369 superph com Pioneer farmers in the Davis region largely made a living growing grains. A big challenge before the arrival of the California Pacific Rail Road in 1868 was getting their bales of wheat and barley to the market in San Francisco. If it wasn’t flooded or impossibly muddy, they could drive their harvested crops to Washington (West Sacramento). From there a barge would move the grain on the Sacramento River to the Delta, Suisun and Grizzly Bay, through the Carquinez Strait and San Pablo Bay before sailing to San Francisco. Unfortunately, most years, what we now know as the Yolo Bypass was impassable by land. So instead, teamsters would load up horse-drawn flatbed trailers and haul large stacks of grain southwest to Suisun or Vallejo. The railroad’s arrival changed all that. It also led to the demise of a few villages on the main road and the appearance of new towns on the rail line. If you travel south a few miles out of Davis, you’ll come to Tremont Road. There’s an extant church and active cemetery that date to pioneer days. Until 1868, Tremont was a village with a schoolhouse, a hotel, a general store and a post office. It served travelers and teamsters on the road to and from the Bay Area. Tremont faded away and Davisville emerged when the railroad was built on the north side of Putah Creek. The same fate struck Silveyville when the new tracks skipped that village and passed through land owned by Thomas Dickson, a few miles east. Mr. Dickson realized having a railroad station nearby would be beneficial to himself and his neighboring farmers. So he donated 10 acres to the Cal-P with the agreement they would build a depot and subdivide his land to establish a new town. The plat map laid out, the first resident — not counting Mr. Dixon and his family — was a man named W.R. Ferguson, who purchased 1 acre, built a stone house and opened a store near the railroad station. According to an 1879 book — “History of Solano County: A full and particular biography of its early settlers and principal inhabitants” — the first package to arrive by rail in the new town was addressed to, “W.R. Ferguson, Dixon.” But for that spelling mistake, the city eight miles from Davis would likely have been called Dickson. Taking its cue from the parcel, the California Pacific erected a sign on the depot reading, “Dixon.” That spelling was finalized when the city incorporated in 1878. Not long after Ferguson opened his store, a man named Bernard Greinburg built the Empire Hotel near the tracks; and following him men named Eppinger and Kattenburg opened new Dixon enterprises. The growth in business and residents was at the expense of Silveyville. Residents of the old town — centered around where Silveyville Road and Schroeder Road now meet — were rapidly relocating to Dixon. According to an online history article by Sabine Goerke-Shrode, “Whole houses, even the Methodist Church, were moved on log rollers, pulled by 40-horse teams.” It wasn’t long before the community started by Elijah Silvey was largely gone, and the place named for Thomas Dickson was thriving. Like many Californians in his day, Dickson was drawn to the West by the hope of making money mining gold. He was born June 4, 1800, in Pennsylvania. His family moved to New York state four years later. When Thomas was 19 years old, the Dicksons left for Indiana. In 1832, he served in the Black Hawk War in Illinois. One of his fellow soldiers in that conflict was Abraham Lincoln, who was nine years younger than Dickson. A year after returning home from those hostilities, Thomas met and married Jane Parker Hood, who was originally from Knoxville, Tenn. One year into matrimony, they started a family. Mrs. Dickson eventually gave birth to five boys — one died as an infant — and three girls. With their 1-year-old daughter, Elizabeth Francine, in tow, the couple relocated to Iowa and farmed there for 18 years. Thomas wasn’t quite a “49er.” The Dicksons didn’t arrive in the Sierra foothills until 1853, when Thomas was 53 and Jane was 39. They brought with them 12 head of oxen, three cows, three wagons and several horses. Mr. Dickson prospected for the elusive mineral for one year near Diamond Springs, south of Placerville, and decided that was enough. The family moved to Solano County in 1854. Mr. Dickson was impressed by the wild oats he saw growing near the town that would later be named for him. He farmed in the area around Dixon the rest of his life. Thomas started by renting 1 acre, and eventually he purchased land on what had been the Vaca-Peña property known as Rancho Los Putos. In 1855, he built a house that was still there, though larger, when he gifted those 10 acres to the railroad. Through the end of the 19th century, grain farming was the primary endeavor in the Dixon region. Growers relied on winter and spring rains and let their crops dry in the summer. Most farmers had no access to streams or wells for irrigation. The problem was the heavy clay under the topsoil couldn’t easily be penetrated to reach the aquifer below. That changed with new technology, and wells were dug all around Dixon early in the 20th century. Irrigation allowed farmers to grow alfalfa and raise cattle; and that turned Dixon into a hub for dairies and beef. Thomas Dickson never saw that change in his town. He died in 1885 and is buried at the Dixon Cemetery next to his wife (1906) and most of their children. — Rich Rifkin is a Davis resident; his column is published every other week. Reach him at Lxartist@yahoo.com .DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria's prime minister said Monday that most cabinet ministers were back at work after rebels overthrew President Bashar Assad , but some state workers failed to return to their jobs, and a United Nations official said the country's public sector had come “to a complete and abrupt halt." Meanwhile, streams of refugees crossed back into Syria from neighboring countries, hoping for a more peaceful future and looking for relatives who disappeared during Assad's brutal rule. There were already signs of the difficulties ahead for the rebel alliance now in control of much of the country. The alliance is led by a former senior al-Qaida militant who severed ties with the extremist group years ago and has promised representative government and religious tolerance. The rebel command said Monday they would not tell women how to dress. “It is strictly forbidden to interfere with women’s dress or impose any request related to their clothing or appearance, including requests for modesty,” the command said in a statement on social media. Nearly two days after rebels entered the capital, some key government services had shut down after state workers ignored calls to go back to their jobs, the U.N. official said, causing issues at airports and borders and slowing the flow of humanitarian aid. Rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was long known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, also met for the first time with Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi Jalali, who stayed in Syria when Assad fled. “You will see there are skills" among the rebels, al-Sharaa said in a video shared on a rebel messaging channel. Israel said it carried out airstrikes on suspected chemical weapons sites and long-range rockets to keep them from falling into the hands of extremists. Israel also seized a buffer zone inside Syria after Syrian troops withdrew. In northern Syria, Turkey said allied opposition forces seized the town of Manbij from Kurdish-led forces backed by the United States, a reminder that even after Assad's departure, the country remains split among armed groups that have fought in the past. The Kremlin said Russia has granted political asylum to Assad , a decision made by President Vladimir Putin . Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on Assad’s specific whereabouts and said Putin did not plan to meet with him. Damascus was quiet Monday, with life slowly returning to normal, though most shops and public institutions were closed. In public squares, some people were still celebrating. Civilian traffic resumed, but there was no public transport. Long lines formed in front of bakeries and other food stores. There was little sign of any security presence though in some areas, small groups of armed men were stationed in the streets. Across swathes of Syria, families are now waiting outside prisons , security offices and courts, hoping for news of loved ones who were imprisoned or who disappeared. Just north of Damascus in the feared Saydnaya military prison, women detainees, some with their children, screamed as rebels broke locks off their cell doors. Amnesty International and other groups say dozens of people were secretly executed every week in Saydnaya, and they estimate that up to 13,000 Syrians were killed between 2011 and 2016. “Don’t be afraid," one rebel said as he ushered women from packed cells. "Bashar Assad has fallen!” In southern Turkey , Mustafa Sultan was among hundreds of Syrian refugees waiting at border crossings to head home. He was searching for his older brother, who was imprisoned under Assad. “I haven’t seen him for 13 years," he said. "I am going to go see whether he’s alive.” Jalali, the prime minister, has sought to project normalcy since Assad fled. “We are working so that the transitional period is quick and smooth,” he told Sky News Arabia TV on Monday, saying the security situation had already improved from the day before. At the court of Justice in Damascus, which was stormed by the rebels to free detainees, Judge Khitam Haddad, an aide to the justice minister in the outgoing government, said Sunday that judges were ready to resume work quickly. “We want to give everyone their rights,” Haddad said outside the courthouse. “We want to build a new Syria and to keep the work, but with new methods.” But a U.N. official said some government services had been paralyzed as worried state employees stayed home. The public sector “has just come to a complete and abrupt halt," said U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria Adam Abdelmoula, noting, for example, that an aid flight carrying urgently needed medical supplies had been put on hold after aviation employees abandoned their jobs. “This is a country that has had one government for 53 years and then suddenly all of those who have been demonized by the public media are now in charge in the nation’s capital,” Abdelmoula told The Associated Press. "I think it will take a couple of days and a lot of assurance on the part of the armed groups for these people to return to work again.” Britain and the U.S. are both considering whether to remove the main anti-Assad rebel group from their lists of designated terrorist organizations. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham began as an offshoot of al-Qaida but cut ties with the group years ago and has worked to present a more moderate image. The group's leader, al-Sharaa, “is saying some of the right things about the protection of minorities, about respecting people’s rights,” British Cabinet minister Pat McFadden said, adding that a change would be considered “quite quickly.” But British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking later during a visit to Saudi Arabia, said it was "far too early” to make that decision. In Washington, a Biden administration official noted that HTS will be an “important component” in Syria's future and that the U.S. needs to “engage with them appropriately.” Another administration official said the U.S. remains in a “wait and see” mode on whether to remove the designation. Both officials requested anonymity to discuss the ongoing internal deliberations. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters that such designations are constantly under review. Even while it is in place, the designation does not bar U.S. officials from speaking with members or leaders of the group, he said. The U.S. also announced it was sending its special envoy for hostage affairs to Beirut to seek information about the whereabouts of Austin Tice, a journalist who vanished in Syria 12 years ago and who President Joe Biden has said is believed to be alive. Israelis welcomed the fall of Assad, who was a key ally of Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, while expressing concern over what comes next. Israel says its forces temporarily seized a buffer zone inside Syria dating back to a 1974 agreement after Syrian troops withdrew in the chaos. “The only interest we have is the security of Israel and its citizens," Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told reporters Monday. Saar did not provide details about the targets, but the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said they included weapons warehouses, research centers, air defense systems and aircraft squadrons. Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Syria in recent years, targeting what it says are military sites related to Iran and Hezbollah . Israeli officials rarely comment on individual strikes. Syria agreed to give up its chemical weapons stockpile in 2013, after the government was accused of launching an attack near Damascus that killed hundreds of people . But it is widely believed to have kept some of the weapons and was accused of using them again in subsequent years. Officials in Turkey, which is the main supporter of the Syrian opposition to Assad, say its allies have taken full control of the northern Syrian city of Manbij from a U.S.-supported and Kurdish-led force known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF. The SDF said a Turkish drone struck in the village of al-Mistriha in eastern Syria, killing 12 civilians, including six children. Turkey views the SDF, which is primarily composed of a Syrian Kurdish militia, as an extension of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which has waged a decades-long insurgency in Turkey. The SDF has also been a key ally of the United States in the war against the Islamic State group. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday warned against allowing Islamic State or Kurdish fighters to take advantage of the situation, saying Turkey will prevent Syria from turning into a “haven for terrorism.” Mroue reported from Beirut and Goldenberg from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, Mehmet Guzel at the Oncupinar border crossing in Turkey, Jamey Keaten in Geneva, and Aamer Madhani and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report. Follow the AP's Syria coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/syriaPune churches decked up and ready for Christmas festivities

United States CFTC S&P 500 NC Net Positions: $34.9K vs $25KGermany to tighten criminal law as people-smuggling ‘action plan’ agreed with UK

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Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) at Atlanta (6-5) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS BetMGM NFL Odds: Chargers by 1 1/2 Series record: Falcons lead 8-4. Against the spread: Chargers 7-3-1, Falcons 5-6. Last meeting: Chargers beat Falcons 20-17 on Nov. 6, 2022, in Atlanta. Last week: Ravens beat Chargers, 30-23; Falcons had bye week following 38-6 loss at Denver on Nov. 17. Chargers offense: overall (21), rush (13), pass (20), scoring (18). Chargers defense: overall (13), rush (10), pass (10), scoring (13). Falcons offense: overall (8), rush (14), pass (5), scoring (16). Falcons defense: overall (25), rush (19), pass (26), scoring (26). Turnover differential: Chargers plus-8, Falcons minus-3. RB Gus Edwards will move up as the lead back for Los Angeles after J.K Dobbins (knee) was placed on injured reserve on Saturday. Edwards was activated from IR earlier this month following an ankle injury and had nine carries for 11 yards with a touchdown in Monday night's 30-23 loss to Baltimore. WR Drake London has 61 catches, leaving him four away from becoming the first player in team history to have at least 65 receptions in each of his first three seasons. London has 710 receiving yards, leaving him 140 away from becoming the first player in team history with at least 850 in each of his first three seasons. Falcons RB Bijan Robinson vs. Chargers' run defense. Robinson was shut down by Denver, gaining only 35 yards on 12 carries, and the Atlanta offense couldn't recover. The Chargers rank 10th in the league against the run, so it will be a challenge for the Falcons to find a way to establish a ground game with Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. A solid running attack would create an opportunity for offensive coordinator Zac Robinson to establish the play-action passes for quarterback Kirk Cousins. Besides Dobbins, the Chargers also placed S Alohi Gilman (hamstring) on injured reserve. CB Cam Hart (ankle) and LB Denzel Perryman (groin) also have been ruled out. ... The Falcons needed the bye to give a long list of injured players an opportunity to heal. WR WR KhaDarel Hodge (neck) did not practice on Wednesday. WR Darnell Mooney (Achilles), CB Kevin King (concussion), DL Zach Harrison (knee, Achilles) and WR Casey Washington (concussion) were hurt in the 38-6 loss at Denver on Nov. 17 and were limited on Wednesday. CB Mike Hughes (neck), nickel back Dee Alford (hamstring), ILB Troy Andersen (knee), TE Charlie Woerner (concussion) and ILB JD Bertrand (concussion) also were limited on Wednesday after not playing against Denver. C Drew Dalman (ankle) could return. The Chargers have won the past three games in the series following six consecutive wins by the Falcons from 1991-2012. Los Angeles took a 33-30 overtime win in Atlanta in 2016 before the Chargers added 20-17 wins at home in 2020 and in Atlanta in 2022. The Falcons won the first meeting between the teams, 41-0 in San Diego in 1973. Each team has built its record on success against the soft NFC South. Atlanta is 4-1 against division rivals. Los Angeles is 2-0 against the NFC South this season. The Chargers have a four-game winning streak against the division. ... Atlanta is 0-2 against AFC West teams, following a 22-17 loss to Kansas City and the lopsided loss at Denver. The Falcons will complete their tour of the AFC West with a game at the Las Vegas Raiders on Dec. 16. ... The Falcons are the league's only first-place team with a negative points differential. Atlanta has been outscored 274-244. The loss of Dobbins, who has rushed for eight touchdowns, could put more pressure on QB Justin Hebert and the passing game. Herbert's favorite option has been WR Ladd McConkey, who has four TD receptions among his 49 catches for 698 yards. McConkey, the former University of Georgia standout who was drafted in the second round, could enjoy a productive return to the state against a Falcons defense that ranks only 26th against the pass. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

An undemocratic outcome

New French government named after previous one collapsed in budget fightWe’ve got our Chelsea back – Enzo Maresca loving chants from fans after win

Northumberland Paramedics launches exercise videos and wellness resources for seniors

Parks and Rec. winter activity registration ends soon

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NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks wavered in afternoon trading on Wall Street Monday at the start of a holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 rose 0.4%. A handful of technology companies helped support the gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 63 points, or 0.2% as of 1:18 p.m. Eastern time. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite rose 0.7%. Semiconductor giant Nvidia, whose enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes, rose 3%. Broadcom jumped 5.2% to also help support the broader market. Japanese automakers Honda Motor and Nissan said they are talking about combining in a deal that might also include Mitsubishi Motors. Honda rose 3.8% and Nissan rose 1.6% in Tokyo. Eli Lilly rose 3% after announcing that regulators approved Zepbound as the first and only prescription medicine for adults with sleep apnea. Department store Nordstrom fell 1.7% after it agreed to be taken private by Nordstrom family members and a Mexican retail group in a $6.25 billion deal. The Conference Board said that consumer confidence slipped in December. Its consumer confidence index fell back to 104.7 from 112.8 in November. Wall Street was expecting a reading of 113.8. The unexpectedly weak consumer confidence update follows several generally strong economic reports last week. One report showed the overall economy grew at a 3.1% annualized rate during the summer, faster than earlier thought. The latest report on unemployment benefit applications showed that the job market remains solid. A report on Friday said a measure of inflation the Federal Reserve likes to use was slightly lower last month than economists expected. Worries about inflation edging higher again had been weighing on Wall Street and the Fed. The central bank just delivered its third cut to interest rates this year, but inflation has been hovering stubbornly above its target of 2%. It has signaled that it could deliver fewer cuts to interest rates next year than it earlier anticipated because of concerns over inflation. Expectations for more interest rate cuts have helped drive a 24% gain for the S&P 500 in 2024. That drive included 57 all-time highs this year. Inflation concerns have added to uncertainties heading into 2025, which include the labor market's path ahead and shifting economic policies under an incoming President Donald Trump. "Put simply, much of the strong market performance prior to last week was driven by expectations that a best-case scenario was the base case for 2025," said Brent Schutte, chief investment officer at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company Treasury yields edged higher in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.58% from 4.53% late Friday. European markets were mostly lower, while markets in Asia gained ground. Wall Street has several other economic reports to look forward to this week. On Tuesday, the U.S. will release its November report for sales of newly constructed homes. A weekly update on unemployment benefits is expected on Thursday. Markets in the U.S. will close early on Tuesday for Christmas Eve and will remain closed on Wednesday for Christmas.

super 8 ph SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Primo Spears' 31 points led UTSA over Houston Christian 78-71 on Saturday night. Spears had five assists for the Roadrunners (3-3). Raekwon Horton added 19 points while shooting 6 of 7 from the field and 7 for 7 from the line while he also had nine rebounds. Damari Monsanto finished 3 of 8 from 3-point range to finish with 11 points. Julian Mackey finished with 20 points for the Huskies (2-6). Bryson Dawkins added 16 points and two blocks for Houston Christian. Demari Williams also had 11 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Our victory in Maharashtra defeat of family raaj: BJP

Cowboys set to host Bengals under open roof after falling debris thwarted that plan against TexansTrump taps Rollins as agriculture chief, completing proposed slate of Cabinet secretaries

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Mikati warns Israeli military action in Lebanon a rejection of political solution

Swaffar: Three observations from USD's comeback victory over NDSUNew NIC trustees receive warm welcome, address accreditation concerns

Home Depot customer’s one-word answer about payment method that helps skip checkout issue and forces employee to step inCongress MP Rakibul Hussain has alleged that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma resorted to controversial tactics, including hosting a beef party, to sway minority voters in Samaguri during the recently concluded elections. The allegations were made during a press conference on November 30, following the BJP's surprising win in the constituency. Hussain, whose son was the Congress candidate in Samaguri and faced defeat, claimed that Sarma’s actions were politically motivated to influence the voting patterns of minority communities. “Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma organized beef feasts to win the favour of minority voters,” Hussain alleged, adding that such tactics represent a stark departure from the BJP’s typical stance on such issues. Also Read: Samaguri has historically been a Congress stronghold, making BJP’s victory a significant political upset. However, these allegations have further fueled the political debate in the state, as parties prepare for future electoral battles. The BJP has not yet issued a response to Congress MP Hussain’s claims. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has revealed the BJP’s focused strategy for the 2026 Assam Assembly elections, asserting that the party is actively working to strengthen its presence in constituencies with significant minority populations. Speaking to the media, CM Sarma identified Rupohi, Samaguri, Laharighat, East Goalpara, South Karimganj, and North Karimganj as key constituencies where BJP has started preparations for a serious electoral contest.Read the original article on

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Photo: Contributed Nelson Pride Board of Directors include, back row, L-R, terra tauri (correct spelling), (Nelson Pride volunteer Ryan Boozer), Michael Wicks, and (Nelson Pride volunteer Miche St Denis). Front, Stephanie Myers, Bobbi Vecchio, Justin Brogan. As the Nelson Pride Society board of directors prepares for its first annual general meeting, it is looking forward to what the future holds for the organization. This has been the board's first full year of incorporation and it feels energized by the feedback it has received from the community. The aim looks to build off of the year's events, said board member Terra Tauri. "We are looking for new members who want to build a queer-inclusive community in the Kootenays in accordance with our statement of values and inclusion," said Tauri. "In the current political climate, it is more important than ever to take action for queer liberation; Nelson Pride is excited to move forward and build resilience in the Kootenay through connection and shared joy.” The 2024 Pride season was a success with a diversity of events and programming to include the entire community, Tauri added. "The Nelson Pride working committees were thrilled with the turnout and engagement from folks at the majority of the events," Tauri said. "They are especially thrilled with the community engagement around the Queer Archives, which is guided by Michael, and housed at the Nelson Museum and Archives." The AGM is on Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 6 p.m. in the boardroom of the Nelson Museum, Archives and Gallery. Nelson Pride Society members will vote on motions to advance the organization inclusively and equitably. This will be a hybrid meeting with the Zoom link sent out to members before the meeting and for those members that wish to attend in person. To become a member of the Nelson Pride Society head to https://nelsonpride.ca/ . In order to be eligible to vote at the AGM a membership must be activated before Tuesday, Dec. 3. Anyone interested in joining the board or have any questions, please reach out to [email protected] .Environment Don't miss out on the headlines from Environment. Followed categories will be added to My News. Millions of Australians are set to swelter through a massive heatwave with temperatures set to hit the low to mid-40s in most states and territories. Sky News Meteorologist Alison Osborne said Mildura and Swan Hill in Victoria were tipped to reach temperatures as high as 46C on Monday while areas like Broken Hill could hit 44C. “For parts of western NSW including Broken Hill, Griffith, Hay, Deniliquin, temperatures once again likely to exceed that 45C mark and again the hottest in at least four years,” Ms Osborne told Skynews.com.au. “Fire weather warnings are likely to be current from eastern parts of South Australia including the Mid North and the Riverland, and then into western and central Victoria including that Melbourne region. “So all of this hot, dry and windy weather is likely to be conducive to fire becoming fast-moving, unpredictable and uncontrollable.” Temperatures are set to soar on Saturday. Picture: Stormcast. HEATWAVE, FIRE DANGER WARNINGS Heatwave warnings are in place across NSW, ACT, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory over the weekend and into Monday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. “Severe heatwaves can be dangerous for many people, especially older people, babies, children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, people with medical conditions and people who are unwell,” a Bureau of Meteorology alert stated. “Seek a place to keep cool, such as your home, a library, community centre or shopping centre. “Close your windows and draw blinds, curtains or awnings early in the day to keep the heat out of your home. “If available, use fans or airconditioners to keep cool.” Extreme fire danger warnings have been issued for Mallee, Wimmera, Northern Country, North Central, South West and Central Victoria on Monday. Heatwave warnings are in place across the country. Picture: NewsWire/ Monique Harmer Temperatures will rise through to Monday. Picture: Stormcast. Similar extreme fire danger warnings are in place across WA over Saturday and Sunday in Avon, Lockwood, Arthur, Roe, Lakes, Stirling North and Stirling West. For South Australia, extreme fire danger warnings have been issued for Riverland, Murraylands, Upper South East and Lower South East on Monday. High and moderate warnings are also in place across much of the country. “ALL ABOUT THE HEAT” Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Jonathan How agreed it’s “all about the heat” for the south east and centre of the country this weekend due to a high pressure moving in. “We start to see those winds turn northerly, and that will bring some very hot air down across the centre and the south east of the country,” Mr How said. “This will drive both heat wave conditions and elevated fire dangers.” Temperatures are set to climb into the 30s and low 40s west of the divide of western Sydney with heatwave conditions on Saturday, while the temperature is set to be up to 6C above average in the ACT. Temperatures are tipped to reach low to mid-40s across much of the country. Picture: NewsWire/ Monique Harmer Maximum temperatures in Victoria are expected to be up to 4C above average on Saturday in the south and up to 10C higher in the northwest on Saturday. “We will also see high fire dangers, often in coastal sea breezes, including for Melbourne,” Mr How said. South Australia is also in for a scorcher. “It will get quite hot and warming up on Sunday for South Australia,” Mr How said. “Hot heat wave conditions across much of the state. Maximum temperatures up to 6C above average in the southeast, but up to 12C above average in the north.” Sydney is expected to reach 32C by Tuesday while Melbourne will soar to 41C on Monday. Brisbane is set to range between 28C and 30C with Perth set to hit a maximum of 35C over the next week. The heat is set to hit Adelaide even sooner with a forecast of 40C on Sunday. Hobart is expected to rise to 32C by Monday with Canberra set to hit 38C on the same day. Darwin’s week is set to range between 34C and 35C. More Coverage Dog act: Moment sick dog dumped in yard Clareese Packer Man arrested over shock alleged act in pub Duncan Evans Originally published as Millions of Australians set to swelter in major heatwave as temperatures soar to the 40s More related stories Animals Dire warning over Aussie tourist hotspot A major warning has been issued to tourists planning to visit an Australian hotspot known for its famous coastal scenery and marine populations. Read more Climate Change Climate protesters swarm premier’s office Climate activists have held a snap protest outside a premier’s office over the approval of the largest gas plant in the southern hemisphere. Read more

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Senate Republicans recommended on Friday that the state write laws banning transgender girls and women from participating in high school and college sports, setting the stage for action in the 2025 legislative session. The vote by a committee that was studying the issue is hardly a surprise. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones — a possible Republican contender for governor in 2026 — announced almost identical goals at the panel's first meeting in August . It’s an issue that’s already been addressed in Georgia. Legislators in 2022 empowered the Georgia High School Association to regulate transgender students' participation in sports. The association, which regulates sports and activities for all public schools and some private schools, then banned transgender boys and girls from playing on the school sports teams matching their gender identity. Jones and others argue that doesn't go far enough and that lawmakers themselves need to act. It's a sign Republicans believe there is more political gain in fears about transgender women playing women’s sports or using women’s bathrooms. At least 26 mostly Republican states have passed laws or rules to restrict transgender girls from participating high school sports and, in some cases, transgender women from college sports , according to the Movement Advancement Project, a gay rights group. In Georgia, additional action appears more likely now after House Speaker Jon Burns and Gov. Brian Kemp, both Republicans, have voiced support for further legislation. Jeff Graham, executive director of the LGBTQ+ advocacy group Georgia Equality, said his group is playing defense, concerned about the possibility of other bills that could further restrict gender-affirming care or ban transgender people from using public bathrooms that match their gender identity. “We’re expecting that it’ll be at least what we saw in 2023 and 2024, with the number of bills and more than likely laws,” Graham told reporters Friday. But Burns, from Newington, has said he's not interested in other bills dealing with transgender people besides those dealing with girls' and women's sports. Republican State Sen. Greg Dolezal, of Cumming, who led the Senate study committee, said Friday that he, too, is not interested in a broader bill regulating bathroom usage, although his committee recommended that schools that host sporting events require athletes to use locker rooms based on their assigned sex at birth. Dolezal said senators would seek to write legislation that regulated public schools and colleges, as well as private institutions that compete against public schools and colleges. The committee also recommends that people be able to sue or file grievances if schools break the rules, and that state money be withheld from schools that break the rules. Supporters of more action have focused on the 2022 NCAA women’s swimming championships at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, where Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, swam for the University of Pennsylvania and won the 500-meter freestyle . The NCAA has since revised its policy on transgender women’s participation, saying it will follow the rules of respective athletics federations. World Aquatics, the swimming governing body, banned transgender women who have been through male puberty from competing in women’s races. That means Thomas wouldn’t be allowed to swim in NCAA events today. “My basic contention that this is a solution in search of a problem remains,” Graham said. He said he fears that many people who oppose laws that seek to restrict transgender people will be afraid to testify and lobby at the Georgia Capitol, citing assault charges against a man accused of shaking U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace in a Capitol office building in Washington, D.C. Dolezal repeatedly tried to turn down the emotional temperature of the issue on Friday. “I think that there’s a group of people that wants to be respected and I think that they deserve respect,” Dolezal told reporters. “But I also think that you can be respectful, but also recognize that in the sporting arena, fairness and competition is important.”By LISA MASCARO and FARNOUSH AMIRI WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard faced fresh scrutiny Monday on Capitol Hill about her proximity to Russian-ally Syria amid the sudden collapse of that country’s hardline Assad rule. Gabbard ignored shouted questions about her 2017 visit to war-torn Syria as she ducked into one of several private meetings with senators who are being asked to confirm Trump’s unusual nominees . Related Articles National Politics | Trump promises to end birthright citizenship: What is it and could he do it? National Politics | Trump has flip-flopped on abortion policy. His appointees may offer clues to what happens next National Politics | In promising to shake up Washington, Trump is in a class of his own National Politics | Election Day has long passed. In some states, legislatures are working to undermine the results National Politics | Trump taps his attorney Alina Habba to serve as counselor to the president But the Democrat-turned-Republican Army National Reserve lieutenant colonel delivered a statement in which she reiterated her support for Trump’s America First approach to national security and a more limited U.S. military footprint overseas. “I want to address the issue that’s in the headlines right now: I stand in full support and wholeheartedly agree with the statements that President Trump has made over these last few days with regards to the developments in Syria,” Gabbard said exiting a Senate meeting. The incoming president’s Cabinet and top administrative choices are dividing his Republican allies and drawing concern , if not full opposition, from Democrats and others. Not just Gabbard, but other Trump nominees including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth, were back at the Capitol ahead of what is expected to be volatile confirmation hearings next year. The incoming president is working to put his team in place for an ambitious agenda of mass immigrant deportations, firing federal workers and rollbacks of U.S. support for Ukraine and NATO allies. “We’re going to sit down and visit, that’s what this is all about,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., as he welcomed Gabbard into his office. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary pick Hegseth appeared to be picking up support from once-skeptical senators, the former Army National Guard major denying sexual misconduct allegations and pledging not to drink alcohol if he is confirmed. The president-elect’s choice to lead the FBI, Kash Patel , who has written extensively about locking up Trump’s foes and proposed dismantling the Federal Bureau of Investigation, launched his first visits with senators Monday. “I expect our Republican Senate is going to confirm all of President Trump’s nominees,” said Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on social media. Despite widespread concern about the nominees’ qualifications and demeanors for the jobs that are among the highest positions in the U.S. government, Trump’s team is portraying the criticism against them as nothing more than political smears and innuendo. Showing that concern, nearly 100 former senior U.S. diplomats and intelligence and national security officials have urged Senate leaders to schedule closed-door hearings to allow for a full review of the government’s files on Gabbard. Trump’s allies have described the criticisms of Hegseth in particular as similar to those lodged against Brett Kavanaugh, the former president’s Supreme Court nominee who denied a sexual assault allegation and went on to be confirmed during Trump’s first term in office. Said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., about Hegseth: “Anonymous accusations are trying to destroy reputations again. We saw this with Kavanaugh. I won’t stand for it.” One widely watched Republican, Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, herself a former Army National Guard lieutenant colonel and sexual assault survivor who had been criticized by Trump allies for her cool reception to Hegseth, appeared more open to him after their follow-up meeting Monday. “I appreciate Pete Hegseth’s responsiveness and respect for the process,” Ernst said in a statement. Ernst said that following “encouraging conversations,” he had committed to selecting a senior official who will “prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks. As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.” Ernst also had praise for Patel — “He shares my passion for shaking up federal agencies” — and for Gabbard. Once a rising Democratic star, Gabbard, who represented Hawaii in Congress, arrived a decade ago in Washington, her surfboard in tow, a new generation of potential leaders. She ran unsuccessfully for president in 2020. But Gabbard abruptly left the party and briefly became an independent before joining with Trump’s 2024 campaign as one of his enthusiasts, in large part over his disdain for U.S. involvement overseas and opposition to helping Ukraine battle Russia. Her visit to Syria to meet with then-President Bashar Assad around the time of Trump’s first inauguration during the country’s bloody civil war stunned her former colleagues and the Washington national security establishment. The U.S. had severed diplomatic relations with Syria. Her visit was seen by some as legitimizing a brutal leader who was accused of war crimes. Gabbard has defended the trip, saying it’s important to open dialogue, but critics hear in her commentary echoes of Russia-fueled talking points. Assad fled to Moscow over the weekend after Islamist rebels overtook Syria in a surprise attack, ending his family’s five decades of rule. She said her own views have been shaped by “my multiple deployments and seeing firsthand the cost of war and the threat of Islamist terrorism.” Gabbard said, “It’s one of the many reasons why I appreciate President Trump’s leadership and his election, where he is fully committed, as he has said over and over, to bring about an end to wars.” Last week, the nearly 100 former officials, who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, said in the letter to Senate leaders they were “alarmed” by the choice of Gabbard to oversee all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. They said her past actions “call into question her ability to deliver unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and to the entire national security apparatus.” The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to coordinate the nation’s intelligence agencies and act as the president’s main intelligence adviser. Associated Press writer Stephen Groves contributed to this report.

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Your child has been asking for one for so long, and the holiday season might be the time – especially if the gift will make this Christmas or Hanukkah magical. It’s not a puppy this time though. It’s a smartphone or tablet. This holiday season, many families may be considering giving their children their first device with direct access to the internet and social media. But while there can be benefits to being online, there are also real concerns about how it can affect children’s development, safety and mental health, said Dr. Anita Everett, director of the Center for Mental Health Services within the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Some experts have advocated delaying access to social media and smart devices for as long as possible. (Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt recommends waiting till age 16) However, if you’ve decided to put a first phone on your gift list, there are ways you can make the experience better. “It’s not that dissimilar than when the kid wants a puppy,” said Phyllis Fagell, a licensed clinical professional counselor, school counselor and author of "Middle School Superpowers: Raising Resilient Tweens in Turbulent Times." "You’re not going to just bring home the puppy, right? Or if you do, you’re probably going to end up with some unexpected issues that you didn’t prepare for." You can prepare by becoming aware of the biggest concerns, knowing your child, setting boundaries, providing a good example with your phone use, and keeping lines of communication open, experts said. "Parents have an incredible opportunity to be influential in their children’s use of social media," Everett said. "That’s why we want to do what we can to empower parents so that they feel like they can have a role with it." Online concerns to consider When it comes to devices that can access the internet, obvious risks abound, such as being exposed to content that isn’t age appropriate, meeting strange adults or being bullied, said Dr. Hansa Bhargava, a pediatrician at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and chief clinical strategy and innovation officer for Healio, an information company for health care professionals. But experts also have concerns about the impact on children’s development, she added. "There’s a lot of literature and research to show that the smart devices for kids can really take away from their time where they should be spending with other people and socially developing," Bhargava added. "It’s about the development of their brain." Interacting in person has been shown to help in brain development as well as in reducing anxiety, she said. "Even a short conversation on the phone is better than texting," Bhargava said. Although the possibility of developing device dependencies hasn’t been proven, there has been enough research to worry pediatricians, Bhargava said. Smart devices may influence dopamine, the neurotransmitter in your brain released when you do something pleasurable, in a way that is similar to how other addictive substances do, she added. Particularly in older kids, they may experience anxiety when the phone is turned off or they have to stay away from social media a bit, Everett said. Think about the individual needs of your child Later is generally better when it comes to giving your child a smartphone, Bhargava said. But it is also important to look at the individual needs, obstacles and maturity of your child, she added. Not only will the appropriate age for having a phone vary by family but also by the individual child within that family. Will this child follow the rules you set around the phone? Does the child tend to get distracted easily? Does the child make impulsive decisions that might be regretted later? Knowing why your child wants a phone can also help make decisions around its use, Fagell said. If the child wants just to chat with friends, you might be able to strategize other options, such as a flip phone, for example, she added. "More often than not, what I hear from kids is that they want to make sure that they can connect with their friends so they’re not missing out," Fagell said. What children can handle may change as they age and enter various phases with different contexts and influences. "I’ve seen sixth graders who use it beautifully, and seventh graders who use it beautifully and responsibly," she said. "Then in eighth grade, maybe ... they’re hanging out with different kids, or trying to fit in with a different group or impress somebody in particular, and they may start making more mistakes." You may have to change the boundaries, safety measures or even take the phone away entirely, Fagell said, and that’s OK. Setting boundaries While the rules you set will be specific to your family, here are some guidelines with good ideas for many people. A good rule of thumb is life first and screens second, Bhargava said. Having a phone should not get in the way of school, activities, friends or even just the pastimes that are good for children's development ­­–– such as art or reading, she said. Putting those things first can mean rules such as no phones at the dinner table, no phones until homework is done or no phones at school, Bhargava said. She has told her teens that they cannot have their heads in their phones when she picks them up from school or extracurricular activities so that they can chat about their day with her. For many reasons, no phone in the bedroom is a good idea. Not only does it help promote sleep, but it also protects adolescents from impulsive behavior behind closed doors, Fagell said. "The possibility that they’re going to make ... one of those reputation-damaging mistakes, is exponentially higher late at night, when they’re tired and on their own and on a device in the bedroom," she added. "They’re also going to have a much harder time sustaining balance with regards to getting schoolwork and other things done." For safety, you may want to have rules around the privacy settings on children’s phones and the people they can or cannot interact with online, Fagell said. You might want to make it clear that having a phone means you get to spot-check the content on it, but not in a punitive way, she said. "We want to know what kind of images they’re seeing, what kind of information they’re taking in, what kind of questions that might raise for them and to help them navigate it," she said. "We want to really be attuned to what’s going on in their lives, how they’re using it, what kind of support they might need, and being ready to do a reset if needed." Can you walk the walk? Your kids aren’t the only ones who take on responsibility with a smartphone. You do, too, Bhargava said. "Do you as a parent have enough time to monitor this?" she asked. "Parents are very busy these days, and unfortunately, they’ve been given the task of being the guardians of screen time and social media as well." "Do you have actually time to sit down with your kids and monitor that and or at least sit down with them once a week to make sure they are following the rules?" But what about how you use your phone? It is hard to enforce rules you don’t follow, so make sure that your face isn’t in your phone during family dinners and that you are prepared to put your phone in the family basket at bedtime as well, she said. "Parents have tremendous opportunity to be role models for their children and how they use social media and when they put down social media," Everett said. Smartphone conversations to have Establishing rules and habits will likely not be enough when you give your child a phone — you will need to have important conversations, too. Accessing the internet has positives, such as learning about the world and expanding community, but kids also need to know that it comes with a responsibility to be a good digital citizen, Bhargava said. "Don’t bully people, and then also report if you are bullied," she said. "Don’t try and exclude people. Don’t talk to people who you don’t know." Children need to know that what they do online can cause harm to their reputation and that of others, and it may help for you to show examples from the news about how a mistake people made online followed them when applying for a job or to school, Fagell said. Another key conversation is ensuring your child understands the difference between a kid problem and an adult one, she added. Help your children understand "that under no circumstances are they equipped to support a child who is sharing their desire to hurt themselves — that they are actually doing more harm by not telling an adult," Fagell said. Having an open dialogue means children know they can come to you if they have a problem or make a mistake online, Bhargava said. "If your child comes to you and says, 'Look, I did this bad thing,' have a straight face, don’t react, be calm and talk through it," she said. "The best thing we can do as parents is to keep those lines of communication open." __ For help with these talks, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has a collection of conversation starters to go to for guidance.Meet Flying Teetars: Madhya Pradesh's Pardhi, Gond Kids Who Quit Beggary, Addiction

super 8 philippines In conclusion, the sentencing of the public officials and the teacher involved in the production and sale of Ba Bao Dan highlights the need for greater oversight and regulation in the health supplement industry to safeguard consumer health and prevent deceptive practices. This case serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of unethical behavior and the importance of upholding integrity and responsibility in all aspects of public service and education.

‘Tis the season for Christmas movies, and one of the most-talked about of the season so far is Hot Frosty . The rom-com, which is available to stream with a Netflix subscription , tells the story of an especially sexy snowman, who comes to life and romances a lonely woman. So far, the film is generating some serious buzz, by the looks of social media. It seems that it's now even managed to garner the attention of Ryan Reynolds and his Aviator Gin brand, which spoofed the movie with an A+ ad. Never one to pass up an opportunity, Ryan Reynolds shared the yuletide advertisement to Instagram. In the video, the A-lister himself is put in the place of the snowman. While it seems to be set up like the situation from the 2024 movie release , this scenario merely sees the young lady simply wanting a decent cocktail. Check it out. A post shared by Ryan Reynolds (@vancityreynolds) A photo posted by on In the film, a well-placed scarf brings a snowman to life. Here, the woman simply uses to swipe the bottle of gin because, seriously, if you saw a full bottle of gin being held by a snowman, is there a reason you wouldn’t take it home? Well, apparently because mutilating a snowman hurts. I may never make a snowman again. Ryan Reynolds owns an ad agency, Maximum Effort, which produces commercials for many different companies, including his own business interests like Aviation Gin and Mint Mobile. Many of the ads Reynolds' company has done have cashed in on cultural moments. For instance, the company previously made a Pelaton ad , when And Just Like That... used the product in a way that generated press. The ads frequently go viral, because they are entertaining; and this snowman-centric bit is no exception. The battle of the celebrity booze is, if nothing else, quite entertaining for the rest of us. At this point, numerous celebrities have their own alcohol brand, or in the case of Tom Holland , non-alcoholic beer. They can be quite profitable for the stars, especially when they sell them and can make literally billions. ( George Clooney pocketed a lot of cash when he did just that.) Until then, they all get to have some fun using their celebrity to help promote the brand. Matthew McConaughey has been dropping equally hilarious ads for his tequila brand, frequently making parodies of his movies, sans pants. I'm interested in seeing what the shelf life of this ad ends up being. Of course, it will greatly depend on the commercial and possibly critical success of Hot Frosty . The beauty of the best Christmas movies is that if they become a hit, they can essentially live forever as fans return to them year after year. Of course, even if they’re initially successful, most holiday flicks don’t have that kind of staying power. CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News If Hot Frosty becomes a movie that people watch every holiday season then this could be an Aviation Gin ad we also see every holiday season. Otherwise, nobody will remember why this is even funny in a couple of years. Still, for this year, the ad is perfection. And it makes me want to pick up a bottle of the gin for a holiday G&T, which I suppose is the point.Paris - Harrison Ford was de-aged last year for “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” on the big screen, and video game makers are pulling the same trick for the whip-cracking hero’s latest outing on the small screen. “Let me tell you what you are missing, Dr Jones,” sneers a bespectacled Nazi to the archaeologist adventurer, buried up to his neck in sand, in the trailer for “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle”. A few seconds later, the Nazi gets a crisp headbutt, and strains of the famous theme tune hustle in. The creators of the game, released on Monday, are thrusting players back to the time period of the first Indiana Jones film, “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. The baddies are familiar, as are the settings and trappings -- ancient structures peeking out of the jungle, flame-lit caverns filled with booty, rickety rope bridges over snow-covered ravines. And players get to inhabit the hero in the first person, in all his youthful splendour. The creators knew the main challenge would be to produce a convincing young hero. And unlike the rest of the cast in the game, Indy could not be created by 3D scanning an actor. Artists abandon Abidjan for Ivory Coast beachside haven “We didn’t have an opportunity to travel back in time and scan a young Harrison Ford,” said Axel Torvenius, creative director at MachineGames. Torvenius said Ford’s characterisation was pieced together with the help of unreleased archive material from the original film. “We’ve been looking at photos of Harrison Ford to try to make sure that we hit the correct facial feature that he had at that time,” he said. “Having the opportunity to get access to their archive has been invaluable to be able to create the 3D mesh of Indiana Jones’ character.” The game, which took four years to develop, sees the archaeologist solving puzzles while getting tangled up in chases and fights. Set in 1937, it follows Indy from the Vatican to China via Egypt in pursuit of a mysterious power coveted by Nazi spies. Death anniversary of Aziz Mian Qawwal observed “The Great Circle” is far from the first game to tackle Indy’s story. More than a dozen adaptations have been made over the last four decades. Knowing full well how protective gamers can be over titles they grew up with, the Swedish studio felt a huge responsibility to get the game right. “The pressure has been immense,” said Torvenius, adding that his team had done their best to recreate the style and ambience set by Steven Spielberg, director of the original movie. Game designer Jens Andersson agreed, adding that he was a huge fan of the point-and-click Indiana Jones adventure games from the 1990s. “All these things are inspirations for what we’re doing here,” he said. “Those were a product of their times and we need to do something new with it.” Three climbers missing on New Zealand peak believed dead: police Tags: harrison ford aged indiana

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BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Tens of thousands of Spaniards marched in downtown Barcelona on Saturday to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in the popular tourist destination. Protesters cut off traffic on main avenues in the city center, holding up homemade signs in Spanish reading “Fewer apartments for investing and more homes for living" and “The people without homes uphold their rights.” The lack of affordable housing has become one of the leading concerns for the southern European Union country, mirroring the housing crunch across many parts of the world, including the United States . Organizers said that over 100,000 had turned out, while Barcelona’s police said they estimated some 22,000 marched. Either way, the throngs of people clogging the streets recalled the massive separatist rallies at the heigh of the previous decade’s Catalan independence movement. Now, social concerns led by housing have displaced political crusades. That is because the average rent for Spain has doubled in last 10 years. The price per square meter has risen from 7.2 euros ($7.5) in 2014 to 13 euros this year, according to the popular online real estate website Idealista. The growth is even more acute in cities like Barcelona and Madrid. Incomes meanwhile have failed to keep up, especially for younger people in a country with chronically high unemployment. Protestor Samuel Saintot said he is “frustrated and scared” after being told by the owners of the apartment he has rented for the past 15 years in Barcelona’s city center that he must vacate the premises. He suspects that the owners want him out so they can renovate it and boost the price. “Even looking in a 20- or 30-kilometer radius outside town, I can’t even find anything within the price range I can afford,” he told The Associated Press. “And I consider myself a very fortunate person, because I earn a decent salary. And even in my case, I may be forced to leave town.” A report by the Bank of Spain indicates that nearly 40% of Spaniards who rent dedicate an average of 40% of their income to paying rents and utilities, compared to the European Union average of 27% of renters who do so. “We are talking about a housing emergency. It means people having many difficulties both in accessing and staying in their homes,” said Ignasi Martí, professor for Esade business school and head of its Dignified Housing Observatory. The rise in rents is causing significant pain in Spain, where traditionally people seek to own their homes. Rental prices have also been driven up by short-term renters including tourists. Many migrants to Spain are also disproportionately hit by the high rents because they often do not have enough savings. Spain is near the bottom end of OECD countries with under 2% of all housing available being public housing for rent. The OECD average is 7%. Spain is far behind France, with 14%, Britain with 16%, and the Netherlands with 34%. Carme Arcarazo, spokesperson for Barcelona’s Tenants Union which helped organize the protest, said that renters should consider a “rent strike” and cease paying their monthly rents in a mass protest movement. “I think we the tenants have understood that this depends on us. That we can’t keep asking and making demands to the authorities and waiting for an answer. We must take the reins of the situation,” Arcarazo told the AP. “So, if they (the owners) won’t lower the rent, then we will force them to do it." The Barcelona protest came a month after tens of thousands rallied against high rents in Madrid. The rising discontent over housing is putting pressure on Spain’s governing Socialist party, which leads a coalition on the national level and is in charge of Catalonia’s regional government and Barcelona’s city hall. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez presided over what the government termed a “housing summit” including government officials and real estate developers last month. But the Barcelona’s Tenants Union boycotted the event, saying it was like calling a summit for curing cancer and inviting tobacco companies to participate. The leading government measure has been a rent cap mechanism that the central government has offered to regional authorities based on a price index established by the housing ministry. Rent controls can be applied to areas deemed to be “highly stressed” by high rental prices. Catalonia was the first region to apply those caps, which are in place in downtown Barcelona. Many locals blame the million of tourists who visit Barcelona, and the rest of Spain, each year for the high prices. Barcelona’s town hall has pledged to completely eliminate the city’s 10,000 so called “tourist apartments,” or dwellings with permits for short-term rents, by 2028.

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NoneAn incoming Missouri Republican lawmaker introduced a bill this week that would offer $1,000 bounties to residents who turn in undocumented immigrants to the state highway patrol. The bill, filed by Sen.-elect David Gregory, a St. Louis-area Republican, would require the Missouri Department of Public Safety to create phone and email hotlines as well as an online portal where Missourians would be able to report alleged undocumented immigrants. The bill is among several pieces of legislation that deal with illegal immigration ahead of next month’s legislative session. They come as President-elect Donald Trump and Republicans across the country have made frustrations with immigration, and the U.S.-Mexico border, a hot-button issue . In addition to the payouts, Gregory’s bill would require the Department of Public Safety to create a “Missouri Illegal Alien Certified Bounty Hunter Program.” The program would certify people to become bounty hunters to find and detain undocumented immigrants. Individuals who are licensed as bail bond agents or surety recovery agents would be able to apply to become bounty hunters under Gregory’s bill. Undocumented immigrants who are caught by the bounty hunters would be considered guilty of “trespass by an illegal alien.” Those found guilty of the offense could face jail time and would be prohibited from voting and other rights. Gregory, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment, had made illegal immigration one of the central focuses of his Senate campaign. He filmed a campaign ad at the southern border with Mexico and has promoted media coverage of his bill on social media. Edgar Palacios, executive director of Revolución Educativa , a Kansas City group focused on education issues in the Latino community, said Gregory’s bill was “horrendous.” “Immigrants are human and humans aren’t meant to be hunted,” Palacios said in an interview. “This idea of having a bounty hunter for immigrants is wild and I think it displays a narrative that, again, people see, not everybody, but certain people see immigrants as inhuman.” Nimrod Chapel, president of the Missouri NAACP State Conference, drew parallels between Gregory’s bill and legislation historically aimed at marginalized groups such as the 1820 Missouri Compromise which admitted Missouri as a slave state. “This bill by our new senator has returned exactly to those roots,” Chapel said. “You’re going to create a system that is not only going to differentiate people based on how God made them, which, in my spiritual belief, is just fundamentally wrong, but then you’re going to try to create in a system...that seeks to differentiate people in much the same way that some of the Jim Crow laws did.” Chapel referred to the bill as “a really draconian and racist piece of legislation.” “It scares the hell out of me,” he said. “And the reason it does is because I already know that Black and brown people have been catching hell in the state of Missouri for a very long time.” Impact on Kansas City While Gregory faces blowback for his bill, it comes as Missouri politics have been awash in rhetoric about migrants . The focus on immigration would have an outsized impact on the Kansas City region, which has become a center of migrant arrivals over the last decade, according to U.S. immigration court data analyzed by The Washington Post. Since 2014, roughly 8,300 migrants have settled in Jackson County since 2014 and 37% came from Honduras. Earlier this year, Republican Gov. Mike Parson sent Missouri National Guard troops to aid Texas , which has promoted a plan dubbed “Operation Lone Star” that uses Texas state resources to combat illegal border crossings. Parson, who will term out of office next month, heavily promoted the deployment, even though he later vetoed funding to continue it. Candidates for office in both major parties emphasized illegal immigration on the campaign trail, including Democrat Lucas Kunce. But the issue was perhaps the most prevalent in the race to succeed Parson as governor, with all three major GOP candidates touting immigration frustrations in campaign ads and public statements. Each of the three candidates, including Gov.-elect Mike Kehoe, also seized on comments Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas made in April welcoming migrant workers who are in the United States legally. Amid the campaign rhetoric, outgoing House Speaker Dean Plocher, a Des Peres Republican, also created a committee that focused on “Illegal Immigrant Crimes.” The committee held hearings across the state, including in Kansas City, to maximize public attention on the issue. For Palacios, with Revolución Educativa, immigrants are coming to the U.S. in search of a better life and to pursue “the American dream.” He said politicians should be focused on ensuring everyone has access to education and opportunities. “I think the narrative is harmful. I think it’s designed to create fear amongst certain members of our community,” Palacios said. “It riles up a base that may not fully appreciate, again, the value that immigrants and folks from the migrant community bring, not to our state, but to our country.”

Stock market today: Wall Street mixed at the start of a holiday-shortened weekSpeaking after the match, Reed reflected on the performance of his team and shared his thoughts on the intense battle that unfolded on the pitch. "I think everyone did really well today. It was a tough game against a strong Arsenal side, but we showed great resilience and determination to come away with a point," Reed said.Setién's last major coaching stint was at Real Betis, where he impressed many with his style of play and ability to extract the best out of his players. However, his reputation was dealt a severe blow during his time at Barcelona when the team suffered a humiliating 2-8 defeat against Hansi Flick's Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.As the investigation into the cause of the fire continues, Alibaba Group remains dedicated to upholding the highest standards of reliability, security, and resilience in its cloud computing services to earn and maintain the trust of its customers and stakeholders.

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BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Tens of thousands of Spaniards marched in downtown Barcelona on Saturday to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in the popular tourist destination. Protesters cut off traffic on main avenues in the city center, holding up homemade signs in Spanish reading “Fewer apartments for investing and more homes for living" and “The people without homes uphold their rights.” The lack of affordable housing has become one of the leading concerns for the southern European Union country, mirroring the housing crunch across many parts of the world, including the United States . Organizers said that over 100,000 had turned out, while Barcelona’s police said they estimated some 22,000 marched. Either way, the throngs of people clogging the streets recalled the massive separatist rallies at the heigh of the previous decade’s Catalan independence movement. Now, social concerns led by housing have displaced political crusades. That is because the average rent for Spain has doubled in last 10 years. The price per square meter has risen from 7.2 euros ($7.5) in 2014 to 13 euros this year, according to the popular online real estate website Idealista. The growth is even more acute in cities like Barcelona and Madrid. Incomes meanwhile have failed to keep up, especially for younger people in a country with chronically high unemployment. Protestor Samuel Saintot said he is “frustrated and scared” after being told by the owners of the apartment he has rented for the past 15 years in Barcelona’s city center that he must vacate the premises. He suspects that the owners want him out so they can renovate it and boost the price. “Even looking in a 20- or 30-kilometer radius outside town, I can’t even find anything within the price range I can afford,” he told The Associated Press. “And I consider myself a very fortunate person, because I earn a decent salary. And even in my case, I may be forced to leave town.” A report by the Bank of Spain indicates that nearly 40% of Spaniards who rent dedicate an average of 40% of their income to paying rents and utilities, compared to the European Union average of 27% of renters who do so. “We are talking about a housing emergency. It means people having many difficulties both in accessing and staying in their homes,” said Ignasi Martí, professor for Esade business school and head of its Dignified Housing Observatory. The rise in rents is causing significant pain in Spain, where traditionally people seek to own their homes. Rental prices have also been driven up by short-term renters including tourists. Many migrants to Spain are also disproportionately hit by the high rents because they often do not have enough savings. Spain is near the bottom end of OECD countries with under 2% of all housing available being public housing for rent. The OECD average is 7%. Spain is far behind France, with 14%, Britain with 16%, and the Netherlands with 34%. Carme Arcarazo, spokesperson for Barcelona’s Tenants Union which helped organize the protest, said that renters should consider a “rent strike” and cease paying their monthly rents in a mass protest movement. “I think we the tenants have understood that this depends on us. That we can’t keep asking and making demands to the authorities and waiting for an answer. We must take the reins of the situation,” Arcarazo told the AP. “So, if they (the owners) won’t lower the rent, then we will force them to do it." The Barcelona protest came a month after tens of thousands rallied against high rents in Madrid. The rising discontent over housing is putting pressure on Spain’s governing Socialist party, which leads a coalition on the national level and is in charge of Catalonia’s regional government and Barcelona’s city hall. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez presided over what the government termed a “housing summit” including government officials and real estate developers last month. But the Barcelona’s Tenants Union boycotted the event, saying it was like calling a summit for curing cancer and inviting tobacco companies to participate. The leading government measure has been a rent cap mechanism that the central government has offered to regional authorities based on a price index established by the housing ministry. Rent controls can be applied to areas deemed to be “highly stressed” by high rental prices. Catalonia was the first region to apply those caps, which are in place in downtown Barcelona. Many locals blame the million of tourists who visit Barcelona, and the rest of Spain, each year for the high prices. Barcelona’s town hall has pledged to completely eliminate the city’s 10,000 so called “tourist apartments,” or dwellings with permits for short-term rents, by 2028.

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Related ArticlesTwo of the biggest challenges facing our city are domestic violence and the decades-long struggles to improve student achievement in Fresno Unified School District. Fortunately, we have Marjaree Mason Center CEO Nicole Linder leading the charge to educate the community about domestic violence and provide life-saving services for victims. We are equally fortunate to have School Board Trustee Susan Wittrup sticking her neck out and fighting the Fresno Unified bureaucracy to make the necessary changes so that all students graduate prepared to succeed in the workforce or in college. For these accomplishments, Linder and Wittrup are the GV Wire/Unfiltered Difference Makers of the Year. In 2024, Linder and her Marjaree Mason team capped off a $21 million fundraising drive to complete renovations and open a campus in northwest Fresno. The new center will house an around-the-clock drop-in center, programs supporting domestic violence survivors, and the nonprofit’s administrative offices. “It’s been, quite honestly, nothing short of a miracle. I’m definitely a person of faith, and I believe there’s been so much coordination to make all of this happen,” said Linder of the fundraising effort and praising her team. “The goal is to say this is a critical community investment, to say we’re not going to stand for this anymore.” We’re not going to stand for this anymore is Wittrup’s mantra, too. A majority of the School Board sent a message to the community that it would be business-as-usual after Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson announced his retirement. Those trustees wanted to limit the search for his successor to in-house candidates. Seeking the best for students and realizing that more of the same wouldn’t move the needle, Wittrup rallied the community in protest. And, in the face of the responding public outcry, she flipped the board majority to require a national search for Nelson’s replacement. In addition, interim Superintendent Misty Herr — a candidate to take over the top spot — appears focused on improving literacy, attendance, and learning. That might not seem like a big deal, but it is given that past superintendents spent more time excusing Fresno Unified’s woeful performance and cheerleading for the accomplishments of the districts’ top students than they did changing the system so that it works for those who need the most support. For that, we can thank Wittrup, who spent her professional career as a Fresno Unified psychologist. “We’re doing really important work now with transforming Fresno Unified,” says Wittrup. “My heart is in this work and I will continue to persist.” Many readers will recognize some of the names on our 2024 Difference Makers list. However, we hope that many will come as a surprise because I asked the GV Wire staff to go beyond the names that regularly appear in Fresno media. The list is by no means complete. While Fresno and the greater Valley have big challenges, we’re blessed with legions of residents who go out of their way to help others succeed and communities sparkle. Stan and Carrie Zulewski: Fresno’s Unforgettable Charity Christmas Light Show Have you heard of Fresno’s hidden gem during the holiday season? It is without a doubt the North Winchester Light Show in northwest Fresno. Stan Zulewski and his wife, Carrie, are the creators of the 15,000 LED Christmas light show at 6047 N. Winchester Ave. The rockin’ free lightshow has been open to the public for 17 years. What makes this 20-minute experience unique is that people can drive up to the house, tune into a radio frequency posted in the yard, and hear the accompanying music in the comfort of their car. The Zulewskis’ generosity extends to lifting up Fresno. There’s a donation box in the center of their yard and all the proceeds go to a local charity. The couple chooses a different nonprofit every year. This year, it’s Fresno Mission’s City Center. The light show runs nightly until Dec. 26. Hours are dark to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. To learn more about the show and its history, Related Story: Nick Richardson: Political Novice Shocks the Establishment A political novice, Nick Richardson ran for an open seat to represent northeast Fresno on the city council. In the primary, he battled against a prominent attorney, a banker who served on the planning commission, and nonprofit fundraiser. Richardson, a Marine reservist and safety consultant in his civilian life, finished a distant second — but that was enough to force a runoff against Roger Bonakdar, the attorney who represented Bitwise Industries employees owed money by the bankrupt company. Despite being outraised 8-to-1 and not having nearly the prominent endorsement list as Bonakdar, Richardson won the election and will take his seat on the dais next month. Election watchers call this one of the biggest upsets in Fresno election history. How did he do it? Hard work for one. Richardson established a reputation of walking and knocking, and holding decently-attended community meetings in parks. He was willing to communicate with groups that he may not politically agree with — like a pro-Palestinian group and LGBT advocates. Filling out an LGBT’s group survey may have cost Richardson the local Republican endorsement. Nevertheless, he is set to become the new District 6 councilmember. Kuma Family: Embracing One and All While Preserving Polynesian Culture When the Kuma family came to Fresno, they wanted a way to preserve their Polynesian roots. Despite their Tongan roots, they wanted a group for all Polynesians. And now, that has turned into an award-winning dance club with more than 300 members of all ages and backgrounds. All of the dances performed at the Polynesian Club of Fresno tell a story, says Linda Kuma, wife of the group’s founder. In fact, the group’s performance in 2023 earned them the top prize at a worldwide competition in San Jose. “They heard we were from Fresno and they’re trying to figure out what island was near Fresno,” Kuma said. “We had a great laugh about that.” The group has classes for every generation. One family has four generations dancing, from a great-granddaughter to a great-grandmother. Beyond dancing, the group also has drumming and fire knife classes. Kuma makes costumes for every dancer, representative of the different cultures within the Polynesian sphere. Samoan dress has subtle differences from that of Tahitian or Hawaiian, and vice versa. “I love this group, and that’s probably the reason that at 75, I still am here working because I love what I’m able to do and what’s able to happen for the people in this group,” Kuma said. “Not only the children, but the adults.” There’s not much that will compel most teenagers to get up before the crack of dawn, but Roosevelt High teacher Mike Spencer has found the key — and it’s fishing. Spencer, who has taught English at the southeast Fresno high school for 22 years, is the adviser for the school’s fishing club. Club members do more than fish — they volunteer for a variety of community service activities such as a Halloween trunk or treats event, clean-up opportunities with Beautify Fresno, and dropping old Christmas trees into lakes for fish habitats. But the main fun event is fishing, and that includes tournaments at Millerton Lake and overnight camping trips at places like San Luis Reservoir. Roosevelt’s fishing club members joins with other high schoolers in the region to participate in the Big Valley High School Anglers, a high school tournament bass fishing group that operates as part of the California High School Anglers Tournament Trail and hosts sanctioned tournaments. The core group of Roosevelt’s club is about 16 students, more juniors and seniors and more girls than boys this year, Spencer says. The fishing outings depend on an army of adult volunteers, including boat captains who take students out onto the water. “When I started, some people told me I was crazy, that bass fishermen would never let a kid on their boat like what I was asking for, which is basically, ‘Hey, I need two kids to be on your boat for seven hours. I don’t know how much experience they have. Would you do it?’ “Fresno Bass Club was my first call, a guy by the name of Ron Armstrong. And I’ll be honest, had he said no, it probably would have died right there. But he said yes. And he got his friends, the Fresno Bass Club guys, to be a part of it.” Members of other area fishing groups subsequently signed on, he says. “It’s almost humbling to be able to make one phone call and have five boats show up to take kids. But that’s sort of the beauty of what we’ve been able to do, is bring a lot of different people together, all for one purpose — to share the value of outdoor recreation with kids. The kids love it, and the adults love it. It’s been fantastic.” Fishing is in Spencer’s blood — like his father, he’s a longtime fly fisherman (ironically, neither of them cares much for eating fish). Before his teaching career began Spencer was a guide in Alaska and Montana after he graduated from Fresno State. Roosevelt had previously had a fishing club that had “fizzled out,” he says. While watching ESPN coverage of college fishing that included a Fresno State team, Spencer saw coverage of high school teams and realized that Roosevelt’s team could be reborn. It got off to a rocky start. About 80 students showed up at the first meeting. After he announced that members would have to pay a $25 fee to cover costs such as liability insurance, only a half dozen showed up for the next meeting. “And I realized immediately that, OK, I have to figure out ways to do this that doesn’t cost money. Or if the kids don’t have it, we can supplement. That’s been one of the biggest challenges, obviously, is how it gets funded.” The club’s community service requirement is a way for students to give back in appreciation of the support their club receives, Spencer says. “I don’t believe that you give people things for free. Like, there has to be some skin in the game, and it’s not the kids’ fault that they don’t have money. But if they can show up to fish, they can show up to do community service. And so that’s the price that most of them pay. If you want this, then you’ll show up for these things that we’re giving back. And that’s been really, I think, one of the best parts of the club, is getting the kids out there.” In addition to fishing at Millerton and Pine Lakes, the Roosevelt anglers get some out-of-town camping trips, including the central coast and San Luis Reservoir. Many have never set up tents or cooked on grills. But they soon get the hang of it, and they also learn from Spencer about the importance of cleaning up their campsite before they depart. “I don’t care if we didn’t put it there. It’s coming out, because you want to leave things better than you found it. I’m a ‘see a problem, solve a problem’ kind of person. And so I try to instill that in the kids. And I think it lands, for the most part.” The students also learn other lessons, such as the importance of expressing gratitude. After each expedition, the fishing club members write thank-you notes to their boat captains. Their appreciation is genuine, Spencer says: “The other great thing about my kids versus a lot of other kids who have access to boats and good fishing all the time is, my kids are used to fishing from the bank when they go fishing, which means they’re used to not catching anything because that’s usually what happens when you fish from the bank. So you put them in a boat, they catch a couple of fish, they think it was a fantastic day, while everybody else is complaining that they only got a couple of fish.” Demetrius Porter: Basketball Star Turned Mentor and Vintner In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Demetrius “Dee” Porter was making three-pointers and dishing assists for the Fresno State men’s basketball team. Now, he’s in the wine game while also mentoring Valley youth. Porter owns Center Cork Wine, where his goal is to “bring a representation of success, resilience, courage, and prestige to the Valley” via the wine brand. He was inspired to pursue wine while playing pro basketball in France. Fittingly, his wine line includes “Corkside,” ‘‘Pre-Game,” “Crossover,” “Tip-Off,” and “One and Done.” It wasn’t an easy road for the Washington Union graduate. Less than 1% of the 11,000 U.S. wineries are Black owned. In the industry “typicity” means the degree in which a wine tastes like the region where it was grown. He wants the world to know about local wine. Profits from the business support the nonprofit Exposure Sports, which puts on basketball scrimmages, camps and clinics for local boys and girls. “I focus on teaching high-level game skills and instilling the mindset of an elite athlete, emphasizing how hard work on the court can translate to success off the court,” said Porter. He hosts the annual The Heart of California Basketball Classic where the best players from the Central Valley scrimmage against top talent from across the country at the Save Mart Center. His organization has helped send 70 athletes to Division 1 schools. Four players have made it to the NBA: Jalen Green (San Joaquin Memorial, Houston Rockets), Jaime Jaquez and Keshad Johnson (Miami Heat), and AJ Johnson (Fresno native/2024 Milwaukee Bucks first-round draft pick). He has a pipeline to the UNLV women’s program as four of them have either played, are playing, or will play for the Rebels: Meadow Roland and Macie James (SJM), Rodjane Wade (Edison), and Alexis Willis (Clovis West). Savannah Tucker from Clovis North is playing at Long Beach State. Whether if it’s sending talent to college and the pros or becoming the first local wine company to be featured in Safeway, Porter does it by “thinking outside the box, defying naysayers, and inspiring youth to believe that anything is possible.” Related Story: Marie Slater: 40 Years as a Fresno Chaffee Zoo Docent Most Sunday mornings you’ll find Marie Slater hanging round the flamingo habitat at Fresno Chaffee Zoo. She loves the birds, and she also loves talking to visitors about them and other birds who live at the zoo. And she’s been doing it for a long time. Slater has been a docent for 40 years, the zoo’s longest-serving docent. She’s also served on the zoo board, twice as president. “My class of docents was the first one, in 1984,” she said. “They evidently had a group of docents in the early’ 70s, but they somehow disbanded. So my class was the first class after that. And it just has grown from there, obviously.” When she first started volunteering, the zoo was mostly small enclosures and a lot of concrete, Slater recalls. “It was still a nice little zoo, but probably not attractive,” she says. ”And now it’s a wonderful place for animals.” The passage of Measure Z by Fresno County voters, first in 2004 and then again in 2014 and 2023, has enabled the zoo inside Roeding Park to convert the concrete and small enclosures into habitats, including Sea Lion Cove, African Adventure, and Kingdoms of Asia. Slater has a hard time when she’s asked about her favorite animals, but she confesses that the big cats and elephants — and their babies — are at the top of her list. She “inherited” the bird cart after another longtime docent passed away. “She was always the bird person. So I sort of ventured out and thought, ‘Well, I can’t let her down. Let’s see what I can do here.’ So that’s when I started working at the bird cart.” Slater makes sure that there will be plenty of future generations of docents by helping to run the annual docent-training class each January. Why did she decide to become a docent 40 years ago? “I was a retired teacher and had time. My kids no longer wanted to come to the zoo, but I wanted to come to the zoo,” she says. “I love the zoo. It’s a peaceful place. It just worked for me.” Rodney Casillas: Guiding Youth and Fathers to Better Futures Rodney Casillas, an Easton resident, has dedicated the past 20 years of his life to guiding at-risk youth and young adults as they navigate challenges in entering the workforce. His journey began when he was hired at Workforce Connection, located at Shaw and Marks avenues, where he discovered his true passion for helping others. Casillas faced similar struggles during his youth, experiencing difficulties with no one to turn to for guidance. This personal connection fuels his drive to support others who find themselves in similar situations. As a special grants supervisor, Casillas, along with his team, works to secure grants and run workshops aimed at providing essential resources to those in need. What keeps Casillas motivated is the impact he has on people’s lives, helping them achieve success. One particular moment stands out for Casillas: During a workshop he facilitated, a couple participated and benefited from the tools and resources provided. Eighteen years later, they returned to the center with their child, specifically requesting Casillas. “I’ve been blessed in that way to help others and to see my own participants over the years and their successes that they’ve had and the families they’ve created and how well they are doing,” Casillas said. “That’s my thanks, and I’m grateful and thankful to be connected to that.” Last year, Casillas and his team secured a grant with a five-year lifespan, resulting in $1.1 million being distributed and impacting 397 young adults. Judge Raj Singh Badhesha has a heavy caseload, burning through more than 100 misdemeanor cases on a day following a holiday break. For one case, he orders a petty theft suspect to write a one- page essay on why crime does not pay. The new jurist is working his way up at the Fresno County Superior Court. Literally. His courtroom is two floors below the main entrance. “It’s kind of cool to be in Department 1 and to be able to someday be in a different department and to literally say I worked my way up,” Badhesha joked. Badhesha is a trailblazer as the first Sikh in the county to be named and the first turban-wearing judge ever in the state after Gov. Gavin Newsom nominated him to the bench earlier this year. The community celebrated his enrobing ceremony this past July at Fresno City Hall. “Members of (the Sikh) community are also very happy to see somebody that looks like them on the bench. But regardless of what I look like, I try to do a good job,” Badhesha said. “I do get a lot of smiles from people who look like me, who sometimes appear in court. They’re not always here for the best reasons. But I think that part of the benefit of having such a diverse judicial structure is that the judiciary doesn’t look like any single person,” Badhesha said. Diversity also comes from having previously worked in the Fresno City Attorney’s Office. He believes he is the first city attorney office worker to join the bench in four decades. “In my prior role at the city of Fresno, we were in a very fast-paced environment. And so I think from from that perspective, having that experience, I definitely was able to have benefited from that, coming into a misdemeanor department,” Badhesha said. Moving from City Hall contracts and public meetings to criminal law meant more learning and training. Badhesha said he also seeks help from fellow judges and the attorneys he interacts with. Stephen Vogt: From Player to AL Manger of the Year in Two Seasons Few gave the Cleveland Guardians and their new manager, Stephen Vogt, a chance. the 20th best team in Spring Training. had them as a fourth-place team. That didn’t matter to Visalia-native Vogt. Defying expectations, Vogt led the Guardians to a American League Central division title, and battled the Yankees for the AL pennant. Baseball writers rewarded Vogt, naming him the AL Manager of the Year. “I got way more excited when any one of our guys hit a home run then I ever did myself or a big play or a strikeout,” said Vogt, who starred in baseball at Central Valley Christian High School. “I think that’s the beauty of this role and this job — it’s not about you. It’s about your players and it’s about their successes.” During an interview at a Guardians game in August, Vogt told GV Wire his local roots still run deep. “Growing up in Visalia really gives you the perspective that you have to work hard for everything that you want. It’s a hard-working area. A lot of my friends grew up on dairy farms and going out and working the fields with them, working the cows and things like that, you just learn ... the dedication of hard work,” Vogt said. “And, to me, it’s a tough area. You have to be tough. I don’t really put my thumb on it, but I just feel like growing up where I did it really helped mold me into the competitor that I am.” Brett and Deborah Bayley were new transplants to Fresno looking for ways to get to know the community while helping to make it a better place. The Bayleys moved to Fresno from San Diego in 2017 to be closer to their son, daughter-in-law, and grandson. Their daughter later uprooted and moved north, and “we’re all right in the in the same ‘box,’ in the same block of houses here in Fresno. And it’s worked out perfectly. This will be where we spend the rest of our days,” Brett says. Soon after moving here, the Bayleys began looking for things to do. Brett, a retired real estate broker, and Deborah, a retired teacher, were drawn to the Beautify Fresno campaign that Mayor Jerry Dyer started as a community cleanup opportunity during his first campaign for mayor in 2020. “It was an opportunity for us to just give back. And we felt that we had the time, and we wanted to do it,” Brett says. The first event they signed up for was a litter removal project along the San Joaquin River. Picking up litter goes to Brett and Deborah’s roots. “We hate litter with a passion,” Brett says. “Deborah and I are in our 70s, and we go back to one of the first public relations campaigns that the country ever put on, which was ‘Don’t Be a Litter Bug’. And from our grade school years and on, our parents — both sets of parents really — drilled it in us that ‘hey, don’t be a litter bug.’ So we kind of grew up with that.” After that event, “we kind of got kind of got the bug and said, well, this will be a great opportunity for us to do a little something to give back. We call it doing our bit, you know, just doing our bit,” he says. They sign up often for Beautify Fresno events, which not only satisfies their desire to “do their bit” but also has introduced them to people they might not have met and neighborhoods they might not have visited otherwise. “I started keeping a list because I wanted to remember everybody’s names, so I’d carry around a piece of paper and, you know, just jot down, ‘starting a trucking company with his brothers,’ so I could remember the names and a little bit of background, and that paper’s grown into five sheets now on either side,” Deborah says. In addition to being steady Fresno beautifiers, the Bayleys also volunteer on Mondays to help out at the Fresno Animal Center, where they take care of behind-the-scenes chores like doing laundry and washing dishes. Brett says he and Deborah attended an open house at the center in its early days and after taking a tour, “it’s like a little light bulb going off where we want to do what we can to help you.” Volunteering gives them a chance to get to know the center’s staffers, most of whom are “considerably younger,” Brett says. “We think the relationship works both ways. They get to talk to some old dogs like us who’ve been around the block once or twice. And in turn, we keep in touch with younger people and some of the issues that they’re facing. And we’ve been able to help some of them over the couple of years. We’ve been there with just some advice and counsel and, you know, in a very small way more direct assistance. And so it’s been really, really good for us.” Ryan Indart: Keeping the Valley’s Sheep Industry Alive There was a time when there were more than 300,000 sheep in Fresno County, says rancher Ryan Indart. A majority of the 10,000 remaining sheep belong to him, a third-generation Basque sheep rancher. Making a living from selling lamb and wool can be difficult for many ranchers, he said. Several years of drought from 2009 to 2018 almost bankrupted him. But it was a phone call in 2018 from a solar developer that opened his eyes to a new market opportunity. The developer needed overgrown grass cleared out on his solar development in western Fresno County, Indart said. He wanted sheep to do the work. “My jaw dropped. That’s one of those quintessential light bulb moments and that has since been a really game changing moment for us,” Indart said. With the dramatic growth of solar throughout the San Joaquin Valley, Indart has likewise grown a list of clientele who need the same services. “We built our business and we went from like 2,000 acres to now we’re grazing almost 25,000 acres between two states,” Indart said. Overgrown vegetation can be a major fire hazard, threatening solar assets worth well into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Sheep present a more environmentally friendly way to clear out brush, often getting to areas a mower can’t reach. A good sheepherder can get 85% of the vegetation in an area, Indart said. Basque sheepherders were a critical piece of the sheep industry in the western U.S. Now, Australia and New Zealand have taken a significant portion of market share. In addition to trade imbalances, Indart says the association of lamb meat to the tough mutton U.S. soldiers got during World War II turned them off in the years following the war. But clearing out brush opens new opportunities for Indart’s business, and one he says can sustain them into the future. Lilia Chavez: Champion of Local Arts Fresno art lovers have 9.4 million new reasons to love Lilia Gonzales-Chávez. Long considered a leader in the Fresno art scene, Gonzales-Chávez took on a new role this year — dispensing millions of dollars in art grants. As the city of Fresno collected sales tax from Measure P — the sales tax dedicated to parks and arts — the Fresno Arts Council had the task of dispensing grant money. Chavez, president of the Fresno Arts Council, recommended which nonprofits should receive a share of $9.4 million. At a ceremony in September, Chavez proudly dispensed awards to 112 organizations — museums, artists, instructors and more. “We know that the arts are cathartic and just by participating in the arts we do improve our overall wellness. We know that with the arts we strengthen economic vitality,” Chavez was by the Munro Review — a grant recipient itself. Last year, in an interview for an article in , Gonzales-Chávez harkened back to the moment that the arts made a difference in her life. She was in third grade and her teacher announced that three in her third-grade class would be in the school’s talent show. Gonzales-Chávez did a quick calculation and deduced that a classmate who took ballet lessons and another who was taking piano lessons had been chosen. “But then the teacher said I was going to be in the talent show,” said Gonzales-Chávez. “And I didn’t know what talent I had!” Her teacher told her that voice was her talent and she would sing “Do-Re-Mi” from the Sound of Music. “We often don’t know what talents we have until someone points them out for us,” she said. In 1987, Gonzales-Chávez co-founded the Latino cultural arts center, , and served as executive director for 10 years. “When I looked around our community, there weren’t a lot of places for Latino children to see beautiful images of themselves. We had two major art institutions at that time: the Fresno Metropolitan Museum and the Fresno Art Museum. But they maybe did an annual exhibition that would touch on the Mexican community in Fresno County. “When I go to Arte Américas, I see people from all walks of life present.” Helen Attarian: Blood Bank Volunteer and 15 Gallon Donor If you’ve spent any time at the Jenny Eller Blood Donation Center on Herndon Avenue, you’ve probably bumped into Helen Attarian, a longtime volunteer and an even longer-time blood donor. Helen, 83, has been giving up pints of her O+ blood for decades. She’s up to 122 pints, or more than 15 gallons. As much as she’s glad to roll up her sleeve for a blood donation, she’s equally happy to roll up her sleeves and help out the blood center as a volunteer on Wednesday and Friday afternoons, and some Saturdays, and anytime there is a big blood drive at an area high school or other location. Why does she do it? “I love people and watching over and taking care of the donors and making sure they’re well and healthy and helping them when they’re not. That’s my favorite part (of volunteering),” she says. Her duties include keeping the canteen stocked with snacks. It’s probably no surprise that Helen is a people person — before she retired she worked in sales, selling everything from cars to eyeglass frames. She finally retired during the COVID pandemic when her job doing food demos at stores was curtailed. By then she was already spending part of her week at the blood bank as a volunteer. Donating blood is a family thing: two of her daughters donate, and her grandson began when he turned 16 (he’s now in his late 20s and living in Georgia). Helen says she had thought for years while donating about volunteering. It looked like fun, and she’d get to spend time doing her favorite thing — talking with and helping people. But it wasn’t until one of her daughters started a job there that Helen agreed to come along and speak with the volunteer coordinator. Her tasks include the aforementioned canteen time, making sure that donors are doing well and getting a snack. But she takes on other tasks, such as stapling the coupon books that each donor received or helping out the marketing team with its work. Helen’s also a kind of walking billboard for the blood center. She wears the many T-shirts that donors receive while out in the community and frequently gets recognized by donors. “So I have that on all the time. I’m always advertising the blood bank, and when I talk to people they tell me ‘oh, I saw you at the blood bank.’ ” Allysun Walker: Advancing Homeownership in Southwest Fresno Advancing historically neglected southwest Fresno is a major goal for city officials, numerous nonprofits, and many concerned citizens. Allysunn Walker, CEO of the Southwest Fresno Development Corporation pushes for responsible home ownership. As the area gets developed with new homes and businesses, she wants residents to be a part of that growth. She and her organization do that through ongoing classes to help people understand finances, fix their credit, and in some cases, when they’re ready, helping them make the leap to homeownership. “After two years, we’ve served over 650 people, and we’ve repaired credit for a couple hundred families. We’ve gotten housing counseling for several hundred families, and we’ve got 10 people who are new homeowners. We just closed last week,” Walker said. “It takes that volume of people. Homeownership is a long process, especially for people who’ve never done it before.” The organization’s work is now expanding. With help from the Westside Church of God, Southwest Development Corp. is building 12 tiny homes behind the church’s property. Those homes will go to seniors who live below the poverty line. Walker is also negotiating with Mechanics Bank to secure financing to buy distressed homes in the area. The group can then rehabilitate those homes and sell them below market value, helping increase access to affordable housing. A similar program in Richmond from Mechanics Bank brought 30 homes onto the market over nine years. A couple million dollars can turn over two-to-three times, Walker said. The key to revitalization, Walker says, is slow, steady progress. “My hope is that (the community sees) a partner in southwest Frenso, that they see someone who is committed to the mission of building community wealth and power through homeownership, through supporting entrepreneurs, through creating affordable rental housing, and through community revitalization,” Walker said. Kelsie Igasan: Suicide Survivor to Mental Health Advocate In 2017, Kelsie Igasan attempted suicide. She survived and restarted her life with a newfound purpose. Through her advocacy and speaking service, “The Butterfly Inside,” she specializes in trauma and mental health education, addiction recovery, and suicide prevention. The mission: “There is a butterfly inside of us all waiting to emerge from the darkness trauma can leave us in. Your life is worth saving. You are worth it.” She also uses her platform to raise awareness on youth concussions in sports, including cheerleading. And, at Clovis Hills Church, she educates students (grades 9-12) on recovery through the power of faith. It’s a twelve-step program for those struggling with mental health, anxiety, low self-esteem, eating disorders, substance abuse, and depression. “Being in the church, working with the youth, them being the same age I was when I struggled, in the same community, has been life changing,” said Igasan. The wife and mother of four was a former cheerleader at Buchanan High School in the mid 2000s. The traumatic brain injuries and undiagnosed concussions she sustained in the sport kickstarted a downward spiral. Turning to drugs, becoming a juvenile delinquent, and a full addict. After a stint in rehab and juvenile hall, she got sober, became a mother, and sought therapy. In 2017 a concussion she suffered from a minor car accident amongst other events led to a relapse. That’s when she tried to take her life. After healing in the Trauma Facility Community Regional Medical Center, her recovery and career journey started when she was named the Ambassador for the Central Valley Concussion Consortium. As a trauma peer visitor, she conversed with patients to encourage them to pursue life. From that point, she became one of the leading go-to advocates in the Central Valley to do speaking engagements on those subjects. She’s shared her story on multiple media platforms even getting national attention on “Inside Edition.” Igasan credits her faith for recovering and her pursuit to help people. “That mentorship is the most special. When I was a teenager struggling, I didn’t have a young person in my life to help me,” said Igasan. “It was lonely for me, so it’s been a gift from God to be able to be one-on-one with an adolescent girl and provide encouragement to show they’re not alone.” Perry and Ree Coy have been familiar faces around the Clovis Botanical Garden for nearly 20 years and have played a large part in its present-day appearance. Ree is a retired teacher and Perry a retired state biologist who previously worked for the Department of Fish and Game, Department of Agriculture, the Department of Health Services and Vector Control, and finally Caltrans. Anne Clemons, president of the Botanical Garden nonprofit, jokes that Perry takes on those jobs that no one else wants to do. Perry says he’s used to it: “We have other people that are here earlier in the week and they say, ‘Uh-oh, the tree fell down.’ Great. Well, I know what I’ll be doing, tree-trimming, or I’ll have a massive irrigation leak that the contractor ran over. And then I usually make a tour of the garden when I get here (on Tuesdays).” Working with plants is in his blood — his grandparents owned a nursery in Ventura where Perry spent a fair amount of time as a kid growing up and where he learned all about landscaping and propagation. So his background gives him the perfect set of skills to make sure all the plants at the Botanical Garden— trees, grasses, cacti, etc. — are getting the loving care they need to stay healthy. Clovis Botanical Garden specializes in low-water vegetation, with a variety of garden scenarios that homeowners can use as inspiration for their own gardens as well as enjoying a stroll throughout all the garden’s habitats. The plants are chosen because they will grow well in the Valley’s climates — blazing hot in summer, cold in winter. On a recent tour, Perry points out some of the garden’s distinctions, including how the crape myrtles are not “stubbed,” as many crape myrtles are at Fresno and Clovis homes. “You won’t see many crape myrtles like this. These are all trimmed for their high wildlife value,” he says. “We’re a national wildlife-friendly garden.” Ree is a volunteer supervisor on Thursdays, working with a crew that works as hard as they socialize. Volunteer Kitty is in charge of the cookies — her specialty is the apricot almond bar. The couple started volunteering at the botanical garden after Ree retired as a Fresno Unified elementary school teacher. She clutches a handful of books as she heads to the little lending library, a colorful box on a post near the site of the new visitor center that’s now under construction. That’s one of her favorite spots in the Botanical Garden. Perry’s favorite is the Children’s Garden that the couple sponsors, with mosaic-tile hopscotch squares and other kid-friendly features like a large snail that kids can hop onto. Getting the snail and other critters in place took some effort, Perry recalls. “My grandfather had a degree in horticulture, but he also was a Swiss engineer. And he taught me how to move stuff for landscaping. So I got to move all these little rascals in place.” Ree says she’s gotten an education in horticulture and has passed along some key tips to her volunteers, such as, if you think it’s a weed but you’re not sure, don’t pull it up. Ree says she’s applied that rule at home as well. “I even had a plant that grew up in my backyard. And I went and looked at it and I went, ‘I don’t know what you are. You look kind of weedy,’ but it was about this big, it was tiny. ... It turned out to be a forget-me-not.” Dora Westerlund: Helping Small Businesses and Growing the Economy When a small business opens in the Central Valley, chances are that Dora Westerlund, president and CEO of the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation, had a hand in it. The organization is the most experienced small-business technical assistance provider for Hispanic and minority communities in the San Joaquin Valley. It provides one-on-one consulting, financial education workshops, and small-business financing. Those businesses include mom-and-pop shops, restaurants, food trucks, and street vendors. “I am passionate about fostering entrepreneurship to drive economic growth in our region, strengthening the ecosystem, and positioning the San Joaquin Valley as a beacon for small businesses across the state,” said Westerlund. This year alone, the foundation has served over 4,000 small businesses and delivered more than 5,000 hours of one-on-one technical assistance in business planning, licenses/permits, and procurement. They also hosted 119 workshops and webinars. FAHF also deployed over $1 million in capital to small businesses, supported 17 rural communities, and provided more than $3.1 million in grants to small businesses in Fresno County. All this was made possible through collaborations with the city and county of Fresno, and the involvement of corporate and nonprofit partners. They go above and beyond for their clients like facilitating ribbon cutting opening ceremonies for their businesses. One highlight: “The Night of Champions” gala at Table Mountain Casino with boxing superstar Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez as the guest speaker. “The most rewarding part of my work is witnessing how the entrepreneurs we serve are able to provide better opportunities for their families and build generational wealth,” said Westerlund. “Ultimately, we’re not just helping small businesses start or grow — we’re helping people achieve dreams of business ownership, create stability for their families, and give back to their communities.” Now in his 80s, Ephraim Hadjis still fights for the issues important to the Jewish community. Officially, Hadjis is 81. But, because his birth records were lost in World War II-torn Greece, he believes he is 84. A Holocaust survivor and Vietnam veteran, Hadjis of Madera serves as president of Congregation Beth Jacob. When the Kerman City Council debated about calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, Hadjis spoke up. Hamas held several Israeli and American hostages in Gaza, following the Oct. 7, 2023 attack. Israel responded by bombing Gaza, killing more than 45,000 Palestinians and displacing 80% of the population. Kerman became the second Central Valley city to approve a proclamation supported by pro-Palestinian groups. Madera was the first. Several in the Jewish community, including Hadjis and Rabbi Rick Winer of Temple Beth Israel, opposed, calling the proclamation one-sided. “I am a veteran and my main concern is Americans are being held hostage. Before we could talk about anything about a release or a peace or anything, the veterans of the Americans have to come home. That’s all. We are taught a basic training that you leave no American behind,” Hadjis said on March 13. Andrew Zonneveld: His Rare Baseball Card Will Pay for College Andrew Zonneveld found a hobby he could enjoy with his father — collect sports cards. One particular card will help pay for his college education. Inspired by the Olympic basketball team, eight-year-old Andrew and his father Andy Zonneveld ordered custom-made cards from Topps. One of those cards included a “1 of 1” featuring legends Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant. The sports card world buzzed at the rare find for the Zonnevelds, who farm in Laton. The $50 pack of cards yielded more than $50,000 at an auction. What does the Zonneveld family plan to do with the proceeds? Save for college for Andrew and his siblings for one. Buy more cards of course! How does finding a rare sports card qualify someone to be called a difference-maker? The Zonnevelds provide us all with a reminder that family activities provide a lifetime of good memories and lessons learned.super v 。

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Asia-Pacific markets are set to open higher on Christmas Eve, tracking Wall Street gains before the holidays. Traders will monitor any developments related to the planned merger of Japanese automakers Nissan and Honda. Asia-Pacific markets were set to open higher on Christmas Eve, after key U.S. benchmarks rose overnight helped by gains in tech stocks. Japan's Nikkei 225 futures pointed to a stronger open for the market, with the futures contract in Chicago at 39,305 and its counterpart in Osaka at 39,300 compared to the index's previous close of 39,161.34. The Bank of Japan is slated to release the minutes of its October meeting. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index futures were at 19,924, higher than the HSI's last close of 19,883.13. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 traded slightly above the flatline in a shortened trading day. Traders will monitor any developments related to the planned merger of Japanese automakers Nissan and Honda, which announced Monday that they had started formal discussions to merge, paving the pay to create the world's third-largest automaker by sales . Discussions are set to conclude in June 2025. Overnight in the U.S., stocks rose as strength in technology names helped the broader market. The S&P 500 gained 0.73% to 5,974.07. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose 0.98% to 19,764.89, as Tesla and Meta Platforms added more than 2% and Nvidia climbed more than 3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average erased earlier losses and ended the day 66.69 points higher, or 0.16%, to 42,906.95. Trading was thin on Monday and is expected to remain muted during the week. The New York Stock Exchange closes early Tuesday for Christmas Eve at 1 p.m. ET, and the market is shut on Christmas Day. —CNBC's Yun Li contributed to this report.Several male celebrities took the internet’s heart by storm in 2024, but a handful stood out from the rest of the pack. For those unfamiliar with the phrase “Internet Boyfriend,” the term is applied to popular celebrities who fans collectively have a crush on at the same time. For example, Nicholas Alexander Chavez not only won fans over with his impressive performance in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story but also for a viral TikTok fan edit. Longtime internet boyfriend Timothée Chalamet , meanwhile, had a jam-packed 2024 with his films Dune: Part Two and A Complete Unknown . Not to mention, he was one of the first stars to be the subject of the recent celebrity look-alike competition trend. He even showed up to his own New York City doppelgänger contest in October. You have successfully subscribed. By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from Us Weekly Check our latest news in Google News Check our latest news in Apple News Similar to Chalamet — who sang live on the set of A Complete Unknown — Jonathan Bailey made fans fall in love with singing chops as Fiyero in Wicked: Part One . Stars such as Adam Brody and Josh Hartnett made millennials nostalgic with 2024 comeback projects, while Marcello Hernandez and Jack Schlossberg made waves online with their hilarious personalities. Keep scrolling for Us Weekly ’s unofficial ranking of the internet’s top boyfriends of 2024: Credit: Getty Images (3) Ranking the Internet’s Best Boyfriends of 2024: Jonathan Bailey, Paul Mescal and More Several male celebrities took the internet’s heart by storm in 2024, but a handful stood out from the rest of the pack.For those unfamiliar with the phrase “Internet Boyfriend,” the term is applied to popular celebrities who fans collectively have a crush on at the same time. For example, Nicholas Alexander Chavez not only won fans over with his impressive performance in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story but also for a viral TikTok fan edit.Longtime internet boyfriend Timothée Chalamet , meanwhile, had a jam-packed 2024 with his films Dune: Part Two and A Complete Unknown . Not to mention, he was one of the first stars to be the subject of the recent celebrity look-alike competition trend. He even showed up to his own New York City doppelgänger contest in October.Similar to Chalamet — who sang live on the set of A Complete Unknown — Jonathan Bailey made fans fall in love with singing chops as Fiyero in Wicked: Part One . Stars such as Adam Brody and Josh Hartnett made millennials nostalgic with 2024 comeback projects, while Marcello Hernandez and Jack Schlossberg made waves online with their hilarious personalities.Keep scrolling for Us Weekly ’s unofficial ranking of the internet’s top boyfriends of 2024: Credit: Phillip Faraone/WireImage 20. Ryan Gosling Ryan Gosling followed up his 2023 Barbie success with the action movie The Fall Guy . As if we couldn’t love him enough already, his character in the film cried while listening to Taylor Swift’ s “All Too Well” in a car. Gosling even tweaked the lyrics to the hit song during his Saturday Night Live hosting monologue on April, bringing out costar Emily Blunt as a special surprise. Credit: Araya Doheny/WireImage 19. Tyler James Williams Tyler James Williams ’ Gregory Eddie and Quinta Brunson ’s Janine Teagues are finally a couple on Abbott Elementary , and fans couldn’t be happier. “What we have seen up until this point was a mutual admiration for each other,” Williams exclusively told Us of the TV couple’s future in October. “Regardless of where it goes, it's about how much they really respect and care for each other. That's the key. Credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Empire State Realty Trust 18. Jack Schlossberg The only grandson of late President John F. Kennedy , Schlossberg has made waves on social media since becoming a political correspondent for Vogue earlier this year. “If you’re going to ask people to think about something serious, you need to make it entertaining or fun,” he told the outlet in July. “That’s what all the great leaders do. You can’t just hammer people with how bad stuff is. You’ve got to bring some positivity and good energy to the things you think are important. That’s the only strategy I have.” Credit: Maya Dehlin Spach/WireImage 17. Taron Egerton The Welsh native added another swoon-worthy role to his Hollywood resume as Ethan Kopek in the Netflix holiday thriller Carry-On . The film quickly rose to the No. 1 spot on the streamer’s Top 10 movies list following its December premiere. Credit: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images 16. Kit Connor and Joe Locke One year after the release of Heartstopper season 2, Kit Connor and Joe Locke returned to their beloved roles as Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring, respectively, for the Netflix series’ third season. Outside of Heartstopper , Locke joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Billy Kaplan (a.k.a. Wiccan) in the Disney+ series Agatha All Along . In addition to voicing the adorable Brightbill in The Wild Robot , Connor made his Broadway debut alongside Rachel Zegler in the play Romeo + Juliet . Credit: Cindy Ord/Getty Images 15. Nicholas Galitzine The British actor romanced Anne Hathaway as boy band star Hayes Campbell in the Prime Video film The Idea of You . Plus, he surprised fans by showing off his impressive body transformation into He-Man for the upcoming Masters of the Universe movie with a buff Instagram Story snap earlier this month. Credit: Ernesto Ruscio/WireImage 14. Josh Hartnett Hartnett made moviegoers fall in love with a serial killer thanks to his performance in the thriller Trapped . He also made a surprise appearance on a season 3 episode of The Bear . Credit: Michael Tran / AFP 13. Marcello Hernandez Hernandez — or should we say, Domingo — went viral for his latest Saturday Night Live original character . He played-up the Domingo hype by appearing as the character at a Sabrina Carpenter concert in November. Credit: Getty Images (4) 12. Chase Stokes, Drew Starkey, Jonathan Daviss and Rudy Pankow The cast of Netflix’s Outer Banks made Us fall in love with them all over again when the show’s fourth season dropped in November. Unfortunately for the on-screen besties, the season ended with the shocking death of Rudy Pankow ’s character, JJ. (R.I.P.) Credit: Mike Coppola/MG24/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue 11. Donald Glover Donald Glover had big footsteps to follow for Prime Video’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith TV adaptation, as Brad Pitt starred in the original 2005 spy romance. Luckily, Glover (a.k.a. Childish Gambino) pulled off the role with ease and cemented himself as an action star to watch. Credit: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Netflix 10. Glen Powell Glen Powell showed fans many sides of himself in 2024, from taking on multiple personas in the Netflix movie Hit Man to chasing storms as Tyler Owens in the summer blockbuster Twisters . Credit: Getty Images (3) 9. Luke Newton, Luke Thompson and Victor Alli The men of Bridgerton continued to make Us swoon in season 3. While the latest installment ended with Luke Newton ’s Colin Bridgerton and Victor Alli ’s Lord John Stirling happily in love with their respective romantic partners, the finale set up Luke Thompson ’s Benedict Bridgerton to take on the leading man role in season 4. Credit: David Eulitt/Getty Images 8. Travis Kelce Taylor Swift ’s “guy on the Chiefs” continued to prove he’s the ultimate Hollywood boyfriend goals by attending several of her Eras Tour concerts and taking the Grammy winner out for several romantic date nights. Not to mention, he threw Swift a surprise Eras -themed party to celebrate her December birthday and the end of her record-breaking tour. Credit: Mike Marsland/WireImage 7. Timothee Chalamet On top of earning critical and fan praise for his work in A Complete Unknown and Dune: Part Two , Timothée became an uncle in 2024 with the birth of his sister Pauline Chalamet ’s baby girl. Credit: Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for The Red Sea International Film Festival 6. Andrew Garfield Andrew Garfield made fans fall in love and cry their eyes out with his role as Tobias in We Live in Time , cementing himself as a British rom-com heartthrob. Credit: Stewart Cook/Getty Images for Amazon MGM Studios 5. Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist The internet was just as obsessed with Challengers stars Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist as their characters were with Zendaya ’s Tashi Duncan in the sports drama. Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images 4. Adam Brody Gilmore Girls and The O.C. fans rejoiced when Brody returned to the small screen as Noah (a.k.a. the hot rabbi) in the Netflix series Nobody Wants This . Luckily for viewers, the show was renewed for a second season. Credit: Getty Images (3) 3. Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn As if fans weren’t already obsessed with Paul Mescal , Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn before their roles in Gladiator II , the Ridley Scott -directed sequel furthered their status as some of the internet’s favorite boyfriends. Credit: Presley Ann/Getty Images for Netflix 2. Cooper Koch and Nicholas Alexander Chavez The two actors gave emotional and chilling breakout performances as the Menendez brothers in Netflix’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story . Chavez went on to play the hot priest in the Ryan Murphy series Grotesquerie , while Koch scored a 2025 Golden Globes nomination for his portrayal of Erik Menendez . (Shout-out to Koch’s performance in the show’s one-take episode titled “The Hurt Man.”) Credit: Karwai Tang/WireImage 1. Jonathan Bailey To Us , Bailey dominated the 2024 pop culture zeitgeist. He began the year reprising his beloved role of Anthony Bridgerton in Bridgerton season 4, and later made a cameo as Nick and Charlie’s famous author crush, Jack Maddox, in Heartstopper season 3. However, it’s his performance as Fiyero in Wicked: Part One that will have Us dancing through life and into the new year. In order to view the gallery, please allow Manage Cookies For access to all our exclusive celebrity videos and interviews – Subscribe on YouTube!

Boxing pound-for-pound rankings: Is Oleksandr Usyk the inaugural Uncrowned king?"President Clinton was admitted to Georgetown University Medical Center this afternoon for testing and observation after developing a fever," the 78-year-old's deputy chief of staff Angel Urena said on social media platform X, adding Clinton "remains in good spirits." Clinton was previously hospitalized for five nights in October 2021 due to a blood infection. In 2004, at age 58, he underwent a quadruple bypass operation after doctors found signs of extensive heart disease. He had stents implanted in his coronary artery six years later. The health scare motivated him to make lifestyle changes, including adopting a vegetarian diet, and he has since spoken publicly about his efforts. Clinton's health last made headlines in November 2022 when he tested positive for Covid-19. He said at the time that his symptoms were "mild" and he was "grateful to be vaccinated and boosted." Clinton, who led the United States for two presidential terms from 1993-2001, is the second-youngest living US president, after 63-year-old Barack Obama. He was born mere months after fellow former US president George W. Bush and President-elect Donald Trump. Though his prosperous time in office was marred by scandals, he has enjoyed a second life in the two decades after his presidency, which has seen him venture into numerous diplomatic and humanitarian causes. bur-jgc/aha

SAN ANTONIO — Deion Sanders will get emotional if he thinks about it too much, but the final chapter of a nearly two decades-long era coaching his sons ends Saturday. It’s something he’s reflected on plenty in recent weeks, since he saw the final seconds ticking off the clock in the regular season finale against a Oklahoma State — a 52-0 win in his last game in Boulder coaching Shedeur, Shilo and Travis Hunter, who may as well be the fourth Sanders son at this point. Colorado’s Travis Hunter, right, and coach Deion Sanders embrace after Hunter won the Heisman Trophy as the outstanding player in college football, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in New York. "I've been trying to shy away from that moment because I knew the last home game was the last home game, but (it) wasn't the last game,” Sanders said. “But this is it.” From youth football through college, Sanders has been by his kids’ side every step of the way. He had not planned on going into coaching but didn’t like the way his kids were being coached at the youth level. He hasn’t stopped since. “You know how long this journey has been with my kids?” Sanders said. With his sons heading off to the NFL after Colorado’s Alamo Bowl matchup against BYU Saturday, Coach Prime is sticking around with the Buffaloes. He wants to continue coaching due to the thousands of kids he’s worked with over the years that don’t have the name “Sanders” on the back of their jerseys. Colorado coach Deion Sanders speaks during a news conference before the 2024 Alamo Bowl against BYU on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. “This is a tremendous calling that God placed in my life to be around these kids, raise these kids to such a level as this,” Sanders said Friday at the Alamodome. The examples are all over the CU roster. There’s Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig, a safety and team captain who began playing for Sanders in high school before following him to Jackson State and then CU. There’s Jimmy Horn Jr., a wide receiver from Florida who was one of the first transfers to join the Buffs in late 2022. The two once visited Horn’s father in prison in Florida. There’s Ben Finneseth and Charlie Offerdahl, a current and former walk-on who are part of the small but important group of Original Buffs (“OBs”) that remain from the pre-Sanders era at CU. Colorado head coach Deion Sanders and Colorado safety Shilo Sanders (21) speak before an NCAA college football game against Utah, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray) There’s Brendan Gant and Travis Jay, a pair of defensive players who came from Sanders’ alma mater, Florida State, and built a relationship with their head coach despite not seeing as much time on the field as they had envisioned. “We've all had moments in my office or on the field that could bring you to tears,” Sanders said. “It's unfortunate that they're moving on, but you pray that you poured into them enough that when they move on they move up. They're not just passing by. They move on and they move up. You've blessed them with knowledge and support and love and compassion in those moments.” If you want to know why Sanders coaches, that’s it right there. Coach Prime might get emotional on his pregame walk with Shedeur from midfield to the goal line and back and when he sees Shilo and Travis making plays on defense. Colorado head coach Deion Sanders talks to quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) in the first half during an NCAA college football game against Arizona, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) But he hasn’t lost sight of the journey to this point — and what’s to come. “I'm thankful that Rick (George) gave me the opportunity (at CU),” Sanders said. “We wouldn't have had a Heisman Trophy winner, a guy (that will be picked) in the first or second pick of the whole draft (and) several other guys (who) are definitely going to get drafted. It wouldn't have happened if I wouldn't have accepted that calling. So I'm thankful with the opportunities afforded to me. I'm thankful to be here, period.”GIG HARBOR, Wash., Nov. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Heritage Distilling Holding Company Inc. (“Heritage” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: CASK), a leading craft distiller of innovative premium brands, including whiskeys, vodkas, gins, rums and ready-to-drink canned cocktails, today announced the closing of its initial public offering of 1,687,500 shares of common stock at an initial public offering price of $4.00 per share, for gross proceeds of approximately $6.75 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses. In addition, Heritage has granted the underwriters a 30-day over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional 253,125 shares of common stock at the initial public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. The shares began trading on Nasdaq on November 22, 2024 under the symbol “CASK.” Newbridge Securities Corporation acted as the sole book-running manager for the offering. In addition to the shares being sold in the initial public offering, Heritage also closed on the sale of common warrants to purchase an aggregate of 382,205 additional shares of its common stock in a concurrent private placement to certain existing security holders. The common warrants have an exercise price equal to $0.01 per share and were sold for a price per common warrant equal to $3.99, the price per share at which the common stock was sold in the initial public offering less $0.01. The sale of the common warrants were not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and as such, the shares issuable upon exercise of the common warrants may not be offered or sold absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration. The gross proceeds to Heritage from the initial public offering and the concurrent private placement, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering and private placement expenses payable by Heritage, were $8,250,000, excluding any exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares of common stock. A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-279382) relating to the common stock offered and sold in the initial public offering was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and became effective on November 12, 2024. Copies of the registration statement can be accessed through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. This initial public offering was made only by means of a prospectus forming part of the registration statement relating to the common stock, which was filed on November 25, 2024 and is available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov, or may be obtained from Newbridge Securities Corporation, Attn: Equity Syndicate Department, 1200 North Federal Highway, Suite 400, Boca Raton, FL 33432, by email at syndicate@newbridgesecurities.com or by telephone at (877) 447-9625. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. About Heritage Heritage is among the premier independent craft distilleries in the United States offering a variety of whiskeys, vodkas, gins, rums and ready-to-drink canned cocktails. Heritage has been the most awarded craft distillery in North America by the American Distilling Institute for ten years in a row out of the more than 2,600 craft producers, plus numerous other Best of Class, Double Gold, and Gold medals from multiple national and international spirits competitions. It is one of the largest craft spirits producers on the West Coast based on revenues and is developing a national reach in the U.S. through traditional sales channels (wholesale, on-premises, and e-commerce) and its unique and recently-developed Tribal Beverage Network (“TBN”) sales channel, which is collaborating with Native American tribes to develop Heritage-branded distilleries, brands, and tasting rooms and to develop brands unique to the tribes, to serve patrons of tribal casinos and entertainment venues, creating compelling social and economic benefits for participating tribal communities while allowing the tribes another channel through which to exercise tribal sovereignty. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by words such as "aims," "anticipates," "believes," "could," "estimates," "expects," "forecasts," "goal," "intends," "may," "plans," "possible," "potential," "seeks," "will," and variations of these words or similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any such statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on Heritage’s current expectations, estimates and projections only as of the date of this release and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These and other risks concerning Heritage’s programs and operations are described in additional detail in its registration statement on Form S-1, which is on file with the SEC. Heritage explicitly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except to the extent required by law. CONTACTS: Investors Scott Eckstein heritage@kcsa.com (212) 896 1210 Media Molly Crawford mcrawford@kcsa.com (408) 768 6974

Another stowaway caught on Delta flight raises major concerns about airport safety

Running back Jace Clarizio flipped his commitment from his local team, Michigan State, to Alabama. The decision, announced by Clarizio on social media Tuesday, comes after the East Lansing (Mich.) High standout visited head coach Kalen DeBoer's Crimson Tide on Nov. 16. "Great program," Clarizio told On3. "Playing on the biggest level. ... All the people and coaches I met and interacted with were all great people. The atmosphere was crazy." The 5-foot-11, 195-pounder is ranked as the No. 33 running back by On3 and tabbed No. 35 in their industry ranking. In May, he had verbally committed to the Spartans, where his father, Craig Johnson, was a running back and defensive back who was a member of the 1987 Rose Bowl-winning squad under coach George Perles. --Field Level MediaHow Trump's bet on voters electing him managed to silence some of his legal woes

Trump vows 25% tariff for Canada, Mexico, ramps up promised levies on China

The US State and Treasury departments said they hit Georgian Dream party founder and honorary chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili with penalties “for undermining the democratic and Euro-Atlantic future of Georgia for the benefit of the Russian Federation”, according to a statement. The designation of Mr Ivanishvili is the latest in a series of sanctions the US has placed on Georgian politicians and others this year. Those sanctions include freezes on assets and properties those targeted may have in US jurisdictions or that might enter US jurisdictions as well as travel bans on the targets and members of their families. “We strongly condemn Georgian Dream’s actions under Ivanishvili’s leadership, including its ongoing and violent repression of Georgian citizens, protesters, members of the media, human rights activists, and opposition figures,” the State Department said in a statement. “The United States is committed to promoting accountability for those undermining democracy and human rights in Georgia.” Mr Ivanishvili is a billionaire who made his fortune in Russia and served briefly as Georgia’s prime minister. In 2012, he founded Georgian Dream, Georgia’s longtime ruling party. Critics have accused Georgian Dream of becoming increasingly authoritarian and tilted towards Moscow. The party recently pushed through laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down on freedom of speech and LGBT+ rights, prompting the European Union to suspend Georgia’s membership application process indefinitely. In October, Georgian Dream won another term in a divisive parliamentary election that has led to more mass protests. Last month, the country’s prime minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, announced a four-year suspension of talks on Georgia’s bid to join the European Union, fuelling further public outrage.

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How Trump's bet on voters electing him managed to silence some of his legal woes

superphosphate fertiliser Meta’s X competitor Instagram Threads is gaining an improved search interface, the company announced on Monday. The app, which offers a Meta-run alternative to Elon Musk’s X, but built on top of Instagram’s social graph, is rolling out a new way to search for specific posts, allowing users to filter searches by user profiles and date ranges. This is not as comprehensive as X’s advanced search, which today lets users narrow queries by language, keywords, exact phrases, excluded words, hashtags, and more. But it does make it easier for Threads users to locate specific posts. It will also bring Threads’ search more on par with Bluesky’s search, which also allows users to filter searches by user profiles, date ranges, and more, using advanced queries. However, the Bluesky app itself doesn’t surface all the filtering options in its user interface as of yet. Before this latest update, Threads search has been fairly basic. You could search by a keyword or keywords but only filter those results by two options — either “Top” for the posts with the most engagement, or “Recent” for the latest posts. The new search functionality will be available to global users in the weeks ahead, noted the Threads account in a new post. In recent days, Meta has been quickly releasing new features to combat the threat from social networking startup Bluesky , which has rapidly gained adoption as another X alternative. In September, Bluesky had north of 9 million users, but that number has soared in the weeks following the U.S. elections, as users left X over the political leanings of owner Elon Musk and various policy changes, such as plans to change how blocks work and to allow AI companies to train on X user data. Today, Bluesky claims nearly 24 million users . To counter Bluesky’s potential, Meta’s Threads released new features, including the ability for users to choose their own default feed , a design change that makes it easier to move between feeds , and an updated algorithm. It was also spotted developing its own take on Bluesky’s user-curated recommendation lists, called Starter Packs.Memory of a crisis

A West Vancouver non-profit is raising funds to help provide opportunities for urban Indigenous people to succeed. On Giving Tuesday, which is Dec. 3, the Urban Spirit Foundation is hosting a fundraiser event where people can enjoy chili and bannock along with sales of baked goods, raffle prizes and a 50/50 draw. “Without fundraisers like this, it would be less money in the pot to be able to do the good work that we’re doing,” said Lynn White, executive director of the Urban Spirit Foundation. White says urban Indigenous people are those who reside in cities, but also those who may not have status or are not connected to their First Nation. The Urban Spirit Foundation is a charitable organization that provide opportunities for Indigenous people living in the city through education and employment training, secondary and post-secondary scholarships and relief of poverty. The fundraiser began shortly after the foundation launched in 2007. Once the team heard about Giving Tuesday, White said they were inspired to use it as a charity fundraising event. The Urban Spirit Foundation works in partnership with the Aboriginal Community Career Employment Services Society (ACCESS), where White is also the CEO. Some of the raffle prizes include Vancouver Canucks tickets and gift cards for Hype Chocolate and Indigenous owned cosmetic brand Cheekbone Beauty. The money collected helps go back into the programs the foundation and ACCESS offer, White said. Since its creation, the foundation has been able to provide scholarships to Indigenous people within the Vancouver and Surrey school districts, British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) and more. “I really take pride in being able to give out some scholarships and support our people who are going back to school and trying to struggle their way out of poverty and into a career,” White said. The two organizations also help provide employment opportunities, including the BladeRunners program , that helps give at-risk young people between ages 19 and 30 work experience, certified health and safety training and social skills development. As the hours lead up to the fundraiser, the team is preparing the chili and bannock. “We welcome anybody who would like to come by and support us and have some chili,” White said. Urban Spirit Foundation fundraiser Where : ACCESS head office, 108-100 Park Royal South, West Vancouver When : Dec. 3, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Admission: $18 Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative . [email protected]US judge rejects SEC request to sanction Elon MuskWill Riley scored a game-high 19 points off the bench as No. 25 Illinois shrugged off a slow start to earn an 87-40 nonconference victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday afternoon in Champaign, Ill. Morez Johnson Jr. recorded his first double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, Kylan Boswell posted 13 points and Tomislav Ivisic contributed 11 for Illinois (4-1). Coming off a 100-87 loss to No. 8 Alabama on Wednesday, the Illini led by as much as 52 despite hitting just 10-of-40 3-point attempts. Jalen Ware paced Maryland Eastern Shore (2-6) with 10 points before fouling out. Ketron "KC" Shaw, who entered Saturday in the top 20 of Division I scorers at 22.3 points per game, went scoreless in the first half and finished with seven points on 2-of-11 shooting. The Hawks canned just 22.1 percent of their shots from the floor. Illinois broke out to a 6-0 lead in the first 2:06, then missed its next six shots. That gave the Hawks time to pull into an 8-8 tie on Evan Johnson's 17-foot pullup at the 12:21 mark. That marked Maryland Eastern Shore's last points for more than seven minutes as the Illini reeled off 17 straight points to remove any suspense. Johnson opened the spree with a basket and two free throws, Ben Humrichous swished a 3-pointer and Tre White sank a layup before Kasparas Jakucionis fed Ivisic for a 3-pointer and an alley-oop layup. Jakucionis set up Johnson for a free throw, then drove for an unchallenged layup to make it 25-8 with 5:15 left in the first. Evan Johnson snapped the visitors' dry spell with a driving layup at the 4:56 mark, but Illinois went on to establish a 35-15 halftime lead on the stretch of 11 offensive rebounds that turned into 12 second-chance points and 13 points off UMES' 10 turnovers. Maryland Eastern Shore needed nearly four minutes to get its first points in the second half as Illinois pushed its lead to 42-15. The Illini margin ballooned all the way to 70-24 on Boswell's driving layup with 8:11 to go. --Field Level Media

Woke is waning: was it ever more than a fad?Joe Biden begins final White House holiday season with turkey pardons for 'Peach' and 'Blossom' WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has kicked off his final holiday season at the White House, issuing the traditional reprieve to two turkeys who will bypass the Thanksgiving table to live out their days in Minnesota. The president welcomed 2,500 guests under sunny skies as he cracked jokes about the fates of “Peach” and “Blossom.” He also sounded wistful tones about the last weeks of his presidency. Separately, first lady Jill Biden received the delivery of the official White House Christmas tree. And the Bidens are traveling to New York later Monday for an early holiday celebration with members of the Coast Guard. Bah, humbug! Vandal smashes Ebenezer Scrooge's tombstone used in 'A Christmas Carol' movie LONDON (AP) — If life imitates art, a vandal in the English countryside may be haunted by The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Police in the town of Shrewsbury are investigating how a tombstone at the fictional grave of Ebenezer Scrooge was destroyed. The movie prop used in the 1984 adaption of Charles Dickens' “A Christmas Carol” had become a tourist attraction. The film starred George C. Scott as the cold-hearted curmudgeon who is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve who show him what will become of his life if he doesn’t become a better person. West Mercia Police say the stone was vandalized in the past week. Megachurch founder T.D. Jakes suffers health incident during sermon at Dallas church DALLAS (AP) — The founder of Dallas-based megachurch The Potter's House, Bishop T.D. Jakes, was hospitalized after suffering what the church called a “slight health incident.” Jakes was speaking to churchgoers after he sat down and began trembling as several people gathered around him Sunday at the church. Jakes' daughter Sarah Jakes Roberts and her husband Touré Roberts said in a statement on social media late Sunday that Jakes was improving. The 67-year-old Jakes founded the non-denominational The Potter's House in 1996 and his website says it now has more than 30,000 members with campuses in Fort Worth and Frisco, Texas; and in Denver. Warren Buffett gives away another $1.1B and plans for distributing his $147B fortune after his death OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Investor Warren Buffett renewed his Thanksgiving tradition of giving by announcing plans Monday to hand more than $1.1 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to four of his family's foundations, and he offered new details about who will be handing out the rest of his fortune after his death. Buffett has said previously that his three kids will distribute his remaining $147.4 billion fortune in the 10 years after his death, but now he has also designated successors for them because it’s possible that Buffett’s children could die before giving it all away. Buffett said he has no regrets about his decision to start giving away his fortune in 2006. At the crossroads of news and opinion, 'Morning Joe' hosts grapple with aftermath of Trump meeting The reaction of those who defended “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski for meeting with President-elect Trump sounds almost quaint in the days of opinionated journalism. Doesn't it makes sense, they said, for hosts of a political news show to meet with such an important figure? But given how “Morning Joe” has attacked Trump, its viewers felt insulted. Many reacted quickly by staying away. It all reflects the broader trend of opinion crowding out traditional journalist in today's marketplace, and the expectations that creates among consumers. By mid-week, the show's audience was less than two-thirds what it has typically been this year. Pop star Ed Sheeran apologizes to Man United boss Ruben Amorim for crashing interview MANCHESTER, England (AP) — British pop star Ed Sheeran has apologized to Ruben Amorim after inadvertently interrupting the new Manchester United head coach during a live television interview. Amorim was talking on Sky Sports after United’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich on Sunday when Sheeran walked up to embrace analyst Jamie Redknapp. The interview was paused before Redknapp told the pop star to “come and say hello in a minute.” Sheeran is a lifelong Ipswich fan and holds a minority stake in the club. He was pictured celebrating after Omari Hutchinson’s equalizing goal in the game at Portman Road. A desert oasis outside of Dubai draws a new caravan: A family of rodents from Argentina AL QUDRA LAKES, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A desert oasis hidden away in the dunes in the far reaches of skyscraper-studded Dubai has drawn a surprising new set of weary world travelers: a pack of Argentinian rodents. A number of Patagonian mara, a rabbit-like mammal with long legs, big ears and a body like a hoofed animal, now roam the grounds of Al Qudra Lakes, typically home to gazelle and other desert creatures of the United Arab Emirates. How they got there remains a mystery in the UAE, a country where exotic animals have ended up in the private homes and farms of the wealthy. But the pack appears to be thriving there and likely have survived several years already in a network of warrens among the dunes. Pilot dies in plane crash in remote woods of New York, puppy found alive WINDHAM, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities say a pilot and at least one dog he was transporting died when a small plane crashed in the snowy woods of the Catskill Mountains, though a puppy on the flight was found alive with two broken legs. The Greene County sheriff’s office says Seuk Kim of Springfield, Virginia, was flying from Maryland to Albany, New York, when the plane crashed at about 6:10 p.m. Sunday in a remote area. Officials believe the pilot died from the impact. The surviving dog was hospitalized, while a third dog was not located. The flight was connected with a not-for-profit group that transports rescue animals. New Zealanders save more than 30 stranded whales by lifting them on sheets WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — More than 30 pilot whales that stranded themselves on a beach in New Zealand have been safely returned to the ocean after conservation workers and residents helped to refloat them by lifting them on sheets. New Zealand’s conservation agency said four whales died. New Zealand is a whale stranding hotspot and pilot whales are especially prolific stranders. The agency praised as “incredible” the efforts made by hundreds of people to help save the foundering pod. A Māori cultural ceremony for the three adult whales and one calf that died in the stranding took place Monday. Rainbow-clad revelers hit Copacabana beach for Rio de Janeiro’s pride parade RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Thousands of revelers have gathered alongside Copacabana beach for Rio de Janeiro’s annual gay pride parade, many scantily dressed and covered in glitter. Rainbow-colored flags, towels and fans abounded among the crowd mostly made up of young revelers, who danced and sang along to music blaring from speakers. While the atmosphere was festive, some spoke of the threat of violence LGBTQ+ people face in Brazil. At least 230 LGBTQ+ Brazilians were victims of violent deaths in 2023, according to the umbrella watchdog group Observatory of LGBTQ+ deaths and violence in Brazil.

Woolworths has filed an urgent application with the Fair Work Commission to stop union members from blocking access to its distribution centres, as it claims the industrial action has cost the business $50 million so far. A United Workers Union (UWU) picket line outside a critical distribution centre in Dandenong South in Melbourne’s south-east entered its 13th day on Tuesday, after the supermarket giant failed in its attempt to reopen the centre on Monday. Dozens of union members gathered outside the Woolworths distribution centre on Tuesday, but in fewer numbers than Monday. Credit: Wayne Taylor Woolworths said many of the centre’s existing workers were ready to come back to work and break the strike, which began at four of its distribution centres on November 21. More than 1500 workers went on strike to fight for better pay and conditions. “The UWU commenced indefinite strike action at the four sites on 21 November, with the strike action now extending to 12 days,” Woolworths said in a statement. “This application to Fair Work alleges a breach of the good faith bargaining requirements in the Fair Work Act. The matter has not yet been listed for hearing.” In a separate ASX market update issued on Tuesday morning, Woolworths claimed the industrial action had so far cost the business $50 million in lost sales. “Since the start of the industrial action, Australian food sales have been negatively impacted by approximately $50 million to date (up to 2 December),” Woolworths said in an ASX statement. “Until the industrial action is resolved, a further impact to sales is expected. The full financial impact at this stage is unknown.” The union has held a 24-hour picket line outside the Dandenong South warehouse for 13 days, blocking access to the site. It has also blocked access to the other distribution sites. Woolworths said it intended to reopen the main site on Monday, with the first shift expected to begin at 6am and the “majority” of the centre’s usual workers wanting to come back and break the strike. However, a busload of workers never arrived, with the supermarket saying the union gave no assurance of safe passage for workers. “As long as [the UWU] continues to block access to our site, our customers will continue to face shortages on shelves in Victoria,” Woolworths said on Monday. The union, meanwhile, said the supermarket giant could resolve the situation if they simply sat down and listened to workers’ legitimate concerns. Woolworths intended to press ahead with the reopening on Tuesday, with workers still at the ready to come back, a spokesperson said. Dozens of union members were on the picket line on Tuesday morning but in significantly fewer numbers than on Monday. United Workers Union official Andy Giles said the union would continue to negotiate with Woolworths in meetings on Tuesday, after they failed to reach a resolution on Monday. United Workers Union members converse outside the Dandenong South distribution centre. Credit: Wayne Taylor “We’re really hopeful that we can reach resolution on the fair and just terms that our members deserve,” Giles said on the picket line. “Our members’ resolve is still strong, and we’ll be here as long as it takes ... [but] hopefully this can be over sooner rather than later.” Union members have blocked driveways to the distribution centre. When asked how members would react if workers turned up on site, Giles said everyone’s focus should be on reaching a resolution on Tuesday. “That’s what [we] will be focused on, and we hope Woolworths is the same,” Giles said. Tuesday was union members’ 13th day picketing the distribution centre. The mood in the morning was settled, with members mulling around chatting and stationed on driveways, grateful for the cooler weather compared with Monday. Those on the picket line have set up marquees and portable toilets outside the distribution centre. Woolworths has blamed the strikes for stock shortages among staple items such as toilet paper, cereal, frozen goods, meat and dairy. Shortages have been reported at Woolworths stores in Victoria, NSW and the ACT. Credit: April Lombardo While Victorians are bearing the brunt, stores in NSW and the ACT are also affected. The Dandenong South site accounts for more than 40 per cent of the four shuttered distribution centres’ total output, Woolworths has said. Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter .Migrants give ‘Tripadvisor-style’ reviews for people-smugglersExciting Developments Ahead in Gaming GPUs: What to Expect from NVIDIABM Consumer Finance (Souhoola), a consumer finance company, has completed ab EGP 478m (approximately $15.7m) securitized bond issuance in three tranches, the company announced. CI Capital acted as the issuance manager and principal coordinator for the transaction. The issuance, Souhoola’s first, is intended to support the company’s growth and expansion plans in the Egyptian market. The three tranches comprised EGP 280m with a six-month tenor, rated Prime 1 by Middle East Ratings and Investor Services (MERIS); EGP 139m with a 12-month tenor, also rated Prime 1; and EGP 59m with a 20-month tenor, receiving an A- rating. Ahmed El-Shanawany, managing director of BM Consumer Finance (Souhoola), said the high ratings reflect the quality of the securitized portfolio and strengthen the company’s financing base. “This step directly contributes to expanding the company’s market share in line with Souhoola’s expansion strategy for the coming period,” El-Shanawany said. “This achievement is part of the company’s commitment to its active role in enhancing financial inclusion, according to Egypt Vision 2030, thereby supporting the macroeconomy and achieving sustainable growth.” Fadi Elias, chief financial officer at BM Consumer Finance, added that the securitization reflects the company’s continued growth and strengthens its financial position in accordance with Financial Regulatory Authority guidelines. He noted that the company’s financial position saw a 52% year-on-year growth in Q3 2024, with a 50% increase in its customer portfolio compared to the previous year. Amr Helal, chief executive officer (sell-side) of the Investment Bank at CI Capital, expressed satisfaction with completing Souhoola’s first issuance, part of a planned three-year program totaling EGP 3.5bn. He highlighted CI Capital’s continued leadership in diversified financial services and the efforts of its Debt Capital Markets team. Mohamed Abbas, head of DCM at CI Capital, expressed gratitude for the successful completion of the issuance and noted the growth of Egypt’s debt markets, particularly the increasing number of financing companies completing their first debt issuances with CI Capital’s assistance. This reflects, he said, the growing interest from non-banking financial institutions (NBFIs) in diversifying funding sources and achieving sustainable growth. Established in 2019, Souhoola aims to provide innovative, technology-driven financial solutions to enhance financial inclusion and improve the quality of life for Egyptians. The company integrates financial and commercial expertise to develop solutions addressing economic challenges and provide customers with a seamless shopping experience.

#wegotmail: It's official: Veloso to be transferred to PH“Why are the Islamist Turks in NATO?”: Trump’s Defense Secretary wanted Erdogan out of the Alliance

Kansas holds off Auburn for No. 1 in AP Top 25 as SEC grabs 3 of top 4 spots; UConn slides to No. 25 Kansas continues to hold the No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll. Auburn is pushing the Jayhawks in the latest poll after winning the Maui Invitational and checked in at No. 2. Two-time reigning national champion UConn nearly fell out entirely after an 0-3 week at Maui, falling from No. 2 to 25th. The Southeastern Conference had three of the top four teams with No. 3 Tennessee and No. 4 Kentucky behind the Tigers. The poll featured six new teams, headlined by No. 13 Oregon, No. 16 Memphis and No. 18 Pittsburgh. TCU, Duke climb into top 10, Notre Dame drops in women's AP Top 25; UCLA and UConn remain 1-2 TCU has its best ranking ever in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll after a convincing win over Notre Dame. The Horned Frogs jumped eight spots to No. 9, the first time the school has ever been in the top 10. The Fighting Irish, who were third last week, fell seven spots to 10th after losses to TCU and Utah. UCLA remained No. 1, followed by UConn, South Carolina, Texas and LSU. USC, Maryland and Duke are next. Houston's Al-Shaair apologizes for hit on Jacksonville's Lawrence that led to concussion HOUSTON (AP) — Houston’s Azeez Al-Shaair took to X to apologize to Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence after his violent blow to the quarterback’s facemask led to him being carted off the field with a concussion. Back in the starting lineup after missing two games with a sprained left shoulder, Lawrence scrambled left on a second-and-7 play in the second quarter of Houston’s 23-20 win on Sunday. He initiated a slide before Al-Shaair raised his forearm and unleashed on the defenseless quarterback. In the long post, Al-Shaair says "To Trevor I genuinely apologize to you for what ended up happening.” Philadelphia ready to go the distance with RockyFest week dedicated to 'Rocky' movies PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Rocky Balboa fans are ready to go the distance to honor Philly’s favorite fictional fighter almost 50 years after the first movie launched the enduring series of an underdog boxer persevering despite the odds. The city Rocky called home at last has a week dedicated to the box office heavyweight champion of the world a year after the inaugural Rocky Day was held at the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps. RockyFest officially kicks off Tuesday and a series of events dedicated to the movies series are set to be held around the city. How to sum up 2024? The Oxford University Press word of the year is 'brain rot' LONDON (AP) — Oxford University Press has named “brain rot” its word of the year. It's defined as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state,” especially from consuming too much low-grade online content. Oxford University Press said Monday that the phrase “gained new prominence in 2024,” with its frequency of use increasing 230% from the year before. It was chosen by a combination of public vote and language analysis by Oxford lexicographers. The five other word-of-the-year finalists were demure, slop, dynamic pricing, romantasy and lore. Oxford Languages President Casper Grathwohl said the choice of phrase “feels like a rightful next chapter in the cultural conversation about humanity and technology.” Scientists gather to decode puzzle of the world's rarest whale in 'extraordinary' New Zealand study WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Scientists and culture experts in New Zealand have begun the first-ever dissection of a spade-toothed whale, the world's rarest whale species. The creature, which washed up dead on a beach on New Zealand's South Island in July, is only the seventh specimen ever found. None has ever been seen alive at sea. Almost nothing is known about it but scientists, working with Māori cultural experts, hope to answer some of the many lingering questions this week, including where they live, what they eat, how they produce sound and how this specimen died. Hong Kong launches panda sculpture tour as the city hopes the bear craze boosts tourism HONG KONG (AP) — Thousands of giant panda sculptures will greet residents and tourists starting on Saturday in Hong Kong, where enthusiasm for the bears has grown since two cubs were born in a local theme park. The 2,500 exhibits will be publicly displayed at the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui, one of Hong Kong’s popular shopping districts, this weekend before setting their footprint at three other locations this month. The displays reflect Hong Kong’s use of pandas to boost its economy as the Chinese financial hub works to regain its position as one of Asia’s top tourism destinations. Violent hit on Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence 'has no business being in our league,' coach says JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence was carted off the field after taking a violent elbow to the facemask from Houston linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair. It prompted two sideline-clearing scuffles. Lawrence clenched both fists after the hit, movements consistent with what’s referred to as the “fencing response,” which can be common after a traumatic brain injury. Lawrence was on the ground for several minutes as teammates came to his defense and mobbed Al-Shaair. Lawrence eventually was helped to his feet and loaded into the front seat of a cart to be taken off the field. He was not transported to a hospital. He was quickly ruled out with a concussion, though. Al-Shaair and Jaguars rookie cornerback Jarrian Jones were ejected after the first altercation. Big Ten fines Michigan and Ohio State $100,000 each for postgame melee ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) — The Big Ten Conference has announced it fined Michigan and Ohio State $100,000 each for violating the conference’s sportsmanship policy for the on-field melee at the end of the Wolverines’ win in Columbus .A fight broke out at midfield Saturday after the Wolverines’ 13-10 victory when Michigan players attempted to plant their flag on the OSU logo and were confronted by the Buckeyes. Police used pepper spray to break up the players, who threw punches and shoves. One officer suffered a head injury when he was “knocked down and trampled while trying to separate players fighting." The officer was taken to a hospital and has since been released. Marshall Brickman, who co-wrote 'Annie Hall' with Woody Allen, dies at 85 NEW YORK (AP) — The Oscar-winning screenwriter Marshall Brickman, whose wide-ranging career spanned some of Woody Allen’s best films, the Broadway musical “Jersey Boys” and a number of Johnny Carson’s most beloved sketches, has died. He was 85. Brickman died Friday in Manhattan, his daughter Sophie Brickman told The New York Times. No cause of death was cited. Brickman was best known for his extensive collaboration with Allen, beginning with the 1973 film “Sleeper.” Together, they co-wrote “Annie Hall," “Manhattan” and “Manhattan Murder Mystery." The loosely structured script for “Annie Hall,” in particular, has been hailed as one of the wittiest comedies. It won Brickman and Allen an Oscar for best original screenplay.

LAS VEGAS — Players Era Festival organizers have done what so many other have tried — bet their fortunes in this city that a big payoff is coming. Such bet are usually bad ones, which is why so many massive casino-resorts have been built on Las Vegas Boulevard. But it doesn't mean the organizers are wrong. They're counting on the minimum of $1 million in guaranteed name, image and likeness money that will go to each of the eight teams competing in the neutral-site tournament that begins Tuesday will create a precedent for other such events. EverWonder Studios CEO Ian Orefice, who co-founded Players with former AND1 CEO Seth Berger, compared this event to last year's inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament that played its semifinals and final in Las Vegas by saying it "did really well to reinvigorate the fan base at the beginning of the year." "We're excited that we're able to really change the paradigm in college basketball on the economics," Orefice said. "But for us, it's about the long term. How do we use the momentum that is launching with the 2024 Players Era Festival and be the catalyst not to change one event, but to change college basketball for the future." Orefice and Berger didn't disclose financial details, but said the event will come close to breaking even this year and that revenue is in eight figures. Orefice said the bulk of the revenue will come from relationships with MGM, TNT Sports and Publicis Sport & Entertainment as well as sponsors that will be announced later. Both organizers said they are so bullish on the tournament's prospects that they already are planning ahead. Money made from this year's event, Orefice said, goes right back into the company. "We're really in this for the long haul," Orefice said. "So we're not looking at it on a one-year basis." Rick Giles is president of the Gazelle Group, which also operates several similar events, including the College Basketball Invitational. He was skeptical the financial numbers would work. Giles said in addition to more than $8 million going to the players, there were other expenses such as the guarantees to the teams. He said he didn't know if the tournament would make up the difference with ticket sales, broadcast rights and sponsorship money. The top bowl of the MGM Grand Garden Arena will be curtained off. "The math is highly challenging," Giles said. "Attendance and ticket revenues are not going to come anywhere close to covering that. They haven't announced any sponsors that I'm aware of. So it all sort of rests with their media deal with Turner and how much capital they want to commit to it to get these players paid." David Carter, a University of Southern California adjunct professor who also runs the Sports Business Group consultancy, said even if the Players isn't a financial success this year, the question is whether there will be enough interest to move forward. "If there is bandwidth for another tournament and if the TV or the streaming ratings are going to be there and people are going to want to attend and companies are going to want to sponsor, then, yeah, it's probably going to work," Carter said. "But it may take them time to gain that traction." Both founders said they initially were met with skepticism about putting together such an event, especially from teams they were interested in inviting. Houston was the first school to commit, first offering an oral pledge early in the year and then signing a contract in April. That created momentum for others to join, and including the No. 6 Cougars, half the field is ranked. "We have the relationships to operate a great event," Berger said. "We had to get coaches over those hurdles, and once they knew that we were real, schools got on board really quickly." The founders worked with the NCAA to make sure the tournament abided by that organization's rules, so players must appear at ancillary events in order to receive NIL money. Strict pay for play is not allowed, though there are incentives for performance. The champion, for example, will receive $1.5 million in NIL money. Now the pressure is on to pull off the event and not create the kind of headlines that can dog it for years to come. "I think everybody in the marketplace is watching what's going to happen (this) week and, more importantly, what happens afterwards," Giles said. "Do the players get paid on a timely basis? And if they do, that means that Turner or somebody has paid way more than the market dictates? And the question will be: Can that continue?" CREIGHTON: P oint guard Steven Ashworth likely won’t play in the No. 21 Bluejays’ game against San Diego State in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas. Ashworth sprained his right ankle late in a loss to Nebraska on Friday and coach Greg McDermott said afterward he didn’t know how long he would be out. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Man United preparing summer bid for Nigerian star Ademola Lookman

The hot stove has been burning for roughly a month now, and the first free agent is off the board. The Los Angeles Angels, as they've done frequently this offseason, struck a deal with starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi for three years and $63 million. Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman discuss the surprising signing and why this could be a positive move for the Angels, who may benefit from the third Wild Card spot. While Los Angeles might not be done making moves, this deal should be an encouraging sign for fans that the team intends to compete in 2025. Also on this episode of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast, the guys provide an update on the Juan Soto sweepstakes, including which teams they think are out of the running and whether this process could end up being meaningless if Steve Cohen is willing to offer a blank check. The guys also open up the BBQ Mailbag to answer listener questions, discuss the trade between the Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals and remember 1970 National League batting champ Rico Carty. (1:47) - Angels sign Yusei Kikuchi (10:37) - Scott Boras scoreboard—Juan Soto update (25:18) - BBQ Mailbag (40:51) - Reds-Royals trade (46:48) - Non-tender roster updates (49:34) - Remembering Rico CartyBefore November 5th, millions of us were already struggling with poverty, extreme storms, immigration nightmares, anti-trans bills, criminalized reproductive health, the demolition of homeless encampments, the silencing of freedom of speech on campuses... and, of course, the list only goes on and on. Since Donald Trump and J.D. Vance were elected, more of us find ourselves in a state of fear and trembling, given the reports of transgender people attacked in broad daylight, misogynist social media posts threatening “your body, my choice,” Black college students receiving notes about returning to enslavement , and the unhoused beaten and battered . In the wake of the election results, there has also been a flurry of activity in anticipation of the extremist policies Donald Trump and crew are likely to put in place to more deeply harm the nation’s most vulnerable: mass Zoom meetings with MoveOn, the Working Families Party, Indivisible, and more; interfaith prayer services for healing and justice organized by various denominations and ecumenical groups; local actions pulled together by the Women’s March ; community meetings with the hashtag #weareworthfightingfor ; and calls to mobilize for inauguration day and beyond. Although some were surprised by the election outcome, there were others who saw it coming and offered comfort and solidarity to their communities even before the results were in. On the eve of election night, a public elementary school in West Harlem, New York, sent this message to its families: That message came from a Title 1 school, nearly 60% of whose students qualify for free school meals. If Trump keeps up with his promise to close the Department of Education, tens of thousands of public schools across the country, like the one in West Harlem, could lose critical funding and programs that sustain tens of millions of students and their families — that is, if public education isn’t completely privatized in some grim fashion. Of course, not all communities approached Trump’s election with such trepidation. On November 6th, the Bloomberg Billionaire Index reported that the 10 richest men in the world added $64 billion to their own wealth after Donald Trump was declared the winner of the 2024 election. Since then, the stock market has had some of its best days in recent history. After inciting an insurrection at the Capitol, being indicted in state and federal court, convicted of 34 felony counts, and using racist, sexist, and hateful rhetoric prolifically, Donald Trump has gone down in history as the only convicted felon to become an American president, receiving more than 74 million votes and securing 312 electoral college votes. Although an undisputed victory, the outcome relied heavily on a weakened democracy and a polarized economy, drawing on discontent and disarray to regain political power. Indeed, although Donald Trump has the distinct “honor” of being the first Republican to win the popular vote in 20 years, he has done so after more than a decade of assaults on voting rights, unleashed in 2013 when the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act. Over the next 10 years, nearly 100 laws were passed in 29 states that restrict voting access, from omnibus bills to polling location closures, limits on mail-in and absentee voting, harsh ID requirements (including eliminating student ID cards as a valid form of identification), and more. Since 2020, at least 30 states have enacted 78 restrictive laws , 63 of which were in effect in dozens of states during this election. And in 2024 alone, nine states enacted 18 restrictive voting laws , alongside purges of thousands of voters in the days leading up to November 5th. In addition to such prolonged attacks on the right to vote, widespread poverty and economic precarity have become defining characteristics of our impoverished democracy: more than two of every five of us are poor or low-income, and three in five are living paycheck-to-paycheck without affordable healthcare, decent homes, or quality education. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 report Poverty in the United States: 2023 , 41% of this country’s population has a household income either under the poverty threshold or just above it, precariously living one emergency away from financial ruin. That translates into approximately 137 million people who are struggling every day to make it through without falling even further behind. Those tens of millions of people include a disproportionate percentage of people of color, including 56.5% of Black people (23.4 million), 61.4% of Latino people (40.2 million), 55.8% of Indigenous people (1.4 million), and 38% of Asian people (8.5 million). They also include nearly one-third of white people, 60 million, and nearly half (49%) of all children in the United States. Such rates are slightly higher for women (42.6%) than for men (39.8%), including 44.6% for elderly women. When tallied up, these numbers mirror pre-pandemic conditions in 2018 and 2019, during which poverty and low-income rates stood at about 40%, impacting 140 million people in every county, state, and region of the country. In other words, in this sick reality of ours, poverty is clearly anything but a marginal experience — and yet, as in the last election, it’s repeatedly minimalized and dismissed in our nation’s politics. In the process, the daily lives of nearly one-third of the electorate are discounted, because among that vast impoverished population, there are approximately 80 million eligible voters described by political strategists as among the most significant blocs of voters to win over. Case in point: In 2020 and 2021, there was a significant dip in the overall number of people who were poor or low-income. Covid pandemic programs that offered financial help also expanded access to health care, food stamps, free school meals, and unemployment insurance, while monthly support from the Child Tax Credit lifted over 20 million people out of poverty and insecurity while increasing protection from evictions and foreclosures. Such programs made millions of people more economically secure than they had been in years. Nonetheless, instead of extending and improving them and potentially gaining the trust of millions of poor and low-income voters, all of these anti-poverty policies were ended by early 2023 . By 2024, not only had the gains against poverty been swiftly erased, but more than 25 million people had been kicked off Medicaid, including millions in battleground states like Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. In that same time period , the Biden administration approved an $895 billion budget for war and another $95 billion in additional aid to Ukraine and Israel. Rather than speaking to such economic crises or pledging to address such pervasive insecurity, over the course of the election season, the Democrats emphasized a rising GDP , a strong job market , and important infrastructure investments made in recent years — macro-economic issues that had little effect on the material well-being of the majority of Americans, especially those struggling with the rising cost of living. For instance, pre-election polling among Latino voters showed that three-quarters (78%) of them had experienced an increase in food and basic living expenses; two-thirds (68%) emphasized the high costs of rent and housing; and nearly three in five (57%) said that their wages weren’t high enough to meet their cost of living and/or they had to take second jobs to make ends meet. When you consider the grim final results of election 2024, such realities — and the decision of the Democrats to functionally disregard poor and low-income voters — should be taken into account. With just over 74 million votes (to Harris’s 71 million), among a voting-eligible population of more than 230 million, Trump actually received only one-third of the possible votes in this election. Nearly 85 million eligible voters simply chose not to turn out. In reality, he won’t enter office with a popular mandate. However, buoyed by a Republican-controlled Senate and House of Representatives, his second term brings with it a profound sense of dread, based on a heightened awareness of the policies that Trump 2.0 is likely to carry forward (laid bare in the Heritage Foundation’s nearly 900-page pre-election Project 2025 mandate ). From mass deportations to assaults on social-welfare programs, housing programs, reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ families, and public education, millions of people could be thrown into crisis, with alarmingly fewer ways to resist or express dissent, especially given Trump’s long-time willingness to use military force to quell protest. With the passage of the “ non-profit killer bill ” in the House of Representatives (before Trump even takes office), the infrastructure of resistance is also under threat. Add to all this: Trump has already started talking about overhauling the Medicaid and food-stamp programs that benefit at least 70 million poor and low-income people to offset the costs of extending tax cuts to billionaires and corporations. All of this brings us to the Bible. Poverty was both severe and all too common in Jesus’s day. Ninety percent of the population in the Roman empire was believed to have been poor, with a class of expendable low-wage workers (to which some historians suggest Jesus belonged) so poor that many only lived remarkably brief lives in utter precarity. Shifts in farming and fishing had catapulted some people into great new wealth but left the vast majority struggling for basics like food and housing. Many of the impoverished subjects of the Roman Empire joined political and religious renewal movements, which took various forms and used various tactics to resist these and other injustices. Some readers may be familiar with the decadence and violence of the Roman Emperor Nero. Popularly known as the anti-Christ , he came to power after Jesus walked the earth, but as is clear from his nickname, had a grave impact on many of Jesus’s followers. Nero was, of course, the one who was accused of “fiddling while Rome is burning” — holding lavish banquets, using and abusing (even possibly raping) some of his poor subjects, persecuting Christians, and bringing about the decline and eventual fall of the Roman empire through his authoritarian rule and decadent overspending. As detailed in Luke’s Gospel, during the last week of his life, Jesus turned to the people of Jerusalem and wept. He described the profound suffering they had been enduring and instructed them to brace themselves for the suffering still to come, saying, “For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” This line foreshadows Jesus’s death on the cross (an execution reserved for those who dared to challenge the Roman Empire and its emperors), the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, and the persecution of his poor followers who continued to practice mutual solidarity, even after that crucifixion. Writing decades later, the author of Luke’s gospel may have been offering a warning about emperors like Nero that would foreshadow later times. Luke had the benefit of hindsight in the wake of Jesus’s life and death in which there was not exactly a lot of good news about the canceling of debts, the release of those enslaved to unjust structures, or the prosperity of the poor (of the sort Jesus had called for when he started his public ministry). Rather, those who dared to stand up to Rome were being persecuted, while so many others were being overworked and underpaid in a society that was faltering. Two thousand years later, this sounds all too familiar, doesn’t it? Looking at Donald Trump’s new appointments and his (and his cronies’) plans for “making America great again,” you really have to wonder: if the poor and our democracy were suffering before Trump was reelected, what will happen now? If, amid relative abundance, the poor were already being abandoned, what will indeed occur when those with the power to distribute that abundance, and protect our air, water, and land, openly disdain the “least of these,” who are most of us, and instead favor the wealthy and powerful? Donald Trump may liken himself to Jesus in his media appearances and election rallies, but his words and actions actually resemble those of Nero and other Roman emperors. With claims that “I alone can fix your problems” and bread-and-circus rallies like the pre-election one he held at Madison Square Garden, perhaps a more accurate parallel with the incoming administration may, in fact, be Nero and his cronies who stood against Jesus and his mission to end poverty. If so, then for those committed to the biblical call for a safe and abundant life for all, such times demand that we focus on building the strength and power of the people. During the fall of the Roman Empire, poor and dispossessed communities banded together to build a movement where everyone would be accepted and all needs would be met. Don’t you hear echoes of that in the words and actions of that school in West Harlem, so deeply concerned about its families, and the community actions proclaiming that “we are worth fighting for”? Such communities of yesteryear knew a truth that is all the more important today: lives and livelihoods will be saved, if at all, from below, rather than on high. As we approach a new year and the inauguration of Donald Trump (on Martin Luther King Day, no less), let us take to heart a favorite slogan of the authors: “When we lift from the bottom, everybody rises.” This is the only way forward.Two days after Haryana Police used tear gas shells to disperse Punjab farmers at the Shambhu border during their ‘Dilli Chalo’ march, Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Mohan Lal Badoli on Sunday said no one was preventing the farmers from heading to Delhi. “Who stopped them? No one is stopping them. Farmers can come and go as they please,” said Badoli while responding to a question during a news conference in Chandigarh. When questioned again about Haryana Police’s actions at the inter-state border and not letting farmers cross the Shambhu border to resume their march on foot, the state BJP chief suggested the farmers use public transport instead. “Take a train and go. Take a bus. Who is stopping? But the way they want to go, the process needs to be proper,” he said, adding that Haryana farmers are happy and have no problems. The BJP leader said Haryana values its farmers and that maintaining order on the state’s roads was the primary concern. “This is a country of farmers. Haryana’s farmers are happy and have no issues. But the process they (Punjab farmers) want to go through should be correct. The only concern is that Haryana’s roads should not be disrupted,” he said, dismissing the protests at the Shmbhu border as a non-issue. Stating that Haryana farmers are happy as chief minister Nayab Singh Saini has fulfilled their demands, Badoli said Congress was using farmers for political gains.

Beyonce, Dolly Parton & More: Billboard’s Best 2024 Gift Guide for Music Lovers | Billboard News

At the beginning of the year, we looked to our correspondents for tips of Among them was hope for change for millions of people who were to vote in elections in 50 countries. At least in the United States, that change turned out to be more of the same. Among the surprises, however, there was the end of a dynasty in Syria and the beginning of another in Indonesia. Here are some of the biggest stories of the past 12 months: If 1992 was the late Queen Elizabeth II’s , then it’s hard to know how she’d have ranked this year for ’s royal family. In January, her son and successor, Charles III, put out a rather benign statement that he would attend hospital the following week for a . The statement was made shortly after it was revealed his daughter-in-law, Catherine, Princess of Wales, was expected to be in hospital for 10 to 14 days after undergoing abdominal surgery. Things would snowball from there. Weeks later, the King would announce he had been diagnosed with cancer. Catherine’s recovery was kept under wraps until the . A family photo was released, and it was a disaster. Even more questions were asked. Suddenly came an announcement: . Neither have been given the all-clear but have returned to light duties. Charles joined with Queen Camilla for a royal visit to Australia. But his relationships with son Harry and brother Andrew have continued to plague him. Our own Princess Mary, was in January after her mother-in-law, to make way for her son, Frederik. Two decades on from Mary’s fairytale wedding, she waved to the crowds in Copenhagen as the sovereign’s wife. Rumours have swirled about , and the Danish royals showed it ain’t just the Brits who have their problems. But 2024 was the year of the election. In Britain, Labor after 14 years of Conservative rule, with Keir Starmer moving into 10 Downing Street in a landslide victory. Within weeks, however, his popularity would start to tumble in a string of scandals and misjudgments. In the across the continent. ’s after beating Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s centre-left SPD to second place in the European Parliament elections with 16 per cent. His problems at home reached a peak in December when he lost a confidence vote. In , the EU results triggered an electoral earthquake. after his party was resoundingly defeated by Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally. That result left the country without a clear winner but one clear loser: Macron. He continues to struggle to grasp any real power. But it was another story in France that shocked the nation and the world. Seventy-two-year-old grandmother Gisele Pelicot bravely retold , to stop rape from being swept under the carpet. In mass protests were sparked by the government’s decision to suspend negotiations on joining the EU and push back on Russian influence. In the end, a pro-Russia former Manchester City footballer, . An election in , with the result annulled and voters to go back to the polls next year. In May, ’s Prime Minister attempt, during which he was shot five times. He recovered and is one of many populists slowly diluting Europe’s unity towards Ukraine and against . Another blow for that cause was ’s far-right Freedom Party, as they celebrated an , aligned himself closely with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his self-styled “illiberal democracy”. Kickl had also spoken of becoming Volkskanzler (people’s chancellor), which for some Austrians carries echoes of the term used to describe Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany. War continues in after almost three years. Where and when it ends, no one knows. . President Volodymyr Zelensky has laid out a plan for peace. It’s likely many will die before that happens. s Vladimir Putin is scrambling to conquer as much territory as possible before those peace talks begin. Last month, while suffering its highest casualty rates of the war. This year, continued its re-engagement strategy with Australia, and finally agreed to trade and two beef exporters, ending the $20 billion of economic sanctions slapped on Australian industries during the Morrison government. Federal Treasurer when he went to Beijing in September. His trip tapped into ongoing concerns about China’s struggling economy and the flow-on impact on Australia. But the rapprochement has not dimmed security concerns posed by China’s increasingly aggressive tactics in the Indo-Pacific, which included confrontations with Australian naval forces and repeated clashes with Filipino vessels in the South China Sea this year that heightened fears of sparking a full-blown conflict. In the face of a drumbeat of negativity from economic analysts and investors, Chinese President Xi Jinping appeared to reverse course in the second half of the year and began pursuing into his beleaguered housing sector. inaugurated drawing the ire of Beijing, which regards him as a “dangerous separatist” and responded by encircling the island. A second round of drills in October piled pressure onto Taiwan’s stretched defence systems. ’s Prime Minister as his government slid to record low approval ratings. His replacement in calling a snap election proved costly, leaving the governing Liberal Democratic Party scrambling to form a minority government. In November, on subversion charges under its Beijing-led national security crackdown, in a case that drew international condemnation for its perceived silencing of political dissent. It also reignited the . And in December, virtually imploded under President Yoon Suk Yeol who misread his electorate and fellow politicians, and only to have to . , he now awaits a court decision to confirm the parliamentary move. The year closed with the future of the Sino-American relationship, and hence global stability, facing a new era of uncertainty under the incoming second presidency of Donald Trump. Trump’s appointment of to key administration positions, and his , has set the stage for more turbulence between the two nations. After two failed attempts against Joko Widodo, Prabowo Subianto finally realised his decades-long dream of becoming president of . Widodo was constitutionally barred from running for a third term, so when his sniffing around for ways to run again went nowhere, the president and Prabowo teamed up for some win-win. Prabowo, the former son-in-law of late autocrat Suharto, enlisted Widodo’s son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, to be his vice presidential running mate. Widodo then turned his back on his own party and threw his considerable political and popular weight behind his former enemy. Never mind his dodgy human rights track record as a military strongman, in a canter. After backroom deals with self-interested politicians and parties in the months leading up to October’s inauguration, the 73-year-old now sits atop a massive coalition, troubling democracy watchers. , too, underwent . Lee Hsien Loong stepped down in May after 20 years as prime minister, handing the reins to his deputy, Lawrence Wong. Wong inherited a middle power punching way above its weight division, a stable and wealthy nation in a region of regular upheaval. He is an erudite statesman and seems eminently capable, but he has shown little interest in loosening the government’s tight grip on free expression. leadership transition, meanwhile, was a bin fire. , which many Thais and observers consider a big-time cog in the self-serving military and royalist establishment. Pita Limjaroenrat’s Move Forward Party won the most votes in the 2023 election but was blocked from forming government by an unelected senate. Amid the chaos, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of controversial and once-exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Vice President , President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, crossed into the unhinged. In October, she warned “Bong Bong” she would dig up his old man’s bones and throw them into the sea. Last month, she told the press of her if she was killed first. She really said this. The feud is unfolding amid investigations into Duterte’s alleged misuse of funds and her dad’s bloody “war on drugs”. It is not a great time for toxic politics in the Philippines, which is clashing almost weekly with China in the West Philippine Sea. In , which has its own claims to the South China Sea, To Lam inherited the job of Communist Party secretary-general after 80-year-old statesman . In his 12 years at the top (not to mention nearly three decades in the Politburo), Trong significantly reduced poverty rates, strengthened ties with the United States and implemented a fierce anti-corruption drive dubbed the “blazing furnace”. As is often the case in South-East Asia, and Communist regimes more broadly, he also preferred his dissenters in jail. Meanwhile, those who hoped leader Hun Manet’s considerable Western education might yield democratic changes . He was gifted the job by his ruthless and ageing father Hun Sen, who still pulls strings, only now as president of the Senate. If anything, the intimidation of opposition and arrests of protesters have only increased. The most high-profile arrest was journalist Mech Dara, whose reporting touched on the businesses of Ly Yong Phat, a senator, tycoon and Hun Sen adviser, . Dara was bailed several weeks after his October arrest after a coerced public apology, a typical ploy of the Huns’ regime that they think demonstrates their beneficence. , a nation with so much economic potential, continued to suffer repeated wrecking by military men. Min Aung Hlaing, who ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, still holds onto power through force despite serious losses to myriad armed opposition groups. ASEAN, a wet lettuce leaf among regional blocs, has been unable to bring the general to heel. Underscoring the complexity of this multi-front civil war, one of came at the hands of a group fighting the junta, when the Arakan Army slaughtered hundreds of innocent Rohingya Muslims near the border of Bangladesh in August. In recent weeks, however, two major armed rebel groups – Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and ally the Ta’ang National Liberation Army – signalled they were ready for peace talks. The most tragic case closer to Australia in South East Asia was the methanol poisoning of backpackers in in November, among them. , and investigations continue. The biggest election ever staged delivered a shock result in . Ahead of the national poll, concluded on June 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was expected to romp home. But once the 642 million ballots were counted his , he needed to rely on other parties to control parliament. Modi has dominated Indian politics for the past decade, but now faces a more uncertain era of coalition government. Elsewhere on the subcontinent, 2024 was marked by political turmoil. In , Sheikh Hasina, prime minister for 20 of the past 28 years, was driven out by a vast display of people power on the streets of the capital city, Dhaka. After she made a dramatic escape to neighbouring India on August 5, her government was replaced by military-backed , an 84-year-old Nobel Laureate, economist and social entrepreneur. Yunus has the difficult task of building consensus for much-needed reforms and staging a fair election. There was political change in as well when the little-known former Marxist, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, emerged the surprise winner in a presidential election held in September. The country continues to grapple with the aftermath of a debilitating financial crisis in 2022. In the continues to roil politics and society. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), did surprisingly well in February elections and his supporters have since staged huge and sometime violent protests demanding his release. The power dynamics in the Middle East were dramatically reshaped this year, with on the ascendancy and its bitter rival, , substantially weakened. Iran’s President in May, and things only got worse from there for the hard-line rulers in Tehran. Israel and Iran traded missile fire at several points throughout the year, setting off fears of an all-out regional war. Thanks to Israel’s Iron Dome system and support from Western nations, the Iranian strikes caused minimal damage, while Iran’s missile-production capability was crippled. After the monumental intelligence failure of last year’s October 7 attacks, the Jewish state regrouped and achieved some significant strategic victories. The Israeli military assassinated the mastermind of the October 7 attacks, , in Gaza and Hezbollah leader in Beirut. After a year of tit-for-tat fighting on its border with Lebanon, Israel escalated the fight against Hezbollah. This began with the shock September against the Iranian proxy group and culminated in a ground invasion and air strikes on Lebanon. It ended on favourable terms for Israel, with Lebanese civilians paying a heavy price for a conflict many did not want to be involved in. Meanwhile, the devastating war in Gaza continues and there is still no clear vision for what will come when it is over. Almost 45,000 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of the war and over 100 Israeli hostages still remain in Gaza. In November, the against Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes in Gaza, reflecting widespread international horror at the war. At home, though, Netanyahu’s popularity has been creeping up. In the most surprising development of all, in a matter of days in December. Syrian rebels from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham took advantage of Assad’s key allies – Russia and Iran – being distracted by fighting elsewhere and stormed into Damascus with remarkable ease. This has injected new uncertainty into the region, with Iran again the loser after losing a crucial ally in Assad. By contrast, ’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is emboldened and empowered after backing the rebel forces. This year was meant to culminate in an election rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. But after imploding on a debate stage in June, the ’ oldest president was forced to withdraw his bid for a second term, setting in motion one of the most extraordinary political comebacks in history. While Biden’s decision to upended the trajectory of the 2024 campaign and sparked fresh enthusiasm among voters, it was not enough to dent the anger millions of Americans felt over soaring cost-of-living pressures or immigration. In a victory so resounding even some Republicans were shocked, Trump not only won all seven battleground states, he also narrowly secured the popular vote and helped Republicans take control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. It was a remarkable turnaround for a former president who began the year facing 91 charges and four criminal trials: one in Washington for trying to subvert the 2020 election; one in Georgia for election interference in that state; another in Florida for mishandling classified documents; and one in New York for falsifying business records to cover up a . In the end, only the New York “hush money” trial would eventuate, resulting in Trump becoming the first convicted felon to run for the White House. A US Supreme Court decision to grant presidents substantial immunity for acts conducted in office helped him thwart all the other trials. Trump’s ascendancy was also fuelled by an at a rally in Pennsylvania – an event that shocked the world, reignited the debate over political violence, and created one of the most iconic images in political history. Two months later came – this time by a lone gunman hiding in the bushes of his golfing resort in West Palm Beach, Florida. In other North America news, environmental scientist Claudia Sheinbaum was elected ’s first female president; the war in Gaza sparked student uprisings at elite universities across the US; and Taylor Swift continued her global dominance, concluding her 149-show in after becoming the most-awarded artist in VMA history. Interest in South America rose briefly in Australian minds last month owing to Prime Minister , for the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation annual summit, overshadowed by incoming US president Donald Trump’s economic agenda. Albanese then went to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for this year’s G20. Neither , except to serve as further demonstration of in the region where it has invested billions of dollars in infrastructure. Take the new $5.6 billion port President Xi Jinping – who arrived pushing for an “orderly multipolar world” – inaugurated in Chancay, north of Lima. The intended continental logistics hub creates a direct route between Asia and South America across the Pacific Ocean. Apart from allowing Beijing to look beyond Australia and Asia for imports such as iron ore, wine and soybeans, the port could also, says the US, . China’s influence in the region could also extend to ground stations for Chinese satellites. In former president along with 36 others in a failed coup to reverse the last election and overthrow the government of President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva in a US Capitol-inspired takeover of Congress in 2022. He denies the charges, which add to his long list of legal woes. Lula, 79, had emergency brain surgery to relieve bleeding but was back to work in a few days. In the election of right-wing Trump-like disruptor and cloned-dog owner President provided some relief to the US, after to the alternative BRICS – the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa group that has evolved to admit myriad other countries, and hopes to launch an alternative trade currency to the US dollar. In new elections to power, but no one believed the results, which the opposition said were stolen and the UN human rights watchdog is investigating. The crisis-torn country was also in the headlines owing to campaign-mode In December, prominent human rights lawyer Claudio Grossman quit the International Criminal Court in The Hague over what he said was its failure to prosecute members of Maduro’s government for crimes against humanity. In early December, Argentina, Brazil, , and , under the bloc , signed a blockbuster free trade deal with the European Union. If ratified, it will create one of the world’s largest free trade zones, covering a market of 780 million people. But in France, the Netherlands and other countries with big dairy and beef industries, critics say it will create unfair competition. In , the year started with a large to discuss action against changes proposed by the new coalition government of Prime Minister Chris Luxon, including the watering down of policies previously designed to elevate Maori language and recognition. Tuheitia said the Treaty of Waitangi was not open for reinterpretation. , with King Charles leading the tributes, saying “a mighty tree has fallen”. His daughter, 27-year-old , was chosen by a council of 12 male elders to succeed him, over her two older brothers, although the crown is not automatically inherited. Tensions over the government’s “race-based” changes, and the introduction of a bill to reinterpret the treaty, spilt over when thousands participated in a , where that made headlines around the world. , in May after an electoral reform approved in Paris triggered protests and the . It sent hundreds of police to help stem the riots, including soldiers to secure the port and airports, which were closed, . . His government later blamed . Continuing its efforts to keep closer to Australia than to China, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese headed to PNG and along with Prime Minister James Marape, did a two-day Kokoda hike, complete with . It was all part of Anzac commemorations and soft diplomacy, which continues with the , helped along by . And a in later December, causing many deaths, hundreds of injuries and crippling the nation’s electricity, water and communications systems. – In , after the vote that ended apartheid and brought it to power. President Cyril Ramaphosa managed to retain his job after a coalition deal with the country’s second-biggest party, the Democratic Alliance. In added to evidence that two human species lived side-by-side 1.5 million years ago, in a closing reminder that humans are capable of getting along.superphosphate fertilizer 。

Trump threat to immigrant health care tempered by economic hopes

Rachel Locke: Climate of fear is driving local officials to quitIt seemed like companies couldn’t hire information technology analysts fast enough in 2014 when Michael Deneen began his IT career. Job counts nationally soared in the 2010s and early 2020s, but then the market flattened and a profession that looked like it might grow uninterrupted started shedding jobs. Laid off twice this year from Minnesota IT jobs, Deneen said he’s found it hard to snag the next gig. “Before I could have three, four offers lined up and would have to choose between them,” the Columbia Heights man said. “It’s like I’m struggling to even get a foot in the door in places that I’m more than qualified for.” Even with the state’s relatively low 3.5 percen t unemployment rate, some mid-career Minnesotans and those just coming out of college are seeing a job market now that worries them. Recent layoffs at Cargill in the Twin Cities and last week’s announcement that Arctic Cat, the Minnesota snowmobile maker, will shutter its manufacturing operations next year in Thief River Falls and St. Cloud, have added to the anxiety. Analysts say Minnesota’s job market remains robust, but for some there’s a skills matchup problem as some sectors grow while others flatten or decline. “I’m not gonna lie, it’s been hard,” Deneen said of finding the next IT job. “I’ve had a lot of self-doubt now, like questioning is this really an industry I am good at? Is this something I should even be in anymore? I’m also 40. It’s like, I can’t really switch careers at this point.” ‘Shouldn't be this way’ Health care, government, leisure and hospitality and transportation are among the Minnesota sectors that continue to show strong job growth, according to state data. Other industries are growing slower, including construction and manufacturing. “We’ve heard from some folks that maybe it has taken a little longer than what they remember in the past if they were previously unemployed. Some individuals don’t say that at all,” said Sara Garbe, workforce development supervisor at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. “November and reaching December, we certainly see a slowdown of hiring and folks may mention things like that they’ve heard from recruiters that maybe a decision won’t be made until after the holidays or after the first or the last quarter of the year,” added Garbe, whose staff works with new job seekers and those in mid-career. For recent college grads who haven’t landed work, the holiday season can bring its own pressures. Raina Hofstede, 22, studied English at Harvard University. Since graduating in May and coming back to Minnesota, she said job prospects have been nearly nonexistent. “I feel kind of directionless in the time period that I’m waiting,” said Hofstede, who grew up in Coon Rapids. “I feel like I really want to plan. I’m at a point where, like, I’d love to get things moving.” She’s applied to post-undergrad internships and career-advancing work. She’s looking into publishing, creative writing spaces and museums and hopes a stint working in comedy clubs while at Harvard might intrigue an employer. The search and the uncertainty around it is a grind, she acknowledged. “I think, as time goes on, and this feels sad, but I think as time goes on, my belief in myself slowly drops a little bit more with more rejections, and so I feel like I’ll be applying to less and less competitive things as I move forward,” Hofstede said. ' Minnesota showed strong steady job growth coming out of the Great Recession in 2009, reaching nearly 3 million jobs by February 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic torpedoed that growth — the state lost more than 400,000 jobs, nearly 14 percent of its employment, in the span of a few months. Job counts didn’t return permanently to pre-pandemic levels until September last year. The current state and national unemployment rates are relatively low, although they have ticked up over the past year. Minnesota’s unemployment rate is lower than the U.S. unemployment rate at 4.2 percent. Based on the most recent data, Minnesota has six unemployed people for every 10 job openings where nationally there are nine unemployed people for every 10 openings. Knowing that doesn’t make it easier for those looking for work, waiting for answers from prospective employers. “It just kind of feels like they have no respect for a candidate or their time, or them as a person,” Deneen said of the current market. “It’s an entire game, and it shouldn’t be this way.” ‘A little community’ Garbe said technology is transforming job searches in ways that may make landing work more challenging for some in mid-career or just starting out. Companies are using automated systems or in some cases artificial intelligence systems to screen applicants before a human gets to them. She encourages job seekers to reach out to one of DEED’s more than 50 CareerForce offices across the state where analysts can review resumes or cover letters with job seekers and offer help with writing and strategy. They can also connect people to needed training or certifications. Garbe also suggests reflecting on what you’ve accomplished to boost your self-confidence if you get overwhelmed. Social media has become a resource for job seekers as they look. Groups on Reddit like r/StudentJobSearch have become a space for venting and advice with conversations about job searching and applications. LinkedIn is also seeing similar support groups, including two Deneen is in that focus on networking and project management. Hofstede said she’s found solace leaning on those around her who are going through these same experiences. She and a group of new graduates meet at their public library to sift through job postings and work on cover letters and resumes together. “Something of a little community of people who are unemployed and looking for jobs, and I like having the friends support,” she said. “It is harder to go through something uncertain like this alone.”RIVERWOODS, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 25, 2024-- Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) (the “Company”) today announced, as required under the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) Listed Company Manual, that it received a notice (the “NYSE Notice”) from the NYSE on November 19, 2024 that the Company is not in compliance with Section 802.01E of the NYSE Listed Company Manual as a result of its failure to timely file its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2024 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) prior to November 18, 2024, the end of the extension period provided by Rule 12b-25 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The NYSE Notice has no immediate effect on the listing of the Company’s common stock on the NYSE. On July 19, 2023, the Company disclosed that beginning around mid-2007, the Company incorrectly classified certain credit card accounts into its highest merchant and merchant acquirer pricing tier (the “card product misclassification”). Based on information available as of June 30, 2023, the Company recognized a liability of $365 million that was accounted for as the correction of an error. The Company determined that the revenue impact was not material to the consolidated financial statements of the Company for any of the impacted periods. While it was therefore determined that it was not necessary for the Company to restate any previously issued interim or annual financial statements, the cumulative misstatement was deemed material to the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 condensed consolidated financial statements, and therefore the Company determined that adjustment of the full $365 million only through 2023 earnings was not appropriate. Therefore, the $365 million liability (the “Initial Liability”) was recorded as of June 30, 2023 with offsetting adjustments to merchant discount and interchange revenue and retained earnings, along with consequential impacts to deferred tax accruals. Comparable corrections were made for all prior periods presented in the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended June 30, 2023 and September 30, 2023 and subsequently in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023. On February 19, 2024, Discover and Capital One Financial Corporation (“Capital One”) jointly announced that they entered into an agreement and plan of merger pursuant to which the companies will combine in an all-stock transaction (the “Merger”). In the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2024, the Company disclosed that it had determined to increase its liability to $1.2 billion (the “Liability Increase”) through a charge to other expense for the three months ended March 31, 2024, to reflect the total amount the Company then expected was probable to be disbursed in relation to the card product misclassification. The Company determined the Liability Increase was appropriate based on its experience through that date with remediation efforts, discussions through the first quarter of 2024 with its regulators, Board of Directors and other stakeholders, the pending Merger, which was approved by the Company’s Board of Directors during the quarter, and a desire to advance resolution of the matter more quickly to mitigate further risk. As part of the review of the Company’s historical financial statements by the Staff of the SEC (the “Staff”) undertaken in connection with the Staff’s review of the Registration Statement on Form S-4 filed by Capital One in connection with the Merger (and the preliminary joint proxy statement/prospectus contained therein) (the “Registration Statement”), the Staff provided comments to the Company relating to the Company’s accounting approach for the card product misclassification. The Company has responded to these comments and has engaged in several verbal discussions with the Staff. The Staff has indicated that it disagrees with the Company’s application of revenue recognition guidance issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board in connection with the Company’s recording of the Initial Liability. The Staff has, however, indicated that it would not object to an approach whereby the Company determined the cumulative revenue error related to the card product misclassification to be the maximum amount agreed to be paid by the Company in restitution in respect of the card product misclassification (excluding interest and legal expenses) (the “Alternative Approach”). This amount is approximately $1,047 million. On November 25, 2024, the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Audit Committee”), acting on the recommendation of management, and after discussion with Deloitte & Touche LLP (“Deloitte”), the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, concluded that (i) the Company’s audited financial statements as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023 included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 and (ii) the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements included in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q previously filed with the SEC for the fiscal quarters ended March 31, 2023, June 30, 2023, September 30, 2023, March 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024 (collectively, the “Prior Periods”), should no longer be relied upon and should be restated to reflect the Alternative Approach. In addition, the Audit Committee concluded that management’s report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023 and Deloitte’s report on the consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023 as well as Deloitte’s report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, should no longer be relied upon. In order to implement the Alternative Approach in the Restated Financial Statements (as defined below), approximately $600 million of the Liability Increase will be reallocated from being recorded as other expense in the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2024 to a revenue error correction in prior periods. In addition, $124 million of the Liability Increase representing interest that the Company committed to pay as part of its counterparty restitution plan will also be reallocated from the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2024 to the third and fourth quarters of 2023. Cumulative historical earnings, capital and the aggregate amount of the counterparty restitution liability will not be affected by application of the Alternative Approach. However, separate work being done to validate the remediation methodology with a third-party consultant has resulted in the identification of approximately $60 million of incremental overcharges, which will be reflected in the Restated Financial Statements. As a result, the Company expects the Restated Financial Statements to reflect the following approximate impacts: as of December 31, 2023, (i) an increase in assets of $190 million, (ii) an increase in accrued expenses and other liabilities of $783 million, and (iii) a decrease in retained earnings of $593 million. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, pre-tax income would be reduced by approximately $190 million to $3,636 million and $77 million to $5,641 million, respectively. For the third quarter of 2024, pre-tax income would decrease by approximately $6 million to $1,282 million while pre-tax income for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 would increase by approximately $700 million to $4,462 million (as compared to the pre-tax income reported in the financial information with respect to the quarter ended September 30, 2024 in the exhibits furnished with the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on October 16, 2024). Amendments to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 (the “Form 10-K/A”), and the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended March 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024 (the “Form 10-Q/As” and together with the Form 10-K/A, the “Restated Financial Statements”), are expected to be filed prior to or concurrently with the filing of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2024 in order to reflect the Alternative Approach and the other modifications described above to the Prior Periods. The Company is working expeditiously to file the Restated Financial Statements as soon as reasonably practicable. The Company currently expects to complete the filings prior to year-end, however there can be no assurance of the actual timing. The Company expects that Capital One will file a pre-effective amendment to the Registration Statement promptly following the Company’s filing of the Restated Financial Statements, and that as soon as practicable following the effectiveness of the Registration Statement and the mailing of the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus contained therein to each company’s stockholders, each company will hold its respective special meeting of stockholders for purposes of obtaining the requisite stockholder approvals of the Merger. About Discover Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) is a digital banking and payment services company with one of the most recognized brands in U.S. financial services. Since its inception in 1986, the company has become one of the largest card issuers in the United States. The Company issues the Discover® card, America's cash rewards pioneer, and offers personal loans, home loans, checking and savings accounts and certificates of deposit through its banking business. It operates the Discover Global Network® comprised of Discover Network, with millions of merchants and cash access locations; PULSE®, one of the nation's leading ATM/debit networks; and Diners Club International®, a global payments network with acceptance around the world. For more information, visit www.discover.com/company . Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements: This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements, which speak to our expected business and financial performance, among other matters, contain words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "aim," "will," "may," "should," "could," "would," "likely," "forecast," and similar expressions. Other forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements with respect to the restatement of the Company’s financial statements. Such statements are based on the current beliefs and expectations of the Company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this communication and there is no undertaking to update or revise them as more information becomes available. Actual future events could also differ materially due to numerous factors that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties including, among other things, risks relating to the final impact of the restatements on the Company’s financial statements; the impact of the restatements on the Company’s evaluation of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures; delays in the preparation of the consolidated financial statements and/or the declaration of effectiveness of the Registration Statement; the risk that additional information will come to light that alters the scope or magnitude of the restatement; the risks and uncertainties set forth under “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in the Company’s reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q; and the other risks and uncertainties discussed in any subsequent reports that the Company files with the SEC from time to time. Although the Company has attempted to identify those material factors that could cause actual results or events to differ from those described in such forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that could cause actual results or events to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Given these uncertainties, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Important Information About the Merger and Where to Find It Capital One has filed the Registration Statement with the SEC to register the shares of Capital One’s common stock that will be issued to the Company’s stockholders in connection with the Merger. The Registration Statement includes a preliminary joint proxy statement of Capital One and the Company that also constitutes a preliminary prospectus of Capital One. The definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus will be sent to the stockholders of each of the Company and Capital One in connection with the Merger. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE (AND ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE MERGER OR INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE INTO THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS) BECAUSE SUCH DOCUMENTS WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING THE MERGER AND RELATED MATTERS. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of these documents and other documents filed with the SEC by the Company or Capital One through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov or by contacting the investor relations department of the Company or Capital One at: Discover Financial Services Capital One Financial Corporation 2500 Lake Cook Road 1680 Capital One Drive Riverwoods, IL 60015 McLean, VA 22102 Attention: Investor Relations Attention: Investor Relations investorrelations@discover.com investorrelations@capitalone.com (224) 405-4555 (703) 720-1000 Before making any voting or investment decision, investors and security holders of the Company and Capital One are urged to read carefully the entire Registration Statement and joint proxy statement/prospectus, including any amendments thereto, because they contain important information about the Merger. Free copies of these documents may be obtained as described above. Participants in Solicitation The Company, Capital One and certain of their directors and executive officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of each of the Company and Capital One in connection with the Merger. Information regarding the directors and executive officers of the Company and Capital One and other persons who may be deemed participants in the solicitation of the stockholders of the Company or of Capital One in connection with the Merger will be included in the joint proxy statement/prospectus related to the Merger, which will be filed by Capital One with the SEC. Information about the directors and executive officers of the Company and their ownership of the Company common stock can also be found in the Company’s definitive proxy statement in connection with its 2024 annual meeting of stockholders, as filed with the SEC on March 15, 2024, as supplemented by the Company’s proxy statement supplement, as filed with the SEC on April 2, 2024, and other documents subsequently filed by the Company with the SEC. Information about the directors and executive officers of Capital One and their ownership of Capital One common stock can also be found in Capital One’s definitive proxy statement in connection with its 2024 annual meeting of stockholders, as filed with the SEC on March 20, 2024, and other documents subsequently filed by Capital One with the SEC. Additional information regarding the interests of such participants will be included in the joint proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant documents regarding the Merger filed with the SEC when they become available. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241125018559/en/ CONTACT: Investor Contact: Erin Stieber, 224-405-4555 investorrelations@discover.comMedia Contact: Matthew Towson, 224-405-5649 matthewtowson@discover.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA ILLINOIS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: BANKING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FINANCE SOURCE: Discover Financial Services Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/25/2024 06:06 PM/DISC: 11/25/2024 06:06 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241125018559/en

Poulin has game winner as Montreal Victoire tops Minnesota Frost 3-2 for 3rd straight win

ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. As reaction poured in Sunday from around the world, former President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary were among those praising Carter for a life devoted to helping others. “Hillary and I mourn the passing of President Jimmy Carter and give thanks for his long, good life. Guided by his faith, President Carter lived to serve others — until the very end,” Clinton said, praising Carter for a commitment to civil rights, protecting natural resources, securing peace between Egypt and Israel, and other accomplishments. The son of the late Martin Luther King Jr., meanwhile, called Carter a “fighter who punched above his weight.” In a statement, Martin Luther King III added that “while history may have been hard on President Carter at times, today, he is remembered as a global human rights leader.” A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Former Associated Press journalist Alex Sanz contributed to this report.

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Putin apologizes for crash but stops short of saying Azerbaijani plane was shot downJensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia and one of the most influential figures in tech, is now facing serious tax evasion allegations. Despite Nvidia’s remarkable success under his leadership, reports claim that Huang may have exploited legal loopholes to avoid paying nearly $8 billion in taxes. Huang’s business acumen has made him a prominent figure in the tech world, with Nvidia rising to new heights in terms of market capitalization and demand. However, amidst this success, allegations of tax evasion have surfaced, pointing to strategies that allegedly allowed him to save billions. The controversy sheds light on how the ultra-wealthy might use legal tactics to avoid paying taxes while ordinary citizens bear the brunt. According to a New York Times report, Huang used multiple tax-saving strategies, including federal estate and gift taxes, to legally sidestep billions in taxes. A major part of his tax avoidance involved an irrevocable trust he and his wife set up in 2012. They transferred Nvidia shares worth $7 million into the trust, which later grew to nearly $3 billion. This growth was not traced back to Huang or his family, thanks to the trust structure. The use of these strategies has sparked a debate about whether the rich are unfairly benefiting from the legal system while evading their fair share of taxes. Despite these allegations, Nvidia’s performance remains strong. In 2024, the company’s stock surged by an impressive 193%, fueled by its pivot to AI-driven GPUs. This has cemented Nvidia as a market leader, with its stock continuing to rise at an extraordinary pace. ALSO READ: Indian Diaspora Group Denounces Racist Attacks On Sriram Krishnan, Trump’s AI Advisor

Fortress reports positive financial year for Barbados dollar fundsMISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — Marcus Adams Jr.'s 19 points helped CSU Northridge defeat Denver 89-60 on Monday night. Adams also added 11 rebounds for the Matadors (5-1). Keonte Jones added 17 points while shooting 4 of 6 from the field and 8 for 8 from the line and also had five rebounds and three blocks. PJ Fuller shot 2 of 8 from the field, including 0 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 6 for 6 from the line to finish with 10 points. Nicholas Shogbonyo led the way for the Pioneers (3-4) with 15 points. Pedro Lopez-Sanvicente added 10 points and two blocks for Denver. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by and data from .

THIS is the incredible moment Ukraine unleashes a shotgun-wielding drone to hunt down and destroy Russians on the battlefield. The impressive footage, captured from the frontlines, shows the powerful mounted UAVs taking on Russian drones single-handedly and blasting them out of the sky with ease. Foundation for Assistance to Defenders of Ukraine shared a compilation of the drone-on-drone executions on social media. The minute-long clip shows a small Russian aircraft soaring above a Ukrainian warzone before being ruthlessly targeted. In the insane video a Ukrainian drone stealthily appears above its Russian counterpart with two shotguns attached to its front. The operator takes aim and with near pinpoint accuracy fires - launching a deathly bullet straight to the Russian drone. read more in Ukrainian drones A quick flash of light erupts as the shotgun strikes the drone and sends it tumbling to the ground. Another clips sees the Russian war weapon approaching the destructive new invention over a snowy battleground. Within seconds, a shotgun bullet is fired and splits Vladimir Putin 's drone in two as it plunges downwards and smashes off the ground. A third video shows a pair of drones battling it out in a wild chase. Most read in The Sun The shotgun-wielding Ukrainian can be seen hunting down the fleeing Russian drone. After a long, daring flight the flashy new Ukrainian weapon takes charge and finds its target with a devastating strike. The compilation of videos were followed by the caption: "For the first time on video - hard drive drones shoot down other drones with shotguns. "Defenders of Ukraine are testing the developments of Lesia UA technology ." Ukraine's use of drone warfare has kept Putin's troops at bay since the conflict started almost three years ago. They have repeatedly used impressive aerial tactics to strike key Russian infrastructure and to take out incoming fighters with ease. One of the most advanced drones being used is the dragon drone which spews flesh-melting thermite onto Russian bunkers. Terrifying footage has shown the drone beginning to spew the thermite across a trench and into the entrance of a snowy Russian bunker . Anyone caught underneath the iron oxide and aluminium combination would be burned to death. After shooting the lethal mixture for around 20 seconds the drone catches fire itself and flies inside the bunker hoping to take Russian soldiers with it. Kyiv has been deploying the menacing weapon over tree lines and forests - attacking Russia with scorching hot molten. Earlier this month footage also showed Ukrainian drones equipped with machine guns being used for the first time to ambush Russian troops. Ukrainian soldiers fitted a Wild Hornets drone with an AK-47 assault rifle and used it to fire on opposition forces . It comes just days after Russian despot Putin admitted he's open for peace talks with Ukraine again - but only "if it comes to that". The ageing tyrant welcomed Slovakian PM Robert Fico to the Kremlin before Christmas and claims the pair spoke about using Slovakia as a negotiating headquarters to help solve the nearly three-year conflict. Despite the comments, Putin launched a brutal missile and drone barrage on Ukraine in a horror Christmas massacre. READ MORE SUN STORIES Over 70 missiles, including ballistic projectiles, and more than 100 kamikaze drones were launched in a coordinated assault early on December 25. The attack disrupted festive celebrations across Ukraine , with families forced to take shelter in metro stations as air raid sirens wailed across the country.

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B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG Makes New Investment in Builders FirstSource, Inc. (NYSE:BLDR)Jim Harbaugh, Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers celebrated in the locker room Saturday after they wrapped up a playoff spot with a 40-7 victory over the New England Patriots . But even as they realized one goal by making the postseason, Harbaugh tried to keep things focused on the road ahead by stressing: “There's more to do.” The Chargers (10-6) go into the regular-season finale at Las Vegas knowing they will be at least the AFC's sixth seed and avoid a trip to Buffalo for the wild-card round. Los Angeles currently is in line to face Baltimore in a Harbaugh Bowl rematch, but it has an outside shot at the fifth seed and a trip to Houston if Cincinnati beats Pittsburgh next weekend. While Harbaugh credited his players for the turnaround from five wins last year to double-digit victories this season, Herbert gave most of it to Harbaugh and first-year general manager Joe Hortiz. “They have done such a great job of getting the right guys here. You look in the locker room and everybody plays for each other,” Herbert said. “(Harbaugh's) a competitor, and he wants to win no matter what it is. It definitely shows, and it’s the way everyone fights for him, wants to play for him, and respects him.” Harbaugh is the fifth coach in NFL history to win at least 10 games in his first season with two teams. He is also the eighth to make the playoffs in his first season with two teams. “Very little to do with me. If it goes right, then it’s our players. They’re doing a great job. It’s gone bad a couple times. That’s on me,” he said. “I’ve been drinking the Kool-Aid here from day one, I can’t give enough credit to Derwin James, Justin Herbert, and those two in particular. And Khalil Mack and Rashawn Slater. I mean, stalwarts. Brad Bozeman has come in. He’s been a stalwart. There’s a bunch. There’s probably, like — I counted it up early. There was maybe 15, 15 stalwarts that we had, and it’s grown since then.” Even though the Chargers are 3-5 against teams with winning records at the time they've played them, they are 7-1 against teams that were at or under .500. Four of those wins against opponents with losing records have come by at least 17 points, the first time since 2017 the Bolts have won that many games by as big a margin. Since halftime of their Dec. 19 game against Denver, the Chargers have outscored the Broncos and Patriots 61-13 over six quarters. “That’s the type of football we want to be playing in December, January, and hopefully on. That’s the type of football you want to be playing, especially in these big games like that. It was really good to see,” Herbert said. What’s working Offensive coordinator Greg Roman has said throughout the season it's tough to use the full playbook when the Chargers have short drives. They came into Saturday's game ranked 26th with only 23 possessions of at least 10 plays, but they had four against the Patriots, leading to three touchdowns and a field goal. It was the first time since Week 10 last season against Detroit they have had at least four drives of double-digit plays. What needs help Kickoff return coverage. The Chargers have allowed nine kick returns of at least 30 yards, eighth most in the league. New England's Alex Erickson had three returns for 90 yards, including 34 and 31 yards. Stock up RB J.K. Dobbins was activated off injured reserve and provided a boost to the offense with 76 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown. Dobbins, who missed four games due to a knee injury, has set career highs in scrimmage yards (983) and rushing yards (842) in his first season with the Chargers. Stock down WR D.J. Chark was targeted four times but didn't have a catch. Chark was signed during the offseason to provide experience and speed to a young receiver group. However, he missed the first half of the season with a hip injury and has played sparingly since his return. He has three receptions on the season. Injuries Three starters — RB Gus Edwards (ankle), LB Denzel Perryman (groin) and OG Trey Pipkins (hip) — were inactive. WR Joshua Palmer (heel) and DB Elijah Molden (shin) were injured in the second half. Key numbers 77 and 1,054 — Receptions and receiving yards by Ladd McConkey, both records for a Chargers rookie. 5 — Consecutive seasons by Herbert with at least 3,000 passing yards and 20 touchdown passes, tied with Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson for the most to start a career. 2 — Sacks by Derwin James Jr. against the Patriots, the first time in the safety's seven-year career he has had multiple sacks in a game. What’s next The Chargers go for their first season sweep of the Raiders since 2018 in the regular-season finale. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Joe Reedy, The Associated Press*Nigeria needs to mobilise $8.82tn to hit planned $4tn economy by 2035, says NESG *Seeks export diversification, digital transformation *Says rising inflation limiting nation’s capacity to save *Avers Nigerians currently spending 80% of earnings on food, transport Deji Elumoye and Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, yesterday disclosed that Nigeria’s recent economic diplomacy efforts to Saudi Arabia had started yielding reasonable benefits, including investments, foreign exchange inflows, and job creation for the country. Edun had led a high-level delegation to Saudi Arabia to follow up on the president’s earlier engagements with the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman. Edun, who spoke with newsmen after a brief meeting with President Bola Tinubu, stressed “What we have brought back is investment. What we have brought back is foreign exchange. What we have brought back are jobs for Nigerians” These efforts, the minister explained, are part of the administration’s broader strategy to attract foreign direct investment, trade partnerships, and financial collaborations. Highlighting a key achievement, Edun referenced the Saudi Agricultural Livestock Investment Company’s (SALIC) recent $1.2 billion investment in Olam Agri Holdings, which he described as a testament to the president’s reforms and the stabilisation of Nigeria’s macroeconomic environment. He added: “This type of transaction reflects the success of Mr. President’s strategy. It demonstrates the confidence global investors have in the steps being taken to attract and encourage such investments”. Besides, Edun stressed that the investments translate into direct job creation for Nigerians, as Saudi Arabia’s focus on investing abroad does not include exporting its own labour force. “Clearly, where they invest, that is jobs for Nigerians,” he maintained. He also stressed the government’s ongoing efforts to reduce inflation, particularly food inflation, through initiatives like dry-season farming, aimed at ensuring a bountiful harvest and lower food prices. “Every effort is being made to bring down the price of food and the cost of living for the average Nigerian,” Edun stated. The delegation to Saudi Arabia included representatives from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, and the Presidential Economic Coordination Council. The visit built on the president’s economic diplomacy efforts, which have taken him to various global capitals, including Brazil, China, India, Germany, and France. According to Edun: “The proof of the pudding is in the eating. When you see jobs being created and Nigeria’s foreign reserves being added to, that is success all Nigerians can understand.” The visit is expected to further strengthen Nigeria’s burgeoning relationship with Saudi Arabia and unlock more opportunities for economic growth and collaboration. Also, the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), one of the country’s foremost economic think-tanks, has proposed that if Africa’s most populous nation must achieve its proposed $4 trillion nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2035, it must mobilise a total of $8.82 trillion. The organisation stated this in its H2, 2024 Economic and Policy Review (EPR) tagged: “ Achieving Economic Transformation in Nigeria.” Besides, the group noted that the ambition to hit $4 trillion in nominal GDP by 2035 in Nigeria should serve as a bedrock to achieving a sustained double-digit real GDP growth rate over the next decade until 2035, which should be in the range of 10 per cent to 15 per cent per annum. It argued that Nigeria remains at a crossroads, brimming with potential, yet grappling with the complexities of its historical socio-economic performance, stressing that although endowed with abundant human capital and vast economic resources, Nigeria’s current position on critical socio-economic indicators has not been impressive. By 2035, the NESG pointed out that Nigeria’s economy is poised to rank among the top 15 global economies, with a per capita income of $14,041.5, thereby propelling the country into the high-income category globally. Endowed with substantial human capital and economic resources, Nigeria, it said, has historically faced suboptimal socio-economic performance, with critical macro-economic and social indicators underscoring the compelling need for a thorough and all-encompassing rejuvenation of the economy. According to the NESG, the impetus behind achieving a $4 trillion economy by 2035 is rooted in the acknowledgement of Nigeria’s immense potential, abundant resources, and the necessity to expedite economic development to meet the burgeoning demands of its populace. “Expanding from less than a $500 billion economy to a $4 trillion GDP by 2035 has cost implications. Over the next 10-13 years, the Nigerian economy needs to mobilise a cumulative total of $8.82 trillion. “This comprises 18.8 per cent or $1.66 trillion of investment directly from the government, specifically on capital and infrastructure investment. The remaining 81.2 per cent or $7.16 trillion will be mobilised through the private sector, comprising existing and new capital accumulation and domestic and foreign investment flow. “As such, the government needs to spend $185.16 billion and mobilise $841.00 billion in private investment over the next four years (2024-2027) to set the pace for a transformed economy. Subsequently, the government needs to spend $501,46 billion and mobilise $2.24 trillion in private investment between 2028-2031. In the following cycle (2032-2035), the government must spend $957.04 billion while mobilising $4,05 trillion in private investment. “On average, the government has to spend $138.49 billion annually to achieve the envisioned $4 trillion GDP by 2035. With a cumulative funding need of $8.82 trillion within the next 10-13 years and an average of $737,16 billion annually, financing Nigeria’s $4 trillion GDP by 2023 appears daunting, however, not impossible,” it stated in the report. In an era characterised by rapid global economic changes, digital disruptions, and evolving geopolitical dynamics, Nigeria’s vision for 2035, NESG stressed, is set against a backdrop of formidable challenges and unparalleled opportunities. The global community’s commitment to sustainable development and the imperative of economic inclusion, the economic think-tank further said, underscores the significance of the pursuit. According to the group, the proposed pathways are intrinsically linked to the strategic objectives outlined in the President’s eight-point agenda, Nigeria Agenda 2050 and the African Union’s Africa Agenda 2063. “This is achievable considering the historical experience of Nigeria’s aspirational peers, such as China. The policy priority for the government includes developing a framework for the inter-governmental economic relationship, inter-state infrastructural development, establishing regional economic commissions, developing regional shared services and clustering, and strengthening regional value chain development. “During the initial stage of its economic transformation, China maintained an average real GDP growth rate of 10.3 per cent (from 1982 to 2011). Similarly, Japan and Germany maintained average growths of 10.5 per cent (1956 to 1973) and 9.2 per cent (1951 to 1960), respectively. “While the strategic paths aim to achieve a $4 trillion economy by 2035, they are also expected to drive improvement across socio-economic indicators. Irrespective of the strategic path, this study anticipates specific mutations in the fundamental structure of the economy that accompany a transforming economy,” the NESG noted. Moving towards the $4 trillion economy, and based on the country’s political cycle, the Nigerian economy, it maintained, could cross critical milestones of $1 trillion, $2.5 trillion, and $4 trillion by 2027, 2031, and 2035, respectively. “Furthermore, Nigeria’s per capita income is expected to cross $5,000, $10,000, and $14,000 by 2028, 2032, and 2035, respectively. Nigeria needs to massively mobilise savings to drive investment, as is the case for most countries that have experienced economic transformation over the past five decades. “But then, the continual erosion of the value of earnings due to the persistent inflationary pressure has limited Nigeria’s capacity to mobilise adequate savings. “Recent fuel subsidy removal and the exchange rate devaluation accompanying the unification of the foreign exchange markets have nearly wiped out the middle class, as most people spend over 80 per cent of their earnings on food and transport with little to zero room for savings. Hence, the government must attract capital from diverse sources to drive investment,” it added. With a visionary alignment of policies and strategic optimism, Nigeria’s economy, NESG said, possesses the potential to soar to $4 trillion within the same time frame, explaining that such growth promises expanded access to economic opportunities, uplifting millions from the depths of poverty. “According to the World Bank Group (2024), more than half of Nigeria’s population is living in poverty as of 2024. Meanwhile, as Nigeria navigates its path towards a $4 trillion economy, poverty would recede by an average of 10 million individuals annually,” the group stated. Therefore, the NESG proposed an export diversification and sophistication strategy for Nigeria to become a global export hub and regional integration champion of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a free trade agreement that aims to create a single market for goods and services across the continent. It further called for innovation and digital transformation strategy in order to become a central global innovation hub and exporter of knowledge products to the world. Besides, the economic think-tank urged the country to embrace a subnational economic integration strategy to develop competitive and viable regions/sub-national economies.

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COMMERCE, Texas (AP) — Zach Calzada passed for 333 yards and three touchdowns, and he rushed for a score as Incarnate Word beat East Texas A&M 38-24 on Saturday to claim the Southland Conference title. Incarnate Word (10-2, 7-0) became the first team in program history to finish undefeated in conference play. The No. 6 Cardinals await the FCS selection show on Sunday to learn the playoff matchups. Calzada came in leading the FCS in passing touchdowns with 30 on the season and No. 6 for passing yards (3,018). He finished 26 of 40 with an interception against East Texas A&M. Incarnate Word linebacker Darius Sanders made his third interception in two games then Calzada launched a 43-yard pass to Jalen Walthall to tie it at 14 midway through the second quarter. The Cardinals' Marcus Brown blocked a 45-yard field-goal attempt that would have broken a tie at 24 early in the fourth. Calzada found wide-open Logan Compton in the end zone for a 31-24 lead. Mason Pierce was also left wide open for an 18-yard score with 2:43 left. Ron Peace was 21 of 38 for 165 yards with one touchdown and one interception for East Texas (3-9, 2-4). He also rushed for a score. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Hugel aims to secure strong business coverage in the region via the strategic partnership The MENA aesthetic market is projected to witness strong growth in the next few years with UAE and Saudi Arabia taking the lead SEOUL, South Korea , Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hugel Inc., a leading global medical aesthetics company, said on Friday it will spur expansion in the botulinum toxin market of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) via a strategic partnership with Dubai -headquartered aesthetic and medical distribution partner Medica Group. The two companies have recently entered into an agreement to bolster the distribution of Hugel's toxin Botulax in the key markets of the region. Hugel, which exports its own toxin to 64 markets including the US, Europe and China , the world's three largest toxin buyers, obtained sales approval for Botulax in the Middle East last year. Medica Group is a leading player in the region and has strong distribution networks through its head office in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and branches in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon . The company distributes medical aesthetic products from about 30 global brands, proving their solid know-how in the field and strong execution capabilities in the MENA. The MENA is one of the fastest growing regions for medical aesthetics, driven by strong economic momentum, favorable demographic characteristics, increasing accessibility to social media as well as social and consumption transformation. Hugel's Executive Chairman, Suk Cha , commented on the partnership: "We are very pleased to enter into this strategic collaboration with Medica Group. The Middle East represents a key market for Hugel, with its rapidly growing demand for medical aesthetic treatments. We have chosen Medica Group as our distributor because they share our commitment to excellence and quality. Their proven expertise, extensive reach and deep understanding of the region make them the ideal partner to bring our Botulax product to this dynamic region. Botulax is recognized globally for its quality, and we are confident that, through this partnership, it will become a leading choice for medical professionals and patients in the Middle East and Africa ." Andre Daoud , CEO of Medica Group, highlighted the importance of this collaboration: "Our partnership with Hugel marks a key milestone for us as we continue to expand our portfolio and lead the aesthetics market with global solutions. The introduction of Botulax in the Middle East and Africa offers healthcare professionals access to a world-class botulinum toxin that is highly trusted for its quality, safety, and performance. This strategic partnership aligns with our mission to provide advanced, innovative products and services that meet the demands of the region's growing beauty and medical aesthetics market. Hugel's global expertise, combined with our deep local knowledge and network, will create tremendous value for our customers and their patients." About Hugel Established in 2001, Hugel is a leading global medical aesthetics company that manufactures injectables for skin rejuvenation such as botulinum toxin, hyaluronic acid fillers and skin boosters as well as absorbable sutures and cosmetics products. The company is the only South Korean supplier to the world's three largest botulinum toxin markets, the US, China and Europe . It exports medical aesthetic products and devices to around 70 countries and operates eight global subsidiaries in the US, Australia , Canada , Taiwan , China , Hong Kong and Singapore . About Medica Group A leading partner in the field of aesthetic medicine, Medica Group continues to push the boundaries of beauty and wellbeing in the region. Being at the forefront of the industry, the group is renowned for its innovative approach, state-of-the-art solutions with a solid commitment to delivering outstanding results and setting new standards in aesthetics. A trusted partner for international aesthetic brands, Medica showcases a commitment to excellence and quality through the technologies of its product and services, and the collaboration of the aesthetic medicine community. Contact: Jihyun Kim , Manager of the PR Team, Hugel [email protected] SOURCE Hugel

2024 was a major year for new vehicle launches, with new generations of key models like the Toyota LandCruiser Prado, plus the first of a new wave of Chinese auto brands entering the market. But many models also departed the Australian market, headlined by the departure of what had been the longest-running auto brand in Australia: Citroen. In fact, there were so many discontinuations that we split all the SUVs axed in Australia into a separate article . Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Scroll below for all the passenger cars axed this year, or click on one of the links below to take you directly to a vehicle. BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe If you love the look of the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe , rest assured you’ll still be able to buy a car that looks like this – it’ll just have electric power. BMW revealed updated versions of the 4 Series Gran Coupe and its electric i4 sibling back in April, but never confirmed timing for the combustion-powered model. Somewhat unusually, the electric version sold in considerably greater numbers than the petrol model. To the end of November, BMW sold 1866 i4s in Australia this year, against just 243 examples of the 4 Series Gran Coupe. That led to BMW pulling the plug on the petrol-powered range. “The high volume of new BMW models introduced to the local market prompts us to constantly assess our product portfolio in line with customer demand and our commitment to offering products that suit individual needs,” a BMW Australia spokesperson told CarExpert in a statement. “This has led us to restructure the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe lineup.” The 4 Series Gran Coupe was the second BMW to bear the Gran Coupe nameplate, which has been applied to a five-door liftback (the 4 Series Gran Coupe), a four-door sedan (the 2 Series ), and what you could arguably call four-door coupes (the 6 Series and 8 Series ). This nomenclature was born in a period where BMW was busily chasing niches, including coupe SUVs like the X4 and X6 and the unusual Gran Turismo models which were more upright five-door hatchbacks. The second-generation 4 Series Gran Coupe was revealed in June 2021 and arrived here later that year, sharing the same plunging double-kidney grille as coupe and convertible 4 Series models. While it later gained an electric version, the i4, it never received a full-fat M version like the other 4 Series body styles. There was no M4 version of the first-generation 4 Series Gran Coupe, either. With the axing of the base 420i in 2023, just two variants remained: the turbocharged four-cylinder, rear-wheel drive 430i and the turbocharged six-cylinder, all-wheel drive M440i xDrive. Though the Gran Coupe brought superior practicality over the 3 Series Sedan , if not the Touring wagon, it cost up to $14,100 more than its booted counterpart. 4 Series Gran Coupe sales had peaked in 2015 and 2022 with 858 sales in both years – incidentally, both of which were the first full years of their respective generations. MORE: BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe axed in Australia, i4 EV to live on MORE: Everything BMW 4 Series Citroen C4 and C5 X Citroen had been hanging on like grim death in Australia, even as its sales winnowed away each year. From a height of 3803 sales in 2007, Citroen fell below 1000 annual units in 2016 and continued sliding. Its retail network continued to shrink, and Peugeot Citroen Australia’s decision to make Peugeot its exclusive commercial vehicle brand here killed one of its higher-volume models, the Berlingo. Most embarrassingly for the brand, it was outsold by Ferrari in 2020 and 2021. But there were signs Peugeot Citroen Australia was taking the brand seriously here, introducing the C4 in 2021 and C5 X in 2022. These replaced the old C4 and C5 that hadn’t been on sale here for several years, and came after several years of Citroen focusing on more traditionally SUV-shaped models. Not that the C4 and C5 X were conventional passenger cars themselves, with their higher-riding stances blurring the lines between cars and SUVs. Though it was the C5 X that wore the ‘X’ suffix commonly used for SUVs, it was the C4 that was classified as an SUV in VFACTS industry sales reports. There was a C4 X, mind you, but this was a sedan version of the C4 that we never received. Confused? We were too. Disinterested? Well, it seems Australians were. C4 sales peaked at 94 units in its first full year on sale, before falling; the same happened with the C5 X, with 68 sold in its first full year on sale. From launch to the end of November 2024, Citroen sold just 200 C4s and 168 C5 Xs. The rarest of them all is the C5 X Plug-in Hybrid, for which orders opened in May... just three months before Citroen announced it was pulling up stumps here. Being an order-only vehicle and priced just over $16,000 higher than the regular C5 X, itself not the most affordable vehicle of its size, it may be one of the rarest Citroens ever sold here. The C4 and C5 X may have lacked the clever hydropneumatic suspension of older Citroens, but with their quirky styling and focus on comfort – in suspension tuning and even in the construction of their seats – these cars were distinctively Citroen. Alas, it seems buyers just didn’t care. MORE: Citroen leaving Australia after more than 100 years, importer focusing on Peugeot MORE: Everything Citroen C4 MORE: Everything Citroen C5 X Citroen C3 While we received new generations of Citroen’s small and medium/large cars, the latest C3 – revealed in electric guise in October 2023, and with petrol power in April this year – was kept from us. That was perhaps an early warning that the brand wasn’t going to stick around here for long, and in August this year distributor Inchcape Australia announced it would close orders for all Citroen vehicles. The third-generation C3 arrived here in 2017, with an extremely mild facelift coming in 2021. That means the C3 is much the same as when it arrived here around seven years ago, and sales figures have reflected that. From a height of 122 sales in 2018, sales fell to double digits in 2019 and have subsequently remained relatively steady, if very, very low. The price has climbed since launch and this year sat at $32,267 before on-road costs for the single Shine variant, putting it up against vehicles the segment above. But even comparing it with similarly sized vehicles with similarly premium pricing, the C3 comes up short. From its 2017 launch to the end of November this year, Citroen has sold 544 C3s. In contrast, Audi sold 462 A1s and Skoda sold 433 Fabias in 2023 alone. Showing just how far Citroen sales have dropped off over the years, as well as the decline in light car sales, the brand sold upwards of 908 examples of the first-generation C3 in 2003. MORE: Everything Citroen C3 Fiat 500 The Fiat 500 is cute as a bug, but its ability to survive year after year well after rivals were replaced made it seem like more of a cockroach. It’s still being manufactured, but Fiat announced it was axing the petrol-powered 500 in Australia in August. As of December, however, it still has stock at its dealers. The 500 and its hotter Abarth 595 sibling are sold alongside the new-generation Fiat 500e and Abarth 500e, electric-only micro cars with similar styling but much more modern underpinnings and technology. With the Fiat 500e set to be joined by a mild-hybrid petrol-powered variant in 2026, this should finally spell the end of the old 500, which has been in production since 2007 and which launched here in 2008. In that time, Fiats from the little Panda to the Dodge Journey-based Freemont have come and gone from the Australian market, but the little 500 has kept on ticking with the occasional minor refresh. Though it no longer sells in quite the same volumes as it did in the early/mid 2010s – where it sold between 2000 and 3000 units annually – it still sells in consistent volumes in a segment that consists solely of it and the Kia Picanto . Last year, Fiat sold 581 examples of the 500 and its Abarth sibling in Australia, an increase on the year before despite the axing of their cabriolet models. MORE: Fiat culls petrol 500 in favour of $50k EV hatch in Australia MORE: Everything Fiat 500 Jaguar F-Type When the E-Type ended production in 1974, it left a hole in Jaguar’s lineup. The XJ-S that succeeded it was more of a grand tourer, a tradition which its XK replacement followed in. It wasn’t until the F-Type , which entered production in 2013, that Jaguar had a genuine spiritual successor to the E-Type. An E-Type successor had existed in development hell during the 1980s and 1990s, before Jaguar revealed the F-Type concept in 2000... only for a planned production version to be scrapped before it could see the light of day. Fast-forward to the 2011 Frankfurt motor show and the F-Type as we came to know it was previewed in concept form, albeit featuring a supercharged V6 hybrid powertrain that never reached production. Instead, the production coupe – which looked essentially identical to the concept – was launched with a choice of supercharged V6 or V8 powertrains. Like the E-Type, there was also a convertible; unlike the iconic Jag, there was an all-wheel drive option. Also in a departure from past Jaguar two-doors, a turbocharged four-cylinder engine joined the range. Designed under Ian Callum, the F-Type was widely regarded as gorgeous. Somehow a facelift, revealed in 2019, arguably improved the styling with a more aggressive look up front. The F-Type featured all-aluminium construction, and Jaguar touted the coupe as the most torsionally rigid production car it had ever built. While the four- and six-cylinder powertrains weren’t shrinking violets, the supercharged V8 was the star. For 2022, Jaguar Australia dropped the four- and six-cylinder engines entirely, leaving the blown 5.0-litre in 331kW/580Nm P450 and 423kW/700Nm R tunes. In June 2024, Jaguar revealed the final F-Type and what it says will be its final combustion-powered sports car: a supercharged 5.0-litre V8-powered convertible in classic green-over-tan. A total of 87,731 F-Types were produced between 2013 and 2024. MORE: Jaguar reveals its last-ever petrol-powered sports car, bound for a museum MORE: Jaguar’s last ever petrol-powered sports car is coming to Australia MORE: Everything Jaguar F-Type Jaguar XE When Jaguar used the Ford Mondeo platform to create its first BMW 3 Series rival, many scoffed. To Jaguar’s credit, it went back to the drawing board and developed a rear/all-wheel drive sports sedan with tasteful, modern styling and poised dynamics. Look out, BMW! Except the XE is now being axed almost a decade after it entered production in 2015, as part of Jaguar’s pivot to being a more exclusive, electric-only brand. Jaguar is done trying to take on BMW and is aiming higher, with JLR design boss Gerry McGovern saying in 2023: “What we won’t worry about is being loved by everybody, because that’s the kiss of death.” “That’s what’s put Jaguar where it is today, which is with no equity whatsoever,” he said. The XE never could match its German rivals in the sales race, and JLR confirmed the sedan wasn’t profitable – something likely not helped by its use of aluminium suspension componentry and a bonded and riveted aluminium unitary structure, unusual for this segment. The 3 Series rival was offered with a range of powertrains, including turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel four-cylinder engines plus a supercharged V6. Jaguar even developed the limited-run SV Project 8, which featured a supercharged V8 engine. Sadly, the SV Project 8 never came here, nor did it presage a more widely available BMW M3 rival. The six-cylinder and diesel engines were also eventually phased out in Australia. Disappointing sales and the resultant lack of profitability doomed the XE, which was axed in the US in 2020 but grimly held on for a few more years in markets such as ours. Unusually, Jaguar Australia switched the XE from rear-wheel drive to all-wheel drive for 2021 for reasons unclear. For 2023, the XE range was whittled down to a single model and, though it still appears on Jaguar’s local website, production ended this year. In its best year, 2016, global sales for the XE reached 44,095 units. The same year, BMW produced over 400,000 3 Series models globally. In Australia, the XE’s best year was also 2016 with 1524 sold, beating the Infiniti Q50 and Volvo S60 and falling just short of the Lexus IS . But sales fell each year, plunging to double-digits in 2022. Last year, the XE was outsold by every single one of its rivals, with its 58 sales bested by the Genesis G70 (81 sales) and Volvo S60 (152). From launch to the end of November 2024, Jaguar sold 4332 XEs in Australia. While rivals received significant facelifts or new generations, the XE was left to soldier on as its lineup shrunk. It’s a sad end for what was an extremely promising BMW 3 Series rival. MORE: Everything Jaguar XE Jaguar XF If any car could make Jaguar’s XE look like a sales success, it’s the second generation of the brand’s BMW 5 Series rival. The first-generation XF was a breath of fresh air when it was revealed in 2007, with the Ian Callum-penned sedan casting aside the shackles of Jaguar’s retro design language in favour of a more modern yet still elegant look inside and out. The second generation wasn’t as impactful. Also attributed to Mr. Callum, the design was conservative, looking more like a stretched version of the XE with which it shared its new platform. Unlike the XE, however, there was a wagon version; this made the trip to Australia, even though the first-generation model was offered here only in sedan guise. Globally, the XF was offered with a choice of turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel four-cylinder engines, plus a turbo-diesel V6 and a supercharged petrol V6. Sadly, there was no supercharged V8 XFR as there had been with the first generation. To Jaguar Australia’s credit, it offered almost every available powertrain, and even brought the niche wagon here. But the British 5 Series rival was met with buyer apathy: sales shrunk compared to the outgoing model, with just 433 sold in 2016. That was down from the over 800 units Jaguar shifted in 2013 and 2014. Sales fell below three digits in 2019 with 50 units, and below two digits in 2023 with just 6 sold. By this point the XF range had been shrunk to a single variant, as for model year 2021 Jaguar axed all rear-wheel drive, diesel, six-cylinder and wagon variants in favour of a lone all-wheel drive turbo-petrol four-cylinder. MORE: Everything Jaguar XF Maserati Quattroporte Technically, Maserati didn’t sell any Quattroportes in Australia in 2024, with global production wrapping late last year. No further examples were delivered this year but as it appeared on Maserati’s local website during 2024, we’ve included it in this article. The Quattroporte nameplate is taking a leave of absence, with a replacement – featuring electric power – delayed until 2028. It’s not the first time the Quattroporte nameplate has taken a lengthy leave of absence, with gaps of several years between the first and second and the third and fourth generations. The Quattroporte competed in an extremely low-volume segment in Australia, battling the likes of the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class . Maserati executives would therefore clearly bristle at the mention of the Quattroporte sharing a platform with Chrysler and Dodge. “From the Chrysler 300 we carried over the electrical system, a portion on the platform where seats are hinged and some elements of the air conditioning, that is all,” then-Maserati global CEO Harald Wester told Automotive News Europe back in 2013. The current, sixth-generation Quattroporte entered production that year, underpinned by what Maserati called its M156 platform which was also used by the Ghibli and Levante . The gorgeous, lithe Pininfarina styling of its predecessor made way for an in-house design that was more fuller-figured and conservative, with a clear kinship with the cheaper Ghibli. If it looked bigger than the previous Quattroporte, that’s because it was – in length alone, the Quattroporte VI grew by over 200mm. A Ferrari-developed twin-turbo V8 remained available, along with a twin-turbo V6 developed with the Prancing Horse brand. This was also the first Quattroporte to offer a diesel engine, a turbocharged V6 mill sold here from 2014 to 2019. While the Quattroporte had a decade-long production run, there were updates made during this time. In 2016, the Quattroporte received a new infotainment system and more standard equipment including a suite of active safety features. This suite was expanded in a subsequent update in 2018. In 2020, Maserati revealed a hot Trofeo version of its luxury limo, featuring a 433kW/730Nm tune of the twin-turbo 3.8-litre V8 – up 43kW and 80Nm on the GTS. This coincided with another minor facelift for the Quattroporte line that saw the old Chrysler-derived infotainment system swapped for one running on Android Automotive. The Quattroporte consistently sold in the double digits each year in Australia, before slumping to just three units in 2023. Even in a low-volume segment, that was very low. MORE: Everything Maserati Quattroporte Maserati Ghibli The Ghibli was first a stunning coupe and convertible in the 1960s, then a rather brutalist two-door in the 1990s, before being revived as a BMW 5 Series sedan rival that was revealed at the 2013 Shanghai motor show. It represented a return to a segment which Maserati last occupied in 1995 with the 430, a descendant of the Biturbo. With the introduction of the Ghibli and Levante, which entered production in 2013 and 2016 respectively, Maserati was chasing broader market appeal and therefore greater sales volumes. By the 2000s, after the end of the Biturbo era, its lineup had receded to a small, more exclusive one. In 2013, it announced plans to sell 50,000 vehicles each year around the world in 2015, more than eight times as many as it sold in 2011. The Ghibli used the M158 platform of the new sixth-generation Quattroporte, and shared its twin-turbocharged V6 petrol and turbocharged V6 diesel engines. There was a choice of rear- or all-wheel drive, while an eight-speed automatic transmission was standard across the range. The Quattroporte’s twin-turbo V8 wasn’t added until 2020, while at the other end of the spectrum the Ghibli gained a turbocharged four-cylinder mild-hybrid powertrain. Other changes to the Ghibli during its lengthy run mirrored those of the Quattroporte: new infotainment and a suite of active safety tech for 2017, and an expanded suite in 2018 enabled by the switch to an electric-assisted power steering setup. The Ghibli helped Maserati reach its 50,000-unit target, albeit a couple of years late. Alas, the brand’s sales dropped from then. In 2022, Maserati announced its plans to transition to an EV-only lineup by 2028, but conspicuous by its absence from these plans was the Ghibli nameplate. Instead, both it and the Quattroporte are set to be replaced by a single sedan model bearing the latter’s nameplate, though this has subsequently been delayed to 2028. In Australia, from a height of 345 sales in 2015, the Ghibli gradually declined before an uptick in 2021 to 152 sales. They then slumped to double digits, and just 17 Ghiblis found homes in Australia this year to the end of November. From its debut year, the Levante took over as Maserati’s best-selling vehicle locally, a title it maintained until the launch of the smaller Grecale SUV in 2023. The Ghibli remains on Maserati’s local website, but with production having ended it’s only a matter of time before the nameplate is retired for a third time. MORE: Everything Maserati Ghibli Mini Clubman Even as it rolls out new electric vehicles (EVs) like the Aceman , Mini has updated its long-running three- and five-door hatchbacks and convertible and given them a slightly fresher look. The same treatment hasn’t been extended to the long-running Clubman , which Mini ended production of in February after two generations. It’s probably best to blame the Countryman as, in many markets including ours, given the choice of a wagon or an SUV most buyers will opt for the latter. BMW launched Mini as a standalone brand in 2000, and for the first several years of its life it only sold a hatchback. A convertible followed, before the Clubman was launched as Mini’s third body style. It came during a period where Mini was rapidly and creatively expanding its lineup or, to put it less charitably, throwing things at a wall and seeing what stuck. If debuted in 2007, and was followed in 2010 by the Countryman SUV (which did stick) and the Roadster, Coupe and Paceman (which didn’t). Mini wisely added a pair of conventional rear passenger doors with the second-generation Clubman, which launched in Australia in 2015, replacing the suicide door setup of its predecessor. A more practical alternative to the hatchback it was based on, the second-generation Clubman stuck with the rear barn doors of its predecessor – highly unusual for a wagon in 2024. The second-generation Clubman moved to the UKL2 platform underpinning vehicles like the BMW 1 Series . While this platform was used for a raft of vehicles including BMW and Mini-branded hatchbacks, sedans and even a people mover, the quirky Clubman was the only wagon. While it offered a choice of petrol powertrains (though as with its predecessor, no diesel in Australia), including a hot John Cooper Works model with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive. Between the launch of the second-gen model and the end of November 2024, Mini Australia sold 3143 Clubmans. It was a steady if unexceptional seller, but over the same period Mini sold around twice as many Countryman SUVs. MORE: Everything Mini Clubman Peugeot 508 The 508 may have been the prettiest mid-sized Peugeot since the 406 Coupe of the 1990s, but that wasn’t enough to save it. While it lives on in Europe, in September Peugeot Australia pulled the plug on the liftback and wagon “in response to changing consumer preferences in the segment”. It arguably wasn’t a surprise, given Ford, Kia and Volkswagen, among other brands, had already exited the mid-sized segment. Peugeot sales have also been broadly on a downward trajectory over the past decade. Peugeot Australia added a plug-in hybrid version of the 508 Fastback in 2022, with a Sportwagon PHEV following in 2023. But with one hand Peugeot Australia giveth, and with one another it taketh away. Later in 2023, Peugeot axed the petrol-powered 508s, leaving only the pricier PHEVs. Unusually, the Sportwagon PHEV was introduced after Peugeot revealed a facelifted version of the 508 in Europe, for which it conspicuously didn’t announce specific local launch timing. The facelifted model never came, and when Peugeot UK announced earlier this year it was axing the 508, its local demise appeared inevitable. The second-generation 508’s best year in Australia was 2021, with 240 sold. That was a far cry from the first-generation model which in 2012, its first full year on the market, recorded 1085 sales. In fairness to the 508, mid-sized passenger car sales have fallen over the past decade or so. But in 2023, the 508’s 156 sales saw it outsold by the Volkswagen Passat and Arteon , and even more niche models like the Volvo V60 Cross Country. MORE: Another mid-sized car gets the axe in Australia MORE: Everything Peugeot 508 Renault Megane You can still buy a Renault Megane in Australia, but it’s quite a different creature. The last examples of the RS Trophy hot hatch, the sole remaining member of the combustion-powered Megane range, were sold earlier this year as the new electric Megane E-Tech joined the local lineup. The RS-badged Megane hatch, sent off with a special-edition RS Ultime, was the last member of a once significantly wider lineup of small Renaults. The current, fourth-generation Megane was revealed in 2015 and went on sale locally late in 2016. Wagon and sedan models, introduced in 2017, were dropped in 2019 along with the entry-level Zen hatch, while the RS Sport and RS Cup hatchbacks were axed in 2021. That left just the RS Trophy. Not only was the Australian Megane lineup winnowed down locally, the car was discontinued in almost every market. Turkish production continues, however, of the sedan. This mirrors what happened with the Ford Focus , with a once-wide lineup continually chipped away at in Australia until a single hot hatch was left, before the nameplate was axed entirely. The Focus is also being discontinued globally. Renault only sold 69 Meganes in Australia in 2023. That was well down on the 1259 units it shifted in 2017, its first full year on sale. The Megane RS Trophy (and RS Ultime) used a turbocharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine, mated with either a six-speed manual or six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, producing 221kW of power and 420Nm of torque (400Nm in the manual) Those outputs remained competitive even among a growing contingent of hot hatches on the local market. While Renault is moving away from hot petrol-powered models, it’s entering the hot electric hatch fray with both its namesake brand and its Alpine spinoff. It remains to be seen whether these hot EVs will come here, however. MORE: Everything Renault Megane MORE: Every SUV discontinued in Australia in 2024 MORE: Every car and SUV discontinued in Australia in 2023 MORE: Every car discontinued in 2022 MORE: Every car discontinued in 2021 MORE: The cars we lost in 2020Woman faces court, charged with murdering partner near Ballarat

’s former foreman has opened up about his experience on and revealed why he decided to step back this year. The carpenter and builder, often referred to as ‘The Blockinator’, starred on 16 seasons as chief foreman but only made a handful of appearances this season. While he previously said he chose not to appear on 2024 in a full-time position so he could spend more time with his two daughters, he’s now revealed that his decision also had to do with the contestants. Speaking on this month, Keith admitted that he had grown tired of dealing with difficult cast members who didn’t respect his authority. “Imagine you’re a builder and you’ve got some contestants who’ve got no idea about building, and you’re giving them an instruction and they tell you to get stuffed,” he remarked. “All these amateurs have got no idea what they’re doing. We’re building beautiful homes for people, and I never got why people would argue with me. It just didn’t make sense. If I’m a subbie [subcontractor] going on site and I’ve got a foreman giving me instruction, you’ve just gotta follow it. There’s no ifs or buts, otherwise, you’re off.” He continued: “I used to get grumpy on telly, but there was a reason for it. [I had] some d**khead just giving me grief, and it wasn’t warranted.” Keith famously clashed with several contestants during his time on the show, including 2023 couple . He “spat the dummy” after the Queensland couple repeatedly asked for feedback on their build, with Keith arguing that his job wasn’t to “hold every builder’s hand for every piece that goes in”. Elsewhere in the interview, Keith admitted he had fond memories of and described the experience as a “big adrenaline rush”. “I must admit, when I was doing initially, I was actually doing other projects, and when I was on those other projects it was quite boring,” he said. “One thing we did learn was how to do things quickly, and we had to work hard.” While he is yet to announce whether he will return for , he admitted he’s been enjoying his time away from the show and “not having the stress of working 24 hours a day”. This year’s season saw , who previously competed on the show in 2012 and 2013 before joining as a foreman in 2015, step up to take over Keith’s role. fans when he made a brief appearance on this year’s season of , with the 50-year-old sporting a brand new set of teeth. Keith underwent a dental transformation earlier this year and shared videos on social media in collaboration with in February documenting his journey. Dr Belinda Feldman explained in one of the that they used a procedure called DSD Direct, an evolution of an injectable resin guide technique, to reshape Keith’s teeth and give him a brand new smile. “I didn’t like my teeth and my smile, and being a TV presenter, it’s very important to have a good smile and good teeth,” he said in the video. “I was finding I was actually hiding my teeth from the camera.” Keith’s transformation certainly didn’t go unnoticed on social media, with one person commenting: “Keith has new teeth!” “Yes! They look great,” another replied, while a third said, “Yes, they are very noticeable”. “Looking good Keith,” someone else shared, followed by a different user who remarked, “Living for this transformation of Keith”.WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) — Jalen Rucker's 27 points helped Army defeat UTSA 78-75 on Sunday night. Rucker added six rebounds for the Black Knights (6-6). Ryan Curry scored 15 points while shooting 4 for 9 (3 for 8 from 3-point range) and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line and added five assists. AJ Allenspach shot 4 of 4 from the field and 4 for 5 from the foul line to finish with 12 points, while adding eight rebounds. The Roadrunners (6-6) were led by Amir "Primo" Spears, who recorded 22 points and nine rebounds. Tai'Reon Joseph added 16 points and two steals for UTSA. Raekwon Horton finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Army went into halftime ahead of UTSA 39-35. Rucker scored 11 points in the half. Rucker scored 16 points down the stretch in the second half to help lead Army to a three-point victory. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Like a football off McBride’s helmet, the Cardinals aren’t getting many lucky bounces these days

Sirkka joins the executive team to elevate recruitment strategies and advance growth in travel nursing and healthcare staffing nationwide OMAHA, Neb., Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Medical Solutions , a leader in healthcare staffing and talent innovation, has appointed Kerry Sirkka as Chief Recruitment Officer to spearhead transformative recruitment strategies and drive growth. She has more than 20 years of experience as a seasoned, award-winning healthcare executive with a proven track record in expansion, progress, and operational transformation across healthcare staffing and technology sectors. Sirkka has deep experience in travel, local, per diem, locums, and digital staffing. She has held key roles, foundationally spending nearly two decades leading recruitment operations at AMN Healthcare and taking on key transformational initiatives. She later moved to Head of Caregiver Experience at TheKey, where she drove operational efficiencies across 100 locations, and most recently, to Chief Delivery Officer at IntelyCare, where she managed operations and services to grow the company's healthcare platform. "We're happy to welcome Kerry to our team," said Rebecca Rogers Tijerino, CEO of Medical Solutions . "She brings extensive expertise in recruitment strategy and a proven ability to drive innovation. Her success in building high-performing teams and fostering growth will play a key role in connecting top clinicians with healthcare systems and advancing patient care nationwide." Her professional accomplishments extend beyond the workplace. She is an active member of the American Staffing Association, the American College of Healthcare Executives, and other influential organizations. Her accolades include multiple President's Forum Awards for exceptional performance and nominations for the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Staffing and The American Staffing Association Volunteer of the Year. "I'm excited to join Medical Solutions and contribute to its mission of connecting healthcare facilities with exceptional talent," said Sirkka. "I look forward to working with this talented team to create solutions that meet the changing needs of clients and clinicians." Sirkka's appointment underscores Medical Solutions' dedication to leading the healthcare staffing industry by delivering comprehensive solutions that empower clinicians and support healthcare systems nationwide. ABOUT MEDICAL SOLUTIONS Medical Solutions is one of the nation's largest healthcare talent ecosystems — connecting nurses, allied health clinicians, and clinical leaders with healthcare facilities across the U.S. Its service offerings include contingent staffing, managed services, strike staffing, local contract, PRN, and domestic and international direct hire. For more information, visit www.medicalsolutions.com . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kerry-sirkka-joins-medical-solutions-as-chief-recruitment-officer-302321558.html SOURCE Medical Solutions LLCGeorge Russell put Mercedes on pole for the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Friday as Max Verstappen moved a step closer to a fourth successive Formula One title by qualifying ahead of Lando Norris. Red Bull's Verstappen, who will retain his crown with two rounds to spare if he beats Norris on Saturday, secured fifth place on the grid with his McLaren rival sixth. "We are still in front of McLaren, which for me is a bit of a surprise but I'm quite happy with how qualifying went and my laps," said Verstappen. Norris must score three points more than the Dutch driver to continue the title battle in Qatar next weekend. "I'll do everything I can," said Norris, whose team also risk losing ground to Ferrari in the constructors' championship. "I'm not going to give up until the end even if the chance is extremely thin." Ferrari's Carlos Sainz joined Russell on the front row with Alpine's Pierre Gasly a surprising third fastest and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was fourth. The Las Vegas Grand Prix takes place at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit in Nevada, USA on Saturday 23 November, 2024. For UK fans, the Grand Prix itself will start at 6am GMT on Sunday 24 November 2024. (All times GMT) Race : 06.00am, Sunday 24 November 2024 The grid positions are as listed below. TV channel : In the UK, every session of the Las Vegas Grand Prix will be shown live Sky Sports. Free highlights will be available post-race on the official F1 YouTube channel as well as on Channel 4 at 10pm. Live stream : Sky subscribers can watch online via the Sky Go app.63 quintals of PDS rice handed over to civil supplies department in Asifabad

VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) — Aidan Bouman threw a go-ahead touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and Quaron Adams followed with a 70-yard touchdown on a reverse as No. 4 seed South Dakota pulled away late to beat 13th-seeded Tarleton State 42-31 on Saturday in the second round of the FCS playoffs. South Dakota will host the winner of Saturday's matchup between No. 5 seed UC Davis and 12th-seeded Illinois State in the third round. The Coyotes (10-2) trailed by seven points four times until Bouman connected with Keyondray Jones-Logan for a 12-yard touchdown and a 35-31 lead with 9:36 left to play. Tim White intercepted a Victor Gabalis pass, giving South Dakota the ball at its own 15-yard line. Adams, a sophomore receiver, raced to the end zone three plays later for his first career rushing touchdown and the Texans (10-4) never recovered in their first trip to the postseason. Gabalis threw three first-half touchdown passes, giving Tarleton State leads of 7-0, 14-7 and 21-14 at halftime. Travis Theis had two short touchdown runs in the first half to pull the Coyotes even and his 2-yard scoring run 51 seconds into the fourth quarter tied it at 28. Tarleton State took its last lead on a 23-yard field goal by Corbin Poston with 11:23 left to play. Bouman completed 18 of 22 passes for 213 yards and also had a 5-yard scoring toss to Jones-Logan off a deflected pass that stood up to a video review and tied the game at 21. Theis carried 25 times for 130 yards. Gabalis totaled 379 yards on 23-for-31 passing with four touchdowns and three interceptions. Darius Cooper caught nine passes for 161 yards and three scores. Cody Jackson had the other touchdown reception. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballPunjab bandh: Farmers block roads at many places, traffic hit

Stocks likely to keep up momentum amid expected rate cut KARACHI: Stocks increased sharply and remained the best-performing market based on USD returns during the outgoing week. The market is expected to continue the bullish momentum on the anticipated rate cut by the central bank next week. “We anticipate the market to continue with the positive momentum in the coming week, on the anticipation of a rate cut in the upcoming monetary policy committee meeting on December 16,” said brokerage firm Arif Habib Ltd. The market surged to a record high of 109,478 points, driven by improved inflation data, which dropped to 4.9 per cent (the lowest level since April 18). Saudi Arabia has also extended a $3 billion deposit with Pakistan for another year to support its economy, providing further momentum to the index. The market closed at 109,054 points, up 7,697 points and 7.59 per cent week-on-week (the world’s best-performing market based on USD returns). Moreover, the KSE-100 witnessed the highest-ever average volumes of 1,683 million shares (up 72 per cent WoW) and an average traded value of $198 million (up 49 per cent WoW). Foreigner selling continued this week (Dec 2–Dec 5), clocking in at $12.2 million compared to a net sell of $15.1 million last week. Major selling was witnessed in banks ($3.9 million) followed by fertiliser ($2.5 million). On the local front, buying was reported by funds ($39.6 million) followed by banks/DFIs ($8 million). Sector-wise positive contributions came from fertiliser (1,748 points), commercial banks (1,434 points), oil & gas exploration companies (1,148 points), cement (716 points) and power generation (405 points). Scrip-wise positive contributors were MARI (866 points), Engro (626 points), UBL (570 points), FFC (506 points) and MEBL (402 points). The sector that contributed negatively was leasing companies (0.01 points). Scrip-wise negative contributions came from HBL (131 points), JVDC (20 points), EFUG (19 points), OGDC (10 points), and AKBL (3 points). Analyst Nabeel Haroon at Topline Securities said the gain can be attributed to persistent buying by mutual funds on account of more allocation towards equity on the backdrop of declining yields on fixed-income securities, as inflation numbers continue to decline. Muhammad Waqas Ghani, deputy head at JS Research, said the week started with inflation data for Nov-24 which clocked in at 4.9 per cent YoY, marking the lowest CPI reading in 6.5 years. This decline is mainly due to the base effect from last year’s elevated inflation. Although headline inflation increased 50bps MoM, the overall YoY trend remains on a downward path. The average inflation rate for 5MFY25 is 7.9 per cent, a notable reduction compared to the 28.6 per cent average recorded in 5MFY24. Moreover, trade data released by the PBS revealed a 7.4 per cent YoY reduction in the trade deficit during the first five months of the current fiscal year, which stood at $8.65 billion, compared to $9.3 billion during the same period last year. Banking sector stocks gained momentum as banks continued to work towards meeting ADR targets, the latest data showed a sharp rise in the banking sector’s gross ADR as it reached a 17-month high at 47 per cent. In other news, for the fortnight, the government raised the price of petrol and diesel by Rs3.7 per litre and Rs3.3 per litre, respectively. Also, Saudi Arabia agreed to extend the $3 billion deposit in the SBP for another year, offering vital support to Pakistan’s forex reserves. Pakistan has converted seven out of the 37 MoUs signed with Saudi Arabia into formal contracts worth $560 million. According to the latest data, SBP reserves rose $620 million after ADB inflow, reaching $12 billion, the highest in 2.7 years. During the week, the PSX held an auction of Ijarah Sukuk bonds in which the government raised Rs353 billion against a target of Rs500 billion.Georgia quarterback Carson Beck is out for the remainder of Saturday's SEC Championship Game against Texas after suffering an apparent right arm injury. Beck took a big sack at the end of the first half and was seen walking to Georgia's locker room with coach Kirby Smart and team trainers by his side while favoring that arm. Losing Beck would, obviously, be significant for the Bulldogs, who have their eyes set on the College Football Playoff regardless of Saturday's result. He finished the regular season with 3,429 yards passing and 28 touchdowns, which led the SEC. ABSOLUTE CHAOS ON THE LAST PLAY OF THE FIRST HALF IN GEORGIA-TEXAS 😱😅 pic.twitter.com/laD2QBdeIC Backup quarterback Gunner Stockton entered the game for the Bulldogs to start the second half and immediately led them on a touchdown drive. Stockton completed three passes for 34 yards and rushed for 12 yards on two carries to lead Georgia down the field. Running back Trevor Etienne finished the drive with a 10-yard touchdown to give Georgia a 10-6 lead. This is Stockton's first meaningful playing experience since Georgia's 63-3 win against Florida State in the 2023 Orange Bowl. Stockton, a former four-star prospect out of Tiger, Georgia's Rabun County High School, appeared off the bench in three games entering the SEC Championship Game. He has completed 13 passes for 135 yards in his limited playing time this season.

AudioEye, Inc. ( NASDAQ:AEYE – Get Free Report ) was the recipient of a large drop in short interest in December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 558,900 shares, a drop of 19.4% from the November 30th total of 693,500 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 232,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.4 days. Approximately 7.6% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Insider Activity at AudioEye In other AudioEye news, CFO Kelly Georgevich sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.00, for a total transaction of $290,000.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 88,981 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,580,449. This represents a 10.10 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink . Also, insider Carr Bettis sold 225,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.00, for a total transaction of $5,400,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 200,045 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,801,080. This represents a 52.94 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold 1,342,859 shares of company stock valued at $32,684,480 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 40.70% of the company’s stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On AudioEye Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in AudioEye during the second quarter worth about $348,000. Palisades Hudson Asset Management L.P. bought a new position in AudioEye during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $142,000. Rhumbline Advisers bought a new stake in shares of AudioEye in the 2nd quarter valued at $147,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in AudioEye by 130.6% during the second quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 26,939 shares of the company’s stock worth $473,000 after acquiring an additional 15,256 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ClariVest Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in AudioEye in the second quarter valued at about $664,000. Institutional investors own 51.11% of the company’s stock. AudioEye Stock Performance Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. HC Wainwright lifted their target price on AudioEye from $28.00 to $37.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $35.00 price objective (up from $25.00) on shares of AudioEye in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $30.13. Read Our Latest Report on AEYE AudioEye Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) AudioEye, Inc provides patented, internet content publication, distribution software, and related services to Internet and other media to people regardless of their device, location, or disabilities in the United States. Its software and services enable conversion of digital content into accessible formats and allows for real time distribution to end users on any Internet connected device. See Also Receive News & Ratings for AudioEye Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AudioEye and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, Yuelingxi AI has once again demonstrated its commitment to excellence by releasing version 2.5 of its cutting-edge AI platform. This latest update represents a significant leap forward in terms of technological innovation and application capabilities, further solidifying Yuelingxi AI's position as a leader in the field.68 superph 。

The key to Willow's success lies in its innovative error correction scheme, which leverages cutting-edge quantum error correction codes to protect quantum information from decoherence and errors. By encoding quantum information redundantly across multiple qubits and implementing error detection and correction mechanisms, Willow is able to maintain the integrity of quantum computations even in the presence of noise and errors.SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Artists who want a chance to have their wildlife paintings featured in the 2026 edition of the West Virginia Wildlife Calendar have until Feb. 19, 2025, to send their artwork to the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. Each year, the WVDNR selects 12 paintings for its award-winning calendar based on overall composition, quality and anatomical and contextual accuracy. All artists, especially those from West Virginia, are encouraged to submit their work. A $200 prize is awarded for each chosen painting. The artist whose artwork is selected for the cover receives an additional $500. “This calendar not only celebrates the beauty of West Virginia’s wildlife but also showcases the artistic creativity that makes our state so special,” said WVDNR director Brett McMillion. “As we begin work on the 2026 calendar, we want to encourage all artists to submit their work for a chance to be part of a cherished publication that is enjoyed by thousands of people across the country every year.” Wildlife Calendar Art Submission Guidelines Art must be original color paintings on canvas or another flat surface and must depict native game and fish species or other wildlife found in West Virginia, such as snakes, frogs, turtles, salamanders, bats, songbirds, small mammals and non-game fish. Photographs and paintings with wildlife not found in West Virginia will not be considered. Paintings depicting hunting or fishing activities may be submitted. The calendar is horizontal and art should be at least 14.5 inches wide by 11.5 inches high. Artists who want to send art should mail a high-resolution copy to the following address: WV Division of Natural Resources Wildlife Calendar Art P.O. Box 67 Elkins, WV, 26241 Artists may send multiple paintings and artwork not chosen in previous years may be resubmitted. Digital copies of paintings of at least 300dpi may be emailed to Sanya.D.George@wv.gov . For more information about submitting art for the West Virginia Wildlife Calendar or to purchase the 2025 edition while supplies last, visit WVdnr.gov/wildlife-calendar .Sir Keir Starmer’s ‘wonderful’ brother dies aged 60 after suffering from cancerIn addition to the layoffs, Cloud Whale Intelligence has also implemented new measures to support the remaining employees and boost morale within the organization. This includes investing in training and development programs, enhancing communication channels, and fostering a culture of transparency and collaboration.

"We believe in ourselves and our abilities as a team," Markus concluded. "We know it won't be easy, but we are up for the challenge. We will be brave, we will defend with all our hearts, and we will give everything we have on the field. That's our mentality going into the game against Paris – and we're ready to fight until the final whistle."

Bad Bunny anuncia nuevo disco, ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos’Title: Female Gamers Complain About Difficulty Pressing "W+Space Bar" Key Combination: Lenovo Official Online Tutorial

Darlington Council has launched an investigation after reports surfaced of the incident, which took place on the rank at Grange Road before the person was allowed to get into a taxi. The authority - which commissions a private security company to provide the taxi marshals - has now removed a number of marshals from duty. The marshals are employed to help people feel safe while they are waiting for a taxi and to reduce incidents of anti-social behaviour. Several reports have been made on Facebook of incidents... Alex O'LearyVarious parties, including the Ukrainian government, international organizations, and independent fact-checkers, have been quick to challenge and refute the inflated casualty figures put forth by Trump. The discrepancy in numbers underscores the importance of relying on verifiable and credible sources of information when reporting on sensitive and complex issues such as armed conflicts.

Five things to know about QB Brandon Allen, the 49ers’ starter against the Packers this weekend

Heading: A Return to San Siro! Krunic, with Over 100 Appearances for Milan, Set to Face His Former ClubIn a statement to the South Korean media, Son's agent addressed the rumors surrounding his client's future. He emphasized that Son is fully committed to Tottenham Hotspur and is currently in discussions with the club regarding a contract extension. The agent also dismissed any possibility of Son moving to the Turkish Super Lig or any other club at this stage.

A look at how some of Trump's picks to lead health agencies could help carry out Kennedy's overhaulThe National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) withheld photographs of then-Vice President Joe Biden meeting business associates of his son, Hunter Biden, in China until after the 2024 election — but pursued then-former President Donald Trump over records that eventually became the subject of a major federal prosecution. As Breitbart News reported last week, NARA was forced to release some of the photographs after a lawsuit by the America First Legal foundation: The photos — only a partial archive — were released in response to a lawsuit filed by Stephen Miller’s America First Legal foundation against the National Archives and Records Administration in 2022. They shed new light on the Biden family’s history of influence-peddling, which dates back to the Obama administration, and which Democrats denied as they impeached President Donald Trump and claimed Hunter’s laptop was Russian “disinformation.” America First noted in a statement : “Lawyers and representatives for President Biden and President [Barack] Obama delayed NARA’s release of these photographs, as they did with other records, until after Election Day.” But NARA was quite willing to threaten former President Trump with prosecution in 2021, simply for holding onto records that he believed were his. From the New York Times timeline of the “documents” case, in “late 2021”: Officials at the archives warn Mr. Trump’s representatives that there could be a referral to the Justice Department or an alert to Congress if the former president continues to refuse to comply with the Presidential Records Act. ... The archives informs the Justice Department, which asks President Biden to request that the archives provide the F.B.I. with access to the boxes for examination. Later, when the Justice Department reviews the materials, investigators come to believe they have not recovered everything that Mr. Trump must return. NARA’s intervention was key to the launch of the case against Trump, complete with an FBI raid of his private home at Mar-a-Lago.

Two "tigers" from the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, which serves as the political and legal arm of the Chinese Communist Party, were recently arrested for their involvement in blind decision-making during the poverty alleviation campaign. This incident sheds light on the challenges and complexities of implementing effective policies in poverty eradication efforts.Keita, who rose to prominence during his time at RB Leipzig before his move to Liverpool in 2018, has had a somewhat mixed spell at the Premier League club. While he has shown flashes of brilliance, injuries and inconsistent form have hindered his progress.

Tom Brady hits the golf course with son Jack but admits he's unsure about the sport

Another midfielder to watch out for in the RB Salzburg lineup is Zlatko Junuzovic, a seasoned veteran with a wealth of experience at the highest levels of professional football. Junuzovic's leadership and vision on the pitch have been crucial in guiding Salzburg through tough matches and tight situations. His ability to control the tempo of the game and deliver incisive passes could prove to be vital in unlocking the formidable Paris Saint-Germain defense.This breakthrough has far-reaching implications for the future of quantum computing, as it paves the way for the development of larger and more powerful quantum computers that can tackle complex computational problems beyond the reach of classical systems. With Willow's groundbreaking achievements in error correction, the dream of practical quantum computing is now closer to becoming a reality.None