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The team that President-elect Donald Trump has selected to lead federal health agencies in his second administration includes a retired congressman, a surgeon and a former talk-show host. All could play pivotal roles in fulfilling a political agenda that could change how the government goes about safeguarding Americans' health — from health care and medicines to food safety and science research. In line to lead the Department of Health and Human Services secretary is environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine organizer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Trump's choices don't have experience running large bureaucratic agencies, but they know how to talk about health on TV . Centers for Medicare and Medicaid pick Dr. Mehmet Oz hosted a talk show for 13 years and is a well-known wellness and lifestyle influencer. The pick for the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Marty Makary, and for surgeon general, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, are frequent Fox News contributors. Many on the list were critical of COVID-19 measures like masking and booster vaccinations for young people. Some of them have ties to Florida like many of Trump's other Cabinet nominees: Dave Weldon , the pick for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, represented the state in Congress for 14 years and is affiliated with a medical group on the state's Atlantic coast. Nesheiwat's brother-in-law is Rep. Mike Waltz , R-Fla., tapped by Trump as national security adviser. Here's a look at the nominees' potential role in carrying out what Kennedy says is the task to “reorganize” agencies, which have an overall $1.7 billion budget, employ 80,000 scientists, researchers, doctors and other officials, and effect Americans' daily lives: The Atlanta-based CDC, with a $9.2 billion core budget, is charged with protecting Americans from disease outbreaks and other public health threats. Kennedy has long attacked vaccines and criticized the CDC, repeatedly alleging corruption at the agency. He said on a 2023 podcast that there is "no vaccine that is safe and effective,” and urged people to resist the CDC's guidelines on if and when kids should get vaccinated . Decades ago, Kennedy found common ground with Weldon , 71, who served in the Army and worked as an internal medicine doctor before he represented a central Florida congressional district from 1995 to 2009. Starting in the early 2000s, Weldon had a prominent part in a debate about whether there was a relationship between a vaccine preservative called thimerosal and autism. He was a founding member of the Congressional Autism Caucus and tried to ban thimerosal from all vaccines. Kennedy, then a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, believed there was a tie between thimerosal and autism and also charged that the government hid documents showing the danger. Since 2001, all vaccines manufactured for the U.S. market and routinely recommended for children 6 years or younger have contained no thimerosal or only trace amounts, with the exception of inactivated influenza vaccine. Meanwhile, study after study after study found no evidence that thimerosal caused autism. Weldon's congressional voting record suggests he may go along with Republican efforts to downsize the CDC, including to eliminate the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, which works on topics like drownings, drug overdoses and shooting deaths. Weldon also voted to ban federal funding for needle-exchange programs as an approach to reduce overdoses, and the National Rifle Association gave him an “A” rating for his pro-gun rights voting record. Kennedy is extremely critical of the FDA, which has 18,000 employees and is responsible for the safety and effectiveness of prescription drugs, vaccines and other medical products, as well as overseeing cosmetics, electronic cigarettes and most foods. Makary, Trump’s pick to run the FDA, is closely aligned with Kennedy on several topics . The professor at Johns Hopkins University who is a trained surgeon and cancer specialist has decried the overprescribing of drugs, the use of pesticides on foods and the undue influence of pharmaceutical and insurance companies over doctors and government regulators. Kennedy has suggested he'll clear our “entire” FDA departments and also recently threatened to fire FDA employees for “aggressive suppression” of a host of unsubstantiated products and therapies, including stem cells, raw milk , psychedelics and discredited COVID-era treatments like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. Makary's contrarian views during the COVID-19 pandemic included questioning the need for masking and giving young kids COVID-19 vaccine boosters. But anything Makary and Kennedy might want to do when it comes to unwinding FDA regulations or revoking long-standing vaccine and drug approvals would be challenging. The agency has lengthy requirements for removing medicines from the market, which are based on federal laws passed by Congress. The agency provides health care coverage for more than 160 million people through Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act, and also sets Medicare payment rates for hospitals, doctors and other providers. With a $1.1 trillion budget and more than 6,000 employees, Oz has a massive agency to run if confirmed — and an agency that Kennedy hasn't talked about much when it comes to his plans. While Trump tried to scrap the Affordable Care Act in his first term, Kennedy has not taken aim at it yet. But he has been critical of Medicaid and Medicare for covering expensive weight-loss drugs — though they're not widely covered by either . Trump said during his campaign that he would protect Medicare, which provides insurance for older Americans. Oz has endorsed expanding Medicare Advantage — a privately run version of Medicare that is popular but also a source of widespread fraud — in an AARP questionnaire during his failed 2022 bid for a U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania and in a 2020 Forbes op-ed with a former Kaiser Permanente CEO. Oz also said in a Washington Examiner op-ed with three co-writers that aging healthier and living longer could help fix the U.S. budget deficit because people would work longer and add more to the gross domestic product. Neither Trump nor Kennedy have said much about Medicaid, the insurance program for low-income Americans. Trump's first administration reshaped the program by allowing states to introduce work requirements for recipients. Kennedy doesn't appear to have said much publicly about what he'd like to see from surgeon general position, which is the nation's top doctor and oversees 6,000 U.S. Public Health Service Corps members. The surgeon general has little administrative power, but can be an influential government spokesperson on what counts as a public health danger and what to do about it — suggesting things like warning labels for products and issuing advisories. The current surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, declared gun violence as a public health crisis in June. Trump's pick, Nesheiwat, is employed as a New York City medical director with CityMD, a group of urgent care facilities in the New York and New Jersey area, and has been at City MD for 12 years. She also has appeared on Fox News and other TV shows, authored a book on the “transformative power of prayer” in her medical career and endorses a brand of vitamin supplements. She encouraged COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic, calling them “a gift from God” in a February 2021 Fox News op-ed, as well as anti-viral pills like Paxlovid. In a 2019 Q&A with the Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation , Nesheiwat said she is a “firm believer in preventive medicine” and “can give a dissertation on hand-washing alone.” As of Saturday, Trump had not yet named his choice to lead the National Institutes of Health, which funds medical research through grants to researchers across the nation and conducts its own research. It has a $48 billion budget. Kennedy has said he'd pause drug development and infectious disease research to shift the focus to chronic diseases. He'd like to keep NIH funding from researchers with conflicts of interest, and criticized the agency in 2017 for what he said was not doing enough research into the role of vaccines in autism — an idea that has long been debunked . Associated Press writers Amanda Seitz and Matt Perrone and AP editor Erica Hunzinger contributed to this report. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.Soccer-Kompany hails Mueller after Bayern dismantle Shakhtar

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Barely a month remains before the 49ers can begin extension talks with Brock Purdy , the Mr. Irrelevant find that helped bail the franchise out of the predicament the Trey Lance miss created. Purdy has lost two of his top four weapons, and he has picked up a shoulder injury. Although, San Francisco’s third-year starter has still accounted himself fairly well in this de facto platform year. Purdy’s seventh-round contract runs through 2025, and the 49ers have the leverage of a potential 2026 franchise tag at their disposal. But the expectation has been for Purdy extension talks to begin soon . Where those go will be one of the 2025 offseason’s central storylines, as the 49ers — after Deebo Samuel‘s 2022 trade request, Nick Bosa‘s 2023 holdout and Brandon Aiyuk‘s rumor-flooded hold-in — are set to have another offseason dominated by a big-ticket contract. The question that will define the 49ers’ offseason, as well as the organization’s longer-term outlook, centers around where these negotiations will end up. Dak Prescott used extraordinary leverage to drive the quarterback market to $60M per year, representing a staggering increase based on where the NFL was just five years prior. It took 25 years for the QB market to balloon from $5M AAV to $25M AAV; it has since taken just six for it to climb from $30 M -$60M per year. At some point, a team will pass on a monster QB payment. The 2024 offseason did not feature any such actions. Despite neither Trevor Lawrence nor Jordan Love having established themselves as top-tier quarterbacks, each matched Joe Burrow‘s then-record $55M AAV. Tua Tagovailoa‘s injury history and inconsistent first two seasons made him a curious extension candidate. Despite rumblings of the Dolphins being leery of paying the going rate, they ultimately did, authorizing a $53.1M-per-year payday for their southpaw starter. It no longer requires sufficient credentials to earn a top-market QB contract. The leverage the position’s importance creates — amid the fear of starting over — drives these negotiations, putting Purdy in strong position. Purdy, 25 this month, needed to beat out Nate Sudfeld for the 49ers’ third-string job during his first training camp. Lance’s subsequent ankle injury bumped him to the QB2 role, and San Francisco’s offense — to the surprise of most — did not slow down after Jimmy Garoppolo‘s foot fracture. Purdy proved competent and piloted the team to the 2022 NFC championship game. He then made it back by Week 1 after UCL rehab, during an offseason that ended with the 49ers admitting defeat on Lance, whom they traded to the Cowboys for a fourth-round pick. Purdy took significant steps last season, throwing 31 touchdown passes in 16 games and becoming the first passer to start a full season and average 9.6 yards per attempt since the 1950s. He led the NFL in QBR and passer rating. The 49ers’ four-All-Pro skill-position cadre provided a considerable boost for the formerly unappealing prospect, but Purdy finished last season by going toe-to-toe with Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LVIII. He has been at the wheel longer than Love and has offered more stability than Lawrence. That $55M-per-year price, then, makes sense as a clear floor. Of course, persistent Purdy skepticism has come from his place in Kyle Shanahan‘s scheme and whether he would be worth such a contract. After all, the team did find Purdy in Round 7. Wouldn’t it be within the realm of possibility for the franchise to consider cashing out via trade (at some point) and believing it could maximize another passer lacking elite skills? Then again, that is a dangerous game to play. The 49ers being the team to strongly consider passing on authorizing such a contract should not be ruled out, seeing as Shanahan reached a Super Bowl with Garoppolo at the helm. The 49ers would also see their roster blueprint change wildly if/once they pay Purdy. How the team proceeds with its host of contract-year starters in 2025 — a group including Charvarius Ward, Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga and Aaron Banks — may be an early tell on how it will proceed with Purdy, as paying the QB — even in the expected event of a backloaded structure that kept cap hits low early — would naturally lead to cost-cutting moves elsewhere on the roster. Purdy sits seventh in QBR despite Aiyuk and Christian McCaffrey missing most of the season. The Iowa State alum still ranks fifth in Y/A (8.4) and has delivered 275 rushing yards — far more than he offered in 16 games last year. He is on the cusp of receiving the biggest raise in NFL history, as the seventh-round deal averages $934K per annum. 49ers CEO Jed York pointed to the team already planning for a Purdy payday , and while rumblings about a Kirk Cousins trade serving as a potential fallback option (thus reuniting he and Shanahan, Washington’s OC at the time the veteran was drafted) have surfaced, nothing serious has come out regarding any real considerations of separating from Purdy. With the exception of Prescott, Cousins and Lamar Jackson, high-end QB paydays in the fifth-year option era commence before or during the player’s contract year. QB tags are rare. The 49ers could keep Purdy at a $1.1M base salary next season and prepare for a 2026 tag at roughly $45M, but they then run the risk of the market rising down the road. It can also be argued the market might not change much in 2025, as the 2021 and ’22 draft classes have not brought extension candidates. Lawrence has already been paid, with the other four first-round QBs from 2021 not being in line for monster pacts . The 2022 early-round crop has been even worse, with Purdy the only extension candidate to come from that disappointing QB draft. The NFL’s $50M-per-year club expanded to nine this offseason, and Josh Allen will be a candidate to eclipse Prescott’s contract perhaps as early as 2025. The MVP front-runner does not carry the contractual leverage Prescott did, in being tied to his $43M-per-year accord through 2027, but the Bills will need to address this team-friendly deal at some point. Allen’s six-year deal is as close as any QB has come to accepting team-friendly terms in line with Mahomes’. The three-time Super Bowl MVP is still signed through 2031 at $45M per, giving the Chiefs tremendous flexibility. But his peers have, as expected, still opted for shorter-term deals that would allow for more prime-years paydays. Barring Purdy accepting Mahomes- or Allen-level terms, the 49ers will need to pay up and make sacrifices elsewhere. That would stand to impact their loaded (when healthy) roster. That will mark a significant change for the franchise, but the team already had Garoppolo on top-market (at the time) terms and still churned out winning squads. San Francisco’s Shanahan-era blueprints have come with and without a veteran-QB deal on the payroll. Starting over at quarterback would represents a massive risk, and for a team that missed badly when trying to do so (Lance) earlier this decade, it might not be one to take. Purdy has be effective in Shanahan’s offense, putting him on the cusp of the NFL’s latest quarterback megadeal. How it comes together will shape the market for future passers. Given how disappointing most of the other arms from the 2021 and ’22 drafts have been, Purdy suddenly resides as the QB market’s centerpiece player for the 2025 offseason. While the 49ers are no strangers to contract drama, it appears more likely than not they will stay the course and not become the team that refuses to pay a passer the going rate. Purdy’s asking price topping Prescott’s may change that, but a deal between the Lawrence-Love level and where the Cowboys’ leverage-fueled QB raised the market is probably something the 49ers will need to stomach. This article first appeared on Pro Football Rumors and was syndicated with permission.

Former transgenders, parents and activists braved frigid temperatures on Wednesday morning to rally outside the Supreme Court to demand an end to the 'butchery' and ‘trauma’ of child sex-change surgeries and treatments. Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California, is the latest battleground in the ongoing national culture war over trans athletes in girls' sports. Students at the school have gone viral on social media in recent weeks amid an ongoing lawsuit over two girls' cross country runners allegedly being told they can't wear t-shirts that read "Save Women's Sports." The two teenage girls heading the lawsuit allege their shirts were compared to swastikas by school administrators, while a trans athlete competes on their team and took a varsity spot from a female player. Another student athlete on the school's cross-country team, Rylee Morrow, brought more national attention to the situation when she gave an impassioned speech at a school board meeting in November in a clip that went viral due to her conveyed fears of having to share a locker room with a biological male. "Having a male on the team proposes genetic advantages," Morrow later said during an interview on Fox News, while lambasting her school for comparing the shirts to swastikas. "It was honestly disappointing in our staff at our school; that's a mass genocide, and to compare such a very broad term to such a horrible time in history is quite disappointing." This past week, the situation appeared to escalate when students from the school appeared in a viral TikTok in which they said the school has instituted a new dress code to prevent students from wearing the shirts. "When our school won't let a girl wear this shirt who lost her varsity spot for a biological male so everyone wears them and they try to not let us into school, dress code us and keep us out of class for voicing our opinion and supporting a friend. Crazy how the world works," a caption read. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The TikTok has since been deleted from the account, but it still circulates across X. California Family Council outreach director Sophia Lorey revealed that more than 150 students have worn the t-shirts to school since the incident started, and alleged that students who refused to comply with the new dress code were forced to spend hours in the principal's office. Lorey says that those students plan to keep doing this on a regular basis despite their school's new rule. "I received those numbers from parents directly involved," Lorey told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. "I then have received word on social media that the students plan to continue to do this every Wednesday." Lorey added that she hopes this will lead more of the school's students to join the ongoing lawsuit. "I’m deeply disappointed in the school administration for trampling on their First Amendment rights, issuing dress code violations and comparing ‘XX does not equal XY’ to wearing a swastika, simply because the students are standing up for biological reality, is disgusting. Schools should protect free speech, not punish students for defending what is right. I am looking forward to hopefully more students joining the lawsuit, and truth prevailing," Lorey said in an exclusive statement. "Even if the school doesn’t like the message, this does not give them the ability to violate their students' First Amendment right. Earlier this year, I won my First Amendment right case, after a librarian silenced me for stating, ‘Men do not belong in women’s sports,’ and I believe we will see the same results here." Former NCAA swimmer and OutKick contributor Riley Gaines also spoke out about the situation and encouraged her followers in a post on X to reach out to the school to voice displeasure with the administration. Julianne Fleischer, Legal Counsel at Advocates for Faith & Freedom, who is representing the two athletes involved in the lawsuit, appeared on Fox News with Morrow on Nov. 26 to speak out against the school for its stance on preventing the girls from wearing the shirts. SJSU TRANSGENDER VOLLEYBALL SCANDAL: TIMELINE OF ALLEGATIONS, POLITICAL IMPACT AND A RAGING CULTURE MOVEMENT "They wore [the shirts] to their practice, and the athletic director told them that they needed to hide their shirt or change their shirts because that message, ‘Save Girls' Sports,’ creates a hostile environment," she explained. The Riverside Unified School District (RUSD) provided a statement to Fox News Digital defending the decision to have the student in the school, but has not addressed its stance on the t-shirts. The RUSD also said the reason for this is because of the state laws in California in which public schools are obligated to protect trans athletes. "While these rules were not created by RUSD, the District is committed to complying with the law and CIF regulations. California state law prohibits discrimination of students based on gender, gender identity and gender expression, and specifically prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender in physical education and athletics. The protections we provide to all students are not only aligned with the law but also with our core values which include equity and well-being," the statement read. The sudden national culture movement to protect women's and girls' sports from trans inclusion has been just as much of a youth movement as it has a conservative movement since it picked up steam this year. High school students across New York reportedly planned a mass walkout event to protest trans inclusion in girls' sports back in October, according to The New York Post. "It’s not right for boys to compete against girls in sports. It’s a huge disadvantage for girls," said Hannah Pompeo, a 16-year soccer player at Eden High School near Buffalo, ahead of the students' planned "Walk Off for Fairness Day." California has been a particular hotbed for the movement and controversial instances involving trans inclusion this year, as the state has had laws in place to protect trans athletes that seek to compete against females since 2013. Stone Ridge Christian High School, located in Merced, forfeited a state playoff volleyball game against a team that was said to have a biological male transgender athlete on its team. Stone Ridge Christian was commended for the decision and even held a ceremony with Gaines to celebrate the decision. Another trans volleyball player at Half Moon Bay High School prompted the Catholic school Notre Dame Belmont to forfeit a match earlier this season, but they chose to play a rematch. That rematch reportedly included booing of the trans athlete. Notre Dame Belmont was then told it could face "consequences" for the decision of students to boo. Meanwhile, one of the most polarizing national controversies involving trans athlete inclusion recently played out at San Jose State University this past volleyball season. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Trans player Blaire Fleming and female teammate Brooke Slusser were thrust into the controversy that garnered mainstream attention, and was even used as a campaign point in the recent presidential election, after Slusser filed two lawsuits alleging she had been made to share a bedroom and changing space with Fleming for an entire season without being told the player is a biological male. The team saw eight of its matches forfeited, including a conference tournament match, amid the controversy, which only brought more national attention to the team as it made it all the way to the Mountain West championship game. The issue of trans inclusion in girls' and women's sports became a massive political vulnerability for Democrats in the recent election. President-elect Trump pounced on the issue, declaring a stance in favor of a national ban on trans athletes in women's sports. The opposition has fueled a massive culture movement, especially among young women in Democrat-controlled states with laws in place to enable trans athletes to compete against them. The movement has become so powerful in recent months that it is now even the basis for a lucrative apparel brand, XX-XY Athletics, which has signed multiple female athletes who have endured the experience of competing against transgenders as brand ambassadors. Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X , and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter . Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.If you can make this AI bot fall in love, you could win thousands of dollars

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) — Brandon Nunez threw just two passes, each for a score, and New Mexico State beat Middle Tennessee 36-21 on Saturday to end a three-game losing streak. Nunez tossed a 12-yard touchdown pass to Seth McGowan to give the Aggies a 20-7 lead midway through the third quarter. After Middle Tennessee pulled to 26-21 early in the fourth, Nunez tossed a 4-yard TD pass to Cooper Sheehan that made it 33-21 with 7:43 left. Parker Awad completed 12 of 16 passes for 221 yards for New Mexico State (3-8, 2-5 Conference USA). McGowan finished with 83 yards rushing. Mike Washington also had a touchdown run and Dylan Early a 30-yard pick-6 for the Aggies. Nicholas Vattiato was 30-of-45 passing for 277 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for Middle Tennessee (3-8, 2-5), which has lost three of its last four. __ Get alerts on the latest AP Top 25 poll 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-footballALTOONA, Pa. — The man accused of killing struggled with deputies and shouted while being led into court Tuesday as new details emerged about his possible motivation behind the ambush. In his first public words since a five-day search ended with his arrest at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania, emerged from a patrol car shouting about an “insult to the intelligence of the American people” while deputies pushed him inside a courthouse. The 26-year-old Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family is fighting attempts to extradite him to New York so that he can face a murder charge in the Manhattan killing of , who led the United States’ largest medical insurance company. A law enforcement bulletin obtained by The Associated Press said that at the time of his arrest, Mangione was carrying a handwritten document expressing anger with what he called “parasitic” health insurance companies and a disdain for corporate greed and power. He wrote that the U.S. has the most expensive health care system in the world and that profits of major corporations continue to rise while “our life expectancy” does not, according to the bulletin. In social media posts, Mangione called — who carried out a series of bombings while railing against modern society and technology — a “political revolutionary,” according to the police bulletin. Mangione remained jailed in Pennsylvania, where he was initially charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Manhattan prosecutors were beginning to take steps to bring Mangione to New York, but at a brief hearing Tuesday, defense lawyer Thomas Dickey said his client will not waive extradition and instead wants a hearing on the issue. Mangione was denied bail after prosecutors said he was too dangerous to be released. He mostly stared straight ahead at the hearing, occasionally looking at papers, rocking in his chair or looking back at the gallery. At one point, he began to speak to respond to the court discussion but was quieted by his lawyer. “You can’t rush to judgment in this case or any case,” Dickey said afterward. “He’s presumed innocent. Let’s not forget that.” Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) west of New York City, after a McDonald’s customer recognized him and notified an employee, authorities said. Images of Mangione released Tuesday by Pennsylvania State Police showed him pulling down his mask in the corner of the McDonald’s while holding what appeared to be hash browns and wearing a winter jacket and beanie. In another photo from a holding cell, he stood unsmiling with rumpled hair. New York police officials have said Mangione was carrying like the one used to kill Thompson and the same fake ID the shooter had used to check into a New York hostel, along with a passport and other fraudulent IDs. A law enforcement official who wasn’t authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity said a three-page, handwritten document found with Mangione included a line in which he claimed to have acted alone. “To the Feds, I’ll keep this short, because I do respect what you do for our country. To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anyone,” the document said, according to the official. It also said, “I do apologize for any strife or traumas but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming.” Thompson, 50, was killed last Wednesday as he walked alone to a Manhattan hotel for an investor conference. From surveillance video, New York investigators determined the shooter quickly fled the city, likely by bus. Mangione was born into a life of country clubs and privilege. His grandfather was a self-made real estate developer and philanthropist. Valedictorian at his elite Baltimore prep school, he went on to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a spokesperson said. “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione’s family said in a statement posted on social media late Monday by his cousin, Maryland Del. Nino Mangione. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.” From January to June 2022, Luigi Mangione lived at Surfbreak, a “co-living” space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Honolulu. Like other residents of the shared penthouse catering to remote workers, Mangione underwent a background check, said Josiah Ryan, a spokesperson for owner and founder R.J. Martin. “Luigi was just widely considered to be a great guy. There were no complaints,” Ryan said. “There was no sign that might point to these alleged crimes they’re saying he committed.” At Surfbreak, Martin learned Mangione had severe back pain from childhood that interfered with many aspects of his life, from surfing to romance, Ryan said. Mangione left Surfbreak to get surgery on the mainland, Ryan said, then later returned to Honolulu and rented an apartment. Martin stopped hearing from Mangione six months to a year ago. ___ Scolforo reported from Altoona and Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. Contributing were Associated Press writers Cedar Attanasio and Jennifer Peltz in New York; Michael Rubinkam and Maryclaire Dale in Pennsylvania; Lea Skene in Baltimore; Jennifer Sinco Kelleher in Honolulu and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio.Canada's Jonathan David scores milestone goal in Lille win over Brest in France

A Dec. 4 Facebook post ( , ) includes an aerial image that shows a mass of demonstrators in a city. "Today on the streets of South Korea as they marched the streets toward the presidential palace to demand the resignation of President Yoon Suk-yeol," the post's caption reads in part. The post was shared more than 100 times in a day. A similar was reposted more than 7,000 times before it was deleted. | | The image in the posts is from December 2016. It shows protesters rallying in Seoul against then-President Park Geun-hye. It does not show a protest against President Yoon Suk Yeol in December 2024. Protesters triggered by Yoon's surprise move to on Dec. 3 tried to march to the presidential palace in Seoul to demand his resignation but were stopped by South Korean police, according to on Dec. 4. Yoon, facing political backlash and widespread protests, reversed course on the martial law declaration and has since faced to resign or face impeachment. However, the image in the Facebook post does not show protesters rallying against Yoon in December 2024. eight years prior, on Dec. 3, 2016. It shows demonstrators occupying Seoul's city center to rally against Park, the president at the time, over a government-influence scandal involving her friend, according to the photo's caption on Getty Images. : The same photo was included in describing ongoing protests against Park. She was later convicted on corruption charges and served nearly five years in prison before returning home with a pardon in March 2022, . USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response. debunked the claim. Getty Images, Dec. 3, 2016, Voice of America, Dec. 3, 2016, ABC News (Australia), Dec. 3, 2016,Walmart , the world’s largest retailer, is rolling back its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, joining a list of major corporations that have been under pressure by conservative activists. The company confirmed on Monday to The Associated Press that it will better monitor its third-party marketplace items to make sure they don’t feature sexual and transgender products aimed at minors. That would include chest binders intended for youth who are going through a gender change, the company said. The Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer will also be reviewing grants to Pride events to make sure it is not financially supporting sexualized content targeting kids. For example, the company wants to makes sure a family pavilion is not next to a drag show at a Pride event, the company said. Walmart will also no longer consider race and gender as a way to increase diversity when it offers supplier contracts. The company said it didn't have quotas and will not do so going forward. It will stop collecting demographic data when determining financing eligibility for those grants. “We’ve been on a journey and know we aren’t perfect, but every decision comes from a place of wanting to foster a sense of belonging, to open doors to opportunities for all our associates, customers and suppliers and to be a Walmart for everyone,” the company said in a statement. Walmart confirmed the changes after conservative political commentator and anti-DEI activist Robby Starbuck posted on X that he was in touch with the retailer about a story he was doing about “wokeness” and he said he ended up having "productive conversations” with Walmart. "This is the biggest win yet for our movement to end wokeness in corporate America," wrote Starbuck, who has gone after companies including Deere & Co., Lowe's, Tractor Supply and Boeing.

DALLAS, Texas, Dec. 16, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Skyhawks Sports, a Stack Sports company, is proud to announce the winner and finalists of the 2024 Coach of the Year Award. This annual accolade honors coaches who exemplify exceptional dedication, leadership, and a commitment to fostering positive sports experiences for young athletes. Jason Frazier, General Manager of Skyhawks, expressed his admiration for the coaches: “Our coaches are the heartbeat of Skyhawks, dedicating themselves to nurturing young athletes both on and off the field. Their commitment not only create fun sports experiences but also teach life lessons that resonate beyond the game is what makes them great coaches.” WINNER: FINALISTS: Coach Michael “Mikey” Monary has been an invaluable asset to the Skyhawks Sports Academy in Orange County. His passion and determination to continually improve as a coach have cultivated a significant following among local organizations, often resulting in waitlists exceeding 20 children. Parents frequently request Coach Mikey, with some traveling to different cities to enroll their children in his classes. Coach Mikey’s versatility allows him to coach any sport and age group, and he proactively expands his expertise, even taking private tennis lessons to better serve his students. His commitment to providing positive experiences for children exemplifies the core values of Skyhawks Sports. Jeff Brunsberg, Chief Revenue and Strategy Officer at Stack Sports, added: “Recognizing these outstanding coaches underscores our mission to increase participation and transform the sports experience. Their passion and dedication are pivotal in creating positive, lasting impacts in the communities we serve.” Skyhawks Sports remains dedicated to providing quality youth sports programs that emphasize critical life skills such as teamwork, respect, and sportsmanship. The organization congratulates Michael Monary and all the finalists for their exceptional contributions to youth sports. About Skyhawks Founded in Spokane, Washington in 1979, Skyhawks has established itself as one of the largest youth sport program providers in North America. Skyhawks provides a wide variety of fun, safe and positive programs that emphasize critical lessons by “teaching life skills through sports”. Programs range from week-long summer camps to after-school programs, clinics, and leagues for children aged 18mths to 14 in a variety of sports. About Stack Sports With nearly 50 million users in 35 countries, Stack Sports is a global technology leader in SaaS platform offerings for the sports industry. The company provides world-class software and services to support national governing bodies, youth sports associations, leagues, clubs, parents, coaches, and athletes. Some of the largest and most prominent sports organizations including the U.S. Soccer Federation, Little League Baseball and Softball, and Pop Warner Little Scholars rely on Stack Sports technology to run and manage their organizations. Stack Sports is headquartered in Dallas and is leading the industry one team at a time focusing on four key pillars — Grassroots Engagement, Participation Growth, Recruiting Pathways, and Elite Player Development. To learn more about how Stack Sports is transforming the sports experience, please visit https://stacksports.com/ . NEWS SOURCE: Stack Sports Keywords: Sports and Activities, Skyhawks Sports 2024 Coach of the Year Award, Stack Sports, Supertots, youth sports programs, DALLAS, Texas This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Stack Sports) who is solely responsibile for its accuracy, by Send2Press® Newswire . Information is believed accurate but not guaranteed. Story ID: S2P122869 APDF15TBLLI To view the original version, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/skyhawks-sports-announces-2024-coach-of-the-year-winner-and-finalists/ © 2024 Send2Press® Newswire, a press release distribution service, Calif., USA. Disclaimer: This press release content was not created by nor issued by the Associated Press (AP). Content below is unrelated to this news story.lucky fortune 777 。

Global Solar Fuel Market To Reach $17.52 Billion By 2028 With A Growth Rate Of 7.6%MISSOULA — As a matter of routine last spring, University of Montana graduate student Erin Dozhier would settle into their home office on the north end of Missoula and prepare for a barrage of questions about houseplants and parrots. The queries came from public school kids hundreds of miles away, their worlds temporarily connected to Dozhier’s through a version of Zoom often utilized by therapists for virtual counseling. Usually, Dozhier would start with their most tried-and-true strategy for building rapport with young clients. “Number one, if you want students to talk to you, ask them about their pets or show them your pet,” said Dozhier, whose parrot Alfie often made appearances in such sessions. Dozhier is one of a growing number of students from UM’s social work, school counseling and mental health counseling programs who have delivered such services for K-12 children in Montana’s far-flung rural districts. What began as an experimental effort to address the mental health side of school safety has, over the past five years, evolved into a fixture both for the university’s Safe Schools Center and for the small schools it serves. Dubbed VAST — short for Virtually Assisted School Teams — the program now boasts six grad students and 22 participating districts stretching from the Bitterroot Valley to the North Dakota border. The free counseling services VAST has made available to young Montanans highlight a growing focus among leaders across the state’s education continuum on student mental health. According to Montana’s latest Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 43% of responding high school students reported feeling sad or hopeless for two or more weeks in a row, and more than a quarter had seriously considered suicide — the highest annual rate since 1991. Educators often point to rising rates of youth anxiety and depression as a contributor to the steady decline in statewide academic performance, and for schools large and small, financial and hiring difficulties frequently stand in the way of providing robust mental health resources. Even outside the K-12 system, such support for students in Montana’s more rural communities may be dozens if not hundreds of miles away. For program leader Tammy Tolleson Knee, who serves as school support liaison for UM’s Safe Schools Center, the issues VAST was crafted to address have only become more pressing since the pandemic and speak to social and societal forces at work well beyond a school’s hallways. She told MTFP that as of this week, 53 K-12 students in Montana have been referred to the program for one-on-one counseling, with more than a dozen more referrals expected. “One of the great hardships for families is just what’s happening with the economy,” Tolleson Knee said. “And when families are stressed, kids become stressed.” Some districts, including in the northeast Montana town of Bainville, have been relying on VAST for years to meet the needs of their most vulnerable students. Other districts such as the Broadus Public Schools have only recently joined the program but are already reporting an impact. Broadus school counselor Dori Phillips told Montana Free Press that in the two months since the district formalized its participation, she’s already referred six students to one-on-one tele-counseling through VAST. “I don’t know where I would be without the help with those particular kiddos,” Phillips said. When Dan Lee first envisioned the VAST program in 2019, he saw tele-counseling as the preventative prong in a larger effort to address student safety. As then-head of UM’s Safe Schools Center, Lee heard time and again from educators that shortages of mental health professionals in rural communities posed a significant hurdle to getting children the help they needed before their personal struggles reached a critical level. The challenge, Lee told MTFP, was in developing an initiative that didn’t reinforce misconceptions — tied to school shootings — about mental health as a public safety concern. “One of the concerns we had was we can’t criminalize mental health,” said Lee, now the dean of UM’s College of Education, which houses the campus’ various counseling programs as well as the Safe Schools Center. “We can’t say if you are depressed, you are a threat. You can’t do that. When you’re depressed, it doesn’t mean you’re a threat to anybody. So we didn’t like the idea of classifying mental illness as a threat to schools because it’s not.” VAST, which kicked off during the 2020-21 academic year with two participating schools, fit neatly into a collection of services Lee and his cohorts developed for Montana schools, providing a compassion-centric therapeutic tool to complement the center’s more site-specific threat assessments, staff training and its 24/7 school safety hotline. At the same time, Lee said, the initiative began giving UM students greater access to the clinical hours needed to obtain their degrees and licenses, hours that can be difficult to get. “We can’t say if you are depressed, you are a threat. You can’t do that. When you’re depressed, it doesn’t mean you’re a threat to anybody.” In the years since, VAST has increasingly filled a void in rural communities with participating schools. Tolleson Knee recalled the story of one student who had previously received counseling in a community an hour away from home, until the family’s finances could no longer sustain the costs of travel and treatment. Her colleague, Safe Schools Center Director Emily Sallee, added that even if families are able to sustain private mental health services, outside professionals may not be effective at coordinating with in-school staff. By comparison, VAST relies on teachers and school counselors — the latter a state-mandated position in public schools — to coordinate with UM-side practitioners and keep them informed about any developments in a student’s life that may go unseen or unacknowledged in a tele-counseling session. “There’s this huge wraparound piece that’s often missing when kids are accessing counseling outside of schools,” Sallee said, “and it’s a huge part of how all these people can be supporting this kiddo, not just the counselor.” For Deborah Ith, the team-centered aspect of the program has been an important facet of her VAST experience this fall. A doctoral student in UM’s school psychology program, Ith currently has three teenage students in rural schools that she meets with remotely at least once a week via a paid, HIPAA-compliant version of Zoom. Their struggles have primarily been interpersonal ones, Ith said, and on a couple of occasions have risen to the level that Ith has reached out to the school counselor and parents to develop a group plan of support. “Sometimes that means trying to support parents because that’s really scary,” Ith continued. “When you’re a parent and you have somebody call you up and be like, ‘Hey, this came up, this is going on, you need to know about it, this is what we talked about as a way to support and this is what you can do to support them,’ that’s really hard to hear sometimes.” Even as VAST participants continue to provide such day-to-day services for a growing collection of rural schools, Tolleson Knee is identifying opportunities to expand the program’s offerings even further. She told MTFP that starting this spring, the Safe Schools Center plans to try out a hybrid version of VAST in one Bitterroot Valley school that will include a monthly in-person counseling session for students on top of three monthly tele-counseling sessions. The University of Montana isn’t alone in recognizing the challenges rural schools face in providing adequate mental health support for their students. The nonprofit Montana Small Schools Alliance has developed its own 24/7 crisis support app, which mental health resources director Cindy Fouhy said has so far been accessed by more than 20,000 students across the state. In addition, the alliance — in partnership with the Montana Professional Learning Collaborative — has developed a free tele-counseling model of its own. Like VAST, the focus is primarily on Montana’s smallest and most resource-starved schools where dedicated one-on-one intervention simply isn’t available. “You go to these small schools and they may not even have a certified counselor,” Fouhy said. “If they do, he or she is also teaching classes and doing 500 other things.” The factors that make mental health support in rural communities so difficult can also fuel the very stressors that necessitate such support in the first place. Consider Broadus, a town of fewer than 500 people anchored to the vast prairie of southeastern Montana. The local K-12 school boasts a student population of roughly 225, some of whom travel up to 70 miles one way to attend Power River County’s sole high school. According to data from the Office of Public Instruction, more than a third of the student population is classified as economically disadvantaged. Politics, drought, alcohol use — there are a lot of issues influencing local families, said Broadus school counselor Dori Phillips, and those pressures “trickle to our students.” Professional help is more than 80 miles away in every direction. Stress and geographic isolation are exacerbated by a persistent social stigma around seeking mental health treatment, one that Phillips has struggled, family by individual family, to overcome. “Getting our families to commit to taking their kids for help is almost impossible in many cases,” Phillips said. “I have very few students on my caseload. I think there’s three total that actually travel out of town to get help.” Broadus Public Schools used to offer more robust mental health services for students through the state-sponsored Comprehensive School and Community Treatment program, or CSCT. But the district’s access dried up about two years ago following legislative changes to how services were administered, and the availability of a part-time school psychologist has largely served during emergencies or as a backup on days when Phillips isn’t working. So when Phillips heard of VAST in a statewide association email, she instantly saw the prospect of free, in-school tele-counseling as a carrot for local families. “I can work with kids on friendship issues, I can help kids if they’re having trouble managing homework or learning organizational skills, those types of things,” said Phillips, whose school counseling license is distinct from the licenses granted to clinical therapists. “But when you have a family who deals with the loss of a parent or a caregiver, you have a family who goes through even a nasty divorce or a child who has a lot of trauma from their early years, those are things that they really need a private counselor for. Someone who’s licensed and knows how to work with kids.” In just two months, the number of Broadus students receiving tele-counseling services through VAST has grown to six, and Phillips said she’s working to connect three more students with the program. “Getting our families to commit to taking their kids for help is almost impossible in many cases.” A few hundred miles to the north, Bainville school counselor Amy Iversen said the number of students she’s referred to VAST has grown from two students in 2022 to seven last school year. She described the ag-and-oil community as similarly small, with 172 students across all grades, and similarly isolated, with the closest larger population center lying across the state line in Williston, North Dakota. For Iversen, UM’s program came along at a critical time for several students who showed signs of behavioral issues or depression and whose families lacked the resources for private counseling. “They can come in and talk to me about it, but then you know what? They’re going to see me again in class in two days and they’re going to be like, ‘Oh, crap, is she going to say something?’” Iversen said. “They probably don’t want me to know all their secrets. I’ve got kids in the school, some of them are friends with my own kids. It’s awkward for them, so when you’re in a small school, it helps with that confidentiality.” In some cases, parents have commented to Iversen on a noticeable difference in their child’s confidence, self-esteem or coping skills as a result of ongoing therapy. And while school-based counseling has its limits — like the services provided by traditional school counselors, VAST is not offered during the summer break — Iversen hopes the mental health skills students glean during the school year can see them through the off months. “That’s better than not getting anything,” Iversen said. Dozhier, the UM grad student, didn’t have to look much further than their own childhood in a small Oregon timber town to understand the issues facing the young Montana clients they counseled last spring. Kids are smarter and more observant than people think, Dozhier said, which means when pressures like joblessness, food insecurity or substance abuse weigh on a household, children pick up on it. They may act out or isolate themselves, sometimes without knowing why, and the last thing such a student can focus on is learning. “Their thinking brains are off,” Dozhier said. Dozhier’s parrot Alfie may help break the ice, but helping a child navigate issues they may not fully understand requires more than just talking about pets and plants. In sessions with VAST, Dozhier said they primarily utilize a style of counseling called play therapy, allowing a student to play freely with whatever toys they choose. Their actions may give the counselor some subtle insight into what’s going on in their lives, Dozhier said. Fighting between toys could, for example, be indicative of difficult relationships with siblings or other family members and help guide a counselor’s questions. “Even though it looks like play, we find that pertinent themes come up in play, even without specifically saying, ‘Hey, how’s your relationship with your brother?’” Dozhier said. “It’s almost like watching a theater play that doesn’t have a lot of words and kind of using that to draw conclusions.” Ith’s work with older students this fall has also underscored the added stress coming to age in a smaller community can place on a 21st-century teen. She acknowledges that the rural nature of the schools she serves through VAST can help reinforce a sense of support, giving some students an awareness that others around them recognize the experiences they’re going through. But it’s a “double-edged sword,” she said, one that can make it difficult to find new peer groups or move past incidents of bullying. At the Montana Small Schools Alliance, Fouhy notes that social media and technology can exacerbate such issues in ways older generations may not fully understand. “The kids can’t get away from stressors,” Fouhy said. “In the 80s, kids could go home and if they had to fight at school, they wouldn’t have to worry about it again ’til Monday. But now it just goes on and on, and the conflict and the stress that’s just in their pocket is significant.” Remote delivery of the one-on-one services that can help students process such situations does pose challenges, and leaders at VAST are quick to note that the program isn’t a solution for budgetary shortfalls or hiring challenges. Dozhier and Ith both credit the effectiveness of their work to individuals in the communities they’ve served — school counselors, teachers, parents. Tele-counseling initiatives haven’t sought to replace those voices but rather to create oases in Montana’s rural desert of outside mental health services, and Tolleson Knee has heard from past participants that the anonymity of therapy was a key motivator. “When you do live in those small communities, it’s just so hard to be objective,” Tolleson Knee said. “I heard students and family saying it was so nice to know we weren’t going to like have this intense session where we’re talking about really personal stuff and then run into [the counselor] in the grocery store.” The experience of meeting such a need fits well with Dozhier’s long-term professional goal of returning to rural Oregon as a counselor, and they are slated to return to the VAST cohort of practitioners-in-training this spring as it branches into in-person service. But while the program is great at doing what it’s doing, Dozhier recognizes even private counseling has its limits. A few sessions with a therapist won’t erase the issues that arise for a child when, say, a parent is overworked, stretched thin and struggling just to put food on the table. When it comes to improving mental health, Dozhier said, the challenge is far more systematic than one school, one university or one counselor can handle alone. “The answer to all of this kid’s woes is maybe not counseling for a year,” Dozhier said. “The answer maybe to so many of these woes would be to reduce stress on the family, and that’s something that our systems aren’t set up to do.” This story was originally published by Montana Free Press at montanafreepress.org . You can read the original story here . Alex Sakariassen is a 2008 graduate of the University of Montana's School of Journalism, where he worked for four years at the Montana Kaimin student newspaper and cut his journalistic teeth as a paid news intern for the Choteau Acantha for two summers. After obtaining his bachelor's degree in journalism and history, Sakariassen spent nearly 10 years covering environmental issues and state and federal politics for the alternative newsweekly Missoula Independent. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Packers getting healthier as season winds down

CLEVLEAND (AP) — Shane Bieber's comeback with Cleveland has double meaning. And deeper meaning. The former Cy Young winner re-signed with the Guardians on Wednesday, a reunion that seemed unlikely when he became a free agent following last season. However, the 29-year-old Bieber decided to stick with the AL Central champions after making just two starts in 2024 before undergoing Tommy John surgery. There were other offers. None of them matched what he already had in Cleveland. “It's the relationships,” Bieber said on a Zoom call. "The development staff. The coaching staff. My teammates. Having continuity and familiarity in those realms I feel like can prove beneficial not only to me but my family and everybody really involved. "That was big for me to feel confident in my rehab where I’m at right now. Nobody knows me as well as Cleveland does and vice versa, so I’m happy to be continuing with them." Bieber agreed last week to a one-year, $14 million contract . The deal includes a $16 million player option for 2026. Not long ago, it seemed as if Bieber, who is 62-32 with a 3.22 ERA in 132 starts over seven seasons for Cleveland, was determined to continue his career elsewhere. He had turned down previous long-term offers in the past from the Guardians, and it was expected he would sign with another contender, likely on the West Coast. But the California native has a special connection with the Guardians, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 draft. And while a setback, the injury and surgery helped Bieber realize that he was already in the perfect place. “I had plenty of great meetings and beneficial and progressive meetings with other ball clubs,” he said. "Everybody handled everything first class all the way, and I’ve got great things to say about plenty of other organizations. “Ultimately, Cleveland made the call and I was happy to receive it and come to terms and so I’m happy with where I’m at. My family’s ecstatic. It was very clearly the right decision for not only myself, my family, and we’re excited to continue it.” Bieber, who won the AL Cy Young in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, threw only 12 innings last season before lingering issues with his elbow forced him to have surgery. He is expected to join Cleveland's rotation at some point in 2025. He's throwing three days a week at 90 feet and encouraged by his progress. As for when he'll take the mound in a game, that's currently unknown. “I’m pushing, pushing, pushing.” he said. “I feel great. I haven’t skipped a beat. When I ask for a (return) date, they don’t even give me a date. So there’s a long way to go.” A two-time All-Star, Bieber burst onto the national stage in 2019 when he was named MVP of the midsummer event in Cleveland. He has the highest strikeout ratio per nine innings (10.2) and third-highest winning percentage (.660) in the franchise's 124-year history. Bieber is one of just three Cleveland pitchers to start five season openers, joining Stan Coveleski (1917-21) and Corey Kluber (2015-19). While Bieber had some elbow issues in the past, he didn't appear to be struggling before being shut down. He struck out 11 in six scoreless innings against Oakland on March 28, and followed that up with six more shutout innings at Seattle on April 2. Days later, and with his season officially over, Bieber became emotional during a news conference at Progressive Field. He knew that in the short-term his life would be different and baseball, as he had always known it, would be on the backburner. Bieber said it took a while before he “digested” his new reality. He coped by immersing himself in his recovery, and Bieber found joy in watching his teammates storm through an unexpected season to a division title. Although it may not have been the same because he wasn't contributing on the field the way he always had, the hardships may have given Bieber something he needed. “It’s provided a lot of perspective,” he said. “It was a hard season this year for me and my family, but it was a great one. We’re expecting a baby and it was a season full of growth and I’m very excited to continue that into 2025.” ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB Tom Withers, The Associated PressBOZEMAN — For the first time in program history, the Montana State football team finished a regular season unbeaten. The No. 2-ranked Bobcats improved to 12-0 overall (8-0 in Big Sky Conference play) with a 34-11 win over No. 9 Montana (8-4, 5-3) in the 123rd Brawl of the Wild on Saturday afternoon at Bobcat Stadium. The victory gave MSU the outright Big Sky title and most likely secured a top-two seed in the FCS playoffs. Montana running back Eli Gillman is tackled by Montana State linebacker Bryce Grebe (10) and cornerback Andrew Powdrell in the 123rd Brawl of the Wild game on Saturday at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman. It’s the first outright conference championship for the Cats since 1984. MSU is credited with a solo Big Sky title in 2011, although it initially shared it with UM before the NCAA vacated several UM wins due to extra benefits. MSU opened Saturday's game with a 14-play, 75-yard drive that Tommy Mellott capped with a 5-yard touchdown run. The home team has now scored first in six straight Brawls, and the home team has won each of the last five Cat-Griz games by at least 19 points. After both teams traded punts, UM got to MSU’s 25-yard line on a 21-yard run from Xavier Harris. The Grizzlies settled for a 47-yard field goal after an Eli Gillman run for no gain, a false start and an incomplete pass caused by pressure from McCade O’Reilly and Rylan Ortt. On the next drive, Mellott completed a 35-yard TD pass to Rohan Jones on third and 8 to put the Cats ahead 14-3 with about 10 minutes left in the first half. MSU’s Myles Sansted put MSU up 17-3 with a 27-yard field goal at the 1-minute, 40-second mark. UM turned it over on downs with 25 seconds on the clock. MSU set up a 49-yard field goal attempt five plays later, and Sansted drilled it as time expired to give the Cats a 20-3 halftime lead. It’s the longest field goal MSU has made since a 50-yarder from Blake Glessner against William & Mary in the 2022 FCS quarterfinals. Both teams opened the second half with punts. The Griz stuffed Mellott on 4th and 1 at the 5:14 mark, but they went three and out on the next drive after Sawyer Racanelli couldn’t hold onto a 28-yard pass from Logan Fife. MSU went up by 24 points on the next drive, thanks to an 88-yard run from Adam Jones. The Missoula Sentinel grad scored on a 3-yard TD run. The Cats led 27-3 going into the fourth quarter, two seasons after they held a 41-7 lead over UM in Bozeman through three quarters. The Griz scored their only TD of the game with 11:02 left. Eli Gillman scored from 1 yard out and Fife completed a two-point pass to Racanelli after a 17-yard pass to Aaron Fontes on fourth and 8. MSU took a 34-11 lead with 4:49 left on a 2-yard TD run from Adam Jones, who finished with 197 rushing yards. The Cats out-gained the Griz 420 to 234 in total yards, including 326 to 117 on the ground. This story will be updated. Victor Flores is the Montana State Bobcats beat writer for 406 MT Sports. Email him at victor.flores@406mtsports.com and follow him on Twitter/X at @VictorFlores406 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Moxie Launches Compliance Defender to Simplify Regulatory Compliance for Medical Aesthetic PracticesNoneDALLAS (AP) — More than 60 years after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated , conspiracy theories still swirl and any new glimpse into the fateful day of Nov. 22, 1963, in Dallas continues to fascinate . President-elect Donald Trump promised during his reelection campaign that he would declassify all of the remaining government records surrounding the assassination if he returned to office. He made a similar pledge during his first term, but ultimately bended to appeals from the CIA and FBI to keep some documents withheld. At this point, only a few thousand of the millions of governmental records related to the assassination have yet to be fully released, and those who have studied the records released so far say that even if the remaining files are declassified, the public shouldn't anticipate any earth-shattering revelations. “Anybody waiting for a smoking gun that’s going to turn this case upside down will be sorely disappointed,” said Gerald Posner, author of “Case Closed,” which concludes that assassin Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. Friday's 61st anniversary is expected to be marked with a moment of silence at 12:30 p.m. in Dealey Plaza, where Kennedy's motorcade was passing through when he was fatally shot. And throughout this week there have been events marking the anniversary. Nov. 22, 1963 When Air Force One carrying Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy touched down in Dallas , they were greeted by a clear sky and enthusiastic crowds. With a reelection campaign on the horizon the next year, they had gone to Texas on political fence-mending trip. But as the motorcade was finishing its parade route downtown, shots rang out from the Texas School Book Depository building. Police arrested 24-year-old Oswald and, two days later, nightclub owner Jack Ruby fatally shot Oswald during a jail transfer. A year after the assassination, the Warren Commission, which President Lyndon B. Johnson established to investigate the assassination, concluded that Oswald acted alone and there was no evidence of a conspiracy. But that hasn't quelled a web of alternative theories over the decades. The collection In the early 1990s, the federal government mandated that all assassination-related documents be housed in a single collection in the National Archives and Records Administration. The collection of over 5 million records was required to be opened by 2017, barring any exemptions designated by the president. Trump, who took office for his first term in 2017, had boasted that he'd allow the release of all of the remaining records but ended up holding some back because of what he called the potential harm to national security. And while files have continued to be released during President Joe Biden's administration, some still remain unseen. The documents released over the last few years offer details on the way intelligence services operated at the time, and include CIA cables and memos discussing visits by Oswald to the Soviet and Cuban embassies during a trip to Mexico City just weeks before the assassination. The former Marine had previously defected to the Soviet Union before returning home to Texas. Mark S. Zaid, a national security attorney in Washington, said what's been released so far has contributed to the understanding of the time period, giving “a great picture” of what was happening during the Cold War and the activities of the CIA. Withheld files Posner estimates that there are still about 3,000 to 4,000 documents in the collection that haven’t yet been fully released. Of those documents, some are still completely redacted while others just have small redactions, like someone's Social Security number. There are about 500 documents where all the information is redacted, Posner said, and those include Oswald's and Ruby’s tax returns. “If you have been following it, as I have and others have, you sort of are zeroed in on the pages you think might provide some additional information for history,” Posner said. Trump's transition team hasn’t responded to questions this week about his plans when he takes office. A continued fascination From the start, there were those who believed there had to be more to the story than just Oswald acting alone, said Stephen Fagin, curator of the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, which tells the story of the assassination from the building where Oswald made his sniper's perch. “People want to make sense of this and they want to find the solution that fits the crime," said Fagin, who said that while there are lingering questions, law enforcement made “a pretty compelling case” against Oswald. Larry J. Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said his interest in the assassination dates back to the event itself, when he was a child. “It just seemed so fantastical that one very disturbed individual could end up pulling off the crime of the century," Sabato said. “But the more I studied it, the more I realized that is a very possible, maybe even probable in my view, hypothesis.”

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Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in PCB Bancorp ( NASDAQ:PCB – Free Report ) by 5.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 52,040 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,546 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in PCB Bancorp were worth $978,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in PCB. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in PCB Bancorp by 51.3% in the 1st quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 22,391 shares of the company’s stock worth $366,000 after purchasing an additional 7,588 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its position in shares of PCB Bancorp by 24.2% during the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 52,401 shares of the company’s stock valued at $853,000 after purchasing an additional 10,200 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its holdings in shares of PCB Bancorp by 5.9% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 75,933 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,236,000 after purchasing an additional 4,242 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in shares of PCB Bancorp by 6.2% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 461,114 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,506,000 after buying an additional 26,859 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in PCB Bancorp by 0.6% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 656,732 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,724,000 after buying an additional 4,152 shares during the period. 33.04% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Analysts Set New Price Targets PCB has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Piper Sandler upped their target price on PCB Bancorp from $20.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on shares of PCB Bancorp from $17.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Insider Buying and Selling at PCB Bancorp In other PCB Bancorp news, Director Daniel Cho sold 25,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.47, for a total transaction of $461,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 98,000 shares in the company, valued at $1,810,060. This represents a 20.33 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink . Also, Director Sang Young Lee acquired 8,174 shares of PCB Bancorp stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 18th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $20.74 per share, for a total transaction of $169,528.76. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 1,517,708 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $31,477,263.92. The trade was a 0.54 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here . Insiders have acquired 12,874 shares of company stock worth $265,424 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 25.01% of the company’s stock. PCB Bancorp Stock Performance PCB Bancorp stock opened at $21.44 on Friday. PCB Bancorp has a fifty-two week low of $14.50 and a fifty-two week high of $21.60. The stock has a market cap of $305.95 million, a P/E ratio of 12.69 and a beta of 0.67. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $19.13 and its 200-day moving average price is $17.57. PCB Bancorp ( NASDAQ:PCB – Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $0.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.45 by $0.07. PCB Bancorp had a return on equity of 8.68% and a net margin of 13.27%. The business had revenue of $48.62 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.50 million. On average, analysts predict that PCB Bancorp will post 1.74 earnings per share for the current year. PCB Bancorp Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 8th were paid a $0.18 dividend. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.36%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 8th. PCB Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio is currently 42.60%. PCB Bancorp Company Profile ( Free Report ) PCB Bancorp operates as the bank holding company for PCB Bank that provides various banking products and services to small to medium-sized businesses, individuals, and professionals in Southern California. The company offers demand, savings, money market, and time deposits, as well as certificates of deposit; and trade finance, remote deposit capture, courier deposit services, positive pay services, zero balance accounts, and sweep accounts. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PCB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for PCB Bancorp ( NASDAQ:PCB – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for PCB Bancorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PCB Bancorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Oklahoma's throwback offensive approach against Alabama gets LSU's attention

Elon Musk and the age of shameless oligarchyNone

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No. 2 Montana State Bobcats roll to Brawl of the Wild win over No. 9 Montana Grizzlies, complete 12-0 regular season

San Jose Sharks winger Luke Kunin is on pace to set a new single-season career high in goals scored. He is in his second season as an alternate captain and plays the type of north-south game coach Ryan Warsofsky appreciates. Those qualities will also likely make Kunin, a pending unrestricted free agent, an attractive trade target among playoff-contending teams early next year. Kunin scored twice and had 16:31 in ice time for the Sharks on Tuesday in their 3-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Going into Thursday’s date with his hometown St. Louis Blues, Kunin, after 31 games, is now tied for fourth on the team with eight goals, more than halfway past his career high of 15 set during the 2019-2020 season when he played in 63 games with the Minnesota Wild. Now, it’s a matter of whether the Sharks want to try to sign Kunin to a contract extension past this season or trade him for future assets as they did with goalie Mackenzie Blackwood on Monday. Blackwood was traded to the Colorado Avalanche as part of a deal that netted goalie and pending UFA Alexandar Georgiev, 25-year-old forward Nikolai Kovalenko, and two draft picks. After the deal, Sharks general manager Mike Grier said Blackwood likely “played his way out of here” with the season he was having. That means the average annual value of Blackwood’s next contract will probably be significantly higher than the $2.35 million on his current deal. The rebuilding Sharks are only willing to commit so much money to the goaltending position as Yaroslav Askarov’s two-year, $4 million contract kicks in next season. “I hope he gets what he’s looking for,” Grier said of Blackwood. “But I think he kind of played his way out of probably the ballpark figure of what we were looking for, especially with (Askarov) coming up as well.” It’s fair to suggest that Kunin, who turned 27 on Dec. 4, will be looking for a bump from his current AAV of $2.75 million and perhaps some term beyond one or two years on his next contract. He also must decide whether he wants to remain with the rebuilding Sharks, who appear to be at least a couple of years away from being serious playoff contenders. With Kunin a pending restricted free agent in June, he and the Sharks came to terms on a one-year, $2.75 million deal that took him to UFA status. He has 12 points this season and is sixth among Sharks forwards in average time on ice (15:05). Like he will with other pending UFAs before the March 7 trade deadline, Grier must decide whether Kunin fits in with the Sharks in their current state or whether it makes more sense to ship him and collect a future asset. The Sharks’ other pending UFAs are goalies Georgiev and Vitek Vanecek, forwards Mikael Granlund and Nico Sturm, and defensemen Cody Ceci and Jan Rutta. Those players, too, must decide whether to stay or move on. Regardless, Kunin, who sustained a torn right ACL in Dec. 2022 in his first season with the Sharks, appears to be helping his value with his improved skating and production. Kunin had 11 goals and 18 points in 77 games last season. “I think he’s been solid,” Warsofsky said after Tuesday’s loss. “We’re seeing a guy that’s skating more, first and foremost, gets to the inside of the ice, kind of the heart and soul of our team, really. He gives you everything he’s got. To get rewarded with two goals is nice.” MUKHAMADULLIN TO PLAY: Warsofsky said Wednesday in St. Louis that defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin would play against the Blues as the Sharks play the final game of a six-game road trip. After Tuesday’s game, the Sharks announced that Mukhamadullin had been recalled from the AHL and that defenseman Jack Thompson and forward Ethan Cardwell had been loaned back to the Barracuda. Mukhamadullin had six assists in 14 games with the Barracuda this season after the Sharks assigned him to the AHL on Oct. 22. His most recent game was on Dec. 8, when he had two assists in the Barracuda’s 2-1 win over Coachella Valley. Mukhamadullin, acquired from New Jersey in Feb. 2023 as part of the blockbuster trade that sent Timo Meier to the Devils, played in three games with the Sharks last season – all in January – and averaged over 21 minutes of ice time per game and had one assist. The Sharks have lost three straight and are 2-3-0 on the trip that began close to two weeks ago with wins over the Seattle Kraken and Washington Capitals. PULLI OUT: The Sharks on Wednesday placed defenseman Valtteri Pulli on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his NHL contract. “Valtteri requested to play in Europe and we mutually agreed to terminate his contract,” Sharks assistant general manager Joe Will said in a statement. “We want to thank Valtteri for his contributions to the organization and wish him all the best.” Pulli, 23, was signed to a two-year, two-way contract by the Sharks in May 2023 after he played three seasons with TPS Turku of the Finnish League. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Pulli never played for the Sharks, but had 10 points in 59 games for the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL last season. Pulli was healthy again this season but only dressed for two Barracuda games, both in October. He had one assist in an Oct. 19 game against the Iowa Wild.

Germany: Olaf Scholz to be nominated as SPD candidateAgilent Technologies Inc. stock falls Wednesday, underperforms marketLOS ANGELES (AP) — Adrian Kempe and Quinton Byfield scored in the second period, and the Los Angeles Kings beat the Seattle Kraken 2-1 on Saturday. David Rittich made 19 saves for the Kings, who improved to 6-2-1 at home. Kempe and Byfield scored 1:44 apart in the second period. Byfield buried a sharp-angle slap shot on a power play while dropping to a knee. It was his 98th career point in 200 games. Brandon Montour got the Kraken on the board with 1:26 left in the game. He converted a long shot with Joey Daccord off for another skater, but Los Angeles held on. Daccord finished with 19 stops for Seattle. Takeaways Kraken: Jordan Eberle will miss at least three months after undergoing surgery on his pelvis. He had six goals and five assists in 17 games before he got hurt against Chicago on Nov. 14. Kings: The power play had been in a 1-for-16 rut (6.25%) over the previous six games before Byfield found the net. It was the Kings’ lone opportunity with the man-advantage. Key moment After following its 1-0 loss to Buffalo on Wednesday with a fourth straight period of extreme low-event hockey, Los Angeles created a lot more activity and offense to start the second and generate its two goals. Key stat The Kings know how to close out games, improving to 9-0-1 when leading after two periods. Up next The Kraken visit Anaheim on Monday, and the Kings play at San Jose on Monday. ___ AP NHL:Benchmark Reiterates “Buy” Rating for i3 Verticals (NASDAQ:IIIV)

( MENAFN - EIN Presswire) Social Trading platform Global market Report 2024 - Market Size, Trends, And Global Forecast 2024-2033 The Business Research Company's Early Year-End Sale! Get up to 30% off detailed market research reports-for a limited time only! LONDON, GREATER LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, December 17, 2024 /EINPresswire / -- The Business Research Company's Early Year-End Sale! Get up to 30% off detailed market research reports-limited time only! What Growth Has the Social Trading Platform Market Experienced in Recent Years? The social trading platform market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $2.26 billion in 2023 to $2.43 billion in 2024 at a compound annual growth rate CAGR of 7.6%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to the increasing adoption of social media and online communities for trading insights, growing demand for accessible trading platforms that enable real-time decision-making, rising interest in collaborative trading approaches among retail investors, increasing availability of advanced trading tools and analytics within social trading platforms and the growing number of retail investors seeking guidance from experienced traders. Access more insights from the report with this sample link: What Is the Projected Growth of the Social Trading Platform Market? The social trading platform market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $3.27 billion in 2028 at a compound annual growth rate CAGR of 7.7%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to the expansion of AI-driven trading algorithms to enhance user experience and predictive accuracy, integration of blockchain technology to ensure transaction security and transparency, rise in the number of millennial and Gen Z investors using mobile-first trading solutions, increased investment in platforms offering comprehensive educational resources and social features, and development of personalized trading strategies powered by machine learning and big data analytics. To secure a copy of the full report, use this link: What Drives The Growth Of the Social Trading Platform Market? The increasing penetration of cryptocurrency is expected to propel the growth of the social trading platform market going forward. Cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual form of currency that uses cryptography for security and operates independently of a central authority, enabling decentralized transactions on a blockchain network. The growing adoption of cryptocurrencies, driven by their decentralized nature and potential for high returns, has attracted a wide range of investors seeking innovative trading methods. A social trading platform for cryptocurrency allows users to follow and mimic the trades of experienced investors, enhancing their trading decisions and potentially improving profits. Who Are the Major Players in the Social Trading Platform Market? Major companies operating in the social trading platform market are IG Group Holdings plc, Plus500 Ltd., eToro Group Ltd., Zerodha Broking Ltd., XM Group, Alpari Group, AvaTrade, Saxo Bank, RoboForex, NAGA Group AG, Pepperstone Group Limited, Collective2, Dukascopy Bank SA, OANDA Corporation, Ayondo Holding AG, iSystems, Myfxbook Ltd, FXCM Inc., Darwinex, Instaforex, IC Markets< /b> How Are Market Trends Innovating within the Social Trading Platform Industry? Major companies operating in the social trading platform market are focusing on advanced technologies, such as copy trading, to gain a competitive advantage. Copy trading is a trading strategy where individuals replicate the trades of experienced investors or traders in real time, allowing them to benefit from the expertise of others. This approach is often used to simplify investment decisions and potentially enhance returns by following established strategies. What Are the Key Market Segments Making Up the Social Trading Platform Industry? - By Platform: Personal Computer PC, Mobile - By Asset Class: Equity, Commodity, Crypto, Other Asset Classes - By End-User: Individual Traders, Professional Traders What is the Regional Distribution of the Social Trading Platform Market? North America was the largest region in the social trading platform market in 2023. This report covers market sizes and trends in the Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, and Africa regions. Browse Through More Similar Reports By The Business Research Company: Social Services Global Market Report 2024 Social Commerce Global Market Report 2024 Social Robots Global Market Report 2024 About The Business Research Company Learn More About The Business Research Company. With over 15000+ reports from 27 industries covering 60+ geographies, The Business Research Company has built a reputation for offering comprehensive, data-rich research and insights. Armed with 1,500,000 datasets, the optimistic contribution of in-depth secondary research, and unique insights from industry leaders, you can get the information you need to stay ahead in the game. Contact us at: The Business Research Company: Americas: +1 3156230293 Asia: +44 2071930708 Europe: +44 2071930708 Email us at ... 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If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Rep. said Friday that he will not be returning to Congress after withdrawing his name from consideration to be attorney general under President-elect Donald Trump amid growing allegations of sexual misconduct. “I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch. I do not intend to join the 119th Congress,” Gaetz told conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, adding that he has “some other goals in life that I’m eager to pursue with my wife and my family.” Related Articles The announcement comes a day after Gaetz, a Florida Republican, stepped aside from the Cabinet nomination process amid growing fallout from that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer. The 42-year-old has vehemently denied the allegations against him. Gaetz’s nomination as attorney general had inside the Justice Department, but reflected Trump’s desire to place a loyalist in a department following the criminal cases against him. Hours after Gaetz withdrew, Trump nominated Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, who would come to the job with years of legal work under her belt and that other trait Trump prizes above all: loyalty. It’s unclear what’s next for Gaetz, who is no longer a member of the House. He surprised colleagues by resigning from Congress the same day that Trump nominated him for attorney general. Some speculated he could still be sworn into office for another two-year term on Jan. 3, given that he had just won reelection earlier this month. But Gaetz, who has been in state and national politics for 14 years, said he’s done with Congress. “I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress,” he said.

Signals Market Expansion in the State of Texas ADDISON, Texas , Dec. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Solis Mammography , the nation's largest independent provider of specialized breast health services, has announced its entry into the third largest metropolitan area in Texas with its most recent acquisition of Avestēe Women's Imaging Centers in San Antonio . Avestēe is known for its state-of-the-art imaging expertise and its beautiful and calming patient environment. With Avestēe's six imaging locations, Solis Mammography now has a presence in the major metropolitan areas of Texas , including Dallas-Fort Worth , Houston , San Antonio and Austin . "Growth provides access and access changes lives," said Grant Davies , CEO of Solis Mammography. "Our goal with every market and every community we enter is to advance our mission of early breast cancer detection, and we never want to lose sight of that. We know that when we change the way mammography is experienced through innovative practices, improved technology and patient-centered care, we can make a difference. We hope to build on Avestēe's more than 10-year history of providing an expert and personalized approach to women's imaging." Founded in 2013 by Suzanne Dabbous , MD, Avestēe has provided patients with expert radiologic interpretations in a compassionate, non-clinical environment. The practice has six locations in San Antonio , Boerne and Spring Branch, Texas . "Avestēe Women's Imaging Centers' commitment to expert, compassionate care aligns perfectly with Solis Mammography's mission and vision for the future. We are excited to continue growing by joining the Solis family, a national leader in breast imaging and women's health innovation," said Dr. Dabbous. Solis Mammography combines clinical excellence with cutting-edge AI-screening technology to deliver exceptional patient-centered care – a tradition maintained for 40 years. The acquisition of Avestēe Women's Imaging Centers expands the company's footprint into its 19 th major market. About Solis Mammography Solis Mammography, a premier women's health company and the nation's largest independent provider of specialized breast health services, has been dedicated to elevating mammography services and maintaining breast health and peace of mind for 40 years. Headquartered in Addison, Texas , Solis Mammography operates more than 141 centers in 19 major markets, including Dallas-Fort Worth , Houston , Austin , San Antonio , South Louisiana , Utah , Denver , Phoenix , Tucson , the greater Philadelphia area, Columbus , Nashville, North Carolina , Virginia , Miami , Ft. Lauderdale , and Gainesville, Florida . Its affiliated brand, Washington Radiology, operates centers in Washington, D.C. , Maryland , and Virginia . Solis Mammography is pioneering a boutique-style retail healthcare experience. The company operates both wholly owned centers and multiple successful joint venture partnerships with large hospital systems and prominent medical and academic institutions. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/solis-mammography-announces-acquisition-of-aveste-womens-imaging-centers-in-san-antonio-302332883.html SOURCE Solis MammographyThe government’s clean power 2030 action plan is looking to ensure the economic benefits of clean energy and net zero are felt by people across the country. Slashing red tape for grid connections, overturning the onshore wind ban in England and allowing more special offers to reduce energy bills are steps in the right direction. But we need to keep our eye on the ball. Any policies need to help deliver cheaper energy bills and put new infrastructure like wind farms in the right places. This comes at a poignant time – and couldn’t ring truer. We’ve seen from the outcome of the US election this year that green policies that don’t cut bills don’t win votes. While the US Inflation Reduction Act unlocked significant investments in green industries and turbo-charged the renewables rollout, it didn’t put more money in Americans’ pockets. Without tough decisions, Britain risks following the same path. UK households currently face the highest electricity bills in Europe – but it doesn’t have to be this way. We can learn from this, be bold and make some vitally important decisions that will ultimately transform our energy system, so the greenest electron is the cheapest electron too. With the right mindset, we can unleash a global green revolution that makes energy affordable for everyone and grows our economy. We have a world-leading offshore wind programme and have made major strides in renewable energy. Solar and wind power are already the cheapest ways to generate electricity – and unlike gas, they don’t cook our planet. But the outdated rules that govern our energy system mean a huge amount of this homegrown green energy simply goes to waste. You’ll be shocked to learn that the UK pays millions to shut down Scottish wind farms when it’s windy and turn on gas power stations in southern England instead. The UK pays millions to shut down Scottish wind farms when it’s windy and turn on gas power stations in southern England instead Last year alone, this cost consumers around £1bn and wasted green electrons that could have powered over a million homes. The worst thing is, there’s no end in sight. If this unsustainable status quo remains, the costs of running this broken system could rise to more than £6bn by 2030. The problem is our energy system is decades out of date, designed for fossil fuels rather than . Imagine having the latest Macbook Pro and running it on Windows 95 – that’s how outdated our energy system is. The way our energy system is currently designed means all households pay the same high prices. It’s like everyone in the country being charged London-level rent. What we need is an overhaul – a software update for our energy system. Price signals exist in many other industries – think supermarkets or airlines – and indeed in energy in lots of other developed economies like Norway, Italy, or Sweden. A modern market that reflects regional energy availability could cut energy bills by £2bn immediately and save over £30bn over the next 15 years. In this system, all households would see bills drop, with regions rich in renewable infrastructure seeing the biggest savings. What’s more, it would drive investment from energy-intensive businesses like data centres and factories to areas where green energy is abundant. Imagine having access to cheap energy when the wind is blowing or the sun is shining locally instead of wasting it. But what happens when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine? Well, it’s always windy and sunny somewhere, and more interconnectors would allow us to export excess green energy when it’s abundant and import it when needed. In addition, the nature of these zig zags in green generation creates huge opportunities to reward consumers for flexible energy usage. It allows households to store excess green electrons in their batteries or electric cars and sell them back to the grid. The UK is already a world leader in this space. At Octopus Energy alone, millions of customers have embraced smart tariffs and collectively saved over £100m. Britain has a major opportunity to lead the global transition to a greener, cheaper and fairer energy system. But that is going to take more than just building new renewables. It’s about having a system that makes the most of them, as well as rolling out new technologies and electric products that can help save the planet and our wallets. The Prime Minister has made the direction of travel clear – and being voted in with a mandate to push ahead with green policies is just what we need to get the wheels in motion. The renewables push worldwide is massive and other countries are catching up fast, so we need to take this chance now and make some brave decisions – and quickly – on what we want our energy system to look like. If we do this, we can demonstrate to the world that clean energy can be cheap energy too. By City AM

lucky tagalog In conclusion, the Opta Club Power Rankings provide valuable insights into the strength and performance of football clubs, showcasing the top contenders based on a range of metrics. Liverpool, Inter Milan, and Arsenal have distinguished themselves as standout clubs in the latest rankings, highlighting their consistency, skill, and competitive spirit on the field. As the season unfolds, these top-ranked clubs will undoubtedly continue to captivate fans and demonstrate their footballing prowess on the global stage.Attorneys for tech billionaire Elon Musk have filed for a preliminary injunction against OpenAI, several of its co-founders, and its investor and close collaborator, Microsoft, to prevent OpenAI and other named defendants from engaging in what Musk's counsel claims is anticompetitive behavior. The motion for an injunction, which was filed late on Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, accuses OpenAI, its CEO Sam Altman, President Greg Brockman, Microsoft, LinkedIn co-founder and former OpenAI board member Reid Hoffman, and former OpenAI board member and Microsoft VP Dee Templeton of various illicit activities and seeks to halt them. The allegations include: Discouraging investors from backing OpenAI rivals like Musk's own AI company, xAI. Benefitting from "wrongfully obtained competitively sensitive information" through OpenAI's connections with Microsoft. Converting OpenAI's governance structure to a for-profit and "transferring any material assets, including intellectual property owned, held, or controlled by OpenAI, Inc., its subsidiaries, or affiliates." Causing OpenAI to do business with organizations in which any defendant has a "material financial interest." Attorneys for Musk assert that "irreparable harm" will ensue if the injunction isn't granted. "Plaintiffs and the public need a pause," they wrote in the filing. "An injunction to preserve what is left of OpenAI’s nonprofit character, free from self-dealing, is the only appropriate remedy. If not, the OpenAI promised to Musk and the public will be long gone by the time the court reaches the merits." Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI, which at its core accuses the company of abandoning its original nonprofit mission to make the fruits of its AI research available to all, was withdrawn in July, only to be revived late this summer. In an amended complaint in November, the suit named new defendants including Microsoft, Hoffman, and Templeton, and two new plaintiffs: Shivon Zilis, a Neuralink exec and ex-OpenAI board member, and xAI. Musk has argued in previous suits that he’s been defrauded out of more than $44 million he says he donated to OpenAI by preying on his "well-known concerns about the existential harms" of AI. Musk, one of OpenAI's co-founders, left the company in 2018 over disagreements about its direction. Musk formed xAI last year. Soon after, the company released Grok , a flagship generative AI model that now powers a number of features on Musk's social network, X (formerly known as Twitter). xAI also offers an API that allows customers to build Grok into third-party apps, platforms, and services. In the motion for an injunction, Musk's attorneys allege OpenAI is depriving xAI of capital by extracting promises from investors not to fund it and the competition. In October, the Financial Times reported that OpenAI demanded investors in its latest funding round abstain from also funding any of OpenAI's rivals, including xAI. "Musk has verified that at least one major investor in OpenAI's October funding round has subsequently declined to invest in xAI," counsel for Musk wrote. Of course, xAI has had no trouble raising money lately. Reportedly , the startup closed a $5 billion round this month with participation from prominent investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Fidelity. With around $11 billion in the bank, xAI is one of the best-funded AI ventures in the world. Musk's motion for an injunction also alleges that Microsoft and OpenAI continue to illegally share proprietary information and resources, and that several of the defendants, including Altman, are engaging in self-dealing that harms marketplace competition. For example, the filing notes, OpenAI selected Stripe, a payment platform in which Altman has "material financial interests," as OpenAI's payment processor. (Altman is said to have made billions from his Stripe holdings.) Microsoft, which first backed OpenAI in early 2019, has ramped up the partnership over the last several years, investing a total of ~$13 billion in exchange for what’s effectively a 49% stake in the company's earnings. Microsoft has also allowed OpenAI to make extensive use of its cloud hardware resources, enabling the startup to train, fine-tune, and run AI models like those that power ChatGPT . Hoffman’s position on the boards of both Microsoft and OpenAI while also a partner at investment firm Greylock gave Hoffman a privileged view into the companies’ dealings, Musk's attorneys argue. (Hoffman stepped down from OpenAI’s board in 2023.) As for Templeton, whom Microsoft briefly appointed as a nonvoting board observer at OpenAI, Musk's counsel argues that she was in a position to facilitate agreements between Microsoft and OpenAI that would violate antitrust rules. "Maintaining OpenAI's charitable status pending final resolution and halting further self-dealing transactions by Altman protect both the organization’s founding mission and the public interest in proper administration of charities," Musk's attorneys wrote. Counsel for Musk wrote that if an injunction isn't granted, OpenAI might "lack sufficient funds" to pay damages were the court to eventually rule in Musk's favor. (OpenAI is reportedly spending more than $5 billion and isn't close to breaking even.) Moreover, they say, were a judge to disallow OpenAI's nonprofit transition, it'd be "virtually impossible" to "unwind" the company's transactions without "widespread investor loss" should OpenAI continue to accept new investments. "No objective observer can look at OpenAI today and say it bears any resemblance whatsoever to what it promised to be," attorneys for Musk wrote. "Plaintiffs respectfully request that the court maintain the status quo and pause defendants’ worsening behavior until final disposition." OpenAI did not immediately respond to TechCrunch's request for comment. The company has previously sought to dismiss Musk’s suit, calling it “blusterous” and baseless.

As the second hearing of the retrial unfolds, the eyes of the nation are fixed on the courtroom, eager to see justice served and closure brought to the victims of human trafficking. The outcome of the case will not only determine the fate of the perpetrators but also send a powerful message that crimes against humanity will not be tolerated in a just and equitable society.

In conclusion, Reine-Adelaide's concerns about Arsenal's struggles in set pieces and their limited ability to create scoring chances highlight key areas of improvement for the Gunners. By addressing these weaknesses and implementing tactical adjustments to enhance their effectiveness in these areas, Arsenal can elevate their performance and competitiveness in both domestic and international competitions. With the right approach and commitment to improvement, Arsenal can overcome these challenges and establish themselves as a formidable force in the world of football.Shout-out to all Jay Chou and Kazuya Kamenashi fans, because the recent photo shared by KAT-TUN member, Kamenashi Kazuya, featuring himself alongside the one and only Jay Chou, has set the internet on fire! The rare sighting of these two Asian music legends together has left fans in awe and anticipation.

NEW YORK (AP) — Technology stocks pulled Wall Street to another record amid a mixed Monday of trading. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% from its all-time high set on Friday to post a record for the 54th time this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 128 points, or 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. Super Micro Computer, a stock that’s been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared 28.7% to lead the market. Following allegations of misconduct and the resignation of its public auditor , the maker of servers used in artificial-intelligence technology said an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or by the company’s board. It also said that it doesn’t expect to restate its past financials and that it will find a new chief financial officer, appoint a general counsel and make other moves to strengthen its governance. Big Tech stocks also helped prop up the market. Gains of 1.8% for Microsoft and 3.2% for Meta Platforms were the two strongest forces pushing upward on the S&P 500. Intel was another propellant during the morning, but it lost an early gain to fall 0.5% after the chip company said CEO Pat Gelsinger has retired and stepped down from the board. Intel is looking for Gelsinger’s replacement, and its chair said it’s “committed to restoring investor confidence.” Intel recently lost its spot in the Dow Jones Industrial Average to Nvidia, which has skyrocketed in Wall Street’s frenzy around AI. Stellantis, meanwhile, skidded following the announcement of its CEO’s departure . Carlos Tavares steps down after nearly four years in the top spot of the automaker, which owns car brands like Jeep, Citroën and Ram, amid an ongoing struggle with slumping sales and an inventory backlog at dealerships. The world’s fourth-largest automaker’s stock fell 6.3% in Milan. The majority of stocks in the S&P 500 likewise fell, including California utility PG&E. It dropped 5% after saying it would sell $2.4 billion of stock and preferred shares to raise cash. Retailers were mixed amid what’s expected to be the best Cyber Monday on record and coming off Black Friday . Target, which recently gave a forecast for the holiday season that left investors discouraged , fell 1.2%. Walmart , which gave a more optimistic forecast, rose 0.2%. Amazon, which looks to benefit from online sales from Cyber Monday, climbed 1.4%. All told, the S&P 500 added 14.77 points to 6,047.15. The Dow fell 128.65 to 44,782.00, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 185.78 to 19,403.95. The stock market largely took Donald Trump’s latest threat on tariffs in stride. The president-elect on Saturday threatened 100% tariffs against a group of developing economies if they act to undermine the U.S. dollar. Trump said he wants the group, headlined by Brazil, Russia, India and China, to promise it won’t create a new currency or otherwise try to undercut the U.S. dollar. The dollar has long been the currency of choice for global trade. Speculation has also been around a long time that other currencies could knock it off its mantle, but no contender has come close. The U.S. dollar’s value rose Monday against several other currencies, but one of its strongest moves likely had less to do with the tariff threats. The euro fell amid a political battle in Paris over the French government’s budget . The euro sank 0.7% against the U.S. dollar and broke below $1.05. In the bond market, Treasury yields gave up early gains to hold relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed above 4.23% during the morning before falling back to 4.19%. That was just above its level of 4.18% late Friday. A report in the morning showed the U.S. manufacturing sector contracted again last month, but not by as much as economists expected. This upcoming week will bring several big updates on the job market, including the October job openings report, weekly unemployment benefits data and the all-important November jobs report. They could steer the next moves for Federal Reserve, which recently began pulling interest rates lower to give support to the economy. Economists expect Friday’s headliner report to show U.S. employers accelerated their hiring in November, coming off October’s lackluster growth that was hampered by damaging hurricanes and strikes. “We now find ourselves in the middle of this Goldilocks zone, where economic health supports earnings growth while remaining weak enough to justify potential Fed rate cuts,” according to Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide. In financial markets abroad, Chinese stocks led gains worldwide as monthly surveys showed improving conditions for manufacturing, partly driven by a surge in orders ahead of Trump’s inauguration next month. Both official and private sector surveys of factory managers showed strong new orders and export orders, possibly partly linked to efforts by importers in the U.S. to beat potential tariff hikes by Trump once he takes office. Indexes rose 0.7% in Hong Kong and 1.1% in Shanghai. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.After his successful spell with Liverpool, Alonso went on to play for Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, adding more silverware to his already impressive collection of trophies. Throughout his career, he was known for his composure on the ball, ability to dictate the tempo of the game, and his uncanny knack for finding the perfect through ball.

FTC launches broad investigation into Microsoft: BloombergNew Delhi: Data from the first assembly elections after the Supreme Court allowed candidates to inspect EVM burnt memory for suspected 'tampering or modification' shows growing political interest in the mechanism. According to data collated as of December 4, 2024, by the Maharashtra wing of the Election Commission of India , a record 104 Checking & Verification (C&V) applications have been filed in the state across 95 constituencies requiring the checking of 755 EVMs--a figure that may fluctuate based on overlaps with Election petitions. Six EVM-VVPAT C&V applications were submitted in Haryana following the assembly elections, and one in Jammu and Kashmir for the Chenani assembly constituency, ET has learnt. According to preliminary analysis of C&V statistics, NCP (Sharad Pawar) candidates seem to have filed the most verification applications. The Pawar stronghold of Baramati, won by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar , is also subject to a C&V application. 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View Program Office Productivity Advanced Excel Course - Financial Calculations & Excel Made Easy By - Anirudh Saraf, Founder- Saraf A & Associates, Chartered Accountant View Program Office Productivity Microsoft Word Mastery: From Beginner to Expert By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Eknath Shinde, the second Deputy CM, is also facing a C&V application in his constituency of Kopri Pachpakhadi in Thane district, where he defeated the Shiv Sena (Uddhav) faction candidate. The Indian National Congress is not far behind, with at least a score of C&V applications filed by its candidates, according to reports. Several Independents are also believed to have requested EVM C&V in several constituencies. Interestingly, a C&V is being sought in Karjat Jamkhed, where the BJP candidate, Ram Shankar Shinde, lost to Rohit Pawar, Sharad Pawar's grandson. The majority of applications came from Thane, Pune, Ahilyanagar, and Mumbai South-Urban constituencies. According to ECI data, 137 EVMs are to be verified in the Pune district, 75 in Thane, and 74 in Ahilyanagar. The state's C&V process will commence on January 7, 2025, once the EP filing period (45 days following results) is completed, officials told ET. The increase in C&V applications in Maharashtra coincides with a fresh campaign against EVMs by opposition parties. Sharad Pawar has blamed his party's failure in the state elections on reported EVM anomalies, and he has also called for a united INDIA bloc movement on the issue. The possibility of filing a petition in the Supreme Court is also being discussed. In addition, the Congress party claimed that there were widespread EVM discrepancies in the Haryana polls and filed a complaint with the ECI. The poll panel has categorically denied any such allegations. The Supreme Court opened the way for C&V in its April 26 ruling, which directed ECI to allow for verification of approximately 5% of EVMs in each assembly constituency/assembly segment of a parliamentary constituency within seven days of counting day. As a result, for the first time, the Lok Sabha 2024 elections allowed two runners-up in a seat to seek verification of the EVM/VVPAT microcontroller for alleged 'tampering or modification'. According to the ECI, just eight C&V petitions were filed for Lok Sabha seats, and no discrepancies were found in any of them. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )lucky tattoo 。

Quarterbacks in spotlight when No. 6 Miami visits SyracuseSAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 3, 2024-- Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), the #1 AI CRM, today announced results for its third quarter fiscal 2025 ended October 31, 2024. "We delivered another quarter of exceptional financial performance across revenue, margin, cash flow, and cRPO,” said Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO, Salesforce. “Agentforce, our complete AI system for enterprises built into the Salesforce Platform, is at the heart of a groundbreaking transformation. The rise of autonomous AI agents is revolutionizing global labor, reshaping how industries operate and scale. With Agentforce, we’re not just witnessing the future—we’re leading it, unleashing a new era of digital labor for every business and every industry." “We continue to drive disciplined profitable growth with third quarter GAAP operating margin of 20.0%, up 280 basis points year-over-year, and non-GAAP operating margin of 33.1%, up 190 basis points year-over-year,” said Amy Weaver, President and CFO of Salesforce. “To date, our total capital returns have surpassed $20 billion and we remain focused on driving shareholder value.” Third quarter GAAP diluted net income per share was $1.58 and non-GAAP diluted net income per share was $2.41. During the three months ended October 31, 2024, losses on strategic investments impacted GAAP diluted net income per share by $(0.17) on a U.S. tax rate of 24.5% and non-GAAP diluted net income per share by $(0.18) on a non-GAAP tax rate of 22.0%. Our guidance includes GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures. Total Revenue $9.90 - $10.10 Billion $37.8 - $38.0 Billion Y/Y Growth 7 - 9% 8 - 9% FX Impact (1) ($25M) Y/Y FX ($100M) Y/Y FX Subscription & Support Revenue Growth (Y/Y) (2)(3) N/A Slightly below 10%, Approx 10% CC GAAP Operating Margin N/A 19.8% Non-GAAP Operating Margin (3) N/A 32.9% GAAP Diluted Net Income per Share (3) $1.55 - $1.60 $6.15 - $6.20 Non-GAAP Diluted Net Income per Share (3) $2.57 - $2.62 $9.98 - $10.03 Operating Cash Flow Growth (Y/Y) N/A 24% to 26% Current Remaining Performance Obligation Growth (Y/Y) Approximately 9% N/A FX Impact (4) ($100M) Y/Y FX N/A (1) Revenue FX impact is calculated by taking the current period rates compared to the prior period average rates. (2) Subscription & Support revenue excludes professional services revenue. (3) Non-GAAP CC revenue growth, non-GAAP operating margin and non-GAAP Diluted net income per share are non-GAAP financial measures. See below for an explanation of non-GAAP financial measures. The Company's shares used in computing GAAP Diluted net income per share guidance and non-GAAP Diluted net income per share guidance excludes any impact to share count from potential Q4 FY25 repurchase activity under our share repurchase program. (4) Current Remaining Performance Obligation FX impact is calculated by taking the current period rates compared to the prior period ending rates. (5) Guidance assumes contributions from acquisitions of Zoomin Software Ltd. and Own Data Company Ltd., which closed in November 2024. The following is a reconciliation of GAAP operating margin guidance to non-GAAP operating margin guidance for the full year: GAAP operating margin (1) 19.8% Plus Amortization of purchased intangibles (2) 4.3% Stock-based compensation expense (2)(3) 8.4% Restructuring (2)(3) 0.4% Non-GAAP operating margin (1) 32.9% (1) GAAP operating margin is the proportion of GAAP income from operations as a percentage of GAAP revenue. Non-GAAP operating margin is the proportion of non-GAAP income from operations as a percentage of GAAP revenue. (2) The percentages shown above have been calculated based on the midpoint of the low and high ends of the revenue guidance for full year FY25. (3) The percentages shown in the restructuring line have been calculated based on charges associated with the Company's restructuring initiatives. Stock-based compensation expense excludes stock-based compensation expense related to the Company's restructuring initiatives, which is included in the restructuring line. The following is a per share reconciliation of GAAP diluted net income per share to non-GAAP diluted net income per share guidance for the next quarter and the full year: GAAP diluted net income per share range (1)(2) $1.55 - $1.60 $6.15 - $6.20 Plus Amortization of purchased intangibles $ 0.36 $ 1.66 Stock-based compensation expense $ 0.83 $ 3.27 Restructuring (3) $ 0.01 $ 0.17 Less Income tax effects and adjustments (4) $ (0.18 ) $ (1.27 ) Non-GAAP diluted net income per share (2) $2.57 - $2.62 $9.98 - $10.03 Shares used in computing basic net income per share (millions) (5) 960 962 Shares used in computing diluted net income per share (millions) (5) 978 975 (1) The Company's GAAP tax provision is expected to be approximately 26.0% for the three months ended January 31, 2025 and approximately 20.0% for the year ended January 31, 2025. The GAAP tax rates may fluctuate due to discrete tax items and related effects in conjunction with certain provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, future acquisitions or other transactions. (2) The Company's projected GAAP and non-GAAP diluted net income per share assumes no change to the value of our strategic investment portfolio as it is not possible to forecast future gains and losses. The impact of future gains or losses from the Company’s strategic investment portfolio could be material. (3) The estimated impact to GAAP diluted net income per share is in connection with the Company's restructuring initiatives. (4) The Company’s non-GAAP tax provision uses a long-term projected tax rate of 22.0%, which reflects currently available information and could be subject to change. (5) The Company's shares used in computing GAAP net income per share guidance and non-GAAP net income per share guidance excludes any impact to share count from potential Q4 FY25 repurchase activity under our share repurchase program. For additional information regarding non-GAAP financial measures see the reconciliation of results and related explanations below. Management will provide further commentary around these guidance assumptions on its earnings call. Three times a year Salesforce delivers new product releases, services, or enhancements to current products and services. These releases are a result of significant research and development investments made over multiple years, designed to help customers drive cost savings, boost efficiency, and build trust. To view our major product releases and other highlights as part of the Winter 2025 Product Release, visit: . To learn more about our latest initiatives and priorities, review our Stakeholder Impact Report: . Salesforce plans to host a conference call at 2:00 p.m. (PT) / 5:00 p.m. (ET) to discuss its financial results with the investment community. A live webcast and replay details of the event will be available on the Salesforce Investor Relations website at . Salesforce helps organizations of any size reimagine their business for the world of AI. With Agentforce, Salesforce's trusted platform, organizations can bring humans together with agents to drive customer success—powered by AI, data, and action. Visit for more information. "Safe harbor" statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release contains forward-looking statements about the Company's financial and operating results and guidance, which include, but are not limited to, expected GAAP and non-GAAP financial and other operating and non-operating results, including revenue, net income, net income per share, operating cash flow growth, operating margin, expected revenue growth, expected foreign currency exchange rate impact, expected current remaining performance obligation growth, expected tax rates or provisions, stock-based compensation expenses, amortization of purchased intangibles, shares outstanding, market growth, strategic investments, expected restructuring expense or charges and expected timing of product releases and enhancements. The achievement or success of the matters covered by such forward-looking statements involves risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If any such risks or uncertainties materialize or if any of the assumptions prove incorrect, the Company’s results or outcomes could differ materially and adversely from those expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties referred to above include -- but are not limited to -- risks associated with: Further information on these and other factors that could affect the Company’s actual results or outcomes is included in the reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K and in other filings it makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. These documents are available on the SEC Filings section of the Financials section of the Company’s website at . Salesforce, Inc. assumes no obligation and does not intend to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason, except as required by law. © 2024 Salesforce, Inc. All rights reserved. Salesforce and other marks are trademarks of Salesforce, Inc. Other brands featured herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. Revenues: Subscription and support $ 8,879 $ 8,141 $ 26,228 $ 23,789 Professional services and other 565 579 1,674 1,781 Total revenues 9,444 8,720 27,902 25,570 Cost of revenues (1)(2): Subscription and support 1,501 1,571 4,617 4,596 Professional services and other 604 584 1,809 1,797 Total cost of revenues 2,105 2,155 6,426 6,393 Gross profit 7,339 6,565 21,476 19,177 Operating expenses (1)(2): Research and development 1,356 1,204 4,073 3,631 Sales and marketing 3,323 3,173 9,786 9,440 General and administrative 711 632 2,069 1,902 Restructuring 56 55 163 815 Total operating expenses 5,446 5,064 16,091 15,788 Income from operations 1,893 1,501 5,385 3,389 Losses on strategic investments, net (217 ) (72 ) (217 ) (242 ) Other income 70 58 282 158 Income before provision for income taxes 1,746 1,487 5,450 3,305 Provision for income taxes (219 ) (263 ) (961 ) (615 ) Net income $ 1,527 $ 1,224 $ 4,489 $ 2,690 Basic net income per share $ 1.60 $ 1.26 $ 4.66 $ 2.76 Diluted net income per share (3) $ 1.58 $ 1.25 $ 4.60 $ 2.73 Shares used in computing basic net income per share 956 972 963 976 Shares used in computing diluted net income per share 965 981 975 985 (1) Amounts include amortization of intangible assets acquired through business combinations, as follows: Cost of revenues $ 131 $ 245 $ 600 $ 743 Sales and marketing 223 223 669 668 (2) Amounts include stock-based compensation expense, as follows: Cost of revenues $ 135 $ 109 $ 386 $ 324 Research and development 278 238 814 735 Sales and marketing 312 275 911 815 General and administrative 95 71 267 223 Restructuring 0 0 2 16 (3) During the three months ended October 31, 2024 and 2023, losses on strategic investments impacted GAAP diluted net income per share by $(0.17) and $(0.06) based on a U.S. tax rate of 24.5%, and non-GAAP diluted net income per share by $(0.18) and $(0.06) based on a non-GAAP tax rate of 22.0% and 23.5%, respectively. During the nine months ended October 31, 2024 and 2023, losses on strategic investments impacted GAAP diluted net income per share by $(0.17) and $(0.19) based on a U.S. tax rate of 24.5%, and non-GAAP diluted net income per share by $(0.17) and $(0.19) based on a non-GAAP tax rate of 22.0% and 23.5%, respectively. Revenues: Subscription and support 94 % 93 % 94 % 93 % Professional services and other 6 7 6 7 Total revenues 100 100 100 100 Cost of revenues (1)(2): Subscription and support 16 18 17 18 Professional services and other 6 7 6 7 Total cost of revenues 22 25 23 25 Gross profit 78 75 77 75 Operating expenses (1)(2): Research and development 14 14 15 14 Sales and marketing 35 36 35 37 General and administrative 8 7 7 8 Restructuring 1 1 1 3 Total operating expenses 58 58 58 62 Income from operations 20 17 19 13 Losses on strategic investments, net (3 ) (1 ) 0 (1 ) Other income 1 1 1 1 Income before provision for income taxes 18 17 20 13 Provision for income taxes (2 ) (3 ) (4 ) (2 ) Net income 16 % 14 % 16 % 11 % (1) Amounts include amortization of intangible assets acquired through business combinations as a percentage of total revenues, as follows: Cost of revenues 2 % 3 % 2 % 3 % Sales and marketing 2 2 3 3 (2) Amounts include stock-based compensation expense as a percentage of total revenues, as follows: Cost of revenues 2 % 1 % 2 % 1 % Research and development 3 3 3 3 Sales and marketing 3 3 3 3 General and administrative 1 1 1 1 Restructuring 0 0 0 0 (unaudited) Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 7,997 $ 8,472 Marketable securities 4,760 5,722 Accounts receivable, net 4,741 11,414 Costs capitalized to obtain revenue contracts, net 1,836 1,905 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 2,091 1,561 Total current assets 21,425 29,074 Property and equipment, net 3,416 3,689 Operating lease right-of-use assets, net 2,167 2,366 Noncurrent costs capitalized to obtain revenue contracts, net 2,121 2,515 Strategic investments 4,845 4,848 Goodwill 49,093 48,620 Intangible assets acquired through business combinations, net 4,119 5,278 Deferred tax assets and other assets, net 4,209 3,433 Total assets $ 91,395 $ 99,823 Current liabilities: Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities $ 5,331 $ 6,111 Operating lease liabilities, current 572 518 Unearned revenue 13,472 19,003 Debt, current 0 999 Total current liabilities 19,375 26,631 Noncurrent debt 8,432 8,427 Noncurrent operating lease liabilities 2,420 2,644 Other noncurrent liabilities 2,643 2,475 Total liabilities 32,870 40,177 Stockholders’ equity: Common stock 1 1 Treasury stock, at cost (19,414 ) (11,692 ) Additional paid-in capital 63,114 59,841 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (225 ) (225 ) Retained earnings 15,049 11,721 Total stockholders’ equity 58,525 59,646 Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 91,395 $ 99,823 Net income $ 1,527 $ 1,224 $ 4,489 $ 2,690 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization (1) 814 862 2,600 3,006 Amortization of costs capitalized to obtain revenue contracts, net 525 482 1,568 1,428 Stock-based compensation expense 820 693 2,380 2,113 Losses on strategic investments, net 217 72 217 242 Changes in assets and liabilities, net of business combinations: Accounts receivable, net 655 550 6,681 5,905 Costs capitalized to obtain revenue contracts, net (430 ) (300 ) (1,105 ) (906 ) Prepaid expenses and other current assets and other assets (272 ) (407 ) (1,263 ) (750 ) Accounts payable and accrued expenses and other liabilities 32 172 (503 ) (1,607 ) Operating lease liabilities (144 ) (139 ) (387 ) (474 ) Unearned revenue (1,761 ) (1,677 ) (5,555 ) (4,816 ) Net cash provided by operating activities 1,983 1,532 9,122 6,831 Business combinations, net of cash acquired (179 ) (82 ) (517 ) (82 ) Purchases of strategic investments (67 ) (103 ) (374 ) (390 ) Sales of strategic investments 13 80 118 102 Purchases of marketable securities (1,239 ) (661 ) (5,041 ) (2,827 ) Sales of marketable securities 554 315 3,652 1,117 Maturities of marketable securities 905 563 2,439 1,810 Capital expenditures (204 ) (166 ) (504 ) (589 ) Net cash used in investing activities (217 ) (54 ) (227 ) (859 ) Repurchases of common stock (1,285 ) (1,925 ) (7,753 ) (5,928 ) Proceeds from employee stock plans 321 274 1,056 1,085 Principal payments on financing obligations (100 ) (114 ) (505 ) (506 ) Repayments of debt 0 0 (1,000 ) (1,182 ) Payments of dividends (382 ) 0 (1,154 ) 0 Net cash used in financing activities (1,446 ) (1,765 ) (9,356 ) (6,531 ) (5 ) (32 ) (14 ) (4 ) 315 (319 ) (475 ) (563 ) 7,682 6,772 8,472 7,016 $ 7,997 $ 6,453 $ 7,997 $ 6,453 (1) Includes amortization of intangible assets acquired through business combinations, depreciation of fixed assets and amortization and impairment of right-of-use assets. Remaining performance obligation ("RPO") represents contracted revenue that has not yet been recognized, which includes unearned revenue and unbilled amounts that will be recognized as revenue in future periods. RPO is influenced by several factors, including seasonality, the timing of renewals, the timing of term license deliveries, average contract terms and foreign currency exchange rates. Remaining performance obligation is also impacted by acquisitions. Unbilled portions of RPO denominated in foreign currencies are revalued each period based on the period end exchange rates. The portion of RPO that is unbilled is not recorded on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. RPO consisted of the following (in billions): As of October 31, 2024 $ 26.4 $ 26.7 $ 53.1 As of July 31, 2024 26.5 27.0 53.5 As of April 30, 2024 26.4 27.5 53.9 As of January 31, 2024 27.6 29.3 56.9 As of October 31, 2023 23.9 24.4 48.3 Unearned revenue represents amounts that have been invoiced in advance of revenue recognition and is recognized as revenue when transfer of control to customers has occurred or services have been provided. The change in unearned revenue was as follows (in millions): Unearned revenue, beginning of period $ 15,222 $ 14,237 $ 19,003 $ 17,376 Billings and other (1) 7,620 6,876 22,158 20,536 Contribution from contract asset 63 167 189 218 Revenue recognized over time (9,023 ) (8,249 ) (26,446 ) (24,264 ) Revenue recognized at a point in time (421 ) (471 ) (1,456 ) (1,306 ) Unearned revenue from business combinations 11 4 24 4 Unearned revenue, end of period $ 13,472 $ 12,564 $ 13,472 $ 12,564 (1) Other includes, for example, the impact of foreign currency translation. Subscription and support revenues consisted of the following (in millions): Sales $ 2,119 $ 1,906 $ 6,188 $ 5,611 Service 2,288 2,074 6,727 6,087 Platform and Other 1,825 1,686 5,329 4,891 Marketing and Commerce 1,334 1,230 3,924 3,638 Integration and Analytics (1) 1,313 1,245 4,060 3,562 $ 8,879 $ 8,141 $ 26,228 $ 23,789 (1) In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, the Company renamed the service offering previously referred to as Data to Integration and Analytics, which includes Mulesoft and Tableau. Revenues by geographical region consisted of the following (in millions): Americas $ 6,220 $ 5,862 $ 18,483 $ 17,113 Europe 2,228 1,998 6,557 5,923 Asia Pacific 996 860 2,862 2,534 $ 9,444 $ 8,720 $ 27,902 $ 25,570 Subscription and support revenues constant currency growth rates by the Company's service offerings were as follows: Sales 11% 10% 10% Service 10% 11% 11% Platform and Other 8% 10% 11% Marketing and Commerce 8% 7% 8% Integration and Analytics (1) 5% 14% 22% Total growth 9% 10% 12% (1) In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, the Company renamed the service offering previously referred to as Data to Integration and Analytics, which includes Mulesoft and Tableau. Revenue constant currency growth rates by geographical region were as follows: Americas 6% 8% 9% Europe 9% 11% 10% Asia Pacific 14% 16% 21% Total growth 8% 9% 10% Current remaining performance obligation constant currency growth rates were as follows: Total growth 10% 11% 13% The following tables reflect selected GAAP results reconciled to Non-GAAP results. (in millions, except per share data) (Unaudited) GAAP income from operations $ 1,893 $ 1,501 $ 5,385 $ 3,389 Plus: Amortization of purchased intangibles (1) 354 468 1,269 1,411 Stock-based compensation expense (2)(3) 820 693 2,378 2,097 Restructuring 56 55 163 815 Non-GAAP income from operations $ 3,123 $ 2,717 $ 9,195 $ 7,712 Total revenues $ 9,444 $ 8,720 $ 27,902 $ 25,570 GAAP operating margin (4) 20.0 % 17.2 % 19.3 % 13.3 % Non-GAAP operating margin (4) 33.1 % 31.2 % 33.0 % 30.2 % GAAP net income $ 1,527 $ 1,224 $ 4,489 $ 2,690 Plus: Amortization of purchased intangibles (1) 354 468 1,269 1,411 Stock-based compensation expense (2)(3) 820 693 2,378 2,097 Restructuring 56 55 163 815 Income tax effects and adjustments (436 ) (372 ) (1,076 ) (1,177 ) Non-GAAP net income $ 2,321 $ 2,068 $ 7,223 $ 5,836 GAAP diluted net income per share $ 1.58 $ 1.25 $ 4.60 $ 2.73 Plus: Amortization of purchased intangibles (1) 0.37 0.48 1.30 1.43 Stock-based compensation expense (2)(3) 0.85 0.71 2.44 2.13 Restructuring 0.06 0.06 0.17 0.83 Income tax effects and adjustments (0.45 ) (0.39 ) (1.10 ) (1.19 ) Non-GAAP diluted net income per share $ 2.41 $ 2.11 $ 7.41 $ 5.93 Shares used in computing non-GAAP diluted net income per share 965 981 975 985 (1) Amortization of purchased intangibles was as follows: Cost of revenues $ 131 $ 245 $ 600 $ 743 Sales and marketing 223 223 669 668 $ 354 $ 468 $ 1,269 $ 1,411 (2) Stock-based compensation expense, excluding stock-based compensation expense related to restructuring, was as follows: Cost of revenues $ 135 $ 109 $ 386 $ 324 Research and development 278 238 814 735 Sales and marketing 312 275 911 815 General and administrative 95 71 267 223 $ 820 $ 693 $ 2,378 $ 2,097 (3) Stock-based compensation expense included in the GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliation tables above excludes stock-based compensation expense related to restructuring activities for each of the three months ended October 31, 2024 and 2023 of $0 million and for the nine months ended October 31, 2024 and 2023 of $2 million and $16 million, respectively, which are included in the restructuring line. (4) GAAP operating margin is the proportion of GAAP income from operations as a percentage of GAAP revenue. Non-GAAP operating margin is the proportion of non-GAAP income from operations as a percentage of GAAP revenue. Non-GAAP income from operations excludes the impact of the amortization of purchased intangibles, stock-based compensation expense and charges associated with the Company's restructuring activities. (in millions, except per share data) (Unaudited) Net income $ 1,527 $ 1,224 $ 4,489 $ 2,690 Basic net income per share $ 1.60 $ 1.26 $ 4.66 $ 2.76 Shares used in computing basic net income per share 956 972 963 976 Non-GAAP net income $ 2,321 $ 2,068 $ 7,223 $ 5,836 Non-GAAP basic net income per share $ 2.43 $ 2.13 $ 7.50 $ 5.98 Shares used in computing non-GAAP basic net income per share 956 972 963 976 Net income $ 1,527 $ 1,224 $ 4,489 $ 2,690 Diluted net income per share $ 1.58 $ 1.25 $ 4.60 $ 2.73 Shares used in computing diluted net income per share 965 981 975 985 Non-GAAP net income $ 2,321 $ 2,068 $ 7,223 $ 5,836 Non-GAAP diluted net income per share $ 2.41 $ 2.11 $ 7.41 $ 5.92 Shares used in computing non-GAAP diluted net income per share 965 981 975 985 (in millions) (Unaudited) GAAP net cash provided by operating activities $ 1,983 $ 1,532 $ 9,122 $ 6,831 Capital expenditures (204 ) (166 ) (504 ) (589 ) Free cash flow $ 1,779 $ 1,366 $ 8,618 $ 6,242 This press release includes information about non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net income per share, non-GAAP tax rates, free cash flow, constant currency revenue, constant currency subscription and support revenue growth rate and constant currency current remaining performance obligation growth rates (collectively the “non-GAAP financial measures”). These non-GAAP financial measures are measurements of financial performance that are not prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and computational methods may differ from those used by other companies. Non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable GAAP measures and should be read only in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. Management uses both GAAP and non-GAAP measures when planning, monitoring and evaluating the Company’s performance. The primary purpose of using non-GAAP measures is to provide supplemental information that may prove useful to investors and to enable investors to evaluate the Company’s results in the same way management does. Management believes that supplementing GAAP disclosure with non-GAAP disclosure provides investors with a more complete view of the Company’s operational performance and allows for meaningful period-to-period comparisons and analysis of trends in the Company’s business. Further to the extent that other companies use similar methods in calculating non-GAAP measures, the provision of supplemental non-GAAP information can allow for a comparison of the Company’s relative performance against other companies that also report non-GAAP operating results. Non-GAAP Operating Margin is the proportion of non-GAAP income from operations as a percentage of GAAP revenue. Non-GAAP income from operations excludes the impact of the following items: stock-based compensation expense, amortization of acquisition-related intangibles and charges associated with the Company's restructuring activities. Non-GAAP net income per share excludes, to the extent applicable, the impact of the following items: stock-based compensation expense, amortization of purchased intangibles, charges related to the Company's restructuring activities and income tax adjustments. These items are excluded because the decisions that give rise to them are not made to increase revenue in a particular period, but instead for the Company’s long-term benefit over multiple periods. As described above, the Company excludes or adjusts for the following in its non-GAAP results and guidance: The Company presents constant currency information to provide a framework for assessing how the Company's underlying business performed excluding the effect of foreign currency rate fluctuations. To present constant currency revenue growth rates, current and comparative prior period results for entities reporting in currencies other than United States dollars are converted into United States dollars at the weighted average exchange rate for the quarter being compared to rather than the actual exchange rates in effect during that period. To present current remaining performance obligation growth rates on a constant currency basis, current remaining performance obligation balances in local currencies in previous comparable periods are converted using the United States dollar currency exchange rate as of the most recent balance sheet date. The Company defines the non-GAAP measure free cash flow as GAAP net cash provided by operating activities, less capital expenditures. View source version on : CONTACT: Mike Spencer Salesforce Investor Relations Guss Salesforce Public Relations 415-536-4966 KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE CONSULTING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SOURCE: Salesforce Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/03/2024 04:01 PM/DISC: 12/03/2024 04:02 PM

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Chaz Lanier scored 18 and No. 7 Tennessee extended its season-opening winning streak to seven games with a 78-35 victory over UT Martin on Wednesday. Felix Okpara had 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Volunteers (7-0). Zakai Zeigler added 11 points and nine assists, and Igor Milicic had 13 rebounds and nine points. The Skyhawks (2-5) were led by Josu Grullon's 15 points. Lanier scored 11 points in the first half as Tennessee built a 35-20 lead at the half. Grullon had 10 for UT Martin. UT Martin: Dropped its fifth straight after two opening wins under first-year coach Jeremy Shulman. After 21 wins last year, the Skyhawks brought in 16 newcomers this season. They are picked to finish 10th in the Ohio Valley Conference. Tennessee: After receiving the news that 6-foot-9 sophomore J.P. Estrella will miss the entire season with a foot injury, the Vols have had to go back to the drawing board to determine their rotation on the front court. Estrella had been coming off the bench with Cade Phillips to spell Igor Milicic and Felix Okpara. What that big man rotation looks like will be interesting. From late in the first half to early in the second half, Tennessee scored 14 straight points and turned a 10-point lead into a 44-20 advantage. Zakai Zeigler had five of those points. UT Martin committed 18 turnovers. Five of those were shot-clock violations. Tennessee scored 24 points off the turnovers. UT Martin will be at Charleston Southern next Tuesday. Tennessee will host Syracuse next Tuesday in the SEC/ACC Challenge. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketballGoogle Has The Ability To Scale AI By Leveraging Its Global User Base: Analyst

BetMGM Debuts 2024 Emirates NBA Cup Original Bets Sweepstakes, November 21-29REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg LLP (RJLF) has filed a lawsuit on behalf of a coalition of manufacturers, businesses, affordable housing interests, and workers seeking to prevent enforcement of South Coast Air Quality Management District regulations that effectively ban certain gas appliances. The plaintiffs, representing thousands of California residents, businesses, and workers, include Rinnai America Corporation , Noritz America Corporation , National Association of Homebuilders , California Manufacturers & Technology Association , California Restaurant Association , California Hotel & Lodging Association , and California Apartment Association , all represented by RJLF and Sean Kneafsey of the Kneafsey Law Firm . Californians for Homeownership is represented by Matt Gelfand , Restaurant Law Center is represented by Angelo Amador , and the California State Pipe Trades Council by McCracken, Stemerman & Holsberry . The coalition's suit asserts that the District's zero-NOx emissions rule for certain appliances, which effectively bans those gas appliances, is preempted by the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) and should be blocked. The District's rule not only effectively mandates the use of electric appliances in new buildings but also forces costly retrofits to electric in existing buildings when appliances are replaced. This rule threatens the reliability and affordability of energy for millions of Californians, will impose enormous costs and disruption on businesses and workers, and will reduce the availability of affordable housing. Earlier this year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that Berkeley, California's ban on gas piping in new buildings was preempted by EPCA ( California Restaurant Association v. City of Berkeley , 89 F.4th 1094 (9th Cir. 2024)) . The District's rule is legally indistinguishable, and the same result applies. "This case is pivotal to reinforcing the federal and state roles in setting national energy policy," said Sarah Jorgensen , lead counsel for the plaintiffs at RJLF. "The District's mandate for electric appliances in both new construction and forced retrofits not only jeopardizes our clients' work, business, and interests but also disregards established federal law. California must comply with the law." The case is Rinnai America Corp. et al. v. South Coast Air Quality Management District , No. 2:24-cv-10482 , in the United States District Court for the Central District of California . About Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg LLP Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg LLP (RJLF) is a national trial firm that handles high-stakes energy, commercial, intellectual property, and white collar disputes. The firm is majority women-owned, reinventing the practice of law without the billable hour in favor of fee arrangements that align client interests. RJLF's attorneys are diverse, exceptionally credentialed, and passionate about trial advocacy. From offices in Silicon Valley, New York , Washington, D.C. , Austin , and Atlanta , the firm tries cases and argues appeals throughout the country. For more information, visit www.reichmanjorgensen.com . Contact Sarah Jorgensen sjorgensen@reichmanjorgensen.com (650) 623-1403 View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/reichman-jorgensen-lehman--feldberg-leads-suit-against-south-coast-air-quality-management-districts-effective-ban-on-certain-gas-appliances-302324441.html SOURCE Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg LLP

A multibillion-dollar plan to create “clean” hydrogen from Australian brown coal and ship it to Japan is on the brink of collapse. Japanese media has reported Kawasaki Heavy Industries has withdrawn from the trial, blaming procurement delays. The controversial plan was billed as a lifeline for the Latrobe Valley’s ageing brown coal industry. Under the plan, hydrogen would be extracted from coal, creating the world’s first liquefied hydrogen supply chain. Kawasaki Heavy Industries has reportedly withdrawn from plan to create “clean” hydrogen from brown coal sourced from the Latrobe Valley. Credit: Eamon Gallagher Proponents said the joint venture, led by Japan’s largest industrial conglomerates, would use commercially unproven CO2 capture and storage technology to sequester carbon in the Bass Strait. It was also to send the super-cooled hydrogen extracted from coal in purpose-built bulk carriers out of Hastings to Kawasaki in the Asian nation’s industrial heartland. The Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain project (HESC) was a partnership between international fossil energy companies, including Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd (KHI), Royal Dutch Shell and AGL. It was supported by a $2.35 billion investment from the Japanese government, and a $50 million in start-up investment from the Victorian government in 2018. Japanese outlet Nikkei reported that Kawasaki Heavy Industries had abandoned its bid to establish an international supply chain to procure hydrogen from Australia because it had become “difficult to procure hydrogen in Australia within the deadline”. “With the completion of the demonstration test by fiscal year 2030, as originally scheduled, being an absolute requirement for ensuring competitiveness, the company has changed hydrogen procurement to domestic,” Nikkei reported. “It has also downsized its hydrogen carriers and is now steering toward a more ‘realistic’ solution.” ‘This disastrous project has never stacked up ... Now the wheels are well and truly falling off’ Ellen Sandell, Victorian Greens leader Victorian Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio raised doubts about the project last year at an Australian Financial Review Energy and Climate Summit, saying it was not clear that the proponents would be able to adequately capture the carbon from the coal and safely sequester it. “That is a question that is yet to be answered,” she said. The AFR reported that Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ chairman Yoshinori Kanehana told a separate event last year that his business had been focused on winning “social license” from Victorian communities and hoped to avoid “ideological divides”. Friends of the Earth gas campaigner Freja Leonard said Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ decision to withdraw indicated the project wasn’t financially or practically feasible. “It’s just an absolute nonsense to use brown coal in a climate crisis to produce hydrogen,” she said. “Hydrogen is notoriously difficult to contain. It’s incredibly expensive to produce, and any project that expects to successfully ship hydrogen from one country to another without significant leakage is doomed to failure.” Loading A commercial-in-confidence report on the proposal compiled by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources in 2022 and released under freedom of information laws argued the plan was broadly supported in the Latrobe Valley. “There are a limited number of groups within the Latrobe Valley that do not support the use of fossil fuels and are against CCS [carbon capture and storage],” it stated. “However, the predominant sentiment in the Valley is one that supports the HESC [Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain].” Identifying challenges getting stakeholders like the local council on board, the report noted that the HESC had “revised [its] messaging”, “highlighting the carbon neutrality” the project could achieve by combining biomass with coal. This, it said, “softens the image of HESC as a coal-driven project”. Under the plan, the cooled hydrogen would have been piped more than 150 kilometres from Gippsland to the Port of Hastings and shipped to Japan. In January 2022, according to the confidential report, hydrogen was successfully generated under trial from brown coal and biomass. However, it reported cost overruns and lengthy delays to the trial. Victorian Greens leader Ellen Sandell said it was time for the project to be scrapped altogether. “This disastrous coal project has never stacked up environmentally or economically, and I cannot believe Labor ever gave it money and support. Now the wheels are well and truly falling off.” Comment has been sought from Energy Minister Chris Bowen’s office. Get to the heart of what’s happening with climate change and the environment. Sign up for our fortnightly Environment newsletter. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Hydrogen Paris Agreement Climate policy Bianca Hall is The Age's environment and climate reporter, and has worked in a range of roles including as a senior writer, city editor, and in the federal politics bureau in Canberra. Connect via Twitter , Facebook or email . Most Viewed in Environment Loading

OTTAWA — Cowessess First Nation Chief Erica Beaudin accused Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer of using First Nations drinking water legislation as a political "tactic," saying she's disappointed in what transpired in the House of Commons on Thursday. Government legislation known as Bill C-61 recognizes that First Nations have an inherent right to clean drinking water, after amendments by the Indigenous and Northern affairs committee, and commits the government to providing "adequate and sustainable" funding for water services in First Nations. Liberal MP Jaime Battiste asked on Thursday for unanimous consent from members of Parliament to send the First Nations Clean Drinking Water Act to the Senate — but several MPs said no. Scheer, whose riding includes Cowessess, rose immediately afterward with a similar motion that also condemned the Liberal government for inaction, and that was also defeated. While Cowessess is not under a boil water advisory, Beaudin says people in her community rely on bottled water because they don't trust what comes from their taps. "I'm very disappointed that he used clean drinking water as a tactic in this House in order to say, 'If you do this, then we will do this,' where there's real lives that are being affected," Beaudin told reporters at a news conference. "We're not talking about toys, we're not talking about items that are not essential, but water is essential and you either believe in clean drinking water for everybody or you don't. And if you do, you do everything you possibly can to work towards that happening." Beaudin added that she knows Scheer to be "very genuine" in representing the people of his riding and urged him to get the Conservative party to co-operate to get the legislation passed. According to government data, there are 31 long-term boil water advisories on First Nations across the country, and 36 short-term advisories. The situation in the House became heated when Battiste entered the aisle holding a glass of water. Battiste later said he considered throwing it at the Conservative benches after his motion was defeated. "This is about protecting water. In Nova Scotia, they poisoned our water in the Pictou Landing community for generations, if not decades. I had the chief in the audience with some of her councillors, and I feel like I let them down," said a visibly upset Battiste. Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu blasted the Conservative party's record on ensuring there is clean water on First Nations, and accused them of ignoring First Nations leadership. "So it's a bit rich for them to use that moment to exploit First Nations people and their need for water to play politics in the House. It's appalling," Hajdu said. Hajdu and Battiste were flanked by several chiefs, including Beaudin, and other First Nations representatives in a press conference following the vote. Originally, they planned to speak about the bill moving on to the Senate. The Assembly of First Nations held a special chiefs assembly in Ottawa this week, and on Tuesday the AFN executive endorsed a resolution to continue advocating for the approval of water legislation. The bill is stalled at third reading in the House of Commons because of an ongoing privilege debate that has taken precedence over nearly all other business since late September. The Conservative party did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024. — With files from Alessia Passafiume David Baxter, The Canadian Press

President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers urge judge to toss his hush money convictionNo. 7 Tennessee extends its season-opening winning streak to 7 games in 78-35 win over UT Martin

NoneIndia News | SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav Unveils Mulayam Singh Yadav's Statue on His Birth Anniversary

12 Communication Services Stocks Moving In Friday's Pre-Market SessionBureaucracy is an example of a “devil term” in today’s politics. All you have to do is mention the word, and people think of waste, excessive size, barriers to getting things done, impersonal treatment and lack of innovation. Just imagine a candidate for the House of Representatives running on the “pro-bureaucracy” platform! Most people would think that had to be a (bad) joke. There are good reasons for these negative associations with bureaucracy, especially as we consider times when each of us has had a frustrating experience dealing with a large organization – whether it was a government agency, a huge corporation or a large nonprofit. Unfortunately, this way of seeing bureaucracy diverts us from the reasons for bureaucratic forms of organization in the first place. Bureaucracies arose in the 19th century to make government fairer and more predictable, rather than having policies and their implementation carried out by the preferences and whims of often-partisan leaders who come and go. At its core, bureaucracy is about hiring and promoting people based on publicly known and accepted qualifications rather than their personal connections; creating definite lines of authority and responsibility; establishing clear and universal standards for performance; and applying policies evenly and without favor. These noble goals were behind the creation of the U.S. Civil Service Commission in 1883, shortly after the assassination of President James A. Garfield by a disgruntled and delusional job seeker. The idea behind the Civil Service is that most government employees would serve without loyalty tests to public officials and would be more committed to their professions and to the work of their agencies than to any party, president or legislator. When bureaucracy works well, it provides a safeguard against corruption while also offering career advancement opportunities for qualified individuals – again, without fear or favor. The Civil Service was established to eliminate the “spoils system,” which was, in today’s popular language, “pretty deep and very swampy.” Bureaucracy is a system, with its advantages and disadvantages. It can get bloated, burdensome and alienating. Still, it is a system with a purpose, and large bureaucracies in every sector have helped to achieve lofty goals – for example, as seen in military, public health, employment, natural resource and educational programs. What does bureaucracy, working well, mean at the local level? It means we can count on fire and law enforcement officers to be well trained and qualified; it means that city and county governments will be subject to the highest accounting practices; it means that all kinds of resources will be managed and accessed in ways that are based on established principles; it means that independent, nonpartisan assessments of government functions will be regularly used. These are just a few of the good things that bureaucracy brings us. Contrary to the totally negative way bureaucracy is talked about today, we need it. We may wish for bureaucracy to go away, but then we’d better consider the alternative: unqualified people holding many important positions; decision-making based on momentary individual desires; and the uneven implementation of policies. And all this chaos with no recourse for appeal! In today’s discussions about the future of government, whether in Washington, D.C., or at state and local levels, we really need to get beyond slogans like the “deep state” and seeing bureaucrats as enemies and consider concrete and well thought out ways to make government more effective and efficient. There’s always room for improvement: finding better ways to solve problems and to serve people. Railing against bureaucracy as if it were some kind of shadowy figure that has nothing to do with us and our needs doesn’t help us as a society. We may not love bureaucracy, but we’d sure miss it if it were gone. George Cheney is a retired professor of communication from the University of Colorado and an independent consultant living in Cortez.Nvidia put on 90 days 'watch' by Citi analysts: The 'big announcement' on January 6, robots and more

Kelly Ripa wants to 'cancel' Thanksgiving following moment with Mark Consuelos on LiveNebraska has landed one of its most high-profile transfers of the portal era in a former five-star prospect who fills an immediate team need. Ex-Missouri defensive end Williams Nwaneri committed to the Huskers on Thursday afternoon after entering the portal earlier that morning. He has four years of eligibility remaining after redshirting his first college season — he appeared in four games and logged 38 defensive snaps and two tackles this fall. The 6-foot-7, 255-pounder from the Kansas City area held offers from most top schools in college football as the nation’s No. 1 edge rusher in the 2024 class. Nebraska’s connection begins with senior football assistant Jamar Mozee, who was Nwaneri’s high school coach at Lee’s Summit North. Mozee convinced the teenager to play football as a freshman and his stock soared soon after while playing for one of the area’s top programs. Nwaneri as a prep senior logged 50 tackles (13 for loss) in 11 games with 23 quarterback hurries and three forced fumbles. Mozee — who once went through the recruiting process as a K.C. high-school star running back and was part of Oklahoma’s 2000 national-title team — served as one of Nwaneri’s central advisors during his recruitment. Georgia and Oklahoma were the prospect’s other finalists then. Being close to home and an extensive family of supporters was key in his evaluation. “I feel like he wasn’t biased in any way,” Nwaneri said of Mozee a year ago when he signed with Missouri. “He was coming from a place of caring about me. I thank him a lot.” Mozee celebrated with Nwaneri at the time before leaving to join UCF in February 2024 as an off-field staffer. Nebraska coach Matt Rhule hired Mozee in July. At Nwaneri’s signing ceremony last year, Mozee said the player had “pro talent” he flashed daily. “You’ve got to be careful to say that as a high school coach but there’s just not many kids like him, just being honest,” Mozee said. “Physically, the way he’s made, the way he’s built. He’s different than everybody I’ve ever seen.” Nwaneri also played multiple seasons at Lee’s Summit North with incoming Nebraska receiver Isaiah Mozee, Jamar’s son. The younger Mozee has said he leaned on Nwaneri at times during his own recruiting process that included navigating 40-plus offers. Nwaneri drew national headlines as a prep senior when the state of Missouri passed a law allowing high schoolers to earn name-image-likeness benefits once they’ve signed with a school. The legislation applies only to Missouri residents. Rhule this month praised Nebraska’s formidable financial resources made available through its 1890 collective and what’s coming with revenue sharing. It allows the Huskers to be competitive with anyone for any player, he said. That includes Nwaneri, who arrives as the Huskers reset their defensive line with a new position coach and different starters for the entire front. “We are officially now a ‘have,’” Rhule said. “We’re going to have more (resources) than most people in college football.” Get local news delivered to your inbox!Our tax doctrineMarvell Technology, Inc. Declares Quarterly Dividend Payment

Tests keep coming for Auburn and Duke, who collide at Cameron Indoor Stadium in a typical prove-it game in a rare environment on Wednesday night. No. 2 Auburn and No. 9 Duke square off less than one month into the season as two of the most battle-tested teams in basketball. They're matched as one of the marquee games in the crossover showcase known as the ACC-SEC Challenge. Auburn (7-0) jumped two spots in the latest Top 25 poll propelled by its Maui Invitational championship. In one of Feast Week's toughest brackets, the Tigers rallied from 18 points down to beat then-No. 4 Iowa State, handled then-No. 12 North Carolina 85-72 and rolled past Memphis 90-76 in the title game. With a week off to shed any remnants of jet lag returning from the islands, Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl is pointing to another potential resume-building win. "The confidence that we're going to get from (Maui) is that we know we can play with anybody," Pearl said. "I promise you this, we'll stay humble and hungry. We will not begin to think too much of ourselves." Helping lead Auburn in Maui was fifth-year power forward Johni Broome. The tournament's MVP, Broome averaged 21.7 points, 15 rebounds, 4.3 assists and three blocks in the three-game sweep. Spearheading a veteran Tigers roster, Broome couldn't care less about individual honors. "I wanted to come to a place where the foundation was already built, and that's why I came to Auburn," Broome said. "Winning player of the year doesn't matter to me. I care about winning games, and making sure I can help my team in any way." Broome's 20.7 points and 12.9 rebounds per game lead the Tigers, while Chad Baker-Mazara adds 12.6 ppg and Denver Jones chips in 11.1. Auburn's next roadblock is earning its first-ever win against Duke. The Tigers are 0-3 all-time against the Blue Devils, including a six-point loss in the 2018 Maui Invitational. Duke (5-2) has already been through three games against ranked opponents. The Blue Devils had a 77-72 loss against then-No. 19 Kentucky, a 14-point win at then-No. 17 Arizona and a 75-72 defeat against No. 1 Kansas last week in Las Vegas. "Best team we've played so far," Pearl said of Duke. Bouncing back on Friday, the Blue Devils took down Seattle 70-48, holding the Redhawks to just 10 made field goals on 47 attempts (21.3 percent). Despite the suffocating defensive effort, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer knows his team has a long way to go. "I wasn't really happy with much tonight, to be honest," Scheyer said on Friday. "I thought we rushed some shots, had too many turnovers. We need to finish stronger, drive stronger, make extra passes, there were a whole bunch of things. ... We just need to get back to practice. In fairness to our guys, we've been traveling a lot and we just need practice time." Pacing the Blue Devils in scoring is five-star freshman Cooper Flagg. He's averaging 15.9 points per game to go along with 8.3 rebounds. Fellow freshman Kon Knueppel adds 13.4 points per contest. Far less seasoned raw freshman, big man Khaman Maluach has given Duke's interior defense an edge it was lacking last season. A projected lottery pick who can be overshadowed by the Flagg publicity train, Maluach (7-2, 248) is averaging 8.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and has two three-block games. In last year's inaugural ACC-SEC Challenge, Duke lost at Arkansas 80-75 and Auburn topped Virginia Tech 74-57. --Field Level Mediaphilucky app download latest version 。

TORONTO — Everything changed for Kia Nurse when she tore her anterior cruciate ligament in the 2021 WNBA playoffs. The basketball star from Hamilton was locked in as starter for a team in the semifinals. She’d been selected as an all-star just two years prior. But in one awkward fall three years ago, she was plunged into the depths of surgery and rehab. Nurse would miss the entire 2022 season due to the injury. She signed with the Seattle Storm for the 2023 campaign before a trade landed her with the Los Angeles Sparks last season. Meanwhile, Nurse represented Canada at the Paris Olympics in August, but she struggled as the team failed to reach the knockout round for the second straight time. The common thread throughout Nurse’s recent basketball journey? She just hasn’t quite felt like herself. “I still love basketball with all of my heart, and it's my favourite thing that I get to do. And I'm so privileged to be able to say that I get to do it as a job,” Nurse said. "But the last two years for me have been just really rocky, up and down.” Nurse, 28, will become a WNBA free agent as of Feb. 1. For now, she’s continuing her Raptors broadcast work with TSN and, on Monday, announced a new playing gig. In February, Nurse will join fellow WNBAers Alysha Clark and Sydney Colson among 37 others for Athletes Unlimited’s third basketball season in Nashville. Athletes Unlimited was founded as a women’s professional softball league in 2020 before expanding to basketball, volleyball and lacrosse. Its 24-game hoops campaign switches teams weekly and concludes by crowning a season-long individual champion. Players earn points through a fantasy-style system that rewards team successes like wins as well as individual accomplishments from made three-pointers to steals to drawn fouls. Outside of the unique scoring system, the game looks like traditional basketball — a major appeal to Nurse as she attempts to tap back into her roots. “I am not proud of my performance at the Olympics and not necessarily proud of how I’ve been playing over the last two years. I just have goals of finding my true love of the game and kind of coming back and being stronger physically, being more fit and just ultimately having a good year,” Nurse said. When Nurse’s career began in 2018, many WNBA players would ply their trade overseas during the off-season as a way of staying in shape and making additional money. But over the past half-decade — and perhaps expedited by Brittney Griner’s 2022 detainment in Russia — more options have emerged stateside, including Athletes Unlimited. “The (WNBA) now has a lot of the teams that have practice facilities, so they have full-time player development, practice-facility access and that's a big piece as well. But now ultimately we have these leagues at home like AU,” Nurse said. Athletes Unlimited will not be the only professional women’s basketball operation in North America this winter. A three-on-three league called Unrivaled, founded by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, will tip off in January in Miami. Nurse said Unrivaled was an option for her, but she preferred Athletes Unlimited. “I wanted a place where I'm happy with basketball again, really happy with myself and how I'm playing and a having a little more confidence boost from what I've had over these last two years. And I feel like AU, for me, that five-on-five setting was a big piece of it,” Nurse said. The timing of the Athletes Unlimited schedule — deep enough into the WNBA off-season but with enough leeway to fine tune things before the 2025 campaign begins — also stood out to Nurse. Ahead of AU, Nurse said she moved her training from Toronto to Hamilton, where she could stay closer to home and avoid the long highway drives. And following two seasons in which Nurse’s WNBA teams suffered a combined 61 losses, she’s hoping to find a landing spot in free agency with a winning franchise. “I want to ... have an opportunity make a deep playoff run, be kind of like an X-Factor player, somebody who can go out there, be a three-and-D player, can help make winning plays,” she said. Nurse said she and fellow WNBA veteran Bridget Carleton have discussed what went wrong in Paris and how it can be fixed ahead of Los Angeles 2028. Management changes have already occurred with the retirement of GM Denise Dignard and a mutual parting with head coach Victor Lapena. The national team recently met up in Toronto for an informal training camp where Nurse and Carleton aimed to lay the groundwork for the culture they hope to create over the next four years. “Getting back to the basics and just enjoying playing for Canada Basketball, but also creating a really strong, bonded culture where everybody does what they need to do for our team to win," she said. "We understand our roles (and) we understand the commitment piece of it because now there's so much going on and people are all over the place." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 22, 2024. Myles Dichter, The Canadian PressOn Saturday, the No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers will face off against the No, 2 Ohio State Buckeyes in a highly-anticipated Big Ten matchup. Though this is one of the best games of the Week 13 college football slate, the top-5 contest will not be played under the lights in a primetime slot. Because Fox Sports selected Indiana vs. Ohio State as its "Big Noon Kickoff" game of the week, the game is scheduled to kickoff at noon EST from Ohio Stadium. This decision sparked controversy around the college football world, especially among supporters of the No. 2 Buckeyes. The Ohio State faithful are tired of their marquee matchups taking place at 11 a.m. local time. Despite "Big Noon Kickoff's" decision to make the trip to Columbus on Saturday, ESPN's "College GameDay" also chose Indiana vs. Ohio State as its featured game of the week. When speaking to reporters on Friday, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit subtly referenced Fox Sports' decision to broadcast this top-5 matchup. With ESPN no longer included in the Big Ten's TV deal, Herbstreit doesn't get to call as many Ohio State games as he used to. He's happy that ESPN picked Indiana vs. Ohio State as its featured game, despite Fox Sports' rights to broadcast the contest. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images “Selfishly, I always want to come back to Ohio State to call games. I also want to do Big Ten games. But it's just part of the business that I'm in, and I don't control any of that. I just kind of call the games that they tell me,” Herbstreit said. “So I miss calling Big Ten games. I especially miss calling Ohio State games for obvious reasons. But it's cool that GameDay – I wondered when this split happened, if Game Day would still come to the games that matter on a national level. " "And I think it really says a lot about ESPN and the leadership of College GameDay, we still try to go to the game of the week; no matter who's broadcasting the game, GameDay tries to go to the game," he continued. "And this week, here we are at what we think is the biggest game of the week. And we've done that all year, which is cool.” ESPN's "College GameDay" will begin at 9 a.m. EST on Saturday. Former Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields will join Herbstreit, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee, Desmond Howard, Lee Corso and Rece Davis at the desk as this week's celebrity guest picker. Related: Ohio State Fans Call for Fox Sports Boycott After Indiana Game Decision

WASHINGTON , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Internationally celebrated Japanese architect Kazuyo Sejima has been named a Trustee at the United States-Japan Foundation (USJF), further strengthening her influential role in promoting cross-cultural exchange and collaboration. She has been a leader both in promoting the role of women in architecture, and in redefining the use of public space for community purposes. Sejima, a founder of Kazuyo Sejima & Associates and co-founder of SANAA (Sejima and Nishizawa and Associates), is known for her groundbreaking work in minimalist architecture and her dedication to creating spaces that connect people with their surroundings. Her architectural contributions have earned global recognition, including the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize, awarded jointly with co-founder Ryue Nishizawa in 2010. Sejima's architectural accomplishments span numerous internationally renowned projects, such as the New Museum in New York City , the Rolex Learning Center in Switzerland , and the Louvre-Lens in France . In Japan , she has designed iconic public spaces, including Kanazawa's 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art and the New Kagawa Prefectural Sports Arena. Her minimalist design philosophy emphasizes transparency and harmony, seamlessly blending built and natural environments. In 2023, Sejima won the Jane Drew Prize for Architecture for her contribution to raising the profile of women in architecture. The Jane Drew Prize is given annually as part of the W Awards, a program held by The Architectural Review and Architects' Journal, which was previously known as the Women in Architecture Awards. "Beyond the formal, structural, and material experimentation of her work, Sejima is one of too few female architects to have established themselves on the international stage," said The Architectural Review editor Manon Mollard . "Her courage, tenacity, and success are critical reminders that it is possible." "Sejima-san will contribute her insightful perspective and deep understanding of art, architecture, and culture, enhancing the Foundation's mission of supporting initiatives that advance social, economic, and cultural connections," said Lawrence K. Fish , USJF board chair. "As an architect who has consistently challenged conventions and expanded the possibilities of design, Sejima-san brings a unique, innovative approach to the Foundation's programs." Sejima said, "When I was a child, an American family moved next door, and I have fond memories of them introducing me to many worlds I had never known. Because of that, I am honored to now be involved in passing on various activities to the next generation." For more information on Kazuyo Sejima's appointment and ongoing work with the US-Japan Foundation, please contact: info@us-jf.org View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/renowned-architect-kazuyo-sejima-appointed-to-united-states-japan-foundation-board-302320062.html SOURCE United States-Japan Foundation

Trump nominees work to win over senators on Capitol HillBurt died over the weekend, the Crocosaurus Cove reptile aquarium in Darwin, Australia, said. He was at least 90 years old. “Known for his independent nature, Burt was a confirmed bachelor – an attitude he made clear during his earlier years at a crocodile farm,” Crocosaurus Cove wrote in social media posts. The aquarium added: “He wasn’t just a crocodile, he was a force of nature and a reminder of the power and majesty of these incredible creatures. While his personality could be challenging, it was also what made him so memorable and beloved by those who worked with him and the thousands who visited him over the years.” A saltwater crocodile, Burt was estimated to be more than 16 feet long. He was captured in the 1980s in the Reynolds River and became one of the most well-known crocodiles in the world, according to Crocosaurus Cove. The 1986 film stars Paul Hogan as the rugged crocodile hunter Mick Dundee. In the movie, American Sue Charlton, played by actress Linda Kozlowski, goes to fill her canteen in a watering hole when she is attacked by a crocodile before being saved by Dundee. Burt is briefly shown lunging out of the water. But the creature shown in more detail as Dundee saves the day is apparently something else. The Internet Movie Database says the film made a mistake by depicting an American alligator, which has a blunter snout. The Australian aquarium where Burt had lived since 2008 features a Cage of Death which it says is the nation’s only crocodile dive. It said it planned to honour Burt’s legacy with a commemorative sign “celebrating his extraordinary life and the stories and interactions he shared throughout his time at the park”.

lucky 777 download In addition to the Broadcasting Corporation's response, the African National Congress (ANC) has also distanced itself from the incident. The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has expressed its concern following a viral video showing an altercation involving one of its employees, Nobuntu “Nobs” Mkhize, aboard a FlySafair flight. The incident has sparked widespread attention and criticism on social media platforms. In the video, Mkhize reportedly referenced the SABC and claimed that the matter would be featured on the corporation’s news platforms. This statement, coupled with her behaviour during the altercation, has drawn scrutiny and raised questions about professionalism. In an official statement, the company acknowledged the incident, emphasizing its commitment to maintaining high standards of integrity and respect in all interactions involving its staff. “The SABC regrets this incident and always encourages staff members to uphold the SABC values of respect and integrity in all their interactions,” the statement read. The broadcaster further clarified that its news division operates with full editorial independence and that decisions related to news content are made within the newsroom, free from influence by individual employees. “We would like to reiterate that SABC News is guided by the Editorial Code and maintains its editorial independence,” the SABC added. In addition to the Broadcasting Corporation’s response, the African National Congress (ANC) has also distanced itself from the incident. While Mkhize has no official ties to the political organisation, speculation on social media linking her actions to the ANC prompted a brief statement. The party reiterated that it does not condone inappropriate behaviour and stressed the importance of professionalism in public spaces. As part of its response, the SABC has committed to addressing the matter internally and engaging with the parties involved. The organisation has also reassured the public that it will use appropriate internal channels to resolve the situation. As social media continues to amplify both actions and consequences, public figures are increasingly challenged to align their conduct with the values they uphold.

Opinion: Portland’s monuments should include the writers who inspire usThe Sweden midfielder hailed Saturday’s 4-0 thrashing of the champions as the best game of his career. The 24-year-old delivered an outstanding performance as Spurs shattered the champions’ 52-game unbeaten home run, helping start the rout with a superb cross for James Maddison’s opening goal. Kulusevski said: “I believed (we would win) this because in the past years, we’ve come here and played really well. “So this is the game I look forward to most in the year and, once again, it happened – glory to God. “I’d say it’s the best result ever in my career. It’s a big night for the whole club, for the coach, for the players. “Because City have a lot of the ball sometimes, we can rest when we defend. There’s also so much space up there, we play one against one and then it’s always dangerous because we have a lot of quality. “It’s always great to play great teams because they always want to play football. When you play lower teams, sometimes it’s not. There’s not much football played because they are a lot of fouls, a lot of injuries and it’s slow going.” Maddison stole the show with two goals in quick succession in the first half while Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson later got on the scoresheet. Kulu-chef-ski cooked 👨‍🍳 📊 @KumhoTyreUK pic.twitter.com/CsrTh5oUgn — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 24, 2024 Yet Kulusevski’s performance was also eye-catching and the player himself believes there is plenty more to come from him. Asked if his form made him feel “unstoppable”, Kulusevski said: “I feel like that. I feel very good and I’m trying to keep this way. I’m very happy, I’m trying to improve. “I started the season good but there is over half of the season left and I hope I can do much better. “I think I have something that no other player has. With my engine, with my heart – I don’t get tired – I feel like I can do a lot still in my career.” Spurs have won more matches against Pep Guardiola's Man City than any other side 👀 pic.twitter.com/BHLZqde9sP — Premier League (@premierleague) November 23, 2024 Tottenham’s scintillating performance marked a spectacular return to form after their dismal loss to Ipswich in their previous Premier League outing. Kulusevski said: “We have to be much more consistent. It’s not a turning point. We just have to be better in other games. “This game suited us perfectly but we have a lot of improvement to make in the other games.”

Whenever there is oppression, there is resistance, says HRCP chairperson The Home-Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) on Sunday organised a seminar on the theme of women’s resistance against oppression at the Karachi Press Club (KPC). The seminar was chaired by Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt and attended by a large number of political and human rights activists. Prominent speakers included Aurat Foundation’s Mahnaz Rahman, Sammi Baloch of the Baloch Yakjehti Council, HBWWF Genera; Secretary Zehra Khan, Sorath Lohar of the Missing Persons Recovery Movement, academic Dr Asghar Ali Dashti, National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) General Secretary Nasir Mansoor and KPC President Saeed Sarbazi. The speakers at the event paid rich tribute to three revolutionary sisters from the Dominican Republic known as the Butterfly Sisters whose struggle against dictatorship is commemorated globally on November 25. Zehra highlighted how the sisters, Patria Mirabal, Minerva Mirabal and Maria Teresa Mirabal, became symbols of democratic freedom and women’s empowerment after they sacrificed their lives in the fight against a brutal regime. The United Nations officially declared November 25 as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in their honour in 1999. The HBWWF secretary general emphasized that the issues of state oppression, authoritarian governance and misogynistic social attitudes that the Butterfly Sisters fought against persisted globally, including in Pakistan. She said political activists faced persecution in Pakistan, enforced disappearances continued unabated and democratic freedoms were severely restricted. Women workers particularly in factories faced harassment while systemic gender discrimination prevailed in political, social and economic spheres, Zehra lamented. Mansoor said that despite the passage of a law against workplace harassment in Pakistan in 2010, societal norms and judicial delays had made justice nearly unattainable, as a result of which Pakistan remained the sixth most dangerous country for women with alarming statistics. He added that 85 per cent of women workers experienced harassment in workplaces and 90 per cent of domestic workers faced harassment. Forty per cent of women reported digital harassment and 28 per cent of women aged between 14 and 49 years faced physical violence who six per cent were victims of sexual violence. Additionally, over 8,000 families were affected by enforced disappearances with thousands of women enduring psychological and social distress due to missing loved ones, Mansoor said. He recognised the critical role played by women in resisting authoritarianism and advocating for democracy and equality in Pakistan. He highlighted the enduring contributions of figures like Fatima Jinnah, Benazir Bhutto, Asma Jahangir, Kaneez Fatima, Tahira Mazhar Ali and contemporary activists like Dr Mahrang Baloch, Sami Baloch, Sorath Lohar and Zehra Khan. Sharing her personal story, Sammi Baloch of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee brought attention to the plight of families affected by enforced disappearances. Being a woman in this society was itself a form of oppression, she said as she described how Baloch women waited endlessly for their missing loved ones. In his speech, Sarbazi focused on the civil rights issues in the country. He added that the KPC office bearers were committed to protecting the sanctity of the press club and they stood with all the oppressed people. He highlighted how discriminatory policies such as restrictions on hotel stays for people from Balochistan reflected deeper problems. Wherever there was oppression, there was resistance, said the HRCP chairperson. He shared statistics about violence against women and stressed the need for breaking feudal mindset and bringing forward young leadership in the resistance movement. — PPIFruster scores 15, Eastern Illinois beats Blackburn 99-55

The Los Angeles Rams (9-6) host the Arizona Cardinals (7-8) on Saturday, December 28, 2024 at SoFi Stadium and will aim to extend a four-game winning streak. What channel is Rams vs. Cardinals on? What time is Rams vs. Cardinals? The Rams and the Cardinals play at 8:10 p.m. ET. NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more. Rams vs. Cardinals betting odds, lines, spread Rams vs. Cardinals recent matchups Rams schedule Cardinals schedule NFL week 17 schedule This content was created for Gannett using technology provided by Data Skrive.None

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By Sanjeewa Jayaweera The government’s decision to increase the withholding tax (WHT) rate to 10%, effective 1 April 2025, deserves commendation. Too often, political leaders have avoided necessary but unpopular decisions, opting to appease the electorate. This has led to various issues, from economic stagnation to the erosion of minority and religious rights. The proposed tax increase, however, marks a significant step in addressing a pressing concern: Sri Lanka’s persistent tax evasion problem. Tax evasion in Sri Lanka is alarmingly high. While some degree of evasion is common in many countries, effective tax compliance is largely achieved through a comprehensive tax policy and an efficient tax administration. Unfortunately, Sri Lanka has fallen short in both these areas. Since the early 1990s, successive governments have either reduced or eliminated key taxes, granted widespread exemptions, and failed to adequately develop the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) in terms of manpower and technology. Rather than addressing these systemic issues, governments have relied on increasing indirect taxes. The contribution of direct taxes to overall revenue has fallen to a mere 20%. Indirect taxes, such as Value Added Tax (VAT), are largely hidden from the consumer, as the IRD has mandated that supplier invoices do not show VAT charged. This has created a society that is not accustomed to paying direct taxes. Additionally, the acceptance of corruption as a “necessary evil” has contributed to the perception that tax evasion is acceptable. Consequently, the imposition of new taxes, rate increases, and threshold reductions often generates confusion and frustration among the public. Opposition parties frequently exploit these sentiments to mislead the electorate, complicating the government’s efforts. To counter this, the government must invest in educating the public about taxes, the need for tax revenue, and the civic duty of tax compliance. This is a long-term effort that, if successful, could lead to improved tax revenues and higher compliance rates. Policymakers should consider insights from an OECD report published in 2021, which analyzed taxpayer education initiatives in 59 developed and developing countries. The report revealed that over 80% of such initiatives improved tax morale—the intrinsic motivation to pay taxes. The findings underscore the importance of tax literacy in shaping a culture where citizens understand how their tax contributions affect their daily lives. The report suggests a step-by-step approach for designing and implementing taxpayer education initiatives customized to local contexts. Three key strategies for promoting tax compliance emerged: · Teaching tax : Engaging all audiences, including youth, adults, and entrepreneurs, through long-term educational programs. · Communicating tax : Raising awareness through campaigns, tax fairs, TV shows, and behavioural economics-based messaging. · Supporting compliance : Providing practical assistance, particularly for vulnerable taxpayers, to navigate modern e-administration tools and fulfill reporting requirements. Verité Research, an independent think tank, has long advocated increasing the WHT rate on interest income from 5% to 10%. Their estimate suggests that this increase could generate an additional Rs. 90 billion in revenue for the state. Despite this, the government of Ranil Wickremesinghe hesitated to act, even though it had already raised VAT to 18% and introduced progressive income tax rates as high as 36% and reduced the monthly tax-free threshold to Rs. 100,000. Importantly, WHT on interest income is not an additional tax; it is a prepayment of taxes collected by the payer on behalf of the government, similar to the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system used for salaried employees. The challenge, however, lies in the fact that individuals often earn interest from multiple banks, unlike salary income, which typically comes from a single employer. As a result, financial institutions cannot easily determine whether an individual’s total income surpasses the annual tax-free threshold of Rs. 1,200,000 (or Rs. 1,800,000 starting April 2025). To address this, the IRD should implement a system allowing individuals over 18 to obtain a letter from the IRD confirming that WHT need not be deducted if their total annual income is below the threshold. While this will initially be challenging due to the lack of tax files for many individuals, it is a step that should be supported. Despite its complexities, the government’s decision to increase the WHT rate should be backed. To illustrate the impact of this change, consider the following examples assuming the person’s total income is derived solely from interest: Total Income Tax Due : · Income : Rs. 5,000,000 · Single Person Allowance : Rs. 1,200,000 · Taxable Income : Rs. 3,800,000 · Income Tax at Progressive Rates : Rs. 918,000 · Less WHT Collected at Source : Rs. 250,000 · Tax Evaded : Rs. 668,000 With the WHT Rate Increase : · Income : Rs. 5,000,000 · Single Person Allowance : Rs. 1,200,000 · Taxable Income : Rs. 3,800,000 · Income Tax at Progressive Rates : Rs. 918,000 · Less WHT Collected at Source : Rs. 500,000 · Tax Evaded : Rs. 418,000 As illustrated, raising the WHT rate to 10% would generate an additional Rs. 250,000 in tax revenue. I have assumed in my illustration that the recipient of interest income is not tax-compliant and is currently outside the tax net. This demonstrates how the rate increase could significantly reduce tax evasion. The IRD’s ultimate goal should be to recover the Rs. 418,000 currently evaded by taxpayers. By streamlining the reporting systems of financial institutions and integrating them with the RAMIS system, the IRD can take a significant step toward curbing tax evasion and boosting government revenue.Airwrap, Supersonic: Dyson Clears Out Stock of Its Hair Dryers with Major Price Cuts

OutKick contributor Riley Gaines joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss her reaction to the 'alarming' number of medals lost as 200 female golfers sign a letter to the LPGA raising concerns over its transgender athlete policy. The state of Washington could be one of the first in the nation to introduce a third gender category for high school sports in order to prevent biological males from competing against girls. The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) announced a proposal to create a separate open division for transgender athletes to compete in. One of the amendments proposes the creation of a girl's division and an open division in which athletes could participate, regardless of whether their gender identity matches their assigned sex at birth. "In order to maintain fair and equitable competition, participation in girls' sports and girls' divisions of sports is restricted to students who were assigned female at birth. The purpose of this policy is to offer clarity with respect to the participation of trans and gender-diverse student-athletes. Additionally, this policy encourages a culture in which student-athletes can compete in a safe and supportive environment, free of discrimination," the proposal reads. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM The state's high school athletes are currently allowed to compete based on their gender identity rather than their biological sex. The WIAA policy states that each athlete will participate in programs "consistent with their gender identity or the gender most consistently expressed," and there are not even any medical or legal requirements. Bills that would prohibit transgender girls from participating in girls' and women's sports have been introduced but not passed. Washington is one of 25 states in the U.S. to have laws in place to protect trans inclusion in girls' and women's sports. The proposal comes weeks after a school board in the state voted to send a letter to the WIAA pleading for it to reconsider its current rules that allow trans athletes to compete against females. The Central Valley School Board, which oversees schools in Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake, Washington , voted to send a message to the WIAA over the issues after much debate at a school board meeting. The resolution, titled "Supporting Equity and Safety in Female Sports," claims that the entire board is comprised of female members who have either competed in athletics themselves or have daughters who competed in athletics. One of the women, an unidentified current cross-country runner, shared her experience during the hearing. "When I ran cross-country for Greenacres Middle School, a boy who was biologically male but identified as female competed on the girls' team," she said. "While I respect everyone's right to participate in sports, the situation made me question the fairness of competing of someone who had the physical advantage associated with male biology." In May, a trans athlete competed in a girls' cross-country championship and won. Veronica Garcia, who was previously known as Devina Brown and Donovan Brown, won the 400m heat race in the girl's division with a time of 55.59 seconds. The second-place runner finished at 58.83 seconds. In the finals, Garcia won with a time of 55.75 seconds, a full second ahead of the second-place runner who finished with 56.75. SJSU TRANSGENDER VOLLEYBALL SCANDAL: TIMELINE OF ALLEGATIONS, POLITICAL IMPACT AND A RAGING CULTURE MOVEMENT The victory prompted outrage by women's rights activists, including former NCAA swimmer and OutKick contributor Riley Gaines. The idea of a third gender category in high school and college sports to accommodate trans athletes has been floated as opposition to trans inclusion has stirred outrage across the country over the last year. Deep-blue states like Washington, as well as Oregon and California, which also have laws in place to protect trans inclusion, have been considered the places where a third category makes the most sense due to the influx of trans athletes competing against females in those states. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Steve Garvey, the former California Senate candidate and Los Angeles Dodgers World Series champion, previously told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that he would support President-elect Trump's ban on trans athletes in girls' and women's sports, and that he believes trans athletes should compete against each other. In Riverside, California, Martin Luther King High School is facing a student uprising over the issue after two cross-country runners wore T-shirts that read "Save Girls' Sports," in response to a trans athlete taking a varsity roster spot from a female athlete. The two female athletes filed a lawsuit against the school, and another teammate gave an impassioned plea during a board meeting, which went viral on social media, to remove the trans athlete from the team. Now, hundreds of the school's students have committed to wearing the T-shirts every week. Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X , and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter . Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.Arkansas DE Landon Jackson carted off field and taken to hospital with neck injuryAI harm is often behind the scenes and builds over time

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A banana duct-taped to a wall has sold for £4.9 million – part of the evolving relationship between art and finance

NoneWade Taylor IV helps No. 13 Texas A&M rout Abilene ChristianThere’s one final way Biden can fund Ukraine’s fight against Russia, researchers say

He and perennial rival Luke Humphries provided a taste of what might be to follow in next month’s World Darts Championship, but it was “Cool Hand” who emerged victorious 11-7 to retain his Players Championship title. It brings to an end a 12-match winning run that saw him lift the Grand Slam of Darts last weekend and through to the final in Minehead having seen off Ross Smith and Mike De Decker on finals day. Littler ended World Grand Prix champion De Decker's hopes of a second big-stage triumph in Sunday afternoon's quarter-finals, before edging out former European Champion Smith 11-9 in the semis. Despite posting some huge checkouts in the game's latter stages, he was left to rue a slow start in the final as he fell 5-1 down, although the £60,000 in prize money moves him up to fourth on the PDC Order of Merit. "It was tough - I missed a few doubles and if you don't take chances early it's a lot to come back," said the 17-year-old. "Luke took full advantage, so fair play to him. I know I hit the 170 and the 164 but I didn't have enough in the end." Luke Littler salutes the Minehead crowd having received his runner-up trophy (Image: Kieran Cleeves/PDC) For a match that was so highly anticipated, it is fair to say it struggled to catch fire in the early stages. Both players’ averages were in the low-80s, but it was Humphries who took his chances – a break of Littler’s throw in the very first leg was consolidated by a hold to go 2-0 up. Even the teenager’s favourite double 10 was deserting him and although he did get himself on the board with a hold of throw, the next two legs were symptomatic of his struggles to take his chances. It took Humphries 19 darts to win both the fourth and fifth legs to stride into the first break with a 4-1 lead. Both men came back firing and produced the kind of darts everybody expected, with Humphries retaining control but Littler producing the biggest moments. A “tops-tops” finish to check out 105 was followed by the “big fish” checkout of 170 in consecutive legs on his own throw to halt the Humphries charge and when his rival failed to close out the 10th leg, Littler took his chance to break back by hitting double top. That meant that, having been staring down the barrel of a 7-3 deficit, “The Nuke” went into the second break just two legs behind at 6-4. Littler appeared to have found his stride, and the Minehead crowd had found their voices in support of him even if the line was crossed on occasion, with an instance of whistling drawing the ire of both players and the match referee. Two more superb ton-plus checkouts – 164 in Leg 11 and 136 in the 15th either side of a 12-dart hold – ignited those in attendance, but Humphries was holding off any attempts by Littler to break his throw and retained the advantage heading into the final mini-session. However, that was to be as good as it got for Littler as Humphries swept the final session, claiming a crucial break of throw in Leg 17 before closing out victory by hitting his second match dart. Littler and Luke Humphries have now met in three major finals, with Sunday providing Humphries with his second victory (Image: Kieran Cleeves/PDC)Pearl Diver Credit Company Inc. Announces Offering of Series A Preferred Stock

The Rick Campbell era has ended while the Ryan Rigmaiden era has begun. The B.C. Lions introduced Rigmaiden as the football club’s new general manager at a press conference at the team’s Surrey practice facility on Wednesday, and at the same time, announced that they had parted ways with head coach Rick Campbell after four seasons and that Neil McEvoy was moving from the co-GM position that he shared with Campbell to the newly-created title of Vice President of Football Operations. As we speculated last week in this column , the club moved quickly to elevate Rigmaiden from his previous role of Assistant General Manager and Director of U.S. Scouting in an effort to retain the 45-year-old native of Spokane, Washington. Rigmaiden was the Lions Director of U.S. Scouting from 2013 to 2017 before leaving to join the Winnipeg Blue Bombers organization. He returned in 2020 and has been responsible for bringing in import talent such as Sione Teuhema, Josh Banks, Alexander Hollins, Manny Rugamba, Jarell Broxton, Josh Woods and Kent Perkins to the Lions. His first task as general manager will be to find a new head coach. “The head coaching search is going to start immediately. There are several coaches that are currently unemployed that we are going to talk to. We also have several here internally that we will interview as well and then get permission (from other teams) for a handful of others,” said Rigmaiden, who becomes the 17th general manager in club history. There are approximately “eight to 10” candidates that the club will interview via ZOOM calls over the next week to 10 days, with that number being whittled down to three or four finalists who will then be interviewed in person. The front-runner for the head coaching position is former Lions quarterback Buck Pierce, who has been with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers organization since 2014 in various coaching capacities and has held the title of offensive coordinator since 2020. Other candidates include former Hamilton head coach Orlondo Steinauer, former Winnipeg and Ottawa head coach Paul LaPolice, former B.C. and Hamilton defensive coordinator Mark Washington and former Calgary special teams coordinator Mark Kilam as well as internal candidates that include offensive coordinator Jordan Maksymic and defensive coordinator Ryan Phillips, who is the only assistant from last year’s staff still under contract. The organization has no timeline in terms of naming a head coach and both Rigmaiden and McEvoy stressed that this will not be a rushed decision. That being said, there has to be some urgency as the new head coach will need time to assemble his own staff moving forward. Rigmaiden has set out three criteria that his hire will have to meet. “Leadership, accountability and toughness. I think those are essential for any head coach no matter what sport you are talking about. That’s going to be something that we emphasize,” replied Rigmaiden when queried on the subject. Rigmaiden hopes the new coach will be able to get the Lions to play with some edge. “The biggest thing I see is our lack of ability to overcome adversity on the field. There is a lack of mental toughness on this team. Internally, we have all been discussing that after last season. There are a variety of reasons why that happens. Instilling a new head coach with some different ideas and different values is going to be the biggest part of that,” said Rigmaiden. Another pressing item on his agenda will be trading quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. and there has already been an organizational shift in philosophy in how that will be dealt with moving forward. “He (Adams Jr.) will not have a say in this process. We are going to do what’s best for the club but we are going to be in constant communication with him,” said Rigmaiden, walking back a promise that Campbell made as co-gm that Adams Jr. would be consulted in trade talks. Rigmaiden added that it was strictly a business call, referring to his solid relationship with Adams Jr. going back to the time when Adams Jr. was a 19-year-old at Eastern Washington University, and that the process would begin immediately by “calling two or three teams” on Monday night. EXTRA POINTS * The natural landing spot for Campbell is Edmonton. As we mentioned last week, new Edmonton owner Larry Thompson wants to reconnect the Elks to the history and tradition of the Eskimos. He already has hired Chris Morris as the Elks president and then followed that up by signing Ed Hervey as the Elks general manager. Morris played 14 years for the Eskimos while Hervey suited up for eight seasons with the green and gold. Hiring Campbell would be a natural fit seeing how his father Hugh coached the Eskimos to five straight Grey Cups from 1978 to 1982. Hervey also hired Campbell in B.C. during his stint as the Lions general manager. * As for the Lions assistant coaches, Phillips could be reunited with former teammate Dave Dickenson as the defensive coordinator for the Calgary Stampeders if things don’t work out in B.C. Meanwhile, Edmonton has asked the Lions for permission to speak to Maksymic about their head coaching vacancy. In other news, linebackers coach Travis Brown has interviewed for the defensive coordinators position in Ottawa but could follow Campbell to Edmonton if the Ottawa job falls through as the two have history together going back to Brown’s playing days as a RedBlack. * With Hervey leaving as Tiger-Cats general manager, former Lions quarterback Danny McManus becomes the leading candidate to replace him in Hamilton. McManus, who led the Leos to a Grey Cup in 1994, has been with Winnipeg since 2013 as the club’s assistant general manager and director of U.S. scouting. McManus was also the quarterback for Hamilton when they last won the Grey Cup in 1999 and is revered in The Hammer. Other candidates include former UBC head coach Ted Goveia, who is the Bombers assistant GM and director of player personnel and a pair of Canadians working as scouts in the NFL in Vince Magri (Buffalo) and Chris Rossetti (New York Giants). Magri and Rossetti both spent time with the Toronto organization before going south. Veteran B.C. sports personality Bob “the Moj” Marjanovich writes twice weekly for Black Press Media.Seymour 'wrong' on cost of ferry project: Peters

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Mumbai The Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB), which is conducting an investigation into Wednesday’s boat mishap in the Mumbai harbour that has claimed 14 lives, has cancelled the licence of the ferry, Neel Kamal. The licence and its survey certificate have been cancelled by MMB as the vessel was overloaded, thus violating the Inland Vessel Act. The ferry had a capacity of 90 persons and, prima facie, it appears that there were 110 persons on board. The MMB has, however, determined the cause of the accident to be a collision of a naval speedboat with the ferry. Praveen Khara, chief port officer, MMB, said the Navy is investigating whether engine failure had caused the speedboat to spin out of control. Khara added, “We have decided that all passengers boarding all boats must wear safety jackets. In the case of the Neel Kamal boat tragedy, there was no time for the passengers to wear life jackets.’’ Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora, who was shipping minister in the UPA government, has written to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, for coordinated efforts to ensure maritime safety in the Mumbai harbour in the wake of the ferry accident off the coast of the Gateway of India. “As you are aware, Mumbai’s harbour has witnessed significant growth in maritime traffic due to increased passenger services, cargo movement and recreational activities. However, this growth has brought with it challenges related to safety, regulation, and enforcement. It is critical that we address these gaps through a coordinated effort involving central and state agencies, including the Maharashtra Maritime Board, Western Naval Command, Mumbai Port Trust, and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust,’’ Deora has said in the letter. He has asked for mandatory life jackets for passengers, better harbor signaling systems, and updated vessel monitoring technologies to prevent accidents. Deora has asked for conduction routine drills and rigorous inspections of all passenger vessels to ensure compliance with safety norms.Future of Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) for EV Market: Analysis and Leadership by Sonavox, Denso, Brigade Electronics, Aptiv, HELLA, Continental, BESTAR, Bodun ElectronicsNone

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NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Kmani Doughty had 17 points in Indiana State's 83-80 victory against Iona on Saturday. Doughty shot 5 of 9 from the field, including 1 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 6 for 7 from the line for the Sycamores (4-4). Jaden Daughtry added 16 points while going 6 of 9 and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line while they also had six rebounds and three steals. Josiah LeGree shot 5 for 8, including 3 for 5 from beyond the arc to finish with 14 points. The Gaels (2-6) were led by Dejour Reaves, who posted 30 points and three steals. Adam Njie added 21 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals for Iona. Yaphet Moundi also had 12 points and nine rebounds. LeGree scored 11 points in the first half for Indiana State, who went into halftime tied 45-45 with Iona. Indiana State. Samage Teel scored 10 second-half points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Gu Ailing's dedication to her studies at Oxford is a testament to her belief that true success lies in the pursuit of excellence in all aspects of life. By seamlessly blending her academic pursuits with her sporting achievements, she embodies the idea that one can indeed have it all with hard work and determination. Her ability to maintain a balanced approach to her pursuits serves as a powerful reminder that success is not just about winning medals, but about personal growth and continuous improvement.By BEN FINLEY The Christmas tradition has become nearly global in scope: Children from around the world track Santa Claus as he sweeps across the earth, delivering presents and defying time. Related Articles National News | Heavy travel day off to a rough start after American Airlines briefly grounds all flights National News | Prosecutors withdraw appeal of dismissed case against Alec Baldwin in fatal movie set shooting National News | Bill Clinton is hospitalized with a fever but in good spirits, spokesperson says National News | Why Finland is vaccinating farmers against bird flu — but California isn't National News | Bluesky finds with growth comes growing pains — and bots Each year, at least 100,000 kids call into the North American Aerospace Defense Command to inquire about Santa’s location. Millions more follow online in nine languages , from English to Japanese. On any other night, NORAD is scanning the heavens for potential threats , such as last year’s Chinese spy balloon . But on Christmas Eve, volunteers in Colorado Springs are fielding questions like, “When is Santa coming to my house?” and, “Am I on the naughty or nice list?” “There are screams and giggles and laughter,” said Bob Sommers, 63, a civilian contractor and NORAD volunteer. Sommers often says on the call that everyone must be asleep before Santa arrives, prompting parents to say, “Do you hear what he said? We got to go to bed early.” NORAD’s annual tracking of Santa has endured since the Cold War , predating ugly sweater parties and Mariah Carey classics . The tradition continues regardless of government shutdowns, such as the one in 2018 , and this year . Here’s how it began and why the phones keep ringing. The origin story is Hollywood-esque It started with a child’s accidental phone call in 1955. The Colorado Springs newspaper printed a Sears advertisement that encouraged children to call Santa, listing a phone number. A boy called. But he reached the Continental Air Defense Command, now NORAD, a joint U.S. and Canadian effort to spot potential enemy attacks. Tensions were growing with the Soviet Union, along with anxieties about nuclear war. Air Force Col. Harry W. Shoup picked up an emergency-only “red phone” and was greeted by a tiny voice that began to recite a Christmas wish list. “He went on a little bit, and he takes a breath, then says, ‘Hey, you’re not Santa,’” Shoup told The Associated Press in 1999. Realizing an explanation would be lost on the youngster, Shoup summoned a deep, jolly voice and replied, “Ho, ho, ho! Yes, I am Santa Claus. Have you been a good boy?” Shoup said he learned from the boy’s mother that Sears mistakenly printed the top-secret number. He hung up, but the phone soon rang again with a young girl reciting her Christmas list. Fifty calls a day followed, he said. In the pre-digital age, the agency used a 60-by-80 foot (18-by-24 meter) plexiglass map of North America to track unidentified objects. A staff member jokingly drew Santa and his sleigh over the North Pole. The tradition was born. “Note to the kiddies,” began an AP story from Colorado Springs on Dec. 23, 1955. “Santa Claus Friday was assured safe passage into the United States by the Continental Air Defense Command.” In a likely reference to the Soviets, the article noted that Santa was guarded against possible attack from “those who do not believe in Christmas.” Is the origin story humbug? Some grinchy journalists have nitpicked Shoup’s story, questioning whether a misprint or a misdial prompted the boy’s call. In 2014, tech news site Gizmodo cited an International News Service story from Dec. 1, 1955, about a child’s call to Shoup. Published in the Pasadena Independent, the article said the child reversed two digits in the Sears number. “When a childish voice asked COC commander Col. Harry Shoup, if there was a Santa Claus at the North Pole, he answered much more roughly than he should — considering the season: ‘There may be a guy called Santa Claus at the North Pole, but he’s not the one I worry about coming from that direction,’” Shoup said in the brief piece. In 2015, The Atlantic magazine doubted the flood of calls to the secret line, while noting that Shoup had a flair for public relations. Phone calls aside, Shoup was indeed media savvy. In 1986, he told the Scripps Howard News Service that he recognized an opportunity when a staff member drew Santa on the glass map in 1955. A lieutenant colonel promised to have it erased. But Shoup said, “You leave it right there,” and summoned public affairs. Shoup wanted to boost morale for the troops and public alike. “Why, it made the military look good — like we’re not all a bunch of snobs who don’t care about Santa Claus,” he said. Shoup died in 2009. His children told the StoryCorps podcast in 2014 that it was a misprinted Sears ad that prompted the phone calls. “And later in life he got letters from all over the world,” said Terri Van Keuren, a daughter. “People saying ‘Thank you, Colonel, for having, you know, this sense of humor.’” A rare addition to Santa’s story NORAD’s tradition is one of the few modern additions to the centuries-old Santa story that have endured, according to Gerry Bowler, a Canadian historian who spoke to the AP in 2010. Ad campaigns or movies try to “kidnap” Santa for commercial purposes, said Bowler, who wrote “Santa Claus: A Biography.” NORAD, by contrast, takes an essential element of Santa’s story and views it through a technological lens. In a recent interview with the AP, Air Force Lt. Gen. Case Cunningham explained that NORAD radars in Alaska and Canada —- known as the northern warning system — are the first to detect Santa. He leaves the North Pole and typically heads for the international dateline in the Pacific Ocean. From there he moves west, following the night. “That’s when the satellite systems we use to track and identify targets of interest every single day start to kick in,” Cunningham said. “A probably little-known fact is that Rudolph’s nose that glows red emanates a lot of heat. And so those satellites track (Santa) through that heat source.” NORAD has an app and website, www.noradsanta.org , that will track Santa on Christmas Eve from 4 a.m. to midnight, mountain standard time. People can call 1-877-HI-NORAD to ask live operators about Santa’s location from 6 a.m. to midnight, mountain time.lucky fish 。

THE Ministry of Youth Development and Sports is actively pursuing initiatives aimed at advancing the development of young individuals within the community. To fulfill its mandate of cultivating the youth of the nation, the Ministry has established robust alliances with local, regional, and international partners. During the recent 31st National Youth Awards ceremony, Minister of Youth Development and Sports, Kenson Casimir, expressed strong approval of the vital partnerships forged by the ministry. “One significant milestone to highlight is the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports and USAID/YRIE – the Youth Resilience Inclusion and Empowerment program,” Casimir stated emphatically to the attendees last Saturday. The minister recognized YRIE’s substantial contributions through technical support that empower the ministry to effectively fulfill its overall mandate to uplift marginalized youth within our society. Currently, YRIE, in collaboration with the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Council, is committed to certifying all youth workers in Youth Development work. Minister Casimir also gave special emphasis to the Taiwanese Embassy for its unwavering and enthusiastic support of the ministry’s developmental programmes. He outlined key support areas, including kitchen gardens, arts and crafts programmes, and crime prevention initiatives. At the ceremony, the island’s exceptional young individuals were celebrated for their impactful contributions to nation-building across various categories. Trevon Richard earned recognition as Youth of the Year and also claimed awards for Outstanding Youth in Social Development and Individual Community Achievement. The comprehensive list of awardees announced at last Saturday’s Youth Awards ceremony, held at The Pavilion, Rodney Bay, includes: – Outstanding Youth in Performing Arts – Deshawn Augustin – Outstanding Youth in Literary Arts – Shyne Savory – Outstanding Youth in Visual Arts – Arthur Lee – Outstanding Youth in Media- Vitus Peter – Outstanding Youth in Entrepreneurship (Individual) – Jonathan William – Outstanding Youth in Entrepreneurship (Organization)- RJ Rentals – Outstanding Youth in Agriculture – Benny James – Outstanding Youth in Innovation & Technology – Uriah Victor – Outstanding Youth in Social Development – Trevon Richard – Outstanding Community Achievement Award (Individual) – Trevon Richard – Outstanding Community Achievement Award (Organization) – Twisted Dance Group – Outstanding Youth in Environment and Sustainable Development (Individual) – Brodi Louis – Outstanding Youth in Environment and Sustainable Development (organization)- Caribbean Youth Environment Network – Outstanding Religious Organization – Labayee District of SDA Youth Ministry – Outstanding Youth Organization- Hewanorra Plains Leos Club – Outstanding District Youth & Sports Council – Laborie Youth & Sports Council – Esteemed Challenge Award – Keitha Augustin – Outstanding Youth in Volunteerism Award – Ethan Leandre – Outstanding Student Leader – Jean Luc Constantine -High Achiever Award – Samiya Matthew – Youth Economy Award – Kayode James – Dr. Henry Charles Fellow in Youth Work Award – Desyl Dianne Francis – Youth of the Year – Trevon Richard.

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For all its speed and centrifugal force, all its peril and push-the-envelope ingenuity, stock-car racing for decades subsisted on its array of characters. Guys named Fonty and Fireball, the Intimidator and the King, Foyt and France. They were an ensemble of ruffians and renegades, booze runners and barrier crashers, united by a critical common denominator. All were mavericks. Now, their audacity and achievements have been recounted in a sleek, photo-filled coffee-table book. “NASCAR Mavericks: The Rebels and Racers Who Revolutionized Stock Car Racing,” was been released. Published by Motorbooks (an imprint of the Quarto Publishing Group), it’s available at various online sites including Amazon and store.nascar.com . H.A. “Herb” Branham and Holly Cain, both former Tampa Tribune motorsports writers, spent 10 months on the project, interviewing roughly 100 sources. “What does it mean to be a maverick?” three-time NASCAR champ Tony Stewart asks rhetorically in his foreword. “Speaking from personal experience, it’s doing what you think is right, even when others say you’re wrong. And it’s being told you can’t, so you go even harder just to prove them wrong.” What ensues over the next 192 pages is an illustrated digest of sorts; character sketches in simple, unapologetic prose of those who embodied the maverick approach. “We talked to just about anybody that was relevant to the stories that were still alive, including obviously the people themselves,” Branham said. The mavericks include visionaries who helped propel the sport from red-clay tracks to major speedways (i.e. Bill France Sr.), crew chiefs who bent the rules to nearly their breaking point (i.e. Smokey Yunick), and drivers who had developed their automotive chops by running from the law in the South’s nether regions (i.e. Curtis Turner). The group also features those who sped full-throttle into what was once deemed a Southern-male sport. Among them: Wendell Scott, the first Black racer to win a NASCAR Cup Series race; and Sara Christian, the first female driver in the Strictly Stock Division (forerunner to the NASCAR Cup Series). Of course, the stars of NASCAR’s heyday — such as Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty — get their due, as do modern-day mavericks such as Stewart, Kurt and Kyle Busch, and Hall of Fame crew chief Chad Knaus. Even maverick-style developments (a tobacco company becoming a corporate sponsor, the network TV takeover, the creation of a street race in Chicago) are chronicled. “It was a little bit of Wild West-style,” said Branham, who worked in NASCAR’s communications department nearly two decades. “It’s really not a corporate book at all. NASCAR, I think, is consciously just trying to ungloss what we did during my time there, where we just put lacquers over all of the history, at times which was deemed maybe not the type of stuff that mainstream America would like. And I think NASCAR now is trying to put it in reverse a little bit, and they’re really trying to recapture that great history.” Complementing that history are hundreds of photos — some iconic — that help bring the characters and cars to life. Noticeably absent is Michael Jordan’s ongoing antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR — a maverick move in itself — but Branham said the book had been completed long before that litigation arose. “We would’ve dealt with it,” he said. “We would’ve mentioned it, because there’s really not a whole lot of punches pulled in this book, which kind of makes it a little bit different.” Kind of a hardcover maverick. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

“We should be doing some very urgent intelligence analysis and take them out of the skies, especially if they’re flying over airports or military bases,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said Thursday, as concerns about the drones spread across Capitol Hill. People in the New York region are also concerned that the drones may be sharing airspace with commercial airlines, he said, demanding more transparency from the Biden administration. The White House said Thursday that a review of the reported sightings shows that many of them are actually manned aircraft being flown lawfully. White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said there were no reported sightings in any restricted airspace. He said the U.S. Coast Guard has not uncovered any foreign involvement from coastal vessels. “We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus,” Kirby said, echoing statements from the Pentagon and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh has said they are not U.S. military drones. In a joint statement issued Thursday afternoon, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security said they and their federal partners, in close coordination with the New Jersey State Police, “continue to deploy personnel and technology to investigate this situation and confirm whether the reported drone flights are actually drones or are instead manned aircraft or otherwise inaccurate sightings.” The agencies said they have not corroborated any of the reported sightings with electronic detection, and that reviews of available images appear to show many of the reported drones are actually manned aircraft. “There are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space,” according to the statement. The drones appear to avoid detection by traditional methods such as helicopter and radio, according to a state lawmaker briefed Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security. The number of sightings has increased in recent days, though officials say many of the objects seen may have been planes rather than drones. It’s also possible that a single drone has been reported more than once. The worry stems partly from the flying objects initially being spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility, and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. In a post on the social media platform X, Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia described the drones as up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) in diameter and sometimes traveling with their lights switched off. Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use but are subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified. Most, but not all, of the drones spotted in New Jersey appeared to be larger than those typically used by hobbyists. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said he was frustrated by the lack of transparency, saying it could help spread fear and misinformation. “We should know what’s going on over our skies,” he said Thursday. John Duesler, president of the Pennsylvania Drone Association, said witnesses may be confused about what they are seeing, especially in the dark, and noted it’s hard to know the size of the drones or how close they might be. “There are certainly big drones, such as agricultural drones, but typically they are not the type you see flying around in urban or suburban spaces,” Duesler said Thursday. Duesler said the drones — and those flying them — likely cannot evade detection. “They will leave a radio frequency footprint, they all leave a signature," he said. "We will find out what kind of drones they were, who was flying them and where they were flying them.” Fantasia, a Morris County Republican, was among several lawmakers who met with state police and Homeland Security officials to discuss the sightings from the New York City area across New Jersey and westward into parts of Pennsylvania, including over Philadelphia. It is unknown at this time whether the sightings are related. Duesler said the public wants to know what's going on. “I hope (the government agencies) will come out with more information about this to ease our fears. But this could just be the acts of rogue drone operators, it’s not an ‘invasion’ as some reports have called it,” Duesler said. “I am concerned about this it but not alarmed by it.” Associated Press reporters Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and reporter Darlene Superville and videojournalists Serkan Gurbuz and Nathan Ellgren in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.Apiaries abuzz over ruling against widening cross-border trade in live honeybees

In a highly-anticipated move in the Chinese entertainment industry, renowned comedians Fee Xiang, Ma Dongxi, and Song Xiaobao have joined forces to create a new comedy film titled "Moonlight Bang!" The film, which promises to deliver a rollercoaster of laughs and entertainment, has been officially scheduled for a New Year's Eve premiere, sparking excitement and curiosity among fans.