shots in 10:03. Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86), defenseman Victor Hedman (77), center Brayden Point (21), and left wing Brandon Hagel (38) celebrate after Point's goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. Credit: AP/Jason Behnken Key stat Tampa Bay’s five goals in the first period marked the fourth time in franchise history the Lightning have scored five goals in the opening period, done most recently on Feb. 23, 2011, against the Phoenix Coyotes. Up next The Avalanche host Vegas on Wednesday and the Lightning welcome Washington on Wednesday to end a three-game homestand.

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Two students wounded and gunman dead after shooting at Northern California elementary schoolWASHINGTON — The Supreme Court seemed likely Wednesday to uphold Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors. The justices' decision, not expected for several months, could affect similar laws enacted by another 25 states and a range of other efforts to regulate the lives of transgender people, including which sports competitions they can join and which restrooms they can use. The case is being weighed by a conservative-dominated court after a presidential election in which Donald Trump and his allies promised to roll back protections for transgender people. The Biden administration's top Supreme Court lawyer warned a decision favorable to Tennessee also could be used to justify nationwide restrictions on transgender health care for minors. In arguments that lasted more than two hours, five of the six conservative justices voiced varying degrees of skepticism over arguments made by the administration and Chase Strangio, the ACLU lawyer for Tennessee families challenging the ban. Chief Justice John Roberts, who voted in the majority in a 2020 case in favor of transgender rights, questioned whether judges, rather than lawmakers, should weigh in on a question of regulating medical procedures, an area usually left to the states. "The Constitution leaves that question to the people's representatives, rather than to nine people, none of whom is a doctor," Roberts said in an exchange with Strangio. Justice Neil Gorsuch, who wrote the majority opinion in 2020, said nothing during the arguments. The court's three liberal justices seemed firmly on the side of the challengers, but it's not clear that any conservatives will go along. People attend a rally March 31, 2023, as part of a Transgender Day of Visibility, near the Capitol in Washington. Justice Sonia Sotomayor pushed back against the assertion that the democratic process would be the best way to address objections to the law. She cited a history of laws discriminating against others, noting that transgender people make up less than 1% of the U.S. population, according to studies. There are an estimated 1.3 million adults and 300,000 adolescents ages 13 to 17 who identify as transgender, according the UCLA law school's Williams Institute. "Blacks were a much larger part of the population and it didn't protect them. It didn't protect women for whole centuries," Sotomayor said in an exchange with Tennessee Solicitor General Matt Rice. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said she saw some troubling parallels between arguments made by Tennessee and those advanced by Virginia and rejected by a unanimous court, in the 1967 Loving decision that legalized interracial marriage nationwide. Quoting from that decision, Jackson noted that Virginia argued then that "the scientific evidence is substantially in doubt and, consequently, the court should defer to the wisdom of the state legislature." ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio, left, and plaintiff Joaquin Carcano address reporters after a June 25, 2018, hearing in Winston-Salem, N.C., on their lawsuit challenging the law that replaced North Carolina's "bathroom bill." Justice Samuel Alito repeatedly pressed Strangio, the first openly transgender lawyer to argue at the nation's highest court, about whether transgender people should be legally designated as a group that's susceptible to discrimination. Strangio answered that being transgender does fit that legal definition, though he acknowledged under Alito's questioning there are a small number of people who de-transition. "So it's not an immutable characteristic, is it?" Alito said. Strangio did not retreat from his view, though he said the court did not have to decide the issue to resolve the case in his clients' favor. There were dueling rallies outside the court in the hours before the arguments. Speeches and music filled the air on the sidewalk below the court's marble steps. Advocates of the ban bore signs like "Champion God's Design" and "Kids Health Matters," while the other side proclaimed "Fight like a Mother for Trans Rights" and "Freedom to be Ourselves." Four years ago, the court ruled in favor of Aimee Stephens, who was fired by a Michigan funeral home after she informed its owner she was a transgender woman. The court held that transgender people, as well as gay and lesbian people, are protected by a landmark federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in the workplace. The Biden administration and the families and health care providers who challenged the Tennessee law urged the justices to apply the same sort of analysis that the majority, made up of liberal and conservative justices, embraced in the case four years ago when it found that "sex plays an unmistakable role" in employers' decisions to punish transgender people for traits and behavior they otherwise tolerate. Demonstrators against transgender rights protest Wednesday during a rally outside of the Supreme Court in Washington. The issue in the Tennessee case is whether the law violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, which requires the government to treat similarly situated people the same. Tennessee's law bans puberty blockers and hormone treatments for transgender minors, but allows the same drugs to be used for other purposes. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, the administration's top Supreme Court lawyer, called the law sex-based line drawing to ban the use of drugs that have been safely prescribed for decades and said the state "decided to completely override the views of the patients, the parents, the doctors." She contrasted the Tennessee law with one enacted by West Virginia, which set conditions for the health care for transgender minors, but stopped short of an outright ban. Gender-affirming care for youth is supported by every major medical organization, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychiatric Association. For many trans and nonbinary people, bathrooms can be complicated places to navigate — a fact highlighted by the death of 16-year-old Nex Benedict in Oklahoma. Oklahoma is far from an outlier when it comes to failing to provide safe and equitable bathrooms for transgender people. According to the Movement Advancement Project, which tracks LGBTQ+ policy, 13 states have a policy that prevents transgender people from safely or legally using public bathrooms. But data shows that even in states with trans-friendly policies, transgender and nonbinary people report high rates of harassment in public bathrooms. Advocates say everyday people can have a big impact in interrupting discrimination in gendered restrooms. The 19th shows how anyone can help prevent abuse. Sex-segregated restrooms have historically been a hostile space for Tat Bellamy-Walker, a Seattle-based journalist and Black gender-fluid trans person. In graduate school and at journalism internships, they had to go far out of their way to find all-gender single-stall restrooms they could use safely. "You never forget being told you don't belong in a restroom, you never forget not having a place to dispose of sanitary products if you're on your period in the men's bathroom," Bellamy-Walker said. "It's just clear you do not belong in public spaces." Allies can help tremendously by locating and pointing out gender-neutral bathrooms to friends or family who might need them. This is especially important for people planning events or parties. Make sure your space has safe bathrooms. Carrie Soto, a South Dakota parent of a transgender child, said she lives by the mantra "see something, say something." That means speaking up when there is bullying and harassment and volunteering to accompany a trans/nonbinary friend or family member when they have to head into a public bathroom. "Validate a trans person's fears and anxiety about the situation," Soto said. " If [my daughter] uses a gendered restroom and feels anxious, I go with." It may seem obvious, but transgender health advocate Jamison Green notes this step can really help trans people feel safe. Consider first that according to 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey , 59 percent of trans people avoided using a public restroom due to fear of harassment. Data from 2022 found that 6 percent of trans people said they were physically or verbally attacked while trying to use a bathroom, while 4 percent were denied access to a bathroom. "If you see someone who you clock as trans or nonbinary, just smile or pay them a non-provocative compliment. ... Wish them good day or good evening, and move on," Green said. "Of course that only goes for the women's room! In the men's room, talking is extremely rare." Green recommends that cisgender people offer a kind, silent nod. Twenty-two states and Washington, D.C., allow residents to opt for "X" gender markers on their IDs in addition to selecting "M" or "F." Still, in every state, regardless of laws, most bathrooms in government buildings, schools, businesses, places of worship and cultural institutions are gendered. Advocates say people can help change this by simply asking businesses and building owners for more options to accommodate all genders. "Advocacy is the most important part of the fight for transgender rights," Lambda Legal notes in its guide to restrooms. "And if employers adopt pro-trans policies proactively, instead of waiting for a transgender person to pave the way, there's much less chance of having problems down the line." The internet is full of rants not appropriate for a news article about people using the only single-stall gender-neutral bathrooms available not for safety but for ... well, pooping. As a result, gender-neutral bathrooms, especially in airports, are almost always occupied. There are many reasons why a cisgender person might need a single-occupancy bathroom (accessibility, illness, child care and, yes, even a little more privacy). Just like accessible stalls, it's a kindness to leave gender-neutral restrooms unoccupied when you don't need them. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

“Married to Medicine” airs its 11th season premiere today, Sunday, Nov. 24 at 9 p.m. Eastern on Bravo. If you love this Bravo series, but cut ties with cable, you can still watch it with free trials from FuboTV and DirecTV Stream . You can also stream it on Sling which offers first-time users half off the first month. On the season 11 premiere, “Guess Who’s Coming to Whitnik,” Heavenly and Quad mend fences and Phaedra and Dr. G discuss a bombshell drop on social media by Heavenly. Meanwhile, Simone and Cecil have a Freaknik-inspire party where an uninvited guest crashes the party and an old friend makes a surprise appearance, Bravo says. In “Married to Medicine” the women put old rivalries to bed and look ahead to make a fresh start with new frienship dynamics, Bravo says. The show stars Jackie Walters , Heavenly Kimes , Quad Webb , Phaedra Parks , Toya Bush-Harris , Simone Whitmore , Alicia Egolum and Lateasha Lunceford . More information on streaming service options for “Married to Medicine:” FuboTV has a library of TV shows, live sports events and more. Right now, it’s offering $30 off your first month on top of the free trial. The service has live news and entertainment channels. You can get the Pro plan for $79.99; the Elite plan for $89.99; the Premier plan for $99.99; or the Latino plan for $32.99. DirecTV Stream has three packages you can choose from and enjoy a free trial. Right now, after you’ve enjoyed the free trial, you’ll get $15 off your first two months if you chose the Entertainment package. That package is $86.98 ($101.98 after promo). The streaming service is offering $20 off your first three months if you chose the Choice package ($94.99, then $114.99 after promo) or the Ultimate package ($109.99, then $129.99 after promo). It is a no-term commitment service where you can enjoy live TV and on-demand local and national channels without having to commit to a contract. Sling offers half off your first month of streaming. A Blue package is $20 ($40 after that) and an Orange package is the same price and deal. Both the Blue and Orange package is $27.50 for the first month ($55 after that). The service allows you to stream on-demand movies, live TV shows and live sports on all your preferred devices. More streaming content ‘A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving’ FREE STREAM today on Apple TV+ Nov. 24, 2024, 6:01a.m. ‘Love & Marriage: Huntsville’ season 9, episode 4: Watch for free today Nov. 23, 2024, 5:03p.m. ‘A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving’ FREE STREAM: Watch today on Apple TV+ Nov. 23, 2024, 5:08a.m. Jersey Shore: Family Vacation season 7, episode 28 free stream today Nov. 21, 2024, 5:07p.m. Tyler Perry’s ‘Sistas’ season 8, episode 6 FREE STREAM today Nov. 20, 2024, 6:01p.m. Kaylee Remington is the shopping and entertainment commerce reporter and metro reporter for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. Read her work online .

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CONX Corp. Announces Acquisition of Red Technologies SASCalgary, Canada, Nov. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — , the innovative nanotechnology company that has developed a one-step, environmental solution that extracts lithium at exceptional rates, has just announced its pilot is now operational. This successful scale-up marks another important milestone in the lithium market, unlocking vast and untapped energy sources in North America and Europe. The Litus pilot follows the official opening of its patented nanomaterial production at its Calgary-based facility late last year. “We are thrilled our pilot is up and running,” shares Litus CEO Ghada Nafie. “Creating this pilot is a vision we have had since we founded the company and a mission we set out to accomplish. Now, we have validated this scale-up. We are already testing brines and extracting lithium. We are well on our way to making energy more efficient and more abundant!” The aqueous reservoirs in North America and Europe contain lithium in low concentrations that, until now, were not viable to extract. Litus LiNC is so efficient and effective it selectively harvests lithium from these sources with unmatched results. The Litus pilot is a plug-and-play modular unit integrating with systems already in place. Infrastructure requirements are low, and minimal water and energy are needed, for an environmental approach to lithium extraction that leaves the existing ecosystem intact. With Litus LiNC, the patented nanomaterial composites extract lithium in a matter of hours, creating a product so pure it does not require additional processing and can be sent directly to battery production plants. The pilot is designed to be transported on-site and is designed to be easily scaled up to commercial level. Litus LiNC is a low-cost, low-risk opportunity, making it easy to break even when lithium prices drop. And when lithium prices are high, Litus LiNC provides a very lucrative revenue stream. The nanotechnology behind the Litus solution is an advanced formula that is custom-made for each brine. At a time when supply chains are uncertain, Litus ensures access to its nanotechnology material and can now produce up to 5kgs per day. Litus’s LiNC solution is poised to make a significant impact in securing North America and Europe’s, position as an ongoing global leader in the energy industry and in the energy transition. Recognizing the strategic role Litus can have, the group has received support from NCR – IRAP, MICA, ERA, SDTC, and Alberta Innovates. For more information, contact Litus at . Litus is the emerging leader in the application of advanced chemistry and nanotechnology for the development of ground-breaking solutions to address some of the world’s biggest energy challenges. The Company was formed in 2019 on research originally conducted at the University of Calgary. Located in the heart of the energy sector, the Litus team is led by an exceptional group of professional chemists, nanotechnologists, and chemical process engineers, as well as experienced entrepreneurial business professionals, with a proven track record of success with scientific achievements and scaling new technologies to become industrial and commercially successful solutions. Litus LiNC has secured a solid industry niche with its effective, environmental one-step approach, and proven exceptional success extracting lithium from untapped lower-concentration brines previously deemed uneconomical. Litus is passionate about developing and supporting technology products that inspire its customers and partners to create energy solutions that are more abundant, more accessible, cleaner, safer, and more efficient.Jason Kelce’s fate over phone smashing incident confirmedPerhaps no team in the NFL needed their Week 11 bye like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did. After starting the season 4-2, Tampa dropped four consecutive contests and finds its playoff hopes slipping away. Now after having a chance to refresh, they'll play the 2-8 New York Giants. Simply put, this is a must-win for the Bucs. They're favored by six points , but the Giants can't be overlooked. After benching much-maligned Daniel Jones for Tommy DeVito, they could be feistier than expected. A season ago, the Giants were 3-3 with DeVito starting while going 3-8 in their additional 11 games. His infectious confidence and success story as an undrafted free agent made him a fan favorite and brought a spark of energy to the team. This game is also crucial because the two immediately after it should also be contests in which Tampa is heavily favored. After playing the Giants, they'll stay on the road to face the 3-7 Carolina Panthers before heading back home to take on the 2-8 Las Vegas Raiders. Those should be three wins for the Buccaneers, but with a loss on Sunday, suddenly the next two become far from sure things. If DeVito-mania strikes again, it could break Tampa's season and send them spiraling downwards towards the finish line. A win, though, could just as easily be the reset they need. It's worth noting that all four of the games in Tampa's losing streak were to quality opponents, and they are likely a better team than their record. On Sunday, they'll need to remind themselves of that.does rumer willis sing on empire 。

Published 01:48 IST, December 28th 2024 BJP leader Parvesh Verma claimed that AAP supremo and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal may change his seat from the New Delhi constituency elections New Delhi: BJP leader and former West Delhi MP Parvesh Verma has claimed that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief, may change his constituency from the New Delhi seat in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. Parvesh Verma suggested that Kejriwal may not contest from the New Delhi seat, where he has been the MLA since 2013. Kejriwal was the AAP candidate for the New Delhi constituency in the last three elections and has been announced as the party's candidate to contest the seat for the fourth term. However, Verma’s statement has raised questions about Kejriwal’s political plans for the upcoming polls. AAP Has Not Responded To The Claims So Far Verma, the son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma, also mentioned that the national leadership of the BJP has asked him to prepare to contest from the New Delhi constituency in the upcoming elections. So far, the AAP has not responded to Verma’s claims. The development has sparked interest in the political scene, with many waiting for Kejriwal's official announcement regarding his plans for the upcoming elections. In a post on X, Parvesh Verma said, “Sources have told me that Arvind Kejriwal may change his seat. I just want to ask Kejriwal ji to please do not run away from the New Delhi Assembly seat. Contest the polls with democratic dignity.” Kejriwal on Thursday slammed Verma for distributing Rs 1,100 to women in New Delhi, saying his father would have been ashamed of him for a "traitor" son like him. The AAP has also filed a complaint against Verma with the Enforcement Directorate (ED), alleging that cash was being distributed in Kejriwal's constituency ahead of polls. The party has demanded that the agency register a case of money laundering against Verma. Verma has maintained that the money was given to women by the social organisation Rashtriya Swabhiman, founded by his father Sahib Singh Verma. He said he would continue to help the needy women till a model code of conduct is imposed for the polls. The elections for the 70-member Delhi Assembly are due to be held in February. The Congress has fielded Sandeep Dikshit, son of former three-time Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, from New Delhi. Get Current Updates on India News , Entertainment News along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world. Updated 01:48 IST, December 28th 2024TORONTO (AP) — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Donald Trump that Americans would also suffer if the president-elect follows through on a plan to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products , a Canadian minister who attended their recent dinner said Monday. Trump threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico if they don’t stop what he called the flow of drugs and migrants across their borders with the United States. He said on social media last week that he would impose a 25% tax on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico as one of his first executive orders. 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.WASHINGTON ― Donald Trump instigated a violent attack on the Capitol, was impeached for it by the House, was criminally indicted for it, but in the end was given a pass for it by key voters in the seven swing states, new polling confirms, because they were more concerned about inflation and other pocketbook issues. “It’s clear that voters were thinking about their economic situation,” said Nick Ahamed from Priorities USA, a Democratic-aligned group that on Thursday released a post-election survey to quantify why Vice President Kamala Harris lost to a man who attempted a coup to remain in power the last time he held the White House. Ahamed said voters were not necessarily making a conscious tradeoff between democracy and lower living costs. It’s more that they largely did not believe that Trump represents a continued threat to democracy, despite his history. Even worse for Harris’ campaign, the voters she most needed to hang on to, those who flipped from Democratic President Joe Biden in 2020 to Trump in 2024, were even less likely to see Trump as a danger to the republic than the average voter. Only 24% of voters in Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina believe that Trump is “very likely” to overturn the Constitution to remain in power ― which is still higher than the 18% of Biden-to-Trump voters who believe that. And while just 29% of voters thought it’s very likely that Trump would try to use the U.S. military to go after his political opponents and critics, among Biden-to-Trump voters that figure is just 24%. While both the Harris campaign and outside groups helping her focused on economic issues, the limited attempt to warn voters about Trump’s autocratic tendencies failed, Ahamed acknowledged. “We didn’t connect Trump’s authoritarian behavior and what it would mean for them in the next year and in the next four years,” he said. A more basic problem Democratic campaign operatives had, Ahamed added, is the assumption that most Americans saw Trump the same way they did. “Themes like ‘stronger together,’ ‘restore the soul of the nation,’ ‘we’re not going back,’ all are predicated on a hatred of Donald Trump that voters ... and the voters specifically that we lost, don’t necessarily feel,” he said. Polling, for example, showed Trump’s continued success at pushing the image that made him famous: his portrayal of a genius billionaire businessman on the television game show “The Apprentice.” Among Black men between 18 and 44, a full 38% like Trump because he “tells it like it is,” even though the former president has been a notorious liar his entire adult life, while 35% believe he is a “successful businessman and entrepreneur,” even though he inherited his wealth, and his business record includes bankrupting casinos. The poll also had warnings for Democrats about opposing “cultural heroes” of those voters they need to win over to win elections. Billionaire Trump supporter Elon Musk, for instance, is liked and disliked about equally among all voters. Among those who voted for Biden in 2020 but for Trump in 2024, he is seen favorably by 64% and unfavorably by only 20%. Democracy advocates, including anti-Trump Republicans, warned months ahead of the election that Jan. 6 was not likely to work as a campaign issue in 2024 because Trump successfully made his lie that the 2020 election had been stolen from him, and his follow-up claim that those arrested for their participation in the Capitol attack were “political prisoners” and “hostages” that deserved pardons, articles of faith within the Republican Party. While public opinion in the days and weeks after Jan. 6 ran overwhelmingly against the attack and Trump, those numbers began to shift over the months as Trump and pro-Trump media pushed conspiracy theories about the election as well as the violence on that day. The need to avoid alienating Trump’s hard-core supporters, in fact, in February 2021 led to Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and most Republicans refusing to convict Trump on his impeachment, which would have led to his prohibition from holding federal office again. “Ultimately this comes down to Mitch McConnell,” Ahamed said. Dean Phillips, Early Challenger To Biden In 2024: I Would Do It All Again Tommy Tuberville Suggests GOP Senators Should Blindly Support Trump's Nominees Trump Moves To End His Criminal Case In Georgia

Casper Ruud has questioned Emma Raducanu 's brand endorsements after it was claimed that she has raked in more money than athletes such as Caitlin Clark and Simone Biles. Raducanu is a hugely attractive prospect for brands looking for high-profile figures to promote their products. She has signed sponsorship deals with Nike, Wilson and Evian and is an ambassador for the likes of Dior, Tiffany and Porsche. Earlier this week, it was claimed by Sportico that Raducanu has made £10,974,040 over the last 12 months. The vast majority of that figure is said to have come from her various brand endorsements, as opposed to prize money won on the tennis court. It puts her above WNBA sensation Clark, who is said to have earned around £8,621,804 through her endorsements . Biles, meanwhile, has reportedly earned the same amount but Ruud is not convinced those figures are accurate. Replying to a fan on X (formerly Twitter), the 25-year-old questioned how anybody outside of Raducanu's closest circle would know how much money she was really making. He wrote : "How do you/they know? Have you seen all of Emma, Aryna and Elena’s contracts with your own eyes?" The fan replied with an excerpt from the article, which stated the figures were 'compiled through conversations with those familiar with marketing agreements'. Ruud was still not buying it, though. He responded: "Fair enough, but even for them it’s a guessing game. There’s no way an agent would ever give access to their player's contracts. "So, in reality, only the agent and player know the real numbers. They should write 'highest estimated paid athletes' instead." Raducanu boasts a healthy personal fortune, with the Sunday Times Rich List estimating her net worth at around £10million. Last year, she was named by Forbes as the sixth highest-paid tennis player in the world. Most of the money she has earned over the years has come from endorsements, with the WTA website putting her total prize money from tennis at £3.35m. Questions have been asked over whether Raducanu's commercial deals have distracted her from improving her form on the court. However, she hit back at those suggestions earlier this year by pointing out that most of her work goes unnoticed. She told The Times : "There are those who see me doing a shoot or posing for a commercial and they don't see the seven hours before that at the training centre, doing physio, gym, hitting balls. "But if on a rare evening I go to a premiere and I get photographed, that's my downtime."

NoneShatel: Unpacking Tony White's chess move to Florida State, no Nebraska-Iowa handshake

RAHWAY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 22, 2024-- Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, has been notified that TRC Capital Investment Corporation (TRC Capital) has commenced an unsolicited “mini-tender” offer, dated November 12, 2024, to purchase up to 1,000,000 shares of Merck common stock at $96.38 per share. The offer price is approximately 4.32% below the closing price of the Merck common stock on November 11, 2024 ($100.73), the last trading day before the date of the offer, and approximately 3.48% below the closing price of the Merck common stock on November 21, 2024 ($99.86), the day prior to this release. Merck does not endorse TRC Capital’s offer and recommends that Merck shareholders reject the offer and not tender their shares in response to TRC Capital’s unsolicited mini-tender offer. This mini-tender offer is at a price below the closing price for Merck’s shares (as of the day prior to this release) and is subject to numerous conditions, including TRC Capital’s ability to obtain financing. Merck is not associated in any way with TRC Capital, its mini-tender offer or the offer documentation. TRC Capital has made similar unsolicited mini-tender offers for shares of other publicly traded companies. Mini-tender offers seek to acquire less than 5% of a company's outstanding shares. This lets the offering company avoid many of the disclosure and procedural requirements the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires for tender offers. As a result, mini-tender offers do not provide investors the same level of protections as provided by larger tender offers under U.S. federal securities laws. On its website , the SEC advises that the people behind mini tender-offers “frequently use mini-tender offers to catch shareholders off guard” and that investors “may end up selling at below-market prices.” The SEC's website also contains important tips for investors regarding mini-tender offers. Like TRC Capital’s other offers, this one puts individual investors at risk because they may not realize they are selling their shares at a discount. Merck urges shareholders to obtain current stock quotes for their shares of Merck common stock, to review the terms and conditions of the offer, to consult with their brokers or financial advisers, and to exercise caution with respect to TRC Capital’s mini-tender offer. Merck shareholders who have already tendered are advised they may withdraw their shares by following the procedures for withdrawal described in the TRC Capital offer documents prior to the expiration of the offer, which is currently scheduled for 11:59 a.m. EST on December 11, 2024. Merck encourages brokers, dealers, and other investors to review the SEC’s letter regarding broker-dealer mini-tender offer dissemination and disclosure. Merck requests that a copy of this news release be included with all distribution of materials related to TRC Capital’s offer for shares of Merck common stock. About Merck At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on X (formerly Twitter) , Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and LinkedIn . Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (the “company”) includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company’s ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company’s patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s Internet site ( www.sec.gov ). View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241122275388/en/ CONTACT: Media Contacts:Robert Josephson (203) 914-2372 robert.josephson@merck.comMichael Levey (215) 872-1462 michael.levey@merck.comInvestor Contacts:Peter Dannenbaum (732) 594-1579 peter.dannenbaum@merck.comSteven Graziano (732) 594-1583 steven.graziano@merck.com KEYWORD: NEW JERSEY UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES HEALTH FINANCE GENERAL HEALTH PHARMACEUTICAL BIOTECHNOLOGY SOURCE: Merck & Co., Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/22/2024 04:17 PM/DISC: 11/22/2024 04:17 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241122275388/en

Pep stumped as Man City face unthinkable Champions League exit

Keltgen appointed to serve as student regent on state boardHigh-flying holiday

NoneShare Tweet Share Share Email APK Full Form stands for Android Package Kit, the format that powers every app on your Android device. Ever downloaded an app outside Google Play Store? You’ve already encountered it. But do you know the risks and benefits? Let’s dive deeper and uncover what APKs truly mean for you. What is an Apk Full Form Apk Full Form stands for Android Package Kit . It is the file format used to distribute and install applications on devices running the Android operating system. Think of it as a zip file containing all the elements an APK and Android app need to work. This format makes it possible to download apps outside the Google Play Store, which is why understanding Apk Full Form is so important. Why Do Apk Full Form Matter? Ever wondered how your favorite app gets installed on your phone? APK Full Form make it happen. They contain everything code, assets, and permissions needed for an app to function. If you’ve ever downloaded an app from a third-party website, you’ve already encountered APKs in action. Structure of an APK File You’ve got the basics. Now, what’s inside an Apk Full Form Here’s a breakdown: Component What It Does AndroidManifest.xml Lists permissions, app name, version, and other essentials. classes.dex Contains the app’s code, compiled into a format Android understands. resources.arsc Stores app resources like strings, colors, and styles. res/ Holds images, audio files, and layout designs used in the app. META-INF/ Includes app certificates and ensures the file hasn’t been tampered with. lib/ Houses compiled code specific to your phone’s processor. Why does this matter? Understanding these parts can help you troubleshoot or even create Apk Full Form if you’re into app development. How to Install Apk Full Form on Android Devices The process is straightforward, but let’s walk through it step by step. Installing an APK manually is called sideloading . Here’s how it works: Steps to Install an Apk Full Form Enable Unknown Sources Go to your phone’s settings. Tap on Security or Privacy (depends on your phone). Turn on the option to allow apps from unknown sources. Download the Apk Full Form \ Find a trusted website and download the APK file. Locate the File \ Open your file manager and find the downloaded Apk Full Form. It’s usually in the Downloads folder. Tap and Install \ Tap the Apk Full Form Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation. Safety and Legality of Apk Full Form Let’s address the big question: Apk Full Form safe? The answer is: it depends on the source . Potential Risks: Malware: APKs from unverified sources can carry viruses or spyware. Data Theft: Some Apk Full Form might collect sensitive information without your consent. App Integrity: Modded Apk Full Form can create unexpected issues because they often deviate from the original code provided by the developer. These modifications may remove essential security measures or add unsupported features, leading to app crashes or freezes during use. In some cases, the instability caused by modded Apk Full Form files can corrupt other data on your device or even make it unusable until the app is removed. To avoid such problems, always prioritize downloading official versions from trusted sources. How to Stay Safe: Stick to Trusted Sources: Use platforms like APKMirror or APKPure , which vet files for malware. Scan Files: Use antivirus software to scan Apk Full Form before installing them. Check Permissions: Avoid apps that request unnecessary permissions. Is It Legal? Downloading Apk Full Form files is legal, as they are simply a format used to package apps for Android devices. However, using them to bypass app purchases, licensing agreements, or geo-restrictions may breach terms of service set by developers or app stores. This means that while the act of downloading is lawful, certain uses of Apk Full Form files can have legal consequences. Always ensure your actions align with the permissions and guidelines established by the app’s creators. Differences Between APK and Other App Formats Android isn’t the only platform with app files. How does the APK format compare? Format Platform Purpose APK Android Installing apps. AAB Android A newer, optimized format. IPA iOS Installing apps on iPhones. EXE Windows Running programs on PCs. Creating and Managing Apk Full Form Ever thought about making your own app? Developers use tools like Android Studio to build Apk Full Form. Here’s how it works: Write the Code: Use Java or Kotlin in Android Studio. Compile the App: Use the Build option to turn the code into an Apk Full Form. Sign the Apk Full Form: Add a certificate to verify your app’s authenticity. Test It: Use the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) to test your Apk Full Form on a device. Managing Apk Full Form Backup Your Apk Full Form: Save copies of important Apk Full Form in case the app is removed from the Play Store. Uninstall Old Versions: Avoid conflicts by uninstalling older Apk Full Formversions before installing new ones. Common Issues and Troubleshooting with Apk Full Form Why Won’t My Apk Full Form Install? There are several reasons: Compatibility Issues: Check if the APK is designed for your Android version. Corrupted File: The Apk Full Form might have been damaged during download. Insufficient Storage: Make sure you have enough space on your device. How to Fix: Update Your OS: Ensure your phone runs the latest Android version. Redownload the File: Use a stable internet connection. Clear Cache: Go to your phone’s settings and clear the cache of your file manager. FAQs about Apk Full Form What is the Apk Full Form full form? APK stands for Android Package Kit . It is the standardized file format used to package and distribute apps on Android devices. These files contain all the necessary components, such as the app’s code, resources, and metadata, required for the app to function properly on an Android system. Without APKs, it would be impossible to install or share Android apps efficiently, making them a cornerstone of the Android ecosystem. Can I install Apk Full Form on iOS? No, you cannot install Apk Full Form files on iOS devices. APK files are specifically designed to run on Android operating systems and use a file structure and code base that is incompatible with iOS. iOS apps require the IPA file format, which is tailored for Apple’s ecosystem and distributed through the App Store. For users attempting to access Android apps on iOS, alternative methods like app mirroring or platform-specific versions of the app might be available, but APKs themselves won’t work on iOS devices. Are Apk Full Form safe to use? Yes, Apk Full Form files can be safe to use, but their safety largely depends on where you download them. Trusted sources like APKMirror or APKPure carefully review files to ensure they are free from malware or harmful software. However, downloading Apk Full Form files from unknown or unreliable websites can expose your device to risks such as viruses, spyware, or apps that may steal sensitive data. Always verify the source and consider scanning files with antivirus software to minimize security concerns. Why do some apps only come as Apk Full Form Developers may distribute Apk Full Formto test new features or provide apps not available on the Play Store. Apk Full Form Files and Their Role in Android Ecosystem Apk Full Form are an essential part of the Android ecosystem. They allow apps to be distributed, tested, and installed outside of the Google Play Store. While they offer flexibility, it’s crucial to download them responsibly. Stick to trusted sources, verify permissions, and always keep your device secure. Whether you’re a casual user or a budding developer, understanding Apk Full Form empowers you to use Android more effectively. Related Items: APK Full Form , Installation Share Tweet Share Share Email Recommended for you Gutter Innovations: Modern Solutions for Better Home Protection How Trex Railing Adds Style and Safety to Your Deck The Role of Modern Technology in Garage Door Systems CommentsHARRIS COUNTY, Texas - An Amber Alert has been issued for 16-year-old Nancy Argueta-Vasquez, according to the Texas Center for the Missing. Officials say Argueta-Vasquez was last seen on Wednesday in the early morning hours around 1:58 a.m at her home in the 15100 block of Claypool Street. Nancy Argueta-Vasquez Harris County Sheriff's Office reports the teen is believed to have left her home with 38-year-old Denis Munoz-Munguia. Denis Munoz-Munguia She was seen getting into a 2018 brown Chevrolet Equinox with the Texas license plate number plate VMD1391. Stock image of suspect's vehicle (not the actual vehicle) Get news, weather and so much more on the new FOX LOCAL app Argueta-Vasquez was last seen wearing green jeans and a black shirt. She has black hair with brown eyes and is around five feet tall. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact the Harris County Sheriff's Office at 713-755-7427.

Ashlon Jackson scores career-best 30 points to lead No. 14 Duke past No. 10 Kansas 73-62M80 Acquires Beastcoast to Expand International Esports and Creator Footprint

Watch out for Indian doubles pair Treesa-Gayathri in Hangzhou

The standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" To keep reading, please log in to your account, create a free account, or simply fill out the form below.

ASP Isotopes (ASPI) Accused of Deceiving Investors with Bogus Nuclear Tech Claims– Hagens Berman10 Exhibitions to See in Upstate New York This DecemberSANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy will miss Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers with a sore throwing shoulder, dealing another blow to the 49ers’ playoff hopes. Purdy injured his right shoulder in last Sunday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks . He underwent an MRI on Monday that showed no structural damage and the team initially thought he could play this week. But when Purdy’s shoulder didn’t feel right when he made a few warmup throws at practice Thursday, those plans changed. “We thought he just needed some rest and we really weren’t concerned about him not being good this week,” coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday. “But when he started up Thursday, it just surprised him, surprised us how it felt. So we had to shut him down.” Shanahan said the team doesn’t believe the injury is a long-term concern but he is uncertain whether Purdy will need to miss any additional time. “The MRI doesn’t look like that, so it should be all right,” Shanahan said. “But the way it responded this week, it’s really up in the air for next week. We’ll have to see on Monday.” The 49ers also will be missing star defensive end Nick Bosa, who is out after leaving last week’s game in the second half with injuries to his left hip and oblique. Left tackle Trent Williams is questionable with an ankle injury and will be a game-time decision. RELATED COVERAGE The Ravens looked better defensively last week, but now Roquan Smith’s injury is a concern Winston’s performance in snowy win over Steelers adds new layer to Browns’ quarterback conundrum Jefferson keeps seeing double as Vikings aim to stay focused on overall offensive production San Francisco struggled on defense without Bosa last week and now will go the entire game this week without two of the team’s most important players. The Niners (5-5) are currently in a three-way tie for second in the NFC West, a game behind first-place Arizona, and have little margin for error if they want to get back to the playoffs after making it to the Super Bowl last season. The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . “I know it’s disappointing,” Shanahan said. “We knew there was a chance for Nick. I think the guys were a little surprised with Brock yesterday, but we addressed all that today. We’re going to have 48 guys in uniform. I know our guys believe in themselves. I believe in them. We’re missing two good players, definitely. But we got a lot of good players out there. So by no means do we not have a chance to win.” This will be the first time Purdy has missed a start because of an injury since taking over as the 49ers’ quarterback in December 2022. Brandon Allen will start in his place. Purdy has completed 66% of his passes this season for 2,613 yards, 13 TDs, eight interceptions and a 95.9 passer rating that is down significantly from his league-leading mark of 113 in 2023. Allen has been mostly a backup since being drafted by Jacksonville in 2016. Allen last started a game in Week 18 of the 2021 season for Cincinnati and has thrown just three passes the last three seasons — including none since joining San Francisco in 2023. Allen said he preparation hasn’t changed this week with the exception of getting to work with the first-team receivers instead of running the scout team. “It’s an opportunity.” he said. “The circumstances are what they are. But I think our team all year long we’ve been kind of dealing with injuries here and there. It’s been a big next-man-up mentality. It’s definitely an opportunity for me to go out and play well and put our guys in a good position to win the game. Obviously, we want Brock back and healthy and all that. But for the time being, it is an opportunity for me.” Joshua Dobbs will be the backup Sunday. San Francisco also will be without starting cornerback Charvarius Ward, who returned to the team this week following the death of his 1-year-old daughter on Oct. 28 but needs more time to get back up to speed. Punt returner Jacob Cowing (concussion), linebacker Tatum Bethune (knee) and defensive lineman Kevin Givens (groin) are also out. The Packers will also be without two key defensive players with cornerback Jaire Alexander ruled out after leaving last week’s game with a knee injury and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper out with an injured hamstring. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

City slumped to their seventh defeat in 10 games in all competitions as they were beaten 2-0 at Juventus in their latest European outing on Wednesday. Second-half goals from Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie at the Allianz Stadium left Guardiola’s side languishing in 22nd place in the standings. With just two games of the league phase remaining, a place in the top eight and automatic last-16 qualification looks beyond them and they face a battle just to stay in the top 24 and claim a play-off spot. City manager Guardiola said: “Of course I question myself but I’m stable in good moments and bad moments. “I try to find a way to do it. I’m incredibly honest. If we play good (I say) we played good and today I thought we played good. “Our game will save us. We can do it. We conceded few chances compared to the Nottingham Forest game that we won. We’re making the right tempo. “We missed the last pass, did not arrive in the six-yard box (at the right time) or have the composure at the right moment. “But I love my team. This is life, it happens. Sometimes you have a bad period but I’m going to insist until we’re there.” City now face a crunch trip to Paris St Germain, who are also at risk of failing to qualify, next month. Guardiola accepts the top 24 is now the only aim. He said: “It’s the target. We need one point or three points. We go to Paris to try to do it and the last game at home.” Veteran midfielder Ilkay Gundogan said after the game he felt City were suffering from a loss of confidence but Guardiola dismissed his player’s comments. “I am not agreeing with Ilkay,” he said. “Of course it is tough but, except one or two games in this period, we’ve played good.” City now face a further test of their resolve as they host rivals Manchester United in a derby on Sunday. Gundogan told TNT Sports: “It (confidence) is a big part of it. That’s a mental issue as well. “You can see that sometimes we miss the ball or lose a duel and you see that we drop immediately and lose the rhythm. They (the opponents) don’t even need to do much but it has such a big effect on us right now. “Even more you have to do the simple things as good as possible and create and fluidity, then it’s work hard again. This is how you get confidence back – do the small and simple things, (but) in crucial moments at the moment we are always doing the wrong things.” Juventus coach Thiago Motta was pleased with the hosts’ performance, which boosted their hopes of making the top eight. “It was a deserved victory,” he said. “We had to defend as a team and be ready to attack with quality. “We have shown we can compete at this level and now we have to do it consistently.”

It appears the Richmond Olympic Oval is bustling with activity - revenues in the first three quarters of 2024 were $1 million higher than expected. Financial statements from the Oval show revenues slightly above $16 million in the first nine months of 2024. Revenue came from the 2010 Games Operating Trust Fund, about $2.75 million, a City of Richmond contribution of about $3 million, and about $8.7 million from memberships, admissions and programs. As for expenses in the first nine months, membership, admissions and program services cost about $6.5 million, facility operations cost about $4.1 million, marketing was about $444,000 and administration and financial services cost the corporation about $3 million. About $500,000 was put into a reserve fund in Q3 for minor capital projects, according to the latest financial report . The Oval is forecasting a net income in 2025 of $2,457,641. The City of Richmond will, however, be contributing 11 per cent less to the Oval in 2025, with a total contribution of about $3.57 million. The Richmond Olympic Oval released a statement of financial information for the first time this fall, listing the salaries of any employees earning more than $75,000. George Duncan, who was the chief administrative officer at the city from 1997 to 2022, earned $345,777 in 2023 as the CEO of the Richmond Olympic Oval Corporation. According to his LinkedIn profile, Duncan retired from his position as the CEO on July 2. The second highest paid employee at the Oval was Gerry De Cicco, who earned $227,501 as the managing director. The third highest salaries at the Oval went to Shana Wagner and Rick Dusanj, who both earned $181,796 in 2023. 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in Richmond? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] . 📲 To stay updated on Richmond news, sign up for our daily headline newsletter . 💬 Words missing in article? Your adblocker might be preventing hyperlinked text from appearing.NATO and Ukraine to hold emergency talks after Russian attack with hypersonic missileABU DHABI , UAE , Dec. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ADGM, the leading international financial centre of Abu Dhabi and a globally recognised hub for asset and wealth management unveiled nineteen major announcements from global financial institutions during the third edition of ADFW. These represent almost USD 635 billion in assets under management (AUM) and follow other Q4 announcements from the world's largest asset managers, BlackRock, PGIM, and Nuveen, which have also been set up in ADGM. This remarkable increase, from USD 450 billion to USD 635 billion , within a year has reinforced the centre's reputation as the region's fastest-growing and one of the world's most dynamic jurisdictions for asset management. This growth has been further bolstered by the establishment of billionaire-led family offices, including those of British businessman Asif Aziz , prominent philanthropist and financial strategist Wafic Said , and Singaporean entrepreneur and real estate leader Kishin RK, underscoring the centre's growing appeal as a global wealth management hub. Commenting on Abu Dhabi and ADGM's continued momentum, H.E. Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi , Member of Abu Dhabi's Executive Council & Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) and ADGM said, "These milestones reflect the heart of what makes Abu Dhabi so special—a shared vision of progress, partnership, and possibility. The growing number of global financial leaders and innovators choosing ADGM is a testament to the trust they place in our infrastructure, robust regulations, commitment to excellence and Abu Dhabi's reputation as the world's safest and most dynamic jurisdiction for asset and wealth management. As we welcome these new partnerships, we remain dedicated to driving the growth and diversification of the 'Falcon Economy' and creating opportunities that resonate across industries and borders. It's an exciting moment for ADGM, Abu Dhabi , and all those who are part of this remarkable journey." Larry Fink , Chairman and CEO of Blackrock praised Abu Dhabi commenting, "It's been a long journey watching how Abu Dhabi has matured as an economy. The constant innovation that I'm seeing from the economy and from the leadership. And Abu Dhabi has really positioned itself to become a leader over the next 20 years. Its psychology was different, and now it's blossoming into this magnet of opportunity. With that strength, it is now becoming a foundation for innovation." "We see a real burgeoning of entrepreneurship happening in the region and believe that the Middle East is the next big entrepreneurial hot spot. We've watched this happen before and always had our eye out on areas emerging in terms of entrepreneurship," said Bill Ford , Chairman & CEO of General Atlantic , during the second day of ADFW. Sir Paul Marshall , Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of Marshall Wace said, " Abu Dhabi is such a great place. Abu Dhabi is absolutely nailing it. It's a very attractive place." Confirming their establishment in ADGM during ADFW were leading private equity firms General Atlantic, Lone Star Funds, and Investindustrial along with private credit giants Golub Capital and Polen Capital, insurance manager – Eldridge as well as leading global equity management company, Carta and hedge fund Marshall Wace . This recent wave of commitments from global financial institutions signifies ADGM's leadership in attracting the world's foremost investment firms. Reflecting this confidence and growth, billionaire-led family offices have also been drawn to ADGM, recognising it as a trusted hub for managing and growing wealth. Asif Aziz , Founder and CEO of Criterion Capital commented, " Abu Dhabi's transformation into a global financial powerhouse makes it an ideal base for our operations. ADGM's world-class infrastructure and strategic location provide unparalleled opportunities to forge partnerships that align with our growth ambitions across the UAE and beyond." Building on its role as a leading destination for global investors and asset managers, ADGM is also redefining financial innovation by advancing its digital ecosystem. A cornerstone of this effort was the launch of Finstreet, a first-of-its-kind international securities market and an ecosystem for private securities, which exemplifies ADGM's commitment to integrating cutting-edge digital solutions with its robust financial infrastructure. The week also saw a new funding round for Themis and the entry of international digital pioneers Zodia Markets, Polygon Labs, FJ Labs, Aptos Digital, Chainlinks, Astra Tech and Themis, further solidifying the Emirate's reputation as a global innovation hub. Meanwhile, FinTech Astra Tech's Quantix announcement of a landmark USD 500 million financing from Citigroup, among the largest provided to a UAE FinTech company to date, to expand its CashNow consumer lending platform. Additionally, Themis—renowned for its advanced financial crime prevention technologies—is further reinforcing ADGM's position as a hub for the next generation of financial technologies, secured over USD 9.75 million in scale-up funding, building on its success in partnerships with global leaders, including ADGM underscoring its role in advancing financial crime prevention in innovative regulatory environments. The market announcements were released during the third edition of ADFW held under the theme "Welcome to the Capital of Capital," which gathered more than 20,000 leaders and executives from across the financial services industry, which collectively represented more than USD 42 trillion in assets under management. This wave of newcomers ADFW underscores Abu Dhabi's position as a global financial powerhouse and ADGM's role as a catalyst for economic diversification, attracting top-tier talent, cutting-edge technologies, and transformative investments that are shaping the emirate's future. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2550581/5010772/ADGM_Logo.jpg View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aum-of-usd-635-billion-at-adfw-caps-stellar-q4-as-trillion-dollar-club-flock-to-adgm-302336607.html SOURCE ADGMgolden empire and jill movie 。

Since leaving Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in a record-breaking transfer in 2017, Neymar has been linked with a return to the Camp Nou multiple times. His time in Paris has been successful on the pitch, but off the pitch, rumors of discontent and a longing to return to Spain have never truly faded away.

In recent years, the importance of independent directors in the corporate governance structure has been increasingly recognized in China. With the growing complexity of the business environment and the need for enhanced transparency, independent directors play a crucial role in safeguarding the interests of all stakeholders. By appointing Xia Zhengyan as an independent director, the Company is not only meeting regulatory requirements but also demonstrating its commitment to good corporate governance practices.

Fourteen years after the phrase "moderately loose" was first introduced in the context of monetary policy, its recent resurrection has sparked discussions and raised questions about the implications for the economy. This article delves into the significance of revisiting this term and explores what it might signal in terms of a shift in monetary policy.Overall, the Central Political Bureau meeting reaffirmed the government's commitment to stabilizing the real estate market and promoting sustainable development in the sector. By implementing targeted policies and measures, China aims to strike a balance between meeting the housing needs of its citizens and preventing excessive speculation in the property market.Moreover, the return to "moderately loose" could also be seen as a response to changing global economic conditions. With uncertainties such as trade tensions, geopolitical risks, and technological disruptions shaping the economic landscape, policymakers may be adopting a more flexible approach to navigate these challenges effectively.

For decades, these ruby slippers have been considered one of the most iconic pieces of movie memorabilia in existence. They have been exhibited in museums, featured in documentaries, and are treasured by fans of the film around the world. So, when news broke that a pair of the original ruby slippers was going up for auction, collectors and fans alike were eager to see how much they would fetch.Colorado Avalanche (12-9, in the Central Division) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (10-7-2, in the Atlantic Division) Tampa, Florida; Monday, 7 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: The Colorado Avalanche are looking to extend a three-game win streak with a victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tampa Bay has a 10-7-2 record overall and a 6-2-1 record in home games. The Lightning have scored 68 total goals (3.6 per game) to rank 10th in NHL play. Colorado is 12-9 overall and 6-3-0 on the road. The Avalanche have an 8-5-0 record in games they have fewer penalties than their opponent. The teams play Monday for the second time this season. The Lightning won 5-2 in the previous matchup. Anthony Cirelli led the Lightning with two goals. TOP PERFORMERS: Nikita Kucherov has 11 goals and 17 assists for the Lightning. Emil Martinsen Lilleberg has scored goals over the past 10 games. Nathan MacKinnon has scored seven goals with 28 assists for the Avalanche. Sam Malinski has over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Lightning: 4-4-2, averaging 3.4 goals, six assists, 3.4 penalties and 9.3 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game. Avalanche: 7-3-0, averaging 3.5 goals, 6.2 assists, 2.9 penalties and 5.8 penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game. INJURIES: Lightning: None listed. Avalanche: None listed. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar . The Associated PressStock market today: Wall Street slips below its records as bitcoin briefly pops above $100,000

Thousands of emergency food parcels handed out in County Durham in recent months

In the aftermath of the tragedy, the healthcare industry has been left reeling, with Anderson's colleagues and employees mourning the loss of a visionary leader. His death serves as a sobering reminder of the fragility of life and the insidious dangers that lurk beneath the surface of seemingly perfect facades.The choice of the name "YU7" for Xiaomi's first SUV is no doubt deliberate and carries significance. The name reflects Xiaomi's commitment to creating a vehicle that is not only technologically advanced but also stylish and modern. The use of the letter "Y" in the name may symbolize youth, vigor, and a forward-thinking approach, while the number "7" could signify luck, perfection, and completion. Together, the name "YU7" hints at a vehicle that embodies cutting-edge technology and design.Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is produced by the incomplete combustion of carbon-containing fuels such as wood, gasoline, and natural gas. When inhaled, carbon monoxide can bind to hemoglobin in the blood, reducing its ability to carry oxygen to vital organs and tissues. This can lead to symptoms such as dizziness, headache, nausea, confusion, and in severe cases, unconsciousness and death.

Sports on TV for Friday, Dec. 20

The within the National Institute of Science and Technology is soliciting public comments on its final draft of the , or ZTA, to help tame cyberattack risks in government and industry. The guide was developed from the findings on NCCoE’s consultations with 24 vendors on their best ZTA practices, NIST said Thursday. Titled “ ,” the 45-page guidance contains technical data and findings on the 19 ZTA implementations demonstrated during the vendors’ consultations. Functional ZTA Cybersecurity Mapping The implemented ZTAs in the guide include policy engines from Microsoft, IBM, Symantec and Palo Alto Networks. The NCCoE draft publication also provides mappings for ZTA cybersecurity functions to help an organization’s senior management understand that resources spent in ZTA implementation can also support meeting other security requirements. In addition, the guide recommends steps that an organization adopting ZTA should take, the first of which is an inventory of such assets as software and hardware in its operating environment. Another recommendation calls for continuous ZTA improvement in response to changing cyberthreats, new technologies and shifts in organizational goals. Submission of comments on the NIST guide have a deadline of Jan. 31.

Sally's story serves as a reminder of the strength and determination that can be found in people of all ages. Through her unwavering spirit and knowledge of the natural world, she was able to protect and guide her granddaughter through a perilous situation, emerging stronger and wiser on the other side.As the controversy continues to unfold, netizens have been divided in their reactions. Some have expressed disbelief and outrage at the blogger's audacity, questioning the motives behind such a bold declaration. Others have been more intrigued and have eagerly followed the developments, eager to uncover the truth behind the sensational claims.René Bennett | (TNS) Bankrate.com If you’re an iPhone user, you might not realize that you already have access to Apple Cash. It’s a digital cash card that’s built into Apple devices and can be found in the default Wallet app. (Note: You must link an eligible debit card to use this service.) The main function of Apple Cash is to make it easier for Apple device users to send money to one another, including sending money through the iMessage app. But Apple Cash is more than just a peer-to-peer (P2P) payment service — it can be used to shop online, in stores or to make in-app purchases. Apple Cash is a convenient way to transfer money between friends and family. Once it’s set up, a user can simply open the iMessage app and send money to a contact through their chat. It’s also useful for those who use Apple Pay, a separate service that allows Apple device users to make contactless payments with any linked card, including an Apple Cash card. Here are some important things to know about setting up and using Apple Cash. Apple Cash is a digital cash card that’s stored in the Wallet app of Apple devices, and it can be used for making P2P payments, as well as purchases through Apple Pay. When you receive money from another Apple Cash user, that money appears in your Apple Cash balance. The balance can then be spent or transferred to a linked bank account or debit card. Sending money to peers with Apple Cash can be done either directly from the digital Apple Cash card (in the Wallet app) or through the iMessage app. You can send or receive anywhere between $1 and $10,000 per message. The money shows up on the recipient’s Apple Cash card instantly, but it may take from one to three days for the balance to be transferred to a bank account. Instant transfers to a bank account are possible, but it comes with a 1.5% fee. There’s also an option to set up Apple Cash Family for children who are under 18 years old. This option limits the amount a child can send to $2,000 per message. Those younger than 18 also cannot add money to their Apple Cash card from a bank account; rather, their balance only grows when they receive money from another Apple Cash user. Apple Cash is a digital card within your Wallet that allows you to spend your Apple Cash online, in stores and in apps as well send and receive money. Apple Pay, however, allows you to make purchases using any credit card or debit card you have stored in your Wallet — including Apple Cash. With Apple Pay, you add credit and debit cards to your Wallet and then have the ability to pay right with your phone (or other Apple product). To set up Apple Cash, you’ll need three things: —A compatible Apple device. —Two-factor authentication enabled for your Apple ID (this can be done in Settings). —An eligible debit card to load funds onto the Apple Cash card. In the Settings app, you can turn on Apple Cash in the Wallet and Apple Pay section. Tap on the Apple Cash card icon and follow the instructions on the screen. You’ll be asked to agree to the terms and conditions, after which your device will set up Apple Cash for you. The Apple Cash card, once set up, can be found in your device’s Wallet app. If you want to set up Apple Cash Family, you’ll first need to have Family Sharing turned on, which can be done in Settings. The family organizer can add children to Apple Cash in the Family Sharing section of Settings. You’ll need to have a debit card linked to your digital Wallet to add money to an Apple Cash card. You can add a debit card to Wallet in the same place where you set up Apple Cash — the Wallet and Apple Pay section of Settings. Once a debit card is linked to your Wallet, open Wallet and tap on the Apple Cash card. Then, tap the More button (an icon with three dots). This will open a page where you can see your Apple Cash balance, add money and transfer funds to a bank account. Tap Add Money and enter the amount you’d like to add (the minimum is $10). You’ll be asked to confirm which debit card you want to use to fund the Apple Cash balance, and then the money is added to the Apple Cash card. There are two ways to send a payment to someone using Apple Cash: directly from your Wallet or in the iMessage app. Both the sender and recipient need Apple Cash to send or receive money. To send money from Wallet, simply tap the Apple Cash card in Wallet and then tap Send. Type in the contact name or phone number of the recipient. Enter the amount you’d like to send (between $1 and $10,000), then review the payment and confirm it with Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode. In iMessage, open the conversation with who you’d like to send money to, or start a new one. Tap on the app button, which appears next to the type bar, and then tap on the Apple Cash icon. You’ll be prompted to enter an amount (between $1 and $10,000). Once you’ve reviewed the amount, tap Send and confirm with Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode. The first time money is sent to someone, the recipient will need to accept the payment within seven days for it to go through. After the first instance, payments are automatically accepted. If you’re using Apple Cash to make a purchase either online or in a store, you’ll need to pay using Apple Pay. To request money from your iPhone, open the conversation in the Messages app. Tap the plus icon, followed by Apple Cash. Then, tap Request. Tap the send button to send your payment request. Once the request is sent, the person you sent it to can confirm or change the amount they send to you. You can also request money from your Apple watch. Open your messages app, choose a conversation, tap the plus icon and then choose Apple Cash. Once you enter the amount you are requesting, swipe left on the Send button. Tap Request. As you start to accumulate money on the Apple Cash card, you may want to move it to a debit card or a bank account . This can be done by going to the same place where you added funds to the card, by clicking the icon with three dots next to your digital card. Related Articles Technology | As data centers proliferate, conflict with local communities follows Technology | Australia is banning social media for people under 16. Could this work elsewhere — or even there? Technology | Home entertainment holiday gift ideas at a discount Technology | Are you tracking your health with a device? Here’s what could happen with the data Technology | How to get started with Bluesky Enter an amount to be transferred, then tap Next. You’ll be asked whether you want to do an instant transfer (for a 1.5% fee) or a transfer in one to three business days for free. After making a selection, the screen will instruct you to set up a bank account if you don’t already have one set up. You’ll confirm the payment, and the transfer is initiated. Instant transfers can only be made to an eligible debit card, not a bank account. Money is sent within 30 minutes when you select instant transfer. —Zelle: If your bank is offers Zelle, it might be a good idea to take advantage of the P2P payment service. Zelle can be accessed directly from your bank’s mobile app, and it allows you to send instant transfers at no extra cost. —Venmo: Anyone can use Venmo, as long as they’ve downloaded the app. Unlike Apple Cash or Zelle, it’s a standalone P2P payment app. Venmo comes with a social element — users can follow each other and add fun emojis to their payments, although they can also keep their account activity private. —PayPal: This P2P payment service is a good option if you want to send money internationally. It also offers a PayPal Debit card, which, like the Apple Cash card, can be used to make purchases online or in stores. —Samsung Pay Cash: Samsung device users can use this option instead of Apple Cash. Similar to Apple Cash, it is a digital wallet that you can access from a Samsung mobile device. However, to take full advantage of Samsung Pay Cash, users will need to undergo an extra registration process to upgrade to a Full Card Account. Apple Cash makes it easy for Apple device users to send money to each other. Users can simply tap the Apple Cash icon in their text messages to send money through iMessage. It can also be used as an extra repository for spending money and can be used for purchases anywhere Apple Pay is accepted. With that said, only Apple device users can send and receive money using Apple Cash, so those looking for a more universal payment service may want to consider other P2P payment apps . ©2024 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The man in question, whose identity has not been disclosed, reportedly started chewing betel nuts in his teenage years. Over the years, what began as a casual habit gradually turned into an addiction, with the man consuming multiple nuts each day to satisfy his cravings. Despite warnings from friends and family about the potential consequences of his habit, he continued to indulge, oblivious to the harm he was causing himself.As the launch of the YU7 draws nearer, the automotive world is eagerly awaiting to see how Xiaomi's foray into the market will unfold. With its reputation for cutting-edge technology, sleek design, and user-centric approach, the YU7 has the potential to make a significant impact and shake up the SUV segment. Xiaomi fans and car enthusiasts alike have much to look forward to as they await the arrival of the YU7 next summer. Stay tuned for more updates on Xiaomi's exciting venture into the automotive industry!

How Congolese Women Are Recapturing Their Visual Narratives In The Fight For Liberation

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[Source: Reuters] With the bodies of its fighters still strewn on the battlefield, Hezbollah must bury its dead and provide succour to its supporters who bore the brunt of Israel’s offensive, as the first steps on a long and costly road to recovery, four senior officials said. Hezbollah believes the number of its fighters killed during 14 months of hostilities could reach several thousand, with the vast majority killed since Israel went on the offensive in September, three sources familiar with its operations say, citing previously unreported internal estimates. One source said the Iran-backed group may have lost up to 4,000 people – well over 10 times the number killed in its month-long 2006 war with Israel. So far, Lebanese authorities have said some 3,800 people were killed in the current hostilities, without distinguishing fighters from civilians. Hezbollah emerges shaken from top to bottom, its leadership still reeling from the killing of its former leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and its supporters made homeless en masse by the carpet bombing of Beirut’s southern suburbs and the destruction of entire villages in the south. With a ceasefire taking hold on Wednesday, Hezbollah’s agenda includes working to re-establish its organisational structure fully, probing security breaches that helped Israel land so many painful blows, and a full review of the last year including its mistakes in underestimating Israel’s technological capabilities, three other sources familiar with the group’s thinking said. Israel’s campaign has focused largely on Hezbollah’s Shi’ite Muslim heartlands, where its supporters were badly hit. They include people still nursing casualties from Israel’s attack on its mobile communications devices in September. The Israeli offensive displaced more than 1 million people, the bulk of them from areas where Hezbollah has sway. A senior Lebanese official familiar with Hezbollah thinking said the group’s focus would be squarely on securing their return and rebuilding their homes: “Hezbollah is like a wounded man. Does a wounded man get up and fight? A wounded man needs to tend to his wounds.” The official expected Hezbollah to carry out a wide-ranging policy review after the war, dealing with all major issues: Israel, its weapons, and the internal politics of Lebanon, where its weapons have long been a point of conflict. Iran, which established Hezbollah in 1982, has promised to help with reconstruction. The costs are immense: The World Bank estimates $2.8 billion in damage to housing alone in Lebanon, with 99,000 homes partially or fully destroyed. The senior Lebanese official said Tehran has a variety of ways to get funds to Hezbollah, without giving details. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a close Hezbollah ally, is urging wealthy Lebanese Shi’ites in the diaspora to send funds to help the displaced, two Lebanese officials said. The officials also expected significant donations to come from Shi’ite religious foundations across the region. Hezbollah did not immediately respond to a detailed request for comment for this story. Iran’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.No. 7 Tennessee dispatches UT Martin to remain undefeatedNot Purdy: 49ers hit Green Bay with backup QB, no BosaNo. 7 Tennessee outscored UT Martin by 28 points in the second half in routing the visiting Skyhawks 78-35 on Friday afternoon in Knoxville. Chaz Lanier scored a game-high 18 points for the Volunteers (7-0), who expanded on a 35-20 halftime lead with a 43-15 second half. Felix Okpara had 10 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks, helping Tennessee command the paint along with Igor Milicic, who added nine points and 13 rebounds. Zakai Zeigler nearly had a double-double with 11 points and nine assists. The Volunteers used their size to their advantage, outscoring UT Martin 36-10 in the paint and out rebounding the Skyhawks 49-24. That included 20 offensive rebounds for Tennessee, which led to 19 second-chance points. UT Martin (2-5) was cold coming out of the locker room after halftime, missing its first eight shots. Conversely, the Vols started the second half with a nine-point run to extend their lead to 24 points. The Vols never let the Skyhawks score consecutive baskets in the first half, holding UT Martin to 25 percent shooting (4 of 16) from beyond the arc and allowing a total of only three points from the starting five. For the game, guard Josue Grullon led UT Martin with 15 points. The leading scorer in the Ohio Valley Conference entering Friday at 18.2 points per game, Grullon has not started any game for head coach Jeremy Shulman. Most of the Skyhawks' points -- 28 of 35 -- came from their reserves. The starting five combined to score seven points -- six points from Matija Zuzic and a free throw for Lamine Niag. The starters went a combined 2 of 18 from the floor, while UT Martin as a team shot 22.6 percent (12 of 53) from the field. The Skyhawks made 5 of 7 free-throw attempts and made 18 turnovers. The Volunteers, who got 23 points off the bench, were 8-for-10 and had 11 turnovers. Tennessee improved to 6-0 all-time against UT Martin since 1993. --Field Level Media

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson will make her Broadway debut with '& Juliet'Community Voices: Making Christmas merrierIsrael said Tuesday it had bombed more than 350 military sites in Syria during the previous 48 hours, targeting “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles” in the country. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the wave of airstrikes in neighboring Syria was necessary to keep the weapons from being used against Israel following the Syrian government’s stunning collapse . Israel also acknowledged its troops were pushing into a border buffer zone inside Syria, which was established after the 1973 Mideast war. However, Israel denied its forces were advancing Tuesday toward the Syrian capital of Damascus. Life in the capital was slowly returning to normal after jihadi-led Syrian insurgents ousted President Bashar Assad over the weekend. People celebrated for a third day in a main square, and shops and banks reopened. The United States said Tuesday it would recognize and support a new Syrian government that renounces terrorism, destroys chemical weapons stocks and protects the rights of minorities and women. Syria's nearly 14-year civil war killed nearly half a million people and displaced half of the country’s prewar population of 23 million, becoming a proxy battlefield for regional and international powers. Here's the Latest: SAYDNAYA, Syria — Tens of thousands came to Saydnaya Prison from all over Syria after the fall of former President Bashar Assad to search for their loved ones. The place so notorious for its horrors was long known as “the slaughterhouse.” For the past two days, all have been looking for signs of loved ones who disappeared years or even decades ago into the secretive, sprawling prison just outside Damascus. But hope gave way to despair Monday. People opened the heavy iron doors lining the hallways to find cells inside empty. With sledgehammers, shovels and drills, men pounded holes in floors and walls, looking for what they believed were secret dungeons, or chasing sounds they thought they heard from underground. They found nothing. Insurgents freed dozens of people from the Saydnaya military prison on Sunday when Damascus fell. Since then, almost no one has been found. “Where is everyone? Where are everyone’s children? Where are they?” said Ghada Assad, breaking down in tears. An estimated 150,000 people were detained or went missing in Syria since 2011 — and tens of thousands of them are believed to have gone through Saydnaya. WASHINGTON — The top U.S. military commander for the Middle East was on the ground in Syria on Tuesday, meeting with a Kurish-led, U.S.-allied force at several bases in the country's east, U.S. Central Command said. Army Gen. Erik Kurilla visited with U.S. military commanders and troops as well as the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. It wasn’t clear if he met with SDF leader Mazloum Abdi, and U.S. Central Command did not respond to a request for details about his visit or with whom he met. U.S. officials said they did not know what his message to the SDF was. The U.S has about 900 troops in Syria, including forces working with Kurdish allies in the northeast to prevent any resurgence of the Islamic State group. In a press release, Central Command said Kurilla received an “assessment of force protection measures, the rapidly evolving situation, and ongoing efforts to prevent ISIS from exploiting the current situation.” Kurilla then went on to Iraq where he met with leaders in Baghdad. UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations says it still getting reports about the looting of warehouses with humanitarian aid in a number of areas in Syria, including around the capital Damascus. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Tuesday that U.N. agencies and their partners are working to identify the extent of looting at the warehouses, including those of U.N. agencies and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. Dujarric said U.N. aid officials report that “the humanitarian situation remains volatile across Syria, with reports of people continuing to be displaced.” Humanitarian officials reported that 25 trucks carrying U.N. aid crossed from Turkey to northwest Syria, which the situation is now relatively calm, the U.N. spokesman said. All 11 receptions opened in Idlib in the northwest to host newly displaced families were empty as of Monday, Dujarric said. In the northeast, he said, authorities report that as of Tuesday 100,000 people have been displaced due to fighting in Tal Rifaat and other parts of Aleppo governorate. Dujarric said the U.N.’s partners report that “reception centers in Tabqa and Raqqa have reached full capacity, and more than 200 sites – including municipal buildings, schools, mosques, and stadiums – are being used to accommodate newly displaced people.” BEIRUT — The Lebanese army said Tuesday that “unidentified gunmen” crossed the border from Syria into eastern Lebanon's Bekaa province and approached a Lebanese border post. In a statement, the army said the gunmen fired into the air and seized equipment from an evacuated Syrian army post in the outskirts of Kfar Fouq, near Rashaya al-Wadi, in the western part of Bekaa province. Lebanese army personnel responded with warning shots, forcing the group to retreat back into Syrian territory. The Lebanese army did not report any injuries or provide further details about the identity of the gunmen. WASHINGTON — Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched multiple drones and a missile at three commercial ships being escorted in the Gulf of Aden by U.S. Navy ships, a U.S. official said Tuesday. There was no damage and no injuries. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations, said U.S. Navy destroyers, and Navy helicopter and a French Air Force aircraft shot down four of the drones and the missile. The three U.S. affiliated flagged ships were sailing east toward Djibouti. The Iran-backed Houthis have targeted shipping through the key waterway for more than a year, attacks they say are meant to force an end to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. JERUSALEM — Israel’s military said it bombed more than 350 sites in Syria during the previous 48 hours, targeting “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles” in the country. There is concern that, with the sudden collapse of the Syrian government, weapons stockpiles could be seized by jihadi militants. Warplanes hit what Israel said were Syrian air defense systems, military airfields, missile depots, and dozens of weapons production sites in the cities of Damascus, Homs, Tartus, Latakia, and Palmyra, the Israeli army statement said. In naval operations overnight Monday, Israeli missile ships struck two Syrian navy facilities simultaneously — Al-Bayda port and Latakia port — where the army said 15 Syrian naval vessels were docked. Israeli did not specify how many Syrian naval vessels were hit. The private security firm Ambrey said it had seen evidence that at least six Soviet-era Syrian navy missile ships were hit. Israeli officials said earlier that Israel also targeted alleged chemical weapons sites. JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Tuesday that his country’s military launched a wave of airstrikes across Syria to destroy the toppled government’s leftover “military capabilities,” and said Israel wants relations with the new government emerging Syria. Hours after Israeli warplanes pounded Syria, Netanyahu said Israeli doesn’t want to meddle in Syria’s internal affairs, but would take necessary steps to protect Israel's security and prevent jihadi militants from seizing the Syrian army assets. He warned that if the new Syrian government “allows Iran to re-establish itself in Syria or allows the transfer of Iranian weapons or any other weapons to Hezbollah, or attacks us -- we will respond forcefully and we will exact a heavy price from it.” He spoke in a video statement recorded at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, after his first day of testimony in his corruption trial. DAMASCUS, Syria — In Umayyad Square in Damascus, Syrians celebrated the fall of President Bashar Assad for the third day on Tuesday despite Israeli airstrikes across the country. Insurgents who recently took control of the capital city tried to impose a new rule banning the celebratory gunfire. There were a few violators, and much less deafening gunfire. Protesters climbed the square's central monument to wave the Syrian revolutionary flag. On the ground, crowds chanted: “Out with Bashar! Out with Bashar!” Assad fled to Russia over the weekend after a lightning rebel offensive toppled his brutal police state. Demonstrators from different provinces marched in the square in groups, celebrating Assad's fall. Men on motorcycles and horses paraded into the square. One woman from Idlib province shouted that the Israeli strikes ruined the joy of ousting Assad. “Why are you striking us? We just deposed a tyrant,” she said. “Give us peace. Leave us alone,” said Ahmed Jreida, 22, a dentist student, when asked about the Israeli airstrikes. Hamzeh Hamada, 22, said this was the first time he had gone out to a demonstration. “We want the country to get better, to live in dignity and be like other countries that respect citizens’ rights and where there are no bribes,” he said. “We have suffered a lot from bribes. ... We had to bribe people for very minor things; things that should be our right.” Abdul-Jalil Diab was taking a stroll with his brothers in another square in western Damascus. He said he came back from Jordan the day Damascus fell. He was there studying German to prepare to move to Germany and said he is now reconsidering his plans. He was ecstatic, saying words can’t describe how he feels. “We are happy to get rid of the corrupt regime that was based on bribes. The whole country feels better. Everyone is happy and celebrating,” Abdul-Jalil Diab said. QAMISHLI, Syria — Residents of northeast Syria in the area around Qamishli airport said Tuesday they heard explosions overnight after an airstrike hit trucks loaded with rockets and ammunition that were heading to a military base in Tartab. “We don’t know the story. It was only in the morning when we realized they are trucks loaded with ammunition, leftovers of the former army, the regime,” said Ibrahim al-Thalaj, who lives near the base. He said residents assumed that the strikes were Israeli. Israel has carried out a heavy wave of airstrikes across Syria targeting military infrastructure after Syrian insurgents toppled the government of Bashar Assad. However, Turkish security officials said Tuesday that the strike in Qamishli was carried out by Turkey, targeting weapons and ammunition that were abandoned by the Syrian army and seized by Syrian Kurdish militants. The explosions lasted for over 20 minutes after the strike, and many houses in the surrounding area were damaged as a result, residents of the area said. “We just felt a strike hitting. It hit the first one (truck) and we saw the other trucks retreating back, and from there rockets and shells started flying over,” said Hamid al-Asaad, an eyewitness from Qub al-Zeki village in Qamishli. “We were sitting when these explosions started to hit the house,” said Mahmoud Hamza of Tartab. “It was hitting randomly and we didn’t know where it was coming from. ... Once we got out of our house, a rocket hit the house.” There were no details released by the local Kurdish administration regarding the explosions, but members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces blocked the road to the base. BRUSSELS — The European Union’s top diplomat is concerned that Syria might violently fall apart like neighboring Iraq, or Libya and Afghanistan if its territorial integrity and the rights of minorities are not protected. “The transition will present huge challenges in Syria and in the region,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told European lawmakers on Tuesday during a special hearing. “There are legitimate concerns about the risks of sectarian violence, extremist resurgence and the governance vacuum, all of which must be averted. We must avoid a repeat of the horrific scenarios of Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan,” she said. “The rights of all Syrians, including those of many minority groups, must be protected,” she said. “It is crucial to preserve the territorial integrity of Syria, and to respect its independence, its sovereignty, as well as the state institutions.” Kallas also said the collapse of the government has shown that Assad’s backers in Russia and Iran “could neither afford to do it any longer, nor had any interest of being present in the aftermath.” “They are weakened, distracted and overstretched in other theaters in the broader Middle East, but also in Ukraine,” she said. ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s intelligence agency, MIT, has attacked a convoy of trucks that was allegedly carrying missiles, heavy weapons and ammunition that were abandoned by the Syrian government and reportedly seized by Syrian Kurdish militias, Turkish security officials said Tuesday. The officials said 12 trucks, two tanks and two ammunition depots were “destroyed” in aerial strikes in the city of Qamishli, near the border with Turkey in northeast Syria. The officials provided the information on condition of anonymity in line with Turkish regulations. They did not say when the attack occurred. The officials said the intelligence agency detected that weapons left by the Syrian government forces were being moved to warehouses belonging to the Syrian Kurdish People’s Defense Units, or YPG. Turkey views the group as a terrorist organization because of its links to the banned Kurdish militants that have led a decadeslong insurgency in Turkey. According to the officials, he group was allegedly planning to use the equipment and supplies against Turkish security forces. By Suzan Fraser WASHINGTON — The White House is signaling its approval of Israel’s strikes against Syrian military and alleged chemical weapons targets and the seizure of a buffer zone in the Syrian Golan Heights after the fall of the Assad government. “These are exigent operations to eliminate what they believe are imminent threats to their national security,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday, saying the U.S. would leave it up to the Israelis to discuss details of their operations. “They have as always the right to defend themselves,” Kirby said. He declined to detail and U.S. intelligence cooperation with the Israelis that went into the strikes. Kirby said the White House was reasserting its support of the 1974 Golan Heights disengagement agreement, but didn’t criticize the Israeli seizure of the demilitarized zone. Israel has a long history of seizing territory during wars with its neighbors and occupying it indefinitely , citing security concerns. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in a move not recognized internationally, except by the United States. WASHINGTON — The Biden administration says it will recognize and support a new Syrian government that renounces terrorism, destroys chemical weapons stocks and protects the rights of minorities and women. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Tuesday that the U.S. would work with groups in Syria and regional partners to ensure that the transition from President Bashar Assad’s deposed government runs smoothly. He was not specific about which groups the U.S. would work with. Blinken says Syrians should decide their future and that other countries should “support an inclusive and transparent process” and not interfere. “The United States will recognize and fully support a future Syria government that results from this process,” he said. “We stand prepared to lend all appropriate support to all of Syria’s diverse communities and constituencies.” DAMASCUS, Syria — Jihad Mustafa Shibani was taking his new motorcycle for a spin with a friend around the house of the deposed Syrian president in western Damascus on Tuesday. Shibani was released from prison a week before the capital Damascus fell, after he served two years on charges of buying his motorcycle using foreign currency on accusations he was dealing in dollars. He was tortured for 15 days and and given a quick trial where he was sentenced for two years, he said. He was released the day Aleppo fell to the insurgents. “Everything was banned in Syria. The (Assad loyalists) only could use it,” Shibani said. He said he has never been to this neighborhood, because it was taken over by Assad, his family and supporters. “For 50 years, my family’s house is near here, and we don’t know anything about it. ... The Syrian people had been oppressed, you can’t imagine.” Shibani said he has no fear of the rebel newcomers who have taken control of the country. “We are not afraid. There can be no one more unjust than Bashar. Impossible.” BEIRUT — Lebanon’s prime minister is in contact with security and judicial officials to follow up on reports that senior members of President Bashar Assad’s government have fled to Lebanon. Najib Mikati’s office quoted him as saying that Lebanon abides by international laws regarding people who cross its borders. Rami Abdurrahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said that several top security officials have entered Lebanon over the past two days. Abdurrahman added that Syria’s former intelligence chief Ali Mamlouk, who is wanted in Lebanon over two bombings in 2012 in the northern city of Tripoli that killed dozens, was allegedly brought to Lebanon by the Hezbollah militant group and was staying in a southern suburb of Beirut where the group has deep support. Lebanon’s Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi, whose ministry is in charge of border crossings, told reporters Tuesday that no person who is wanted in Lebanon entered the country through legal border crossings. There are dozens of illegal border crossings between Lebanon and Syria where people are usually smuggled in and out of Lebanon, but it was not possible to independently confirm whether Mamlouk had entered Lebanon. GENEVA — The United Nations says humanitarian operations in two major areas in northwestern Syria have resumed, deploying food, medical supplies, fuel and other needed services and supplies. Spokesman Jens Laerke of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that some health facilities were “overwhelmed” – in part due to staff shortages – and many border crossings have been closed, disrupting supply chains. OCHA said humanitarian operations in some parts of northwestern Syria were put on hold in the early days of the recent escalation, and resumed on Monday. “As of yesterday, all humanitarian organizations in Idlib and northern Aleppo have resumed operations,” Laerke told reporters at a U.N. briefing in Geneva. He said the three border crossings from Turkey used by the U.N. to deliver assistance into Syria remain open and “we are providing assistance in the northwest, including to those who have been newly displaced.” Even before the latest escalation, which led President Bashar Assad to flee the country, nearly 17 million people in Syria needed humanitarian assistance. More than 1 million have been displaced across Idlib, Aleppo, Hama and Homs since the escalation. JERUSALEM — Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday that Israel's military destroyed Syria’s fleet overnight and intends to establish a demilitarized zone “in southern Syria” to prevent attacks on Israel. He also issued a warning to Syria’s rebels, saying that “whoever follows Assad’s path will end up like Assad — we will not allow an extremist Islamic terrorist entity to act against Israel across its border while putting its citizens at risk.” Speaking at a naval base in Haifa, Katz said the Israeli navy “operated last night to destroy the Syrian fleet and with great success.” Video showing the smoking wreckage of what appeared to be small Syrian naval ships in the port at Latakia was broadcast by Saudi-owned television station Al-Hadath on Tuesday. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has closely tracked the conflict since the civil war erupted in 2011, said Israel targeted Syrian warships, military warehouses and an air-defense facility on the coast. Katz added that he had instructed the army to establish a “defense zone free of weapons and terrorist threats in southern Syria, without a permanent Israeli presence, in order to prevent terrorism in Syria from taking root and organizing.” It was unclear if the demilitarized zone would reach beyond the buffer zone that Israel has taken over in the border area. Israel has a long history of seizing territory during wars with its neighbors and occupying it indefinitely , citing security concerns. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in a move not recognized internationally, except by the United States. DAMASCUS, Syria — Members of the Syrian government under ousted President Bashar Assad will gradually transfer power to a new transitional cabinet headed by Mohammed al-Bashir. The departing government met with al-Bashir for the first time since Assad fled Damascus over the weekend. Al-Bashir had previously led the “salvation government” running the rebel stronghold in northwest Syria. Al-Bashir told reporters after the meeting that the ministers discussed transferring the portfolios to the interim government during the transitional period until the beginning of March. He said that in the coming days the new government will decide on each ministry. DAMASCUS, Syria — Banks and shops are reopening in Damascus after the chaos and confusion of the first two days following the ouster of President Bashar Assad. Sadi Ahmad, manager of Syria Gulf Bank, said life is returning to normal. A customer who came to withdraw money from an ATM was surprised to see it functioning. At the historic Hamadiyeh market, fighters who seized power were still standing guard but shops had reopened — even an ice cream stand. Resident Maysoun Al-Qurabi said she was initially “against what happened,” referring to the insurgency, but changed her mind after seeing footage of rebels releasing inmates from the notorious Saydnaya prison. “People are at ease and secure now,” she said. “Before, people were hungry and scared.” DAMASCUS, Syria — Minority Christians in Syria have been living in a state of uneasy anticipation since insurgents headed by the Islamic militant group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham took control after ousting President Bashar Assad. Mazen Kalash, a resident of Bab Touma, a Christian neighborhood in Damascus, said he wants to know the plans of the new government that will be formed by the rebels. “The important thing is to feel safe, bring order, law and respect to the citizens,” he said. “We need to be able to work whatever we want and do whatever we want without any interference from anyone.” The insurgents have so far attempted to reassure minorities that they will be protected. Large numbers of Syrian Christians, who made up 10% of the population, fled after the civil war erupted in 2011. Many of those who stayed supported Assad out of fear they might be targeted by Islamist insurgents. TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at media during testimony at his corruption trial, which involves media moguls. “There has never been such a biased media in any democracy ... as there is in Israel,” Netanyahu told the court, describing his testy relationship with the press. He is accused of exchanging regulatory favors with media bosses for more positive coverage of himself and his family. He has denied wrongdoing. GENEVA — The U.N. envoy for Syria says armed groups that drove out President Bashar Assad have “been sending good messages” about national unity and inclusiveness but acknowledges that a Security Council resolution still counts the leading one as a terrorist group. With Syria’s future and stability still very much in flux since Assad’s departure over the weekend, Geir Pedersen suggested that the international community needs to help the country get through this turbulent moment. “We are still in what I would call a very fluid period. Things are not settled,” Pedersen told reporters at U.N. offices in Geneva on Tuesday. “There is a real opportunity for change, but this opportunity needs to be grasped by the Syrians themselves and supported by the U.N. and the international community.” Referring to Israeli military strikes in Syria, Pedersen said it was “extremely important that we now don’t see any action from any international country that destroys the possibility for this transformation in Syria to take place.” The insurgents are led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which grew out of an al-Qaida-affiliate called the Nusra Front that the Security Council listed as a terror group in a 2015 resolution. “This is obviously a complicating factor for all of us,” Pedersen said. “But we also have to be honest, we have to look at the facts and to see what has happened during the last nine years.” “The reality so far is that the HTS and also the other armed groups have been sending good messages to the Syrian people,” he said. “They have been sending messages of unity, of inclusiveness, and frankly speaking, also, we have seen in (the captured cities of) Aleppo and in Hama ... reassuring things on the ground." Ahmad al-Sharaa, previously known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency and the founder of both groups Nusra and HTS, cut ties with al-Qaida in 2016 and says he is committed to pluralism and religious tolerance. ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey has “strongly” condemned Israel’s advance into Syrian territory, saying it was in violation of a 1974 agreement on a buffer zone inside Syria. “We strongly condemn Israel’s violation of the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement, its entry into the separation zone between Israel and Syria, and its advance into Syrian territory,” Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The ministry accused Israel of “displaying a mentality of an occupier” at a time when the possibility of peace and stability had emerged in Syria. The statement also reiterated Turkey’s support to Syria’s “sovereignty, political unity, and territorial integrity.” Israeli troops on Sunday entered the buffer zone that had been established after the 1973 Mideast war and the military said it would deploy in “several other places necessary for (Israel’s’) defense.” TEL AVIV, Israel — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he works 17 to 18 hours a day and that he is engulfed in meetings, especially during the past year that Israel has been fighting wars. Netanyahu was testifying in his long-running corruption trial. He has denied charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases. “If only I could steal away five minutes to enjoy some time with my wife,” he told the court Tuesday. TEL AVIV, Israel — An Israeli military official says troops plan to seize a buffer zone inside Syria as well as “a few more points that have strategic meaning.” The official spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. The official dismissed reports of a larger Israeli invasion as “rumors.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israeli forces were moving to control a roughly 400-square-kilometer (155-square-mile) demilitarized buffer zone in Syrian territory. The buffer zone between Syria and the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights was created by the U.N. after the 1973 Mideast war. Following the overthrow of President Bashar Assad, Israel sent troops into the buffer zone. It said the move was temporary and was aimed at preventing attacks. It said the 1974 agreement establishing the zone had collapsed and that Syrian troops had withdrawn from their positions. Israel has also carried out airstrikes across Syria in recent days targeting what it says are suspected chemical weapons and long-range rockets. Egypt and Saudi Arabia have condemned Israel’s incursion, accusing it of exploiting the disarray in Syria and violating international law. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in a move not recognized by the international community, except for the United States. The rest of the world views the strategic plateau as occupied Syrian territory. — By Joseph Krauss DAMASCUS, Syria — Israel’s air force has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in different parts of Syria as its ground forces move north of the Golan Heights along the border with Lebanon, according to an opposition war monitor. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday that since the fall of President Bashar Assad’s government, Israel’s air force has carried out more than 300 airstrikes against research centers, arms depots and military infrastructure across Syria, as well as a naval base along the Mediterranean coast. Associated Press journalists in Damascus witnessed intense airstrikes on the city and its suburbs overnight into Tuesday morning. Photographs posted online by activists showed destroyed missile launchers, helicopters and warplanes. Meanwhile, Israeli troops marched along the border with Lebanon and now control a long stretch on the Syrian side facing Lebanon’s Rashaya region, according to the war monitor's head, Rami Abdurrahman, and the Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV, which has reporters in Syria. Israeli troops are now about 25 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of Damascus, according to the monitor. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia has condemned Israel’s incursion into a buffer zone in Syria and a wave of Israeli airstrikes launched after the overthrow of President Bashar Assad. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday that “the assaults carried out by the Israeli occupation government, including the seizure of the buffer zone in the Golan Heights, and the targeting of Syrian territory confirm Israel’s continued violation of the principles of international law and its determination to sabotage Syria’s chances of restoring its security, stability and territorial integrity.” Israel sent troops into a buffer zone inside Syria that had been established after the 1973 Mideast war. It said the move was temporary and was taken to prevent any cross-border attacks after Syrian troops withdrew. Israel has also carried out heavy airstrikes that it says are aimed at preventing suspected chemical weapons and long-range rockets from falling into the hands of extremists. Saudi Arabia has been in talks with the United States in recent years over normalizing relations with Israel in exchange for a U.S. defense pact, American assistance in establishing a civilian nuclear program and a pathway to the establishment of a Palestinian state. But the kingdom has also repeatedly condemned Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip, where it is at war with the Hamas militant group. Last month, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and day-to-day ruler Mohammed bin Salman accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza , allegations Israel adamantly rejects.Brock Purdy and Nick Bosa are not available for the San Francisco 49ers when they enter Green Bay with designs on finding their finishing kick on Sunday afternoon. Purdy is out with a right shoulder injury and won't leave the sideline at Lambeau Field, head coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday, when he also declared Bosa out and confirmed journeyman Brandon Allen would make his 10th career start at quarterback. "Outside of here people haven't seen a lot of Brandon. But it's his second year (with the 49ers)," Shanahan said. "Obviously guys want Brock up, but guys are excited to see Brandon play." Shanahan said the 49ers are "a little surprised" Purdy experienced tightness and discomfort in his shoulder after an MRI exam on Monday that showed no long-term cause for concern. "The way it responded this week, it's really up in the air for next week," Shanahan said of Purdy's long-term prognosis. Allen's last NFL start on the road was with the Bengals at the Ravens in 2020. Allen completed 6 of 21 passes for 48 yards with two interceptions. He finished with a passer rating of 0.0 in a 38--3 loss. "It's definitely an opportunity for me to go out and play well and put our guys in a good position to win the game," Allen said Friday. "And obviously we want Brock back and healthy and all that, but for time being, it is an opportunity for me." Purdy took the practice field Thursday with the intent to participate. His shoulder tightened significantly, and the 49ers ushered him off the field to meet with trainers. Purdy beat the Packers in the NFC divisional playoffs at San Francisco in January, but Allen is familiar to Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. LaFleur was an assistant coach with the Rams during Allen's two-year run in Los Angeles. Allen broke into the NFL in 2016 with the Jaguars and is 2-7 in nine career starts. He went 1-2 with the Broncos in 2019 and 1-5 in six starts over two years with the Bengals in 2020 and ‘21. A victory against the visiting 49ers on Sunday would bolster the Packers' playoff chances, send a conference rival below .500 and avenge a bitter playoff defeat. Those seemingly rank in no particular order for the Packers (8-3), although they don't shy from living at least partially in the past ahead of a Week 12 showdown. San Francisco eliminated Green Bay 24-21 in the NFC divisional playoffs last season, scoring 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. "That's what you've got to sit with all offseason, is going back, watching the game, trying to see what you could have done better," Packers quarterback Jordan Love said. "What you could have done differently in that game. ... Just knowing that's the team that knocked us out, we're definitely hungry for this game." Ditto for San Francisco. The 49ers fell to 5-5 after last week's 20-17 home loss to Seattle, done in by Geno Smith's 13-yard touchdown run with 12 seconds to play. Still only a game behind NFC West-leading Arizona, the reigning conference champion 49ers are just 1-3 in division play and can ill afford to lose more ground. A visit to AFC East leader Buffalo awaits after the trip to Green Bay. While they're dealing with plenty of not-so-good news on the injury front, the 49ers do anticipate the return of other contributors. Cornerback Charvarius Ward, who missed the past two games following the death of his 1-year-old daughter, practiced Wednesday. Tight end George Kittle also is eager to play after a nagging hamstring injury sidelined him against the Seahawks. "Very excited," Kittle said. "Can't pass up playing the Packers, so no, I will be out there for sure." Allen was a three-year starter at Arkansas but has been a journeyman backup since entering the NFL in 2016 as the 201st overall pick of the Jaguars. Shanahan and LaFleur have been fierce competitors since twice working together, first as low-level assistants with the Texans in 2008, then on the so-called "dream team" staff in Washington that also included Sean McVay, Mike McDaniel and Raheem Morris; and two seasons with the Falcons (2015, 2016) where LaFleur was quarterbacks coach and Shanahan called the plays. Shanahan scored the most recent win over LaFleur in January. Green Bay has won seven of the past eight regular-season meetings between the franchises. But the familiarity and shared-brain approach to offense that has the coaches completed each other's play calls has led to some tight games. The past three at Lambeau Field were all decided by three points. Green Bay, which hosts a home game on Thanksgiving next Thursday, is starting a run of three games in 12 days. They'll play back-to-back Thursday games. Their Week 14 game is at Detroit. That might make it good news for LaFleur that surprising contributors have emerged of late. Packers wideout Christian Watson had a career-best 150 receiving yards on only four catches during last week's 20-19 road win against the Chicago Bears. His diving 60-yard reception in the fourth quarter put the Packers in position for Love's go-ahead, 1-yard scoring run with 2:59 to play. Watson entered the game with eight catches for 83 yards over his previous three contests, but LaFleur assured Watson remains a "big part" of the attack. "He's a guy who's got every measurable known to man in terms of the size, the speed, and it's not like those were easy plays he was making," LaFleur said. "He was making tough, contested catches." San Francisco will aim to generate more pressure against Love than the Bears, who sacked him just once. The 49ers collected four sacks against the Seahawks, with Bosa and Leonard Floyd contributing 1.5 apiece. Recent regular-season history between the Packers and 49ers at Lambeau Field has favored Green Bay. The Packers have won seven of their past eight home games against the 49ers and are 22-11 versus San Francisco at home all-time. Green Bay leads the series 34-28-1. --Field Level Media

AFNQL WELCOMES HYDRO-QUÉBEC'S STRATEGY FOR ECONOMIC RECONCILIATIONSUGAR LAND, Texas, Dec. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAOI) (“ AOI ,” “ we ,” “ us ” or “ our ”) announced today that it has closed its exchange with holders (the “ Noteholders ”) of its 5.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2026 (the “ 2026 Notes ”) of approximately $76.7 million principal amount of the 2026 Notes for (i) $125 million aggregate principal amount of 2.75% Convertible Senior Notes due 2030 (the “ 2030 Notes ”), (ii) 1,487,874 shares of our common stock (the “ Exchange Shares ”) and (iii) approximately $89.6 thousand in cash representing accrued interest on the 2026 Notes and the value of fractional shares (such transactions, collectively, the “ Exchanges ”). The 2030 Notes are our senior, unsecured obligations and are equal in right of payment with our existing and future senior, unsecured indebtedness, senior in right of payment to our existing and future indebtedness that is expressly subordinated to the 2030 Notes and effectively subordinated to our existing and future secured indebtedness, to the extent of the value of the collateral securing that indebtedness. The 2030 Notes bear interest at a rate of 2.75% per year, payable semiannually in arrears on January 15 and July 15 of each year, beginning on July 15, 2025. The 2030 Notes will mature on January 15, 2030, unless earlier repurchased, redeemed or converted. The 2030 Notes are convertible at the option of holders of the 2030 Notes under certain specified circumstances, as set forth in the indenture governing the 2030 Notes. We will settle conversions by paying or delivering, as applicable, cash, shares of our common stock or a combination of cash and shares of our common stock, at our election, based on the applicable conversion rate. The initial conversion rate is approximately 23.0884 shares of our common stock per $1,000 principal amount of 2030 Notes, representing an initial conversion price of approximately $43.31 per share of our common stock, an approximately 27.50% premium to the closing price of our common stock on December 18, 2024. If a Make-Whole Fundamental Change (as defined in the indenture governing the 2030 Notes) occurs, and in connection with certain other conversions, we will in certain circumstances increase the conversion rate for a specified period of time. Except in connection with the completion of the Specified Divestiture (as described below), we may not redeem the 2030 Notes prior to January 15, 2027. On or after January 15, 2027, and on or before the 40 th scheduled trading day immediately before the maturity date, we may redeem all or part of the 2030 Notes for cash if the last reported sale price per share of our common stock exceeds 130% of the conversion price on (i) each of at least 20 trading days, whether or not consecutive, during the 30 consecutive trading days ending on, and including, the trading day immediately before the date we send the related redemption notice; and (ii) the trading day immediately before the date we send such redemption notice, at a cash redemption price equal to the principal amount of the 2030 Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any. Holders may require us to repurchase their 2030 Notes upon the occurrence of a Fundamental Change (as defined in the indenture governing the 2030 Notes) at a cash purchase price equal to the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any. In addition, the 2030 Notes will be redeemable, in whole or in part, at our option at any time, and from time to time, on or before the 40 th scheduled trading day immediately before the maturity date, at a cash redemption price equal to the principal amount of the 2030 Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date, if the “Specified Divestiture” (as defined in the indenture governing the 2030 Notes) is completed. If the Specified Divestiture is completed, each holder will have the right to require us to repurchase its 2030 Notes for cash at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of such 2030 Notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the repurchase date. The issuance of the 2030 Notes, the Exchange Shares and the shares of our common stock issuable upon conversion of the 2030 Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”), and the 2030 Notes, the Exchange Shares and such shares issuable upon conversion of the 2030 Notes may not be offered or sold without registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state or other jurisdictions’ securities laws, or in transactions not subject to those registration requirements. Concurrently with the Exchanges, AOI issued an aggregate of 1,036,458 shares of common stock, at a purchase price of $33.97 per share, in a registered direct offering (the “ Registered Direct Offering ”). Estimated net proceeds from the Registered Direct Offering are approximately $33.7 million after deducting placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses incurred by us. We intend to use the net proceeds for general corporate purposes, which may include, among other things, capital expenditures and working capital. We may also use such proceeds to fund acquisitions of businesses, technologies or product lines that complement our current business; however, we have no present plans, agreements or commitments with respect to any potential acquisition. Stefan Murry, AOI’s Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer, stated that “AOI expects to benefit from the convertible debt exchange transactions and the concurrent registered direct offering by, among other things, extending our convertible debt from 2026 to 2030, reducing our existing interest expense and strengthening the cash position of our balance sheet by approximately $30.2 million through the registered direct offering. In addition, the convertible debt exchange transactions increase our financial flexibility by removing certain existing restrictive covenants in our 2026 Notes. We were able to execute these transactions with minimal additional dilution of approximately 0.5%, compared to the implied dilution of the shares underlying the 2026 Notes.” The Registered Direct Offering was made pursuant to an automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3ASR (Registration File No. 333-283905), which was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ SEC ”) on December 18, 2024, and became effective immediately upon filing, including the prospectus contained therein, as supplemented by the prospectus supplement dated December 18, 2024 filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act on December 20, 2024. The prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the Registered Direct Offering are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Raymond James & Associates, Inc. acted as AOI’s exclusive financial advisor in connection with the Exchanges and acted as the sole placement agent in connection with the Registered Direct Offering. Haynes Boone LLP acted as legal advisor to AOI and Mayer Brown LLP acted as legal advisor to Raymond James & Associates, Inc., in connection with the Exchanges and the Registered Direct Offering. This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor will there be any sale of any securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Forward-Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “target,” “seek,” “aim,” “predicts,” “think,” “objectives,” “optimistic,” “new,” “goal,” “strategy,” “potential,” “is likely,” “will,” “expect,” “plan” “project,” “permit” or by other similar expressions that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes. Such forward-looking statements reflect the views of management at the time such statements are made. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions and current expectations, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: reduction in the size or quantity of customer orders; change in demand for our products due to industry conditions; changes in manufacturing operations; volatility in manufacturing costs; delays in shipments of products; disruptions in the supply chain; change in the rate of design wins or the rate of customer acceptance of new products; our reliance on a small number of customers for a substantial portion of its revenues; potential pricing pressure; a decline in demand for our customers’ products or their rate of deployment of their products; general conditions in the internet datacenter, cable television (CATV) broadband, telecom, or fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) markets; changes in the world economy (particularly in the United States and China); changes in the regulation and taxation of international trade, including the imposition of tariffs; changes in currency exchange rates; the negative effects of seasonality; the impact of any pandemics or similar events on our business and financial results; and other risks and uncertainties described more fully in our documents filed with or furnished to the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2024, June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2024. More information about these and other risks that may impact our business are set forth in the “Risk Factors” section of our quarterly and annual reports on file with the SEC. You should not rely on forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon information available to us as of the date hereof, and qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update forward-looking statements for any reason after the date of this press release to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in our expectations. About Applied Optoelectronics Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AOI) is a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced optical products, including components, modules and equipment. AOI’s products are the building blocks for broadband fiber access networks around the world, where they are used in the CATV broadband, internet datacenter, telecom and FTTH markets. AOI supplies optical networking lasers, components and equipment to tier-1 customers in all four of these markets. In addition to its corporate headquarters, wafer fab and advanced engineering and production facilities in Sugar Land, TX, AOI has engineering and manufacturing facilities in Taipei, Taiwan and Ningbo, China. Investor Relations Contacts: The Blueshirt Group, Investor Relations Monica Gould +1-212-871-3927 ir@ao-inc.com Cassidy Fuller +1-415-217-4968 ir@ao-inc.comDangote Sugar Refinery has unveiled its Series 6 and 7 commercial paper offerings, seeking to raise up to N50 billion from the debt market. This follows the company’s successful issuance of its Series 4 and 5 commercial papers in mid-June, which collectively raised N42.79 billion at competitive rates of 23% and 25%, reflecting strong investor confidence. Series 4, with a tenure of 181 days, raised N12.93 billion, while Series 5, with a longer tenure of 265 days, raised a larger sum of N29.86 billion. Related Stories FMCGs record 133% increase in finance cost in 2024 Dangote Sugar posts N104.6 billion pre-tax loss in second quarter of 2024, amidst 140% rise in raw materials cost Building on this momentum, Dangote Sugar has now returned to the market as part of its N150 billion debt issuance program, aimed at bolstering its working capital. Announced in December 2024, the Series 6 and 7 papers highlight the company’s ongoing commitment to leveraging Nigeria’s capital markets for strategic financing. According to reports, the subscription window for Dangote Sugar’s Series 6 and 7 commercial papers closes on December 12, 2024, offering investors a chance to support its expansion goals. The series 6 and 7 commercial papers form part of Dangote Sugar’s N150 billion debt program. Series 6, with a 180-day tenor, is offered at a 24.9 per cent discount rate, providing an implied yield of 28.5% to investors. Similarly, Series 7, with a 270-day tenor, is priced at a 24.55 per cent discount rate, offering an implied yield of 30%. The offer remains open to the investing public until December 12, 2024. In mid-June 2024, Dangote Sugar Refinery successfully issued its Series 4 and 5 commercial papers, raising a total of N42.79 billion. These papers were offered under the company’s N150 billion commercial paper issuance program, with Series 4 and 5 carrying discount rates of 23% and 25%, respectively. Series 4 raised N12.93 billion with a 181-day maturity, while Series 5 raised N29.86 billion for a 265-day tenor. According to a notice from the company, the issuance attracted a diverse range of investors, including pension and non-pension asset managers, as well as institutional and individual participants. The company initiated its N150 billion debt issuance program in early 2024 with the launch of Series 1, which raised N39.39 billion. This issuance had a 266-day maturity and was offered at a 17.08% discount rate. Building on this, the company issued Series 2 notes, raising N6.15 billion with a 184-day maturity at a 19.84% discount rate. Series 3 marked a significant increase, generating N53.47 billion through 254-day notes at a 21.30% discount rate. With Series 1 to 5, Dangote Sugar has successfully raised a cumulative N141.8 billion, underscoring its ability to tap into Nigeria’s debt markets to fuel its growth and operational needs. In January, Dangote Sugar’s stock surged from an opening price of N57 to close at N67.90, driven by a robust trading volume of 95.1 million shares—a promising start to the year. Yet, the optimism was quickly dampened as bearish pressure took hold in February, pulling the stock back to N57.50, accompanied by a slightly lower trading volume of 81 million shares. The company’s stock faced a rocky period from February to October, as investment sentiment weakened in Nigeria’s industrial and consumer goods sectors. While a brief rally in May, with a trading volume of 35.2 million shares, hinted at recovery, the momentum fizzled out. By October, the stock had dipped to N30.80. Nonetheless, a glimmer of optimism appeared as the stock closed November in positive territory, suggesting a potential rebound from the October low. The company’s ongoing commercial paper program, part of its N150 billion debt issuance initiative, is expected to play a crucial role in stabilizing operations. By raising much-needed capital, Dangote Sugar aims to maintain smooth business activities, enhance performance, and bolster investor confidence, setting the stage for improved market sentiment moving forward.

It is tempting but mistaken to say that the current administration of the universe is defective because people are not required to read op-ed columns. That thought is too adjacent to progressivism, which, a critic has said, does not care what people do as long as it is compulsory. Besides, a smaller readership can be superior to a bigger one. Most people do not read newspapers; most who do skip the op-ed page. This means that the few, the happy few, who do read columns do so because their mental pantries are stocked with curiosity, information and opinions. So, the columnist can assume the readers’ foundation of knowledge, which enables large arguments in small spaces. The 15th century produced what remains the most consequential communication technology ever: Johannes Gutenberg’s movable type. Glassy-eyed Americans squinting at their smartphones for videos of kittens might consider it quaint to ascribe history-shaping potency to mere print, especially during today’s digital typhoon. Media constantly clamor for Americans’ attention, which is increasingly elusive and of decreasing duration. A newspaper column — one musty option on a rapidly expanding menu of distractions — requires reading, which, unlike passive grazing at an endless buffet of graphic distractions, is an activity. It demands one’s mental engagement. So, a column had better be pleasurable from the start, even if its subject is not pleasant. Here is Murray Kempton (1917-1997), in a column on President Dwight D. Eisenhower campaigning in Florida in 1956: “In Miami he had walked carefully by the harsher realities, speaking some 20 feet from an airport drinking fountain labeled ‘Colored’ and saying that the condition it represented was more amenable to solution by the hearts of men than by laws, and complimenting Florida as ‘typical today of what is best in America,’ a verdict which might seem to some contingent on finding out what happened to the Negro snatched from the Wildwood jail Sunday.” That sinuous 75-word sentence, although stiletto-sharp, deployed Kempton’s pointed judgments obliquely. His demanding syntax drew readers into participating in his searing perception. His style, suited to concision, enabled him to make arguments by intimation — arguments that readers internalized almost without noticing. Do notice Kempton’s desert-dry wit: “... which might seem to some contingent on ...” A spoonful of humor helps the medicine (information, argument) go down. An enchanting idea of heaven is this: endless learning. For the self-selected cohort of op-ed readers, learning is treasured as fun. Columns are properly quarantined on “opinion” pages, but a columnist’s opinions will lack momentum for respect unless they are accompanied by platoons of facts that give readers the delight of discovery: “I didn’t know that.” It has been said that a deadline is a writer’s best friend. But if writing is a chore — a painful duty — for a columnist, he or she should find another vocation. Enjoyment is infectious, and readers will only value, over time, the company of a columnist who clearly enjoys the craft of assembling sentences, paragraphs and arguments. This columnist is caught in a contradiction: He believes that in our market society, prices are rational. Yet he would pay for the pleasure of doing what he is paid to do. He is in the right city. John F. Kennedy once drolly characterized Washington as a city of Southern efficiency and Northern charm. The city he knew was, however, a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. It was acquiring a physical and cultural infrastructure worthy of a great metropolis. The Beltway opened in 1964, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1971, the subway in 1976. This columnist is, in a sense, doing what he was doing before he came to Washington. Until then, he had taught political philosophy at the University of Toronto. Since then, he has been working to discern the small kernels of large philosophical principles lurking in the welter of events. Amid today’s rancorousness, it is difficult to remember when America’s consensus was considered suffocatingly bland. This columnist, now 83, remembers when, as he became politically sentient in the 1950s, many intellectuals lamented the absence of scalding treatises about burning questions: too much Locke, not enough Lenin. Actually, however, in the unending American dialectic between legislatures and courts — between majorities and restraints thereon — the perennial subjects of Western political argument are constantly contested: the concepts of freedom, equality, consent, representation and justice. Americans are permanently enrolled in this seminar. And being a columnist is as much fun as can be had away from a ballpark. George Will is a columnist for The Washington Post.As the Colorado football team awaits its bowl destination, Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders are piling up awards. On Thursday, Hunter was named the Big 12 defensive player of the year, while Sanders was named the Big 12 offensive player of the year, giving the 23rd-ranked Buffaloes (9-3, 7-2 Big 12; No. 20 AP) a sweep of the top two honors in the conference. The Big 12 honors were voted on by league coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own players. This is the third time in CU history that the Buffs have had the conference offensive and defensive players of the year in the same season. In 1989, Darian Hagan (offense) and Alfred Williams (defense) were honored by the Big Eight; and in 1990, Eric Bieniemy (offense) and Williams (defense) were honored by the Big Eight. Sanders (quarterback), Hunter (cornerback and receiver) and BJ Green II (defensive line) all received first-team all-conference honors for the Buffs. Green was named the Big 12’s defensive newcomer of the year. Hunter, widely considered the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy, was the preseason choice for Big 12 defensive player of the year and he certainly didn’t disappoint. He led the Big 12 in passes defended with 15 (four interceptions, 11 passes broken up), despite rarely being targeted in coverage. He also has 31 tackles and had a game-sealing forced fumble in an overtime victory against Baylor. Hunter is just the seventh conference defensive player of the year from CU and only the second in the last 32 years (Jordan Dizon, Big 12 in 2007). The only full-time two-way player in college football, Hunter also received honorable mention for offensive player of the year honors. He leads the Big 12 in receptions (92) and receiving touchdowns (14) and is second in receiving yards (1,152). Sanders is the first CU quarterback to be named first-team all-conference since Koy Detmer in 1996. A senior, Sanders leads the Big 12 in completion percentage (74.2%), passing yards (3,926), touchdown passes (35) and quarterback rating (168.79). He’s also the only quarterback in the country who ranks top five nationally in those four categories. Sanders is the seventh conference offensive player of the year from CU and the second in the last five seasons, joining running back Jarek Broussard (Pac-12, 2020). A transfer from Arizona State, Green led the Buffs and is tied for second in the Big 12 with 7.5 sacks. He’s also third in the conference with a team-high 12 tackles for loss. He also has 30 tackles, a team-high 12 QB hurries and two forced fumbles, as well as a blocked kick. Green is the first Buff to receive conference newcomer of the year honors since Dizon in 2004 in the Big 12. Linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green earned second-team honors, after posting 82 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and two interceptions. Eight other Buffs received honorable mention at the their positions: defensive backs Preston Hodge, DJ McKinney and Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig; defensive lineman Chidozie Nwankwo; offensive lineman Jordan Seaton; receiver LaJohntay Wester; kicker Alejandro Mata; and punter Mark Vassett. In addition, defensive end Taje McCoy received honorable mention for defensive freshman of the year; Nwankwo honorable mention for defensive lineman of the year; Seaton honorable mention for offensive freshman of the year; and Wester received honorable mention for offensive newcomer of the year. While CU took home the top player honors, Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham was named the Big 12 coach of the year. The 15th-ranked Sun Devils (10-2, 7-2) were projected to finish last in the conference, but will play Iowa State in the Big 12 title game on Saturday. BYU kicker Will Ferrin and Iowa State returner Jaylin Noel were named the co-special teams players of the year. ASU receiver Jordyn Tyson, a transfer from CU, was named the offensive newcomer of the year, and Sun Devils QB Sam Leavitt was the offensive freshman of the year. West Virginia’s Josiah Trotter is the defensive freshman of the year and his teammate, Wyatt Milum, is the offensive lineman of the year. Kansas State’s Brendan Mott was named the defensive lineman of the year. Texas Tech running back Tahj Brooks and Kansas QB Jalon Daniels were named the scholar-athletes of the year. On Thursday, Sanders was named as one of 10 finalists for the Manning Award, which honors the top quarterback in the country. It is the only one of the three main quarterback awards to take bowl games into consideration, and the winner will be announced in January. ... According to 247Sports, CU defensive lineman Rayyan Buell is entering the transfer portal. A transfer from Ohio this year, Buell was limited to four games this year because of injury and finished with three tackles and a QB hurry.

Trump Does It Again: The Rise of New Media Share This article Donald Trump's win in November caused seismic waves across the country, and it shook up more than just politics. It served as a clear wakeup call to legacy media outlets. "They're doing soul searching, and I think it's going to be reflected in some of the content we see on the air and on websites and in newspapers," says veteran journalist Howard Polskin who now reports on the media. "I think everyone is going to be a lot more measured." MSNBC hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brezinski quickly saw the writing on the wall. "They are overseeing a sinking ship," says Curtis Houck with Newsbusters. "Joe and Mika, you could think of as the captains of the USS Resistance." After being vocal Trump critics, they met with the president-elect at Mar-a Lago and are now starting to play nice as they made clear recently on the broadcast. "Joe and I realize it's time to do something different," Brezinski told viewers. "That starts with not only talking about Donald Trump but also talking with him." The move by Joe and Mika makes sense based on ratings alone. Following the election, MSNBC's total viewership dropped 38% and CNN is down 27%. Houck sees this as desperate times. "Part of that desperation is going to meet with the 'fascist' himself," Houck tells CBN News. "And they've admitted in previous weeks that they want to do the show differently, which I take that to mean, perhaps go back to the Morning Joe that it used to be." But it might be too late to do any good. Trust in the media has been fading for years. Back in 1972, only 6 percent of Americans said they didn't trust the media. By the Clinton years in 1997, that number increased to 15 percent. When Trump first took office, it jumped to 24 percent and now, 8 years later, 36 percent of Americans don't trust the media at all. "That is such an extraordinary number, and it should be a shock wave in newsrooms across this country," says John Solomon, the CEO of Just The News. "Unfortunately, most newsrooms are still in denial...so I fear the pattern of misreporting, of loss of audience, loss of connection with audience, loss of perspective with audience, is going to continue." In this news media landscape, we're already seeing a trend of out with the old and in with the new. Trump took advantage of this and added a new wrinkle in 2024 by reaching out to podcasters, streaming services and social media influencers. "You saw him go after podcast platforms," Houck says. "He talked to his son, Barron, about this. He had a young comms team that thought about, where do young people get their news?" CHECK OUT CBN News on Rumble! Houck believes Trump has changed the way campaigns will communicate in the future: more emphasis on casual connection and far less on what's seen as traditional media. "Candidates venturing into the podcast sphere, new media atmosphere, whatever you want to call it, is this generation's question of yesteryear, of which candidate would I want to get a beer with." This new playing field could pit two media classes against each other with the battle playing out at The White House itself. The legacy media has encamped in the briefing room for decades. John Solomon, though, recounts to CBN News a conversation with Trump in 2020 when talk had already begun about shaking up how business is done. "I would not be surprised if you saw in a few weeks, the announcement of a creation of a new White House Correspondents Association and an alternate correspondence association," Solomon speculates. That could mean a group of more conservative outlets and possibly popular podcasters. "Maybe create a second press room," Solomon says. "Maybe it's in the Old Executive Office Building, which was where the discussions were in August of 2020, and let new media come in and let's see who covers the press conference more accurately, more fairly." Whether that happens or not, it's clear this new media landscape is spreading from print and television to the social media terrain. With the platform X now owned by Trump-supporting Elon Musk, liberals are fleeing in droves, moving to Bluesky, started by Twitter Founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey. "The news environment is going to be atomized even more," says veteran journalist Howard Polskin with the website therighting.com . "So now you're going to have social media platforms just for mainstreamers and liberals. You're going to have some just for the near right. Then you're going to have social media for the far right...that's just how the media business is going these days." It's all moving very fast. Just the way Trump likes it. ***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to receive the latest news alerts and updates from a distinctly Christian perspective New Trump DOJ Nominee Harmeet Dhillon Called a 'Huge Win for Life', Would Replace Official Who Targeted Pro-Lifers https://t.co/ArrV2udoqx pic.twitter.com/qs2uDgo2o3 Share This article About The AuthorHorace Mann Educators Co. (NYSE:HMN) Shares Bought by Intech Investment Management LLC

How major US stock indexes fared Tuesday, 12/10/2024

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Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders was taken to a hospital for a neck injury after landing on his head while making a catch late in the first half of Sunday's 30-27 home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. As Sanders was brought down near the sideline after a 10-yard reception, he was flipped upside down and landed directly on the top of his helmet as he went out of bounds on the tackle by cornerback Trent McDuffie. After receiving attention from the team's medical staff, Sanders was strapped to a backboard and taken off the field on a cart with 40 seconds remaining in the half. He was taken to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte for observation and later released Sunday afternoon, according to the team. On the CBS broadcast following halftime, Panthers head coach Dave Canales said Sanders had movement in all his extremities, while extreme precaution was taken because of back tightness. CBS reported he was being examined for a concussion before later amending that to a neck injury. The 21-year-old rookie out of Texas had a team-leading three receptions for the Panthers at the half for 49 yards. In 11 games this season, Sanders has 29 receptions for 302 yards and a touchdown. Sanders was a fourth-round selection in the NFL draft in April. --Field Level MediaAP News Summary at 4:05 p.m. ESTgolden empire jili game 。

The temporary closure of the bathing centers is part of a larger effort to ensure the safety and well-being of the public. By conducting thorough inspections and implementing necessary remedial measures, the authorities aim to prevent any further health incidents from occurring in the future. The proactive approach taken by the authorities underscores their commitment to upholding the highest standards of health and safety in public facilities.In conclusion, the introduction of refined measures for supervising the centralized procurement of drugs and medical consumables represents a significant step towards strengthening comprehensive oversight and improving the quality and efficiency of healthcare procurement in China. By enhancing transparency, accountability, and regulatory compliance throughout the procurement process, the government can better protect public health, promote fair competition, and ensure the availability of safe and effective medical supplies for all patients. Through these measures, China is laying the foundation for a more sustainable and resilient healthcare system that prioritizes quality, safety, and integrity in the provision of medical supplies.UP bypolls: Five reasons BJP won in Muslim-dominated Kundarki after gap of 3 decades

The Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team has gotten off to a fast start this season in more ways than one. The No. 16 Bearcats have raced to a 5-0 record while outscoring their opponents by more than 31 points per game, with just one team (Northern Kentucky) coming within 16 points. Cincinnati is averaging a robust 87 points per game with one of the more efficient offenses in college basketball. Cincinnati will look to continue that hot streak when it plays host to Alabama State in nonconference action Wednesday evening. Cincinnati has punished opposing defenses in a variety of ways this season. Despite being the No. 14 offense in the nation in Ken Pomeroy's efficiency ratings, the Bearcats aren't among the nation's leaders in pace. Still, they take advantage of those opportunities when they are there. "Us playing fast is something we want to do," Cincinnati forward Dillon Mitchell said. "When I was being recruited here, that was something Coach (Wes) Miller wanted to do. "There could be games where we're not making shots or something is off, but one thing is we're gonna push the ball, play hard and play fast. That's something he preaches. We'll be in shape and get rebounds." Mitchell is fresh off a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds in Cincinnati's 81-58 road win at Georgia Tech Saturday. He is one of four Bearcats to average double figures in scoring this season. That balance was on display once again against the Yellow Jackets, with Connor Hickman and Jizzle James also scoring 14 points each and Simas Lukosius contributing 12 points. In that game, Cincinnati sank 51.6 percent of its shots while regularly getting out into transition with 16 fastbreak points, while winning the rebounding battle 36-29. "Any time you get a road win over a quality, Power 4 team, you're gonna feel good about it," Miller said. "I was pleased with our effort." Lukosius is scoring 16.6 points per game, while James is at 14.0 points, followed by Mitchell at 12.4, while he also grabs a team-best 8.6 rebounds. Alabama State (3-3) has a tough task ahead, especially when considering its 97-78 loss at Akron Sunday, which ended a three-game winning streak. The Hornets allowed the Zips to shoot 46.4 percent from the field and were 53-32 in the rebounding battle. Alabama State gave up a season high in points, after playing the likes of LSU and UNLV earlier this season. Akron standout Nate Johnson lit up Alabama State for 25 points, as the game got away from the Hornets in the second half to keep them winless in true road games. Alabama leading scorers CJ Hines and TJ Madlock still got theirs against Akron, scoring 19 and 17 points, respectively. They were joined in double figures by reserve Tyler Mack (18 points), but recent history says they'll need more help to keep up with the Bearcats. Hines leads the Hornets with 15.7 points per game, while Madlock contributes 14.5 points. In previous Akron Basketball Classic wins last week against Omaha and Lamar, Alabama State featured at least four double-digit scorers in each game. --Field Level MediaDonald Trump’s aides have suggested that Iowa Senator Joni Ernst may be trying to sink the nomination of Pete Hegseth as defense secretary so that she can get the job instead. Ernst, a combat veteran and sexual assault survivor, has so far refused to publicly back Hegseth’s selection by Trump amid a string of controversies surrounding the Fox News host. Since his nomination, reports have emerged of Hegseth being accused of sexual assault , workplace misconduct, and alleged heavy drinking during work hours and at events. Additionally, he allegedly had multiple affairs throughout his first and second marriage – one of which led to him fathering a child with a Fox News producer. Ernst is considered a critical vote in Hegseth’s confirmation process given she is one of the nine women Republican Senators and had been rumored to be a possible replacement for the job. But her vote is also meaningful because of her military background and advocacy for sexual assault survivors. She has a long track record of supporting legislation aimed at addressing sexual assault within the military. While Ernst mulls over whether or not she will throw her support behind Hegseth, Trump’s aides have reportedly suggested she is holding out because she wants the role, according to The Guardian. But the Iowa senator publicly insists her hesitancy is based on the vetting process. “For a number of our senators, they want to make sure that any allegations are cleared, and that’s why we have to have a very thorough vetting process,” Ernst told Fox News on Thursday. In the same interview, Ernst confirmed she had not been convinced to vote “yes” on Hegseth. As defense secretary, Hegseth would be responsible for overseeing all U.S. military operations second to the president and providing the president with defense advice. The moment Trump nominated Hegseth for the position questions about his qualifications arose. Hegseth is a veteran of the Army National Guard who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. But he’s most well-known for being a Fox News host. Those questions have turned into genuine concerns for many since media reports revealed Hegseth has a history of sexual misconduct and heavy alcohol intake. Hegseth has denied those allegations and even promised to refrain from drinking alcohol if he is confirmed. But even with Trump, his own mother , former colleagues and Trump-aligned Senators backing him, it may not be enough for Ernst to vote for him. Hegseth is working with a very narrow margin in his confirmation vote. Assuming all Democratic Senators vote against him, he can only lose three Republican votes.

As the tennis world waits for Mamadashvili's return, her fans continue to show their support and encouragement on social media, sending messages of hope and positivity her way. The road to recovery may be long and challenging, but with her determination and resilience, Mamadashvili is sure to make a strong comeback and continue to make her mark on the world of tennis.May we all learn from Sun Yingsha's example and strive to emulate her spirit of kindness, humility, and joy in our own interactions, both on and off the court. Let her tiptoed pose serve as a beacon of hope and inspiration for us all, as we navigate the challenges of life with a smile and a sense of togetherness that transcends all boundaries.No. 16 Cincinnati tests efficient offense vs. Alabama State

Rashford's rise to stardom has been nothing short of spectacular. Coming through the ranks of Manchester United's youth academy, he quickly made a name for himself with his electrifying pace, technical skill, and clinical finishing. Over the years, he has established himself as one of the most talented and sought-after forwards in world football.Overall, BlueStacks Air represents a significant step forward in the world of mobile game emulation, offering Apple ARM Mac users a seamless and convenient way to enjoy their favorite Android games on a larger screen. With its diverse game library, customizable controls, and optimized performance, BlueStacks Air is set to revolutionize the gaming experience for Mac users worldwide.

One of the driving forces behind the cute economy is the power of nostalgia. Many young people grew up watching animated characters and playing with plush toys, and the resurgence of these beloved icons in the form of merchandise has struck a chord with consumers. Brands have capitalized on this sentiment by creating collaborations with popular animation studios and designers, bringing iconic characters to life in new and innovative ways.Following closely behind Palmer are two standout performers, B-Side and Kulu. B-Side has been a revelation for his team this season, with his creativity and vision on the field leading to 28 chances created so far. His ability to unlock defenses and find his teammates in dangerous positions has been crucial for his team's success.

Instagram locks out developers of third-party consumer appsNone

DETROIT (AP) — If Donald Trump makes good on his threat to slap 25% tariffs on everything imported from Mexico and Canada, the price increases that could follow will collide with his campaign promise to give American families a break from inflation. Economists say companies would have little choice but to pass along the added costs, dramatically raising prices for food, clothing, automobiles, booze and other goods. The president-elect floated the tariff idea, including additional 10% taxes on goods from China, as a way to force the countries to halt the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the U.S. But his posts Monday on Truth Social threatening the tariffs on his first day in office could just be a negotiating ploy to get the countries to change behavior. High food prices were a major issue in voters picking Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris, but tariffs almost certainly would push those costs up even further. For instance, the Produce Distributors Association, a Washington trade group, said Tuesday that tariffs will raise prices for fresh fruit and vegetables and hurt U.S. farmers when other countries retaliate. “Tariffs distort the marketplace and will raise prices along the supply chain, resulting in the consumer paying more at the checkout line,” said Alan Siger, association president. Mexico and Canada are two of the biggest exporters of fresh fruit and vegetables to the U.S. In 2022, Mexico supplied 51% of fresh fruit and 69% of fresh vegetables imported by value into the U.S., while Canada supplied 2% of fresh fruit and 20% of fresh vegetables. Before the election, about 7 in 10 voters said they were very concerned about the cost of food, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters. “We’ll get them down,” Trump told shoppers during a September visit to a Pennsylvania grocery store. The U.S. is the largest importer of goods in the world, with Mexico, China and Canada its top three suppliers, according to the most recent U.S. Census data. People looking to buy a new vehicle likely would see big price increases as well, at a time when costs have gone up so much that they are out of reach for many. The average price of a new vehicle now runs around $48,000. About 15% of the 15.6 million new vehicles sold in the U.S. last year came from Mexico, while 8% crossed the border from Canada, according to Global Data. Much of the tariffs would get passed along to consumers, unless automakers can somehow quickly find productivity improvements to offset them, said C.J. Finn, U.S. automotive sector leader for PwC, a consulting firm. That means even more consumers “would potentially get priced out of the activity” of buying a new vehicle, Finn said. Hardest hit would be Volkswagen, Stellantis, General Motors and Ford, Bernstein analyst Daniel Roeska wrote Tuesday in a note to investors. Stellantis and VW import about 40% of the vehicles they sell from Canada and Mexico, while it's 30% for GM and 25% for Ford. GM and Stellantis import more than half of their high-profit pickup trucks from the two countries, according to Bernstein. If Trump does impose the tariffs in January, the auto industry would have little time to adjust, putting operating profits at risk for the automakers, Roeska said in an email. “A 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada would severely cripple the U.S. auto industry,” he said. The tariffs would hurt U.S. industrial production so much that “we expect this is unlikely to happen in practice,” Roeska said. The tariff threat hit the stocks of some companies that could be particularly hurt, such as auto manufacturers and Constellation Brands, which sells Modelo and other Mexican beer brands in the United States. But the overall market held relatively steady near records as investors saw Trump’s proposal as more of an opening position for negotiations rather than as a definitive policy. It's not clear how long the tariffs would last if they are implemented, but they could force auto executives to move production to the U.S., which could create more jobs in the long run. But Morningstar analyst David Whiston said in the short term automakers probably won't make any moves because they can't quickly change where they build vehicles. To move to the U.S., they would have to buy equipment and revamp their parts supply chain, which can take years. “I think everyone is going to be in a wait-and-see mode,” Whiston said. Millions of dollars worth of auto parts flow across the borders with Mexico and Canada, and that could raise prices for already costly automobile repairs, Finn said. The Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. said tariffs on tequila or Canadian whisky won’t boost American jobs because they are distinctive products that can only be made in their country of origin. In 2023, the U.S. imported $4.6 billion worth of tequila and $108 million worth of mezcal from Mexico and $537 million worth of spirits from Canada, the council said. “At the end of the day, tariffs on spirits products from our neighbors to the north and south are going to hurt U.S. consumers and lead to job losses across the U.S. hospitality industry just as these businesses continue their long recovery from the pandemic,” the council said in a statement. Electronics retailer Best Buy said on its third-quarter earnings conference call that it runs on thin profit margins, so while vendors and the company will shoulder some increases, Best Buy will have to pass tariffs on to customers. “These are goods that people need, and higher prices are not helpful,” CEO Corie Barry said. Walmart also warned this week that tariffs could force it to raise prices, as did Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who talked with Trump after his call for tariffs, said they had a good conversation about how the countries can work together on the challenges they face. "This is something that we can do, laying out the facts and moving forward in constructive ways. This is a relationship that we know takes a certain amount of working on and that’s what we’ll do,” Trudeau said. Trump's transition team wouldn't comment on the call. Also Monday, Trump turned his ire to China, saying he has “had many talks with China about the massive amounts of drugs, in particular Fentanyl, being sent into the United States – But to no avail.” The Chinese Embassy in Washington cautioned on Monday that there will be losers on all sides if there is a trade war. Trump's threats come as arrests for illegally crossing the border from Mexico have been falling . The most recent U.S. numbers for October show arrests remain near four-year lows. But arrests for illegally crossing the border from Canada have been rising over the past two years. Much of America’s fentanyl is smuggled from Mexico. Border seizures of the drug rose sharply under President Joe Biden. The tariffs would also throw into doubt the reliability of the 2020 trade deal brokered in large part by Trump with Canada and Mexico, the USMCA, which replaced NAFTA and is up for review in 2026. Trump transition team officials did not immediately respond to questions about what authority he would use, what he would need to see to prevent the tariffs from being implemented and how they would impact prices in the U.S. Mexico’s Foreign Relations Department and Economy Department also had no immediate reaction to Trump’s statements. ___ Rugaber reported from Washington. AP reporters Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit, Stan Choe and Anne D'Innocenzio in New York, and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.Is this the end of Christmas cards? 5 creative ways to spread holiday cheer without the mailbox

Like, we’re talking Bra Kop from Rhythm City vibes! Wrinkles, grey hair, bald head—iyoh, nothing about this says “boyfriend material,” guys! But here she is, standing by her man like it’s nobody’s business. Social media is in shambles after it emerged that influencer Samkelisiwe Mncube has welcomed her first child—with a man old enough to be her granddad! The timeline couldn’t believe their ears (or eyes) as news of Samkelisiwe’s very mature boyfriend sent tongues wagging. Samkelisiwe’s baby reveal was meant to be all love and cuteness, but instead, it turned into a dragging fest when social media spotted her holding hands with a very old man. Like, we’re talking Bra Kop from Rhythm City vibes! Wrinkles, grey hair, bald head—iyoh, nothing about this says “boyfriend material,” guys! But here she is, standing by her man like it’s nobody’s business. The drama started when @sanelenkosi shared pictures of Samke and her madala with the caption: “Samkelisiwe Mncube & her boyfriend have officially welcomed their first child together.” And listen, the comments? A mess! @averytiredgirly: “Surely there’s an age limit to being a boyfriend 😔. Calling ntate mogolo o re boyfriend haikhona.” @Phut454118: “Is this gran daddy rich rich?” @Piru4l: “ANYTHING for the bag. Such an old man being a boyfriend.” @sirboring_26: “Bra, that baby gonna recognise that man as its grandaddy.” @Lwandee2: “Until it’s sports day and fathers have to participate 😎.” @MzansiKay: “‘We listen, we don’t judge.’ How Ramaphosa’s economy is killing the youth version 😭.” @BoogieHarrySA “Did you just said “Her Boyfriend” man this shit weird AF for days... that looks like a grandpa 🤔” @RealestRoseGold “The word boyfriend doesn’t sit well with me.” And let’s not forget, this isn’t the first time the couple’s unconventional romance has been a hot topic. Back in July, when their age gap was questioned, Samkelisiwe clapped back, saying: “It was never a secret of who I’m with and the age gap between ❤️🫶🏾. I hope this answers all the quotes and replies to this post. Take care.” But the streets are still not convinced: Is this love, or is Samke just chasing the bag? Whatever the case, she’s standing by her man—Bra Kop vibes and all. What do you think, Mzansi? Let us know in the comments!

As the suspect awaits trial and the victim's family mourns the untimely loss, the case of the Ivy League graduate implicated in the high-profile shooting will continue to resonate as a cautionary tale of unchecked ambition, unchecked power, and unfulfilled aspirations in the cutthroat world of corporate America.Austin Ekeler was concussed late in the Commanders' loss and taken to hospital for evaluation LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Austin Ekeler was concussed in the final minute of the Washington Commanders’ loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday and taken to a hospital for further evaluation. Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press Nov 24, 2024 2:27 PM Nov 24, 2024 2:35 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Austin Ekeler was concussed in the final minute of the Washington Commanders’ loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday and taken to a hospital for further evaluation. Coach Dan Quinn said he and general manager Adam Peters got to visit with Ekeler before he went to the hospital. A team spokesperson said the decision to transport Ekeler was made out of an abundance of caution. Ekeler, 29, was injured when he was tackled by Damone Clark and Nick Vigil on a kickoff return with 9 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Ekeler remained down on the field for some time being attended to by medical personnel, and players from each team knelt around him with their helmets off. Lineman Andrew Wylie was also concussed and fellow running back Brian Robinson Jr. sprained an ankle in Washington’s third consecutive defeat. Ekeler is in his first season with the Commanders after spending his first nine years in the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Football (NFL) Panthers rookie tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders released from hospital after suffering neck injury Nov 24, 2024 2:21 PM Sam Darnold leads game-winning drive in OT and Vikings beat Bears 30-27 after blowing late lead Nov 24, 2024 2:17 PM A late-game rally derailed by a missed field goal and Cowboys stun Commanders 34-26 Nov 24, 2024 2:14 PM

On a chilly March evening while out for a walk with his dog Sparky on the North Side, Robert Miller came upon some books scattered on the sidewalk. Even in the dim light, Miller could see that these books, seven of them, were not the flimsy, glossy kind destined for a dumpster or part of one of those front-yard free library huts. Miller, a retired Social Security administrator, peered closer. The books were sturdy, luxuriously bound in a material the color of antique ivory. The pages were thick and rough to the touch. He could tell that the books were old — very old. “I look around, there’s nobody there and they are just lying on the ground,” Miller, 75, recalled recently. “They are beautiful books.” He quickly stuffed the smaller volumes into his coat pockets, tucking the larger ones under his arms as he continued walking in his North Center neighborhood. And as he walked, his imagination ran wild. Perhaps they’d been stolen and then thrown away when the thief failed to find a buyer, Miller at first considered. “My working theory was that someone was angry at someone [else] and took their books and threw them away,” Miller said. It would be another eight months before Miller learned the true story: that the books belonged to an 88-year-old North Side bachelor who’d spent his life traveling and collecting letters, toy soldiers, military garb and books — so many books that he’d lost track of how many he owned. And it took the patient sleuthing of a rare books and manuscripts curator from the Newberry Library to reunite the lost books — some printed decades before Shakespeare penned his first play — with their owner earlier this month. Suzanne Karr Schmidt, the Newberry curator, remembers receiving an email from Miller shortly after he’d found the books . He told her he wanted help returning them to their rightful owner. “Honestly, I thought it might be a fraud or some kind of scam initially,” Karr Schmidt said. But Miller faithfully responded to every request the curator made, sending her image after image of the pages inside the books, which she determined were rare volumes made in Germany during the Renaissance — the oldest printed in 1525. “And [Miller] had a dog named Sparky,” Karr Schmidt joked. Books date as far back as 1525 The books — written in Latin, French and German — were printed in Germany between 1525 and 1725. Several of them deal with the Protestant Reformation — the 16th Century movement that splintered the Catholic Church. The books — and the hand-written notes in the margins — give people like Karr Schmidt a remarkable window into the fierce debates of the day about the divisions within the Church. Someone has scrawled a giant X across the title page of a book written by the Dutch scholar Desiderius Erasmus, who eventually came out against the Reformation and its best-known proponent, the German theologian, Martin Luther. “It’s almost a viral sort of moment where print is really raising Martin Luther’s status, but also people trying to cut him down at the same time,” Karr Schmidt said. The lost books are in “beautiful shape, she said, adding, “Almost all of them are in the original bindings.” Those bindings were likely made of pig skin, some stamped with intricate floral designs. But there were no markings in the books that pointed to a recent owner — either a private one or perhaps something showing they belonged to a university. Karr Schmidt scoured the internet, reaching out to antiquarian booksellers, both in the United States and overseas. She came up empty. Then three weeks ago, about eight months after Miller found the books, Karr Schmidt came across an image of the binding of one of the lost volumes posted on the website of an Austrian book dealer. The dealer, who knew Karr Schmidt, agreed to give her the contact information for the man who’d bought that book back in 2021. It was Marvin Rawski, a lifelong Chicagoan. Rawski, a Lane Tech High School graduate, spent almost three decades doing aviation electrical work at O’Hare Airport. His passion, what still gives this octogenarian’s life purpose, is collecting things. Rawski lives on the top floor of a North Center two-flat in a dimly lit apartment cluttered with books. What little light there is comes from a few old reading lamps, one with a bare incandescent bulb. He has books on shelves, books in stacks of gray “archive” boxes, an island of books in his bedroom. He keeps his clothes in shopping bags so that he can store even more books in his bedroom dresser. He’s happy to show a visitor his collection, but he doesn’t brag or display his treasures prominently. Last week, a suitcase lay on his sofa — from a recent trip to France to buy more books. “It’s wonderful to have things that are hundreds and hundreds of years old in your hand,” he said during a chat last week. “The quest is always interesting. One book leads to another book.” Rawski’s oldest books date back to the mid-1400s, he said. Rawski’s relentless hunt for books meant he had no time to search for the things of a more conventional life. He never married. “I was too busy running around collecting something, and collecting a wife was not one of the things I wanted to do,” he said. The trouble with owning so many books — “hundreds and hundreds and hundreds,” he said — is that Rawski doesn’t always know when he’s missing a few. Last March, he was doing a little tidying, getting rid of what he thought were all boxes of magazines and periodicals. He dropped a box on the sidewalk while taking it out to the trash. He said he would have bent down to retrieve it, but his back ached and so he left it for later. When he went back, the box had disappeared. A ‘very embarrassing situation’ It wasn’t until earlier this month that Karr Schmidt reached out to Rawski, through an email to his goddaughter, to say that the library had some of his books (he didn’t have an active email account at the time). “I was flabbergasted because as far as I was concerned, I was not missing any books,” Rawski said. He described it as a “very embarrassing situation.” To show his gratitude, he decided to donate two of the books to the museum. “It was a very nice thing they did for me. They could have kept” all the books, he said. Miller — who has yet to meet the book collector even though he lives in Rawski’s neighborhood — said he’s delighted the books are in safe hands once again. “As lovely as they are and as interesting as they are, I felt they should be someplace where they could be properly cared for and preserved,” he said. On Friday, Rawski was peeling the wrapping paper from a small book bound in red leather that he’d bought on his most recent trip abroad. Was he glad to have the lost books back in his possession? Yes. Does he now have them safely stored away? Sort of. “If you were to ask me to show you one of those books right now, I would be hard-pressed to quickly find them.”1. Procrasti-studying: Procrastination is a common phenomenon among college students, and it reaches peak levels during finals week. Procrasti-studying refers to the act of avoiding studying for exams by engaging in non-essential tasks such as cleaning, organizing, or binge-watching TV shows. While it may provide temporary relief from the stress of finals, it often leads to last-minute cramming and panic.In addition to his club performances, Son Heung-Min's impact on the South Korean national team cannot be overlooked. As a key figure in the team, he has led by example and inspired his fellow players to strive for greatness. His presence on the international stage has not only boosted South Korea's chances in various competitions but has also raised the profile of Korean football on a global scale.Is Tesla’s Stock the New Goldmine? Discover What Gamers Need to Know

The million-dollar windfall, which inexplicably appeared right after Team 98's historic match, was like a dream come true for the villagers. It was as if the heavens themselves were rewarding their team's courage, determination, and never-say-die attitude in the face of overwhelming odds. The villagers, who had always lived modestly and worked hard to make ends meet, were suddenly blessed with unexpected wealth, sparking a wave of gratitude and disbelief throughout the community.

Overall, the FIFPro Men's World XI for 2021 represents a diverse and talented group of players who have excelled at the highest level of the sport. While the absence of familiar names like Messi, Ronaldo, and Salah may come as a surprise to some, the inclusion of rising stars like Kylian Mbappe and the dominance of Real Madrid players underscore the ongoing evolution of football and the emergence of new talents on the global stage. As the new year approaches, football fans can look forward to more exciting performances and memorable moments from these incredible athletes.

golden empire jili hack President-elect Donald Trump has once again suggested he wants to revert the name of North America’s tallest mountain — Alaska's Denali — to Mount McKinley, wading into a sensitive and decades-old conflict about what the peak should be called. Former President Barack Obama changed the official name to Denali in 2015 to reflect the traditions of Alaska Natives as well as the preference of many Alaska residents. The federal government in recent years has endeavored to change place-names considered disrespectful to Native people. “Denali” is an Athabascan word meaning “the high one" or “the great one.” A prospector in 1896 dubbed the peak “Mount McKinley” after President William McKinley, who had never been to Alaska. That name was formally recognized by the U.S. government until Obama changed it over opposition from lawmakers in McKinley's home state of Ohio. Trump suggested in 2016 that he might undo Obama's action, but he dropped that notion after Alaska's senators objected. He raised it again during a rally in Phoenix on Sunday. “McKinley was a very good, maybe a great president,” Trump said Sunday. “They took his name off Mount McKinley, right? That’s what they do to people.” Once again, Trump's suggestion drew quick opposition within Alaska. “Uh. Nope. It’s Denali,” Democratic state Sen. Scott Kawasaki posted on the social platform X Sunday night. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski , who for years pushed for legislation to change the name to Denali, conveyed a similar sentiment in a post of her own. “There is only one name worthy of North America’s tallest mountain: Denali — the Great One,” Murkowski wrote on X. Various tribes of Athabascan people have lived in the shadow of the 20,310-foot (6,190-meter) mountain for thousands of years. McKinley, a Republican native of Ohio who served as the 25th president, was assassinated early in his second term in 1901 in Buffalo, New York. Alaska and Ohio have been at odds over the name since at least the 1970s. Alaska had a standing request to change the name since 1975, when the legislature passed a resolution and then-Gov. Jay Hammond appealed to the federal government. Known for its majestic views, the mountain is dotted with glaciers and covered at the top with snow year-round, with powerful winds that make it difficult for the adventurous few who seek to climb it. Rush reported from Portland, Oregon.

Reevaluating Blake Lively: 'It Ends With Us' actress's legal complaint against Justin Baldoni puts misogyny in the spotlight

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Ayushman card process remains stalledNoneNFL icon Terry Bradshaw conceded he believed Nick Sirianni's days were numbered with the Philadelphia Eagles , especially after a heated moment with fans back in Week 5. After securing a pivotal 20-16 victory over the Cleveland Browns in October, Philadelphia's triumph was somewhat overshadowed by Sirianni's altercation with the hometown crowd. Sirianni's sideline passion is nothing new, but tensions escalated when he exchanged words with Philly supporters. The interaction sparked speculation of friction between Sirianni and the fan base, prompting an apology from the Eagles coach. "What I was really doing, I was trying to bring energy yesterday, energy and enthusiasm, and I'm sorry and disappointed at how my energy was directed at the end of the game," Sirianni said. NFL legend Rob Gronkowski's staggering net worth after huge investment discovery Georgia HC Kirby Smart chokes up, walks away from Gunner Stockton interview "My energy should be all in on coaching, and motivating, right? And celebrating with our guys. And I got to have to have better wisdom and discernment of when to use that energy and that wasn't the time." Since then, the NFC East team has been unstoppable, with the Eagles notching nine straight wins since their coach's clash with the crowd. Reflecting on the team’s impressive streak on 'FOX NFL Sunday', Bradshaw confessed that at the time, he assumed Sirianni wouldn’t make it. "I thought that head coach was gone after that confrontation," Bradshaw reflected. Yet the Eagles have soared to become a powerhouse in the NFC, neck and neck with the Detroit Lions due to their impressive 11-2 record. The Eagles are reaching new heights, largely thanks to Saquon Barkley's standout performances, catapulting him into the thick of the MVP conversation. Barkley has shattered records with nine games this season breaking the hundred-yard rushing mark, setting a new franchise high. In Sunday's matchup, Barkley dashed for 124 yards, while Jalen Hurts, albeit passing for a modest 108 yards, connected with DeVonta Smith and Grant Calcaterra for touchdowns in a tight 22-16 triumph over Carolina Panthers. Hurts also contributed a rushing TD aided by the 'Brotherly Shove'. Despite a gritty performance from the Panthers, with Bryce Young showcasing his evolving skills, their comeback drive was stifled as Xavier Legette fumbled what could've been a winning touchdown followed by Darius Slay's critical pass disruption on fourth down, ensuring an Eagles' win. The Eagles will confront the stellar Pittsburgh Steelers, who boast a 10-3 record, come Sunday, December 15. Want to watch more live sports? Peacock has your favorite sports, shows, and more all in one place. Peacock offers plans starting at $7.99 so you can stream live sports like NFL, Premier League, and Big Ten Football.

JERUSALEM — The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants began early Wednesday as a region on edge wondered whether it will hold. The ceasefire announced Tuesday is a major step toward ending nearly 14 months of fighting sparked by the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. Israel said it will attack if Hezbollah breaks the ceasefire agreement. The ceasefire calls for an initial two-month halt to fighting and requires Hezbollah to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops are to return to their side of the border. An international panel led by the United States will monitor compliance. People are also reading... The ceasefire began at 4 a.m. Wednesday, a day after Israel carried out its most intense wave of airstrikes in Beirut since the start of the conflict that in recent weeks turned into all-out war. At least 42 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities. Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. Bilal Hussein - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS The ceasefire does not address the devastating war in Gaza, where Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages and the conflict is more intractable. There appeared to be lingering disagreement over whether Israel would have the right to strike Hezbollah if it believed the militants had violated the agreement, something Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted was part of the deal but which Lebanese and Hezbollah officials have rejected. Israel's security Cabinet approved the U.S.-France-brokered ceasefire agreement after Netanyahu presented it, his office said. U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking in Washington, called the agreement “good news” and said his administration would make a renewed push for a ceasefire in Gaza. The Biden administration spent much of this year trying to broker a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza but the talks repeatedly sputtered to a halt. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring peace to the Middle East without saying how. Still, any halt to the fighting in Lebanon is expected to reduce the likelihood of war between Israel and Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and Hamas and exchanged direct fire with Israel on two occasions earlier this year. In this screen grab image from video provide by the Israeli Government Press Office, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes a televised statement Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, in Jerusalem, Israel. Uncredited - hogp, ASSOCIATED PRESS Israel says it will ‘attack with might’ if Hezbollah breaks truce Netanyahu presented the ceasefire proposal to Cabinet ministers after a televised address in which he listed accomplishments against Israel’s enemies across the region. He said a ceasefire with Hezbollah would further isolate Hamas in Gaza and allow Israel to focus on its main enemy, Iran. “If Hezbollah breaks the agreement and tries to rearm, we will attack,” he said. “For every violation, we will attack with might.” The ceasefire deal calls for a two-month initial halt in fighting and would require Hezbollah to end its armed presence in a broad swath of southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops would return to their side of the border. Thousands of additional Lebanese troopsand U.N. peacekeepers would deploy in the south, and an international panel headed by the United States would monitor compliance. Biden said Israel reserved the right to quickly resume operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah breaks the terms of the truce, but that the deal "was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.” A police bomb squad officer inspects the site where a rocket fired from Lebanon landed in a backyard in Kiryat Shmona, northern Israel, Tuesday Nov. 26, 2024. Leo Correa - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS Netanyahu’s office said Israel appreciated the U.S. efforts in securing the deal but “reserves the right to act against every threat to its security.” Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the ceasefire and described it as a crucial step toward stability and the return of displaced people. Hezbollah has said it accepts the proposal, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday it had not seen the agreement in its final form. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Al Jazeera news network. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state," he said, referring to Israel's demand for freedom of action. “Any violation of sovereignty is refused.” Rescuers and residents search for victims Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a building in Beirut, Lebanon. Hassan Ammar, Associated Press Warplanes bombard Beirut and its southern suburbs Even as ceasefire efforts gained momentum in recent days, Israel continued to strike what it called Hezbollah targets across Lebanon while the militants fired rockets, missiles and drones across the border. An Israeli strike on Tuesday leveled a residential building in central Beirut — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Israel also struck a building in Beirut's bustling commercial district of Hamra for the first time, hitting a site around 400 meters (yards) from Lebanon’s Central Bank. There were no reports of casualties. The Israeli military said it struck targets linked to Hezbollah's financial arm. The evacuation warnings covered many areas, including parts of Beirut that previously were not targeted. Residents fled. Traffic was gridlocked, with mattresses tied to some cars. Dozens of people, some wearing pajamas, gathered in a central square, huddling under blankets or standing around fires as Israeli drones buzzed overhead. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings for 20 buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a major presence, as well as a warning for the southern town of Naqoura where the U.N. peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, is headquartered. UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said peacekeepers will not evacuate. Israeli soldiers inspect the site Tuesday Nov. 26, 2024, where a rocket fired from Lebanon landed in a backyard in Kiryat Shmona, northern Israel. Leo Correa, Associated Press Israeli forces reach Litani River in southern Lebanon The Israeli military also said its ground troops clashed with Hezbollah forces and destroyed rocket launchers in the Slouqi area on the eastern end of the Litani River, a few kilometers (miles) from the Israeli border. Under the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah is required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the border. Hezbollah began firing into northern Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, saying it was showing support for the Palestinians, a day after Hamas carried out its attack on southern Israel, triggering the Gaza war. Israel returned fire on Hezbollah, and the two sides have exchanged barrages ever since. Israel escalated its bombardment in mid-September and later sent troops into Lebanon, vowing to put an end to Hezbollah fire so tens of thousands of evacuated Israelis could return to their homes. Israeli security officers and army soldiers inspect the site Tuesday Nov. 26, 2024, where a rocket fired from Lebanon landed in a backyard in Kiryat Shmona, northern Israel. Leo Correa, Associated Press More than 3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon the past 13 months, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The bombardment has driven 1.2 million people from their homes. Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members. Hezbollah fire has forced some 50,000 Israelis to evacuate in the country’s north, and its rockets have reached as far south in Israel as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people have been killed, more than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers have died in the ground offensive in Lebanon. Chehayeb and Mroue reported from Beirut and Federman from Jerusalem. Associated Press reporters Lujain Jo and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed. 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Before Week 16, the Las Vegas Raiders were neck-and-neck with the New York Giants for the distinction of worst record in the NFL and the reward that comes with it: the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. The Raiders (3-12) have now plummeted out of the top five thanks to their 19-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Raiders coach Antonio Pierce didn't want hear about it when addressing reporters Monday, one day after fans on social media trashed the organization for winning a so-called meaningless game that hurt their draft position. He said fans more concerned with the team's 2025 draft picks should "Talk to Tom Telesco" -- Las Vegas' general manager -- before going deeper. "We don't do this to lose," Pierce said. "We don't do this for anybody's fantasy football team. We don't do this for anybody's draft projections. None of that (expletive) matters to us. The only thing that matters is winning, and that's all we want to do." The Raiders' win was their first since Sept. 29, ending a 10-game losing streak. The Giants lost their 10th straight game to be the NFL's only 2-13 team. Las Vegas is not only tied with four other teams at 3-12, but it currently sits in the No. 6 overall spot because it loses the strength of schedule tiebreaker to the New England Patriots, Jaguars, Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns. It's felt acutely by Raiders fans because the franchise has run into a black hole at quarterback. Las Vegas has used Gardner Minshew, Aidan O'Connell and Desmond Ridder at the position, with none making a case to be the starter in 2025 and beyond. Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and Miami's Cam Ward are the only two quarterbacks projected to go in the first round by many recent mock drafts. The last time the Raiders got to select No. 1 overall in 2007, they picked QB JaMarcus Russell, widely considered one of the biggest NFL draft busts of all time. The Raiders' two remaining games come Dec. 29 at the New Orleans Saints and in Week 18 at home against the Los Angeles Chargers. --Field Level MediaIsrael and Lebanon's Hezbollah agree to a ceasefire after nearly 14 months of fighting

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By REBECCA SANTANA WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has promised to end birthright citizenship as soon as he gets into office to make good on campaign promises aiming to restrict immigration and redefining what it means to be American. But any efforts to halt the policy would face steep legal hurdles. Birthright citizenship means anyone born in the United States automatically becomes an American citizen. It’s been in place for decades and applies to children born to someone in the country illegally or in the U.S. on a tourist or student visa who plans to return to their home country. It’s not the practice of every country, and Trump and his supporters have argued that the system is being abused and that there should be tougher standards for becoming an American citizen. But others say this is a right enshrined in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, it would be extremely difficult to overturn and even if it’s possible, it’s a bad idea. Here’s a look at birthright citizenship, what Trump has said about it and the prospects for ending it: What Trump has said about birthright citizenship During an interview Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Trump said he “absolutely” planned to halt birthright citizenship once in office. “We’re going to end that because it’s ridiculous,” he said. Trump and other opponents of birthright citizenship have argued that it creates an incentive for people to come to the U.S. illegally or take part in “birth tourism,” in which pregnant women enter the U.S. specifically to give birth so their children can have citizenship before returning to their home countries. “Simply crossing the border and having a child should not entitle anyone to citizenship,” said Eric Ruark, director of research for NumbersUSA, which argues for reducing immigration. The organization supports changes that would require at least one parent to be a permanent legal resident or a U.S. citizen for their children to automatically get citizenship. Others have argued that ending birthright citizenship would profoundly damage the country. “One of our big benefits is that people born here are citizens, are not an illegal underclass. There’s better assimilation and integration of immigrants and their children because of birthright citizenship,” said Alex Nowrasteh, vice president for economic and social policy studies at the pro-immigration Cato Institute. In 2019, the Migration Policy Institute estimated that 5.5 million children under age 18 lived with at least one parent in the country illegally in 2019, representing 7% of the U.S. child population. The vast majority of those children were U.S. citizens. The nonpartisan think tank said during Trump’s campaign for president in 2015 that the number of people in the country illegally would “balloon” if birthright citizenship were repealed, creating “a self-perpetuating class that would be excluded from social membership for generations.” What does the law say? In the aftermath of the Civil War, Congress ratified the 14th Amendment in July 1868. That amendment assured citizenship for all, including Black people. “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside,” the 14th Amendment says. “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.” But the 14th Amendment didn’t always translate to everyone being afforded birthright citizenship. For example, it wasn’t until 1924 that Congress finally granted citizenship to all Native Americans born in the U.S. A key case in the history of birthright citizenship came in 1898, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Wong Kim Ark, born in San Francisco to Chinese immigrants, was a U.S. citizen because he was born in the states. The federal government had tried to deny him reentry into the county after a trip abroad on grounds he wasn’t a citizen under the Chinese Exclusion Act. But some have argued that the 1898 case clearly applied to children born of parents who are both legal immigrants to America but that it’s less clear whether it applies to children born to parents without legal status or, for example, who come for a short-term like a tourist visa. “That is the leading case on this. In fact, it’s the only case on this,” said Andrew Arthur, a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, which supports immigration restrictions. “It’s a lot more of an open legal question than most people think.” Some proponents of immigration restrictions have argued the words “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” in the 14th Amendment allows the U.S. to deny citizenship to babies born to those in the country illegally. Trump himself used that language in his 2023 announcement that he would aim to end birthright citizenship if reelected. So what could Trump do and would it be successful? Trump wasn’t clear in his Sunday interview how he aims to end birthright citizenship. Asked how he could get around the 14th Amendment with an executive action, Trump said: “Well, we’re going to have to get it changed. We’ll maybe have to go back to the people. But we have to end it.” Pressed further on whether he’d use an executive order, Trump said “if we can, through executive action.” He gave a lot more details in a 2023 post on his campaign website . In it, he said he would issue an executive order the first day of his presidency, making it clear that federal agencies “require that at least one parent be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident for their future children to become automatic U.S. citizens.” Related Articles National Politics | Trump has flip-flopped on abortion policy. His appointees may offer clues to what happens next National Politics | In promising to shake up Washington, Trump is in a class of his own National Politics | Election Day has long passed. In some states, legislatures are working to undermine the results National Politics | Trump taps his attorney Alina Habba to serve as counselor to the president National Politics | With Trump on the way, advocates look to states to pick up medical debt fight Trump wrote that the executive order would make clear that children of people in the U.S. illegally “should not be issued passports, Social Security numbers, or be eligible for certain taxpayer funded welfare benefits.” This would almost certainly end up in litigation. Nowrasteh from the Cato Institute said the law is clear that birthright citizenship can’t be ended by executive order but that Trump may be inclined to take a shot anyway through the courts. “I don’t take his statements very seriously. He has been saying things like this for almost a decade,” Nowrasteh said. “He didn’t do anything to further this agenda when he was president before. The law and judges are near uniformly opposed to his legal theory that the children of illegal immigrants born in the United States are not citizens.” Trump could steer Congress to pass a law to end birthright citizenship but would still face a legal challenge that it violates the Constitution. Associated Press reporter Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.

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A 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and prevent an artificial intelligence "dictatorship" is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker's ongoing shift into a for-profit company. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year alleging it had betrayed its founding aims as a nonprofit research lab benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. The world's richest man, whose companies include Tesla, SpaceX and social media platform X, last year started his own rival AI company, xAI. Musk says it faces unfair competition from OpenAI and its close business partner Microsoft, which has supplied the huge computing resources needed to build AI systems such as ChatGPT. “OpenAI and Microsoft together exploiting Musk’s donations so they can build a for-profit monopoly, one now specifically targeting xAI, is just too much,” says Musk's filing that alleges the companies are violating the terms of Musk’s foundational contributions to the charity. OpenAI is filing a response Friday opposing Musk’s requested order, saying it would cripple OpenAI’s business and mission to the advantage of Musk and his own AI company. A hearing is set for January before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland. At the heart of the dispute is a 2017 internal power struggle at the fledgling startup that led to Altman becoming OpenAI's CEO. Musk also wanted the job, according to emails revealed as part of the court case, but grew frustrated after two other OpenAI co-founders said he would hold too much power as a major shareholder and chief executive if the startup succeeded in its goal to achieve better-than-human AI known as artificial general intelligence , or AGI. Musk has long voiced concerns about how advanced forms of AI could threaten humanity. “The current structure provides you with a path where you end up with unilateral absolute control over the AGI," said a 2017 email to Musk from co-founders Ilya Sutskever and Greg Brockman. “You stated that you don't want to control the final AGI, but during this negotiation, you've shown to us that absolute control is extremely important to you.” In the same email, titled “Honest Thoughts,” Sutskever and Brockman also voiced concerns about Altman's desire to be CEO and whether he was motivated by “political goals.” Altman eventually succeeded in becoming CEO, and has remained so except for a period last year when he was fired and then reinstated days later after the board that ousted him was replaced. OpenAI published the messages Friday in a blog post meant to show its side of the story, particularly Musk's early support for the idea of making OpenAI a for-profit business so it could raise money for the hardware and computer power that AI needs. It was Musk, through his wealth manager Jared Birchall, who first registered “Open Artificial Technologies Technologies, Inc.”, a public benefit corporation, in September 2017. Then came the “Honest Thoughts” email that Musk described as the “final straw.” “Either go do something on your own or continue with OpenAI as a nonprofit,” Musk wrote back. OpenAI said Musk later proposed merging the startup into Tesla before resigning as the co-chair of OpenAI's board in early 2018. Musk didn't immediately respond to emailed requests for comment sent to his companies Friday. Asked about his frayed relationship with Musk at a New York Times conference last week, Altman said he felt “tremendously sad” but also characterized Musk’s legal fight as one about business competition. “He’s a competitor and we’re doing well,” Altman said. He also said at the conference that he is “not that worried” about the Tesla CEO’s influence with President-elect Donald Trump. OpenAI said Friday that Altman plans to make a $1 million personal donation to Trump’s inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships with the incoming administration. —————————— The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement allowing OpenAI access to part of the AP’s text archives.Finally, Time for California to Get Real on High-Speed Rail

Syracuse and Georgetown meet for the 100th time Saturday when the Orange host the Hoyas in the latest installment of their classic rivalry. As former Big East Conference rivals, Syracuse and Georgetown have staged many memorable contests over the decades with the Orange holding a 54-45 all-time advantage. The teams still meet annually despite the Orange now playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Syracuse has won five of the last seven meetings, including a 12-point triumph in Washington D.C. last December. "It definitely felt like a Big East game," Hoyas coach Ed Cooley said after last season's contest. This time around, Georgetown (7-2) is coming off a 73-60 loss to West Virginia in which the team shot under 38 percent from the floor and committed 14 turnovers. "When the ball has music, when the ball is singing, unbelievable music happens," Cooley said. "The music is the play. The music is body movement and screening an open shot. We didn't have good music today." Thomas Sorber is the team's leading scorer at 15.4 points per game, although the freshman has failed to reach that average in six of the last seven games. Syracuse (5-4), meanwhile, is coming off a 102-85 win over Albany despite the absence of leading scorer J.J. Starling (19.8 points), who is out indefinitely with a hand injury. In his stead, freshman Donnie Freeman supplied 24 points on 10-of-13 shooting despite playing just 23 minutes due to an illness. "Whatever (illness) he has, he needs to keep that, if he can keep playing like, whatever he was feeling," Orange coach Adrian Autry joked. Syracuse will be looking for more success from 3-point range after hitting 6-of-15 (40 percent) against Albany. In their previous game -- a five-point loss to Notre Dame -- the Orange failed to make a 3-pointer for the first time in more than a decade. No Syracuse player has made more than 11 3-pointers this season -- and even that player (Chris Bell) is only shooting 25 percent from long distance. --Field Level MediaMissing dog returned to family home and rang the doorbell WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Athena, a 4-year-old German Shepherd and Husky mix, escaped her home in Green Cove Springs, Florida, on Dec. 15, prompting a search among the community and nearby towns for her. Yet on Christmas Eve, Athena appeared at the family's front door ringing on their doorbell — ending a search after more than a week. Her owner, Brooke Comer, said Athena's escape brought multiple communities in her town and neighboring towns to search for her dog, and that Athena's escape was about a 20-mile roundtrip near the train tracks. Sinkhole in New Jersey keeps I-80 closed after a section collapses into an abandoned mine WHARTON, N.J. (AP) — Road crews are repairing Interstate 80 in northern New Jersey after a sinkhole from an abandoned mine shut down the eastbound lanes. The state’s transportation department says it remains unknown when those lanes will reopen. The hole opened up along the highway’s right shoulder Thursday morning, and the guardrail was still hanging suspended across the gaping 40-foot-wide hole on Friday. Drivers are currently having to detour near Wharton, about 40 miles west of New York City. The New Jersey Department of Transportation said crews will work around the clock to the repair the roadway. Customs agents seize 22,000 fake Pennsylvania vehicle inspection stickers shipped from Israel HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency says it seized more than 20,000 counterfeit Pennsylvania vehicle inspection stickers that were shipped from Israel to an address in Philadelphia. The agency said that customs officers found the stickers in two different shipments that arrived on different days, Nov. 26 and Dec. 9. The agency didn't say in a Thursday statement who sent the stickers, who was to receive them and what purpose the stickers were going to serve. The agency said it made no arrests. Pennsylvania requires that motor vehicles be inspected annually to ensure they meet minimum mechanical, safety and emissions standards. One owl rescued by a Minnesota woman is euthanized; efforts to save the other continue ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — One of the two owls rescued by a Minnesota woman in a story that went viral this week has died, but the other is still getting medical care. Wildwoods Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Duluth said in a Facebook post Thursday that the snowy owl rescued by Annabell Whelan had internal injuries, a broken wing and a broken leg, and had to be euthanized. The great gray owl also rescued by Whelan suffered broken bones and large soft tissue wounds. Wildwoods says the injuries are severe and veterinarians are doing everything they can to “give the bird a chance at recovery.” Whelan happened to find both injured owls at different places Monday. 2 Florida tourist spots halt drones in shows following a separate accident that injured a boy ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A theme park resort and a huge hotel in central Florida either have stopped using drones or canceled their drone-based shows after several drones collided and fell from the sky during a separate holiday celebration in downtown Orlando. The accident last weekend injured a boy who required surgery. Universal Orlando said this week that it was pausing the drone component of its “CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular” show, while Orlando World Center Marriott posted that it was canceling its scheduled drone shows during the holiday week. The halt in using drones follows last Saturday’s accident at a holiday show at Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando. NASA's Parker Solar Probe survives close brush with the sun's scorching surface NEW YORK (AP) — NASA has confirmed that a spacecraft has made the closest approach to the sun. Earlier this week, the Parker Solar Probe passed within a mere 3.8 million miles of the sun. Space agency officials received an all-clear message Thursday night confirming Parker survived the journey. The spacecraft was launched in 2018 to get a close-up look at the sun. It'll continue circling the sun at this distance until at least September. Scientists hope to better understand what drives the solar wind and why the sun's outer atmosphere iis so much hotter than its surface. 'Morrison Hotel' made famous by The Doors goes up in flames in LA The former Morrison Hotel, which was famously on the cover of a 1970 album by The Doors, has been significantly damaged by a fire in downtown Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Fire Department says the four-story building burned for nearly two hours Thursday. More than 100 firefighters helped bring the fire under control. The building had been vacant for more than a decade but several people who were inside at the time escaped without injuries. The Morrison Hotel was featured on the album’s cover that showed legendary frontman Jim Morrison in the middle. That album was viewed as a comeback for The Doors. Another jackpot surpasses $1 billion. Is this the new normal? Remember this moment because it probably won’t last: A U.S. lottery jackpot is projected to soar above $1 billion, and that's still a big deal. Friday’s Mega Millions drawing is worth an estimated $1.15 billion. The prize has evoked headlines across the country, despite the nation's top 10 jackpots already having boasted billion-dollar payouts. Jonathan Cohen is the author of the book “For a Dollar and a Dream: State Lotteries in Modern America.” He says he expects jackpots to continue to grow in size. Larger payouts attract more media attention, increase ticket sales and bring in new players. Suzuki Motor former boss Osamu Suzuki, who turned the minicar maker into a global player, dies at 94 TOKYO (AP) — Osamu Suzuki, the charismatic former boss of Japanese mini-vehicle maker Suzuki Motor Corp., has died. He was 94. Suzuki was known for his candid remarks and friendliness, calling himself an "old guy from a small to mid-size company.” He became CEO of Suzuki in 1978 and helped turn the company into a global brand name. It was the first Japanese automaker to start local production in India and has had tie-ups with industry leaders like General Motors and Volkswagen. It is working with Toyota on developing self-driving vehicles. The company said Suzuki died Wednesday of malignant lymphoma. Cowboys shutting down CeeDee Lamb with 2 games to go over receiver's shoulder issue FRISCO, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys are shutting down CeeDee Lamb with two games remaining after their 2023 All-Pro receiver spent the second half of the season dealing with a sprained right shoulder. The team says additional exams revealed enough damage to keep Lamb off the field Sunday at Philadelphia and in the final game at home against Washington. The team says surgery isn't expected to be required. Dallas was eliminated from playoff contention a few hours before last weekend’s 26-24 victory over Tampa Bay.Some partners of athletes show up to game day in their SO's jersey to be supportive. Simone Biles saw that and said, “hold my stadium beer.” On December 26, the gymnastics GOAT watched her husband, NFL player Jonathan Owens , in a custom outfit with his name and face all over it, proving once again that she is four feet, eight inches of enthusiasm. The ‘fit by designer Kelly Daley , which Biles wore to watch the Chicago Bears (Owen's team) take on the Seattle Seahawks, has to be seen to be believed. The patchwork-inspired terrycloth sweat suit was covered in pictures of Owens in both his home and away jerseys. She accessorized the look with white heels and a tiny white Chanel purse, keeping her makeup simple and pretty. Simone Biles doesn't do anything halfway, WAG-ing included. While this may be the most overt, it's far from the first “Go Owens” outfit the gymnast has worn this season. Earlier in December, Biles showed off Owens sweatpants and “36” shades (his jersey number) in an Instagram post celebrating the friends she's made through the NFL, writing , “football 🫶🏾 swipe to see the besties football brought me.” Women who WAG together...have fun together. It doesn't rhyme, but it's still true. (Looks like those are her white game day boots.) Of course, Biles doesn't only support the athletes she's married to. Just this year, she's gone to bat for fellow gymnast Jordan Chiles amid the bronze medal controversy at this summer's Olympics, met up with tennis legend Serena Williams' daughter , and took in her first WNBA game , watching rookie phenom Caitlin Clark in action. Consider the sartorial bar for all athlete partners officially raised. I want Clark's boyfriend in a Caitlin onesie and Ciara wearing a photorealistic mask of Russell Wilson's face. And if the Bears make it to the Super Bowl? Simone Biles could quite literally flip.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump doesn't think much of Joe Biden's foreign policy record. The Republican president-elect frequently casts the outgoing Democratic president as a feckless leader who shredded American credibility around the world during his four-year term. But a funny thing happened on Trump's way back to the White House: The Biden and Trump national security teams have come to an understanding that they have no choice but to work together as conflicts in Gaza , Syria and Ukraine have left a significant swath of the world on a knife's edge. It's not clear how much common ground those teams have found as they navigate crises that threaten to cause more global upheaval as Trump prepares to settle back into the White House on Jan. 20, 2025. “There is a deep conviction on the part of the incoming national security team that we are dealing with ... and on our part, directed from President Biden, that it is our job, on behalf of the American people, to make sure this is a smooth transition,” Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan said during a weekend appearance at a forum in California. “And we are committed to discharging that duty as relentlessly and faithfully as we possibly can.” To be certain, Trump and his allies haven't let up on their criticism of Biden, putting the blame squarely on the shoulders of Biden and Democrats for the series of crises around the globe. The president-elect says Biden is responsible for the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, arguing that policies under his watch led to Hamas and Russia becoming emboldened. And shortly before Syria's Bashar al-Assad's government collapsed last week, Trump blamed Biden's old boss, former President Barack Obama, for failing to enforce his own “red line” in 2013 after Assad deployed chemical weapons that killed hundreds of civilians, and laying the groundwork for Islamic militants to establish a beachhead in the country. But amid the hectoring of Biden, Trump team officials acknowledge that the Biden White House has worked diligently to keep Trump's circle apprised and help ensure there is a smooth handoff on national security matters. “For our adversaries out there that think this is a time of opportunity that they can play one administration off the other, they’re wrong, and we are — we are hand in glove," Mike Waltz, Trump's pick for national security adviser, said in a Fox News interview last month. “We are one team with the United States in this transition.” While Trump rarely has a good word for the Democratic administration, there's an appreciation in Trump world of how the Biden White House has gone about sharing critical national security information, according to a Trump transition official who was not authorized to comment publicly. The coordination is precisely how lawmakers intended for incoming and outgoing administrations to conduct themselves during a handover when they bolstered federal support for transitions. It's already the most substantive handoff process since 2009, aides to Biden and Trump acknowledged, surpassing Trump's chaotic first takeover in 2017 and his wide refusal to cooperate with the incoming Biden team in 2021. Trump's pick to serve as special envoy to the Middle East , Florida real estate developer Steve Witkoff, consulted with Biden administration officials as he recently traveled to Mideast to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly about the sensitive talks and spoke on condition of anonymity. Sullivan, who was to travel to Israel on Wednesday for talks with Netanyahu, has in turn kept Waltz in the loop about the Biden administration's efforts at getting a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza before Trump's inauguration. Biden administration officials say that the two national security teams have also closely coordinated on Ukraine and Syria, though they have provided scant detail on what that coordination has looked like. “Let me put it this way: Nothing that we’re doing and nothing that we’re saying are coming as a surprise to the incoming team,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said. "They will decide for themselves what policies they might want to keep in place, what approaches they might want to continue and which ones they won’t." Trump made clear during his campaign that he would move to end the war in Ukraine quickly once he came to office. He called on Russian leader Vladimir Putin earlier this week to act to reach an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine . But the Biden White House has begun gently — and publicly — making the case for how continued support for Ukraine lines up with Trump's priorities. On Saturday, Sullivan pointed to comments made by Trump on social media to buttress the case that Biden’s push for continued support of Ukraine falls in line with the incoming president’s thinking. Trump earlier that day had noted that Assad’s rule was collapsing because Russia “lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine, where close to 600,000 Russian soldiers lay wounded or dead, in a war that should never have started, and could go on forever.” “Russia and Iran are in a weakened state right now, one because of Ukraine and a bad economy, the other because of Israel and its fighting success,” Trump said in the posting on Truth Social. Sullivan underscored that Biden and Trump are in agreement that there should be no American boots on the ground in Syria and that the war in Ukraine was a major factor in Assad’s fall. “I was a little bit struck by it — earlier in the post, he said part of the reason this is happening is because of Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Sullivan said of Trump. “And I think he even referenced the sheer scale of the casualties that Russia has suffered in Ukraine, and for that reason, they’re not in a position to defend their client, Assad. And on that point, we’re in vigorous agreement.” Two days later in Washington, Sullivan made the case that Trump should bolster the little-known U.S. International Development Finance Corporation that was created during the Republican’s first term. The push for reauthorizing the foreign aid agency comes as Trump has promised to make massive cuts to the federal bureaucracy. Trump signed into law the agency's authority -- tucked into a five-year reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration — to provide $60 billion in loans, loan guarantees and insurance to companies in developing nations. Sullivan called the agency an effective tool for private-public partnerships, before allowing that “maybe I shouldn’t be the one” making the case “since I’m leaving, but I will give my advice anyway.” “It was created as we’ve all noted, under the Trump administration,” Sullivan said in remarks at the agency’s annual conference. “It has been strengthened under the Biden administration. And as we look to DFC reauthorization next year, it has to remain a bipartisan priority.” After Assad's government fell, the Biden administration issued a warning to Iran not to speed up its nuclear program after one of its closest allies was toppled, declaring “that’ll never happen on our watch.” The U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive topic, hinted at coordination on the matter with the Trump team. The official said there had been “good discussions” with the incoming administration on the matter and there was an expectation the same policy would carry over. Biden has also approved a new national security memorandum that is meant to serve as a road map for the incoming Trump administration as it looks to counter growing cooperation between China, Iran, North Korea and Russia, the White House announced Wednesday. Biden administration officials began developing the guidance this summer. It was shaped to be a document that could help the next administration build its approach from Day 1 on how it will go about dealing with the tightening relationships between the United States’ most prominent adversaries and competitors, according to two other senior administration officials. One of those officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, sought to assure the incoming Trump team that the Biden White House effort “isn't trying to box them in or tilt them toward one policy option or another.” Instead, the official said, it's about helping the next administration build “capacity” as it shapes its policies on some the most difficult foreign policies it will face.Amid some Republican Party infighting, one GOP congressman is seeking to unite his caucus behind House Speaker Mike Johnson ahead of a pivotal vote that will decide whether he retains the gavel in 2025. Appearing Sunday on ABC's "This Week," Rep. Mike Lawler of New York said Republicans are "playing with fire" if they are considering replacing Johnson as speaker of the House, pointing to the chaotic removal of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year. RELATED STORY | Trump endorses Speaker Johnson to retain House gavel in 2025 "The fact is that these folks are playing with fire," Lawler said. "And if they think they're somehow going to get a more conservative Speaker, they're kidding themselves." "We can't get anything done unless we have a Speaker — including certifying President Trump's election on January 6th," Lawler added. "So, to waste time over a nonsensical, intramural food fight is a joke." RELATED STORY | Upcoming Congressional committees take shape on Capitol Hill Johnson won a unanimous voice vote during nominations for House GOP Conference leadership in November, but now faces a formal vote in the House when the next Congress begins in January. He will need to secure 218 votes, which means he can't afford many defections from Republicans, who are currently projected to hold a slim majority with 220 seats.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar warned against "some forces" in and outside the country which are "unable to digest India's progress" and looking to divide the country. He urged people to be together in "neutralizing every anti-national narrative." While speaking at an event in Rajasthan's Jaipur on Wednesday, VP Dhankhar mentioned, "There are some forces in the country and outside which are unable to digest India's progress. There is a well-planned effort going on to disintegrate the country, divide the country and insult its institutions. We must neutralize in togetherness every anti-national narrative." "One thing is very clear, it cannot be said that India is a nation with potential, that stage is behind us. India is on the rise, and as I said that rise is unstoppable," the VP continued. Earlier on Tuesday, INDIA bloc parties submitted a no-confidence motion at the Rajya Sabha Secretary General PC Mody's office, seeking the removal of the Chairperson of the Upper House, Vice President Dhankhar for allegedly conducting the proceedings of the Council of States in "extremely partisan manner." "All parties belonging to the INDIA group have had no option but to formally submit a no-confidence motion against the learned Hon'ble Chairman of the Rajya Sabha for the extremely partisan manner in which he has been conducting the proceedings of the Council of States. It has been a very painful decision for the INDIA parties to take, but in the interests of parliamentary democracy, they have had to take this step. The motion has just been submitted to the Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha," Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who is Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, also accused Dhankhar of behaving like a "spokesperson of the government for his next promotion." He alleged that the "biggest disrupter" in Rajya Sabha is the Chairman himself. "He (RS chairman) does schooling like a headmaster... From the opposition side, whenever important issues are raised as per rules - the chairman doesn't allow to have a discussion in a planned manner. Time and again opposition leaders are stopped from speaking. His (RS Chairman) fidelity is towards the ruling party instead of the Constitution and constitutional tradition," Mr Kharge alleged. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) Featured Video Of The Day Parliament Pandemonium: Smaller Parties Voice Drowned In The Din ? Jagdeep Dhankhar Mallikarjun Kharge "Compelled To Take Step, Chairman Biggest Disruptor In Rajya Sabha": M Kharge Explained: Historic No-Trust Vote Against Rajya Sabha Chair, And The Numbers Parliament Winter Session Highlights: Chaos In Rajya Sabha Again, House Adjourned Till Tomorrow Amid Techie Suicide Case, Top Court Lays Down 8 Factors For Deciding Alimony "Like Beast...": What Techie's Wife Claimed, What He Said In Suicide Note "I Started Saving For Your Car": Atul Subhash's Letter To 4-Year-Old Son Out On Bail, Rape Accused Murders Victim, Throws Body Parts In River: Cops US President-Elect Donald Trump Is Time Magazine's "Person Of The Year" Trump Invites China's Xi Jinping To Attend Inauguration Next Month: Report Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world . MORE Trending News Amid Techie Suicide Case, Top Court Lays Down 8 Factors For Deciding Alimony "Like Beast...": What Techie's Wife Claimed, What He Said In Suicide Note Rahane, Shaw Combine To Smash World Record In Historic Chase For Mumbai "I Started Saving For Your Car": Atul Subhash's Letter To 4-Year-Old Son Picture Of The Day: Kareena, Ranbir, Alia Pose With Narendra Modi Prithvi Shaw Shuts Down 'Fitness' Critics With Quickfire Knock In Big Chase 'My Niece, Nikita Singhania, Has All Answers': Uncle On Techie's Suicide Why Luigi Mangione Killed UnitedHealthcare CEO: A Chronic Back Pain Link During Meeting With Kapoors, PM Recounts Hearing Raj Kapoor Song In China "Apology Not Accepted": J Scindia After Trinamool MP Comments On His Looks Punjab Named 7th Best Food Region In The World, Other States Also On List "You Didn't Bring...": PM To Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan On Taimur, Jeh Bengaluru Techie Suicide: FIR Against Atul Subhash's Wife, In-Laws Video Shows Crowded AC Coach Of Poorva Express, Railway Seva Responds Not Country's "Moral Guardian": Harish Salve On Supreme Court's Role World Chess Championship: Gukesh Misses Big Chance As Ding Draws Game 13 "Torture Is Also A Kind Of Murder": Parents Of Bengaluru Techie After His Suicide 'Welcome' Actor Invited To UP Event, Then Tortured For 12 Hours Amid Atul Subhash Suicide Shocker, Supreme Court's Big Remark On Dowry Cases Shaheen Scripts History, Becomes First Pakistan Player In History To...ICC Labs (CVE:ICC) Stock Price Down 5.8% – Time to Sell?

The holidays have always been about more than gifts and gatherings; they’re about creating moments of comfort — a warm fire, a shared meal, the simple joy of togetherness. But as stress and uncertainty linger, this year’s holiday trend is all about dialing up the coziness and minimizing the chaos. Enter hygge, the Danish concept that’s as much about mindset as it is about ambiance. Pronounced hoo-gah, “hygge” is a Danish word that roughly translates to coziness, but it goes deeper than that. It’s about fostering a sense of warmth, safety and contentment, even in the midst of life’s darker moments. In Denmark, where long winters mean short days and endless nights, hygge is a cultural cornerstone – a way to embrace life’s simple pleasures and build resilience against the cold, both literal and figurative. This season, hygge isn’t just a fleeting Pinterest trend — it’s shaping how we celebrate. From hosting intimate dinners by candlelight to embracing soft, unhurried mornings in pajamas, hygge is more than a design aesthetic. It’s a way to reclaim the holidays from the frenzy, one cozy moment at a time. Over the past few years, people have been gravitating toward anything that promises a break from stress. Much like the rise of weighted blankets to soothe sleepless nights, hygge has become a lifeline for those craving calm in turbulent times. According to Harvard Health, weighted blankets — which mimic the comforting pressure of a hug — have surged in popularity for their ability to help ease anxiety and promote better sleep. Similarly, hygge focuses on small, intentional comforts like a flickering candle or a quiet moment wrapped in a chunky knit blanket, offering a sense of safety and serenity. For many, these are small but meaningful ways to find solace in an unpredictable world. Incorporating hygge into the holidays is a natural extension of this trend. The pressures of gift-giving, hosting and managing a packed social calendar can feel overwhelming, especially when combined with the ongoing uncertainty of the world. Hygge offers an antidote: Permission to let go of the hustle and focus on what truly matters, like connection, comfort and joy. So how do you bring a little hygge into your celebrations? The good news is, you don’t need to spend a fortune or overhaul your entire routine. Hygge is about simplicity, not extravagance. Here are a few ideas to get started. Hygge starts with ambiance, and nothing transforms a room quite like lighting. Soft, warm light from candles, string lights or even a crackling fireplace can create the ultimate cozy atmosphere. But there’s more to it than aesthetics — science backs up the mood-boosting power of holiday lighting. Psychologist Deborah Serani explained to Today that decorating with lights can “create a neurological shift that produces happiness,” thanks to bright colors and the nostalgia they evoke. Whether it’s chromotherapy or just the magic of the season, holiday lights have a way of lifting spirits — the perfect backdrop for a hygge-inspired holiday. Hygge isn’t about elaborate feasts; it’s about comfort food that warms the soul. A creamy broccoli casserole makes for an inviting centerpiece at a casual gathering. Pair it with freshly baked muffins or a simple cheese board, and let the emphasis be on the company, not the cooking. Whether it’s a morning coffee in your coziest sweater or an evening spent reading by the fire, hygge thrives on routine. This season, build intentional moments of rest into your schedule. Trade hours of online shopping for a slow evening spent making or wrapping gifts while listening to your favorite holiday playlist. Hygge draws heavily from the natural world. Incorporate evergreen branches, pinecones or fresh eucalyptus into your decor. Not only does this add a festive touch, but studies have shown that being around natural elements can lower cortisol levels and promote calm. At its core, hygge is about spending quality time with loved ones. This doesn’t mean hosting a huge party. Instead, invite a few close friends for an evening of board games, a holiday movie marathon or simply sitting around the table sharing stories over a steaming bowl of pumpkin soup. Hygge’s growing popularity isn’t just a holiday trend; it’s a reflection of what people are craving. After years of collective stress, there is a growing re-evaluation of what’s important. For many, that means less focus on material things and more on experiences that foster connection and comfort. There’s also a practical side to hygge. The holidays can be financially draining, but hygge celebrates affordability. A cozy evening at home costs far less than a lavish party, and homemade touches – like baking Danish butter cookies – become part of the experience. With their rich, buttery flavor and hint of nostalgia, these cookies are a perfect way to bring warmth to any gathering while keeping the focus on simplicity. As you navigate the holiday season, consider how hygge might fit into your traditions. Maybe it’s swapping a marathon shopping trip for a quiet afternoon baking with your kids. Or maybe it’s creating a new ritual, like lighting a candle and reflecting on what you’re grateful for before sitting down to dinner. Whatever hygge looks like for you, the goal is the same: Finding joy in the small, meaningful moments. Because at the end of the day, the holidays aren’t about how much you spend or how elaborate your celebrations are. They’re about how they make you feel. And if you ask the Danes, the happiest people in the world, that feeling should be warm, cozy and just a little bit magical.

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Shaughna Phillips, who appeared on Love Island in 2020, has left fans shocked with her new and stunning look in a new Instagram video. The reality TV star is looking incredible after overhauling her lifestyle and focusing on healthy eating, having transformed her body over recent months. Sharing her recent milestone with fans, Shaughna captioned the social media post - which featured a side by side image of her from 14 months ago and now, wearing the same outfit - with: "I won't lie, I still can't believe either of those people are me! "The real secret that no one told me before was you don't need to exercise your ass off (thank god!) I have been doing workouts, but only after I'd done no exercise AT ALL for a month." Shaughna - who is mum to daughter Lucia - claimed that she lost a whopping five stone in weight by changing her metabolism. She continued: "I was told I needed to reset my metabolism. That's according to this amazing dietician I went to. So I just followed her eating plan for a month and only then started exercising again. The workouts I do are these fun combat routines that are only 12 minutes long." The TV personality then revealed to followers that she has put together all the information she'd learned into a 'shred-it plan' for them to follow too. Fans were gobsmacked with her transformation and rushed to the comments section. One wrote: "Absolutely smashed it girly!! Love to hear about you doing it for health reasons," while another said: "Well done, you look amazing." This isn't the first time Shaughna has opened up about her weight loss journey as she previously shared 'before' and 'after' pictures in April , and admitting she couldn't believe the results. At the time, she wrote: “So this has been happening... I’ll be honest even I’m shocked So glad I’ve been taking pictures because honestly, when I look in the mirror, I don’t see any difference, your mind is your biggest enemy sometimes! “And although being accused of editing your pictures when you actually haven’t is the biggest compliment EVER, I haven’t edited the pic on the right, so I thought I’d include the actual Live Photo just for any doubters. “I’ve been trying for a while to get into a better place with my health, mental and physical, so I must admit I am feeling b****y proud of myself today. I’ve spoken openly about struggling with my body image since I was a little girl (breaks my heart to even say that), so to be told I was seriously overweight at a doctors appointment wasn’t great,” she continued. “This hasn’t been overnight, and I still have a way to go. The truth is, there has been weeks where I have found it so easy, and then there’s been months when I’ve seen no change, so I’m really trying to find what works for me, and I think I’m nearly there."

Santa Claus is coming to town, and he’s arriving by chopper on Saturday. Saint Nick will land via helicopter at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, 27 Navigator Road in Londonderry. Touchdown is scheduled for 11 a.m. outside the Aviation Museum. All are welcome to attend and join in welcoming the jolly old elf. Families wishing to welcome the arrival of Santa’s helicopter should be at the museum no later than 10:45 a.m. to park and then make their way to the landing observation area. After arriving, Santa will enter the museum, where he’ll visit with children one-on-one. Santa will be available until 1 p.m., when he’ll depart by fire truck courtesy of the Manchester Airport Fire Department, which will whisk him off to his next appearance. Children who speak to Santa will be rewarded with goodie bags given out by Santa’s helpers. “It’s become an annual tradition for Santa to visit us by helicopter, and we’re pleased to continue it this year,” said Jeff Rapsis, executive director of the Aviation Museum. “This close to Christmas Eve, Santa prefers to travel by chopper because the flying reindeer are resting up for the big night on Dec. 24,” Rapsis said. Santa’s visit will take place rain or shine. If the weather prevents Santa’s chopper from flying, he’ll arrive by fire truck instead. The Aviation Museum will be open free to visitors on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Following Santa’s departure, regular admission prices will be charged from 1 to 4 p.m. The Aviation Museum’s store will be open throughout the day so visitors can enjoy holiday shopping. Besides Santa’s arrival, Saturday also marks the debut of this year’s “Festival of Planes” exhibit inside the museum. The exhibit, which runs through Sunday, Jan. 19, includes more than 2,000 aviation-related toys, games and other items that celebrate the enduring childhood fascination with flight. This year’s holiday exhibit will be highlighted by a display of vintage aviation-themed board games as well as a pair of custom-made mobiles hung with model planes that will fly in formation overhead. “Many aviation careers started with a special model or toy plane under a tree or given as a birthday present,” Rapsis said. “Each year, we celebrate that connection by displaying aviation toys from our collection, some of which go back to the days of Charles Lindbergh.” The Aviation Museum is open Fridays and Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays, from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is $10 for ages 13 and up; $5 for ages 6-12, seniors 65 and over, and veterans/active military; and free for kids 5 and under. Santa’s appearance at the Aviation Museum is made possible by generous supporters including Business NH Magazine, Manchester-Boston Regional Airport; CR Helicopters of Nashua; Common Man Roadside, Signature Flight Services; and the Manchester Airport Fire Department. The Aviation Museum of N.H. is a nonprofit 501©3 tax-exempt organization dedicated to celebrating New Hampshire’s role in aviation history and inspiring tomorrow’s aerospace professionals. For more information, visit aviationmuseumofnh.org .