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The morning catch up: ASX to edge higher after Dow hits new highGilbert makes clutch layup, steal as No. 7 LSU beats Washington 68-67 in the BahamasSEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks rode their dominant defense to a big win over a division rival to vault into first place in the NFC West. No, it isn’t 2013. These are the 2024 Seahawks, who, after struggling mightily against the run earlier this season, held the visiting Arizona Cardinals to 49 rushing yards in Sunday's 16-6 victory. The defensive line kept Kyler Murray under consistent pressure thanks to a dominant performance from Leonard Williams, the secondary flew around to smack away passes, and safety Coby Bryant scored on a 69-yard pick-6. Sunday's defensive performance was reminiscent of the Seahawks of a decade ago and a promising sign that first-year coach Mike Macdonald’s system is starting to click. Macdonald, who coordinated Baltimore's NFL-best defense last year, was leading one of the worst rush defenses in the league earlier this season. But Seattle consistently stuffed the Cardinals, who came in as the fifth-best running team in the league at 149.4 yards per game. “Three games in a row now we played pretty decent on defense,” Macdonald said. “There is an expectation and standard here throughout the course of our Seahawks history that we’re trying to live up to and build on. So that’s the idea.” At 6-5, the Seahawks drew even with the Cardinals in the tightly bunched division. The teams play each other again in two weeks at Arizona. Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald speaks during a news conference after an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 16-6. Credit: AP/Jason Redmond What’s working Last month's trade for linebacker Ernest Jones IV has clearly paid off. Seattle hasn't allowed a running back to rush for more than 79 yards since its Week 8 loss to Buffalo, which was Jones' first game in a Seahawks uniform. He has led the team in tackles in every game he's played and has helped resurrect the run defense. What needs help The Seahawks' run game continues to underperform. Seattle got 65 yards on the ground Sunday, with the Cardinals holding Kenneth Walker III to 41 yards on 16 attempts. Zach Charbonnet had 22 yards on six carries. Walker hasn’t topped 100 yards since Week 1. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb needs to think of something different to get the running backs involved. Stock up Williams single-handedly disrupted the Cardinals with 2 1/2 sacks, four quarterback hits, three tackles for loss and one pass defensed. Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon, left, and cornerback Coby Bryant, right, tackle Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Seattle. Credit: AP/Jason Redmond “I thought he was dominant,” Macdonald said. “I knew he played great and then I looked at the stat line and he played out of his mind.” The Seahawks finished with five sacks, seven quarterback hits, five tackles for loss and six pass deflections against the Cardinals, shutting down a team that had averaged 29.3 points over its previous three games. Stock down Geno Smith finished with 254 yards passing and a touchdown, but he threw another momentum-stalling interception. Smith was picked off on a third-and-6 play on the Arizona 18-yard line at the start of the fourth quarter, ending an 11-play, 73-yard drive. Smith has an NFL-most 12 interceptions this season, more than in either of his previous two seasons as the Seahawks' full-time starter. “That was a huge drive for us. ... Obviously made a terrible mistake down there, something I got to clean up,” Smith said. “But it was a big drive. We wanted to put the game ahead at least two scores.” The offensive line has contributed to the problem. Guard Anthony Bradford left with an ankle injury, and the line struggled to protect Smith, who was sacked five times. Injuries Macdonald said Bradford is expected to miss next week's game. Key number 77 — Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the team with six catches for 77 yards and a touchdown, marking the fourth consecutive game that Smith-Njigba has led the team in receptions. He topped 100 yards receiving in the previous two games. “He’s getting open,” Smith said. “He’s catching the ball. He’s doing a great job in the screen game. All-around great player. I just think the way that teams are playing us coverage-wise, I feel like it’s the ultimate sign of respect.” Up next The Seahawks play at the struggling New York Jets on Sunday.7 fortune 。

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts may sit out a potential NFC East clincher against Dallas because of the lingering effects of a concussion . The Eagles could also just rest Hurts to play it safe -- even if he’s medically cleared ahead of Sunday’s game -- and protect their franchise QB from additional injury over the final two games. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni kept quiet this week on which QB will start Sunday, in large part, of course, because of the head injury suffered by Hurts in last week’s loss to Washington that forced him into the concussion protocol . The issue was complicated by backup Kenny Pickett’s rib injury suffered in relief of Hurts in his first real game competition in nearly a year. Tanner McKee, the third-string QB, could move into a backup role — or maybe even get the start against the Cowboys. Philadelphia's starting quarterback situation has surged past Saquon Barkley's chase at Eric Dickerson's season rushing record as the most intriguing talking point in the final two games. The Eagles (12-3) appear certain to win the division title — they're two games ahead of Washington (10-5) — and a No. 2 seed in the conference no matter the quarterback headed into the playoffs. Even with an unsettled QB spot, the Eagles are are still 7 1/2-point home favorites to beat division rival Dallas, per BetMGM Sportsbook. Sirianni appreciated that quarterback depth has been a strength for the Eagles. “We feel good about that room,” he said. So why risk Hurts against the Cowboys? There's little reason to make Hurts play only a week after absorbing a pair of blows to the head and the extra week off — maybe two if the finale against the Giants is truly meaningless — could add to his recovery time ahead of a home playoff game. The Eagles were burned in a similar situation last season when Hurts and star wide receiver A.J. Brown were both injured in the final game against the Giants with little at stake. With both players hampered by unnecessary injuries, the Eagles were dumped the next week by Tampa Bay in the NFC wild-card playoff game. The Eagles have options if Hurts is inactive. Pickett was 14 of 24 for 143 yards in relief, throwing a touchdown pass to Brown and an interception. Pickett, a first-round pick out of Pitt in 2022, went 14-10 as a starter for the Steelers before he was traded to the Eagles in the offseason. McKee was the Eagles’ 2023 sixth-round pick out of Stanford. The 6-foot-6, 231-pound quarterback has yet to take a snap in a regular-season game. He's mostly used in practice on the scout team or in developmental periods — at best, he'll stay late after practice to get some reps in with the top receivers. “Every week, every opportunity, it's knowing it could be my shot, my chance,” McKee said. He could finally get that shot against Dallas. Rolling with Rush With the Cowboys out of playoff contention, the questions persist for coach Mike McCarthy about bypassing Cooper Rush for a look at Trey Lance before both QBs hit free agency. McCarthy’s answer hasn’t wavered: Rush gives Dallas the best chance to win. Rush is 4-3 since Dak Prescott’s season-ending hamstring tear after going 5-1 over two previous stints as an injury replacement. That’s 9-4 total. Half the losses came in both of Rush’s starts against Eagles – the last of five games filling in during the 2022 season and the first game this season. “The mindset is to win,” McCarthy said. “We’re going to Philadelphia to win the game.” Barkley watch Barkley leads the NFL with 1,838 yards rushing for the season through 15 games. He still needs two big outings in the final games of the season against Dallas and the New York Giants to top Dickerson and his 2,105 yards for the Los Angeles Rams in 1984. Barkley is 268 yards away from passing Dickerson for the season mark and 162 shy from becoming the ninth player in NFL history with 2,000 yards rushing in a season. He ran for only 66 yards in the first game this season against Dallas. Dallas ranks 28th in the NFL in rushing defense, surrendering 135.9 yards per contest. Philadelphia, behind Barkley’s stellar play, tops the league at 187.9 yards per game on the ground. The Eagles have already have set a team record for yards rushing in a season with 2,818, and they are within four rushing touchdowns of tying the club’s single-season mark of 32, set in 2022. Barkley needs four more rushing touchdowns to tie LeSean McCoy’s Eagles record, set in 2011 and just 33 yards from scrimmage to break McCoy’s mark of 2,146 set in 2013. Seeing double digits Star Dallas edge rusher Micah Parsons needs half a sack to reach double digits in each of his first four seasons despite missing four games with a high ankle sprain, the first injury absence of his career. The 2021 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year would be the fifth player to reach 10 sacks in each of his first four seasons. The other four — Claude Humphrey, Reggie White, Derrick Thomas and Dwight Freeney - are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. ___ AP Pro Football Writer Schuyler Dixon contributed from Arlington, Texas. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Dan Gelston, The Associated PressChhapra: In an attempt to ensure foolproof security arrangement and assist visitors at the Sonepur fair , local police have roped in about 300 volunteers , including 22 girls and 85 senior citizens with good repute, in strengthening vigilance across the mela area. The concept of community policing was introduced by the then Sonepur DSP, Prantosh Kumar Das. The present chief coordinator of community policing is Saran MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy. Praising the efforts of volunteers on Wednesday, Rudy said no amount of praise would be enough for these youths and senior citizen for their selfless service. “The community policing have been acting as the third eye of the police administration. Our volunteers are doing a commendable job in serving as a link between the mela-goers and the administration. These volunteers are at the forefront in guiding people coming to the fair, reuniting those who are separated, and helping foreign guests as mela guides,” he said. Rudy further said, “This is a social initiative that instills new learning of social service and discipline in the youth. The group of youth working without salary spreads smiles on the faces of people visiting the fair.” We also published the following articles recently Youths, senior citizens roped in for community policing at Sonepur fair To bolster security and assist visitors at the Sonepur fair, local police have enlisted the help of approximately 300 volunteers. This community policing initiative, spearheaded by Saran MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy, includes young people and senior citizens who are guiding attendees, reuniting lost individuals, and serving as a bridge between the public and the administration. Bihar Police exhibition inaugurated at Sonepur fair Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) Alok Raj inaugurated the Bihar Police exhibition at the Sonepur fair, showcasing the police force's advancements and initiatives. The event featured demonstrations by the dog squad and Anti-Terrorist Squad, highlighting their capabilities. Various police units set up informative stalls, raising public awareness on crucial topics like crime prevention, women's safety, and traffic regulations. 21 temporary police stations, 9 watchtowers to guard monthlong Sonepur mela Extensive security measures, including temporary police stations, watchtowers, and a large deployment of police and security personnel, have been put in place for the renowned Sonepur cattle fair in Bihar. The deployment includes personnel from the district police, Bihar Police headquarters, SDRF, NDRF, and BSAP.

How Cybersecurity Services Can Fortify Your IT InfrastructureTimeless Health Tips David B. Reuben, MD , geriatrician “Most of what people can do to have a healthy 2025 is not much different than what they could do to have a healthy 2024: exercise; don’t smoke; drink alcohol in moderation, if at all; stay engaged; and keep your mind stimulated. Be decent in every interaction and seek optimism every day. You may not find something to rejoice about but you may find something meaningful that may help others and yourself.” Energy Check-In Elizabeth Ko, MD , medical director of the UCLA Health Integrative Medicine Collaborative “Check in with your internal energy just like you approach your phone battery: How charged are you? Do you start the day at 100%? What depletes you and what energizes you? Lean into the energizing practices and minimize the depleting ones. Tuning into how you moderate your energy permits you to make better choices about how you move through your day. Take pauses and slow down. Life tends to feel loud and fast. Give yourself permission to dial down the volume and speed. Plant-based diet Dana Ellis Hunnes, PhD, RD , dietitian “Eat a whole-food, plant-based diet as much as possible. The more whole, plant-based foods a person can eat, the healthier they are likely to be because of the high fiber content, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory components and compounds in the foods, along with lower calorie intake and increased satiety. Holistic Health Valentina Ogaryan, PhD , clinical director of the Simms/Mann UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology “To me, healthy refers to body, spirit and mind. For the body, it’s best to eat whole foods and incorporate some type of physical activity on a routine basis. It’s also about giving yourself permission to indulge, in moderation, foods that bring you joy. With the mind, it’s making sure to increase awareness of helpful versus unhelpful thoughts, to have access to social support and to give the mind some rest by unplugging from social media and becoming intentional about focusing on present-moment interactions. With the spirit and heart, it is finding and connecting to people, activities, hobbies, interests that nourish the soul – anything that brings connection and can foster meaning. It can be spending time with loved ones; connection through music, literature and art; prayer, meditation and connecting to spirituality; or community-based activities.” Stress Management Marissa Vasquez, MD , lead team physician for the LA Dodgers “To have a healthy 2025, individuals should focus on managing stress through mindfulness practices, quality sleep, and strong social connections which can significantly enhance mental health and resilience. This is in addition to maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise, of course. When it comes to sports and athletics, focus on injury prevention, mix up workouts with cross-training, and support the body with proper nutrition and hydration.” Mindful Rest Diana Winston, director of UCLA Mindful “Make time for rest. This means unplugging from time to time and just being rather than constantly doing. Practice gratitude. Even brief moments of recalling things you are grateful for can shift your day from resentment and overwhelm to a sense of peace and appreciation. And savor the joyful moments. In addition to gratitude, there are many moments in the day when we experience joy or pleasure. Don't skip over them. Take a moment to really savor the experience, even for a few seconds. We need to build up our joy resources. When you’re stressed out, remember STOP: Stop; Take a breath or two; Observe how you’re feeling inside; and Proceed with a bit more awareness and calm.” Move and Connect Jesse Mills, MD , director of the Men’s Clinic at UCLA Health “Why wait for 2025? Put down your iPad, stand up and move. Whatever you did yesterday — if it was walking a block, walk two today, four tomorrow; if it was a mile, walk two today, three tomorrow and so on. Humans are great at building endurance — it’s in our DNA — be true to your genes and move! Don’t add sugar to anything this year. Your body developed a taste for sugar, so you can unlearn that. If you add sweetener to your coffee, add half as much and try to cut it out entirely in two weeks. In the same vein, avoid any food you can’t grow or hunt. The more processing the food you eat goes through, the less well your body does. Processed foods tend to add sugar, fat and salt to make the taste better, but it messes up your brain chemistry to see unnatural combinations of fat and sugar. Be purposeful. Outside of your job, find something to do that matters: volunteer, learn a new language, put down your news and social media feeds and pick up an instrument and learn to play.” Relax with Reflexology Lawrence Taw, MD , director of the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine, Torrance “Give yourself a foot massage. It’s a simple, easy thing anyone can do – very low cost, low investment and high yield. Our feet take a pounding every day, but most of us don’t take care of our feet. There is a whole body of knowledge about reflexology, which is really acupressure points, and you stimulate a lot of these points when you massage your feet. Get a simple golf ball or a roller, and just roll each foot over it. It can be relaxing, especially if you combine it with closing your eyes and deep breathing. I usually tell patients to massage their feet daily, but the best time to do it is at night before you go to bed.”Caitlin Clark honored as AP Female Athlete of the Year following her impact on women's sports Caitlin Clark has been named the AP Female Athlete of the Year after raising the profile of women’s basketball to unprecedented levels in both college and the WNBA. She led Iowa to the national championship game, was the top pick in the WNBA draft and captured rookie of the year honors in the league. Fans packed sold-out arenas and millions of television viewers followed her journey on and off the court. Clark's exploits also put other women's sports leagues in the spotlight. A group of 74 sports journalists from AP and its members voted on the award. Other athletes who received votes included Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and boxer Imane Khelif. Clark’s only the fourth women’s basketball player to win the award since it was first given in 1931. 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Thailand will go up against a "totally different" Philippines side in the first leg of their Asean Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024 semi-final in Manila on Friday night. The War Elephants are the defending champions and made it to the last-four stage of the regional championship after victories over Timor Leste, Malaysia and Cambodia helped them finish at the top of Group A. The Philippines sprang a big surprise by taking second spot behind Vietnam in Group B. Thailand head coach Masatada Ishii told a pre-match press conference on Thursday in Manila that his men would have to adjust their game to suit the synthetic grass pitch at Rizal Memorial Stadium. "We are faced with a situation in which we have to play on a pitch with artificial grass and this means that every player has to adjust himself to the surface," said the Japanese tactician. "But in football you are expected to adjust to such situations and be ready for all sorts of conditions at different match venues. "We have had the opportunity to play on an artificial grass pitch back home for a couple of days and have had two days of training opportunity at the match venue. "I believe that this will help the players get ready for this new challenge." Ishii added: "We have seen the tapes of the match between the Philippines and Indonesia and there is no need to talk much about it. "From what we have seen, I can say that the Philippines now play a different brand of football. "They are a totally different team from the one we played a few months ago. Their offence and defence have both improved a great deal. "But we have trained on the artificial pitch at Rizal Memorial Stadium and I don't think there is a need to make any drastic changes to our game plan for the match." The two sides clashed in the King's Cup first round in Songkhla in October when the War Elephants dominated the Philippines 3-1. Thai left wing back Thitathorn Auksornsri said: "We have been preparing the team for quite some time and everyone is now ready for the match. "I played at this stadium during the 2019 SEA Games, but that was a long time ago. We need to adjust many things for this venue." The match will kick off at 8pm (Thai time) on Saturday and will be televised live by Thai Rath TV (32), AIS Play, TrueSport 2 (667) and the BG Sports Channel on YouTube.The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to get back into the win-column on Christmas Day as they be will hosting the Kansas City Chiefs. This certainly won't be an easy game as Pittsburgh will look to be just the second team during the 2024 season to take down the back-to-back Super Bowl champions. The Steelers desperately need a win after losing two games in a row, and if the organization still has hopes for winning the AFC North, the Steelers will need to find a way to win their final two games of the regular season, and that starts with Kansas City. The Chiefs are clearly one of the best teams in the NFL, although they haven't been dominating teams in 2024. Most of the Chiefs' wins have come in tight, one-score games that are usually decided near the end of the contest. Many NFL fans have accused the NFL of helping the Chiefs win some of these close games. The team has certainly gotten some favorable calls from the officials throughout the year. The person that will be in charge of the officiating at Acrisure Stadium on Wednesday is Craig Wrolstad, and his crew has shown some trends in how they call games. Wrolstad and his crew have not officiated a game involving either the Chiefs or the Steelers during the 2024 season, but the crew still has some tendencies. Aside from pre-snap penalties, the crew is a bit trigger-happy when it comes to throwing the flag for offensive holding. They have thrown the flag for offensive holding 35 times during the 2024 season. For context, their next closest penalty type has only been called on 19 occasions. This is obviously bad news for second-year tackle Broderick Jones , who has had his fair share of issues with being penalized during the 2024 season. Jones is the second-most penalized player on the Steelers, and he is by far the most penalized offensive lineman. He has been called for holding five times , while no other offensive lineman on the Steelers has more than four penalties total. There was a time when it looked like Jones' future in Pittsburgh may have been a little rocky. Rookie tackle Troy Fautanu took Jones' starting job in Week 2 and played well. Fautanu went down with a knee injury during practice the following week, and Jones has been back as the starter ever since. During that Week 2 game started by Fautanu, Jones took his place for one possession and single-handedly killed all of Pittsburgh's momentum. Jones had three penalties on one possession, two holding calls and one false start, and these penalties killed what should have been a scoring drive. He was also called twice for holding later in the year against the Baltimore Ravens. For the most part, Jones has been solid at right tackle as of late, and hopefully that continues on Wednesday. Pittsburgh won't be able to afford to lose much yardage due to penalties. Steelers Should Benefit From Officiating Tendencies On The Other Side Of The Ball While this officiating crew having an affinity for holding calls may hurt the Steelers' offense, it should help the Pittsburgh defense. Pittsburgh's edge-rushing group is arguably the best in the league, and TJ Watt , Alex Highsmith , Nick Herbig , and Preston Smith will all have the ability to draw some penalties. In addition to the edge rushers for the Steelers being elite, the Chiefs have some issues at both tackle spots. Starting right tackle Jawaan Taylor is questionable to play, and starting left tackle DJ Humphries has already been ruled out of the game. Pittsburgh will likely be squaring off against a backup right tackle and Joe Thuney, a natural guard, at left tackle. Are you worried about the officiating on Christmas Day? This article first appeared on SteelerNation.com and was syndicated with permission.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer to meet John Swinney and other leaders in ScotlandHAMILTON, Bermuda--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 26, 2024-- Seadrill Limited ("Seadrill" or the "Company") (NYSE: SDRL) today announced that it has completed the sale of the jack-up rig West Prospero for cash proceeds of $45 million. “With the sale of the West Prospero , we have monetized a non-core asset that has been stacked since 2016 and successfully executed on our strategy to exit the benign jack-up market,” said President and Chief Executive Officer, Simon Johnson. About Seadrill Seadrill is setting the standard in deepwater oil and gas drilling. With its modern fleet, experienced crews, and advanced technologies, Seadrill safely, efficiently, and responsibly unlocks oil and gas resources for national, integrated, and independent oil companies. For further information, visit www.seadrill.com . Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this news release, including, without limitation, those regarding the Company’s plans, strategies, business prospects and rig activity, including with respect to backlog and contract commencement dates and durations, impact on earnings and free cash flow and changes and trends in its business and the markets in which it operates, are forward-looking statements. These statements may include words such as “assumes”, “projects”, “forecasts”, “estimates”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “plans”, “intends”, “may”, “might”, “will”, “would”, “can”, “could”, “should” or, in each case, their negative, or other variations or comparable terminology in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature of future operating or financial performance or other events. These statements are based on management’s current plans, expectations, assumptions and beliefs concerning future events impacting the Company and therefore involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: those described under Item 3D “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 27, 2024, offshore drilling market conditions, including supply and demand, day rates, customer drilling programs and effects of new or reactivated rigs on the market, fluctuations in the international price of oil, international financial market conditions, inflation, changes in governmental regulations that affect the Company or the operations of the Company’s fleet, the review of competition authorities, the impact of global economic conditions and global health threats, pandemics and epidemics, political and other uncertainties, including those related to the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and any related sanctions, fluctuations in interest rates or exchange rates and currency devaluations relating to foreign or U.S. monetary policy, tax matters, changes in tax laws, treaties and regulations, legal and regulatory matters in the jurisdictions in which we operate, customs and environmental matters, the potential impacts on our business resulting from decarbonization and emissions legislation and regulations, the impact on our business from climate-change generally, the occurrence of cybersecurity incidents, attacks or other breaches to our information technology systems, including our rig operating systems, and other important factors described from time to time in the reports filed or furnished by us with the SEC. The foregoing risks and uncertainties are beyond our ability to control, and in many cases, we cannot predict the risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or to persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by reference to these risks and uncertainties. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement. We expressly disclaim any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in our expectations or beliefs with regard to the statement or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any forward-looking statement is based, except as required by law. Investors should note that we announce material financial information in SEC filings, press releases and public conference calls. Based on guidance from the SEC, we may use the Investors section of our website ( www.seadrill.com ) to communicate with investors. It is possible that the financial and other information posted there could be deemed to be material information. The information on our website is not part of, and is not incorporated into, this news release. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241227268598/en/ CONTACT: Kevin Smith Vice President – Corporate Finance and Investor Relations ir@seadrill.com KEYWORD: BERMUDA CARIBBEAN INDUSTRY KEYWORD: OIL/GAS ENERGY SOURCE: Seadrill Limited Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/26/2024 04:05 PM/DISC: 12/26/2024 04:06 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241227268598/en

CHICAGO — Shoplifting rates in the three largest U.S. cities — New York, Los Angeles and Chicago — remain higher than they were before the pandemic, according to a report last month from the nonpartisan research group Council on Criminal Justice. The sharp rise in retail theft in recent years has made shoplifting a hot-button issue, especially for politicians looking to address public safety concerns in their communities. Since 2020, when viral videos of smash-and-grab robberies flooded social media during the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans have expressed fears that crime is out of control. Polls show that perceptions have improved recently, but a majority of Americans still say crime is worse than in previous years. “There is this sense of brazenness that people have — they can just walk in and steal stuff. ... That hurts the consumer, and it hurts the company,” said Alex Piquero, a criminology professor at the University of Miami and former director of the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, in an interview. “That’s just the world we live in,” he said. “We need to get people to realize that you have to obey the law.” At least eight states — Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, New York and Vermont — passed a total of 14 bills in 2024 aimed at tackling retail theft, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The measures range from redefining retail crimes and adjusting penalties to allowing cross-county aggregation of theft charges and protecting retail workers. Major retailers have responded to rising theft since 2020 by locking up merchandise, upgrading security cameras, hiring private security firms and even closing stores. Still, the report indicates that shoplifting remains a stubborn problem. In Chicago, the rate of reported shoplifting incidents remained below pre-pandemic levels throughout 2023 — but surged by 46 percent from January to October 2024 compared with the same period a year ago. Shoplifting in Los Angeles was 87 percent higher in 2023 than in 2019. Police reports of shoplifting from January to October 2024 were lower than in 2023. Los Angeles adopted a new crime reporting system in March 2024, which has likely led to an undercount, according to the report. In New York, shoplifting rose 48 percent from 2021 to 2022, then dipped slightly last year. Still, the shoplifting rate was 55 percent higher in 2023 than in 2019. This year, the shoplifting rate increased by 3 percent from January to September compared with the same period last year. While shoplifting rates tend to rise in November and December, which coincides with in-person holiday shopping, data from the Council on Criminal Justice’s sample of 23 U.S. cities shows higher rates in the first half of 2024 compared with 2023. Researchers found it surprising that rates went up despite retailers doing more to fight shoplifting. Experts say the spike might reflect improved reporting efforts rather than a spike in theft. “As retailers have been paying more attention to shoplifting, we would not expect the numbers to increase,” said Ernesto Lopez, the report’s author and a senior research specialist with the council. “It makes it a challenge to understand the trends of shoplifting.” Impact on retailers, communities In downtown Chicago on a recent early afternoon, potential shoppers shuffled through the streets and nearby malls, browsing for gifts ahead of the holidays. Edward Johnson, a guard at The Shops at North Bridge, said that malls have become quieter in the dozen or so years he has worked in mall security, with the rise of online retailers. As for shoplifters, Johnson said there isn’t a single type of person to look out for — they can come from any background. “I think good-hearted people see something they can’t afford and figure nothing is lost if they take something from the store,” Johnson said as he patrolled the mall, keeping an eye out for lost or suspicious items. Between 2018 and 2023, most shoplifting in Chicago was reported in the downtown area, as well as in the Old Town, River North and Lincoln Park neighborhoods, according to a separate analysis by the Council on Criminal Justice. Newly sworn-in Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke this month lowered the threshold for charging retail theft as a felony in the county, which includes Chicago, from $1,000 to $300, aligning it with state law. “It sends a signal that she’s taking it seriously,” Rob Karr, the president and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, told Stateline. Nationally, retailers are worried about organized theft. The National Retail Federation’s latest report attributed 36 percent of the $112.1 billion in lost merchandise in 2022 to “external theft,” which includes organized retail crime. Organized retail crime typically involves coordinated efforts by groups to steal items with the intent to resell them for a profit. Commonly targeted goods include high-demand items such as baby formula, laundry detergent and electronics. The same report found that retailers’ fear of violence associated with theft also is on the rise, with more retailers taking a “hands-off approach.” More than 41 percent of respondents to the organization’s 2023 survey, up from 38 percent in 2022, reported that no employee is authorized to try and stop a shoplifter. (The federation’s reporting has come under criticism. It retracted a claim last year that attributed nearly half of lost merchandise in 2021 to organized retail crime; such theft accounted for only about 5 percent. The group announced this fall it will no longer publish its reports on lost merchandise.) Increased penalties Policy experts say shoplifting and organized retail theft can significantly harm critical industries, drive up costs for consumers and reduce sales tax revenue for states. Those worries have driven recent state-level action to boost penalties for shoplifting. California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of 10 bills into law in August aimed at addressing retail theft. These measures make repeated theft convictions a felony, allow aggregation of crimes across multiple counties to be charged as a single felony, and permit police to arrest suspects for retail theft even if the crime wasn’t witnessed directly by an officer. In September, Newsom signed an additional bill that imposes steeper felony penalties for large-scale theft offenses. California voters also overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure in November that increases penalties for specific drug-related and theft crimes. Under the new law, people who are convicted of theft at least twice may face felony charges on their third offense, regardless of the stolen item’s value. “With these changes in the law, really it comes down to making sure that law enforcement is showing up to our stores in a timely manner, and that the prosecutors and the [district attorneys] are prosecuting,” Rachel Michelin, the president and CEO of the California Retailers Association, told Stateline. “That’s the only way we’re going to deter retail theft in our communities.” In New Jersey, a bipartisan bill making its way through the legislature would increase penalties for leading a shoplifting ring and allow extended sentences for repeat offenders. “This bill is going after a formally organized band of criminals that deliver such destruction to a critical business in our community. We have to act. We have to create a deterrence,” Democratic Assemblymember Joseph Danielsen, one of the bill’s prime sponsors, said in an interview with Stateline. The legislation would allow extended sentences for people convicted of shoplifting three times within 10 years or within 10 years of their release from prison, and would increase penalties to 10 to 20 years in prison for leading a retail crime ring. The bill also would allow law enforcement to aggregate the value of stolen goods over the course of a year to charge serial shoplifters with more serious offenses. Additionally, the bill would increase penalties for assaults committed against retail workers, and would require retailers to train employees on detecting gift card scams. Maryland legislators considered a similar bill during this year’s legislative session that would have defined organized retail theft and made it a felony. The bill didn’t make it out of committee, but Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Retailers Alliance, said the group plans to propose a bill during next year’s legislative session that would target gift card fraud. Retail theft data Better, more thorough reporting from retailers is essential to truly understanding shoplifting trends and its full impact, in part because some retail-related crimes, such as gift card fraud, are frequently underreported, according to Lopez, of the Council on Criminal Justice. Measuring crime across jurisdictions is notoriously difficult, and the council does not track organized retail theft specifically because law enforcement typically doesn’t identify it as such at the time of arrest — if an arrest even occurs — requiring further investigation, Lopez said. The council’s latest report found conflicting trends in the FBI’s national crime reporting systems. The FBI’s older system, the Summary Reporting System, known as SRS, suggests that reported shoplifting hadn’t gone up through 2023, remaining on par with 2019 levels. In contrast, the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System, or NIBRS, shows a 93 percent increase in shoplifting over the same period. The discrepancy may stem from the type of law enforcement agencies that have adopted the latter system, Lopez said. Some of those communities may have higher levels of shoplifting or other types of property crime, which could be what is driving the spike, Lopez said. Despite the discrepancies and varying levels of shoplifting across the country, Lopez said, it’s important for retailers to report these incidents, as doing so could help allocate law enforcement resources more effectively. “All law enforcement agencies have limited resources, and having the most accurate information allows for not just better policy, but also better implementation — better use of strategic resources,” Lopez said.‘Saturday Night Live” alum Kyle Mooney’s directorial debut “Y2K” makes for a fascinating test case for Gen Z’s appetite for all things 2000s. His comedic sensibility, honed through throwback TV parodies on “SNL,” is at once broad and hyper-specific. In the nostalgia piece “Y2K,” he hits the big signposts that will delight the younger generation craving the simpler times of a pre-9/11 world, but he also gets granular with late-’90s music, fashion and culture in a way that one could only understand if they actually lived through it. Zoomers just won’t pick up everything he’s putting down, and that may work against this otherwise exuberant and somewhat messy teen horror-comedy. Mooney and co-writer Evan Winter fuse the “big party” teen-comedy formula to “The Terminator” for their “Y2K” script, but it also feels like they just wrote down everything they could remember from the late-’90s era and threw it at the wall: Enron, the Macarena, PalmPilots, Limp Bizkit, the swing revival. Some are quite obvious and on the nose, others more arcane. Add in some teen-movie tropes, a list of outrageous horror-movie kills and a “TRL”-friendly soundtrack, and that’s essentially the movie. Jaedan Martell, one of the preeminent horror-movie sad boys (see: “It,” “The Lodge,” etc.), plays Eli, a dorky kid who loves his ebullient best friend Danny (Julian Dennison) and has a crush on Laura (Rachel Zegler), whom he hopes to kiss at the big 1999-2000 New Year’s Eve party after he finds out she’s broken up with her college boyfriend (Mason Gooding). But in a bit of revisionist history, the Y2K bug is real — so real, in fact, that all electronic devices and appliances band together into freakish robotic monsters in order to kill the teens, enslave the parents and achieve “the singularity.” Despite the deep wealth of millennium culture on display, “Y2K” doesn’t necessarily feel lived-in — it’s a bit too wink-wink, nudge-nudge with it, and it feels forced, especially with the wall-to-wall needle drops. There are fun nods to era-specific tribes and trends with quick nods to the swing kids, ravers and rap-rock skater types, but where Mooney and Winter’s approach excels is in the deep cuts for the real ’90s-heads out there, like Daniel Zolghadri’s character as CJ, a conscious hip-hop kid, wearing baggy khakis and a bucket hat, scolding his peers for their “corporate” music taste. Mooney is also a standout as Garrett, a burnout video-store clerk with white-guy dreads, who represents jam-band stinky-hippie culture. But references like this will likely sail right over the heads of a Zoomer audience — you simply had to be there in order to get it. Still, there’s something kind of profound in contemplating the year 2000, even if it is refracted through this silly lens. In the 24 years since, it’s been decades of terrorism, war, political instability, a widening wealth gap and rapid technological advancements that have rewired our culture, our brains and how we relate to one another. Perhaps 2000 was indeed a fundamental switch, which Mooney has zeroed in on through the imperfect but amusing “Y2K.” Ultimately, his project is a success, because he made this millennial — who was age 16 in 1999 — profoundly nostalgic for what seems a more innocent time. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Kurdish-led forces push back Turkish-backed Syrian rebels in a tense offensive

Christmas season is in full swing, and while there aren't many sports games taking place on Christmas Eve, that will change on Christmas day. Travis Kelce will be on the field for the Kansas City Chiefs, and he recently revealed a Christmas message that he and his brother, Jason Kelce, got from their mother, Donna Kelce. With both Travis and Jason earning millions of dollars throughout their respective careers in the NFL, it's safe to say that they have taken Christmas to another level in their household. In concept, that should result in some bigger and better gifts being given out by them, especially for their mother Donna. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.According to a report from Reuters, major companies in the finance and technology industries committed significant contributions to Donald Trump’s 2025 inaugural fund. Trump, who is scheduled to assume the presidency on January 20, 2025, formed a nonprofit organization named Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee, Inc., to manage the inaugural activities. This 501(c)(4) organization is permitted to receive unlimited donations. Significant Corporate Donations So FarRobinhood: The retail trading platform contributed $2 million, a company spokesperson confirmed.Uber Technologies: Uber and its CEO Dara Khosrowshahi each donated $1 million.Amazon: Amazon pledged $1 million and committed to broadcasting the inauguration on Prime Video.Meta Platforms: Meta provided $1 million, according to a spokesperson.OpenAI: CEO Sam Altman announced a personal donation of $1 million. Altman expressed support for Trump's vision to position the U.S. as a leader in artificial intelligence.Ford: The automaker pledged $1 million and offered a fleet of vehicles.Hedge Fund Manager Ken Griffin: Griffin confirmed plans to contribute $1 million.Bank of America and Goldman Sachs: Both financial giants indicated plans to donate but have not finalized amounts. Donations Reflect Business StrategyTrump’s significant electoral victory has captured the interest of sectors ready to gain from his policy plans. Industries like fossil fuels and artificial intelligence anticipate positive results during his administration. Trump's dependence on direct interaction with business executives has similarly fostered contributions. Business executives have progressively pursued entry to Trump's transition base at Mar-a-Lago, his resort located in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump underscored the surge of interest with a post on Truth Social, stating, “EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE MY FRIEND!!!” Role of the Inaugural FundInaugural committees, designated by the presidents-elect, oversee financing for ceremonial activities celebrating the transition of authority. In contrast to political action committees, these funds concentrate on nonpartisan initiatives and carry less reputational risk. Brendan Glavin from OpenSecrets pointed out that inaugural contributions offer distinct entry for companies aiming for influence. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News, World and around the world.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Broncos are 0-4 in Las Vegas, but in a matchup of teams heading in opposite directions, Denver has more at stake than trying to end a series skid. A victory over the Raiders puts the Broncos that much closer to an unexpected playoff berth, playing with a rookie quarterback and just a year after they went 8-9. The Broncos are 6-5 and coming off a 38-6 victory over the Atlanta Falcons , and would be in the playoff field if the season ended entering Week 12. Not bad for a team given a win total of 5 1/2 games at BetMGM Sportsbook. “Everyone understands the significance of where we are at this point in the season,” Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton said. The situation is quite different for the Raiders. They are 2-8, on a six-game losing streak and decimated by injuries. Las Vegas could enter this game without its top two running backs and a reshuffled line on offense, and defensively, the Raiders could have two linemen, three cornerbacks and a safety out of action. “Just been having some bad breaks, but nobody feels sorry for us,” Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said. "Nobody feels sorry for me. You’ve got to roll out there with 11 players, and that’s what we’re going to do come Sunday.” The Raiders are badly in a need of a franchise quarterback and are in a logjam for the top pick in next year's NFL draft. Denver showed with this year's draft how valuable landing such a QB can be to an organization. Bo Nix was selected 12th — one spot ahead of the Raiders — and he is pushing for AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. He was this week's top AFC player and rookie after completing 28 of 33 passes for 307 yards and four touchdowns in the rout of the Falcons. “I think as we’ve gone on, Coach (Sean Payton) and I have found a good rhythm of what we both like, what we can kind of put out there on the field and what we can execute," Nix said. "Then the guys have kind of adapted to it, found our roles within the offense and executed at a high level. It’s just all about slowing the game down and processing things in a manner that you can handle.” Raiders tight end Brock Bowers also could have a say in who wins the season's top offensive rookie award. He is second in the NFL with 70 catches and his 706 yards receiving is 10th among all receivers. His numbers from a historical perspective are even more impressive. Bowers, the 13th pick in this year's draft , is fourth all time among all tight ends in catches through the first 11 weeks and he and Jeremy Shockey in 2002 are the only rookies at that position to have more than one game with at least 10 receptions. “This week's a brand new week,” Bowers said. “I've always got something to prove.” Payton still isn't entirely comfortable splitting carries between running backs Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin and rookie Audric Estime. Asked how he determines the right balance in his rotation, Payton said, “That's the $6 million question. It’s difficult. We know kind of what we have with those three players. I think it’s always hard to feed three. "I'm used to — and it’s easy — to feed two. So we kind of do that a little bit. I thought Javonte had some really good runs (last week). Certainly the game ends and we’re like, ‘Gosh, we have to get Jaleel more touches.’ So it’s a tough, but a good problem to have.” With injuries to running backs Alexander Mattison (ankle) and Zamir White (quadriceps), 10-year veteran Ameer Abdullah could get the start for the Raiders this weekend. He has just 17 carries for 82 yards and a touchdown this season and started just one game his previous six seasons. “I see myself as a starter,” Abdullah said. “I think every guy in the room does. I consider myself the best back on this team just like every back does. This is my opportunity to go out there and put my best foot forward.” Patrick Surtain II had a pair of interceptions, including one he returned for 100 yards and a touchdown, in the team's first meeting this season and that fueled the Broncos' 34-18 win in Denver . Both of the passes were intended for Bowers, who caught a 57-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. Surtain isn't expecting the Raiders to avoid him Sunday, however. “You don't want to go into a game thinking they're not gonna throw it your way,” Surtain said, “because it's the pros at the end of the day, everybody's ready, everybody's capable.” AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton in Englewood, Colorado, contributed to this report. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Athabasca Oil Announces 2025 Budget Focused on Cash Flow Per Share Growth and Directing 100% of Free Cash Flow to Shareholder ReturnsIn a Dec. 22 Truth Social post , Trump announced Ken Howery as his choice for United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark and added that the U.S. should pursue control of Greenland. Greenland is an island located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans and is a territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. “For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” Trump’s post says. While Trump hasn’t elaborated on his motivation to purchase Greenland, the territory has access to valuable natural resources and houses a large U.S. military base . Its location also provides access to the Arctic Ocean from the Atlantic. Trump first floated the idea of purchasing Greenland in 2019, during his first administration. Denmark’s prime minister called purchase discussions “absurd,” prompting Trump to cancel a planned trip to the country. Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton penned an op-ed in 2019 saying that acquiring the territory would provide a safeguard against foreign threats like what the U.S. faced during World War II and the Cold War. After Trump expressed renewed interest in Greenland on Dec. 22, Google search data shows there’s been a spike in searches about Trump’s statement and Greenland, including whether the territory is for sale. Is Greenland for sale? No, Greenland is not for sale. Greenland is not for sale, Múte Egede, the territory’s prime minister, said on Facebook . “Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale. We must not lose our years-long fight for freedom,” Egede wrote in Danish, translated into English via Google Translate. “However, we must continue to be open to cooperation and trade with the whole world, especially with our neighbours. Since all cooperation and trade cannot go through Denmark. All cooperation with us must be based on our values. Because at all times we must not squabble about our country,” Egede wrote. Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, according to the Danish national government website . It has its own government, managing most domestic affairs, while Denmark oversees foreign policy, defense and monetary matters. In 2009, Greenland's residents voted for increased autonomy , which gave the island its own parliament and independent leadership, but it is still in part controlled by Denmark. According to Greenland’s Self-Government Act in 2009 , Greenland has the option to declare full independence if it chooses to in the future. First, in order to do that, the decision regarding Greenland’s independence must be brought before the people. Greenland has a population of roughly 56,000. If Greenland’s population decides to move forward, negotiations begin between Danish and Greenland governing bodies. An agreement has to be made between the two, and if reached, Greenland’s parliament has to approve and then draft a resolution for independence. The agreement for independence ends with Denmark’s parliament approving the independence. Greenland would then become an independent nation. In response to Trump’s Dec. 22 Truth Social post, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told ABC News the “Danish Government is looking forward to welcoming the new American ambassador. And the Government is looking forward to working with the new administration.” “In a complex security political situation as the one we currently experience, transatlantic cooperation is crucial. As far as statements about Greenland, the Prime Minister's Office has no comments other than reference to what was stated by the Premier of Greenland about Greenland not being for sale, but open for cooperation.” VERIFY reached out to the Danish prime minister’s office for comment, but did not hear back at the time of publication. Danish parliament member Rasmus Jarlov rejected Trump’s interest in purchasing Greenland in a post on X. “Greenland is Danish. It has been since 1380 and it will continue to be. This is undisputed, signed in rock in treaties and not open for negotiation. At all. Dictators threaten to take control over other countries' territory. Free democratic countries do not,” Jarlov said. The U.S’s interest in Greenland did not begin with Trump. In 1946, the U.S. considered proposals to pay Denmark $100 million in gold bars for Greenland or trade oil-rich land in Alaska for some of Greenland’s territory, according to the Associated Press . Even though the sale did not go through, the United States ended up with the military bases it wanted anyway. The U.S. Air Force currently maintains two bases in Greenland, Thule and Sondestrom. Construction of the Thule base in 1952 was made possible by a defense treaty signed by the U.S. and Denmark in 1951 . Originally designed as a refueling base for long-range bombing missions, it has been a ballistic missile early warning site and satellite telemetry station since 1961. Sondestrom’s mission is in support of the base at Thule. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

AP News Summary at 2:44 p.m. EST

Republican Jefferson Griffin narrowly lost his race for a seat on the state Supreme Court. Now he’s asking that 60,000 ballots be thrown out based on a theory that an election denier said amounted to “voter suppression.” By Doug Bock Clark for ProPublica Months before voters went to the polls in November, a group of election skeptics based in North Carolina gathered on a call and discussed what actions to take if they doubted any of the results. One of the ideas they floated: try to get the courts or state election board to throw out hundreds of thousands of ballots cast by voters whose registrations are missing a driver’s license number and the last four digits of a Social Security number. But that idea was resisted by two activists on the call, including the leader of the North Carolina chapter of the Election Integrity Network. The data was missing not because voters had done something wrong but largely as a result of an administrative error by the state. The leader said the idea was “voter suppression” and “100%” certain to fail in the courts, according to a recording of the July call obtained by ProPublica. This novel theory is now at the center of a legal challenge by North Carolina appeals court Judge Jefferson Griffin, a Republican who lost a race for a state Supreme Court seat to the Democratic incumbent , Allison Riggs, by just 734 votes and is seeking to have the result overturned. The state election board dismissed a previous version of the challenge , which is now being considered in federal court . Before the election, a Trump-appointed judge denied an attempt by the Republican National Committee to remove 225,000 voters from the rolls based on the same theory. The latest case is getting attention statewide and across the country. But it has not yet been reported that members of the group that had helped publicize the idea had cast doubt on its legality. “I don’t comment on pending litigation,” Griffin wrote to ProPublica in response to a detailed list of questions. “It would be a violation of our code of judicial conduct.” Embry Owen, Riggs’ campaign manager, disputed the challenge and called on Griffin to concede. “It’s not appropriate for this election to be decided in court, period. NC voters have already made the decision to send Justice Riggs back to the Supreme Court,” she said. The theory Griffin is citing originated with a right-wing activist, Carol Snow, who described herself to ProPublica in an email as “a Bona Fide Grade-A Election Denier.” Snow promoted it with the help of the state chapter of the Election Integrity Network, a national group whose leader worked with President Donald Trump in his failed effort to overturn the 2020 election. The network also was behind extensive efforts to prepare to contest a Trump loss this year in other states, as ProPublica has reported , as well as in North Carolina, according to previously unreported recordings and transcripts of meetings of the state chapter. State election officials have found that missing information on a voter’s registration is not disqualifying because there are numerous valid reasons for the state’s database to lack that those details. Those reasons include voters registering before state paperwork was updated about a year ago to require that information or using alternate approved documents, such as a utility bill, to verify their identities. What’s more, voters must still prove their identity when casting a ballot — most often with a driver’s license. “There is virtually no chance of voter fraud resulting from a voter not providing her driver’s license or social security number on her voter registration,” attorneys for the state election board wrote in response to the RNC lawsuit. Bob Orr, a former GOP state Supreme Court justice who left the Republican Party in 2021 , said he too doubts the theory. “I appreciate fighting for every vote: If you honestly think illegal votes have been cast, it’s legitimate to try to prove that,” he said. “But the bottom line is: Did anyone vote illegally? Have you been able to prove one person voted illegally? At this point, no. And we’re weeks past the election and multiple recounts, and there’s no evidence of that.” In modern history, the state board’s decision on who wins elections has been final, said Chris Cooper, a professor specializing in North Carolina politics at Western Carolina University. That includes an even tighter race in 2020, when a Democratic justice conceded to a Republican after protesting her 401-vote loss to the board. “We’re used to close elections, we’re used to protests, we’re used to candidates pushing every legal action up to the point the state election board rules,” Cooper said. But, he added, there is an important difference with Griffin’s petition, which goes beyond the state election board to the courts. “This is basically saying the state elections system is wrong, and we’re going to court to try to change the rules of the game after the game has been played — which is unprecedented.” In July 2024, the North Carolina chapter of the Election Integrity Network convened online to plan its efforts ahead of the presidential election. Worried about a surge of voter registrations from nonwhite voters who they believed would back Democrats, the activists discussed how to assemble a “suspicious voters list” of people whose ballots they could challenge. Then, one of the group’s board members, Jay DeLancy, said he had another idea “that’s a lot slicker.” DeLancy said that if a candidate lost a close election, the loss could be overturned by questioning the validity of voters whose registrations are missing their driver’s license and Social Security information. “Those are illegal votes,” he claimed. “I would file a protest.” Jim Womack, the leader of the chapter, immediately pushed back: “That’s a records keeping problem on the part of the state board. That’s not illegal.” Later in the call Womack said, “I’m 100% sure you’re not going to get a successful prosecution.” And he told the group, “That’s considered to be voter suppression, and there’s no way a court is going to find that way.” But DeLancy asked for backup from the originator of that theory: Carol Snow. She argued that her theory could in fact overturn the outcome of an election. “I guess we’re gonna find that out,” Snow said. Snow is a leader of the conservative activist group North Carolina Audit Force and lives in the state’s rural mountains. After Trump’s loss in 2020, she threw herself into questioning the election’s results. In 2022, she accompanied a pair of far-right activists to a North Carolina election office where the two men unsuccessfully tried to forcefully access voting machines, and she participated in a failed pressure campaign to oust the election director who resisted them, ProPublica previously reported . She also began filing overwhelming numbers of records requests and complaints to state election officials, an effort that Womack praised on the July call: “I think Carol has shown a way of really harassing — not that we want to do it for harassment purposes — but really needling the Board of Elections to do their jobs by just constantly deluging them.” Since late 2021, the state elections board had spent far more time on her requests and complaints than those of any other individual, spokesperson Patrick Gannon said in a statement. “Ms. Snow’s constant barrage of requests and complaints causes other priorities and responsibilities to suffer,” Gannon said. Snow described her work to ProPublica as “simply taking the time to learn about my state’s electoral process” and acting for the public good. “The records I’ve requested are owned by the public. In other words, I’m asking for what belongs to me,” Snow wrote to ProPublica . “If government agencies are understaffed and unable to comply with this state’s Public Records law, they should address the issue with the entities that fund them.” In the fall of 2023, Snow filed a complaint alleging that North Carolina’s voter registration form did not clearly require voters to provide their driver’s license number and the last four digits of their Social Security number, as required by federal law — instead that information was coded as optional. Snow later described the missing information as a “ line of attack ” through which bad actors could cast fraudulent votes using fake identities. (A right-wing conspiracy theory holds that this was how Biden won the 2020 election.) But she was not able to demonstrate that the missing information had led to anyone improperly voting. After obtaining public records for hundreds of thousands of voter registrations, Snow provided the state board with only seven examples of what she called potential double voting. The state board found all seven to be innocuous things like data entry errors . The state board quickly updated the form to require the information. But from late 2023 through the fall of 2024, six complaints , some of which were partly based on Snow’s theory, were filed with the state election board. Aside from the updates to the form, the state board dismissed the complaints. By the time of the July call, some of Snow’s peers seemed dismissive as well. “I’m not suggesting that we can’t arm a candidate that loses a short, a close race with the information they need to file a protest using this,” Womack said on the call. “But I would just suggest to you that that’s not the way to win on this thing.” Yet the information did end up in the Republican National Committee’s lawsuit trying to disqualify 225,000 voters, a challenge DeLancy filed against Riggs’ victory in North Carolina’s most populous county, and, the day after that was dismissed, Griffin’s challenge to over 60,000 voters. DeLancy wrote to ProPublica that he filed the challenge on his own and did not coordinate with Griffin. He also said he disagreed with Womack’s description of such challenges as “voter suppression.” Instead, he said, he saw it as “a proper response” to the state election board’s “violation of federal law.” “Carol Snow deserves an Order of the Long Leaf Pine for exposing this treasonous behavior on the part of the election officials,” he wrote, referring to an award bestowed by North Carolina’s governor . Womack wrote to ProPublica that the group he leads “is a non-partisan, neutral organization” that does “not favor one party over another.” He also said that recordings of the group’s calls are “prohibited and violate our internal policies” and “whatever bootleg recording you may have is unauthorized and may well be altered.” ProPublica has seen a video recording of the call and verified portions of it with some participants. Though Griffin’s challenge of Riggs’ victory is now being considered in federal court, legal experts say it could still end up back where he intended: in front of the state Supreme Court. Griffin’s petition is making what experts describe as extreme asks to the Supreme Court: to allow him to bypass the lower courts, to allow ballots to be thrown out without proving that voters did anything knowingly wrong and to essentially decide whether to change its composition to six Republicans and one Democrat. “Even if they do their best to be open-minded and independent, the facts of the potential conflicts of interest are just too obvious to the public,” said Orr, the former Republican justice. Griffin has described Republican Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby as a “good friend and mentor,” and Newby promoted Griffin’s 2020 run for the court of appeals. What’s more, a ProPublica review of campaign finance reports show that the spouses of three justices, including Newby’s wife, donated over $12,000 to Griffin’s most recent or previous campaigns. (The husband of the Supreme Court’s other Democratic justice donated to Riggs.) Newby and other justices did not respond to a detailed list of questions sent to spokespeople for the Supreme Court. When announcing his candidacy for the Supreme Court , Griffin declared, “We are a team that knows how to win — the same team that helped elect Chief Justice Paul Newby and three other members of the current Republican majority.” A cartoon illustration that hangs in the Supreme Court depicts all the Republican appellate jurists as superheroes from the Justice League, with Newby caricatured as Superman and Griffin as the Flash. Related story: Republicans are trying to steal a seat on swing state's top courtTAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Bucky Irving isn’t choosy. The rookie running back relishes any opportunity he gets to contribute to the success of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have rebounded from a tough stretch to climb back into a tie for first place in the NFC South. Irving leads NFL rookies in rushing with 732 yards, averaging 5.5 yards per carry while sharing the workload with starter Rachaad White and third-stringer Sean Tucker, who have combined to ease some of the burden on quarterback Baker Mayfield. A fourth-round draft pick out of Oregon, Irving is coming off rushing for a season-best 152 yards and a touchdown in last week’s 26-23 overtime win over the Carolina Panthers. He had another 33 yards receiving, giving him a rookie-leading 1,017 total yards from scrimmage through 12 games. The Bucs (6-6) on Sunday host the Las Vegas Raiders (2-10), who have an outstanding newcomer of their own with Brock Bowers on the verge of breaking the league's record for catches by a rookie tight end. Bowers leads all players, regardless of position, with 84 receptions. He's fourth with 884 yards receiving and second behind Irving among rookies with 895 total yards from scrimmage. “I don’t really like taking all the credit. It’s those guys up front,” Irving said, deferring to Tampa Bay’s improved offensive line. “I think I have to do something special for those guys for Christmas because they’re getting the job done.” The Bucs are eighth in the NFL in rushing at 137.2 yards per game. They’ve gained 100-plus yards on the ground in nine of 12 games after only doing it nine times in 34 games over the past two seasons. Irving, whose ability to make defenders miss and accelerate in the open field, has provided a spark to an offense that sputtered without injured wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin during a four-game losing streak. It doesn’t seem to bother the rookie that he still sits behind White on the depth chart. The starter had a 38-yard run in overtime to set up the winning field goal last week. Coach Todd Bowles continues to stress that the Bucs, tied with Atlanta for the NFC South lead, need both Irving and White to be successful. “In our room, all our success is one,” said Irving, who in the past two weeks became the first rookie since Miles Sanders in 2019 to string together consecutive games with 150-plus yards from scrimmage. “If I’m having success,’’ Irving added, “everybody in the room is having success.” Bracing for a challenge Tampa Bay’s porous secondary figures to be tested by Bowers, the first tight end to lead the league in catches after Week 13 since Todd Christenson in 1986. The first-round draft pick out of Georgia needs three receptions to break Sam LaPorta’s season record (86 in 2023) for catches by a tight end. He’s 116 yards away from joining Mike Ditka (1,076 in 1961) and Kyle Pitts (1,026 in 2021) as the only rookie tight ends to finish with 1,000-plus yards receiving. “I thought he was one of the best tight ends coming out in a long time – not just this draft, but in a long time,” Bowles said. “He’s living up to expectations. He can play wideout, he can play tight end, he can do some fullback, he can run jet sweeps,” the Bucs coach added. “They do a lot of things with him and he’s a very talented guy.” Getting ready for Baker The last time the Raiders went against Mayfield was two seasons ago when he came off a plane to play for the Los Angeles Rams. Despite having minimal time with the playbook and just one brief practice, Mayfield rallied the Rams to a 17-16 victory on a 23-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds left. Raiders coach Antonio Pierce was the team’s linebackers coach at the time. “He plays the game kind of like Brett Favre, who I played against in (the) league,” Pierce said. “He’s very fiery. He’ll do whatever it takes to make a play. The play’s never dead with him. You’ve got to keep your eyes on him and then stay in coverage, so that’ll be a challenge.” Return to action Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell didn’t look as though he had missed nearly six weeks because of a broken thumb when he almost led Las Vegas to a victory at Kansas City last week. He completed 23 of 35 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns in the Raiders’ 19-17 loss to the Chiefs. But O’Connell had a hard time looking at the positives given how close the Raiders came to beating the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. “Definitely some good plays, but it just stinks more than anything,” O’Connell said. “It was just a really hard loss. Even sometimes when you have a game right after, it’s easier to move on. But we had a longer week this week and so kind of really got to sit in it and it’s no fun.” ___ AP Sports Writer Mark Anderson in Las Vegas contributed to this report. ___ NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Fred Goodall, The Associated PressRotterdam lawmaker set to be arraigned for mail theft case in early January

My Filipino-American friend AR, who has spent most of his adult life on the West Coast and adopted the American way, raised an eyebrow as I explained the reasoning behind the Philippines' early observance of the Yuletide season. While the holiday season starts shortly after Thanksgiving Day in the US, here in the Philippines, we start hearing Christmas songs on the radio on the first day of September, heralding the beginning of what we call the "Ber months." Honestly, I can't recall when this four-month celebration that ends on the First Sunday of January, the Feast of the Three Kings, actually started. Well, to each his own. And yes Virginia, it's only 18 sleeps to go before Christmas Eve, the most awaited time when we share love, hope, and gifts with our families, relatives, and friends. While we're on the topic, allow me to share this story about Christmas. Based on historical records, Christmas was brought to the Philippines almost two centuries before the Spaniards introduced Catholicism. It's said that in 1324, a Franciscan missionary, Father Odorico from Pordenone, Italy, survived a shipwreck and brought the joy of celebrating the birth of the Savior to St. James Parish Church in Bolinao, Pangasinan. The church has a marker stating it's the site of the first Christian mass and the first Christmas celebration in the country. As the song goes, this most wonderful time of the year is the season of giving. Truly, the charm of the holiday season is contagious. It is within this context of sharing and giving that I mention a buzzword I heard in banking circles: "amortization moratorium" for teachers. I'm referring to the proposal of Education Secretary Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara for the Chamber of Thrift Banks (CTB) to share holiday cheer with teachers by giving them a one-month moratorium on their loan amortization. CTB loan exposure to teachers is estimated to be between P800 billion and P850 billion, with an average term of four to five years. Based on the outstanding amount, the monthly amortization could reach roughly P15 billion. The former senator is also proposing that the Rural Banks Association of the Philippines (RBAP) grant a three-month moratorium on the monthly amortization of teachers in regions affected by the recent typhoons. However, the moratorium could mean an opportunity lost for these banks. It will also affect their compliance with financial regulations mandated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). Foregoing amortization creates a cash flow situation that may impact their ability to meet the BSP's prudential minimum liquidity ratio (MLR) of 20 percent, which is expressed as a percentage of a bank's eligible stock of liquid assets to its total qualifying liabilities. This comes after the monetary authorities, nearly three months ago, took a hard stance on the request of CTB to lower the MLR to 16 percent, on par with RBAP, to further boost lending to micro, small, and medium enterprises. After consultations and necessary calculations, the latest I heard is that the CTB, which includes savings banks, private development banks, and stock savings and loan associations, has conditionally agreed to a one-month moratorium. Firstly, it will not be across the board, but only in areas affected by the typhoons. Secondly, they propose a financial literacy program for teachers, knowledge they can pass on to their children and students. “The recommendation of the Chamber is a one month moratorium. It’s not across the board but only in areas affected by the recent typhoons and to be implemented in January,” shared an A1 but muted source As long as the CTB member-banks can withstand this temporary dent in their cash flow, I support the financial flexibility given to our educators this season to soften the impact of the devastation caused by the recent typhoons. Talkback to me at [email protected]