Kendrick Lamar’s big year isn’t over yet. The rapper just dropped his sixth album, GNX , with no warning. The project comes after a monthslong beef with Drake , being named as the Super Bowl 59 halftime performer, and recent tracks like “Time to Watch the Party Die.” That song isn’t on the album, but 12 new tracks are (aside from the few seconds of “squabble up” he teased in the “Not Like Us” video). In fact, Lamar’s surprise album is full of surprises, from a fruitful new collaboration with Jack Antonoff to a seeming jab at Lil Wayne. Let’s break it all down. The answer’s right there on the cover. GNX is a nickname for a limited-production “Grand National Experimental” model of the Buick Regal from 1987. Nicknamed “Darth Vader’s car,” the GNX was all black and faster than a regular Grand National. Only 547 of the car were made, boosting its mythology among gearheads; Car and Driver later called the GNX “the last old-school American muscle car.” We already know K.Dot loves his wheels — he just recently flaunted a Ferrari in the “Not Like Us” video. The title is a flex more than anything, but Lamar does rap about the car: “All I ever wanted was a black Grand National,” he declares on “tv off.” He also shows off that GNX in the minute-long teaser he dropped just before the album came out. Speaking of teasers, fans have spent months clamoring for the track Lamar teased at the beginning of the “Not Like Us” video, which they called “Broccoli.” Call it by its real name: “squabble up” What he’s usually doing: producing. Fresh off Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department and Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet , Antonoff executive-produced all of GNX . But it’s less of a random pairing than you’d think. See, Sounwave, who’s been working with Lamar since his 2011 track “A.D.H.D.,” is also an executive producer on GNX , and Sounwave has been close with Antonoff for years. Antonoff first tapped him to co-produce a few songs for his band Bleachers’ 2017 album Gone Now ; soon after, in 2019, they formed the trio Red Hearse with Chicago singer Sam Dew and released an album. (Dew, a singer from Chicago, is all over GNX too, as a songwriter and singer.) Around that time, Antonoff got Sounwave in the studio with Taylor Swift, as a co-producer on her Lover song “London Boy.” Sounwave, Antonoff, and Swift reunited for Midnights , on the songs “Lavender Haze,” “Karma,” and “Glitch.” So it was really only a matter of time before Sounwave introduced Antonoff and Lamar — which actually happened earlier than GNX. Antonoff is credited alongside Sounwave as a producer on “6:16 in LA,” one of the Drake disses Lamar dropped in May. Sorry, but no. DJ Snake started that rumor a few days ago, when he said Swift had recorded a song for Lamar’s upcoming album. But when GNX arrived, Swift was nowhere to be heard. That pairing would’ve made some sense, though: Remember, Lamar remixed “Bad Blood” for Swift back in 2015, and even re-recorded his verse for 1989 (Taylor’s Version) . Antonoff also recently posted a photo on Instagram of Swift and Sounwave together in the studio from December 2023 — after Midnights was long out — giving some credence to the rumor. Maybe we’ll see Lamar on Swift’s new album instead? Let’s run through some of the bigger guests. Deyra Barrera The first voice we hear on the album is the Los Angeles mariachi singer. Barrera has been performing for years, and even competed on season 10 of La Voz , Mexico’s version of The Voice , in 2021. More recently, she sang at Dodger Stadium for the first game of the World Series. Maybe Kendrick was watching? Barrera sings at the beginning of “wacced out murals,” “reincarnated,” and “gloria,” carrying what sounds like the same song throughout the album. Dahi Lamar’s collaborator since “Money Trees” shows up again as a producer on “wacced out murals.” SZA Together again. After collaborating on “All the Stars” in 2018, Lamar’s former TDE labelmate SZA is back on two songs, “luther” and “gloria.” She also voices Lamar’s “pen” on “gloria,” a la “We Cry Together.” Kamasi Washington The jazz saxophonist who previously played on “u.” gets producer credits on “luther” and “tv off.” Lamar also references him on another song, “squabble up”: “Keep a horn on me, that Kamasi.” (A saxophone may not technically be a horn, but we’ll let it slide.) Dody6 The Compton rapper gets a guest verse on “hey man,” just months after coming home from prison. Mustard In case you missed Lamar shouting his name on “tv off,” yeah, Mustard’s on that beat. (So is Sean Momberger, who also produced “Not Like Us.”) The hip-hop giant also worked on “hey now.” Evan Smith and Zem Audu Antonoff’s Bleachers bandmates play sax on “tv off.” It’s not their first time making their way onto one of Antonoff’s productions — they’ve played on a number of Swift’s songs. Terrace Martin The saxophonist, a key player from To Pimp a Butterfly , is back as a producer on “dodger blue.” Roddy Ricch Lamar’s fellow Compton rapper makes an appearance on, of course, “dodger blue.” AzChike Another L.A. rapper, AzChike contributes a verse to “peekaboo.” Earlier this year, he dropped a verse on Kendrick’s friend ScHoolboy Q’s album “Blue Lips.” Peysoh, Hitta J3, and Young Threat Lamar gives a platform to these three rising L.A. rappers on “gnx,” celebrating the West Coast hip-hop scene. “Who put the West back in front of shit?” he asks in the hook. “Tell ‘em Kendrick did it.” Lamar previously appeared on the remix to Hitta’s first single, “Do Yo Gudda,” back in 2014. Lamar decided not to include any of his Drake diss tracks on GNX , but their beef still looms over the album. On “wacced out murals,” Lamar raps about securing his spot at the top, while putting anyone who doubted him on alert. “It used to be fuck that n—a, but now it’s plural,” he raps. “Fuck everybody, that’s on my body.” Yeah, heavy is the head that wears the crown: “Understand everybody ain’t gon’ like you,” he cautions in the hook. Later in the song, he calls out J. Cole’s apology for his own diss “7 Minute Drill,” rapping, “Fuck apologies, I wanna see y’all geeked up / Don’t acknowledge me, then maybe we can say it’s fair / Take it to the internet and I’ma take it there.” Lamar goes on to say that he “prayed it was the edibles” when Snoop Dogg posted Drake’s AI-aided diss “Taylor Made” (it is Snoop after all). Speaking of “Taylor Made,” Lamar also one-ups Drake’s AI Tupac by sampling Pac’s song “Made N—-z” on “Reincarnated.” The rest of the album is heavy on the flexes you’d expect from the guy who declared, “Fuck the Big Three, n—a it’s just Big Me.” He reiterates that on “tv off,” echoing Biggie on “Kick in the Door”: “Ain’t no other king in this rap game, like siblings.” On “man in the garden,” he surveys everything he’s earned, repeating, “I deserve it all.” He ends the song asking, “Tell me why you deserve the greatest of all time, motherfucker?” When Lamar booked the Super Bowl halftime show, a number of fans and rappers said they thought Lil Wayne deserved the gig instead, since the Super Bowl was being held in New Orleans, and Wayne is the biggest rapper from the city. (Not that the halftime set has ever matched the Super Bowl site — remember when Maroon 5 played in Atlanta?) Wayne later responded , saying he “felt like shit” for not getting it. On “wacced out murals,” Lamar tries to make sense of it: “Used to bump Tha Carter III , I held my Rollie chain proud / Irony, I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down.” He goes on to rap that “everybody questionable,” and adds, “Won the Super Bowl and Nas the only one congratulate me.” Maybe he got some more texts today. Lamar reclaimed his “Heart” series after Drake previously called his last diss track ‘The Heart Part 6.” But Lamar’s “heart pt. 6” has little to do with Drake — it’s actually a detailed reflection of his days signed to Top Dawg Entertainment and leaving the label where he made his name. Lamar raps about admiring TDE rapper Ab-Soul, working with Jay Rock, and sharing chicken with ScHoolboy Q the first time they met. Lamar also remembers freestyling in Dave Free’s “champagne Acura,” before Free would later found pgLang with Lamar. He also goes on to give credit to TDE’s executives, shouting out the trust that CEO Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith put in his artists and comparing president Terrence “Punch” Henderson’s encouragement to legendary Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson. By the end of the song, Lamar is rapping about what led him to leave TDE. “Black Hippy didn’t work ‘cause of me,” he admits, referring to his supergroup with Ab, Rock, and Q. “Creatively, I moved on with new concepts in reach.” Lamar goes on to say he hopes his leaving TDE was “the demonstration” for “how to conduct differences with a healthy conversation.” Lamar’s advice? “Pick up the phone and bust it up before the history is lost / Hand-to-handshake is good when you have a heart-to-heart.” On the centerpiece to GNX , Lamar gives a bit of a history lesson. “Reincarnated on this earth for a hundred plus / Body after body, lesson after lesson,” he raps, going on to compare himself to some musical greats. The first verse likely takes the perspective of John Lee Hooker, a formative blues singer and guitarist who left home in Mississippi to make music in Detroit. The second verse is about “a Black woman on the Chitlin circuit,” seemingly Billie Holiday or Dinah Washington, who were both jazz singers. In both verses, Lamar raps about how vices like women, gluttony, and drugs led to their downfalls. In the third verse, Lamar raps as himself, saying he learned from the lessons of his past lives. He admits he forgave his father for kicking him out of the house, but mid-verse, the “father” he’s rapping to switches to God. Recounting his good deeds, Lamar says he “put 100 hoods on one stage,” a probably reference to when he united a number of gangs at his “Pop Out” concert. “So can you promise that you won’t take your gifts for granted?” Lamar later raps. “I promise that I’ll use my gifts to bring understanding.” Fun fact: Kendrick Lamar and Father John Misty have dropped albums on the same schedule for over a decade: 2012, 2015, 2017, 2022, and now today. pic.twitter.com/tj5nFyL60a not now I’m furiously scribbling my seeming response toJohn Dumelo, the parliamentary candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Ayawaso West-Wuogon, has lodged an official complaint against his opponent, Lydia Seyram Alhassan, following allegations that she distributed food to voters at a polling station during the special voting on December 2, 2024. Dumelo’s complaint, filed at the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), comes after viral videos surfaced on social media showing Alhassan giving out food to voters in a queue at a polling station. The NDC candidate shared these videos as evidence in his complaint, accusing Alhassan of attempting to unlawfully influence voters. In a statement posted on X, Dumelo noted that he had also provided material evidence of plans by Alhassan to expand such practices during the main election on December 7, 2024. He called for an investigation and swift action from the OSP to prevent further unlawful activities and ensure a fair election. “My team also gave material information on plots by Ms. Lydia Seyram Alhassan to unlawfully influence voters on a larger scale come Saturday, December 7, 2024, when the main election will be held,” Dumelo’s statement read. “We expect the OSP to take immediate and decisive steps to not only prevent Ms. Lydia Seyram Alhassan from repeating the unlawful behaviour, but also to bring her and all her accomplices to book.” Dumelo emphasized the importance of the OSP’s response, stating that how the complaint is handled leading up to the election would influence the quality of the December 7 vote. In response to the allegations, Lydia Seyram Alhassan, the incumbent MP for Ayawaso West-Wuogon, denied any involvement in the alleged incident. In an interview with Accra-based JoyNews, she claimed she was unaware of any such activity. “I wasn’t here. I don’t know if you saw me here. I’ve been here since... I came here before 6 am, and I left here a few minutes ago, I don’t even know what you’re talking about,” she stated.ISTANBUL: Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), is “ready to make a call” to back a new initiative by the Turkish government to end decades of conflict, Turkiye’s pro-Kurd party said Sunday. Two lawmakers from the DEM party made a rare visit to Ocalan on Saturday on his prison island, the first by the party in almost a decade, amid signs of easing tensions between the Turkish government and the PKK. On Friday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government approved DEM’s request to visit the founder of the PKK, which is designated a terror group by Turkiye and its Western allies. Ocalan has been serving a life sentence on the island of Imrali south of Istanbul since 1999. The government’s approval of the visit comes two months after the head of Turkiye’s nationalist MHP party, Devlet Bahceli, extended Ocalan a shock olive branch, inviting him to parliament to renounce terror and disband his group, a move backed by Erdogan. “I have the competence and determination to make a positive contribution to the new paradigm started by Mr.Bahceli and Mr.Erdogan,” Ocalan said, according to a DEM statement Sunday. Ocalan said the visiting delegation would share his approach with both the state and political circles. “In light of this, I am ready to take the necessary positive steps and make the call.” DEM party co-chair Tuncer Bakirhan lauded Ocalan’s appeal as “historic opportunity to build a common future,” in a message on social media platform X. “We are on the eve of a potential democratic transformation across Turkiye and the region. Now is the time for courage and foresight for an honorable peace,” he said. The PKK has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984, claiming tens of thousands of lives. A peace process between the PKK and the government collapsed in 2015, unleashing violence especially in the Kurdish-majority southeast. The new initiative launched in October by Bahceli, who has been fiercely hostile to the PKK, sparked a public debate, with Erdogan hailing it as a “historic window of opportunity.” But a deadly terror attack in October on a Turkish defense company in the capital Ankara, for which PKK militants claimed responsibility, put those hopes on hold. Turkiye launched strikes on Kurdish militants in Iraq and Syria after the attack, which killed five people. “Re-strengthening the Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood is not only a historical responsibility but also... an urgency for all peoples,” Ocalan said, according to the DEM statement. He said all the efforts would “take the country to the level it deserves” and become a “very valuable guide for a democratic transformation.” “It’s time for peace, democracy and brotherhood in Turkiye and the region.” The new outreach by both sides comes as Islamist rebels consolidate their control in neighboring Syria after toppling its strongman president Bashar Assad. Turkiye hopes Syria’s new leaders will address the issue of Kurdish forces in the country, which Ankara sees as a terror group affiliated to the PKK. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told his US counterpart Antony Blinken in a phone call on Saturday that Kurdish fighters “cannot be allowed to take shelter in Syria,” according to the ministry spokesman. According to the DEM statement, Ocalan said developments in Syria had shown that outside interference would only complicate the problem, and a solution could no longer be postponed.fortune gems review 。

The Philadelphia Eagles ruled wide receiver DeVonta Smith out for Sunday night's game at the Los Angeles Rams due to a hamstring injury. Smith did not practice all week and will miss his second game of the season and just the third of his four-year NFL career. He was inactive in a Week 4 loss at Tampa Bay due to a concussion. Smith, 26, leads the Eagles with 41 receptions and four touchdown catches ands ranks second with 516 receiving yards in nine starts this season. The former Heisman Trophy winner has 281 catches for 3,694 yards and 23 scores in 59 games (58 starts) since the Eagles drafted him with the 10th overall pick in 2021. NFC East-leading Philadelphia (8-2) takes a six-game winning streak to Los Angeles (5-5), which has won four of its last five games. --Field Level Media

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Garmin: Defying The OddsCOVINGTON, La.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 20, 2024-- Globalstar, Inc. (NYSE American: GSAT) (“Globalstar” or the “Company”), a next-generation telecommunications infrastructure and technology provider, held an investor day on Thursday, December 12, 2024. The Company’s executive leadership team outlined Globalstar’s strategic priorities and vision for the future by optimizing value for its core assets and providing updates to its short and long-term financial outlook. Additionally, the Company hosted several customer panels during the event, which are available for replay on Globalstar’s investor relations website under “Events and Presentations”. A summary of the event is detailed below: Terrestrial Wireless XCOM RAN Band n53 Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) Retail Consumer Commercial IoT: Government & Wholesale Consumer: Financial Performance & Outlook: About Globalstar, Inc. Globalstar empowers its customers to connect, transmit, and communicate in smarter ways – easily, quickly, securely, and affordably – offering reliable satellite and terrestrial connectivity services as an international telecom infrastructure provider. The Company’s LEO satellite constellation ensures secure data transmission for connecting and protecting assets, transmitting critical operational data, and saving lives for consumers, businesses, and government agencies across the globe. Globalstar’s terrestrial spectrum, Band 53, and its 5G variant, n53, offers carriers, cable companies, and system integrators a versatile, fully licensed channel for private networks with a growing ecosystem to improve customer wireless connectivity, while Globalstar’s XCOM RAN product offers significant capacity gains in dense wireless deployments. In addition to SPOT GPS messengers, Globalstar offers next-generation IoT hardware and software products for efficiently tracking and monitoring assets, processing smart data at the edge, and managing analytics with cloud-based telematics solutions to drive safety, productivity, and profitability. For more information, visit www.globalstar.com . Forward Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release other than purely historical information, including, but not limited to, expectations regarding future revenue, financial performance, financial condition, liquidity, projections, estimates and guidance, statements relating to our business plans, objectives and expected operating results, our anticipated financial resources, our ability to integrate the licensed technology into our current line of business, our expectations with respect to the pursuit of terrestrial spectrum authorities globally, the success of current and potential future applications for our terrestrial spectrum, our ability to meet our obligations and attain the attempted benefits under the updated services agreements, and the assumptions upon which those statements are based, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “plan,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties that could cause or contribute to such differences include, without limitation, those described under Item 1A. Risk Factors of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 and in the Company’s other filings with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to reflect actual results, future events or circumstances or changes in our assumptions, business plans or other changes. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241220677087/en/ CONTACT: Investor Contact Information: investorrelations@globalstar.com KEYWORD: LOUISIANA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: MOBILE/WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY OTHER COMMUNICATIONS 5G SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS INTERNET IOT (INTERNET OF THINGS) SOURCE: Globalstar, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/20/2024 04:03 PM/DISC: 12/20/2024 04:03 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241220677087/en

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to implement the “toughest” anti-U.S. policy, state media reported Sunday, less than a month before Donald Trump takes office as U.S. president. Trump’s return to the White House raises prospects for high-profile diplomacy with North Korea. During his first term, Trump met Kim three times for talks on the North's nuclear program. Many experts however say a quick resumption of Kim-Trump summitry is unlikely as Trump would first focus on conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. North Korea's support for Russia's war against Ukraine also poses a challenge to efforts to revive diplomacy, experts say. During a five-day plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party that ended Friday, Kim called the U.S. “the most reactionary state that regards anti-communism as its invariable state policy.” Kim said that the U.S.-South Korea-Japan security partnership is expanding into “a nuclear military bloc for aggression." “This reality clearly shows to which direction we should advance and what we should do and how,” Kim said, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. It said Kim's speech “clarified the strategy for the toughest anti-U.S. counteraction to be launched aggressively” by North Korea for its long-term national interests and security. KCNA didn't elaborate on the anti-U.S. strategy. But it said Kim set forth tasks to bolster military capability through defense technology advancements and stressed the need to improve the mental toughness of North Korean soldiers. The previous meetings between Trump and Kim had not only put an end to their exchanges of fiery rhetoric and threats of destruction, but they developed personal connections. Trump once famously said he and Kim “fell in love.” But their talks eventually collapsed in 2019, as they wrangled over U.S.-led sanctions on the North. North Korea has since sharply increased the pace of its weapons testing activities to build more reliable nuclear missiles targeting the U.S. and its allies. The U.S. and South Korea have responded by expanding their military bilateral drills and also trilateral ones involving Japan, drawing strong rebukes from the North, which views such U.S.-led exercises as invasion rehearsals. Further complicating efforts to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons in return for economic and political benefits is its deepening military cooperation with Russia. According to U.S., Ukrainian and South Korean assessments, North Korea has sent more than 10,000 troops and conventional weapons systems to support Moscow's war against Ukraine. There are concerns that Russia could give North Korea advanced weapons technology in return, including help to build more powerful nuclear missiles. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week that 3,000 North Korean troops have been killed and wounded in the fighting in Russia's Kursk region. It was the first significant estimate by Ukraine of North Korean casualties since the North Korean troop deployment to Russia began in October. Russia and China, locked in separate disputes with the U.S., have repeatedly blocked U.S.-led pushes to levy more UN sanctions on North Korea despite its repeated missile tests in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions. Last month, Kim said that his past negotiations with the United States only confirmed Washington’s “unchangeable” hostility toward his country and described his nuclear buildup as the only way to counter external threats.V2images I have been bullish on Baidu, Inc. ( NASDAQ: BIDU ) for as long as I can remember. The company's first-mover advantages in commercializing AI technology in China, its leading position in China's autonomous driving market including robotaxis, the ongoing transformation of its Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of BIDU either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

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Labour to make national curriculum more ‘diverse’Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah from Namibia’s ruling political party, SWAPO, won the country’s presidential election on December 3 to become the first female president and the first in Southern Africa. “The Namibian nation has voted for peace and stability,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said after she was declared president-elect. Read also: Nandi-Ndaitwah wins election to become Namibias first female president Born in 1952, the ninth child to a clergyman, Petrus Nandi at Onamutai in northern Namibia. Nandi-Ndaitwah had always been keen on politics having witnessed SWAPO political activities while growing up “Growing up, political activities were also not very far from me,” she told the Swapo Today newsletter last year. “I could see Swapo activities being organised by the likes of Kaxumba Kandola. They would come near our house to hold meetings because there were big trees for shade,” she said. She attended a course at the Lenin Higher Komsomol School in the Soviet Union from 1975 until 1976. She graduated in management from the Glasgow College of Technology, in the United Kingdom, and in 1988 a further post-graduate diploma, in international relations, from Keele University, also in the UK. In 1989 Nandi-Ndaitwah obtained a master’s degree in diplomatic studies, also from Keele University. Nandi-Ndaitwah went into exile in 1974 and joined SWAPO members in Zambia. She worked at the SWAPO headquarters in Lusaka from 1974 to 1975, and served in numerous senior roles. She became the SWAPO deputy representative in Zambia from 1976 until 1978 and the chief representative in Zambia from 1978 to 1980. From 1980 until 1986, she was the SWAPO chief representative in East Africa, based at Dar es Salaam. She was a member of the SWAPO central committee from 1976 to 1986 and the Namibian National Women’s Organisation (NANAWO) president from 1991 to 1994. She was a member of the Namibian National Assembly from 1990. And has held several ministerial position including foreign affairs and women and children affairs. Under President Hage Geingob, Nandi-Ndaitwah was appointed as Deputy- prime Minster of Namibia in March 2015, while serving in parallel as Minister of International Relations and Cooperation. she was the party’s secretary for information and mobilisation and as such, is one of SWAPO’s main spokespeople. In March 2023, President Geingob named Nandi-Ndaitwah as SWAPO’s presidential candidate in the 2024 Namibian general election. Following Geingob’s death in February 2024, Nandi-Ndaitwah was appointed vice president. She is the first woman serving in that role She was elected president in the general election held in November, making her the first woman to hold the position. On December 3 2024, she was officially declared the President-elect of the Republic of Namibia Nandi-Ndaitwah received 683,560 votes (58.7%), making her the first woman to win a Namibian Presidential election. She will be inaugurated on 21 March 2025 and will become the first female President in Namibian history. Nandi-Ndaitwah is married to Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah, former Chief of the Namibian Defence Force.Cybercrimes in Telangana spiked by 43 percent this year: Annual report

East Africa remembers victims of deadly Indian Ocean tsunamiThe only way to fix American higher education is from outside the system. The moral rot within universities is too deep and expansive for any minor reforms to make an impact. Universities have failed students and now need a shock to their system to redeem themselves. That is why I submitted 33 Title VI complaints through the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights against universities that failed to protect Jewish students from campus antisemitism in the wake of the October 7 terrorist attack. Filed between November 2023 and January 2024 and containing evidence of antisemitism reported by Campus Reform, these complaints resulted in 14 investigations at colleges like Boston University , Princeton University , Northwestern University and Johns Hopkins University . The biggest problem during the fall 2023 semester was that universities chose not to enforce existing anti-discrimination policies after antisemitic protests broke out . Administrators were too weak to stand up against leftist professors and their brainwashed students who falsely insisted that calls to “globalize the intifada” and wipe Jews off the face of Israel were examples of political speech. Make no mistake. These chants and acts of intimidation were antisemitic actions against Jews. My efforts were part of a national wave of Title VI complaints documenting universities failing to respond to incidents of national origin discrimination against Jewish students. This wave is significant because it catalyzed a domino effect of reforms throughout 2024 that have made campuses safer for all students. Another two investigations resulted in resolutions between the Department of Education and Brown University and Temple University . Both resolutions require the universities to overhaul anti-discrimination trainings so the institutions are better equipped to respond to antisemitism. These updates are not just welcome news, they are completely necessary. I doubt university presidents and administrators would have made these changes if they hadn’t been called out for losing control of their campuses. Outside pressure on universities is needed because college administrations proved they lack the moral clarity to stand up against violence and ensure all students’ safety regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin or religion. I saw that timidity firsthand when I attended the House Committee on Education and the Workforce hearings . The presidents from Columbia University, Rutgers University, Northwestern University and the University of California Los Angeles testified about their failings to combat antisemitism on their campuses. The testimonies made it painfully clear that higher education officials were out of touch with reality. They naively thought they could allow radical students and professors to indulge in activist curriculum without those ideologies perverting higher education as a place for open-minded learning. They were extremely wrong. Higher education must depoliticize its campuses and lecture halls to restore civility and learning. Luckily, momentum is going against the far left as we head into 2025. Since the summer, schools like Yale University and Dartmouth College have endorsed institutional neutrality policies that forbid administrations from commenting on political issues that do not directly involve their campuses. Institutional neutrality policies are the direct result of outside pressure on schools afraid of losing federal funding or being subject to further investigations. Students, parents, concerned citizens and activists must keep pressure on the universities and submit Title VI complaints when they see institutions failing to protect students from antisemitism because we still cannot trust university administrations to do the right thing on their own terms. Universities are crucial institutions in Western societies because they teach civic responsibility, tolerance and new uncomfortable truths to the next generation of leaders. University presidents must do their jobs and remember their place in our national society. Their institutions exist to teach students, not to indoctrinate and let them run wild. Zachary Marschall is editor in chief of the Leadership Institute’s Campus Reform and an adjunct, assistant professor at the University of Kentucky. The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation. All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

Germany-based venture capital fund Robin Capital closed its Robin Fund One at 13 million euros (about $13.6 million). “Robin Fund One is closed,” Robin Haak , Robin Capital founder and managing partner, said in a Friday (Dec. 20) post on LinkedIn. “Robin Capital is here to stay. I get to do what I love: Support founders.” Robin Capital also has a growth-focused investment vehicle of 2 million euros, bringing its total to 15 million euros, according to a TechCrunch article Haak linked to in his post. Robin Capital specializes in B2B software as a service (SaaS), according to the firm’s LinkedIn page . With Robin Fund One, it will focus on angel, pre-seed to seed stages, and occasional Series A investments, according to the page. The firm focuses on the DACH region comprised of Germany, Austria and Switzerland and now has 28 companies in its portfolio, including ones in sectors like human resources, artificial intelligence, FinTech, climate, DevOps, robotics and industrial tech, per the TechCrunch report. It was founded by Haak in December 2022 , according to the report . Earlier, Haak was a co-founder of Jobspotting, which was acquired by SmartRecruiters in 2017. In a November post on LinkedIn, Haak said Robin Fund One was oversubscribed and set for final close in December. “We made it,” he said in the post. “Hit the target — and then some.” It was reported in June that tech investments in Europe picked up at early-stage companies, with venture capital groups raising new capital after a two-year drought. Last year saw a drop in investment in the tech sector in Europe . In its yearly State of European Tech report late last year, United Kingdom venture capital firm Atomico forecasted that money raised by Europe’s tech startups would come to around $45 billion for 2023, compared to the $82 billion raised in 2022. But things have since turned around, Tom Wehmeier , who heads Atomico’s insights team, said in June. Spanish venture capital firm Kfund said the same month that it raised $75 million to support founders in Europe working “with foundational technologies” defined as “data plays,” “platform layers ” and AI. For all PYMNTS B2B coverage, subscribe to the daily B2B Newsletter .

Ralph Larossa sells $128,093 in Public Service Enterprise Group stockDropbox CFO Regan sells $69,678 in stockWASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump's transition team on Tuesday signed an agreement to allow the Justice Department to conduct background checks on his nominees and appointees after a weekslong delay. The step lets Trump transition aides and future administration staffers obtain security clearances before Inauguration Day to access classified information about ongoing government programs, an essential step for a smooth transition of power. It also allows those nominees who are up for Senate confirmation to face the background checks lawmakers want before voting on them. Teams of investigators have been standing by to process clearances for Trump aides and advisers. FILE - Susie Wiles watches as Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a caucus night party in Des Moines, Iowa, Jan. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) "This agreement with the Department of Justice will ensure President Trump and his team are ready on Day 1 to begin enacting the America First Agenda that an overwhelming majority of our nation supported on Election Day," said Susie Wiles, Trump's designate to be White House chief of staff. The announcement came a week after the Trump transition team signed an agreement with the Biden White House to allow transition staff to coordinate with the existing federal workforce before taking office Jan. 20. The White House agreement was supposed to have been signed by Oct. 1, according to the Presidential Transition Act, and the Biden White House issued both public and private appeals for Trump's team to sign on. Security clearances are required to access classified information, including on ongoing operations and threats to the nation, and the Biden White House and outside experts emphasized to Trump's team the importance of having cleared personnel before Inauguration Day so they could be fully briefed and ready to run the government. President-elect Donald Trump arrives before the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in Boca Chica, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP) Republican Senators also insisted on FBI background checks for Trump's nominees before they face confirmation votes, as has been standard practice for decades. Lawmakers were particularly interested in seeing the findings of reviews into Trump's designated nominee for defense secretary, former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, and for Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to be director of national intelligence. "That's why it's so important that we have an FBI background check, a committee review of extensive questions and questionnaires, and a public hearing," Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said Monday. John Thune, incoming Senate Republican leader, said the Trump team "understands there's going to have to be a thorough vetting of all these nominees." Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as National Security Advisor to Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence. For the America First Policy Institute, one of several groups formed after Trump left office to help lay the groundwork for the next Republican administration, Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. William McGinley, White House counsel McGinley was White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration, and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.” Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. The National Institutes of Health funds medical research through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. NIH also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at its labs in Bethesda, Maryland. Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. He announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. Trump said in a statement that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, “therefore making it much better for American Workers.” Hassett, 62, served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

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Andhra, PhysicsWallah Seal Rs 1,000 Cr Deal to Establish Innovation UniversityPune: Organic farming has been the buzzword for many years now. It is good for health, good for the soil and great for the climate. Yet, in our country, only four per cent of agriculture land is under organic farming. Few states in India, Sikkim (100%) and Madhya Pradesh (27%) lead with Maharashtra at 1.6%. So, what is it about this good thing that makes its adaptation so difficult? For one, it is not easy to switch from using chemicals to organic agricultural practices. According to the norm, a farmer is expected to keep the farm free from sowing for at least three years to rid the soil of the chemicals that have leached into it before beginning to use organic farm inputs. Apart from this, input costs make organic farming rather prohibitive to the small farmer even though the demand in the market keeps growing at 22.20% CAGR (compound annual growth rate) from 2024 to 2032, according to market analysis firm Market Research Future. Enter XEN Farms, a startup founded in 2021, to address the supply side problems of organic farming. Diptesh Mukherjee, an IIT Bombay graduate, had got a job at Whirlpool Corporation, USA, that had collaborated with NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) to develop among other things ways to grow food in space! Diptesh said, “Due to the presence of micro-gravity, it is impossible to grow food there. But I developed a vacuum insulation system to prevent this loss (for which his company filed a patent) so that it could make growing of certain plants possible.” Though Diptesh comes from a family that is involved in paddy farming, he didn’t really have access to the deep knowledge that this job exposed him to. “I understood that soil organic carbon was the most important element in the process of farming. We all have studied about photosynthesis in school, but the deep role that carbon plays in maintaining our environment was revealed to me when I was working on the green technology project for NASA,” he said. According to Diptesh, organic carbon held by the top layer of the soil holds the key to productive farming. “Take for example sand by the sea. Why can’t you grow anything there except for mangroves and palms? Because the soil there lacks organic carbon. It is pale in colour. Black soil is great for farming because it has a higher percentage of organic carbon as well as iron and other nutrients. “It is this carbon in the soil that helps increase the fertility and microbial activity of the soil. If you observe the pattern, about 25 years ago farmers did not use the amount of fertilisers and pesticides that they use now. Typically, their requirement for these chemicals keeps on increasing over time either out of ignorance or because they are poorly informed. The result is chemicals used by the farmer ends up destroying the microbial activity of the soil and soil health, that in turn reduces its ability to absorb moisture and reduces the ability of roots to absorb nutrients from the soil. All this affects the yield quantity and quality, while still increasing the cost to the farmer.” The solution in Diptesh’s mind lay in developing a fertiliser that could increase the organic carbon content of the top soil at an affordable price. His training and experience led him to do research on the subject. “Along with my childhood friend Pratik Sinha, we did a number of trials that eventually led to a perfect all-in-one organic fertiliser that could do many things like rapidly increase soil fertility, soil organic carbon and yield quality and quantity significantly from the very first season,” he said. Seems hard to believe. But Diptesh has trials to back his claims. “After building our product Carbosutra, we conducted trials with more than 1,500+ farmers and 80+ crops, worked with Technoserve Foundation in a Walmart Foundation-funded regenerative farming project in Maharashtra to record the impact of Carbosutra on the individual crops.” Running his office from 99 Springboard at Yerawada with his co-founder and field staff of eight, Diptesh said, “Pune is the epicentre of agriculture in Maharashtra.” The benefits The product enhances plant health and immunity as it is enriched with macronutrients, semi-macronutrients, micronutrients, and microorganisms. The diverse nutrient profile ensures robust plant growth and health. It is pathogen-free, as it undergoes solar sterilisation to eliminate harmful bacteria and pathogens, which boosts plant immunity and ensures soil biodiversity. It improves soil health by restoring organic carbon and organic matter that is one of the main issues in agriculture. It enriches soil properties as the improved soil organic carbon and organic matter lead to better water infiltration, moisture retention, nutrient availability, and biological activity of microorganisms. This reduces erosion and nutrient leaching, ensuring long-term soil fertility. Economic option The product helps in providing high yield and quality to farmers. The firm has recorded an average 50% and up to 100% increase in crop yield and significantly better quality (shape, size, colour, texture, taste, and nutrition). This directly translates to higher income for farmers. It’s affordable as unlike conventional organic farming, which might see an initial dip in yield, Carbosutra ensures no such dip and provides a cost-effective solution for farmers. The product addresses greenhouse gas emissions by replacing synthetic nitrogen-based fertilisers with Carbosutra to significantly reduce N2O emissions, which is a major contributor to greenhouse gases. Synthetic fertilisers account for 13% of global agricultural emissions, and Carbosutra provides a sustainable alternative. It helps increase soil organic carbon, which is crucial for sequestering carbon and reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions. This aligns with the global need to mitigate climate change. The product supports regenerative agricultural practices by restoring damaged soil and preserving biodiversity. This makes sustainable farming affordable and scalable. By maximising crop yield and quality, Carbosutra increases nutritional content of yield and thus contributes to food security and nutrition, which is critical for meeting the demands of a growing population. The bane of selling Despite the product being organic, effective, low dosage and reasonably priced at ₹ 180 per litre and increasing demand for organic products, sale of organic fertilisers is “not easy at all”, says Diptesh. “After having successfully developed and tested Carbosutra, we realised that selling to farmers is unlike sale of other products. First of all, the farmer is doubtful of new products, he is not willing to try out something new. And even if he does, he will use it as long as you give it to him for free. Which is what we did with our trials. Once you put a price to the product different factors come into play. “Then he will demand that you buy off his produce like he does when he purchases chemical fertilisers from the local agricultural dealer in his village. Typically, they buy the fertilisers, seeds, pesticides on a loan and as payment pledge a portion of their produce to him. What generally happens is that the use of chemicals serves to damage the crops as well as the soil, thereby reducing his productivity. The farmer uses more of the same in the next round that creates a vicious cycle of reduced productivity, increased cost of materials and debt,” he said. So, how will you sell? This too requires innovation. “One has to understand the psychology of the farmer. He will use my product if I give it for free, but is not willing to buy it without the insurance of purchase of his produce. The other thing we realised is that farmers are influenced by certain big farmers of their village whose advice they will take. They are also willing to accept what the dealer of their village recommends. So, we have decided to focus on NGOs and philanthropic foundations who work with farmers and are looked upon with trust by the community. Additionally, we will get involved in CSR (corporate social responsibility) activities of large companies that use their funds to help farmers,” he said. XEN Farms started by tying up with TechnoServe Foundation in Maharashtra that has 40,000 farmers as their FPO (farmers’ producer organisations)/FPC (farmers’ producer companies) members. “We have launched a unique programme. We will do a ‘30 Day Challenge’ demonstration where farmers of certain villages will choose a piece of land that is infertile or known to give poor results and by using Carbosutra we will show them significantly better results in 30 days,” he said. XEN Farms has also collaborated with Syngenta Foundation to impact the livelihood of significantly more farmers through their large network of agri-entrepreneurs. “What this will do is give the farmers of a certain village proof that our product works and backed by an NGO they trust and will be more prone to buying our product. In fact, we did it in Nashik, Ahmednagar and Solapur. With our demos about 40%-50% farmers buy in. Then in the next cycle about 15% new farmers join. This way we plan to spread the use of Carbosutra,” he said. The second sales technique is to tie up with large companies in their CSR activities. “We are in talks with large corporate CSR arms and a couple of philanthropic foundations that typically invest anything from ₹ 1 crore to ₹ 100 crore in such initiatives.” Investment So far, the duo has spent ₹ 60 lakh of their savings and borrowings from friends and family. “To be used in R&D, trials, government approvals and setting up of the manufacturing unit on a two-acre plot in Surat. Till date, we have received a grant from TIHAN (Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation) IIT Hyderabad of ₹ 25 lakh. We aim to raise funds at a later date from VCs (venture capitalist) who can get us market access. As of now, we continue with our bootstrapping plus grant,” he said. The future Prime minister Narendra Modi at the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP26) unveiled a roadmap to combat climate change and reduce India’s carbon footprint. The Union Budget for 2024-2025 has allocated ₹ 1.52 lakh crore to boost agricultural productivity and promote natural farming. As part of the initiative, the Centre aims to transition 1 crore farmers across the country into natural farming within the next two years. While the central government is pushing for greater use of organic farming techniques, there are challenges that startups like XEN farms have to deal with. With deep insights and innovative thinking, looks like XEN will rise up to this challenge.

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Article content In Sault Ste Marie, Algoma District School Board Grade 3, Grade 6 and Grade 9 students scored lower in math compared to the provincial average. In the Fraser Institute’s Report Card on Ontario’s Secondary Schools, Korah and St. Mary’s tied for highest math rating in the city with 6.0/10 – 378th out of 689 Ontario schools; Superior Heights 5.7 – 425/689, White Pines 4.5 – 562/689 and CASS 4.2 – 587/689. The provincial average was 6.3. The top schools in Ontario scored 9.9. The 2024 International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), the world’s most prestigious mathematics competition, took place in England weeks before the Paris Olympics. China has been the undisputed king of the IMO for the past 30 years. But this year, the 2024 U.S. team, of whom five of the six are of Chinese ethnicity, took back first place ... by a paper-thin two-point margin over China. Canada finished 23rd – all six Canadian team members were of Chinese ethnicity Only one contestant achieved a perfect score this year — a contestant from China. The five members of the 2024 U.S. team of Chinese ethnicity provoked some comments: “Fight fire with fire.” “America makes better Chinese than China does.” “It’s nice they had the 3 DEI hires for team staff.” While students in the U.S. and Canada fall behind, students in other countries are surging ahead. Students from five nations in Asia top the latest global school rankings in math:1. China, 2. Singapore, 3. South Korea, 4. Japan and 5. Taiwan. There is a correlation between quality basic education and economic development — the better educated a country’s people are, the faster the country develops economically. This is particularly true in STEM, the distinct but related disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics with profound implications for workforce development, national security concerns and immigration policy. As STEM indicators are inputs to creating economic value, there is the belief that “the higher the value of STEM indicators, the more economic prosperity.” Nations with high PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) STEM scores, such as China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Singapore, rank consistently high on global innovation indices. According to the World Economic Forum, these nations leverage robust STEM education systems to foster critical thinking, analytical skills, and technical knowledge, which form the bedrock of a highly-skilled, adaptable workforce. “I am referring to bringing in via legal immigration the top ~0.1% of STEM talent as being essential for America to keep winning,” Elon Musk wrote. “Thinking of America as a pro sports team that has been winning for a long time and wants to keep winning is the right mental construct.” Vivek Ramaswamy, whose parents immigrated from India, concurred with Musk while defending companies that look outside the U.S. for talent, arguing tech companies hire engineers who were born outside the U.S. because “American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence.” “Our culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long. That doesn’t start in college, it starts YOUNG.” “A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the Math Olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers.” In Canada, Asian kids routinely top their science, math and reading classes in grade school. The top students in the 2024 Ontario Mathematics Competition reads like the Hong Kong phone book: Leo Wu, Lei He, Jiahao Yu, Daniel Pu, Qi Ning. Nobody from Sault Ste Marie among the Top 30 in the honour roll. Cultural differences account for a lot of the differences in test scores. There is a Confucian cultural stress on excellence in education similar to that traditionally in Jewish culture and now in South Asian culture. Getting a bad grade is embarrassing, even shameful. To begin with, Asian mothers – Dragon Ladies and Tiger Mothers – are usually totally invested in their children’s education and fervently believe that math is very important. Education has always been considered the most important path to success in Chinese culture. Parents recognize achievements in core subjects, which include mathematics, are vital for success in the new society. High familial expectations are the main motivating factors for Chinese pupils. Combined with high-stakes exams at various points in the educational system, this means that pupils are pushed by these external motivations. Parents see math as a “critical filter” that decides who has access to higher education, the best courses in the best universities and higher-paying jobs ... and a better life. Everyone is equal in math, the universal language, because it is objective and value-neutral, open to all, regardless of a person’s culture or background. Math rewards effort more than any other subject. Asian parents know that with math, the first eight years of a child’s life are critical. If kids don’t have a strong foundation in arithmetic, then later excellence in mathematics will be impossible. We enrolled our son Brandon at age 7 in the Kumon math program to solidify that foundation. I taught him how to play chess when he was 10, when his friends were playing checkers because playing chess enables children to improve their critical thinking – the ability to recognize patterns, think logically, concentrate and solve problems creatively, all of which drive success in math. When my son was 8 or 9, whenever we were in the car, we played a game where I would drill him on his multiplication and division tables. His friends didn’t like riding in our car very much. He also had the benefit of bridge lessons at lunch hour in Sister Mary Clare elementary school by Bruce Richmond, a retired math teacher at Korah Collegiate, as strategic thinking, logical reasoning, probability analysis, and the ability to quickly calculate odds are all fundamental mathematical concepts that can be strengthened through playing bridge. Today he is a robotics engineer and the level of math he can do is far more advanced than my university Calculus 101. And he isn’t Asian. Kids in Canada who say, “Oh, I can’t learn math,” and give up and adopt a math-phobia, often have parents who hated math, a Mamma Bear who is mathematically illiterate and made their kids believe that math was something only nerds/geniuses could learn. That negative attitude pervades our educational system. Plus, a lot of kids are stuck with teachers not even qualified to teach math. The best and brightest in mathematics unfortunately don’t aspire to become teachers. Asian kids are raised in a Confucian culture that demands discipline, precision, accuracy, excellence, and hard work ... even as toddlers they’re already exposed to it. Asian kids are good at math because they are always practising it, and work at it longer and harder right from the beginning. Some think being good at mathematics is an innate ability – you either have it or you don’t. But it’s not so much ability as attitude. Success is a function of persistence and the willingness to work hard for 30 minutes to make sense of something that other people give up on after 30 seconds. Asian kids are good at math because they work hard, like to understand why something works and end up enjoying learning so much that they enjoy the subject and practise it and become good at it. The same cultural environment is true for China, Singapore, South Korea and Japan. After-school tuition is a way of life for students there who have to pass national exams to enter university. In China, exams are like a big, exciting competition – a game to be won. It’s like the Olympics for studying. This goes back hundreds of years. China was the first meritocracy, the concept originating in the 6th century BC, when the Chinese philosopher Confucius “invented the notion that those who govern should do so because of merit, not of inherited status.” Kids go to special “cram schools” to get extra tutoring to do their best in entrance exams to get into university. It’s not just about grades; it’s about rising above and being more successful in life. A recent study by the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) shows that on average, pupils in Shanghai aged 12-14 spend 3.3 hours on their homework each day, far more than the OECD average of 1.2 hours per day. Students in Asian schools don’t have long summer vacations. Why would they? A culture that believes that the route to success lies in hard work for years and years and embracing delayed gratification is scarcely going to give their children three months off in the summer. NInety per cent of students in China take at least one course over the summer break to improve their math, science, English or other important subjects. Most students take at least three courses and most spend three or four hours a day studying all summer. Chinese parents will move heaven and earth to ensure their children are not just well educated but are in the top streams of their classes. In Canada, the school year typically lasts 194 days. The Japanese school year is 243 days long. The Chinese school year is 255 days. The school days in China typically last from around 8 a.m. in the morning until 5 p.m. in the evening. On Saturdays, many schools hold required morning classes in subjects like science and math. The problem with school in Canada, for the kids who aren’t achieving, is that there isn’t enough of it. We have a summer vacation problem. Dr. Peter Chow is a retired Sault Ste. Marie physician Share this Story : DR. PETER CHOW: Attitude, not necessarily aptitude, adds up to math success Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn TumblrChicago mayor's senior adviser voted in Texas in November 2024 electionThe James Webb Space Telescope ( JWST ) has just solved a 20-year-old mystery about how ancient stars could host massive planets. In the early 2000s, the Hubble Space Telescope observed the oldest planet ever , an object 2.5 times as large as Jupiter that formed in the Milky Way 13 billion years ago, less than a billion years after the universe was born. The discovery of other old planets soon followed. This puzzled scientists, as stars in the early universe should have consisted mostly of light elements like hydrogen and helium, with almost none of the heavy elements — things like carbon and iron — that make up planets. Astronomers believed that the disks of dust and gas surrounding these light-element stars should have been blown away by the star's own radiation, dispersing the disk within a couple of million years and leaving nothing behind to make a planet. The heavy elements needed to build a long-lasting planetary disk around a star weren't available until later supernova explosions created them , scientists thought. Related: James Webb telescope uncovers massive 'grand design' spiral galaxy in the early universe — and scientists can't explain how it got so big, so fast Now, though, the JWST has taken a close look at a modern-day proxy for these old stars and found that the Hubble was not mistaken. In new research published Dec. 16 in The Astrophysical Journal , researchers found that when there are few heavy, metallic elements, planetary disks can last much longer than previously believed. "We see that these stars are indeed surrounded by disks and are still in the process of gobbling material, even at the relatively old age of 20 [million] or 30 million years," study lead author Guido De Marchi , an astronomer at the European Space Research and Technology Centre in Noordwijk, Netherlands, said in a statement . "This also implies that planets have more time to form and grow around these stars than in nearby star-forming regions in our own galaxy." James Webb's observations The JWST observed the spectra (a measurement of different wavelengths of light) of the stars in the star-forming cluster named NGC 346. Conditions in this cluster are similar to those in the early universe, with lots of light elements like hydrogen and helium and a relative dearth of metallic and other heavier elements. The cluster is in the Small Magellanic Cloud , a galaxy 199,000 light-years from Earth. Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. The light and electromagnetic waves coming off these stars and their surroundings revealed that they host long-lasting planetary disks. There are two ways this could work, according to Marchi and his colleagues. — Surprise discovery in alien planet's atmosphere could upend decades of planet formation theory — Bizarre 'runaway' planets discovered by James Webb telescope may be failed stars in disguise — Why is Pluto not considered a planet? The first is that stars made up of light elements do not host a lot of elements undergoing radioactive decay — those radioactive elements are all heavier. This lack of radiation means that the star has less power to push away the planetary disk, so it might last far longer than a disk around a star with more heavy elements. Another possibility is that a star formed from only light elements must form from a very, very large cloud of dust and gas. This extra-large dust cloud would also leave behind a huge disk around the newborn star, and that huge disk might take a very long time to blow away, even if light-element stars give off just as much radiation as heavier-element stars. "This has implications for how you form a planet, and the type of system architecture that you can have in these different environments," study co-author Elena Sabbi , chief scientist for the Gemini Observatory at the National Science Foundation's NOIRLab in Tucson, said in the statement. "This is so exciting."

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In the wake of a successful effort to kill a year-end spending bill and replace is with more limited legislation to keep the government open, Elon Musk declared victory last week on X (formerly Twitter), the social media platform he owns: “Your actions turned a bill that weighed pounds into a bill that weighed ounces!” he crowed. “You are the media now. VOX POPULI VOX DEI.” The stopgap funding measure will largely delay major spending decisions until after Donald Trump’s inauguration, keep the government open through the holidays and at least temporarily delay the most indefensible spending that was crammed into the scale-tipping bill. But those who believe the indefensible spending won’t end up back in the budget are endearingly optimistic. The most interesting political takeaway from the drama is that the Republican Party now has two masters with different goals. Musk’s stated mission was to impose fiscal restraint and greater efficiency on government (though his unstated motives are a matter of speculation) . Trump’s objective was to avoid the hassles of a debate over raising the government borrowing limit early in his term, freeing him to rack up more debt through spending and tax cuts. Based purely on the political result, Musk won and Trump lost. While the bill does spend less than the earlier version, it does not raise the debt ceiling. A case can be made for both goals. I think Musk is indisputably correct about the need to cut spending. And although I don’t want Trump to be able to amass more debt, fights over the borrowing limit are reckless because they put the full faith and credit of the United States in doubt. The challenge for Republican legislators is that they are caught between the agendas of two figures who are very popular on the right, and those agendas — and perhaps others — are in conflict. We’ll have to wait to see how the politics play out. I n the meantime, I also want to address the more philosophical problems with Musk’s position. First of all, literally weighing the value or profligacy of a piece of legislation by the ounce, as Musk proposes, is not exactly logical. The National Industrial Recovery Act — the foundational legislation of the New Deal — comes in at an economical 18 pages, but that hardly gives one a sense of its massive impact on the economy. Then there’s the idea that Musk’s minor budget victory proves his X followers are “the media now.” Huh? The standard conservative complaint about traditional media is that they mislead the public in the service of an ideological or self-serving agenda. But Musk rallied his virtual mob with a host of false claims about the bigger-spending bill. Now he is suggesting that misleading the public in the service of the agenda of the owner of a media platform is a glorious triumph. It’s certainly a triumph for if-you-can’t-beat-them-join-them hypocrisy. Lastly, Musk’s oft-repeated motto “Vox populi, vox dei” — “The voice of the people is the voice of God” — is theological nonsense . Its use by British Whigs to challenge monarchical power in the 18th century was politically defensible, but it doesn’t take a divinity degree to understand that, taken literally, the phrase argues that God is subservient to the passions and vicissitudes of public opinion. It’s very difficult to find anything in the Old or New Testament to back up that idea. If a poll were all it took to change God’s mind, Sodom and Gomorrah would have been fine, Noah wouldn’t have needed a boat and Jesus wouldn’t have had to ask God to “forgive them, for they know not what they do.” One of the earliest mentions of the Latin phrase is found in the writings of Alcuin of York, an adviser to Charlemagne. Alcuin told the first holy Roman emperor to ignore such declarations of public godliness “since the riotousness of the crowd is always very close to madness.” Musk started using the phrase “Vox populi, vox dei” to validate the verdicts of his own Twitter polls. When users voted to reinstate Trump’s account two years ago, Musk declared that the result he clearly wanted amounted to a divine statement. We can only guess what this says about Musk’s God complex and its compatibility with his role as Trump’s Alcuin. My main objection to Musk’s assertion is that it’s a dangerous lie. The idea that the largest mob has God on its side is even more pernicious than the notion that legislation should be measured in pounds.In the latest football news, there have been significant developments in the naturalization process of Brazilian footballer Oscar. It has been reported that his naturalization materials have been officially submitted to the General Administration of Sport in China, marking a crucial step in the journey towards potential eligibility to play for the Chinese national team.

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As we stand on the cusp of a new era in computing, where the boundaries of what is possible are constantly being pushed and redefined, Google's launch of the "Willow" quantum chip serves as a powerful reminder of the incredible potential that quantum technologies hold. With continued advancements in quantum computing, we can look forward to a future where complex problems can be solved in a fraction of the time it would take with classical computers, opening up a world of possibilities that were once thought to be out of reach.

The decision to reprint Tarlos's Law comes as welcome news to fans who have long sought to acquire a copy of the game. Despite its initial popularity, Tarlos's Law quickly became a rare and sought-after treasure, with copies selling for exorbitant prices on the secondary market. The announcement of the reprint represents a rare opportunity for both new and returning players to experience the magic of Tarlos's Law firsthand, without having to resort to extreme measures to secure a copy.

Treating Toothache: Prices Vary from 300 to 5000 in Different Institutions with Significant Differences in Treatment Plans Sparking AttentionAs the digital landscape continues to evolve, the battle against Android trojans like DroidBot underscores the importance of collective vigilance and proactive security measures. By leveraging technology, awareness, and collaboration, we can bolster our defenses and protect the integrity of online banking services for users worldwide. Together, we can navigate the ever-changing cybersecurity landscape and ensure a safer, more secure digital future for all.Embarking on an Adventure, Unveiling the Heroic Epic: Journey of Kings with Samsung Monitor and "The Lion King: Mufasa's Legend"

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In his first visit to the Delhi High Court the Chief Justice of India showed his gratitude to the High Court while reminiscing about his journey from the bar to the bench and then becoming the Chief Justice of India (CJI). "Whatever I have achieved as a lawyer and then as a judge and as a human being. I owe everything to this institution," Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna said at a felicitation function organised by the Delhi High Court Bar Association to celebrate his appointment as the 51st Chief Justice of India. Addressing the gathering which comprised of judges of the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court along with the advocates, the CJI described the place as his home where he practised as an advocate for 22 years and was sitting as a judge for 13 years. He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to various members of the bar and bench acknowledging the invaluable lessons that he learnt over the years. Reflecting upon the stature of the Delhi High Court Justice Khanna said that the Delhi High Court is a preferred forum for issues regarding intellectual property rights and the court for all citizens who want to invoke constitutional rights, commercial disputes, and arbitration. He also lauded the High Court for its technological advancements. "What makes us the best high court? I think there are 3 facets to it, first, a stellar bar comprising of subject matter experts across the field, second, a bench distinguished by competent and judges, and third, efficient case management system. Nowhere in the country we can have a case listed the very next day," he said in the speech. The CJI also praised the Delhi High Court for the fact that it has the highest number of women advocates who have been elevated as judges and that nobody in the court is treated as an outsider. "You come, you become a part and parcel of this court, and you're loved, and you get work from everybody and anybody. In the court also, we follow what is called, I feel, identity free practice, where identities do not matter. That's a very big plus point," he added. Concluding his speech, he said that his primary aim to come back to the Delhi High Court was to come back to his court, his home and express his gratitude. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Delhi and around the world.Shaboozey, Ayo Edebiri, Aaron Pierre Lead Black Breakout Stars of 2024René 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. How Apple Cash works 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. Difference between Apple Cash and Apple Pay 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). How to use Apple Cash 1. Set up Apple Cash with a compatible device 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. 2. Add money to your card 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. 3. Send a payment 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. From your Apple Wallet 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. Via iMessages 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. 4. Request money 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. 5. Transfer your balance to a bank account 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. 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. Alternatives to Apple Cash —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. Bottom line 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.

Israeli attorney general orders probe into report that alleged Netanyahu's wife harassed opponents

Share this Story : Ottawa police add attempted murder charge after attacks on victims of Asian descent Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Breadcrumb Trail Links News Local News Ottawa police add attempted murder charge after attacks on victims of Asian descent The attacks were reported to police from the Centretown and Chinatown neighbourhoods on the evening of Nov. 17. Author of the article: Staff Reporter Published Nov 26, 2024 • Last updated 10 minutes ago • 1 minute read Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here . Or sign-in if you have an account. Ottawa Police Service headquarters on Elgin Street in Ottawa. Photo by Tony Caldwell / POSTMEDIA Article content The Ottawa Police Service’s hate and bias crime unit has charged Kevin Belisle with an additional charge of attempted murder, along with three charges of assault causing bodily harm, in relation to attacks in the Centretown and Chinatown neighbourhoods on Nov. 17. Article content Article content Belisle, a 32-year-old from Ottawa, was originally charged with two counts of assault, one count of aggravated assault and mischief, but an additional victim has since come forward, police said Tuesday. Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Sign In or Create an Account Email Address Continue or View more offers If you are a Home delivery print subscriber, online access is included in your subscription. Activate your Online Access Now Article content Belisle was scheduled to appear in court on the additional charges on Nov. 27. The OPS is asking anyone with additional information about the incidents to contact the hate and bias crime unit at 613-236-1222, extension 5105. “We continue to encourage anyone who witnesses or experiences such incidents to report them to police,” OPS said in a statement. “Reporting hate-motivated incidents is an important step in stopping cycles of hatred.” On Nov. 17, between 8:45 p.m. and 10:15 p.m., police responded to three calls for service for assaults on Laurier Avenue West, Bronson Avenue and Bank Street. Police said the Central Division Criminal Investigations Section was involved because all of the assaults “were believed to be hate-related since all three victims were of Asian descent and the suspect description for each assault was similar.” Police confirmed that the additional victim who came forward was also of Asian descent. Our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark our homepage and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Recommended from Editorial Three charged after separate 'hate-motivated' incidents, including one on LRT train A fifth person charged following downtown pro-Palestinian protest on Nov. 18 Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : Ottawa police add attempted murder charge after attacks on victims of Asian descent Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Comments You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments. Create an Account Sign in Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information. Trending Public servants could lose big as feds redirect $2B pension surplus, union warns Public Service Ottawa Senators will reunite Pizza Line of Alfredsson, Spezza and Heatley on Dec. 5 Ottawa Senators First snow to hit Ottawa this week after wet weather News An Ottawa scientist's discovery offers rare hope for patients with devastating genetic disease Local News Downtown Ottawa office occupancy still low despite hiked presence of public servants Public Service Read Next Latest National Stories Featured Local Savings

, the real-time strategy adventure from , is set to launch out of early access this summer [Southern Hemisphere], after three years in development. To celebrate the achievement, a has debuted in the latest PC Gaming Show, revealing more of the game’s upcoming multiplayer features, and every other change for its full release. As detailed, will be significantly updated in the coming months, with 1.0 improvements including “full co-operative multiplayer, allowing two players to unite, strategise, and push back the encroaching darkness together.” In addition to co-op multiplayer, the game also features a vast campaign mode where you’ll attempt to survive against roaming hordes of enemies, doing everything in your power to defend your armies. Your journey is complicated by a range of novel features: there’s a day and night cycle that forces you to change up your strategy on the fly, there’s fear mechanics that must be overcome, and the game’s proprietary SwarmTech engine also allows for up to 70,000 enemies to assault you in waves. That’s a whole lot of chopping, and it’ll certainly keep you on your toes. It’s more likely you’ll fall in your quest to survive, but that’s how is built. You do your best, and then a new run begins, complete with new blessings and malices to shake up the action. In our early access preview of , we were enamoured by the game’s campaign mode – and we’re certainly keen to see how it’s evolved since then, and how co-op elements add to gameplay elsewhere. “The game’s defence loop is surprisingly complex, and even in the opening chapters of , it leaves room for plenty of creativity, as well as a hefty dose of failure,” we wrote. “The opening act of sports a measured balance between frustrating challenge and rewarding victory, encouraging more creative and tactical approaches with each attempt to survive. Wits and quick thinking are needed to hit every goal post in this more guided narrative, but thankfully, each death feels meaningful – and effectively pushes you onward.” When launches, players will be able to hop into this campaign once more, while also experimenting with that highly coveted co-op mode. Stay tuned for more on this upcoming 1.0 update, which is set to land this season.Traffic citations against Dolphins' Tyreek Hill dismissed after officers no-show at hearing

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Kyrie Irving's big second half leads Mavericks past HawksCAMBRIDGE, Ontario, Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lystek International (Lystek) is excited to announce the LysteMize Livestock Waste Characterization Study with support from the Department of Natural Resources Canada and Brown and Caldwell . Lystek has been awarded approximately $585,000 from the federal government’s Energy Innovation Program , as part of the Clean Fuels and Industrial Fuel Switching call, to undertake the four-year project. The project will evaluate the suitability of various animal manures and organics from farms in southern Ontario as feedstocks for the LysteMize anaerobic digestion (AD) process to produce renewable energy. Lystek intends to produce a detailed characterization study of biogas yields from a range of animal waste feedstock sources and correspondingly introduce LysteMize low carbon intensity Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) as a clean fuel production pathway for the livestock waste sector. “Brown and Caldwell is very excited about the opportunity to support Lystek in innovation around anaerobic digestion of agricultural lignocellulosic wastes – advancements in this technology will help farmers achieve significant environmental benefits and reduce pollution as well as produce green energy that can reduce the carbon footprint of waste management operations.” – Dr. Kati Bell, Managing Director of Water Strategy, Brown and Caldwell Consulting Lystek’s patented and proven commercial Thermal Chemical Hydrolysis Process, Lystek THP ® , uses a proprietary combination of high shear mixing, low-pressure steam (75°C), and alkali addition to hydrolyze organic substrates and make them more amenable to microbial digestion in anaerobic environments. The multi-purpose Lystek THP technology has been proven to enhance AD performance for improved biogas recovery in the process known as LysteMize. LysteMize is the process of anaerobically digesting Lystek THP hydrolyzed residuals. Lystek THP reduces particle sizes, homogenizes feedstocks, and solubilizes recalcitrant organic carbon making organic wastes more amenable to biodegradation. LysteMize also allows for quicker conversion to biogas during AD. Municipal biosolids and organic food waste feedstocks have demonstrated enhanced biogas production and biodegradability with LysteMize. This project extends this proven concept to animal manure feedstocks. Manure samples from over ten cattle, swine, sheep, goat, and poultry farms will be analyzed utilizing a laboratory-scale Lystek THP system and biochemical methane potential (BMP) testing to determine how various livestock waste feedstocks digestion potential transforms using THP technology. In previous LysteMize applications the maximum biogas production has increased by up to 70% - depending on the baseline biodegradability characteristics of a feedstock. LysteMize provides unique benefits for manure management to Canadian livestock farms of varying sizes - making on-farm energy generation through biogas recovery more accessible at smaller scales. Implementing enhanced biogas recovery on farm can reduce or eliminate the use of fossil fuels, such as diesel or propane, and the associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in farming operations. Lystek is an innovative clean tech company that can contribute to Canada’s net-zero and renewable energy goals with the application of on-farm LysteMize biogas recovery. “This project is a game-changing extension of Lystek’s proven resource recovery technology suite. We are exceedingly optimistic about the prospect of bringing cost effective and easy to operate solutions to a wider range of users to help build the circular economy and reduce GHG emissions in Canada and abroad.” - Mike Beswick, Executive Vice President, Lystek “I am pleased to see companies like Lystek leading innovation in sustainable agriculture. By supporting their latest project, the Government of Canada is strengthening Canada’s agricultural industry, which stands to benefit from more affordable, widely available, and cleaner fuels. By supporting the work of our farmers and rural industries, this federal government is helping to build a prosperous and low-pollution future for all Canadians. ” - Bryan May, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Small Business and to the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario and Member of Parliament for Cambridge Preliminary results from the study have been extremely promising. The LysteMize Livestock Waste Characterization Study is expected to finish in 2027 and will provide the knowledge base required to advance the application of Lystek’s LysteMize Digestion technology across the livestock waste sector. About Lystek Lystek International, a division of the Tomlinson Group of Companies, is North America's leading provider of Thermal Hydrolysis solutions for the sustainable management of biosolids and organics, servicing over 60 public and private customers. Lystek THP ® converts biosolids and non-hazardous organic residuals into a high-solids liquid, multi-use product for full cycle resource recovery. These products and processes include LysteMize ® , an application for enhanced digestion and biogas production; LysteCarb ® , an alternative carbon source for BNR systems; and, LysteGro ® , a nutrient-rich Class A biosolids fertilizer. Lystek offers turnkey solutions including technology supply, design-build and installation services, regional processing solutions, and comprehensive LysteGro product management . For more information, please contact: Lystek Head Office – (888) 501-6508 – info@lystek.comReport: Chargers expect WR Ladd McConkey, LB Khalil Mack to play vs. Ravens

Super Micro extends last week's gain, wounding short sellersAn on-field interaction between a UW-Madison Police officer and a Nebraska football assistant coach after Saturday's game was a "misunderstanding" that ended in an apology, a police spokesperson said. Lt. Adam Boardman, one of the UWPD officers escorting University of Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell to the locker room amid fans rushing the field after a 44-25 Huskers victory , turned away to grab Nebraska offensive line coach Donovan Raiola by the arm, video posted to social media showed . Video of postgame encounter between Luke Fickell, Donovan Raiola circulates online That followed an apparent exchange of words between Raiola and Fickell and Badgers assistant offensive line coach Casey Rabach, who were walking in opposite directions. The context of the discussion wasn't apparent from the video, but Fickell and Raiola both pointed at the other, and Rabach later pointed at Raiola. Boardman and Raiola talked for about 15 seconds after Boardman pried Raiola away from a hug with Nebraska running backs coach EJ Barthel. UWPD spokesperson Marc Lovicott said it was a "misunderstanding amid a pretty chaotic scene." He said Boardman made contact with an "unknown individual who had approached" Badgers coaches as they were leaving the field. "Once it was confirmed that the individual was a member of the Nebraska coaching staff, the UWPD officer apologized for the misunderstanding," Lovicott wrote in an email Tuesday. "The interaction concluded cordially with a handshake." Lovicott said UW Police has made contact with counterparts at Nebraska "and they're also considering it a misunderstanding." Raiola played for Wisconsin from 2002 to 2005. "I don't want speculate without knowing, obviously Donny went to Wisconsin, so I don't know if there was some history there with somebody or something," said Nebraska coach Matt Rhule, who said he was shown video of the incident Monday. "When I asked Donny about it, he was like, 'No big deal.' Things happen after games and people are emotional, but he seemed to kinda brush it off." Fickell said he didn't know much about the interaction when he was asked about it at his weekly news conference Monday. "I mean, I don't know if he was talking to Casey, somebody said something, I don't know," Fickell said. "I just said it looked like maybe he said something to me, but I had no idea. And I had no idea that that was even something. So if it was, I didn't spend a whole lot of time thinking about it." BadgerExtra reporter Colten Bartholomew and Lincoln Journal Star reporter Luke Mullin contributed to this report. Get local news delivered to your inbox!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 An resident in Edinburgh has uncovered vintage video footage of Niddrie and Craigmillar filmed in 1998 - giving a fascinating look into the area's not-so-distant past. Billy McKirdy took the video as a visual record of the streets at the time while studying an HNC in Public Arts Project Management. As reported by Edinburgh Live, he wanted to preserve the area before much of the neighbourhood’s existing housing stock was demolished. The clip is filmed outside a car window that weaves up and down residential streets. Along Niddrie Mains Road , the video captures iconic local haunts such as The White House and the Castle Tavern - which was known for the peculiar sight of a three-legged German Shepherd which prowled its rooftop and barked at passers-by. Locals will notice the Kwik Save which was located in the area before the convenience store chain went out of business in 2007. Craigmillar Castle is also captured, although the centuries-old structure looks much the same as it does today. The streets are noticeably quieter with fewer cars and pedestrians alike and the video's grainy quality lends the film a nostalgic air that will be striking to any lifelong Niddrie and Craigmillar resident. Billy commented on the bygone version of Niddrie and Craigmillar from 26 years ago. He said: “The mix of public and private housing has been the most notable change in the area, from a community that was overwhelmingly social housing that situation has changed completely, the result is that many people brought up in the area are now unable to secure a move back into the community, I do think the change in the mixture of housing has been a positive thing. “The vast majority of the council housing has disappeared, the street layouts and indeed the street names have changed too. The familiar faces of the people who used to live here that are no longer around.” He also spoke to how the film’s emotional tug for those who remember the area in time gone by, saying: “It makes me feel very nostalgic, things are different now and in many ways better but conversely I can say the same about the past as well.” Billy is now part of an archive team at Craigmillar Now that is creating a digital archive of the community’s past. Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile , select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond. Sign up to our daily newsletter .

The yummy festive dessert that celebrates British favourite hitting supermarket shelves this Christmas for first timeOno Enters into Drug Discovery Collaboration Agreement with Congruence Therapeutics to Generate Novel Small Molecule Correctors in the Oncology AreaQ3 2024 Overview SAN DIEGO , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. (Nasdaq: WOOF), a complete partner in pet health and wellness, today announced its third quarter 2024 financial results. In the third quarter of 2024, Petco delivered net revenue of $1.51 billion , up 1.2 percent versus prior year. On an as-reported basis, the company's consumables business was up 2.7 percent versus prior year, and services and other business was up 5.0 percent versus prior year. Growth in the company's consumables and services and other businesses was offset by the company's supplies and companion animal business, down 2.8 percent versus prior year. GAAP net loss in the third quarter of 2024 was $16.7 million , or $(0.06) per share, compared to GAAP net loss of $1.2 billion , or $(4.63) per share in the prior year, which included a $1.2 billion non-cash goodwill impairment charge associated with goodwill originally recorded in 2015. Adjusted Net Income 1 was $(6.5) million , or $(0.02) per share 1 , compared to $(14.5) million , or $(0.05) per share 1 in the prior year. Adjusted EBITDA 1 was $81.2 million compared to $72.2 million in the prior year. "Our third quarter results demonstrate the meaningful progress we're making to strengthen our retail fundamentals to drive sustainable, profitable growth," said Joel Anderson , Petco's Chief Executive Officer. "While there is more work to do, our improving results increase our conviction that we are on the right path to position Petco to win long-term. Our entire organization is focused on driving profitability and free cash flow, and I'm confident we're set up for a solid finish to 2024." (1) Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Earnings Per Share ("Adjusted EPS"), and Free Cash Flow are non-GAAP financial measures. See "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for additional information on non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation to the most comparable GAAP measures. Fiscal Q4 2024 Outlook The company is providing Q4 guidance for revenue, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EPS, in addition to full year interest expense and capital expenditure expectations. For Fiscal Q4 2024, the company expects: Metric* FQ4 2024 Guidance Net Revenue ~ $1.55 billion Adjusted EBITDA Between $90 million and $95 million, including a minimum of $10 million in third party consulting fees associated with our transformation effort Adjusted EPS Between $0.00 and $0.02 For Fiscal 2024 (a 52-week year), the company expects the following: Metric* 2024 Guidance, YoY Net interest expense ~$140 million Capital Expenditures ~$130 million *Assumptions in the guidance include that economic conditions, currency rates and the tax and regulatory landscape remain generally consistent. For fiscal 2024, our guidance anticipates a 26 percent tax rate, and 273 million weighted average diluted share count. Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EPS are non-GAAP financial measures and have not been reconciled to the most comparable GAAP outlook because it is not possible to do so without unreasonable efforts due to the uncertainty and potential variability of reconciling items, which are dependent on future events and often outside of management's control and which could be significant. Because such items cannot be reasonably predicted with the level of precision required, we are unable to provide outlook for the comparable GAAP measures. Forward-looking estimates of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EPS are made in a manner consistent with the relevant definitions and assumptions noted herein and in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Earnings Conference Call Webcast Information: Management will host an earnings conference call on December 5, 2024 at approximately 4:30 PM Eastern Time to discuss the company's financial results. The conference call will be accessible through a live webcast. Interested investors and other individuals can access the webcast, earnings release, and earnings presentation via the company's investor relations page at ir.petco.com . A replay of the webcast will be archived on the company's investor relations page through December 19, 2024 until approximately 5:00 PM Eastern Time . About Petco, The Health + Wellness Co.: Founded in 1965, Petco is a category-defining health and wellness company focused on improving the lives of pets, pet parents and our own Petco partners. We've consistently set new standards in pet care while delivering comprehensive pet wellness products, services and solutions, and creating communities that deepen the pet-pet parent bond. We operate more than 1,500 pet care centers across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico , which offer merchandise, companion animals, grooming, training and a growing network of on-site veterinary hospitals and mobile veterinary clinics. Our complete pet health and wellness ecosystem is accessible through our pet care centers and digitally at petco.com and on the Petco app . In tandem with Petco Love , a life-changing independent nonprofit organization, we work with and support thousands of local animal welfare groups across the country and, through in-store adoption events, we've helped find homes for nearly 7 million animals. Forward-Looking Statements: This earnings release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 as contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, concerning expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance and underlying assumptions and other statements that are not statements of historical fact, including, but not limited to, statements regarding our Q4 and full year 2024 guidance, operational reset of our business, our competitive positioning, profitability, cost action plans and associated cost-savings. Such forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as "believes," "expects," "may," "intends," "will," "shall," "should," "anticipates," "opportunity," "illustrative," or the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology. Although Petco believes that the expectations and assumptions reflected in these statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that these expectations will prove to be correct or that any forward-looking results will occur or be realized. Nothing contained in this earnings release is, or should be relied upon as, a promise or representation or warranty as to any future matter, including any matter in respect of the operations or business or financial condition of Petco. All forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions about future events that may or may not be correct or necessarily take place and that are by their nature subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are outside the control of Petco. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the potential results or events discussed in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, those identified in this earnings release as well as the following: (i) increased competition (including from multi-channel retailers, mass and grocery retailers, and e-Commerce providers); (ii) reduced consumer demand for our products and/or services; (iii) our reliance on key vendors; (iv) our ability to attract and retain qualified employees; (v) risks arising from statutory, regulatory and/or legal developments; (vi) macroeconomic pressures in the markets in which we operate, including inflation, prevailing interest rates and the impact of tariffs; (vii) failure to effectively manage our costs; (viii) our reliance on our information technology systems; (ix) our ability to prevent or effectively respond to a data privacy or security breach; (x) our ability to effectively manage or integrate strategic ventures, alliances or acquisitions and realize the anticipated benefits of such transactions; (xi) economic or regulatory developments that might affect our ability to provide attractive promotional financing; (xii) business interruptions and other supply chain issues; (xiii) catastrophic events, political tensions, conflicts and wars (such as the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East ), health crises, and pandemics; (xiv) our ability to maintain positive brand perception and recognition; (xv) product safety and quality concerns; (xvi) changes to labor or employment laws or regulations; (xvii) our ability to effectively manage our real estate portfolio; (xviii) constraints in the capital markets or our vendor credit terms; (xix) changes in our credit ratings; (xx) impairments of the carrying value of our goodwill and other intangible assets; (xxi) our ability to successfully implement our operational adjustments, achieve the expected benefits of our cost action plans and drive improved profitability; and (xxii) the other risks, uncertainties and other factors identified under "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in Petco's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The occurrence of any such factors could significantly alter the results set forth in these statements. Petco cautions that the foregoing list of risks, uncertainties and other factors is not complete, and forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Petco undertakes no duty to update publicly any such forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law, regulation or other competent legal authority. PETCO HEALTH AND WELLNESS COMPANY, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (In thousands, except per share amounts) (Unaudited and subject to reclassification) 13 Weeks Ended November 2, 2024 October 28, 2023 Percent Change Net sales: Products $ 1,263,194 $ 1,257,803 0 % Services and other 248,243 236,363 5 % Total net sales 1,511,437 1,494,166 1 % Cost of sales: Products 782,240 787,994 (1 %) Services and other 153,440 156,171 (2 %) Total cost of sales 935,680 944,165 (1 %) Gross profit 575,757 550,001 5 % Selling, general and administrative expenses 571,780 559,611 2 % Goodwill impairment — 1,222,524 (100 %) Operating income (loss) 3,977 (1,232,134) N/M Interest income (1,346) (1,139) 18 % Interest expense 35,797 36,557 (2 %) Loss on partial extinguishment of debt — 174 (100 %) Other non-operating income (8,465) (113) 7,391 % Loss before income taxes and income from equity method investees (22,009) (1,267,613) (98 %) Income tax benefit (857) (22,902) (96 %) Income from equity method investees (4,479) (3,574) 25 % Net loss attributable to Class A and B-1 common stockholders $ (16,673) $ (1,241,137) (99 %) Net loss per Class A and B-1 common share: Basic $ (0.06) $ (4.63) (99 %) Diluted $ (0.06) $ (4.63) (99 %) Weighted average shares used in computing net loss per Class A and B-1 common share: Basic 274,495 267,852 2 % Diluted 274,495 267,852 2 % PETCO HEALTH AND WELLNESS COMPANY, INC. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (In thousands, except per share amounts) (Unaudited and subject to reclassification) November 2, 2024 February 3, 2024 ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 116,675 $ 125,428 Receivables, less allowance for credit losses 1 40,432 44,369 Merchandise inventories, net 690,291 684,502 Prepaid expenses 46,720 58,615 Other current assets 37,665 38,830 Total current assets 931,783 951,744 Fixed assets 2,233,558 2,173,015 Less accumulated depreciation (1,493,752) (1,356,648) Fixed assets, net 739,806 816,367 Operating lease right-of-use assets 1,328,398 1,384,050 Goodwill 980,064 980,297 Trade name 1,025,000 1,025,000 Other long-term assets 206,429 205,694 Total assets $ 5,211,480 $ 5,363,152 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable and book overdrafts $ 447,673 $ 485,131 Accrued salaries and employee benefits 129,486 101,265 Accrued expenses and other liabilities 190,789 200,278 Current portion of operating lease liabilities 340,437 310,507 Current portion of long-term debt and other lease liabilities 5,294 15,962 Total current liabilities 1,113,679 1,113,143 Senior secured credit facilities, net, excluding current portion 1,576,856 1,576,223 Operating lease liabilities, excluding current portion 1,064,322 1,116,615 Deferred taxes, net 210,708 251,629 Other long-term liabilities 123,077 121,113 Total liabilities 4,088,642 4,178,723 Commitments and contingencies Stockholders' equity: Class A common stock 2 237 231 Class B-1 common stock 3 38 38 Class B-2 common stock 4 — — Preferred stock 5 — — Additional paid-in-capital 2,271,052 2,229,582 Accumulated deficit (1,135,221) (1,047,243) Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income (13,268) 1,821 Total stockholders' equity 1,122,838 1,184,429 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 5,211,480 $ 5,363,152 (1) Allowances for credit losses are $1,623 and $1,806, respectively (2) Class A common stock, $0.001 par value: Authorized - 1.0 billion shares; Issued and outstanding - 237.2 million and 231.2 million shares, respectively (3) Class B-1 common stock, $0.001 par value: Authorized - 75.0 million shares; Issued and outstanding - 37.8 million shares (4) Class B-2 common stock, $0.000001 par value: Authorized - 75.0 million shares; Issued and outstanding - 37.8 million shares (5) Preferred stock, $0.001 par value: Authorized - 25.0 million shares; Issued and outstanding - none PETCO HEALTH AND WELLNESS COMPANY, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (In thousands) (Unaudited and subject to reclassification) 39 Weeks Ended November 2, 2024 October 28, 2023 Cash flows from operating activities: Net loss $ (87,979) $ (1,257,635) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 149,414 148,593 Amortization of debt discounts and issuance costs 3,661 3,658 Provision for deferred taxes (35,629) (35,164) Equity-based compensation 40,705 64,431 Impairments, write-offs and losses on sale of fixed and other assets 8,449 2,202 Loss on partial extinguishment of debt — 920 Income from equity method investees (13,557) (10,032) Amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income (3,035) 674 Goodwill impairment — 1,222,524 Non-cash operating lease costs 311,347

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Bengaluru: Engineer now begs for living; netizens say, ‘this is a stark reminder...’ | Viral videoMark said on 'Squawk Box': "It is an authentic relationship and we're happy to have it. It's been nothing but good for us." Taylor has a huge fan following, and Mark admitted that her fanbase has helped to increase the profile of the current Super Bowl champions. He shared: "I think the best thing I can say about the whole relationship and the impact it's had on us is: Taylor Swift is an authentic member of the Kansas City Chiefs Kingdom. She's an authentic fan." Mark observed that Chiefs fans have also embraced Taylor. He said: "That matters to our fans and our fanbase. And it matters to us. We try and respect that." Patrick Mahomes - Travis' teammate - previously claimed that Taylor has helped to make the Chiefs a "worldwide team". The sports star told Time magazine: "[The Chiefs] went from a nationwide team that was kind of global to a full global worldwide team. That came from Taylor's fanbase." Patrick also admitted to being wowed by Taylor's work ethic. The 29-year-old star - who is one of the best players in the NFL - said: "I've met a lot of famous people now in my life. Taylor's probably the most down-to-earth person that's been on that stage for that long. "She's never not working. Even when she's taking her downtime, she's working on something. Shooting a music video or singing a song or writing a song. You can see it by how she talks."

First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index Fund ( NYSEARCA:FBT – Get Free Report ) was down 0.5% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $166.08 and last traded at $167.18. Approximately 7,851 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 71% from the average daily volume of 26,785 shares. The stock had previously closed at $167.98. First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index Fund Stock Performance The stock’s 50 day moving average is $170.93 and its 200 day moving average is $166.79. The company has a market capitalization of $1.26 billion, a PE ratio of 17.20 and a beta of 0.86. Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index Fund Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in shares of First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index Fund by 25.8% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 15,945 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,741,000 after acquiring an additional 3,275 shares during the period. Garden State Investment Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index Fund in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $4,494,000. Synovus Financial Corp bought a new position in First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index Fund in the 3rd quarter valued at $203,000. MML Investors Services LLC boosted its holdings in First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index Fund by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 3,888 shares of the company’s stock valued at $669,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the period. Finally, Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index Fund during the 3rd quarter valued at $912,000. First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index Fund Company Profile The First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index Fund (FBT) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the NYSE Arca Biotechnology index. The fund tracks an equal-weighted index of US biotechnology stocks. FBT was launched on Jun 19, 2006 and is managed by First Trust. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Betty White Forever: New stamp will honor the much-beloved 'Golden Girls' actorIsrael, Lebanon agree to ceasefire

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EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. has been placed on injured reserve after hurting his hamstring Sunday in a 30-27 overtime victory over the Chicago Bears. The move announced Tuesday means that Pace must miss at least the Vikings next four games. The Vikings also activated outside linebacker Gabriel Murphy from injured reserve and signed linebacker Jamin Davis off the Green Bay Packers practice squad. Pace, 23, had started each of the Vikings nine games this season. The 2023 undrafted free agent from Cincinnati had 56 tackles — including six for loss — and three sacks. Murphy, 24, signed with the Vikings as an undrafted free agent this spring. He was placed on injured reserve Aug. 27. Davis had joined the Packers practice squad Oct. 29 after getting released by the Washington Commanders a week earlier. Washington selected him out of Kentucky with the 19th overall pick in the 2021 draft. Story continues below video The 25-year-old Davis has 282 tackles, seven sacks, one interception, two forced fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles in his NFL career. He led the Commanders with a career-high 104 tackles in 2022. The Vikings (9-2) host the Arizona Cardinals (6-5) on Sunday. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLHoliday shopping doesn't have to be stressful

Topline President-elect Donald Trump nominated former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to serve as U.S. attorney general on Thursday—hours after Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration amid sexual misconduct allegations. Key Facts Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here . Attorney General: Pam Bondi Trump announced former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his pick to lead the Justice Department—elevating an ally shortly after former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s withdrawal. Bondi served as Florida’s top lawyer from 2011 to 2019, and later joined Trump’s defense team in his first Senate impeachment trial in 2020. She also served on a Trump-era commission on opioids and drug addiction. Attorney general is one of the most high-profile and highly anticipated appointments, as Trump has fiercely criticized the Justice Department for prosecuting him and is expected to drastically change its makeup—and possibly push for retribution against his opponents. In a Truth Social post , Trump said Bondi will “refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again.” Treasury Secretary: Unclear Trump hasn’t nominated anyone yet, but Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan and former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh have emerged in recent days as potential picks . Hedge fund executive Scott Bessent —who spoke recently with Forbes—has long been seen as one of the top choices. Musk appeared to support Lutnick over Bessent, saying Bessent would be a “business-as-usual choice” whereas Lutnick “will actually enact change.” Trump is leaning toward someone with Wall Street experience, Bloomberg reported. Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., former ambassador to Japan under Trump, is also on the speculative short list, along with former Trump-era U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer . Secretary Of Defense: Pete Hegseth Trump selected Pete Hegseth as his secretary of defense, praising his status as a combat veteran and role as a co-host on Fox & Friends Weekend. Revelations subsequently emerged that Hegseth was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a Monterey, California, hotel in 2017. The Monterey Police Department confirmed in a statement that it investigated the incident, but did not bring charges. Hegseth has denied the allegations through his attorney, Timothy Parlatore, who told multiple outlets last week he paid his accuser a settlement to avoid a lawsuit over the matter. Health And Human Services Secretary: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Trump nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Health and Human Services Department, making good on his promise to give Kennedy broad leeway over public health. Kennedy, who ran for the Democratic nomination then as an independent candidate before dropping out and endorsing Trump, espouses debunked views on public health—including skepticism about the efficacy of childhood vaccines and the Covid-19 vaccine. He has also advocated for removing fluoride from public water, an idea Trump said he as open to. As HHS secretary, Kennedy would oversee 13 public health-related agencies, and has expressed plans to upend many of them, telling an audience at a conference in November he would halt infectious disease studies at the National Institutes of Health if given a role in the Trump administration. “I’m going to say to NIH scientists, God bless you all . . . thank you for your public service,” NBC reported. The surprise selection drew criticism from many Democrats, and some Republicans expressed wariness about the pick. Trump’s former Vice President Mike Pence spoke against Kennedy as the pick to lead HHS in a statement and urged Senate Republicans to reject the nomination, citing Kennedy’s support of abortion rights. Secretary Of State: Marco Rubio Trump nominated Sen. Marco Rubio , R-Fla., as secretary of state. Rubio and Trump feuded when they both ran for president in 2016, but the two smoothed over their relationship during Trump’s most recent White House run. Rubio frequently campaigned for Trump and was said to be in the running to be his vice presidential pick. Some of Rubio’s foreign policy stances break with Trump, including his co-sponsorship of legislation last year that would prohibit a president from exiting NATO without congressional approval. Rubio would be the first Latino to hold the position, which is subject to Senate confirmation. Forbes estimated Rubio’s net worth at over $1 million—significantly less than some other members of Trump’s inner circle, but a jump since 2015, when he was worth just $100,000. Director Of National Intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard Trump announced Tulsi Gabbard will serve as his Director of National Intelligence, a role that puts her at the head of the U.S. intelligence community. Gabbard is a former Democratic representative from Hawaii and a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, perhaps best-known for clashing with Kamala Harris on the debate stage in 2019. She left the party in 2022 and became an independent, before endorsing Trump in August and announcing she had joined the Republican Party. A critic of U.S. military interventions, Gabbard has drawn intense scrutiny for her foreign policy views, including for meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2017 . Education Secretary: Linda Mcmahon Trump tapped former WWE CEO Linda McMahon as secretary of the Department of Education in an announcement Tuesday. McMahon is Trump’s transition co-chair alongside Lutnick and served as the administrator of the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019. The nomination came after Lutnick was picked as commerce secretary over McMahon, who was “privately frustrated” she was not offered the position before Lutnick was tapped for it, Semafor reported, citing two unnamed people familiar with the matter. McMahon is also the America First Policy Institute’s board chair, helping lead the think tank that has raised millions in support of Trump, according to CNN . Commerce Secretary: Howard Lutnick Howard Lutnick is Trump’s pick for commerce secretary, Trump confirmed Tuesday—picking him for the commerce role instead of treasury secretary. Trump, in a statement, called Lutnick “the embodiment of resilience in the face of unspeakable tragedy,” referencing his charitable contributions to 9/11 families after 658 Cantor Fitzgerald employees, including Lutnick’s brother, died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, while Lutnick was CEO. Lutnick, who rebuilt the company after 9/11, has spent his entire career at Cantor Fitzgerald and became president and CEO of the financial services firm at the age of 29. His special purposes acquisition company, Cantor Fitzgerald Acquisition Corp., took the Rumble video platform popular among right-wing influencers public in 2022. As commerce secretary, Lutnick will play a role in implementing Trump’s plans for steeper tariffs and he has expressed broad support for the proposal. Lutnick was previously under consideration for treasury secretary—typically a more prominent Cabinet job—and earned support from Musk and Kennedy, but Trump ultimately turned his attention to other candidates after he reportedly became annoyed with Lutnick’s aggressive campaign for the treasury role. Homeland Security Secretary: Kristi Noem Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem for the role of secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Noem is a long-time Trump loyalist who was believed be a contender for Vice President. The appointee will be essential in carrying out Trump’s aggressive immigration plans, in addition to the agency’s duties surrounding cybersecurity, antiterrorism and emergency response. Centers For Medicare And Medicaid Services Administrator: Mehmet Oz Trump announced Tuesday that Mehmet Oz , the celebrity doctor who lost his 2022 Senate bid to Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., will fill the role. Oz will work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who Trump announced last week as his pick for Health and Human Services secretary. Oz’s rise to fame is largely tied to his frequent appearances on the Oprah Winfrey show in the early 2000s and his own subsequent daytime talk show. He’s accused of espousing questionable medical claims, including promoting the debunked theory that the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine could treat Covid-19, and pushing so-called miracle weight loss products unsupported by scientific research. Trump endorsed Oz in his 2022 Senate campaign. Chief Of Staff: Susie Wiles Trump named his campaign co-manager Susie Wiles chief of staff two days after his election win, marking his first major administrative pick. Wiles will be the first woman to hold the position. Department Of Government Efficiency: Elon Musk And Vivek Ramaswamy Trump announced Elon Musk , the world’s wealthiest person, will run a new Department of Government Efficiency (or “DOGE”) alongside investor and former Republican primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy . Trump said in a statement the department—which has not yet been created—will offer “advice and guidance from outside of Government” and focus on “making changes to the Federal Bureaucracy with an eye on efficiency,” including through spending and regulatory cuts. Musk, a vocal Trump backer who donated over $100 million to a pro-Trump super PAC, has pitched the department in the past, seemingly naming it after the meme cryptocurrency dogecoin. Homeland Security Adviser And Deputy Chief Of Staff For Policy: Stephen Miller Trump announced Stephen Miller as White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, plus the additional role of homeland security adviser. Miller was a senior adviser to Trump during his first administration and one of the architects of some of his most controversial immigration policies, including his family separation program. Border Czar: Tom Homan Trump appointed his former Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan to newly created role, he announced , as Trump plans a mass deportation of undocumented migrants during his second term. National Security Adviser: Mike Waltz Trump appointed Rep. Mike Waltz , R-Fla., to serve as his national security adviser. In recent months, Waltz—a former Army Green Beret—has frequently criticized China, urged NATO members to pay more for defense and said he expects Trump to push Ukraine and Russia toward a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine. Interior Secretary: Doug Burgum (and Head Of New National Energy Council) Trump nominated North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as secretary of the interior. If confirmed by the Senate, he’ll be responsible for managing vast swaths of federally owned land, administering national parks and handling oil and gas drilling on federal property—which Trump has vowed to ramp up . Trump also tapped Burgum as chairman of the new National Energy Council, which will cut down on regulations and “oversee the path to U.S. ENERGY DOMINANCE,” according to Trump . The position will also provide Burgum a seat on the National Security Council. First elected North Dakota governor in 2016, Burgum briefly ran against Trump in the 2024 GOP primaries, but dropped out and endorsed Trump. A tech executive and investor by trade, Burgum previously ran Great Plains Software, remaining at the company after it was acquired by Microsoft. Last year, Forbes estimated his net worth at at least $100 million. Energy Secretary: Chris Wright Chris Wright , chief executive of the oilfield services group Liberty Energy, was named Trump’s nominee for secretary of energy. Wright has argued against climate change’s role in causing extreme weather events, saying in a video posted to LinkedIn last year “there is no climate crisis, and we’re not in the midst of an energy transition either.” He later disputed he was “[fighting] climate science,” despite saying the claims he made were “correct.” Transportation Secretary: Sean Duffy Trump nominated former Rep. Sean Duffy , R-Wisc., as secretary of transportation, lauding his time in Congress and his role as a member of the House Financial Services Committee. Following his resignation from Congress in 2019, Duffy registered as a lobbyist and continued spending campaign funds on Trump’s D.C. hotel. The campaign spent more than $22,000 at Trump’s D.C. hotel between 2017 and 2020, $17,000 of which was spent in a single day in July 2019. Duffy is a co-host of Fox Business’ “The Bottom Line” and has contributed to Fox News since 2020. He is married to “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. Veterans Affairs Secretary: Doug Collins Trump picked former Rep. Doug Collins , R-Ga., as his secretary for veterans affairs. Collins served as a congressman from 2013 to 2021, and was known as a vocal backer of Trump in the chamber during his first administration. He is also a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. Collins vowed to “streamline and cut regulations in the VA, root out corruption, and ensure every veteran receives the benefits they've earned.” The former congressman was deployed to Iraq in 2008 as a member of the Air Force’s 94th Airlift Wing. Cia Director: John Ratlciffe Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe will serve as CIA director. A former Texas congressman, Ratcliffe served as the director of national intelligence from 2020 to 2021 and acted as Trump’s primary intelligence adviser during his last presidency. During his time as director of national intelligence, Ratcliffe declassified unverified Russian intelligence information that claimed Hillary Clinton approved a plan to link Trump to Russia and the Democratic National Committee cyberattacks in 2016. Democrats criticized Ratcliffe’s decision to publicly release the information, alleging he was politicizing unverified information to aid Trump. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator: Lee Zeldin Trump tapped former Rep. Lee Zeldin , R-N.Y., to lead the EPA, citing his “very strong legal background” and calling him “a true fighter for America First policies” in a statement. Zeldin—a Trump ally who ran for New York governor two years ago—“will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American business while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards,” the statement said. Fcc Chair: Brendan Carr Trump named Brendan Carr to chair the Federal Communications Commission. Carr has served as one of the FCC’s five commissioners since 2017, when Trump first appointed him to the agency. He’s known as a critic of big tech companies, writing a chapter of the controversial Project 2025 agenda—which Trump has broadly disavowed—that argued the FCC should narrow the immunity enjoyed by tech platforms and require companies to be transparent about their content moderation decisions. He’s also used his platform at the FCC to back Musk. He’ll take over the FCC as Trump pushes the agency to revoke the licenses of broadcast TV stations whose coverage he claims is unfair—though that could be very difficult in practice . Un Ambassador: Elise Stefanik Trump nominated GOP Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik , R-N.Y., for the United Nations ambassador role. Stefanik is known as a staunch Trump ally. Special Envoy To The Middle East: Steven C. Witkoff Trump tapped Steven Witkoff , a GOP donor and real estate investor, for special envoy to the Middle East. Witkoff is chairman of the University of Miami Business School Real Estate Advisory Board and the CEO of Witkoff, a real estate firm he founded in 1997. He is also a longtime friend of Trump’s and one of the president-elect’s golf partners . Witkoff was with Trump during the apparent second assassination attempt on his life, telling NBC that Secret Service agents dived on Trump and got him off his Florida golf course in under 20 seconds. U.s. Nato Ambassador: Matthew Whitaker Trump announced on Wednesday Matthew Whitaker will serve as the official U.S. representative to NATO. Whitaker was the former U.S. acting attorney general appointed after former Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned and before former Attorney General William Barr was sworn in during Trump’s first term. Whitaker oversaw the DOJ during former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and was heavily scrutinized by Democrats over whether he sought to interfere in the probe on Trump’s behalf, allegations he denied. Whitaker frequently appears on Fox News as an advocate for Trump, defending his decision to tap Gaetz as attorney general last week and broadly criticizing the Justice Department over its various investigations into Trump’s conduct. Ambassador To Israel: Mike Huckabee Trump announced former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as his envoy to Israel last week, touting his military service as he served in the Army Special Forces for 27 years. Huckabee is a staunch supporter of Israel and has criticized the Biden administration’s calls for a cease-fire with Hamas. Huckabee has advocated for Israel to annex parts of the West Bank, which Israel occupied in 1967, and has backed Israeli settlers in the territory. A former Southern Baptist pastor, Huckabee regularly leads evangelicals on visits to Israel. White House Press Secretary: Karoline Leavitt Karoline Leavitt , the Trump campaign’s national press secretary, will serve as White House Press Secretary once the president-elect assumes his office. Leavitt, 27, was an assistant press secretary during Trump’s first presidency. She also won the Republican primary in New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District in 2022, becoming the second Gen Z candidate to win a House primary . White House Communications Director: Steven Cheung Trump picked his campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung , to serve as his communications director at the White House. Cheung was the director of communications for the president-elect’s 2024 presidential campaign and served as director of strategic response during Trump’s last term, after working in communications for the Ultimate Fighting Championship previously. Other White House Jobs Top GOP lawyer William McGinley was chosen for White House counsel, after previously working as Trump’s White House cabinet secretary from 2017 to 2019, advising other cabinet members on policy coordination, optics and ethics. Dan Scavino will return to his role as deputy chief of staff, after serving as a longtime Trump communications staffer (he was held in contempt of Congress for refusing to testify in the House Jan. 6 committee investigation, but the Justice Department declined to prosecute him). James Blair will work as deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs, after spearheading Trump’s grassroots voter outreach efforts and making frequent media appearances. Taylor Budowich was picked for deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel, after running the Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. super PAC. Trump is expected to name James Braid his director of legislative affairs, Bloomberg reported , citing unnamed sources—Braid is Vice President-elect Sen. JD Vance’s former deputy chief of staff and worked in the Office of Management and Budget during Trump’s first term. Trump tapped William Scharf to be White House staff secretary: Scharf, a former prosecutor who ran in the Republican primary for Missouri attorney general, was part of Trump’s legal team that successfully argued he has immunity from official acts he took during his first term. Sergio Gor , president and co-founder of Donald Trump Jr.’s Winning Team Publishing company, has been tapped to lead the Presidential Personnel Office. Other Justice Department Jobs Todd Blanche , Trump’s hush money trial lawyer, was tapped as the president-elect’s deputy attorney general. Blanche was lauded as “an excellent attorney who will be a crucial leader in the Justice Department,” which Trump has often criticized throughout his criminal and civil cases. Trump picked another of his attorneys, Emil Bove , as principal associate deputy attorney general. Bove represented Trump alongside Blanche throughout the hush money trial and is a former federal prosecutor. Dean John Sauer was chosen for for solicitor general, after he was credited with helping win Trump’s presidential immunity case, which resulted in the Supreme Court ruling that presidents have some immunity for official acts they take in office. Sauer also served as solicitor general of Missouri for six years and clerked for late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton was chosen as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, widely seen as one of the most prestigious prosecuting jobs due to the high-profile cases filed in the district, which includes New York City. Key Background Trump decamped to Mar-a-Lago after his win, holding meetings with his inner circle, administration hopefuls and transition team to craft his second term agenda and build out his staff. Trump is shaping his second-term agenda with the help of several right-wing groups, his closest allies and billionaire backers. Musk, who has been spotted on numerous occasions alongside Trump since his election, is among those who appear to be influencing Trump’s policy and personnel decisions. Lutnick is also overseeing a team making recommendations for personnel picks and vetting potential candidates, and Miller is expected to play a key role in making the final decisions. The right-wing think tank America First Policy Institute is reportedly the primary driver of Trump’s transition plans and has been crafting possible executive actions for Trump once he takes office. The organization is chaired by McMahon and led by former Trump Domestic Policy Counsel Director Brook Rollins. Further Reading What We Know About Trump’s Potential Cabinet—With RFK Jr. And Elon Musk Among The Candidates (Forbes) Who Will Help Shape Trump’s Policy Agenda? Here Are The Key Groups And Players (Forbes) Stephen Miller Will Reportedly Lead Trump’s Policy Agenda—Here’s Who Else Could Help Him (Forbes)NoneInternationally renowned Iranian filmmaker Ali Asgari’s films have been screened at the top festivals worldwide, winning numerous awards. This year, Asgari served as a jury member for the Orizzonti section of the Venice Film Festival and is also a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The dynamic director is now showcasing his latest movie, a highly personal black-and-white documentary titled Higher Than Acidic Clouds, at IFFI Goa. The film was conceived during his period of incarceration following his 2023 film Terrestrial Verses, which faced backlash from Iranian authorities. The brilliant movie portrays a series of vignettes featuring 11 individuals from diverse professions in dialogues with authorities, addressing cultural, religious, and institutional constraints. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it garnered widespread acclaim. However, upon returning to Iran, Asgari faced repercussions: his passport and mobile phone were confiscated, and he was banned from traveling for eight months. During this period, he shot Higher Than Acidic Clouds in just nine days at his mother’s home, playing the lead role himself. This writer interviewed him during the World Film Festival in Bangkok earlier this month, where Terrestrial Verses was screened. Both Terrestrial Verses and Higher Than Acidic Clouds are my voices raised against the system. The former is a parody, while the latter is poetic. Even if the subject is sensitive, the cinematic style provides balance. I aim to use the cinematic medium effectively. Yes. Iran is my country, and I want to have the freedom to make films here. I know the red lines imposed by the government, and I stay within them. I’m not a political activist, so I don’t worry about getting arrested. Most filmmakers do. I have a small team, and we work well together. Terrestrial Verses was essentially a series of dialogues, written by my co-writer Alireza Khatami (based in Canada) and me, based on real-life people and incidents. The film resonated with audiences worldwide, attracting over 100,000 spectators in France alone. Yes, Higher Than Acidic Clouds features my voice narrating the story. It was a minimal production—just me and my cinematographer—who contributed significantly to the poetic visual style of the clouds. Absolutely. It signifies memories, as the film revolves around the “hard drive” of memories, and also reflects the censorship in Iran, which has drained the country of vibrancy. Yes, as I play myself. The words and feelings are all mine. My mother, three sisters, and niece also appear in the film. Their reactions represent the opinions of general society. It highlights the importance of free expression. Yes. None of my films are officially released in Iran. However, many people watch them through illegal online channels. Mainly loud comedies, commercial films, or government propaganda. While Iran has many festivals, independent film festivals have vanished. It’s challenging, but I’ve been fortunate to have supportive friends. My films are made on modest budgets: Terrestrial Verses cost under $100,000, and Higher Than Acidic Clouds was made for $50,000. Yes, through our sales agent. Terrestrial Verses screened at nearly 100 festivals, including MAMI and Pune in India, where it deeply moved audiences. Higher Than Acidic Clouds premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam and is now heading to IFFI Goa, Pune, and several other prestigious festivals worldwide. Yes. IFFI Goa is a major event, but Pune offers closer interactions with filmmakers. I’ve cherished watching many wonderful Indian movies growing up.

Americans are expected to spend a record amount (between $979.5 billion and $989 billion) on holiday gifts and decor in November and December, according to the National Retail Federation. Inflation and high interest rates are important parts of the story, but there’s not much evidence that people are planning to cut back, either. Only 1 in 3 holiday shoppers is planning to spend less this holiday season than they did during the festive period last year, according to Bankrate’s Early Holiday Shopping Survey. The most popular answer (given by 43% of respondents) was “about the same.” And roughly a quarter of holiday shoppers are planning to spend more. Stubborn inflation means that many people planning to spend about the same could still end up paying more this year, due simply to price increases. This could even tip some people who plan to spend less into the spending more camp. Adobe is among the many organizations projecting an increase in holiday spending this year. Its survey focuses on e-commerce, which is expected to grow 8.4% this holiday season — much faster than brick-and-mortar retail. For context, organizations such as the National Retail Federation and Mastercard are expecting total holiday retail sales growth between about 2.5% and 3.5%. Contrary to the past five years, when the market share of the cheapest goods increased 46% and the share of the most expensive goods decreased 47%, Adobe says the share of the most expensive goods will increase 19% this year. Sporting goods, electronics and appliances are leading the trend. The University of Michigan’s popular consumer sentiment index has remained well below pre-pandemic norms despite a host of economic data that has come in much more favorably. For instance, the unemployment rate hit its lowest level in 54 years in 2023. While it has gone up a bit since then, it’s still low, historically speaking. Consumer spending and gross domestic product have been growing, and inflation is coming down without a much-feared and much-forecast recession. Yet people still aren’t feeling great about the economy, mostly because inflation has outpaced wage gains. Normally, when people worry about the economy, they pull back on discretionary spending. But spending has boomed the past few years in discretionary categories such as travel, dining and live entertainment. That’s mostly because of a “you only live once” attitude that emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic. Although that may be starting to change. Half of credit-card holders carry debt from month to month, Bankrate found, which is the highest percentage since early 2020. Among them, 6 in 10 have been in credit-card debt for at least a year (up 10 percentage points from three years ago). People often get into credit-card debt for practical reasons, such as medical bills, car repairs and day-to-day expenses. More than a quarter (28%) of holiday shoppers say they’re stressed about these expenses, and the same percentage says holiday shopping will strain their budgets. If either describes you, it’s clear that you have plenty of company. Consider speaking up and asking what your family members and friends think about buying fewer gifts this year. Another way to celebrate without busting your budget is to give homemade gifts. Are you a good baker or crafter? If so, use those talents to create holiday presents instead of spending money at the mall or on your favorite e-commerce site. If you are going to be shopping, do your best to avoid unnecessary impulse buys by setting limits ahead of time, waiting 24 hours before making an unplanned purchase and unlinking your credit and debit cards. Consider the total cost of ownership, too. Don’t fall into the buy now, pay later trap. It’s easy to trick yourself into thinking a $200 purchase is just four easy payments of $50, but those can add up, particularly if you’re already overextended and in credit-card debt. And when it comes to holiday activities, there are tons of low-cost ways to enjoy the festive period. Driving around the neighborhood looking at holiday light displays is a fun way to get into the spirit and entertain the kids without spending more than a little gas money. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

66 fortune game apk CNN analyst: Here’s why Trump pick RFK Jr. has strong support among Americans

DETROIT (AP) — Detroit and Green Bay , longtime rivals and current contenders, will have much at stake when they meet Thursday night in the Motor City. The NFC-leading Lions (11-1) are aiming to stay ahead of Philadelphia (10-2) in the race for the conference's best record and Minnesota (10-2) in the NFC North with a win against the Packers. Detroit can also clinch a spot in the playoffs with an 11th straight victory that would set a franchise record. “We’re in playoff football right now,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “This is the type of stuff that you live for and it’s also the type of stuff that gets you ready for the tournament.” Green Bay (9-3) also has a lot to play for because it can pull within a game of the Lions if it can split the season series with a slight upset as 3 1/2-point underdogs, according to BetMGM. “This game is going to be important for us moving forward toward the end of this thing and we’re going to treat it as such,” Packers safety Xavier McKinney said. Green Bay’s ability to slow down Detroit’s run game might be pivotal. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, the first teammates in league history to run for at least 10 touchdowns in consecutive seasons, have combined to average more than 140 yards on the ground per game. The Packers limited San Francisco's Christian McCaffrey to 31 yards on 11 attempts and held Miami to 39 yards rushing in their past two games. It was the first time since 1995, and just the second time since 1950, that they gave up fewer than 45 yards rushing in two straight weeks. Montgomery ran 17 times for 73 yards and Gibbs had 65 yards rushing and a touchdown on 11 carries last month at Green Bay. “They played Montgomery the whole first half and then the second half they came with Gibbs,” McKinney recalled. “They got a good 1-2 punch.” Home field has not been an advantage in the series lately. The road team has won four straight games, going back to Detroit closing the 2022 regular season and Aaron Rodgers' career with the Packers in a 20-16 win at Lambeau Field. Green Bay has won five straight NFC North road games, including last year at Detroit on Thanksgiving. McKinney and Lions safety Kerby Joseph each have an NFL -high seven interceptions, leading the rest of the league by at least two. Joseph had a pick-6 in the most recent meeting against Green Bay and has picked off four passes in four games against the Packers. “He’s a ballhawk,” Packers quarterback Jordan Love said. “He’s going to make the plays when the ball’s in the air, so he’s definitely a guy you’ve got to know where he’s at.” Lions coach Dan Campbell was taken aback at a news conference recently when a reporter informed him Gibbs had a post on social media showing some of the team's strategy. “I'd rather our stuff not be out there,” Campbell said. Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur feels the same way, though he said it doesn't provide a competitive edge to see another team's terminology on a whiteboard. “Guys understand that nobody wants their information out there for the whole world to see, so we try to keep everything in house here,” LaFleur said. “But I don’t think it’s like the end of the world, either.” Both teams will play a third game in 12 days. “How the whole organization has handled this has been really impressive,” said Packers defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness, who had a sack in each of his past two games. After the game, each team will get a break. The Lions will host the AFC East champion Buffalo Bills on Dec. 15 and Green Bay plays at Seattle later that night. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Watch: Alex and Stu's video verdict on Ipswich Town's 1-0 defeat at Forest'Malcolm in the Middle' to offer new episodes with Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek are reuniting for a new four-episode run of “Malcolm in the Middle” for Disney+ — 25 years after the beloved sitcom first launched. The show ran for seven seasons starting in 2000 and was hailed for looking at ordinary life through the eyes of an extraordinary youngster, now fully grown: Malcolm, played by Muniz, has a genius I.Q. The new four episodes will be crafted by original series creator Linwood Boomer. No air dates were announced. “Malcolm in the Middle” originally aired on Fox and ended its run in 2006. Woman who falsely accused Duke lacrosse players of rape in 2006 publicly admits she lied RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The woman who in 2006 falsely accused three Duke University lacrosse players of raping her has admitted publicly for the first time that she made up the story. The accusations made national headlines at the time, stirring tensions about race, class and the privilege of college athletes. Crystal Mangum, who is Black, said in an interview with the “Let’s Talk with Kat” podcast that she “made up a story that wasn’t true” about the white players who attended a party where she was hired to perform as a stripper “because I wanted validation from people and not from God.” The former Duke players were declared innocent in 2007 after Mangum’s story fell apart under legal scrutiny. Sophia, a famous robot and global icon of AI, wins hearts at Zimbabwe's innovation fair HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Sophia, a world-renowned robot, has been the center of attention at an Artificial Intelligence and Innovation fair in Zimbabwe this week. Described as an AI global icon by the U.N., Sophia can hold human-like conversations with people and recognize their gestures. As a special guest at the week-long event at the University of Zimbabwe, she answered questions on academic topics from researchers. Children quizzed her about the bible, God and her birth. She also made clear her aversion to human food and romance. The United Nations Development Program said it brought Sophia to Zimbabwe as part of efforts to “inspire youth, policymakers, and innovators to embrace AI as a catalyst for development.” Stanley recalls millions of travel mugs over concerns the lids might fall off, causing burns Stanley is recalling approximately 2.6 million of its switchback and trigger action stainless steel travel mugs sold in the U.S. because of a potential burn hazard. The company said that the mug’s lid threads can shrink when exposed to heat and torque, causing the lid to detach during use, posing a burn hazard. Stanley has received 91 reports worldwide, including 16 in the U.S., of the recalled travel mugs’ lids detaching during use, resulting in 38 burn injuries worldwide, including two burn injuries in the U.S., with 11 consumers worldwide requiring medical attention. Miami Dolphins release veteran receiver Odell Beckham Jr. MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins released wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. on Friday, ending the former Pro Bowler’s short tenure with the team. Beckham had missed the past two days of practice for what the team called personal reasons. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel indicated that the decision to part ways was mutual. Beckham signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins in May, but started the season on the physically unable to perform list after offseason knee surgery. Since his Dolphins debut in Week 5 against New England, Beckham had just nine catches for 55 yards in nine games. Bird strike disables a jetliner engine and forces an emergency landing at JFK airport NEW YORK (AP) — Authorities say a bird strike involving an American Airlines jetliner disabled one of the plane’s two engines shortly after takeoff from New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The plane was forced to turn around and land at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Airline officials say no one was injured. Flight 1722 took off from LaGuardia at 7:43 p.m. Thursday with a destination of Charlotte, North Carolina. Airport officials say it safely made an emergency landing at Kennedy at 8:03 p.m. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating. The agency received reports of 19,400 strikes at 713 airports across the U.S. last year alone. Rarely do they force jetliners to make emergency landings. 49ers LB De'Vondre Campbell refuses to enter game after losing his starting spot SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco linebacker De’Vondre Campbell refused to enter the game in the third quarter after losing his starting job when Dre Greenlaw returned from an injury. Campbell played 90% of defensive snaps for the 49ers but was benched after Greenlaw came back for his first game since tearing his left Achilles tendon in last season’s Super Bowl. When Greenlaw left with soreness in the third quarter Thursday night against the Rams, Campbell told the coaches he didn't want to play and left the field. Coach Kyle Shanahan says he has never seen that before and the team will “figure out something” on how to deal with it going forward. 'Crown of Thorns' returns to Notre Dame Cathedral for public veneration PARIS (AP) — An ancient relic that many Christians revere as Jesus Christ’s “Crown of Thorns” has returned to Notre Dame, five years after it was saved from the flames of the cathedral’s devastating 2019 fire. The crown — a circular band of branches encased in a gilded golden tube — was brought back to its historic home Friday in a ceremony. The event was presided over by the archbishop of Paris and attended by knights and dames of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher, marking a key moment in the cathedral’s restoration journey. In 1239, it was acquired by King Louis IX of France, who brought it to Paris. 'Vanderpump Rules' star James Kennedy arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic violence BURBANK, Calif. (AP) — Police say “Vanderpump Rules” star James Kennedy has been arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic violence. Police in Burbank, California, say officers investigated reports of an argument between a man and a woman at a residence late Tuesday night and arrested the 32-year-old Kennedy. He was released from jail after posting bail. A representative of Kennedy did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. The Burbank city attorney will decide whether to file charges. Kennedy is a DJ and reality TV star who has appeared for 10 seasons on “Vanderpump Rules” — the Bravo series about the lives of employees at a set of swank restaurants. Dick Vitale says he's cancer-free after 4th bout with the disease in just over 3 years Dick Vitale said he’s cancer-free after his fourth bout with the disease in just over three years. The 85-year-old ESPN college basketball analyst posted Thursday on X that he got the news after a morning scan, saying: “SANTA CLAUS came early as Dr Rick Brown called & said that my PET SCAN at 7 AM came back CLEAN OF CANCER !” Vitale posted on X. “OMG thanks so much to ALL of YOU for your (prayers). Yes I’m cutting the nets down baby it’s my National Championship!” Vitale had surgery in the summer to remove cancerous lymph nodes from his neck. The Basketball Hall of Famer was previously treated for melanoma and lymphoma, and had radiation treatments last year for vocal cord cancer.

DETROIT — In the end, the amount and way the Red Wings were losing lately was simply too much to ignore. And with that, the Wings fired coach Derek Lalonde and replaced him with former San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan on Thursday. In a release just after noon, the Wings announced that Steve Yzerman, the Wings’ executive vice-president and general manager, named McLellan the team’s 29th head coach in franchise history and signed McLellan to a multi-year contract. The Wings also hired Trent Yawney as an assistant coach, replacing Bob Boughner, another former Sharks head coach who oversaw the defense and penalty-kill. McLellan will be behind the bench Friday, as the Wings return from the three-day NHL holiday break to host Toronto. Yzerman and McLellan will address the media on Friday. McLellan is San Jose’s all-time winningest coach, compiling a 311-155-63 mark over seven full seasons from 2008-15. He won three Pacific Division titles and had a 30-32 record in the postseason, reaching the conference finals in 2010 and 2011. McLellan’s Sharks teams finished with more than 100 points four times, winning the President’s Trophy in the 2008-09 season that also saw McLellan named a finalist for the Jack Adams Trophy as coach of the year. The Wings have struggled to a 13-17-4 record, good for 30 points, just two points above Buffalo for last place in the Eastern Conference. They trail Ottawa by eight points (38-30) for the final of two Eastern Conference wild-card positions. After just missing the playoffs last spring on the final night of the season on a tiebreaker, the Wings struggled from the start this season. They lost three of their first four games and have struggled mightily to get to, or above, the .500 mark ever since. The Wings have lost their last three games, and the way they did likely pushed Yzerman to replace Lalonde. The Wings let a third-period lead slip away at Little Caesars on Dec. 20 to Montreal and lost, 4-3, then lost the next night in Montreal, 5-1, watching the Canadiens score the last five goals consecutively with not a ton of pushback. Monday, the Wings were shut, 4-0, at LCA, looking listless, at times. The Wings were serenaded with a loud chorus of boos after each period, culminating with a lot of pent-up frustration at the end of the game. Lalonde, 52, ended his Wings career with an 89-86-23 record. This was his first NHL head-coaching job, and he was in his third season guiding the Wings. After last season’s exciting finish and near-playoff miss, there was plenty of optimism heading into this Wings season. The team’s overall defense needed to improve, and scoring was expected to be an issue because of the personnel losses the Wings had, but the roster appeared to be competitive. But Lalonde wasn’t able to appreciably fix any of the problem areas. The Wings rank 25th in goals-against (3.26), only slightly better than last season’s final average (3.35). Scoring goals has been a larger-than-expected issue. With the departures of Jake Walman, Shayne Gostisbehere, David Perron, Robby Fabbri and Daniel Sprong, the Wings were hoping for internal improvement, but it hasn’t happened. They currently rank 29th, at 2.56 goals scored per game (the Wings were 13th last season, scoring 3.12 goals per game). Add to that, a dismal penalty kill that ranks 31st (68.8%), and it’s made for a frustrating season. In steps McLellan, 57, who was an assistant coach under Mike Babcock from 2005-08. Yzerman, incidentally, was the captain in his final playing season and first season for McLellan in Detroit under Babcock. McLellan has 16 seasons of NHL head-coaching experience, posting a 598-412-134 regular-season record and a 42-46 postseason mark with the Los Angeles Kings (2019-24), Edmonton Oilers (2015-19) and Sharks (2008-15). His 598 regular-season wins are ranked 24th in NHL history and sixth-most among active coaches behind Paul Maurice (891), Lindy Ruff (876), Peter Laviolette (823), John Tortorella (757) and Peter DeBoer (632). Teams coached by McLellan have reached the 50-win mark three times and the 100-point plateau six times. McLellan’s teams have also advanced to the Stanley Cup playoffs nine times, including six consecutive postseason appearances with the Sharks. Known as an upbeat coach with strong communication skills, McLellan is regarded as an effective coach of young players dating back to a successful junior hockey coaching career. McLellan, along with Yzerman, will be under increasing pressure to end a Wings’ streak of not making the playoffs for eight consecutive seasons. Only Buffalo, at 13 seasons, has a longer current streak.

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BE Semiconductor Industries’ stock saw a dramatic increase in short interest during December. By December 15th, short interest had ballooned to 2,400 shares, marking a staggering rise of 2,300% compared to just 100 shares at the end of November. Given the average daily trading volume of 4,900 shares, this equates to a days-to-cover ratio of 0.5 days. Current Stock Performance On the recent trading day, BE Semiconductor’s shares climbed by $3.91, settling at $140.85. This rise occurred with 1,557 shares exchanged, somewhat lower than the typical volume of 2,324 shares. Over the past year, the stock has experienced notable volatility, with a low of $105.53 and a high of $195.34. Its recent moving averages indicate a moderate trend, with the 50-day average at $121.24 and the 200-day average at $134.31. Financially, the company boasts a robust current ratio of 6.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13, supported by a market cap of $10.21 billion. Earnings Highlights BE Semiconductor recently disclosed its quarterly earnings, revealing a $0.65 earnings per share. The firm showed a strong return on equity at 39.36% and a significant net margin of 28.93%, with revenues reaching $172.08 million for the quarter. BE Semiconductor Industries, a global player in semiconductor assembly equipment, operates extensively in markets spanning across the US, Asia, and Europe. Despite holding a “Hold” rating, top analysts spotlight other stocks as more promising investments in the current market climate. Why BE Semiconductor Industries Might Be the Next Big Name in the Sector Key Features and Innovations BE Semiconductor Industries, known for its advancements in semiconductor assembly equipment, is steadily climbing the ranks due to its innovative technologies. These innovations are aimed at meeting the growing demands of the semiconductor industry, which is pivotal in tech products from smartphones to electric vehicles. The company’s focus on sustainability is also notable, as it seeks to reduce environmental impact through efficient manufacturing practices. Their cutting-edge technologies cater extensively to high-growth areas including 5G, AI, and advanced computing, which are reshaping global economies. Financial Insights and Market Potential The recent rise in BE Semiconductor’s stock price reflects its strong financial footing, highlighted by its impressive return on equity of 39.36% and a net margin of 28.93%. These figures position the company favorably against its competitors in the industry, offering a robust outlook for investors looking for stable yet dynamic market opportunities. Despite a “Hold” rating from analysts, the market cap of $10.21 billion showcases its standing as a significant player with substantial growth potential. Comparisons and Market Analysis Within the semiconductor sector, BE Semiconductor stands out with its solid financial health compared to peers, driven by its sizable current ratio of 6.86. Nevertheless, the market is highly competitive with other emerging technologies and companies that are attractive to investors. A comparison with competitors reveals that while BE Semiconductor’s operational strength is impressive, the market generally views other stocks as higher-risk with potentially higher rewards. Limitations and Challenges Despite its achievements, BE Semiconductor faces ongoing challenges like market volatility and competition from both well-established and emerging firms. Its stock’s past variance, from $105.53 to a peak of $195.34, underscores the sector’s inherent unpredictability, potentially deterring risk-averse investors. Consequently, navigating these fluctuations while capitalizing on trends such as green manufacturing and artificial intelligence integration remains crucial for sustained success. Future Predictions and Trends Looking forward, the company is poised to leverage cross-continental demands in the US, Asia, and Europe, where semiconductor needs are rapidly expanding. The global transition toward digital and electric technologies offers a fertile ground for BE Semiconductor’s innovative approaches. It is predicted that ongoing developments in 5G and quantum computing will further boost demand for BE Semiconductor’s cutting-edge products, solidifying its position in the future tech landscape. For more information about BE Semiconductor Industries, visit their official website .

Mathias Brunet Makes a Big Statement on Patrik Laine, and There's an Update on His InjuryMikaela Shiffrin's bid for a milestone 100th alpine World Cup victory was on hold after the US superstar crashed out of the Killington giant slalom won by Sweden's Sara Hector on Saturday. Shiffrin, already the owner of the most World Cup victories in history, was poised to claim a once unimaginable century after topping the first-run times. She looked on course for the win when she crashed heavily in the second leg and Sweden's Olympic gold medaallist Hector emerged with the victory with a total of 1min 53.08sec. Shiffrin, whose mistake rounding a turn caused her to lose her balance and slide through a gate, lost one ski and careened into the catch-fencing. She was taken from the course on a sled, offering a wave to fans on her way. The extent of any possible injuries she might have suffered was not immediately known. "Mikaela took the sled down and is currently being evaluated," USA Ski & Snowboard said in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter. "More info to come, but take solace in the fact that she asked about her splits." Shiffrin, 29, already has 13 more World Cup wins than the most successful man, Ingemar Stenmark, and 17 more than the second woman, compatriot Lindsey Vonn. Needing three wins to hit 100 to start the season, she bagged her 98th and 99th career titles with back-to-back slalom wins in Levi, Finland, and Gurgl, Austria. That gave her a chance to complete her century in front of home fans in Killington, not far from where she attended Burke Mountain Academy as a youngster. Shiffrin -- who has won six slaloms at Killington but never a giant slalom -- was greeted by ecstatic cheers as she crossed the finish line of the first leg atop the times. She was 17-hundredths of a second ahead of Hector after the second sector of her second run. But her day ended not in celebration but in the 21st "Did Not Finish" in her 274 career starts. Vonn, who has just announced plans to come out of retirement, posted on social media: "Hope @MikaelaShiffrin is OK." Hector was delighted with her win, while sympathetic to Shiffrin. "I'm very happy, after going through a difficult period," she said. "Obviously, I'm very sad for Mikaela who was skiing so well. "I saw her fall. My heart goes out to her," she added. Croatia's Zrinka Ljutic finished second, 54-hundredths of a second behind Hector, and Switzerland's Camille Rast was third, 1.05 seconds back. The women are scheduled to race a slalom on Sunday. bbInquiry into journalists' trolling ordered, Senate told

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CHECK OUT: Education is Your Right! Don’t Let Social Norms Hold You Back. Learn Online with LEGIT. Enroll Now! Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 7 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international events Ikoyi, Lagos state - President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said he would not reduce the size of his cabinet including 48 ministers and several Special Advisers. Tinubu said the large size of his cabinet was necessary for effective service delivery. He stated this while speaking during his first Presidential Media Chat held at his Bourdillon Street residence in Ikoyi, Lagos on Monday night, December 23. PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app! According to Leadership, President Tinubu firmly defended the size of his cabinet. “I am not ready to shrink the size of my cabinet.” Tinubu explained that the ministers were selected based on efficiency and the needs of the country. “I saw the need for them when I created the portfolios,” “Nigeria is a large country. If you are to entertain over 200 million persons, calculate how many stewards will be required.” Read also Hardship in Nigeria: Remi Tinubu donates 1,000 bags of rice to Christians in Bauchi for Christmas According to President Tinubu , the number of ministers and advisers was crucial to effectively govern the country. Tinubu affirmed that he remained committed to maintaining a large team to meet the demands of the diverse nation. Legit.ng recalls that Tinubu announced the scrapping of the ministries of Niger Delta and sports development in a major cabinet reshuffle . Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesperson, also said Tinubu merged the Ministry of Tourism with the Ministry of Culture and Creative Economy. Onanuga added that the president created a new Ministry of Regional Development to manage the affairs of the Niger Delta and other development commissions. Cabinet Reshuffle: New ministers appointed by Tinubu and portfolios Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Tinubu submitted the names of seven new ministerial nominees to the national assembly following the dismissal of six ministers from his cabinet. Read also Year in review: Aiyedatiwa, Okpebholo, other biggest political winners in 2024 The nominees are set to fill the resulting vacancies, while the President also restructured his administration by reassigning 10 ministers to new portfolios. Among the nominees, Tinubu has selected Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu for the position of minister of state for foreign affairs. PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy! Source: Legit.ngRomanian lawmakers on Monday voted narrowly in favor of a new pro-European coalition government led by incumbent Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. The move could usher in an end to a protracted political crisis in the European Union country following the annulment of a presidential election by a top court. Parliament approved the new administration in a 240-143 vote in Romania's 466-seat legislature. The new coalition is made up of the leftist Social Democratic Party, or PSD, the center-right National Liberal Party, PNL, the small ethnic Hungarian UDMR party and national minorities. It caps a month-long period of turmoil in which far-right nationalists made significant gains in a Dec. 1 parliamentary election, a week after a first-round presidential race saw the far-right outsider Calin Georgescu emerge as the front-runner. “It will not be an easy mandate for the future government,” Ciolacu, whose PSD party topped the polls in the parliamentary election, said in a statement Monday. “We are aware that we are in the midst of a deep political crisis," he said. "It is also a crisis of trust, and this coalition aims to regain the trust of citizens, the trust of the people.” Romani's 16 ministerial positions will be shared among the parties, which will hold a slim majority in the legislature. It's widely seen as a tactical partnership to shut out far-right nationalists whose voices found fertile ground amid high living costs and a sluggish economy. Ciolacu, who came third in the first-round presidential ballot despite polls indicating he would win the most votes, has served as prime minister since June 2023. After parliament’s approval, President Klaus Iohannis swore in the new government and warned the new Cabinet that it's entering a “difficult new period” in which “for many Romanians, there are major concerns.” Romania was plunged into turmoil after Georgescu’s surprise success in the presidential race, after allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference emerged. Days before the Dec. 8 runoff, the Constitutional Court made the unprecedented move to annul the presidential race. “We go through complicated times, but I think we all learned from mistakes of the past,” Ciolacu said. “I hope that together with my colleagues in the coalition, we’ll find the best solutions to get past the challenges we have in front of us.” Ciolacu said that the new government would aim to quickly organize the rerun of the presidential election in which the new coalition has agreed to put forward an agreed common pro-European candidate. Cristian Andrei, a political consultant based in Bucharest, said that the new government made up of the same political parties will likely embrace “soft populist” rhetoric such as economic patriotism, anti-austerity, and a peace solution in neighboring Ukraine to counter the rise of far-right populism. “This will be a way to answer the concerns of many Romanians who voted for populists ... but will not solve the fundamental problem of trust,” he said. “The only decisive factor now will be who and how convincing the pro-European candidates will be against this popular revolt.” George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, which came second in the parliamentary election, said that all lawmakers from his party on Monday would vote against the Ciolacu government. In 2021, the PSD and the PNL also formed an unlikely but increasingly strained coalition together with UDMR, which exited the Cabinet last year after a power-sharing dispute.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay's surest path to the NFL playoffs is a division championship. The Buccaneers will need help to repeat in the NFC South , but only if they first and foremost give themselves a chance. That means winning their remaining games at home against Carolina and New Orleans, while the Atlanta Falcons lose at least once in the final two weeks of the regular season. The Bucs (8-7) and Falcons share the best record in the division, however Atlanta holds the tiebreaker after sweeping the season series between the teams. Tampa Bay, which has won three consecutive division titles, is the only NFC team that has made the playoffs each of the past four seasons. “We’ve got to take care of business or else we’ve got no shot,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said after a 26-24 loss at Dallas cost the Bucs control of the NFC South race. “This one, we've got to take it on the chin,” Mayfield added. “It's a short week. It's Christmas week. We've got to focus on Carolina and figure out a way to win.” If Atlanta is able to maintain its lead, Tampa Bay could make the postseason as a wild card if the Bucs win out and the Commanders lose twice. Coach Todd Bowles sounds confident that his players understand the challenge ahead and will clean up mistakes that contributed to the end of their four-game win streak. “We’ve got to win a ballgame (this week). If we don’t win a ballgame, we don’t give ourselves a chance,” Bowles said Monday. “We have to focus on us like we’ve been doing,” the coach added. “We have to correct the mistakes, and we have to go out and win Sunday, and we’ve got to win the next week, and then we’ll see what happens after that.” What's working The offense, which ranks third in the NFL at 389.8 yards per game, isn't a fluke. Despite losing to the Cowboys, Tampa Bay finished with 410 yards total offense. It was the team's fifth straight game — as well as an NFL-high ninth overall — with 400-plus yards. The Bucs are seventh in rushing (143.7 yards per game) after ranking 32nd each of the past two seasons. What needs helps The defense yielded 292 yards passing against the Cowboys, 226 of it in the first half when Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb had six catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. Bowles said shoddy tackling was the biggest issue — not poor coverage. Lamb had one reception for 5 yards after halftime. Stock up Mayfield's chemistry with rookie WR Jalen McMillan, who has 27 receptions for 336 yards and five TDs, continues to grow. McMillan had five catches for 57 yards and a touchdown — his fourth in the past three games — against Dallas. He was also the intended receiver on Mayfield's deep throw that CB Jourdan Lewis intercepted in the end zone to help the Cowboys hold off the Bucs in the closing minutes. Stock down Turnovers were costly against Dallas. The end-zone interception stopped the Bucs from cutting into a 26-17 deficit with 6:22 remaining in the fourth quarter. Rachaad White's fumble with 1:31 left ended any hope for a last-minute victory. On both plays, defenders ripped the ball out of the grasp of the offensive player. “We knew they were going to rake at the ball going into the ballgame," Bowles said. "We just have to have two hands on the ball, and we have to fight for it. We have to take better care of the football. That’s priority No. 1.” Injuries Bowles said it's too early to project the status of several starters for coming games, including S Antoine Winfield Jr. (knee), who has missed the past two games. TE Cade Otton (knee) and LB K.J. Britt (ankle) were inactive against the Cowboys, while reserve WR Sterling Shepard left during the game with a hamstring injury. Key number 80. Bucky Irving leads all NFL rookie RBs with 920 yards rushing. He needs 80 over the next two games to reach 1,000. He scored his seventh rushing touchdown against Dallas. That tied Errict Rhett and Lars Tate for the second-most rushing TDs by a rookie running back in franchise history. Doug Martin set the record of 11 in 2012. Next up Host Carolina on Sunday. ___ NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Fred Goodall, The Associated PressTAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay's surest path to the NFL playoffs is a division championship. The Buccaneers will need help to repeat in the NFC South , but only if they first and foremost give themselves a chance. That means winning their remaining games at home against Carolina and New Orleans, while the Atlanta Falcons lose at least once in the final two weeks of the regular season. The Bucs (8-7) and Falcons share the best record in the division, however Atlanta holds the tiebreaker after sweeping the season series between the teams. Tampa Bay, which has won three consecutive division titles, is the only NFC team that has made the playoffs each of the past four seasons. “We’ve got to take care of business or else we’ve got no shot,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said after a 26-24 loss at Dallas cost the Bucs control of the NFC South race. “This one, we've got to take it on the chin,” Mayfield added. “It's a short week. It's Christmas week. We've got to focus on Carolina and figure out a way to win.” If Atlanta is able to maintain its lead, Tampa Bay could make the postseason as a wild card if the Bucs win out and the Commanders lose twice. Coach Todd Bowles sounds confident that his players understand the challenge ahead and will clean up mistakes that contributed to the end of their four-game win streak. “We’ve got to win a ballgame (this week). If we don’t win a ballgame, we don’t give ourselves a chance,” Bowles said Monday. “We have to focus on us like we’ve been doing,” the coach added. “We have to correct the mistakes, and we have to go out and win Sunday, and we’ve got to win the next week, and then we’ll see what happens after that.” What's working The offense, which ranks third in the NFL at 389.8 yards per game, isn't a fluke. Despite losing to the Cowboys, Tampa Bay finished with 410 yards total offense. It was the team's fifth straight game — as well as an NFL-high ninth overall — with 400-plus yards. The Bucs are seventh in rushing (143.7 yards per game) after ranking 32nd each of the past two seasons. What needs helps The defense yielded 292 yards passing against the Cowboys, 226 of it in the first half when Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb had six catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. Bowles said shoddy tackling was the biggest issue — not poor coverage. Lamb had one reception for 5 yards after halftime. Stock up Mayfield's chemistry with rookie WR Jalen McMillan, who has 27 receptions for 336 yards and five TDs, continues to grow. McMillan had five catches for 57 yards and a touchdown — his fourth in the past three games — against Dallas. He was also the intended receiver on Mayfield's deep throw that CB Jourdan Lewis intercepted in the end zone to help the Cowboys hold off the Bucs in the closing minutes. Stock down Turnovers were costly against Dallas. The end-zone interception stopped the Bucs from cutting into a 26-17 deficit with 6:22 remaining in the fourth quarter. Rachaad White's fumble with 1:31 left ended any hope for a last-minute victory. On both plays, defenders ripped the ball out of the grasp of the offensive player. “We knew they were going to rake at the ball going into the ballgame," Bowles said. "We just have to have two hands on the ball, and we have to fight for it. We have to take better care of the football. That’s priority No. 1.” Injuries Bowles said it's too early to project the status of several starters for coming games, including S Antoine Winfield Jr. (knee), who has missed the past two games. TE Cade Otton (knee) and LB K.J. Britt (ankle) were inactive against the Cowboys, while reserve WR Sterling Shepard left during the game with a hamstring injury. Key number 80. Bucky Irving leads all NFL rookie RBs with 920 yards rushing. He needs 80 over the next two games to reach 1,000. He scored his seventh rushing touchdown against Dallas. That tied Errict Rhett and Lars Tate for the second-most rushing TDs by a rookie running back in franchise history. Doug Martin set the record of 11 in 2012. Next up Host Carolina on Sunday. ___ NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Fred Goodall, The Associated Press

OpenAI's legal battle with Elon Musk reveals internal turmoil over avoiding AI 'dictatorship'

Democrat Derek Tran ousts Republican Michelle Steel in competitive California congressional raceStock market today: Wall Street rises at the start of a holiday-shortened week

Ten of thousands of Syrians have been celebrating after the first Friday prayers since the fall of Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad. The lightning victory by an opposition rebel alliance, which took control of Damascus last weekend, ended more than 53 years of rule by the al-Assad family. Clapping, raising victory signs and waving flags of the Syrian opposition, people in major squares across the country on Friday chanted "God bless Free Syria". "Raise your head up high you are a free Syrian now," said the crowds who gathered after the traditional weekly prayers. According to eyewitnesses, tens of thousands of people gathered at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus alone. "All the doors were open for the first time to allow everyone to do Friday prayers inside the mosque," a resident of the capital told the DPA news agency. The leader of the Islamist insurgency alliance Ahmed al-Sharaa - still widely known by his nom-de-guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani - earlier called on Syrians to celebrate peacefully. "Celebrate without firing celebratory gunfire and do not terrify people," al-Sharaa said in a video message where he was dressed with a white shirt, rather than his previous military fatigues. Eyewitnesses in various cities told DPA that strict security measures were being taken to monitor the celebrations. "Public security will deal firmly with anyone proven to be involved in shooting during the celebration," a statement from the Syrian opposition groups said. "We call for adherence to peaceful behaviour during demonstrations to preserve everyone's safety," the statement added. Khaled al-Imam, a resident of the Daraya suburb of Damascus, said he was going out "to celebrate the victory over the regime of Bashar al-Assad, who killed two of my brothers and more than 15 of my family members". Until his ouster, al-Assad had been in power in Syria for 24 years and had fought a brutal civil war against rebel groups for more than 13 years. The war seemed to have been at a stalemate, with the rebels beaten back in most areas, until a lightning offensive spearheaded by jihadist groups at the end of November revealed that the government's hold on power was far weaker than many thought. Al-Sharaa's force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, and its allied insurgents have been working to establish security and start a political transition after seizing the capital early on Sunday. At the same time, they have tried to reassure a public that is both stunned by the fall of the state that had long ruled with an iron hand and concerned over extremist jihadis among the insurgents. The Friday prayers have a particular symbolism because in the early days of the anti-government uprising-turned-civil-war in Syria in 2011, protesters would turn out en masse after going to the mosque. "Unified Syria to build Syria," the crowd gathered in Damascus' Umayyad Square chanted. Some shouted slurs about the former president and his late father, calling them pigs, an insult that would have previously led to offenders being hauled off to one of the feared detention centres of Assad's security forces. As the gathering took place, the top US diplomat was in the region discussing the United States view on the developments in Syria with regional powers. In the Turkish capital Ankara, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there was "broad agreement" between Turkey and the United States on what they would like to see in Syria. That starts with an "interim government in Syria, one that is inclusive and non-sectarian and one that protects the rights of minorities and women" and does not "pose any kind of threat to any of Syria's neighbours," Blinken said during joint statements with Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The insurgent groups that toppled Assad in Syria have not made clear their policy or stance on Israel, whose military in recent days has bombed sites all over the country. Israel says it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into extremist hands and has seized a swath of southern Syria along the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, calling it a buffer zone. with AP

Musk says US is demanding he pay penalty over disclosures of his Twitter stock purchases DETROIT (AP) — Elon Musk says the Securities and Exchange Commission wants him to pay a penalty or face charges involving what he disclosed — or failed to disclose — about his purchases of Twitter stock before he bought the social media platform in 2022. In a letter, Musk’s lawyer Alex Spiro tells the outgoing SEC chairman, Gary Gensler, that the commission’s demand for a monetary payment is a “misguided scheme” that won’t intimidate Musk. The letter also alleges that the commission reopened an investigation this week into Neuralink, Musk’s computer-to-human brain interface company. The SEC has not released the letter. Nor would it comment on it or confirm whether it has issued such a demand to Musk. Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is pushing toward a vote on legislation that would provide full Social Security benefits to millions of people. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer began the process on Thursday for a final vote on the bill, known as the Social Security Fairness Act. It would eliminate policies that currently limit Social Security payouts for roughly 2.8 million people. The legislation has passed the House. The bill would add more strain on the Social Security Trust funds, which are already estimated to be unable to pay out full benefits beginning in 2035. The measure would add an estimated $195 billion to federal deficits over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Trump offers support for dockworkers union by saying ports shouldn't install more automated systems WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is offering his support for the dockworkers union before their contract expires next month at Eastern and Gulf Coast ports. He posted on social media Thursday that he met with union leaders and that any further “automation” of the ports would harm workers. He wrote that the “amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers.” The International Longshoremen’s Association has until Jan. 15 to negotiate a new contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies. The Maritime Alliance says the technology will improve worker safety and strengthen our supply chains, among other things. IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power WASHINGTON (AP) — IRS leadership on Thursday announced that the agency has recovered $4.7 billion in back taxes and proceeds from a variety of crimes. The announcement comes under the backdrop of a promised reckoning from Republicans who will hold a majority over both chambers of the next Congress and have long called for rescinding the tens of billions of dollars in funding provided to the agency by Democrats. IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said improvements made to the agency will help the incoming administration and new Republican majority congress achieve its goals of administering an extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. OpenAI's Altman will donate $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund LOS ANGELES (AP) — OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is planning to make a $1 million personal donation to President-Elect Donald Trump’s inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships the incoming administration. A spokesperson for OpenAI confirmed the move on Friday. The announcement comes one day after Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it donated $1 million to the same fund. Amazon also said it plans to donate $1 million. China signals it's prepared to double down on support for the economy as Trump tariffs loom BANGKOK (AP) — Chinese leaders met this week to plot economic policy for the coming year and sketched out plans to raise government spending and relax Beijing's monetary policy. Analysts said the broad-brush plans from the annual Central Economic Work Conference were more of a recap of current policy than ambitious new initiatives at a time when the outlook is clouded by the President-elect Donald Trump's threats to sharply raise tariffs once he takes office. The ruling Communist Party did commit to raising China's deficit and to doing more to encourage consumer spending by bringing wage increases in line with the pace of economic growth. Here's a look at China's main priorities and their potential implications. Stock market today: Wall Street slips at the end of a bumpy week Stocks slipped as Wall Street closes out a rare bumpy week. The S&P 500 was down less than 0.1% in afternoon trading Friday and headed for a weekly loss. The benchmark index hit its latest in a string of records a week ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 25 points. The Nasdaq composite was down less than 0.1%. Broadcom surged after the semiconductor company beat Wall Street’s profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. Treasury yields edged higher in the bond market. European markets were mostly lower and Asian markets mostly fell. Next Week: Retail sales, Fed policy update, existing home sales The Commerce Department releases its monthly snapshot of U.S. retail sales Tuesday. Federal Reserve officials wrap up a two-day meeting and issue an interest rate policy update Wednesday. The National Association of Realtors issues its latest update on U.S. home sales Thursday. African Union chairperson candidates advocate for permanent UN Security Council seats NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Three African leaders seeking to head the African Union have detailed their plans for regional security amid conflicts and political coups while strongly advocating for inter-Africa trade. The race for chairperson debate was held Friday in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. Kenya’s Raila Odinga, Djibouti’s Mahamoud Ali Youssouf and Madagascar’s Richard Randriamandrato are seeking to be elected as chairperson for the 55-member state African Union. They had a two-hour debate Friday in which they all advocated for two permanent seats for African countries at the U.N. Security Council to effectively represent the continent with the youngest population. The three are seeking to convince most African countries before the February election to succeed the African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki. From a 10-year-old to a Muppet to a president-elect, NYSE bell-ringers range from famous to obscure The first guest invited to ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange in 1956 wasn’t a company executive, a politician or a celebrity. It was a 10-year-old boy, Leonard Ross, who received the honor by winning a television quiz show. Since then, business titans, political giants and global film stars have all been among those ringing the opening bell at the NYSE. Ronald Reagan rang the bell as president in 1985. Billionaire businessman and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Hollywood star Robert Downey Jr. have also rung the bell. The even list includes famous Muppets: Miss Piggy was once a bell ringer.

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PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 21, 2024-- Mobile-first customer experience company Airship today announced the winners of the 2024 Airship Altitude Awards. Asda, bol, CIMB Singapore, Sally Beauty Holdings and The Vitamin Shoppe each won their respective award categories for exceptional value creation across acquisition, activation, value impact, unified experience and mobile mastery. Acquisition: Online marketplace bol was recognized for its strategies and results in driving app downloads with its “Price Alert Push as Acquisition Strategy.” bol created a price alert push campaign to acquire new app users and gain opt in for alerts when there is a discount on an item in a user’s wish list. The team encouraged customers to download the app, opt-in to notifications and add items to their wish list in the run up to major sales campaigns, like their bol 10 Days Campaign. The effort drove a significant uplift in price alert notifications, driving nearly 3X higher opt-in rates than average, an above average open rate of 27% and a conversion rate of 9%. Activation: Sally Beauty Holdings, a global distributor and retailer of professional beauty products, is honored for “Sally Beauty and CosmoProf Engagement and Opt-in Growth,” which showcased the brand’s ability to onboard new app users, drive ongoing engagement, opt-ins and registrations. Sally Beauty Holdings wanted to grow opt-ins and expand app engagement to provide more value to Sally Beauty and CosmoProf app users. The company implemented Airship’s no-code experiences and cross-channel engagement solutions, including eye-catching native, multiscreen experiences showing videos and quizzes, app store events, early access, sneak-peek programs and exclusive offers. The effort helped the brand increase the number of active users on the Sally Beauty app by 7% and CosmoProf by 16.6% year-over-year. Additionally, Sally Beauty app revenue grew from 12% to 22% of ecommerce revenue and CosmoProf revenue increased from 20% to 32% of ecommerce revenue. Value Impact: Leading ASEAN bank CIMB Singapore won top honors for driving revenue and creating valuable app customer experiences with its entry, “Empowering Simplicity with CIMB Clicks.” The brand’s vision was to make the CIMB Clicks mobile app in Singapore the go-to choice for simple, secure and seamless banking. The team went beyond simple app upgrades and fostered greater collaboration with their team, simplifying processes and reducing development time from months to weeks and days. CIMB Singapore established a dialogue with customers to educate them on security risks like phishing scams and promote new app features. As a result, monthly active users (MAU) grew 162% from early 2023 to early 2024 and 9 out of 10 retail customers now use digital banking with 75% regularly making monthly transactions. Unified Experience: Asda, one of the largest supermarket chains in the UK, was recognized for achieving exceptional customer engagement from cohesive, contextually connected experiences with its “Multichannel Rewards Round-Up” campaign. To strengthen the value exchange among its loyal Asda Rewards customers, Asda wanted to increase awareness and engagement with its loyalty program and build customer anticipation for future cash rewards. The team deployed data-driven multichannel campaigns with push notifications, in-app messages and email marketing to provide relevant, timely and consistent updates of personalized rewards progress across channels. As a result, Asda saw a 100% increase in direct open rates of push notifications and a 50% uplift in customers responding to in-app messages. Additionally, Asda’s 2024 email campaign saw an 8% increase in open rates and 39% growth in click-through rate. Mobile Mastery: The Vitamin Shoppe, a leading retailer of nutritional supplements in the U.S., transformed its mobile app experience to improve customer engagement and e-commerce revenue. The retailer worked diligently to improve every touchpoint along the customer journey, increasing loyalty members and identified users, boosting in-app engagement through gamification, increasing notification opt-in rates, improving conversion rates with an abandoned cart campaign and expanding app traffic with SMS. The Vitamin Shoppe is the first to be recognized in this new award category that celebrates meaningful achievements across the entire customer lifecycle. “This year’s Altitude Award winners represent teams from across the globe that are capturing greater value from mobile customer experiences,” said Brett Caine, CEO of Airship. “From several dozen award entries to an elite group of 12 finalists, all with very impressive results, these five winning brands are helping to define how to get mobile-first customer experience right in ways that matter most for their customers and their businesses.” A distinguished group of industry experts reviewed the 2024 Altitude Award entries and scored them based on overall performance, amplification, innovation and degree of difficulty. This year’s judges included: Pietro Lambert , VP of Product Management at OneFootball; Lauren Hensley , Director of Mobile App Marketing and Lifecycle at VML; Tom Burrell , independent retention marketing consultant formerly with DAZN; and Di Wu , VP of Audience Engagement and Lifecycle Marketing at Pandora. To learn more about the 2024 Altitude Award winners, read the blog post . About Airship Airship helps brands master mobile-first customer experiences to build lasting relationships and accelerate business growth. Since 2009, Airship has enabled thousands of the world’s leading brands to be at the forefront of the customer experience revolution with industry-first support for push notifications, in-app messages and mobile wallet boarding passes — all now the norm in elevating experiences everywhere. Today, the Airship Experience Platform provides an end-to-end solution for unifying experiences across apps, websites and all channels, including email, SMS, mobile wallet and more. Its no-code Experience Editor and Journeys AI solutions enable marketers and product managers to get work done in minutes instead of months, capturing more value across the entire customer lifecycle without ongoing developer support. With the Airship Experience Platform and App Store Optimization technology and expertise, brands now have a complete set of solutions to optimize the entire customer lifecycle – from the point of discovery to loyalty – driving greater value for everyone involved. For more information, visit www.airship.com , read our blog or follow us on X (formerly Twitter) , LinkedIn and Facebook . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241121113161/en/ CONTACT: Media Contact North America: Deidre Wright Airship +1 415-223-0832 deidre.wright@airship.comKali Myrick Kali Myrick Communications +1 503-580-4645 kali@kalimyrick.comEMEA : Ana Williams Airship +44 (0)20 3405 5160 press@airship.comPauline Delorme Tyto PR +44 (0)20 3934 8882 Airship@tytopr.com KEYWORD: OREGON UNITED STATES SINGAPORE CANADA NORTH AMERICA ASIA PACIFIC EUROPE INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY MARKETING MOBILE/WIRELESS ADVERTISING SUPERMARKET COMMUNICATIONS FOOD/BEVERAGE COSMETICS HOME GOODS RETAIL FITNESS & NUTRITION FINANCE BANKING ELECTRONIC COMMERCE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES HEALTH SECURITY APPS/APPLICATIONS DIGITAL MARKETING SOFTWARE ONLINE RETAIL INTERNET DATA MANAGEMENT SOURCE: Airship Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/21/2024 02:58 PM/DISC: 11/21/2024 02:58 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241121113161/en

Both Summerville teams turned in a Top 10 performance during the cross country state finals. Green Wave sophomore David Greer led the way for Summerville during the 5A, Division 1 Cross Country State Championship meet Nov. 21 in Newberry. Greer finished the Boys race with a 16:26 time to place ninth individually and help his team to a 10th place finish. This year’s title race featured more than 100 runners representing more than 15 teams. Dorman finished with 49 team points to claim the 5A, Division 1 Boys State Championship. Rounding out the Top 10 were Blythewood (120), Lexington (134), J.L. Mann (149), Wando (190), River Bluff (192), Spring Valley (194), James Island (213), Spartanburg (214) and Summerville (216). Green Wave junior Nick Alberti finished in 16:40 to place 17th individually and senior Ben Hamilton finished in 17:07 to place 35th. Others representing Summerville during the race were Willis Rogers (17:49), Jacob Bunao (18:05), Caleb Cinnamon (18:07) and Jacob Williams. Spring Valley junior Brendan Hitchcock (15:55) was the first runner across the finish line. Junior Cole Thomas (17:05) led Ashley Ridge, placing 37th to help the Swamp Foxes to a 13th place finish. Junior Kendall Wilcher (17:08) placed 37th. Others representing Ashley Ridge were Ayden Ray (17:36), Ryan Wallace (17:40), Tyler Pierce (17:59), Dominick Granato (18:24) and Jonta Richardson (19:35). Junior Taylor Blackwelder (20:19) led the Summerville Girls, placing 27th individually to help the Lady Green Wave to an eighth-place finish. Sophomore Kendall Griffith (20:51) placed 40th; senior Aubrey Gorin (20:55) placed 44th and junior Isabella Bradley (20:58) placed 48th. Others representing the Summerville Girls during the race were Kinley Brown (22:00), Ainsley Barbee (22:31) and Victoria Williams. Wando (54) won the race to capture the 5A, Division 1 Girls State Championship. Other teams placing in the Top 10 were James Island (56), Lexington (97), Mauldin (112), Dorman (150), River Bluff (213), Blythewood (217), Summerville (228), Clover (237) and Spartanburg (243). James Island senior Avery Belk (18:31) was the first to cross the finish line during the Girls race.Liberal candidate in B.C. byelection seeks Métis membership after identity questioned