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Donald Trump has big plans for schools in his second term, which include gutting the Department of Education. His proposals have major implications for public school funding, and you can bet that arts education will be at the top of the list of cuts. Support for the arts is an increasingly partisan issue, with conservatives calling for an end to public funds for the arts. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis recently slashed millions in state funds for arts institutions, many of which partnered with schools to fill gaps in arts education. In his first term, Trump threatened to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts, the biggest funder for arts and arts education in the U.S., which provides pivotal support for programs in public schools. Chances are that arts education is not going to get support from the top down in Trump’s second term, so it’s up to parents to work from the bottom up. With limited budgets and accountability pressures, time and resources for arts education continue to get squeezed out to make more space for the “basics,” subjects such as math, literacy and science, that predominately show up on standardized tests. But the arts are the basics. And what if parents demanded that they be treated as such? The arts are basic to human needs for expression, connection and understanding. They are so basic, in fact, that policymakers, school leadership, teachers and parents prioritized the arts in response to the mental health crisis during the pandemic. States used federal emergency funds to boost arts education programming. This funding is drying up, despite benefits to social-emotional and academic learning. The implication is that we can again deprioritize mental health and basic human development needs and get back to the learning that fits neatly into the framework of standardized tests. As a professor of international education, I focus on the benefits of arts education globally, not solely for mental health but also how the arts might contribute to more peaceful societies. When I was in Afghanistan in 2015 researching an arts education program run by Bond Street Theatre, I saw firsthand that arts activities could create moments of connection, joy and play among teenagers who were deeply divided across ethnic, religious and tribal lines, even in one of the most challenging settings in the world. The arts connect us to our own humanity and to the humanity of others, providing opportunities to complicate notions of “us” versus “them.” They build skills and behaviors that can equip our kids to challenge the status quo, draw attention to injustice, and imagine a better future in the face of increasing global conflicts, crises and polarization. In times of crisis, conflict or instability, human beings turn to the arts to process experiences that language and logic fail to capture. The arts are a first-line approach to providing protective learning environments for children who have experienced traumatic events and adversity. The World Health Organization recommends using the arts to improve health and well-being, pointing to evidence that artistic media support communication across divides. Research shows that children who receive quality early learning opportunities, which tend to draw heavily on arts activities, do better in the long run. We know that kids who participate in arts education in high school are more engaged in school and more likely to earn a four-year college degree. A recent impact evaluation focusing on kids in elementary and middle school showed that arts education improved writing achievement, reduced disciplinary infractions, and increased empathy and compassion. Understandably, parents want their children to have access to well-paying, stable jobs and push their kids to focus on subjects that they will be tested on for advancement. Literacy, numeracy, and STEM subjects — science, technology, engineering and math — provide vital skills, yet they are not the only skills that matter. Arts education is uniquely adept at building skills that are relevant and needed in response to artificial intelligence, increasing automation and a rapidly changing future. Indeed, the Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA, arguably the most influential international set of standardized assessments, recently put a spotlight on the importance of teaching and assessing creativity. Now more than ever, employers are seeking out-of-the box creative and critical thinkers. If arts education is good for children’s mental health, well-being, engagement at school, empathy and innovation, why is it perpetually on the chopping block? Public education is constantly struggling for adequate funding, and with a mentality of the arts as a “nice-to-have” among politicians and decision-makers, it is easy to see how arts education gets pushed to the fringes. But parents have a say in the education their children receive. They can put pressure on decision-makers to prioritize arts education through their votes, reaching out to members of Congress and local representatives, getting involved with local school boards and sitting on district committees. Parents can advocate within PTAs for schools to partner with arts organizations that provide unique learning opportunities inside and outside of the classroom. They can advocate for school plays, dance recitals or art walks, events that generate social connections and celebration, even in divided communities. They can organize art supply donations and distribute them to schools. Parents can also encourage their kids to stay engaged in the arts. As a parent, I want my child to have those experiences that are unique to the arts classroom — to explore ideas outside the box, to put herself in someone else’s shoes, to share her voice in ways that aren’t confined by language or logic. If parents demand that the arts be treated as “basic” to what public education should provide, we can shift the narrative. Perhaps we’ll even equip our children with skills to imagine and create a healthier, more peaceful future in the process.ABC Councillor says social media Santa ads on Remembrance Day "disrespectful"e games casino philippines 。

Three Lincoln County sheriff's deputies will be sworn in Monday morning during the Lincoln County commissioners weekly meeting. Those being sworn in are Dwayne Wilson, Wesley Throckmorton and Nathaniel Hutton. The regular weekly meeting will be at 9 a.m. at the Lincoln County Courthouse, 301 N. Jeffers St. in North Platte. The meeting can be watched at youtube.com/channel/UCHdGjLPMx3O-wSu3T3aMWlg . American Rescue Plan Act funds return to the commissioners agenda, with commissioners discussing what local nonprofits still have remaining balances and will consider authorizing the County Attorney’s office to send a letter to the Episcopal Church in regards to their unspent funds. Also returning to the agenda is the consideration of bids for four pickup trucks for the Sheriff's Office. The board had previously reviewed two bids from Bill Summers Ford, but took no action. Three reappointments to the Lincoln County Safety Committee are on the agenda. The board will consider the reappointment of Todd Herndon to a three-year term as the management representative to the committee and the reappointments of Penny Ball and Tammy White to two-year terms as employee representatives. Commissioners will consider the approval of the five-year Lincoln County Comprehensive Youth Service plan for years 2025-30 as well as the approval of the Lincoln County Community based Juvenile Services Aid grant. A resolution to establish and declare the intent of Lincoln County in regards to the International Port of the Plains, located in Hershey at 18610 U.S. Highway 30, will also be considered by the board. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

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On Saturday night, the famed reggaeton duo Jowell & Rand y capped off what was undoubtedly one of the most impressive runs of their career with a historic concert at San Juan’s famous José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum. The acclaimed stars had sold out six dates over the last two weekends, playing their hits for nearly three hours every one of those nights. The concert series was billed as the first to incorporate 3D technology at El Choli, with staff handing out special glasses to all attendees at the entrance. Once the lights dimmed, a pre-recorded skit played, featuring both Jowell and Randy interacting with popular local comedian and TV personality Raymond Arrieta. During the segment, which plays out as a fake morning show interview, Arrieta gives the duo a magic remote control with which they can “change channels” and shift reality, warning them to use the power wisely. Obviously, they don’t, because where’s the fun in that? A wormhole appeared on the screens and a sign prompted fans to put on their glasses, with a tunnel taking shape. All the while, various props and set dressings moved onto the stage to make it look like a dystopian cityscape. Then, the classic sample of Chaka Demus & Pliers’ “Murder She Wrote” rang out, igniting the crowd who recognized the opening notes of Jowell & Randy’s 2007 hit “Un Poco Loca.” In no time the twosome appear onstage, dressed in absurd muscle suits made to look like superhero costumes. Robots appeares with long mechanical tendrils that stretch out towards the audience in 3D; this was the “Sci-Fi Channel,” the first of five settings the concert visits throughout the night. Over the half dozen nights of music, various guests made appearances to show their love for Jowell & Randy. Before Saturday, names like Miky Woodz, Dei V, Tito El Bambino, Yailin La Mas Viral, Zion, and Young Miko had stopped by to regale the audience with some of their collab joints. Zion and Miko came back on the last night; Miko was loudly received by the screaming crowd as she and the duo sang their hit “ID.” At the end of each part of the concert, Jowell and Randy would segue into a quick skit where they’d use the magic remote control to reconfigure reality again. Each time, a 3D video would pop up while the stage was redressed. A horse-drawn carriage gave way to a “Western” theme, and after that, the stage became an animated “Cartoon” world with backup dancers dressed as funny animals and mascots. The duo is known for making perreo that has zero filter when it comes to sex, and their show leaned into that with a sense of humor at times, most hilariously when some of the mascots began “getting it on” onstage. Randy slid up behind one pair of mascots, saying, “I dunno if there’s a guy or girl in there, but fuck it.” Editor’s picks The 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time It’s been a hectic year for Jowell & Randy, as 2024 saw them release two full-length LPs, both with their respective tours. (The second, Mazorkeo.com , recently made Rolling Stone’s list of 50 Best Latin Albums of 2024 .) The duo also joined fellow artists at the Festival de La Esperanza rally , in an effort to bring out the vote for then-candidate for governor Juan Dalmau. Jowell, for his part, has continued lobbying for a music school dedicated to urban music , which has long been a passion project of his. They two have been making music since they were teens, and longtime fans remember how in the early-2000s they were often overlooked and relegated to the last handful of songs on compilation albums like Kilates , The Majestic , and others. Things began to turn for the better when they signed to White Lion Records, and took off in full steam after the release of their Arcángel collab “Agresivo” in 2006. Ten albums later, they’re now considered one of the top reggaetón duos of the genre. When Bad Bunny brought them out during his 2022 livestreamed concert to celebrate the release of Un Verano Sin Ti , he introduced them as “the best reggaeton duo ever.” Benito’s admiration for them has translated into multiple collaborations on stage and in the recording booth, going so far as to quietly penning a few tracks on their 2020 album Viva el Perreo . Back at the concert, with another click of the remote control the stage transformed into a “Horror” theme. Respectively dressed as a bedazzled Jason Voorhees and Chucky doll, Jowell & Randy sang hits like “Chulo Sin H,” “Soy Una Gárgola,” and “Rastrillea” as dancers wearing Freddy Krueger, Valak the Nun, and Art the Clown get-ups twerked and danced behind them. The fifth and final “channel” was a Christmas-themed world, with Randy promising the crowd special gifts for them. They did not disappoint, as a high-energy De La Ghetto came onstage to sing many of their numerous songs together, going back over a decade. The crowd’s enthusiasm was raised even more when Arcángel made an appearance. The foursome’s rendition of “Agresivo” in particular brought the house down, as neon Christmas symbols floated in the background in 3D. And then the show closed with “Safaera,” the tremendous megahit off Bad Bunny’s 2020 album YHLQMDLG that has become one of the most ubiquitous perreo songs of the genre. Floating sharks were lowered from the ceiling to “swim” around over Jowell & Randy, as a nod to the song’s sample of the Alexis & Fido song “El Tiburón.” As they sang the first half of the song, a human-sized Christmas gift box was discreetly brought to the stage. Right as they reached the track’s bridge, a spotlight shined on the box as Jowell and Randy took a pause. The crowd cheered, suspecting what was about to happen. “Call him,” yelled Randy to the fans. “Call him!” Suddenly, Bad Bunny walked out of the box and made the “Choliseo” shake. With a bottle of pitorro in hand, he and Jowell & Randy closed out the evening — and all six events — in an epic way that also brought one last rush of Christmas cheer to their fans. For a duo that has spent 24 years working to get there, it was a creative and energetic realization long in the making that proved they’ve earned their title as “los más sueltos.”None

Cabinet has endorsed the iTaukei Affairs (Great Council of Chiefs) (Amendment) Regulations 2024. The regulations are designed to enable the Great Council of Chiefs to effectively carry out its mandate by advocating for and overseeing iTaukei interests, as well as making decisions on iTaukei matters. The amendments will target strengthening the GCC’s advisory functions in nation-building, promoting racial harmony and adopting social cohesion. The GCC will focus on setting strategic directions in several key areas, including good governance and leadership, economic empowerment, culture, tradition and heritage, resource ownership, education, health and well-being, the environment, climate change and addressing violence against women and children.ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons are back in first place in the NFC South and again in control of their playoff hopes. Rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. showed the poise in his first NFL start the Falcons will need to take advantage of their opportunity to end a six-year playoff drought. Powered by a big-play defense that produced two pick-6s, a solid starting debut by Penix and two rushing touchdowns by Bijan Robinson, the Falcons cruised past the hapless New York Giants 34-7 on Sunday. On Sunday night, the Falcons (8-7) received the assist they needed when Tampa Bay lost at Dallas . Because the Falcons swept the Buccaneers, they hold the tiebreaker advantage if they remain tied atop the division. The Falcons have games remaining at Washington on Sunday night and at home against Carolina to close the regular season. If Atlanta wins both games, it would win the division and have a home playoff game. The Falcons are assured of their best record since a 10-6 finish under coach Dan Quinn in 2017, their most recent playoff season. Quinn is in his first season as Washington's coach and has led the Commanders (10-5) to three straight wins, including Sunday's 36-33 victory over Philadelphia. Penix, the No. 8 overall pick in this year's NFL draft, was promoted after coach Raheem Morris benched Kirk Cousins. Penix completed 18 of 27 passes for 202 yards with one interception on a pass that should have been caught by tight end Kyle Pitts. Penix is not a dual-threat quarterback, but he showed the ability to escape pressure in the pocket that Cousins lacks following his 2023 Achilles tendon injury. The left-hander's superior arm strength also was immediately obvious. Robinson's production provided a safety net for the offense which helped make for a smooth transition to Penix. Robinson had scoring runs of 2 and 4 yards. Robinson has rushed for 10 touchdowns this season. He's the first Atlanta player with 10 more more rushing touchdowns since Devonta Freeman during the 2016 Super Bowl season. Robinson ran for 94 yards on 22 carries and had 103 yards from scrimmage. His 11th game this season with at least 100 yards from scrimmage are the most for the Falcons since Warrick Dunn's 11 in 2005. Morris said Robinson deserves to be considered with Philadelphia's Saquon Barkley in discussions regarding the league's top running backs. “Bijan has been outstanding all year in the things that he’s able to do," Morris said. “He’s special. If it wasn’t for this other guy out in Philly, he’d get a lot more recognition across the league. But that guy is having a special year, and Bijan’s not far behind him.” With kicker Younghoe Koo on injured reserve and watching from the sideline, Riley Patterson was wide left on his first field-goal attempt from 43 yards. Patterson rebounded to make attempts from 52 and 37 yards. Jessie Bates III and Matthew Judon each had a pick-6 to highlight a day of big plays for the defense. Arnold Ebiketie had his fifth sack of the season and added a fumble recovery. Kaden Ellis added a strip-sack. He also has five sacks this season, including sacks in four consecutive games. It is the longest streak for Atlanta since Patrick Kerney had sacks in five straight games in 2001. There was some thought that a change at quarterback could be good news for Pitts, who often seemed to be missing in action with Cousins running the offense. After all, a tight end often is a natural target for quick passes from a rookie making his first start. Instead, Pitts had a poor start to the Penix era when he bobbled his first pass from the left-hander, creating an interception by cornerback Cor’Dale Flott. Pitts caught a 7-yard pass on his only other target. For the season, Pitts has 41 catches for 543 yards and three touchdowns. There will be much interest in this week's injury report after WR Drake London (hamstring) was hurt in the second half. Morris provided an optimistic postgame outlook on London. CB Antonio Hamilton (quad) did not return after leaving the game in the first half. 8: Bates has four interceptions and four forced fumbles. His combined eight forced turnovers lead the NFL. The game against Jayden Daniels and the Commanders is a reminder Penix was only the fourth of six quarterbacks selected in the first round of the NFL draft. Daniels, from LSU, was the No. 2 overall pick behind Caleb Williams by Chicago. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflDave Grohl, the Foo Fighters frontman, will be spending Christmas with his wife Jordyn Blum and their children, following his shocking confession of infidelity. The 55-year-old rock star shocked fans earlier this year when he admitted to having an affair and fathering a child outside his marriage. Grohl , who has been married to director and actress Jordyn since 2003, is the father to daughters Violet Maye, 18, Harper Willow, 15, and Ophelia Saint, 10. In September, Grohl announced on social media that he had welcomed a fourth daughter "outside of my marriage" and pledged to work on saving his relationship with his wife and their children . Fans were left worried that the chart-topping star may have permanently damaged his marriage. However, there are now signs that the couple are working through their issues and may stay together. Exclusive: Dave Grohl 'alerts fans to potential marital issues' with 'sad' 'final step' during recent outing Exclusive: Dave Grohl's wife Jordyn Blum's tennis coach breaks silence on 'flirting' accusations A source revealed to People that the rock star will be spending Christmas with his family as they move past his scandalous confession. The source said: "They are all spending Christmas as a family." Another source told the publication: "Dave's been prioritizing his family. He knows he messed up. It's one of those situations where you don't realize what you have until you're about to lose it. He doesn't want to lose his family.", reports the Mirror . Dave Grohl's recent revelation about fathering a child outside his marriage has sent shockwaves through his fanbase. In a candid social media post, he admitted: "I've recently become the father of a new daughter, born outside of my marriage. I plan to be a loving and supportive parent to her." He added, "I love my wife and my children, and I am doing everything I can to regain their trust and their forgiveness. We're grateful for your consideration toward all the children involved, as we move forward together." The announcement left fans reeling, with many expressing their disbelief on platforms like X. One fan humorously compared the announcement to a sports team firing its coach, saying: "Dave Grohl is having a child out of wedlock and announced it like a football team firing its coach lol." Another fan was less amused, commenting in shock: "Not Dave Grohl making a text post to announce he cheated on his wife, fathered a child through the cheating, and lost the trust of his wife and 3 daughters, but plans to 'be a good father' to the new baby. What the f**k! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! " Following his affair admission, past remarks by Dave have come back to haunt him, including when he referred to Jordyn as his "future ex-wife". Recalling the night they met, he told Q Magazine about being approached by an attractive woman while looking disheveled after a Tenacious D session, saying, "Some bombshell comes up and starts talking to Taylor. I was just out of a Tenacious D session. I've got Vans trainers on, no socks, dirty shorts and a dirty T-shirt, surrounded by beautiful Hollywood.." "So I'm just having some drinks and acting like a jackass. And by the end of the night I was pissed and I'm staring at her going, 'You're my future ex-wife,' he said. 'So she gave me her number: 'Jordyn, your future ex-wife'."

Biden weighing pardons for people who could be targeted by Trump: sources

Should Seahawks’ Ryan Grubb get another season? It’s time to find out.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Shane Bieber’s first venture into free agency turned into a return trip. The 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner agreed Friday to rejoin the Cleveland Guardians after making just two starts last season before undergoing Tommy John surgery, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. Bieber had been expected to leave the AL Central champions. But he’s coming back after agreeing to a one-year, $14 million contract that includes a $16 million player option for 2026, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced. Bieber’s deal will pay him $10 million in salary and includes a $4 million buyout. The 29-year-old only pitched twice in 2024 before having the surgery on his elbow that bothered him during the previous campaign. Bieber felt discomfort in his start on opening day against the Oakland Athletics and again when he faced the Seattle Mariners his next outing. Bieber didn’t allow a run in either start, and the club had been encouraged by his velocity and dominance (20 strikeouts). But the elbow became too painful and Bieber elected to have the ligament-replacement surgery. RELATED COVERAGE Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman has surgery on right ankle, should be ready for spring training St. Petersburg backs a new $1.3B ballpark for the Rays. Now it’s up to Pinellas County The A’s clear the last major hurdle for a $1.75 billion Las Vegas stadium If his recovery follows a normal timeline, Bieber should be back in Cleveland’s rotation within the first three months of next season. The Guardians feared his loss would hurt them last season, but the club got off to a fast start under first-year manager Stephen Vogt and ran away with the division title. Cleveland eliminated Detroit in the AL Division Series before losing the ALCS to the New York Yankees in five games. Bieber spent chunks of last season with the team and he received a huge ovation at Progressive Field when he was introduced before the postseason series. The two-time All-Star has spent all seven of his big league seasons with Cleveland, which had contemplated trading him before his elbow issues in 2023 limited him to 21 starts. During the shortened COVID-19 season in 2020, Bieber went 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA over 12 starts and 77 1/3 innings with 122 strikeouts. He led the majors in wins, ERA and strikeouts and finished fourth in AL MVP voting. He was selected by Cleveland in the fourth round of the 2016 amateur draft out of UC Santa Barbara and made his major league debut two years later on his 23rd birthday. Bieber has a career record of 62-32 with a 3.22 ERA over 136 outings spanning 134 starts and 843 innings. He has twice reached 200 innings, throwing a career-high 214 1/3 in 2019. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlbLAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Andrej Jakimovski converted an off-balance layup with 8 seconds left, and Colorado handed No. 2 UConn its second loss in two days at the Maui Invitational, beating the two-time defending national champion 73-72 on Tuesday. A day after to Memphis that left about the officiating, UConn (4-2) couldn’t shake the unranked Buffaloes (5-1), who shot 62.5% in the second half. With Colorado trailing 72-71 in the closing seconds, Jakimovski drove to his right and absorbed contact from UConn’s Liam McNeeley. He tossed the ball toward the glass and the shot was good as he fell to the floor. Hassan Diarra missed a 3-pointer just ahead of the buzzer for UConn. Elijah Malone and Julian Hammond III scored 16 points each for Colorado, and Jakimovski had 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Huskies led 40-32 at halftime and by nine points early in the second half, but Colorado quickly closed that gap. McNeeley led UConn with 20 points. Takeaways UConn: Hurley’s squad is facing its first adversity in quite a while. The Huskies arrived on Maui with a 17-game winning streak that dated to February. Colorado: The Buffaloes were held to season lows in points (56) and field goal percentage (37%) in a 16-point loss to Michigan State on Monday but shot 51.1% overall and 56.3% (9 of 16) from 3-point range against the Huskies. Key moment Hurley called timeout to set up the Huskies’ final possession, but the Buffs forced them to take a contested 3. Key stat Colorado had a 28-26 rebounding advantage after being out-rebounded 42-29 by Michigan State. Up next Colorado will play the Iowa-Dayton winner in the fifth-place game on Wednesday. UConn will play the loser of that matchup in the seventh-place game. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up . AP college basketball: and .

With rookie QB Penix showing poise in starting debut, the Falcons again control their playoff hopesThe Chicago Cubs need something to energize the fan base this winter. After being foiled once again by the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central--despite stealing the Brewers' old manager, Craig Counsell--the Cubs are down in the dumps. But perhaps a blockbuster trade with the crosstown Chicago White Sox could be the pick-me-up the franchise needs. The Cubs and White Sox have partnered up on some big trades in the past, most notably the Jose Quintana deal in 2017 and the Craig Kimbrel swap in 2021. But sending a certain All-Star lefty pitcher across town just might take the cake. White Sox lefty Garrett Crochet is the biggest name on the trade market this winter, coming off an All-Star season where he struck out a ridiculous 12.9 batters per nine innings. Every contending team could use Crochet, but the Cubs might be the single team that could benefit the most from landing him. Recently, Elijah Evans of Just Baseball proposed a trade that would send Crochet to the North Side in exchange for outfielder Owen Caissie, shortstop Jefferson Rojas, and right-handed pitcher Jaxon Wiggins. "Garrett Crochet is another level of a pitcher and the Cubs are seeking a few big pieces to push them into the legit playoff tier in the National League," Evans said. "They’re likely to start with the free agent market but could slide into the Crochet sweepstakes more seriously if they can’t land a top arm available there. In terms of prospect fit, their plethora of hitters lines up well with what the White Sox want to acquire." Caissie is Just Baseball's No. 35 overall prospect and Rojas is No. 53, so losing both would certainly weaken the Cubs' future outlook on the position player side of things. But as great as it is to have prospects, what the Cubs need now is a big-league-ready star. Crochet would change the Cubs' entire perception for the 2025 season. Rolling a trio of dominant lefties out with Crochet, Shota Imanaga, and Justin Steele could be the thing that finally vaults them over the Brewers in the Central, and possibly all the way to title contention. More MLB: Cubs tabbed as unexpected landing spot for $105 million superstar outfielder

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Justin Thomas with big drives and a few big putts takes 1-shot lead over Scheffler in the Bahamas

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron expressed “gratitude” Saturday to those who saved, helped and rebuilt Notre Dame Cathedral. “I stand before you ... to express the gratitude of the French nation,” Macron said at the reopening ceremony. “Tonight, the bells of Notre Dame are ringing again. And in a moment, the organ will awaken,” sending the “music of hope” to Parisians, France and the world. Macron spoke in front of 1,500 guests invited to celebrate the restoration of Paris’ 12th-century cathedral which was nearly destroyed by a fire in 2019. They included world leaders like President-elect Donald Trump , U.S. first lady Jill Biden, Britain’s Prince William and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. PARIS (AP) — Howling winds couldn’t stop Notre Dame Cathedral ’s heart from beating again. With three resounding knocks on its doors by Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, wielding a specially designed crosier carved from fire-scorched beams, the monument roared back to life Saturday evening. For the first time since a devastating blaze nearly destroyed it in 2019, the towering Gothic masterpiece reopened for worship, its rebirth marked by song, prayer, and awe beneath its soaring arches. The ceremony, initially planned to begin on the forecourt, was moved entirely inside due to unusually fierce December winds sweeping across the Île de la Cité, flanked by the River Seine. Yet the occasion lost none of its splendor. Inside the luminous nave, choirs sang psalms, and the cathedral’s mighty organ, silent for nearly five years, thundered to life in a triumphant interplay of melodies. The restoration, a spectacular achievement in just five years for a structure that took nearly two centuries to build, is seen as a moment of triumph for French President Emmanuel Macron, who championed the ambitious timeline — and a welcome respite from his domestic political woes . The evening’s celebration, attended by 1,500 dignitaries, including President-elect Donald Trump, Britain’s Prince William, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, underscored Notre Dame’s enduring role as both a spiritual and cultural beacon. Observers see the event as Macron's, and his intention to pivot it into a fully fledged diplomatic gathering, while highlighting France’s ability to unite on the global stage despite internal political crises. Inside, 42,000 square meters of stonework — an area equal to six soccer pitches — were meticulously cleaned, revealing luminous limestone and intricate carvings. Overhead, 2,000 oak beams, nicknamed “the forest,” were used to rebuild the spire and roof, restoring the cathedral’s iconic silhouette. The thunderous great organ, with 7,952 pipes ranging from pen-sized to torso-wide, resounded for the first time since the fire. Its newly renovated console, boasting five keyboards, 115 stops, and 30 foot pedals, was a marvel of restoration, reawakening a cornerstone of Notre Dame’s identity. Guests gradually filing into the cathedral for the evening reopening ceremonies were awestruck by the renovated interiors, many whipping out cellphones to capture the moment. “It’s a sense of perfection,” said François Le Page of the Notre Dame Foundation, which raised nearly half of the €900 million ($950 million) in donations for the restoration. He last visited in 2021, when the cathedral was cloaked in scaffolding. “It was somber,” he said. “It’s night and day.” The Rev. Andriy Morkvas, a Ukrainian pastor who leads the Volodymyr Le Grand church in Paris, reflected on his first visit to Notre Dame in over a decade. “I didn’t recognize it,” he said. “God is very powerful; He can change things.” He expressed hope that the cathedral’s revival could inspire peace in his homeland, drawing strength from the presence of Ukraine’s president. “I think that will have a big impact,” he said. “I hope Notre Dame and Mary will help us resolve this conflict.” The reopening of Notre Dame comes at a time of profound global unrest, with wars raging in Ukraine and the Middle East. For Catholics, Notre Dame’s rector said the cathedral “carries the enveloping presence of the Virgin Mary, a maternal and embracing presence.′′ “It is a magnificent symbol of unity,” Dumas said. “Notre Dame is not just a French monument—it is a magnificent sign of hope.” The international range of dignitaries coming to Paris underline the cathedral’s significance as a symbol of shared heritage and peace. Canadian visitor Noelle Alexandria, who had traveled to Paris for the reopening, was struck by the cathedral’s ability to inspire. “She’s been nearly ruined before, but she always comes back,” Alexandria said. “Not many of us could say the same after such tragedy, but Notre Dame can.” Guests entered through Notre Dame’s iconic western façade, whose arched portals adorned with biblical carvings were once a visual guide for medieval believers. Above the central Portal of the Last Judgment, the Archangel Michael is depicted weighing souls, as demons attempt to tip the scales. These stone figures, designed to inspire both awe and fear, set the stage for a ceremony steeped in history. Inside, the hum of hundreds of guests awaiting the service filled the cathedral with human sounds once more — a stark contrast to the construction din that echoed there for years. Tuners restoring the great organ often worked through the night to find the silence needed to perfect its 7,952 pipes, ranging from pen-sized to torso-wide. Notre Dame echoed to the sound of a sustained standing ovation after the showing of a short movie that documented the gargantuan rebuilding effort. Outside, the word “MERCI” — thank you — was projected against the cathedral’s iconic western facade. The movie showed the terrible wounds left by the inferno — the gaping holes torn into its vaulted ceilings and the burned roof. But that was followed by images of all types of artisans, many using traditional handicraft techniques, who collectively restored Notre Dame to look better now than ever. "We went from night to light," said one of the workers in the movie. The celebration is expected to give a much-needed boost to embattled Macron, whose prime minister was ousted this week , plunging the nation’s politics into more turmoil. The French president, who has called Notre Dame's reopening “a jolt of hope,” will address the gathering. He had hoped the occasion would briefly silence his critics and showcase France’s unity and resilience under his leadership. Macron's presidency now faces its gravest crisis after the government's collapse this week in a historic no-confidence vote that toppled Prime Minister Michel Barnier. The vote followed months of political gridlock after snap elections in June. Calls are now growing louder from opposition forces for Macron to resign. But he vowed Thursday to remain in office until the end of his term in 2027, and said he'll name a new prime minister within days. As France struggles with economic woes and social unrest, Notre Dame's rebirth celebrations form a stark contrast. Security will be high through the weekend, echoing measures taken during the Paris Olympics earlier this year. The Île de la Cité — the small island in the River Seine that is home to Notre Dame and the historic heart of Paris— is closed to tourists and non-residents. Police vans and barriers blocked cobblestoned streets in a large perimeter around the island, while soldiers in thick body armor and sniffer dogs patrolled embankments. A special security detail is following Trump. Public viewing areas along the Seine’s southern bank will accommodate 40,000 spectators, who can follow the celebrations on large screens. For many, Notre Dame’s rebirth is not just a French achievement but a global one — after the reopening, the cathedral is set to welcome 15 million visitors annually, up from 12 million before the fire. Sylvie Corbet, Yesica Brumec, Marine Lesprit and Mark Carlson in Paris contributed. Associated Press religion coverage receives support through The AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

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An archbishop's knock formally restores Notre Dame to life as winds howl and heads of state look on(Image: Private Media/Zennie) One of the great things about becoming a parent is you learn you are not the lead character in your own life story. The best you can hope for is a supporting role. As your children grow older, you become a featured player, provide comic relief or maybe get the occasional non-speaking walk-on as someone’s butler or maid. Towards the end, you’re earning two dollars a day as a background extra and aren’t allowed to eat in the catering tent. At the beginning though, when your name’s still above the title, your job is to try and create an ideal world for those with whom you’re sharing the bill. At the same time you’re building this safe fairytale space where bad things don’t happen, you have to equip them with all the skills they’ll need to live in the world as it really is: a meaningless roundelay of happenstance that can only be made sense of by one’s actions (or distractions). That’s the trick with rearing children. You’ve got to keep them as innocent as possible without bedding in a naiveté that will render them crushed once they find out sunshine and lollipops give them skin cancer and diabetes. Da pacem, Domine: Why Trump is what democracy needs Read More Self-awareness is an essential part of the human condition, but you don’t want it turning up too early or it risks becoming self-consciousness. Realising that you are beautiful or not, smart or not, sporty or not, funny or not — this can ruin the person you might have become, especially if that realisation is the product of someone else’s judgment. Better to stumble across that sort of thing in private and deal with it than be buffeted about by public opinion while you’re working on getting a decent ATAR. The playground is a hard enough place without a video of yourself being stuffed into a bin doing the rounds on social media. In a playground you can at least see where the gate is; with social media there’s nowhere to run. You think the whole world is witnessing your humiliation and then reading the comments underneath. Of course, it isn’t the whole world at all, but you don’t know that when you’re a kid: it’s hard to take the long view on something when you’ve only seen 13 summers, the first three or four of which you can’t even remember. Fame or infamy is experienced by most of us from the outside looking in. Being a vaguely recognisable person on TV is a poor and distant cousin, so I can’t tell you what it’s like to be the object of everyone’s attention all the time, but I imagine it would get wearying, even if it’s adoring. I’ve had my share of people being unimpressed with something I’ve done on TV over the years — and not all of them have been network executives — but that has always felt like a rejection of my work rather than me as a person, so it’s easily shrugged off. Or so I pretend. The judgment of others, damning or propitious, for simply being rather than just doing , messes with your head when you’re a fully grown adult wandering about on Married at First Sight, let alone when you’re a child being made fun of because you posted a picture you liked of yourself in a dress your grandmother made for you. As T.S. Eliot said: “Humankind cannot bear very much reality”. I know I can’t stomach more than five minutes of it (particularly Married at First Sight ). A child deserves as much of an ideal and perfect world as we can possibly confect and maintain for them, so I’m all for being a chirpy Pollyanna until my kids are old enough to roll their eyes at me. They’re in their twenties now and I still think I’m getting away with it. And like the prayers everyone joins in on at the opening of the parliamentary day, I’m happy for our lawmakers to engage in some fiction here and there if it helps make for that Benthamite definition of good: the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people. A snottily superior plea for tolerance Read More Now, the Elon Musks of this world (and there is at least one we’re certain of) will say that Australia’s proposed law compelling social media platforms to set up age-verification systems is a draconian stranglehold around the throat of free speech and, worse, “a backdoor way to control access to the internet”, like Musk said . They will point to X and Facebook and Instagram and TikTok and MySpace (my favourite) and say that these concatenations of code are today’s town squares and the marketplaces of free ideas. But are if you’re giving away ideas for free in a marketplace, you’re not going to cover your overheads. You need some margin. It may be old-fashioned to say so, but the best ideas are the ones you have to pay for, either by buying a book, forking out for an education or costing you dearly later because the idea came to you unbidden while you were bored in a cave one day, was about God and you started telling people about it (though if it really catches on, civilisation usually ends up attending to the account on your behalf). There’s also the question of nametags and friendly customer service. In an actual marketplace, it’s rare that a stall holder will be wearing a balaclava or spruiking their wares through a voice-altering microphone. Plus, the customer tends to visit the stall rather than have an algorithm make it appear in front of them unbidden so they end up getting annoyed and start fighting with the stallholder. Then there’s the behaviour of the other customers. In a real marketplace, people will visit the stalls and look at what’s for sale and politely enquire after this or that so they can make an informed purchase. There’s civility and courtesy between the potential customer and the balaclava-less, non-voice-altered stallholder. Customers rarely run through the market shouting abuse, asking sarcastic rhetorical questions and making incoherent declarative statements. Nor will they try and pass off a GIF of Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men as a counter-argument. To paraphrase something Sigmund Freud apparently never said about cigars: “Sometimes a meme of a dog going to the toilet is just a meme of a dog going to the toilet.” An opinion needs to have some rational underpinning to it for it to be worth anything. It also helps if the words are spelled properly, in the right order, and the whole thing is punctuated. If Clarence Darrow had employed the inarticulate sophistry of social media in his court cases, then Scopes’ monkey would be teaching bible studies in American schools today and Leopold and Loeb would still be writing their wonderful musicals. Labor gave the public one day to weigh in on teen social media ban. It got 15,000 responses Read More Ditto all this nonsense about freedom of speech. People forget (or more likely never knew because, according to some government-led enquiry into early childhood learning, lunchtimes are more important than an extra hour inside learning about civics) that freedom of speech is a right accorded you by society. It’s not some cosplay version of what we imagine our early hominid ancestors got away with when they came down from the trees. Yes, whoever yelled the loudest could be heard more, but someone sneaking up behind him with a rock probably got the final say. The unfettered expression of some brute instinct is curbed in exchange for the benefits of social cohesion. As a community, we say that individuals can say whatever they like providing it doesn’t interfere with anyone else’s ability to enjoy their other rights. Most of these are societal norms that have grown from the tolerance needed to facilitate commerce (the aforementioned civility, politeness and courtesy). There’s wriggle room there but then there are the laws that are more fixed in stone that cover things like defamation, racial vilification, sexual harassment, inciting violence, and even making gestures that remind people of certain things people might have said back in the 1940s. Now, because freedom of speech is a right given by society to the individual, its parameters are worked out by the stakeholders, viz. the individuals working in concert with each other for the common good, usually through those we voted for to act on our behalf in the various parliament houses across the land. If we’re in the minority in terms of what we believe is fit and proper to say in public then tough shit, the mob rules and you can go fuck yourself. That’s democracy. Of course, you have the right to voice your disapproval of how narrow or broad-minded the bulk of the people are being, providing you don’t use rocks (law) or yell over someone else when that someone else is talking (politeness). So, when people like Elon Musk (and indeed, Musk himself) bang on about how Judge de Moraes is suppressing freedom of speech in Brazil, or weighs in on Australia’s height requirement to go for a ride on the internet, we have to remember that neither he nor his company are actual stakeholders. Most of these companies aren’t corporate citizens of the countries for which they’re championing this freedom so vociferously (and usually on the very platforms under scrutiny). All they’re doing is fishing over the fence and complaining about the quality of the pond water. No registered office = no say in the matter. Of course, they can complain about it till their Bluesky in the face — that’s their right, but freedom of speech does not imply the right to be heard or listened to. That depends on the soundness of what is being said. A real town square where people can get up and have their say usually has a speaker’s corner. People take their turn and will gather around or drift away depending on what is being said, how and why it’s being said, and perhaps who is saying it. A few people are in the town square just to have their sandwich, others will engage with the speaker on their soapbox. But there’s an understanding that the occasional “Boo” or “Rubbish!” isn’t going to drown them out; and if it does, the others gathered about won’t allow it (convention). Social media bill shows liberalism has fled Dutton’s Liberal Party Read More Every square inch of the internet version of the town square has a soapbox on it and each person standing on one is holding forth on something that interests them or that they hope will encourage someone to yell “Boo” or “Rubbish!”. Those gathered around to listen are also on soapboxes, as are those just eating their sandwiches. Some have a loudhailer with a blue tick on it (for sale at popular prices), but there’s some debate about whether these items actually amplify the voices going through them or just make the user look silly. The thing is the people on the soapboxes aren’t making any allowance in delivery or arrogance for the fact that there are millions upon millions of others doing exactly the same thing; and that with so many soapboxes, everyone is on the same level. What they’re on is not a platform at all. If anything, they’re down in an orchestra pit where everybody’s trying to play Stockhausen’s “Licht: Die sieben Tage der Woche” . Lack of engagement causes a rush of dynorphins and even though you’re screaming into a void most of the time there’s still enough reverb for it to work well as an echo chamber. So, I’m all for our children not running amok in town squares and marketplaces by themselves, and despite my reservations about giving tech companies access to our birth certificates and possibly even our fingerprints (they no doubt have them already anyway), I support the further erosion of our privacy for us adults too, if only for that blissful period of transition where social media will have to close down while everyone’s age is authenticated. No-one will be able to post anything until the new systems are up and running and folks can get back to rolling hoops and running a stick along the palings of a neighbour’s fence to have their fun. It is my hope that when and if social media returns to colonise the remaining hinterland of our minds, it shall have to use everyone’s freshly authenticated real name and untouched non-Dall-E photo; no stallholder will wear a mask, voices will be identifiable, civility will return to our discourse, GIFs will be banished due to harsher penalties under copyright law, memes will be eradicated forever by some sort of state-mandated magnetic pulse and our children will at last be able to live for eternity in an ideal world where nothing bad ever happens and perhaps some sort of animated dog teaches critical thinking and civics so that when AI finally does rise up and achieve consciousness, our children can turn off our computers for us, make it all go away and take to the real world as fully rounded human beings. And solve global warming, obviously. Have something to say about this article? Write to us at letters@crikey.com.au . Please include your full name to be considered for publication in Crikey’s Your Say . We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.

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running back has an abundance of NFL fans rooting for him to break Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record. Just don't count Dickerson among them. "I don't think he'll break it. But if he breaks it, he breaks it," the former said in an interview with the published Thursday. "Do I want him to break it? Absolutely not. I don't pull no punches on that. "But I'm not whining about it. He had 17 games to do it? Hey, football is football. That's the way I look at it. If he's fortunate to get over 2,000 yards and get the record, it's a great record to have." Barkley is up to 1,838 rushing yards through 15 games this season. He needs 268 yards in the ' final two games of the season – against the and – to break Dickerson's single-season mark of 2,105, which he set in 1984. The Philadelphia running back's stellar season already ranks 19th all-time in single-season rushing yards, one spot ahead of Dickerson's league-leading tally of 1,821 in 1986. Barkley is currently on pace for 2,083 rushing yards, which would fall behind both Dickerson's 1984 record total and the next-highest mark: Adrian Peterson's 2,097-yard season in 2012. But Barkley could help his case with a strong outing in . The Eagles have already , which could mean a heavier workload for the star tailback. As fortune would have it, if Barkley stays within reach after the first divisional matchup, he could have a chance to break Dickerson's record against the , his former team. "How ironic would it be for him to break the record on them, the team that let him go," Dickerson said in the aforementioned interview. "A true slap in the face."

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By MICHELLE L. PRICE WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer , a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer’s comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks , whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar.” Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government , weighed in, defending the tech industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump’s world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift, and his presidential transition team did not respond to a message seeking comment. Musk, the world’s richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect , was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump’s movement but his stance on the tech industry’s hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent,” he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Related Articles National Politics | Should the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers? National Politics | Trump threat to immigrant health care tempered by economic hopes National Politics | In states that ban abortion, social safety net programs often fail families National Politics | Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case National Politics | New 2025 laws hit hot topics from AI in movies to rapid-fire guns Trump’s own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration , including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order , which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump’s businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club , and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country” and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country,” he told the “All-In” podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump’s budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes.SEATTLE (AP) — It wasn’t pretty, but the Seattle Seahawks pulled off over the Chicago Bears. The win featured an outstanding effort from Seattle's defense, a near disappearance from the offense and a game-sealing pick that ended Caleb Williams' rookie record for the most pass attempts without an interception at 353. The Seahawks sacked Williams seven times to tie the team’s season high as the Bears lost their 10th consecutive game in the lowest scoring contest of the season. The Bears had a chance to pull off an upset when they had the ball at Seattle's 40-yard line late in the fourth quarter, but Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen picked off Williams with 20 seconds left. It was a nice bounce-back win for Seattle, but had little impact on their postseason outlook. The more important game will come Saturday, when the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals face off with Seattle’s postseason fortunes on the line. A win by Arizona keeps the Seahawks in the hunt — but still needing a win over the Rams next weekend to clinch the NFC West. A Rams win this weekend would dash Seattle’s hopes as Los Angeles would win the tiebreaker over Seattle even if the Seahawks win the regular-season finale. “We’re in the mode of controlling what we can control,” coach Mike Macdonald said. “We know what’s coming next week. We’re going to spend this weekend getting our minds and bodies and spirits right to go play a game. "Yeah, we’re praying that it’s for the division championship.” What’s working Leonard Williams continues to be a force for the Seahawks. The defensive tackle dominated the Bears' offensive line with two of Seattle’s seven sacks, four quarterback hits and three tackles for loss. Williams been the key to Seattle’s defensive resurgence. A unit that was among the worst in the league earlier in the season has become one of the NFL's most productive in the second half with Williams' big-time impact up front being a major reason Seattle is still in the playoff hunt. “He should be up for all the accolades,” Macdonald said. “I don’t know what the awards are out there, but I would give it to him,” Macdonald said. “He’s just a phenomenal player, phenomenal human being. I’m glad he’s a Seahawk. Glad he’s with us.” What needs help Seattle’s offense was full of stops and starts, but two field goals proved to be enough. Geno Smith managed just 160 passing yards and nearly threw yet another interception in the red zone on Seattle’s first drive of the game. Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh combined for 103 yards on 22 carries, with McIntosh’s 25-yard first-quarter run marking Seattle’s longest offensive play of the day. Charbonnet, starting in place of the injured Kenneth Walker III, was held to just 3.8 yards per carry. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb has spent the season trying to figure out how to get the running game going, with little success. Stock up The Seahawks' defense put up a lockdown performance after struggling in losses against Green Bay and Minnesota, holding the Bears to just 179 yards of total offense and finishing with 10 quarterback hits. Along with Leonard Williams big day, Devon Witherspoon had six tackles with a sack and three tackles for loss as the Seahawks recaptured some of the momentum it had lost the past two weeks. Under constant pressure from Seattle’s pass rush, Caleb Williams threw for 122 yards, while completing 16 of 28 pass attempts. Stock down WR DK Metcalf. He had a tough day, with just three receptions for 43 yards. He also drew a pair of personal fouls on a single play, one coming after he head-butted Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson in the second quarter. Metcalf hasn’t had more than 70 yards receiving in a game since Seattle’s win over Atlanta on Oct. 20. He has only had more than four receptions in three games this year, and has just four touchdown catches in what has been a bit of a disappointing season for the sixth-year receiver. Injuries The Seahawks put Walker (ankle) on injured reserve Thursday, marking the end of his regular season. Walker has to miss at least the next four games, but could return if Seattle makes it deep into the playoffs. Key number 7 — Seattle’s seven sacks made it 67 on the year for Caleb Williams, 15 more than any other quarterback in the league and Up next The Seahawks finish the regular season at the Los Angeles Rams on either Jan. 4 or 5. ___ AP NFL: Shane Lantz, The Associated Press

Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100TORONTO — 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 Press

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Jammu, Dec 23: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Monday said that Jammu and Kashmir was leading the country in implementing the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020. “I am proud that J&K is leading the country in implementing the recommendations of the National Education Policy 2020,” LG Sinha said inaugurating the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) Regional Centre in Jammu. He said that a revolution was taking place in J&K in the education sector in the past few years. The LG said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, J&K was witnessing a cultural resurgence. Emphasising the role of enlightened citizens and stakeholders in developing artistic mindset in the new generation, he said the creative potential of the youth would benefit other sectors of society. “The folk tradition of Jammu has been the source of values and ideals that have sustained the society through the ages and I believe the IGNCA’s regional centre will create a framework for nurturing the virtues of culture for enhancing quality of life,” LG Sinha said. “This centre will foster the promotion and preservation of our rich art and cultural heritage and help the growth of time-tested traditional wisdom and knowledge.” He called upon the intelligentsia to work with organisations like IGNCA for the promotion of J&K’s rich artistic heritage and also preserving and propagating Vedic oral tradition. “Our civilisational heritage represents a culture that is all-embracing and based on the concept of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, the world as one family. This mantra continues to be of great significance to the world even today,” the LG said. He said that in the future the IGNCA Centre at Jammu would further strengthen the government’s efforts for the promotion, development and enrichment of folk traditions. LG Sinha called for committed efforts for the dissemination of works of great thinkers and writers like Yogini Lalleshwari, Nund Rishi, Habba Khatoon, Parmanand, Dattu, Thakur Raghunath Singh, Pandit Hardutt, Gangaram, Padma Sachdev, especially to the younger generation. “In this era of rapid change, it is also our collective responsibility to ensure that the articles, monographs, books on regional literature, folk music, drama genre and Pahari art become a part of every household,” he said. The LG also applauded the IGNCA and J&K Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) for organising the Toycathon. He said that the Toycathon provides an opportunity for our youngsters to participate in grassroots innovation and lead them to design and develop toys based on local cultural ethos and life of local heroes. LG Sinha congratulated IGNCA, artists, writers, researchers, art lovers, innovators, and students on the occasion. He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and President IGNCA Ram Bahadur Rai for dedicating IGNCA’s Regional Centre to Jammu. On the occasion, the LG felicitated the students who excelled during the District/School level competitions under Toycathon 2024. He also released several publications of IGNCA and visited the stalls put up by different school students exhibiting innovative and creative toy designs, and clay models prepared by artists from various states. Minister for School and Higher Education, Health and Medical Education and Social Welfare, Sakina Ittoo; Member Secretary IGNCA, Sachidanand Joshi; Principal Secretary Culture and School Education, Suresh Kumar Gupta; Commissioner Secretary, Higher Education, Rashmi Singh and Director SCERT J&K, Parikshat Singh Manhas were also present on the occasion. ADGP Jammu, Anand Jain; Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Ramesh Kumar; Vice Chancellors of several universities and heads of various educational institutions were also present on the occasion.ATLANTA — Georgia Republicans can subpoena Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis about her romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, the outside attorney she hired to lead her 2020 election interference case against former and future President Donald Trump and his allies, a judge has ruled. The decision by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shukura Ingram was published Monday. It is the latest blow to Willis in regard to her prosecution of Trump. On Nov. 19, the Georgia Court of Appeals disqualified Willis and her office from the case due to her relationship with Wade. Ingram rejected Willis’ arguments that GOP leaders of a state Senate committee didn’t have the authority to issue a pair of subpoenas in August seeking documents and her testimony. But the judge gave Willis until Jan. 13 to explain why the subpoenas shouldn’t be enforced. “(Willis) claims that the subpoenas are overbroad and seek privileged and/or confidential information,” the judge said in her order. “This may very well be true, but this court needs more details on the basis for these objections from (Willis) before ruling on (committee members’) application for enforcement.” Representatives for Willis did not immediately respond Friday to questions about the ruling. Sen. Greg Dolezal, one of the committee members, mentioned the ruling in a social media post Friday. “We’ll see you soon, Madam D.A.,” he wrote. Dolezal, R-Cumming, has unveiled plans to extend the life of the committee into 2025. He said Ingram’s ruling “follows the plain reading of the law as outlined in our committee.” “From open records laws to lawfully issued subpoenas, D.A. Willis seems to think she is above the law,” Dolezal said. “Once again, the courts ruled otherwise.” Ingram heard arguments from both sides during a Dec. 3 hearing in Atlanta. Willis claimed the subpoenas from the Senate’s Special Committee on Investigations were void because the committee and its members lacked legislative subpoena power, issued the subpoenas while the Senate was adjourned and violated part of the Georgia Constitution. Ingram disagreed. “It is undisputed that the General Assembly has the unenumerated and implied constitutional power to conduct investigations and the statutory authority to issue subpoenas for the purposes of such investigations,” she said. “Here, the Senate, as a chamber, empowered itself to issue subpoenas, which it was authorized to do.” The judge further said Willis failed to identify any authority to support her theory that the subpoenas could not be issued after the Legislature adjourned its regular session on March 28. Ingram also said the Georgia Constitution allows members of one branch of government to investigate members of another branch. The committee members offered to narrow the scope of the subpoenas, the judge noted. She gave them until Jan. 31 to respond to any objections Willis raises about enforcement of the subpoenas. Senators created the committee in January, just weeks after news surfaced that Willis had been in a romantic relationship with Wade. Members sought years worth of communications between Willis and Wade as well as information about his hiring and pay, the DA office’s federal grant funding and interactions with the White House, Justice Department and members of Congress regarding the elections case. They also sought to compel Willis’ attendance at a September hearing, which she declined to attend as she fought her summons in court.By MICHELLE L. PRICE WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer , a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer’s comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks , whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar.” Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government , weighed in, defending the tech industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump’s world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift, and his presidential transition team did not respond to a message seeking comment. Musk, the world’s richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect , was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump’s movement but his stance on the tech industry’s hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent,” he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Related Articles National Politics | Should the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers? National Politics | Trump threat to immigrant health care tempered by economic hopes National Politics | In states that ban abortion, social safety net programs often fail families National Politics | Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case National Politics | New 2025 laws hit hot topics from AI in movies to rapid-fire guns Trump’s own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration , including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order , which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump’s businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club , and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country” and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country,” he told the “All-In” podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump’s budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes.

As predictably as night following day, the last gasps of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has seemingly resulted in lost jobs. A CBC Radio Canada report says WB Games Montreal has eliminated 99 jobs, primarily among Keywords subcontractors working on its QA team. One source told the site that employees were informed there wasn't enough work to justify their continued employment during a videoconference meeting on Monday. Employees impacted by the cuts were then given two options at a second meeting: Accept assistance in finding a new job, or sign up for a recall list for when more work becomes available. The source added, however, that more work isn't expected until 2026. The report says roughly 240 Keywords employees work as subcontractors at WB Games Montreal. While; Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was developed by Rocksteady, WB Games Montreal is also credited for additional work on the game. The actual layoffs are expected to occur in eight weeks, according to the report. Some employees expressed frustration at the short notice of the cuts: There was apparently no talk of layoffs at the company's biannual meeting in late summer, and sources said they were told there would be enough work to keep them on. Neither Keywords nor WB Games have confirmed the layoffs, but the situation sounds similar to one that occurred at BioWare in September 2023, when 13 Keywords QA employees working on Dragon Age: The Veilguard were laid off . In that case, laid-off Keywords employees picketed BioWare's office in Edmonton to demand their reinstatement; Electronic Arts and BioWare had opposed the plan because the picketers weren't technically BioWare employees, but the Alberta Labour Relations Board sided with the workers, essentially saying that BioWare was their place of employment and thus they had a right to picket there. This week's layoff notification reportedly came just ahead of the announcement of the official end of Suicide Squad support after four seasons. Multiple other studios have laid off employees in December, including Ubisoft , Torn Banner, Sweet Bandits, Illfonic , Deck Nine , and People Can Fly ; the two-years-and-counting bloodbath that's gripped the videogame industry has grown bad enough that even the notoriously controversy-averse Geoff Keighley acknowledged the problem at last night's Game Awards. I've reached out to WB Games Montreal and Keywords for comment and will update if I receive a reply. The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.By BILL BARROW, Associated Press PLAINS, Ga. (AP) — Newly married and sworn as a Naval officer, Jimmy Carter left his tiny hometown in 1946 hoping to climb the ranks and see the world. Less than a decade later, the death of his father and namesake, a merchant farmer and local politician who went by “Mr. Earl,” prompted the submariner and his wife, Rosalynn, to return to the rural life of Plains, Georgia, they thought they’d escaped. The lieutenant never would be an admiral. Instead, he became commander in chief. Years after his presidency ended in humbling defeat, he would add a Nobel Peace Prize, awarded not for his White House accomplishments but “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” The life of James Earl Carter Jr., the 39th and longest-lived U.S. president, ended Sunday at the age of 100 where it began: Plains, the town of 600 that fueled his political rise, welcomed him after his fall and sustained him during 40 years of service that redefined what it means to be a former president. With the stubborn confidence of an engineer and an optimism rooted in his Baptist faith, Carter described his motivations in politics and beyond in the same way: an almost missionary zeal to solve problems and improve lives. Carter was raised amid racism, abject poverty and hard rural living — realities that shaped both his deliberate politics and emphasis on human rights. “He always felt a responsibility to help people,” said Jill Stuckey, a longtime friend of Carter’s in Plains. “And when he couldn’t make change wherever he was, he decided he had to go higher.” Carter’s path, a mix of happenstance and calculation , pitted moral imperatives against political pragmatism; and it defied typical labels of American politics, especially caricatures of one-term presidents as failures. “We shouldn’t judge presidents by how popular they are in their day. That’s a very narrow way of assessing them,” Carter biographer Jonathan Alter told the Associated Press. “We should judge them by how they changed the country and the world for the better. On that score, Jimmy Carter is not in the first rank of American presidents, but he stands up quite well.” Later in life, Carter conceded that many Americans, even those too young to remember his tenure, judged him ineffective for failing to contain inflation or interest rates, end the energy crisis or quickly bring home American hostages in Iran. He gained admirers instead for his work at The Carter Center — advocating globally for public health, human rights and democracy since 1982 — and the decades he and Rosalynn wore hardhats and swung hammers with Habitat for Humanity. Yet the common view that he was better after the Oval Office than in it annoyed Carter, and his allies relished him living long enough to see historians reassess his presidency. “He doesn’t quite fit in today’s terms” of a left-right, red-blue scoreboard, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who visited the former president multiple times during his own White House bid. At various points in his political career, Carter labeled himself “progressive” or “conservative” — sometimes both at once. His most ambitious health care bill failed — perhaps one of his biggest legislative disappointments — because it didn’t go far enough to suit liberals. Republicans, especially after his 1980 defeat, cast him as a left-wing cartoon. It would be easiest to classify Carter as a centrist, Buttigieg said, “but there’s also something radical about the depth of his commitment to looking after those who are left out of society and out of the economy.” Indeed, Carter’s legacy is stitched with complexities, contradictions and evolutions — personal and political. The self-styled peacemaker was a war-trained Naval Academy graduate who promised Democratic challenger Ted Kennedy that he’d “kick his ass.” But he campaigned with a call to treat everyone with “respect and compassion and with love.” Carter vowed to restore America’s virtue after the shame of Vietnam and Watergate, and his technocratic, good-government approach didn’t suit Republicans who tagged government itself as the problem. It also sometimes put Carter at odds with fellow Democrats. The result still was a notable legislative record, with wins on the environment, education, and mental health care. He dramatically expanded federally protected lands, began deregulating air travel, railroads and trucking, and he put human rights at the center of U.S. foreign policy. As a fiscal hawk, Carter added a relative pittance to the national debt, unlike successors from both parties. Carter nonetheless struggled to make his achievements resonate with the electorate he charmed in 1976. Quoting Bob Dylan and grinning enthusiastically, he had promised voters he would “never tell a lie.” Once in Washington, though, he led like a joyless engineer, insisting his ideas would become reality and he’d be rewarded politically if only he could convince enough people with facts and logic. This served him well at Camp David, where he brokered peace between Israel’s Menachem Begin and Epypt’s Anwar Sadat, an experience that later sparked the idea of The Carter Center in Atlanta. Carter’s tenacity helped the center grow to a global force that monitored elections across five continents, enabled his freelance diplomacy and sent public health experts across the developing world. The center’s wins were personal for Carter, who hoped to outlive the last Guinea worm parasite, and nearly did. As president, though, the approach fell short when he urged consumers beleaguered by energy costs to turn down their thermostats. Or when he tried to be the nation’s cheerleader, beseeching Americans to overcome a collective “crisis of confidence.” Republican Ronald Reagan exploited Carter’s lecturing tone with a belittling quip in their lone 1980 debate. “There you go again,” the former Hollywood actor said in response to a wonky answer from the sitting president. “The Great Communicator” outpaced Carter in all but six states. Carter later suggested he “tried to do too much, too soon” and mused that he was incompatible with Washington culture: media figures, lobbyists and Georgetown social elites who looked down on the Georgians and their inner circle as “country come to town.” Carter carefully navigated divides on race and class on his way to the Oval Office. Born Oct. 1, 1924 , Carter was raised in the mostly Black community of Archery, just outside Plains, by a progressive mother and white supremacist father. Their home had no running water or electricity but the future president still grew up with the relative advantages of a locally prominent, land-owning family in a system of Jim Crow segregation. He wrote of President Franklin Roosevelt’s towering presence and his family’s Democratic Party roots, but his father soured on FDR, and Jimmy Carter never campaigned or governed as a New Deal liberal. He offered himself as a small-town peanut farmer with an understated style, carrying his own luggage, bunking with supporters during his first presidential campaign and always using his nickname. And he began his political career in a whites-only Democratic Party. As private citizens, he and Rosalynn supported integration as early as the 1950s and believed it inevitable. Carter refused to join the White Citizens Council in Plains and spoke out in his Baptist church against denying Black people access to worship services. “This is not my house; this is not your house,” he said in a churchwide meeting, reminding fellow parishioners their sanctuary belonged to God. Yet as the appointed chairman of Sumter County schools he never pushed to desegregate, thinking it impractical after the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board decision. And while presidential candidate Carter would hail the 1965 Voting Rights Act, signed by fellow Democrat Lyndon Johnson when Carter was a state senator, there is no record of Carter publicly supporting it at the time. Carter overcame a ballot-stuffing opponent to win his legislative seat, then lost the 1966 governor’s race to an arch-segregationist. He won four years later by avoiding explicit mentions of race and campaigning to the right of his rival, who he mocked as “Cufflinks Carl” — the insult of an ascendant politician who never saw himself as part the establishment. Carter’s rural and small-town coalition in 1970 would match any victorious Republican electoral map in 2024. Once elected, though, Carter shocked his white conservative supporters — and landed on the cover of Time magazine — by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Before making the jump to Washington, Carter befriended the family of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., whom he’d never sought out as he eyed the governor’s office. Carter lamented his foot-dragging on school integration as a “mistake.” But he also met, conspicuously, with Alabama’s segregationist Gov. George Wallace to accept his primary rival’s endorsement ahead of the 1976 Democratic convention. “He very shrewdly took advantage of his own Southerness,” said Amber Roessner, a University of Tennessee professor and expert on Carter’s campaigns. A coalition of Black voters and white moderate Democrats ultimately made Carter the last Democratic presidential nominee to sweep the Deep South. Then, just as he did in Georgia, he used his power in office to appoint more non-whites than all his predecessors had, combined. He once acknowledged “the secret shame” of white Americans who didn’t fight segregation. But he also told Alter that doing more would have sacrificed his political viability – and thus everything he accomplished in office and after. King’s daughter, Bernice King, described Carter as wisely “strategic” in winning higher offices to enact change. “He was a leader of conscience,” she said in an interview. Rosalynn Carter, who died on Nov. 19 at the age of 96, was identified by both husband and wife as the “more political” of the pair; she sat in on Cabinet meetings and urged him to postpone certain priorities, like pressing the Senate to relinquish control of the Panama Canal. “Let that go until the second term,” she would sometimes say. The president, recalled her former aide Kathy Cade, retorted that he was “going to do what’s right” even if “it might cut short the time I have.” Rosalynn held firm, Cade said: “She’d remind him you have to win to govern.” Carter also was the first president to appoint multiple women as Cabinet officers. Yet by his own telling, his career sprouted from chauvinism in the Carters’ early marriage: He did not consult Rosalynn when deciding to move back to Plains in 1953 or before launching his state Senate bid a decade later. Many years later, he called it “inconceivable” that he didn’t confer with the woman he described as his “full partner,” at home, in government and at The Carter Center. “We developed a partnership when we were working in the farm supply business, and it continued when Jimmy got involved in politics,” Rosalynn Carter told AP in 2021. So deep was their trust that when Carter remained tethered to the White House in 1980 as 52 Americans were held hostage in Tehran, it was Rosalynn who campaigned on her husband’s behalf. “I just loved it,” she said, despite the bitterness of defeat. Fair or not, the label of a disastrous presidency had leading Democrats keep their distance, at least publicly, for many years, but Carter managed to remain relevant, writing books and weighing in on societal challenges. He lamented widening wealth gaps and the influence of money in politics. He voted for democratic socialist Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton in 2016, and later declared that America had devolved from fully functioning democracy to “oligarchy.” Yet looking ahead to 2020, with Sanders running again, Carter warned Democrats not to “move to a very liberal program,” lest they help re-elect President Donald Trump. Carter scolded the Republican for his serial lies and threats to democracy, and chided the U.S. establishment for misunderstanding Trump’s populist appeal. He delighted in yearly convocations with Emory University freshmen, often asking them to guess how much he’d raised in his two general election campaigns. “Zero,” he’d gesture with a smile, explaining the public financing system candidates now avoid so they can raise billions. Carter still remained quite practical in partnering with wealthy corporations and foundations to advance Carter Center programs. Carter recognized that economic woes and the Iran crisis doomed his presidency, but offered no apologies for appointing Paul Volcker as the Federal Reserve chairman whose interest rate hikes would not curb inflation until Reagan’s presidency. He was proud of getting all the hostages home without starting a shooting war, even though Tehran would not free them until Reagan’s Inauguration Day. “Carter didn’t look at it” as a failure, Alter emphasized. “He said, ‘They came home safely.’ And that’s what he wanted.” Well into their 90s, the Carters greeted visitors at Plains’ Maranatha Baptist Church, where he taught Sunday School and where he will have his last funeral before being buried on family property alongside Rosalynn . Carter, who made the congregation’s collection plates in his woodworking shop, still garnered headlines there, calling for women’s rights within religious institutions, many of which, he said, “subjugate” women in church and society. Carter was not one to dwell on regrets. “I am at peace with the accomplishments, regret the unrealized goals and utilize my former political position to enhance everything we do,” he wrote around his 90th birthday. The politician who had supposedly hated Washington politics also enjoyed hosting Democratic presidential contenders as public pilgrimages to Plains became advantageous again. Carter sat with Buttigieg for the final time March 1, 2020, hours before the Indiana mayor ended his campaign and endorsed eventual winner Joe Biden. “He asked me how I thought the campaign was going,” Buttigieg said, recalling that Carter flashed his signature grin and nodded along as the young candidate, born a year after Carter left office, “put the best face” on the walloping he endured the day before in South Carolina. Never breaking his smile, the 95-year-old host fired back, “I think you ought to drop out.” “So matter of fact,” Buttigieg said with a laugh. “It was somehow encouraging.” Carter had lived enough, won plenty and lost enough to take the long view. “He talked a lot about coming from nowhere,” Buttigieg said, not just to attain the presidency but to leverage “all of the instruments you have in life” and “make the world more peaceful.” In his farewell address as president, Carter said as much to the country that had embraced and rejected him. “The struggle for human rights overrides all differences of color, nation or language,” he declared. “Those who hunger for freedom, who thirst for human dignity and who suffer for the sake of justice — they are the patriots of this cause.” Carter pledged to remain engaged with and for them as he returned “home to the South where I was born and raised,” home to Plains, where that young lieutenant had indeed become “a fellow citizen of the world.” —- Bill Barrow, based in Atlanta, has covered national politics including multiple presidential campaigns for the AP since 2012.

New Delhi, Nov 22: Stock exchanges have sought clarification on violation of disclosure norms by Adani Group entities regarding the alleged bribery case in the US and subsequent cancellation of Kenya’s airport expansion deal. In its response to the case in the US, Adani Group firms on Thursday had said “there are no allegations made against the company”. On clarification with regard to Kenya cancelling airport expansion and energy deals following the US bribery and fraud indictments, the group is yet to respond to the bourses. While there was no word from Sebi officials, experts pointed out the regulator will have to definitely look into it if there are any disclosure and other violations and take necessary action. Billionaire Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani, and others have been charged by US prosecutors with allegedly being part of an elaborate scheme to pay USD 265 million (about Rs 2,200 crore) bribe to Indian officials in exchange for favourable terms for solar power contracts. The United States Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have issued a criminal indictment and brought a civil complaint, respectively, in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York, against Gautam Adani and Sagar Adani. Adani Group on Thursday denied charges of paying bribes to secure favourable terms for solar power contracts, saying the allegations by US prosecutors are baseless and the conglomerate is compliant with all laws. It said all possible legal recourse will be sought. The bombshell allegations may have a widespread fallout ranging from reputational risk to the conglomerate, inability to raise funds from the US market and the billionaire being forced to restrict his overseas travels to opening a political pandora’s box that will give the Opposition another tool to target the government just as Parliament meets for the winter session, starting Monday. Adani, India’s second-richest man, and seven others including his nephew Sagar, have been charged by the US Department of Justice with paying bribes to unidentified officials in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha governments to buy expensive solar power, potentially earning more than USD 2 billion in profit over 20 years. Prosecutors said the US started an investigation in 2022. They alleged the group raised USD 2 billion in loans and bonds, including from US firms, on the backs of false and misleading statements.Patriots set for top draft pick in 2025 as shock Giants win dramatically reshuffles order

It’s Friday, December 13, and the Indiana Pacers (10-15) and Philadelphia 76ers (7-15) are all set to square off from Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The Pacers are currently 3-11 on the road with a point differential of -4, while the 76ers have a 3-7 record in their last ten games at home. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts. Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts. Game details & how to watch Pacers vs. 76ers live today Date: Friday, December 13, 2024 Time: 7 pm EST Site: Wells Fargo Center City: Philadelphia, PA Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page , along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out. Game odds for Pacers vs. 76ers The latest odds as of Friday: Odds: Indiana Pacers (+187), Philadelphia 76ers (-227) Spread: 76ers -6 Over/Under: 228.5 points That gives the Pacers an implied team point total of 113.2, and the 76ers 116.33. Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more! Expert picks & predictions for Friday Pacers vs. 76ers game Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. NBC Sports Best Bets Vaughn Dalzell’s (@VmoneySports) top play: 76ers Team Total Over 116.5 (-105) “In the last 10 meetings between the 76ers and Pacers, Philly has averaged 130.4 points per game and scored 117 or more points all eight times. You would have to go back to 2021 to find a performance under that (113).” Drew Dinsick’s top play (@whale_capper): Pacers +6.5 “Tough to put a fair price together for the Sixers but not a good matchup for a defense that has struggled to come up will consistent stops in the half court this season. Fair price is IND +4 by my numbers.” Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals. Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager. Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Pacers & 76ers game: Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Philadelphia 76ers on the Moneyline. Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Philadelphia 76ers at -6. Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the OVER on the Game Total of 228.5. Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar! Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Pacers vs. 76ers on Friday The Pacers have lost 4 of their last 5 games as an underdog The Pacers’ last 7 games versus the 76ers have gone OVER the Total The 76ers have failed to cover in 13 of their 22 games this season If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports! Bet the Edge is your source for all things sports betting. Get all of Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick’s insight weekdays at 6AM ET right here or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff: - Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) - Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) - Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) - Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

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rgp.egames casino.ph A Nevada commissioner has ruled against Rupert Murdoch’s bid to change his family trust to consolidate control of his media empire in the hands of his son Lachlan, the New York Times reports, citing a sealed court document. Nevada commissioner Edmund Gorman concluded in a decision filed on Saturday that Rupert Murdoch and Lachlan, who is the head of Fox News parent Fox Corp and News Corp, had acted in “bad faith” in their effort to amend the irrevocable trust, the Times reported. The court docket indicates it issued a recommendation or order Saturday under seal. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today The trust currently would divide control of the company equally among Rupert Murdoch’s four oldest children — Lachlan, James, Elisabeth and Prudence — after his death. Potentially, three of the heirs could out-vote a fourth, setting up a battle over the future of the companies, even as Lachlan Murdoch runs Fox and is sole chair of News Corp. A spokesman for Rupert Murdoch, 93, could not immediately be reached for comment. Rupert Murdoch’s proposed amendment would have blocked any interference by three of Lachlan’s siblings, who are more politically moderate. In his opinion, Gorman said the plan to change the trust was a “carefully crafted charade” to “permanently cement Lachlan Murdoch’s executive roles” inside the empire “regardless of the impacts such control would have over the companies or the beneficiaries” of the family trust, the Times said. A lawyer for Rupert Murdoch, Adam Streisand, said they were disappointed with the ruling and intended to appeal, the Times reported.

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More options are available to area residents calling for emergency help, including live streaming video, text messaging and text translation. The Hastings Police Department Tuesday announced the launch of Prepared Live. Prepared Live is a program that enables the 911 Dispatch Center to livestream videos, text message, and translate text messages from mobile callers in real time. The addition to the dispatchers’ current technology will improve law enforcement’s ability to effectively and efficiently respond to both emergency and non-emergency calls for service in the area. Participation in live streaming video during a call is voluntary as consent of the caller is required. If the caller consents, they will receive a livestream link via text from the dispatcher, enabling them to activate live video so the dispatcher can see what they see. The new technology can provide critical information to dispatchers and first responders before arriving at a scene. For non-emergency situations, citizens can text the Hastings 911 Center at 402-461-2364 to report something that does not require immediate law enforcement, fire, or emergency medical service response. Non-English speaking citizens can text the Hastings 911 Center in their native language and the system will translate it so dispatchers can quickly assist them.PK’s Jan Suraaj fizzles in poll debut. 10% vote share, 3rd or 4th place across 4 seats in Bihar bypolls

ALL-REMOTE COMPANY/WILMINGTON, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 9, 2024-- Phreesia, Inc. (NYSE: PHR) (“Phreesia” or the "Company") announced financial results today for the fiscal third quarter ended October 31, 2024. "We are excited about the future here at Phreesia,” said CEO and Co-Founder Chaim Indig. “Our network continues to grow, adoption of our current offerings is increasing, and we are beginning to see the promise of new solutions we are investing in.” Please visit the Phreesia investor relations website at ir.phreesia.com to view the Company's Q3 Fiscal Year 2025 Stakeholder Letter. Fiscal Third Quarter Ended October 31, 2024 Highlights Total revenue was $106.8 million in the quarter, up 17% year-over-year. Average number of healthcare services clients ("AHSCs") was 4,237 in the quarter, up 15% year-over-year. Total revenue per AHSC was $25,207 in the quarter, up 1% year-over-year. See "Key Metrics" below for additional information. Healthcare services revenue per AHSC was $17,481 in the quarter, down 2% year-over-year. See "Key Metrics" below for additional information. Net loss was $14.4 million in the quarter compared to net loss of $31.9 million in the same period in the prior year. Adjusted EBITDA 1 was $9.8 million in the quarter compared to negative $6.6 million in the same period in the prior year. Net cash provided by operating activities was $5.8 million for the three months ended October 31, 2024, as compared to net cash used in operating activities of $6.3 million for the three months ended October 31, 2023. Free cash flow 2 was $1.6 million for the three months ended October 31, 2024, as compared to negative $11.6 million for the three months ended October 31, 2023. Cash and cash equivalents as of October 31, 2024 was $81.7 million, a decrease of $5.8 million from January 31, 2024 and down $0.1 million from July 31, 2024. Fiscal Year 2025 Outlook We are narrowing our revenue outlook for fiscal 2025 to a range of $418 million to $420 million from a previous range of $416 million to $426 million, implying year-over-year growth of 17% to 18%. We are updating our Adjusted EBITDA outlook for fiscal 2025 to a range of $34 million to $36 million from a previous range of $26 million to $31 million. Our outlook reflects our strong performance in the fiscal third quarter and our continued focus on margin improvement. We are maintaining our expectation for AHSCs to reach approximately 4,200 for fiscal 2025, compared to 3,601 in fiscal 2024. We are maintaining our expectation for Total revenue per AHSC to increase in fiscal 2025 compared to the $98,944 we achieved in fiscal 2024. Fiscal Year 2026 Outlook We are introducing our revenue outlook for fiscal 2026. We expect revenue to be in the range of $472 million to $482 million. The revenue range provided for fiscal 2026 assumes no additional revenue from potential future acquisitions completed between now and January 31, 2026. We are introducing our Adjusted EBITDA outlook for fiscal 2026. We expect Adjusted EBITDA to be in the range of $78 million to $88 million. The Adjusted EBITDA range provided for fiscal 2026 assumes continued improvement in operating leverage across the Company through focusing on efficiency. We expect AHSCs to reach approximately 4,500 in fiscal 2026. Additionally, we expect Total revenue per AHSC in fiscal 2026 to increase from fiscal 2025. We believe our $81.7 million in cash and cash equivalents as of October 31, 2024, along with cash generated in our normal operations, gives us sufficient flexibility to reach our fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2026 outlook. Additionally, our available borrowing capacity under our credit facility with Capital One provides us with an additional source of capital to pursue future growth opportunities not incorporated into our fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2026 outlook. As of October 31, 2024 we have no borrowings outstanding under our credit facility. Non-GAAP Financial Measures We have not reconciled our Adjusted EBITDA outlook to GAAP Net income (loss) because we do not provide an outlook for GAAP Net income (loss) due to the uncertainty and potential variability of Other (income) expense, net and (Benefit from) provision for income taxes, which are reconciling items between Adjusted EBITDA and GAAP Net income (loss). Because we cannot reasonably predict such items, a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure outlook to the corresponding GAAP measure is not available without unreasonable effort. We caution, however, that such items could have a significant impact on the calculation of GAAP Net income (loss). For further information regarding the non-GAAP financial measures included in this press release, including a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures and an explanation of these measures, please see “Non-GAAP financial measures” below. Available Information We intend to use our Company website (including our Investor Relations website) as well as our Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram accounts as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Forward Looking Statements This press release includes express or implied statements that are not historical facts and are considered forward-looking 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. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance and may contain projections of our future results of operations or of our financial information or state other forward-looking information. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: our future financial and operating performance, including our revenue, operating leverage, margins, Adjusted EBITDA, cash flows and profitability 3; our ability to finance our plans to achieve our fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2026 outlook with our current cash balance and cash generated in the normal course of business; and our outlook for fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2026, including our expectations regarding revenue, Adjusted EBITDA, AHSCs and Total revenue per AHSC. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing,” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements relate to future events or our future operational or financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Furthermore, actual results may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements and will be affected by a variety of risks and factors that are beyond our control, including, without limitation, risks associated with: our ability to effectively manage our growth and meet our growth objectives; our focus on the long-term and our investments in growth; the competitive environment in which we operate; our ability to comply with the covenants in our credit agreement with Capital One; changes in market conditions and receptivity to our products and services; our ability to develop and release new products and services and successful enhancements, features and modifications to our existing products and services; our ability to maintain the security and availability of our platform; the impact of cyberattacks, security incidents or breaches impacting our business; changes in laws and regulations applicable to our business model; our ability to make accurate predictions about our industry and addressable market; our ability to attract, retain and cross-sell to healthcare services clients; our ability to continue to operate effectively with a primarily remote workforce and attract and retain key talent; our ability to realize the intended benefits of our acquisitions and partnerships; and difficulties in integrating our acquisitions and investments; and other general, market, political, economic and business conditions (including from the results of the 2024 U.S. presidential and congressional elections and the warfare and/or political and economic instability in Ukraine, the Middle East or elsewhere). The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to other risks and uncertainties, including those listed or described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended October 31, 2024 that will be filed with the SEC following this press release. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date on which the statements are made. We undertake no obligation to update, and expressly disclaim the obligation to update, any forward-looking statements made in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. This press release includes certain non-GAAP financial measures as defined by SEC rules. We have provided a reconciliation of those measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures, with the exception of our Adjusted EBITDA outlook for the reasons described above. Conference Call Information We will hold a conference call on Monday December 9, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time to review our fiscal 2025 third quarter financial results. To participate in our live conference call and webcast, please dial (800) 715-9871 (or (646) 307-1963 for international participants) using conference code number 7404611 or visit the “Events & Presentations” section of our Investor Relations website at ir.phreesia.com . A replay of the call will be available via webcast for on-demand listening shortly after the completion of the call, at the same web link, and will remain available for approximately 90 days. About Phreesia Phreesia is a trusted leader in patient activation, giving providers, life sciences companies and other organizations tools to help patients take a more active role in their care. Founded in 2005, Phreesia enabled approximately 150 million patient visits in 2023—more than 1 in 10 visits across the U.S.—scale that we believe allows us to make meaningful impact. Offering patient-driven digital solutions for intake, outreach, education and more, Phreesia enhances the patient experience, drives efficiency and improves healthcare outcomes. Phreesia, Inc. Consolidated Balance Sheets (in thousands, except share and per share data) October 31, 2024 January 31, 2024 (Unaudited) Assets Current: Cash and cash equivalents $ 81,740 $ 87,520 Settlement assets 25,046 28,072 Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $1,468 and $1,392 as of October 31, 2024 and January 31, 2024, respectively 71,408 64,863 Deferred contract acquisition costs 362 768 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 11,017 14,461 Total current assets 189,573 195,684 Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization of $87,861 and $76,859 as of October 31, 2024 and January 31, 2024, respectively 25,973 16,902 Capitalized internal-use software, net of accumulated amortization of $53,210 and $45,769 as of October 31, 2024 and January 31, 2024, respectively 51,322 46,139 Operating lease right-of-use assets 1,656 266 Deferred contract acquisition costs 450 986 Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization of $7,536 and $4,925 as of October 31, 2024 and January 31, 2024, respectively 29,014 31,625 Goodwill 75,845 75,845 Other assets 1,870 2,879 Total Assets $ 375,703 $ 370,326 Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity Current: Settlement obligations $ 25,046 $ 28,072 Current portion of finance lease liabilities and other debt 8,866 6,056 Current portion of operating lease liabilities 1,021 393 Accounts payable 15,870 8,480 Accrued expenses 29,080 37,130 Deferred revenue 22,188 24,113 Other current liabilities 7,130 5,875 Total current liabilities 109,201 110,119 Long-term finance lease liabilities and other debt 10,292 5,400 Operating lease liabilities, non-current 840 134 Long-term deferred revenue 199 97 Long-term deferred tax liabilities 446 270 Other long-term liabilities 133 2,857 Total Liabilities 121,111 118,877 Commitments and contingencies Stockholders’ Equity: Preferred stock, undesignated, $0.01 par value - 20,000,000 shares authorized as of both October 31, 2024 and January 31, 2024; no shares issued or outstanding as of both October 31, 2024 and January 31, 2024 — — Common stock, $0.01 par value - 500,000,000 shares authorized as of both October 31, 2024 and January 31, 2024; 59,439,197 and 57,709,762 shares issued as of October 31, 2024 and January 31, 2024, respectively 594 577 Additional paid-in capital 1,094,629 1,039,361 Accumulated deficit (795,106 ) (742,969 ) Accumulated other comprehensive loss (5 ) — Treasury stock, at cost, 1,355,169 shares as of both October 31, 2024 and January 31, 2024 (45,520 ) (45,520 ) Total Stockholders’ Equity 254,592 251,449 Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity $ 375,703 $ 370,326 Phreesia, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) (in thousands, except share and per share data) Three months ended October 31, Nine months ended October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Revenue: Subscription and related services $ 49,363 $ 42,595 $ 144,717 $ 119,783 Payment processing fees 24,704 23,218 77,064 71,102 Network solutions 32,733 25,806 88,351 70,409 Total revenues 106,800 91,619 310,132 261,294 Expenses: Cost of revenue (excluding depreciation and amortization) 17,854 15,529 49,720 44,885 Payment processing expense 16,683 15,410 51,648 47,352 Sales and marketing 30,071 36,478 92,266 111,135 Research and development 29,315 28,544 87,738 82,484 General and administrative 19,633 20,240 58,182 61,105 Depreciation 3,566 4,483 11,011 13,231 Amortization 3,521 2,980 10,052 8,003 Total expenses 120,643 123,664 360,617 368,195 Operating loss (13,843 ) (32,045 ) (50,485 ) (106,901 ) Other expense, net (144 ) (47 ) (261 ) (39 ) Interest income, net 26 523 311 2,027 Total other (expense) income, net (118 ) 476 50 1,988 Loss before provision for income taxes (13,961 ) (31,569 ) (50,435 ) (104,913 ) Provision for income taxes (442 ) (372 ) (1,702 ) (1,326 ) Net loss $ (14,403 ) $ (31,941 ) $ (52,137 ) $ (106,239 ) Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted $ (0.25 ) $ (0.58 ) $ (0.91 ) $ (1.96 ) Weighted-average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted 57,891,591 55,251,074 57,358,637 54,139,555 (1) Our potential dilutive securities have been excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share as the effect would be to reduce the net loss per share. Therefore, the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding used to calculate both basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders is the same. Phreesia, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss (Unaudited) (in thousands) Three months ended October 31, Nine months ended October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Net loss $ (14,403 ) $ (31,941 ) $ (52,137 ) $ (106,239 ) Other comprehensive loss, net of tax: Change in foreign currency translation adjustments, net of tax (3 ) — (5 ) — Other comprehensive loss, net of tax (3 ) — (5 ) — Comprehensive loss $ (14,406 ) $ (31,941 ) $ (52,142 ) $ (106,239 ) Phreesia, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) (in thousands) Three months ended October 31, Nine months ended October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Operating activities: Net loss $ (14,403 ) $ (31,941 ) $ (52,137 ) $ (106,239 ) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 7,087 7,463 21,063 21,234 Stock-based compensation expense 16,525 17,963 49,813 53,749 Amortization of deferred financing costs and debt discount 62 84 174 253 Cost of Phreesia hardware purchased by customers 571 582 1,248 1,232 Deferred contract acquisition costs amortization 1,322 235 1,706 855 Non-cash operating lease expense 207 142 568 484 Deferred taxes 57 39 176 181 Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Accounts receivable (10,141 ) (991 ) (6,558 ) (3,361 ) Prepaid expenses and other assets 1,005 (1,530 ) 4,286 (761 ) Deferred contract acquisition costs (552 ) — (765 ) — Accounts payable 6,948 1,189 5,198 (1,226 ) Accrued expenses and other liabilities (3,655 ) 469 (6,202 ) 6,530 Lease liabilities (202 ) (232 ) (622 ) (884 ) Deferred revenue 954 218 (1,823 ) (1,347 ) Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 5,785 (6,310 ) 16,125 (29,300 ) Investing activities: Acquisitions, net of cash acquired — (10,406 ) — (14,279 ) Capitalized internal-use software (3,566 ) (4,069 ) (11,112 ) (13,889 ) Purchases of property and equipment (616 ) (1,242 ) (5,919 ) (3,344 ) Net cash used in investing activities (4,182 ) (15,717 ) (17,031 ) (31,512 ) Financing activities: Proceeds from issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options 17 250 583 925 Treasury stock to satisfy tax withholdings on stock compensation awards — (1,451 ) — (12,176 ) Proceeds from employee stock purchase plan 840 919 2,443 2,782 Finance lease payments (1,895 ) (1,729 ) (5,170 ) (5,156 ) Constructive financing — — — 1,688 Principal payments on financing agreements (304 ) (273 ) (888 ) (318 ) Debt issuance costs and loan facility fee payments — — (152 ) (250 ) Financing payments of acquisition-related liabilities (309 ) — (1,673 ) — Net cash used in financing activities (1,651 ) (2,284 ) (4,857 ) (12,505 ) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents (10 ) — (17 ) — Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents (58 ) (24,311 ) (5,780 ) (73,317 ) Cash and cash equivalents – beginning of period 81,798 127,677 87,520 176,683 Cash and cash equivalents – end of period $ 81,740 $ 103,366 $ 81,740 $ 103,366 Supplemental information of non-cash investing and financing information: Right of use assets acquired in exchange for operating lease liabilities $ — $ 346 $ 1,958 $ 346 Property and equipment acquisitions through finance leases $ 6,847 $ 371 $ 13,709 $ 7,438 Purchase of property and equipment and capitalized software included in current liabilities $ 3,508 $ 2,911 $ 3,508 $ 2,911 Capitalized stock-based compensation $ 343 $ 309 $ 1,006 $ 1,023 Issuance of stock to settle liabilities for stock-based compensation $ 2,853 $ 3,420 $ 10,679 $ 10,641 Issuance of stock as consideration in business combinations $ — $ 30,645 $ — $ 35,321 Deferred consideration liabilities payable in business combinations $ — $ 10,294 $ — $ 10,294 Capitalized software acquired through vendor financing $ — $ — $ — $ 2,047 Cash paid for: Interest $ 595 $ 295 $ 1,459 $ 649 Income taxes $ 549 $ — $ 2,559 $ 48 Non-GAAP Financial Measures This press release and statements made during the above-referenced webcast may include certain non-GAAP financial measures as defined by SEC rules. Adjusted EBITDA is a supplemental measure of our performance that is not required by, or presented in accordance with, GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA is not a measurement of our financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net income or loss or any other performance measure derived in accordance with GAAP, or as an alternative to cash flows from operating activities as a measure of our liquidity. We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income or loss before interest income, net, provision for income taxes, depreciation and amortization, and before stock-based compensation expense and other expense, net. We have provided below a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net loss, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure. We have presented Adjusted EBITDA in this press release and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q to be filed after this press release because it is a key measure used by our management and board of directors to understand and evaluate our core operating performance and trends, to prepare and approve our annual budget, and to develop short and long-term operational plans. In particular, we believe that the exclusion of the amounts eliminated in calculating Adjusted EBITDA can provide a useful measure for period-to-period comparisons of our core business. Accordingly, we believe that Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating our operating results in the same manner as our management and board of directors. We have not reconciled our Adjusted EBITDA outlook to GAAP Net income (loss) because we do not provide an outlook for GAAP Net income (loss) due to the uncertainty and potential variability of Other (income) expense, net and (Benefit from) provision for income taxes, which are reconciling items between Adjusted EBITDA and GAAP Net income (loss). Because we cannot reasonably predict such items, a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure outlook to the corresponding GAAP measure is not available without unreasonable effort. We caution, however, that such items could have a significant impact on the calculation of GAAP Net income (loss). Our use of Adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider it in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our financial results as reported under GAAP. Some of these limitations are as follows: Although depreciation and amortization expense are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized may have to be replaced in the future, and Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect cash capital expenditure requirements for such replacements or for new capital expenditure requirements; Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect: (1) changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs; (2) the potentially dilutive impact of non-cash stock-based compensation; (3) tax payments that may represent a reduction in cash available to us; or (4) interest income, net; and Other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate Adjusted EBITDA or similarly titled measures differently, which reduces its usefulness as a comparative measure. Because of these and other limitations, you should consider Adjusted EBITDA along with other GAAP-based financial performance measures, including various cash flow metrics, net loss, and our GAAP financial results. The following table presents a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net loss for each of the periods indicated: Phreesia, Inc. Adjusted EBITDA ( Unaudited) Three months ended October 31, Nine months ended October 31, (in thousands) 2024 2023 2024 2023 Net loss $ (14,403 ) $ (31,941 ) $ (52,137 ) $ (106,239 ) Interest income, net (26 ) (523 ) (311 ) (2,027 ) Provision for income taxes 442 372 1,702 1,326 Depreciation and amortization 7,087 7,463 21,063 21,234 Stock-based compensation expense 16,525 17,963 49,813 53,749 Other expense, net 144 47 261 39 Adjusted EBITDA $ 9,769 $ (6,619 ) $ 20,391 $ (31,918 ) We calculate Free cash flow as Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities less capitalized internal-use software development costs and purchases of property and equipment. Additionally, Free cash flow is a supplemental measure of our performance that is not required by, or presented in accordance with, GAAP. We consider Free cash flow to be a liquidity measure that provides useful information to management and investors about the amount of cash generated by our business that can be used for strategic opportunities, including investing in our business, making strategic investments, partnerships and acquisitions and strengthening our financial position. The following table presents a reconciliation of Free cash flow from Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, for each of the periods indicated: Phreesia, Inc. Free cash flow ( Unaudited) Three months ended October 31, Nine months ended October 31, (in thousands, unaudited) 2024 2023 2024 2023 Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities $ 5,785 $ (6,310 ) $ 16,125 $ (29,300 ) Less: Capitalized internal-use software (3,566 ) (4,069 ) (11,112 ) (13,889 ) Purchases of property and equipment (616 ) (1,242 ) (5,919 ) (3,344 ) Free cash flow $ 1,603 $ (11,621 ) $ (906 ) $ (46,533 ) Phreesia, Inc. Reconciliation of GAAP and Adjusted Operating Expenses (Unaudited) Three months ended October 31, Nine months ended October 31, (in thousands) 2024 2023 2024 2023 GAAP operating expenses General and administrative $ 19,633 $ 20,240 $ 58,182 $ 61,105 Sales and marketing 30,071 36,478 92,266 111,135 Research and development 29,315 28,544 87,738 82,484 Cost of revenue (excluding depreciation and amortization) 17,854 15,529 49,720 44,885 $ 96,873 $ 100,791 $ 287,906 $ 299,609 Stock compensation included in GAAP operating expenses General and administrative $ 6,049 $ 5,798 $ 18,534 $ 17,423 Sales and marketing 5,431 6,322 16,500 19,850 Research and development 3,793 4,561 11,049 13,002 Cost of revenue (excluding depreciation and amortization) 1,252 1,282 3,730 3,474 $ 16,525 $ 17,963 $ 49,813 $ 53,749 Adjusted operating expenses General and administrative $ 13,584 $ 14,442 $ 39,648 $ 43,682 Sales and marketing 24,640 30,156 75,766 91,285 Research and development 25,522 23,983 76,689 69,482 Cost of revenue (excluding depreciation and amortization) 16,602 14,247 45,990 41,411 $ 80,348 $ 82,828 $ 238,093 $ 245,860 Phreesia, Inc. Key Metrics (Unaudited) Three months ended October 31, Nine months ended October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Key Metrics: Average number of healthcare services clients ("AHSCs") 4,237 3,688 4,157 3,481 Healthcare services revenue per AHSC $ 17,481 $ 17,845 $ 53,351 $ 54,836 Total revenue per AHSC $ 25,207 $ 24,842 $ 74,605 $ 75,063 The definitions of our key metrics are presented below. AHSCs . We define AHSCs as the average number of clients that generate subscription and related services or payment processing revenue each month during the applicable period. In cases where we act as a subcontractor providing white-label services to our partner's clients, we treat the contractual relationship as a single healthcare services client. We believe growth in AHSCs is a key indicator of the performance of our business and depends, in part, on our ability to successfully develop and market our solutions to healthcare services organizations that are not yet clients. While growth in AHSCs is an important indicator of expected revenue growth, it also informs our management of the areas of our business that will require further investment to support expected future AHSC growth. For example, as AHSCs increase, we may need to add to our customer support team and invest to maintain effectiveness and performance of our solutions for our healthcare services clients and their patients. Healthcare services revenue per AHSC. We define Healthcare services revenue as the sum of subscription and related services revenue and payment processing revenue. We define Healthcare services revenue per AHSC as Healthcare services revenue in a given period divided by AHSCs during that same period. We are focused on continually delivering value to our healthcare services clients and believe that our ability to increase Healthcare services revenue per AHSC is an indicator of the long-term value of our solutions. Total revenue per AHSC. We define Total revenue per AHSC as Total revenue in a given period divided by AHSCs during that same period. Our healthcare services clients directly generate subscription and related services and payment processing revenue. Additionally, our relationships with healthcare services clients who subscribe to our solutions give us the opportunity to engage with life sciences companies, health plans and other payer organizations, patient advocacy, public interest and other not-for-profit organizations who deliver direct communication to patients through our solutions. As a result, we believe that our ability to increase Total revenue per AHSC is an indicator of the long-term value of our solutions. Additional Information (Unaudited) Three months ended October 31, Nine months ended October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Patient payment volume (in millions) $ 1,081 $ 965 $ 3,340 $ 2,970 Payment facilitator volume percentage 81 % 82 % 81 % 82 % Patient payment volume . We believe that patient payment volume is an indicator of both the underlying health of our healthcare services clients’ businesses and the continuing shift of healthcare costs to patients. We measure patient payment volume as the total dollar volume of transactions between our healthcare services clients and their patients utilizing our payment platform, including via credit and debit cards that we process as a payment facilitator as well as cash and check payments and credit and debit transactions for which we act as a gateway to other payment processors. Payment facilitator volume percentage . We define payment facilitator volume percentage as the volume of credit and debit card patient payment volume that we process as a payment facilitator as a percentage of total patient payment volume. Payment facilitator volume is a major driver of our payment processing revenue. Our payment facilitator volume percentage could decline slightly over time should we increase our penetration of enterprise customers that are less likely to use Phreesia as a payment facilitator. ______________________________ 1 Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure. We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income or loss before interest income, net, provision for income taxes, depreciation and amortization, and before stock-based compensation expense and other expense, net. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to the closest GAAP measure. 2 Free cash flow is a non-GAAP measure. We define Free cash flow as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities less capitalized internal-use software development costs and purchases of property and equipment. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of Free cash flow to the closest GAAP measure. 3 We define “profitability,” discussed herein, in terms of Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure. See ‘Non-GAAP Financial Measures’ for a definition of Adjusted EBITDA and a reconciliation of our Adjusted EBITDA to Net loss, the closest GAAP measure. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241209683231/en/ CONTACT: Investor Relations Contact:Balaji Gandhi Phreesia, Inc. investors@phreesia.com (929) 506-4950Media Contact:Nicole Gist Phreesia, Inc. nicole.gist@phreesia.com (407) 760-6274 KEYWORD: DELAWARE UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: SCIENCE SOFTWARE PRACTICE MANAGEMENT RESEARCH HEALTH HOSPITALS HEALTH TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY SOURCE: Phreesia, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/09/2024 04:05 PM/DISC: 12/09/2024 04:05 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241209683231/enAdvertisement 2 This advertisement has not loaded yet.George R. R. Martin Isn't Sure He'll Ever Finish The Winds of Winter, 'but That's Still a Priority'

High-stakes school board meeting overshadowed by power struggle with CPS CEO Pedro MartinezOpenAI and military defense technology company Anduril Industries said Wednesday that they would work together to use artificial intelligence for "national security missions." The ChatGPT-maker and Anduril will focus on improving defenses against drone attacks, the companies said in a joint release. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get the latest need-to-know information delivered to your inbox as it happens. Our flagship newsletter. Get our front page stories each morning as well as the latest updates each afternoon during the week + more in-depth weekend editions on Saturdays & Sundays.

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Timberwolves push back start time vs. Spurs because of issue with game court49ers rule out Brock Purdy and Nick Bosa; QB Brandon Allen to start at Green Bay

SANTA CLARA — No Brock Purdy. No Nick Bosa. No chance for the 49ers on Sunday in Green Bay? “We’re missing two good players definitely but we’ll have a lot of good players out there,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan countered. “By no means do we not have a chance to win. We’ll fight our tails off. We’ll expect a real good game.” Purdy’s throwing-shoulder soreness will force him to miss his first game due to injury since becoming the 49ers’ starting quarterback nearly two years ago, and that thrusts ninth-year journeyman Brandon Allen into his 10th career start and first since 2021 with Cincinnati. Bosa’s oblique and hip injuries will sideline him for his first game of this wobbly season. Also ruled out were cornerback Charvarius Ward (personal), return specialist Jacob Cowing (concussion), defensive tackle Kevin Givens (groin) and linebacker Tatum Bethune (knee), while left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) is questionable as a game-time decision for a second straight game. Tight end George Kittle (hamstring) and running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) are good to go for an offense that must make do without Purdy at the NFL’s most historic venue. Allen, who last threw a regular-season pass in 2022 as Joe Burrow’s backup in Cincinnati, will guide the 49ers’ offense in a key game as San Francisco aims to make a playoff push. “It’s an opportunity,” Allen said. “The circumstances are what they are. Our team all year long, we’ve been dealing with injuries here or there. It’s been a big next-man-up mentality. It’s definitely an opportunity for me to go out, play well, put our guys in a good position to win the game. “Obviously we want Brock back and healthy and all that,” Allen added. “For the time being, it is an opportunity for me.” Josh Dobbs, who lost out to Allen in training camp and the preseason for the QB2 role, will serve in that capacity Sunday at Lambeau Field, where neither quarterback has played a regular-season game. Rookie Tanner Mordecai likely will be elevated from the practice squad Saturday to serve as the emergency No. 3 quarterback. Purdy wore a resigned, dour expression but offered upbeat words as he walked through the locker room, saying: “We’re all good.” This is not how Shanahan scripted it earlier in the week. “(Purdy) got the MRI on Monday, we thought he just needed some rest and really weren’t concerned about not being there this week,” Shanahan said Friday. “I don’t want to say there’s long-term concern,” Shanahan said Friday. “We got the MRI on Monday. We thought he just needed some rest and really weren’t concerned about him not being good this week.” Purdy rested his arm Wednesday, then left the practice field Thursday after a few light throws. “It surprised him, surprised us how it felt, so we had to shut him down,” Shanahan said. “The MRI doesn’t look like (it’s serious) so it should be alright. But the way it responded this week, it’s really up in the air for next week. We’ll have to see on Monday.” The 49ers follow this week’s trip at Green Bay with a prime-time appearance next Sunday, Dec. 1 in Buffalo. “I know this is like the first time Brock’s missed a game probably in his life,” Allen said. “He’s a tough guy and I’m not too worried about it. I don’t think any of our guys are. He’ll rehab and get back as fast as he can.” No one is saying when Purdy got hurt in Sunday’s 20-17 loss to Seattle, whether it was from diving for the goal line on his first-quarter touchdown scramble or later in the game. Shanahan did note that Purdy struggled to keep his shoulder loose and threw on the sideline, then the pain intensified after the game and into Monday. “It was somewhere during that Seattle game and I’m not sure Brock knows,” general manager John Lynch said on KNBR. “He fought through it through the course of the game. I did see him during the course of the game, anytime there was a pause, he kept throwing. At that point, you’re feeling something but he was so focused on trying to win.” Shanahan lauded Allen as a “really good thrower” who “runs our offense well” and that “guys believe in him.” The feeling is mutual on Allen’s side, as he explained what it was like as Purdy’s stand-in on the starting unit in practice this week: “It’s been a blessing to have them in the huddle with me and the leadership that’s in the huddle, so I can just come in and fill the spot for Brock for now, just try to make some plays and get the ball in their hands.” Added Shanahan: “It’s not a big game-plan adjustment. This is something we didn’t think would happen early in the week. We were fully preparing for Brock to go.” The Packers prepared that way, too. Allen is no total stranger, however. Packers coach Matt LaFleur told reporters Friday in Green Bay, prior to Purdy’s no-show practice: “I know Brandon. I was with him in L.A. (in 2017). He’s been in the league a long time. But I wouldn’t expect their offense to change a whole bunch.” BOSA WILL REMAIN HOME While Purdy traveled with the 49ers to Green Bay, Bosa was staying behind to rehabilitate the upper-body injuries that forced him to miss Sunday’s fourth-quarter collapse against Seattle. It will be the first game Bosa has missed since Oct. 16, 2022 with a groin injury. The 49ers lost a road game that day to Atlanta 28-14 during a season in which Bosa was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year. Sam Okuayinonu figures to make his first career start in place of Bosa while Leonard Floyd makes his 11th start at the other defensive end slot. WILLIAMS QUESTIONABLE Williams, with the help of a pain-killing injection, made it through the Seattle loss at what he said afterwards was 65 percent. Although listed as questionable, Shanahan reiterated Williams’ status could go right up to kickoff. Jaylon Moore likely would start in place of Williams, if needed. WARD BACK NEXT WEEK? Ward, mourning the death of his 23-month-old daughter, was declared out but Shanahan hoped to have the All-Pro cornerback next week when the 49ers visit Buffalo. “He’s taken three full weeks off,” Shanahan said. “It’s not like dealing with all that stuff he’s getting workouts in and all that. We’re just happy to get him back in the building this week. We don’t want to put any pressure on him, hopefully he’ll be good to go next week.” Among those listed as questionable is guard/center Jon Feliciano, whose 21-day window of practicing while on injured reserve is about to expire. If the 49ers don’t put Feliciano on the 53-man roster by Monday, he’ll spend the rest of the season on injured reserve. PACKERS INJURIES Cornerback Jaire Alexander (knee) was ruled out after being unable to practice all week, and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (hamstring) also will not suit up for Green Bay’s defense. Defensive tackle Colby Wooden is questionable as the only other Packers player on their injury report.

Miller puts up 24, SMU downs Longwood 98-82Oldacre scores 21 points as No. 5 Texas routs Texas Rio Grande Valley 94-35McDermott, AFC East-leading Bills refreshed coming out of bye week, and looking ahead to host 49ers

“When I’m not wearing those, I go to my closet and I don’t know what to wear. I’m kind of like not myself,” he said before pulling up his hoodie for emphasis to reveal the gray shirt he had on underneath. “So I was telling some of the guys this morning, ‘It’s good to be back.’” Though there remain challenges ahead, these are upbeat times in Buffalo . The Bills (9-2) are off to their best start since 1992. They remain in contention for the AFC’s top seed by entering their break following a 30-21 win over Kansas City (10-1). And Buffalo is in position to clinch its fifth straight AFC East title as early as Sunday. To do so, the Bills would need Miami to lose to Green Bay on Thursday night, and Buffalo to win its game over San Francisco (5-6) on Sunday night. Buffalo has won six straight since back-to-back losses at Baltimore and Houston, and scored 30 or more points in each of its past five outings. Refreshed as McDermott sounded and appeared, it didn’t take long for him to revert to his game-at-a-time script when assessing what’s on the line this weekend. “We’re mostly focused on our level of play this week against a good football team,” he said. McDermott shed little light on the status of Buffalo’s lengthy list of injured players. There’s no timetable yet on Matt Milano being activated off injured reserve, even though the starting linebacker practiced fully for the first time since tearing his left biceps during a training camp practice in mid-August. Milano has actually missed nearly 14 months since sustaining a season-ending injury to his right leg in Week 5 last season. Milano revealed little during a brief interview following practice. “I feel all right. Getting back into it with the team,” said Milano, who no longer wore a red non-contact jersey in practice. Meantime, rookie receiver Keon Coleman, who has missed two games with a right wrist injury, and starting right tackle Spencer Brown, who missed one game with an ankle injury, were limited in practice. Tight end Dalton Kincaid (knee) was Buffalo's only player not practicing. The Bills also opened the three-week window for backup rookie defensive tackle DeWayne Carter (wrist) and backup offensive lineman Tylan Grable (groin) to return. McDermott has another positive going for him revolving around the bye week. The Bills are 8-0 coming out of their break since McDermott took over as coach in 2017. “I don’t really have the, hey, this is exactly what we do formula,” McDermott said on whether he’s changed his bye week approach. “It’s more of us really just getting back to what we do, getting back to basics.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Tom Wilson's power-play goal lifts the Capitals over the Lightning 5-4

Burglars broke into NBA star Luka Doncic's home and stole $30,000 worth of jewelry on Friday. The FBI said it is investigating a series of burglaries at the homes of pro athletes in the US. The NBA said the FBI has connected the break-ins to a "transnational" South American crime group. Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic's home was the latest residence to be burglarized in a monthslong string of break-ins targeting the houses of professional athletes across the country. Advertisement Doncic's business manager, Lara Beth Seager, told reporters on Saturday that Doncic's home was targeted by thieves on Friday, according to The Dallas Morning News. A police report obtained by the outlet said the criminals got away with about $30,000 worth of jewelry. Tyler Seguin, a player for the Dallas Stars hockey team, was also the target of a break-in earlier in the year, sources confirmed to the outlet. Seguin is the highest-paid player for the Stars, signing an eight-year, $78.8 million contract in 2018. Related Video The Dallas sports stars aren't the first professional athletes to face residential burglaries this year. The NFL issued a security alert on November 21 to the player's union and teams' security directors after break-ins at the homes of Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, who is also Taylor Swift's boyfriend. Sources told NFL.com at the time that the FBI was investigating the break-ins, which the agency believes are connected to a South American crime organization. "It's legit," one source familiar with the situation told NFL.com . "It's a transnational crime ring, and over the last three weeks, they've focused on NBA and NFL players, and it's all over the country." Advertisement The NBA also warned players in November to take additional security precautions following break-ins at the houses of Milwaukee Bucks star Bobby Portis and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley. The home of Celtics star Jaylen Brown's mother was also burglarized. The NBA sent a memo to league officials, which The Associated Press obtained, that said the FBI has connected some of the burglaries to "transnational South American Theft Groups" that are "reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices." The FBI and Seager did not immediately return requests for comment from Business Insider.PARENTS are flocking to B&M to get their hands on a huge toy deal that has landed just in time for Christmas Bargain retailer B&M is known for its deals but this one has family's racing to store. Advertisement 5 B&M has brought back their famed three for £20 deal and shoppers are thrilled Credit: Facebook/bmstores 5 There are 270 different types of toys included in the deal Credit: B&M 5 One toy on offer is the LED Championhsip Air Hockey Set which was originally £12.99 Credit: B&M 5 B&M offered the deal in 2023 and shoppers are delighted to see it return Credit: B&M You can get three toys for £20 on a huge selection of toys at any B&M store. The offer used to be two children's toys for £24 but they chucked in a whole extra toy for just more than a fiver. It will hit stores from December 11 all the way up to Christmas, eve so parents can stock up for the season. Families with tots were quick to jump on social media to tell others about the dazzling deal. Advertisement Read more Money CHOCCING UP Huge discount chain now selling Quality Street tin bigger & cheaper than tubs SAVVY SAVER Bank relaunches market leading best buy 4.8% cash ISA ahead of Christmas On an online post about the bargain, one shopper commented: "Three for £20 is so good." Another, who had already taken advantage of the deal wrote: "I never get bargains, but I've just been and I am so chuffed with what I was able to get." A third user tagged a friend in the post and wrote: "We need to go tonight." You cannot order items through the B&M website so in order not to miss out you'll have to head to your closest shop. Advertisement Most read in Money Exclusive OAT OF ORDER Porridge fans left out in cold as item vanished from coffee chain shelves CHEERS TO THAT! Eight Scottish venues named in UK's top 50 cocktail bars RUBBER STAMPED 'First of its kind' factory to open near Glasgow creating 80 new jobs CROWN JEWEL Iconic Scots city centre store for sale as owner retires after 50 years Shoppers can find their nearest B&M store here: https://www.bmstores.co.uk/stores . The offers boasts a wide selection of 270 different toys, so customers are bound to find the perfect trio. Alternatively, if there are three Christmas stockings that need filling on a budget, B&M might just have the toy for you. From cuddly toys and jigsaws to remote controlled gadgets and toy racers, there is plenty to choose from. Advertisement The Mini Drone Racer is priced at £12.99 on its own but is reduced to just more than £6.60 in the deal. Also available is the LED Championship Air Hockey Set which was also marketed at £12.99. For those who are missing Barbie Summer, you can get your hands on the Barbie Walk & Potty Pup as part of the three for £20 offer. Some Barbie dolls and their accessories can be quite expensive, so shoppers were excited to spot Barbie products on the shelves. Advertisement To keep cosy this Christmas, Swizzel's Love Hearts plushies can come home with you as part of the deal as well. These toy love hearts look identical to the real thing and come in packs of five. B&M had the offer last year and bargain hunters dubbed the deal "fantastic." One shopper announced they were able to save a whopping £85 as they took full advantage on the offer. Advertisement Read more on the Scottish Sun SNOW JOKE Snow maps reveal the Scotland areas forecast to have a white Christmas OFF THE AIR 'Gutted to hear this', fans cry as BBC Scotland series axed after 19 years Make sure to check the prices of other supermarkets before you shop, as many retailers are offering deals the moment. The best way to do this is by cross-checking online, or keeping an eye on the different prices in each store. What to watch out for when buying toys online HERE are the British Toy and Hobby Association's top tips for buying toys online: Shop early. Don't leave purchases to the last minute rush which might leave you fewer options of where to buy from. Check out third-party sellers. Look for sellers you recognise and trust. Be cautious of retailers you don't know and do your research checking reviews and where they're based. Go for branded toys. Try and choose a branded toy as then you can compare it to the manufacturer's own website to check it's legit. Be careful of going for the cheapest price. If something looks too good to be true, it probably is. Check if there are any age restrictions. Make sure you give suitable toys to children based on their age. Check reviews carefully. Some reviews are fake so look carefully at the comments. Stay with children at first. When your child opens a toy for the first time, stay with them and check for faults, detachable small parts, access to stuffing and loose or accessible batteries or magnets. 5 The offer reduces all toys on offer for around £6.60 each Credit: B&M

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Archbishop's knock formally restores Notre Dame to life as winds howl heads of state look onFAIRFAX, Va., Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- GovCIO is honored to be included in Inc.'s 2024 Best in Business list in the Government Services and Veteran Support categories. Inc.'s annual Best in Business Awards recognizes companies that have made significant contributions and driven meaningful impact within their industries and organizations. GovCIO is a leading government contractor providing advanced technology solutions for the federal government. The company stood out as one of two companies listed in Veterans Services and one of five honored in Government Services. This recognition reflects the company's ongoing excellence in delivering innovative solutions to the federal government and supporting Veterans. GovCIO has made a significant impact driving cybersecurity, data analytics and AI solutions across national security, Veterans, health and civilian sectors. GovCIO leaders work together with our partners to drive modernization in key programs such as the National Cemetery Administration's Kiosk Software, U.S. Courts Judiciary IT Services and Global Command Terrestrial Communications IV. "We are honored to be recognized as a leader in both government services and Veteran support," said Jim Brabston, GovCIO CEO. "We look forward to what the future holds and how we can work with our government partners to continue making an impact." GovCIO offers additional support for Veterans and transitioning military including quarterly Veteran resume reviews for job-seekers. Company leaders have also established a Veterans of GovCIO Employee Resource Group (ERG). This ERG creates a supportive community for Veterans, offering mentorship, networking, and professional development, while also engaging in community service. For more information or to view the full list of honorees, please visit inc.com/best-in-business . Visit GovCIO to discover how the company is leading government IT transformation through digital innovation and fostering a veteran-friendly workplace. About GovCIO GovCIO is a rapidly growing provider of advanced technology solutions and digital services for the federal government. Combining our extensive federal experience with the latest innovations in IT and disruptive approaches, our experts develop comprehensive solutions to meet the most pressing demands of today's government agencies. From the U.S. military and Veterans Affairs to Health and Human Services, we have an impressive track record of helping our customers optimize their operations. GovCIO is transforming government IT, empowering our federal customers to meet the challenges of today while building the government of tomorrow. Let us show you what we can do. Visit www.govcio.com for more information. Media Contact Emyly Hall Sr. Communications and Marketing Specialist emyly.hall@govcio.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/govcio-named-to-incs-2024-best-in-business-list-in-government-services-veteran-support-302321327.html SOURCE GovCIOcasino game roulette 。

ATLANTA (AP) — Even the woeful NFC South, where no team has a winning record, can't hide the Atlanta Falcons' offensive shortcomings. Three straight setbacks, including an ugly to the Los Angeles Chargers, has left the Falcons 6-6 and feeling the pressure. Only a tiebreaker advantage over Tampa Bay has kept the Falcons atop the division. Now the Falcons must prepare to visit streaking Minnesota, which has . Veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett knows the Falcons must solve the flaws which have been exposed in the losing streak. “It’s now or never,” Jarrett said. “You have to flip the mindset fast.” Kirk Cousins threw four interceptions in the loss, matching his career high. Coach Raheem Morris said he didn't consider playing rookie Michael Penix Jr. against the Chargers and won't think about this week. Morris acknowledged the Falcons can't expect to win when turning the ball over four times. It was the latest example of Atlanta's offensive decline. In the three-game losing streak, Cousins has thrown six interceptions with no touchdowns. The Falcons were held under 20 points in each loss. What’s working If not for the rash of interceptions which has contributed to the scoring problems, more attention would be devoted to the surge of big plays on defense. The defense forced two fumbles and set a season high with five sacks, including two by Arnold Ebiketie. The Falcons ranked last in the league with only 10 sacks before finding success with their pass rush against Justin Herbert. Herbert was forced to hold the ball while looking for an open receiver, so some credit for the pass-rush success belongs to Atlanta's secondary. The Falcons gave up only two first downs in the second half and 187 yards for the game. What needs help Cousins, 36, was expected to be the reliable leader on offense after he signed The four interceptions were his most since 2014 with Washington. Cousins now will be in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons as he returns to Minnesota, his NFL home from 2018-23. Cousins has thrown 13 interceptions, one shy of his career high set in 2022. His passer rating of 90.8 is his lowest since his 86.4 mark as a part-time starter in 2014 with Washington. “Certainly when you haven’t played at the standard you want to a few weeks in a row, you know, you do want to change that, turn it around,” Cousins said. Stock up Running back Bijan Robinson had his busiest day of the season, perhaps in an attempt to take heat off Cousins. Robinson's 26 carries set a career high. He ran for 102 yards with a touchdown, his third 100-yard game of the season. He also was heavily involved as a receiver with six catches for 33 yards. With 135 yards from scrimmage, Robinson has eight games this season with more than 100 yards combined as a rusher and receiver, the second-most in the league. Stock down Tight end Kyle Pitts had no catches on only two targets. He has only six catches in the last four games after appearing to establish momentum for a big season with two seven-catch games in a span of three weeks in October. Morris noted the Falcons have “so many people that we've got to get the ball to” but noted he'd like to see Pitts more involved. Injuries Younghoe Koo's were such a concern that kicker Riley Patterson was signed to the practice squad on Friday and added to the active roster Saturday. Patterson was on the inactive list as Koo was good on two of three field goals, missing from 35 yards. Koo has made 21 of 29 attempts this season. He did not have more than five misses in any of his first five seasons with Atlanta. Key number 70 — WR Drake London had nine receptions for 86 yards, giving him 70 catches for the season. London, a 2022 first-round draft pick, is the first player in team history with at least 65 receptions in each of his first three seasons. While Ray-Ray McCloud III led the team with a career-best 95 yards on four catches against the Chargers and Darnell Mooney has had some big games, London has been the most consistent receiver. Next steps The Falcons face a difficult test Sunday in their visit to Minnesota (10-2), which has five straight wins and is 5-1 at home. ___ AP NFL: Charles Odum, The Associated PressKANSAS CITY, Mo., Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Applications are now open for the Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering and Technology's 2025-2026 fellowships. These fellowships provide graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and independent scholars in the history of science and related humanities fields with financial support and access to one of the world's leading research libraries. "We are proud to support researchers exploring the human stories behind history's greatest scientific breakthroughs," said Benjamin Gross, Linda Hall Library's Vice President for Research and Scholarship. "This year, we are excited to offer fellowships to scholars from Kansas City, across the U.S., and around the world, who will shed new light on the discoveries and inventions that have transformed our lives." The Library offers residential fellowships supporting research in Kansas City and virtual fellowships for remote scholars using the Library's digital resources. Applicants may request up to four months of funding at a rate of $3,000 per month for doctoral students or $4,200 per month for postdoctoral researchers. The Library also offers several fellowships for specific groups of researchers: All current and former Linda Hall Library fellows receive access to digitization privileges for the library's extensive science and engineering collections. Applications are due Jan. 17, 2025. For more information, email fellowships@lindahall.org . About Linda Hall Library Since 1946, the Linda Hall Library has amassed collections that power investigation, innovation, exploration and inspiration. Today, it is a leading independent research library known for the breadth and depth of its collections across 82 languages, its role as an international destination for scholarship and research, its support of STEM educators and its resources available to learners of all ages. Learn more at lindahall.org . Media Contact: andrew.meiller@cruxkc.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/linda-hall-library-opens-applications-for-2025-2026-fellowships-302321351.html SOURCE Linda Hall Library

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DETROIT (AP) — For a second time, a Delaware judge has nullified a pay package that Tesla had awarded its CEO, Elon Musk, that once was valued at $56 billion. On Monday, Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick to reverse a ruling she announced in January that had thrown out the compensation plan. The judge ruled then that Musk effectively controlled Tesla’s board and had engineered the outsize pay package during . Lawyers for a Tesla shareholder who sued to block the pay package contended that shareholders who had voted for the 10-year plan in 2018 had been given misleading and incomplete information. In their defense, Tesla’s board members asserted that the shareholders who ratified the pay plan a second time in June had done so after receiving full disclosures, thereby curing all the problems the judge had cited in her January ruling. As a result, they argued, Musk deserved the pay package for having raised Tesla’s market value by billions of dollars. McCormick rejected that argument. In her 103-page opinion, she ruled that under Delaware law, Tesla’s lawyers had no grounds to reverse her January ruling “based on evidence they created after trial.” What will Musk and Tesla do now? On Monday night, Tesla posted on X, the social media platform owned by Musk, that the company will appeal. The appeal would be filed with the Delaware Supreme Court, the only state appellate court Tesla can pursue. Experts say a ruling would likely come in less than a year. “The ruling, if not overturned, means that judges and plaintiffs’ lawyers run Delaware companies rather than their rightful owners — the shareholders,” Tesla argued. Later, on X, Musk unleashed a blistering attack on the judge, asserting that McCormick is “a radical far left activist cosplaying as a judge.” What do experts say about the case? Legal authorities generally suggest that McCormick’s ruling was sound and followed the law. Charles Elson, founding director of the Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware, said that in his view, McCormick was right to rule that after Tesla lost its case in the original trial, it created improper new evidence by asking shareholders to ratify the pay package a second time. Had she allowed such a claim, he said, it would cause a major shift in Delaware’s laws against conflicts of interest given the unusually close relationship between Musk and Tesla’s board. “Delaware protects investors — that’s what she did,” said Elson, who has followed the court for more than three decades. “Just because you’re a ‘superstar CEO’ doesn’t put you in a separate category.” Elson said he thinks investors would be reluctant to put money into Delaware companies if there were exceptions to the law for “special people.” What will the Delaware Supreme Court do? Elson said that in his opinion, the court is likely to uphold McCormick’s ruling. Can Tesla appeal to federal courts? Experts say no. Rulings on state laws are normally left to state courts. Brian Dunn, program director for the Institute of Compensation Studies at Cornell University, said it’s been his experience that Tesla has no choice but to stay in the Delaware courts for this compensation package. Tesla has moved its legal headquarters to Texas. Does that matter? The company could try to reconstitute the pay package and seek approval in Texas, where it may expect more friendlier judges. But Dunn, who has spent 40 years as an executive compensation consultant, said it’s likely that some other shareholder would challenge the award in Texas because it’s excessive compared with other CEOs’ pay plans. “If they just want to turn around and deliver him $56 billion, I can’t believe somebody wouldn’t want to litigate it,” Dunn said. “It’s an unconscionable amount of money.” Would a new pay package be even larger? Almost certainly. Tesla stock is trading at 15 times the exercise price of stock options in the current package in Delaware, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas wrote in a note to investors. Tesla’s share price has doubled in the past six months, Jonas wrote. At Monday’s closing stock price, the Musk package is now worth $101.4 billion, according to Equilar, an executive data firm. And Musk has asked for a subsequent pay package that would give him 25% of Tesla’s voting shares. Musk has said he is uncomfortable moving further into artificial intelligence with the company if he doesn’t have 25% control. He currently holds about 13% of Tesla’s outstanding shares. Tom Krisher, The Associated PressJosh Gottheimer trades in Microsoft options, buys and sells various stocks

Tel Aviv, ISRAEL, December 3rd, 2024, CyberNewsWire Sweet Security Introduces Evolutionary Leap in Cloud Detection and Response, Releasing First Unified Detection & Response Platform With Sweet, customers can now unify detection and response for applications, workloads, and cloud infrastructure Sweet Security today announced the release of its unified Cloud Native Detection and Response platform, designed to transform the way organizations protect their cloud environments in real time. Sweet’s platform integrates the capabilities of Application Detection and Response (ADR), Cloud Detection and Response (CDR), and Cloud Workload Protection Platform (CWPP) into one comprehensive solution. This innovative approach delivers unparalleled detection and response capabilities, unifying insights from every layer of the cloud stack. “The Sweet team has worked tirelessly to build a platform that not only meets the needs of today’s security landscape but also anticipates the challenges of tomorrow,” said Dror Kashti, CEO of Sweet. “With our supercharged detection and response capabilities, we’re providing organizations with the tools they need to secure their cloud environments faster and more effectively than ever before.” In an era where security teams face an average dwell time of 10 days to resolve cloud incidents due to lack of context, Sweet Security empowers organizations to put detection and response at the forefront of their cloud defense strategy, providing the ability to act on threats as they happen and ensuring an incident never becomes a breach. When detection and response is siloed between application, workload, and cloud infrastructure levels, it results in fragmented alerts that require security teams to piece together in order to understand the scope of the attack. “Sweet Security’s Cloud Native Detection and Response platform has been a game changer for us,” said Shai Sivan, CISO at Kaltura. “The ability to unify visibility across both application activity and infrastructure changes has been crucial in gathering the forensic data we need. With average detection times of just 30 seconds and the ability to respond to incidents in 2-5 minutes, Sweet has decreased our Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR) by an impressive 90%, allowing us to respond faster and more effectively.” In addition to unified detection and response, Sweet Security’s platform is equipped with a suite of next-generation capabilities that are powered by GenAI, including: Unified Cloud Visibility Vulnerability Management Runtime CSPM Identity Threat Detection & Response (ITDR) James Berthoty, cloud expert and owner of Latio Tech, recently commented on Sweet Security’s unified solution, stating, “Cloud Application Detection & Response is all about combining cloud, workload, and application layer contexts into a single storyline to make incident response in the cloud finally a reality. For too long we’ve been content with mediocre visibility into our most important assets. Sweet is on the frontlines of changing that by giving teams the cross-layer visibility they’ve needed for years.” Book a meeting with Sweet Security at AWS re:Invent 2024 in Las Vegas here . About Sweet Security Specializing in Cloud Native Detection & Response (D&R), Sweet Security protects cloud environments in real time. Founded by the IDF’s former CISO, Sweet’s solution unifies threats insights from cloud applications, workloads and infrastructure. Leveraging a lean, eBPF-based sensor and deep behavioral analysis, Sweet analyzes anomalies, generating vital insights on incidents, vulnerabilities, and non-human identities. Its GenAI-infused technology cuts through the noise and delivers actionable recommendations on critical, real-time cloud risks. Privately funded, Sweet is backed by Evolution Equity Partners, Munich Re Ventures, Glilot Capital Partners, CyberArk Ventures and an elite group of angel investors. For more information, please visit http://sweet.security . Elizabeth Safran Looking Glass Public Relations for Sweet Security [email protected]Falcons feeling the pressure at .500 as Cousins' interceptions put spotlight on downturn for offense

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ATLANTA (AP) — Even the woeful NFC South, where no team has a winning record, can't hide the Atlanta Falcons' offensive shortcomings. Three straight setbacks, including an ugly 17-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, has left the Falcons 6-6 and feeling the pressure. Only a tiebreaker advantage over Tampa Bay has kept the Falcons atop the division. Now the Falcons must prepare to visit streaking Minnesota, which has won five straight . Veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett knows the Falcons must solve the flaws which have been exposed in the losing streak. “It’s now or never,” Jarrett said. “You have to flip the mindset fast.” Kirk Cousins threw four interceptions in the loss, matching his career high. Coach Raheem Morris said he didn't consider playing rookie Michael Penix Jr. against the Chargers and won't think about benching Cousins this week. Morris acknowledged the Falcons can't expect to win when turning the ball over four times. It was the latest example of Atlanta's offensive decline. In the three-game losing streak, Cousins has thrown six interceptions with no touchdowns. The Falcons were held under 20 points in each loss. If not for the rash of interceptions which has contributed to the scoring problems, more attention would be devoted to the surge of big plays on defense. The defense forced two fumbles and set a season high with five sacks, including two by Arnold Ebiketie. The Falcons ranked last in the league with only 10 sacks before finding success with their pass rush against Justin Herbert. Herbert was forced to hold the ball while looking for an open receiver, so some credit for the pass-rush success belongs to Atlanta's secondary. The Falcons gave up only two first downs in the second half and 187 yards for the game. Cousins, 36, was expected to be the reliable leader on offense after he signed a four-year, $180 million contract. The four interceptions were his most since 2014 with Washington. Cousins now will be in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons as he returns to Minnesota, his NFL home from 2018-23. Cousins has thrown 13 interceptions, one shy of his career high set in 2022. His passer rating of 90.8 is his lowest since his 86.4 mark as a part-time starter in 2014 with Washington. “Certainly when you haven’t played at the standard you want to a few weeks in a row, you know, you do want to change that, turn it around,” Cousins said. Running back Bijan Robinson had his busiest day of the season, perhaps in an attempt to take heat off Cousins. Robinson's 26 carries set a career high. He ran for 102 yards with a touchdown, his third 100-yard game of the season. He also was heavily involved as a receiver with six catches for 33 yards. With 135 yards from scrimmage, Robinson has eight games this season with more than 100 yards combined as a rusher and receiver, the second-most in the league. Tight end Kyle Pitts had no catches on only two targets. He has only six catches in the last four games after appearing to establish momentum for a big season with two seven-catch games in a span of three weeks in October. Morris noted the Falcons have “so many people that we've got to get the ball to” but noted he'd like to see Pitts more involved. Younghoe Koo's hip issues were such a concern that kicker Riley Patterson was signed to the practice squad on Friday and added to the active roster Saturday. Patterson was on the inactive list as Koo was good on two of three field goals, missing from 35 yards. Koo has made 21 of 29 attempts this season. He did not have more than five misses in any of his first five seasons with Atlanta. 70 — WR Drake London had nine receptions for 86 yards, giving him 70 catches for the season. London, a 2022 first-round draft pick, is the first player in team history with at least 65 receptions in each of his first three seasons. While Ray-Ray McCloud III led the team with a career-best 95 yards on four catches against the Chargers and Darnell Mooney has had some big games, London has been the most consistent receiver. The Falcons face a difficult test Sunday in their visit to Minnesota (10-2), which has five straight wins and is 5-1 at home. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflTürkiye backs Turkmen rights, urges Iraq to protect Kirkuk's demographics

As has been the case so often lately, Joel Farabee had the puck on his stick with only the opposing goaltender between him and the back of the net. But Jeremy Swayman stopped Farabee’s breakaway attempt with three minutes to go in overtime Saturday afternoon at TD Garden. The Boston Bruins went the other way, and less than a minute later Pavel Zacha ’s marker on a feed from David Pastrnak secured Boston a 4-3 win in which it erased a 3-1 third-period deficit. It’s been a frustrating few days for Farabee, now 12 games without a goal and with only two assists over that span. Joel Farabee had the game on his stick and couldn't finish. #Flyers pic.twitter.com/wlqdmjxFFu — Flyers Nation (@FlyersNation) December 7, 2024 Thursday, Farabee cross-checked the Florida Panthers’ Sam Bennett half a second after Bennett ran Travis Sanheim into the wall in a home game, ultimately leaving them short-handed. It was retaliatory, of course — and sticking up for teammates is part of the Philadelphia Flyers’ DNA — but it came at an inopportune time, with the teams tied 5-5 and less than three minutes to go in regulation. Sam Reinhart ’s goal on the ensuing power play probably cost the Flyers at least 1 point, and maybe 2, in their eventual 7-5 defeat. Advertisement Farabee acknowledged Friday it was “a really dumb penalty by me. I’ll be the first to admit that. But at the same time, I think Bennett throws a vicious elbow at ( Travis Konecny ) earlier in the game, and then he cross-checks Sanny from behind. I get slashed right before that. I don’t want to get into what the refs do and don’t do, but I think if you have some feel, that gets evened out and you keep playing.” Coach John Tortorella said Friday the Bennett hit on Sanheim was more of “a shove,” and Farabee should have showed “a little bit more patience” in that type of situation. At the same time, Farabee’s reaction was “a very important part of who we are,” Tortorella said. In other words, Farabee’s going after Bennett was only a function of what the coach and others in positions of authority have been preaching in terms of building a culture. Farabee is one of the more intriguing players on the Flyers’ roster for a few reasons. Firstly, his drought hasn’t landed him in Tortorella’s dog house or in the press box as a healthy scratch. In fact, Saturday’s game was the sixth straight that he started on the Flyers’ top line with Konecny and Sean Couturier . And, again, he’s getting plenty of chances to score. Since Farabee’s scoring woes began on Nov. 11, he actually leads the Flyers in shots (30), and individual scoring chances at five-on-five (also 30), according to Natural Stat Trick. That includes 17 high-danger chances, tops on the team over that span. He set up some teammates for prime chances on Saturday, too. He found Sanheim for a dangerous shot from the slot in the second period, and spotted Couturier stationed in front of the net in the third. Swayman made impressive stops on both. “Joel’s played very well this year. He just can’t score,” Tortorella said on Friday. “He’s ending up with chances, he’s made some really good plays.” Advertisement And even though Thursday’s decision to hammer Bennett backfired, it was still evidence that Farabee hasn’t let his scoring woes detract from his team-first attitude. He also has a fight this season, coming in the third game against a similar player to Bennett, the Edmonton Oilers’ Corey Perry , who no doubt did something to irk the Flyers at some point that night. Farabee is still just 24 years old, too, and considering his NHL experience, some younger players on a decidedly young team look up to him. “He’s just been a good guy, a guy that pretty much everyone in the locker room is comfortable with,” Bobby Brink said. “He’s always kind of there for guys and he’s always around the boys. I think guys appreciate that. He’s been around for a while and is still a young guy, so definitely a guy that knows the ropes and you can kind of follow.” That the Flyers value that kind of off-ice influence has been reinforced many times, most glaringly by their decision to retain alternate captain Scott Laughton at last season’s trade deadline. Does that mean Farabee, signed for three more seasons at a $5 million salary cap hit, is firmly a part of the future? That’s still hazy. Remember, Farabee didn’t finish last season on a high note, either. He started six of the final seven games on the fourth line, and posted just one goal and one assist in his final 14 games. Farabee led the Flyers in even-strength points on Jan. 25 with 34 in 49 games — one more than Konecny. But after Feb. 8, he managed just five goals and nine total points in his final 31 games. After the season, general manager Daniel Briere lumped Farabee and Noah Cates together in labeling them as players who “maybe didn’t develop quite as much as I would have hoped for. ... I think there’s more there.” Whether Farabee’s abundance of checks not cashed lately counts as “more” is something that only Briere can decide. Advertisement Something else that keeps Farabee in the spotlight is that he’s a player who could generate some interest in the trade market. One pro scout reached for comment via text figured that “multiple teams would take a shot at him,” but was skeptical that the return would be all that high if it were for Farabee alone. As part of a package, though, perhaps for a much-needed center ... maybe. There does seem to be some smoke around the Flyers lately, too, after a few puzzling roster developments. Samuel Ersson , who has been practicing for the team for a week and was declared an option to start on Thursday by Tortorella, was still on injured reserve for Saturday’s game. Tortorella said on Friday that he misspoke. Further, the Flyers somewhat strangely don’t have any healthy spare forwards on the roster. Nic Deslauriers, who hasn’t played since Nov. 9 but has been practicing with the team, was suddenly declared to have an upper-body injury on Friday and placed on injured reserve retroactive to that date. No one was recalled. Jamie Drysdale , also still on injured reserve, has been skating with the team for some time now, too. Maybe there’s nothing to it. Or, maybe Briere is doing some sort of roster gymnastics because something is coming. In the meantime, Farabee is just one of a number of Flyers forwards who will have to start getting on the scoresheet on a much more regular basis, chances or not, in order to remain with the club during its wilderness years. “He leads by example. I think he’s had a good year,” Tortorella said. “His numbers don’t prove it, but he’s been doing a lot of good things for us.” (Photo: Fred Kfoury III / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)DETROIT (AP) — For a second time, a Delaware judge has nullified a pay package that Tesla had awarded its CEO, Elon Musk, that once was valued at $56 billion. On Monday, Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick turned aside a request from Musk's lawyers to reverse a ruling she announced in January that had thrown out the compensation plan. The judge ruled then that Musk effectively controlled Tesla's board and had engineered the outsize pay package during sham negotiations . Lawyers for a Tesla shareholder who sued to block the pay package contended that shareholders who had voted for the 10-year plan in 2018 had been given misleading and incomplete information. In their defense, Tesla's board members asserted that the shareholders who ratified the pay plan a second time in June had done so after receiving full disclosures, thereby curing all the problems the judge had cited in her January ruling. As a result, they argued, Musk deserved the pay package for having raised Tesla's market value by billions of dollars. McCormick rejected that argument. In her 103-page opinion, she ruled that under Delaware law, Tesla's lawyers had no grounds to reverse her January ruling “based on evidence they created after trial.” On Monday night, Tesla posted on X, the social media platform owned by Musk, that the company will appeal. The appeal would be filed with the Delaware Supreme Court, the only state appellate court Tesla can pursue. Experts say a ruling would likely come in less than a year. “The ruling, if not overturned, means that judges and plaintiffs' lawyers run Delaware companies rather than their rightful owners — the shareholders,” Tesla argued. Later, on X, Musk unleashed a blistering attack on the judge, asserting that McCormick is “a radical far left activist cosplaying as a judge.” Legal authorities generally suggest that McCormick’s ruling was sound and followed the law. Charles Elson, founding director of the Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware, said that in his view, McCormick was right to rule that after Tesla lost its case in the original trial, it created improper new evidence by asking shareholders to ratify the pay package a second time. Had she allowed such a claim, he said, it would cause a major shift in Delaware’s laws against conflicts of interest given the unusually close relationship between Musk and Tesla’s board. “Delaware protects investors — that’s what she did,” said Elson, who has followed the court for more than three decades. “Just because you’re a ‘superstar CEO’ doesn’t put you in a separate category.” Elson said he thinks investors would be reluctant to put money into Delaware companies if there were exceptions to the law for “special people.” Elson said that in his opinion, the court is likely to uphold McCormick's ruling. Experts say no. Rulings on state laws are normally left to state courts. Brian Dunn, program director for the Institute of Compensation Studies at Cornell University, said it's been his experience that Tesla has no choice but to stay in the Delaware courts for this compensation package. The company could try to reconstitute the pay package and seek approval in Texas, where it may expect more friendlier judges. But Dunn, who has spent 40 years as an executive compensation consultant, said it's likely that some other shareholder would challenge the award in Texas because it's excessive compared with other CEOs' pay plans. “If they just want to turn around and deliver him $56 billion, I can't believe somebody wouldn't want to litigate it,” Dunn said. “It's an unconscionable amount of money.” Almost certainly. Tesla stock is trading at 15 times the exercise price of stock options in the current package in Delaware, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas wrote in a note to investors. Tesla's share price has doubled in the past six months, Jonas wrote. At Monday’s closing stock price, the Musk package is now worth $101.4 billion, according to Equilar, an executive data firm. And Musk has asked for a subsequent pay package that would give him 25% of Tesla's voting shares. Musk has said he is uncomfortable moving further into artificial intelligence with the company if he doesn't have 25% control. He currently holds about 13% of Tesla's outstanding shares.The No. 22 Louisville Cardinals face the No. 2 UConn Huskies and Paige Bueckers on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024 (12/7/24) in the Women’s Champions Classic at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. How to watch: Fans can watch the game for free via a trial of DirecTV Stream or fuboTV . You can also watch via a subscription to Sling TV , which is offering half off your first month. Here’s what you need to know: What: Women’s college basketball Who: Louisville vs. UConn When: Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024 (12/7/24) Where: Barclays Center Time: 9 p.m. ET TV: FOX Live stream: DirecTV Stream (free trial), fuboTV (free trial) *** Here‘s a women’s college basketball story via the Associated Press: TCU has grabbed its best ranking ever in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll on Monday after a convincing win over Notre Dame as the rankings got a shakeup following a holiday tournament week marked by key losses. The Horned Frogs climbed eight spots to No. 9, the first time the school has ever been in the top 10. The team’s best previous ranking was 13th in 2004. The Fighting Irish, who were third last week, fell seven spots to 10th after losses to TCU and Utah in the Cayman Islands. UCLA remained No. 1 with UConn right behind them. The Bruins received 25 first-place votes from a national media panel while the Huskies garnered the other seven. The Bruins won three games in three days in Hawaii over the Thanksgiving weekend. The Huskies had two wins in a holiday tournament in the Bahamas. South Carolina, Texas and LSU follow UConn in the poll. The Tigers leaped past USC to move up to fifth. The Trojans, Maryland, Duke, TCU and Notre Dame round out the top 10. The Blue Devils moved up five spots to eighth after beating then-No. 9 Kansas State and No. 8 Oklahoma in a tournament in Las Vegas. It’s the highest ranking for Duke in a decade, matching the No. 8 ranking on Nov. 24, 2014. The Wildcats fell to 13th and the Sooners 11th. Both Michigan and Michigan State entered the poll for the first time this season. The last time the two schools both were ranked was Jan. 4, 2021. That was the No. 24 Spartans' last appearance in the Top 25. The 23rd-ranked Wolverines were in the final poll of the 2023 season. N.C. State dropped out of the poll for the first time in 24 weeks, which had been the 10th longest active streak. The Wolfpack are 4-3 with all of those losses coming to current top 10 opponents (South Carolina, TCU and LSU). Wes Moore’s squad faces No. 18 Ole Miss on Thursday in the SEC/ACC challenge. Oregon also fell out. Alabama moved up four spots to No. 19, the school’s best ranking in 25 years. The Crimson Tide improved to 9-0 with a 98-49 win Monday over Georgia State, the team’s best start since going 9-0 to open the 2000-01 season. The Big Ten has nine teams ranked in the poll, most of any conference. The SEC is second with seven. The ACC and Big 12 each have four Top 25 teams and the Big East has one. No. 4 Texas at No. 10 Notre Dame, Thursday. The SEC/ACC challenge brings a lot of great matchups, including the Longhorns visiting the Irish. The game features two of the best duos in the game with Texas stars Madison Booker and Rori Harmon playing against Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles and Hannah Hidalgo. The Irish are looking to snap a two-game skid. (The Associated Press contributed to this report) Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription

A concealed carry instructor in Oregon says he's been unfairly caught in the crosshairs of a social media ban on firearm sales. The popular American gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson says it is still being kept in the dark after its Facebook account was suddenly suspended last month . Though the account has since been reinstated, a representative for the company told Fox News Digital that "despite multiple attempts to reach Facebook to discuss the matter, to date we have not had direct communications with any of their staff members." The gun company , which is headquartered in Maryville, Tennessee, said staff suddenly received a notification from Facebook on Nov. 22 stating that their official Smith & Wesson account had been "suspended indefinitely." "No warnings of a page suspension were previously communicated by Facebook," said the representative. BIDEN-HARRIS POLICIES MAY BE BEHIND SURGE IN REPUBLICAN WOMEN OWNING GUNS, CONCEALED CARRY ADVOCATE SAYS Handguns are displayed at the Smith & Wesson booth at the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show in Las Vegas on Jan. 19, 2016. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) The representative said Facebook referenced five posts dating back to December 2023 that they "suggest did not follow their community guidelines." "The posts in question included consumer promotional campaigns, charitable auctions, and product release announcements," the Smith & Wesson representative explained. "While Facebook’s policies are ever-changing, which creates a burden for users to comply with, we do not believe this content violated any of Facebook’s policies or community guidelines, and similar posts have been published in the past without issue." Facebook’s commerce policy prohibits the promotion of buying, selling and trading of weapons, ammunition and explosives. However, according to Facebook’s parent company Meta’s website, there is an exception for legitimate brick-and-mortar and online retailers, though their content is still restricted for minors. ‘SMOKING-GUN DOCUMENTS’ PROVE FACEBOOK CENSORED AMERICANS ON BEHALF OF WHITE HOUSE, JIM JORDAN SAYS Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and founder of Facebook, speaks during the Silicon Slopes Tech Summit in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Jan. 31, 2020. (George Frey/Bloomberg via Getty Images) According to the representative, the page was reinstated on Nov. 27 after the gun manufacturer made a public statement about the incident on X. In the post, which has 3.1 million views, Smith & Wesson criticized Facebook and thanked Elon Musk and X for supporting free speech amid what it called ongoing attacks against the First and Second Amendments . The company encouraged its 1.6 million Facebook followers and fans to "seek out platforms" that represent the "shared values" of free speech and the right to bear arms. Despite the page eventually being reinstated, the representative told Fox News Digital that the company has still had no contact with Meta and "no rationale was given for the reinstatement beyond a comment on social media from a Facebook representative stating that the suspension had been ‘in error.’" That same Meta staffer, Andy Stone, also directed Fox News Digital to the X post positing that Smith & Wesson’s suspension was an accident. In the post, Stone said "the page was suspended in error and we’ve now restored it. We apologize that this happened." TRUMP FCC PICK SAYS BRINGING ‘CENSORSHIP CARTEL’ TO HEEL WILL BE A ‘TOP’ PRIORITY: ‘IT’S GOT TO END' Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk (Getty Images) CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Through it all, the Smith & Wesson representative said the manufacturer is "grateful to Elon Musk for having created a public square platform that respects the right for Americans to voice their opinions, ALL opinions, and not just those that coincide with one agenda or another – especially as it relates to our constitutional rights guaranteed under the 1st and 2nd Amendments." The spokesperson said that since their account was suspended, they have become aware that many other social media users have been similarly silenced and de-platformed. "While we were encouraged by the reinstatement of our account, we were similarly disappointed by the number of other users reacting to our statement on X that commented that they have had very similar experiences with their accounts being de-platformed without warning," said the representative. "While we obviously do not know the details of those instances, we encourage Meta to continue working towards a more inclusive platform which allows the freedom for respectful dialogue from all viewpoints, which is a hallmark of American society." Founded in Norwich, Connecticut, in 1852, Smith & Wesson is one of the most recognized gun brands in America and reported $535.8 million in sales in the 2024 fiscal year. Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.NonePanthers rule out LB Jadeveon Clowney (knee) vs. Eagles

Sir Keir Starmer will commit to putting 13,000 police officers on the streets by the next election as part of his plan for change but faces criticism from Labour MPs for not committing to a bolder crime-fighting pledge. He will announce the first tranche of a £360 million fund to start recruiting officers as part of a speech on Thursday in which he will set out a series of targets for his government to hit by the next election. However, The Times has been told that the Home Office is still in talks with the Treasury over the specific funding commitments towards the pledge, which will determine when the full 13,000 neighbourhood police officers are in place. Starmer’s pledge to restore neighbourhood policing will be part of a new set of “tangible” goals that he will promise to deliver by the next election, expected in 2029.

Falcons feeling the pressure at .500 as Cousins' interceptions put spotlight on downturn for offense

ATLANTA (AP) — Already reeling from their November defeats, Democrats now are grappling with President Joe Biden’s pardoning of his son for federal crimes, with some calling the move misguided and unwise after the party spent years slamming Donald Trump as a threat to democracy who disregarded the law. The president pardoned Hunter Biden late Sunday evening, reversing his previous pledges with a grant of clemency that covers more than a decade of any federal crimes his son might have committed. The 82-year-old president said in a statement that his son’s prosecution on charges of tax evasion and falsifying a federal weapons purchase form were politically motivated. “He believes in the justice system, but he also believes that politics infected the process and led to a miscarriage of justice,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who along with Biden and other White House officials insisted for months that Hunter Biden would not get a pardon. That explanation did not satisfy some Democrats, angry that Biden’s reversal could make it harder to take on Trump, who has argued that multiple indictments and one conviction against him were a matter of Biden and Democrats turning the justice system against him. “This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis wrote of Biden on the social media platform X. “When you become President, your role is Pater familias of the nation,” the governor continued, a reference to the president invoking fatherhood in explaining his decision. “Hunter brought the legal trouble he faced on himself, and one can sympathize with his struggles while also acknowledging that no one is above the law, not a President and not a President’s son.” Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., said on X: “This wasn’t a politically motivated prosecution. Hunter committed felonies and was convicted by a jury of his peers.” Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet said Biden “put personal interest ahead of duty” with a decision that “further erodes Americans’ faith that the justice system is fair and equal for all.” Michigan Sen. Gary Peters said the pardon was “an improper use of power” that erodes faith in government and “emboldens others to bend justice to suit their interests.” Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., called the pardon “understandable” if viewed only as the “action of a loving father.” But Biden’s status as “our nation’s Chief Executive,” the senator said, rendered the move “unwise.” Certainly, the president has Democratic defenders who note Trump’s use of presidential power to pardon a slew of his convicted aides, associates and friends, several for activities tied to Trump’s campaign and first administration. “Trump pardoned Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort, as well as his son-in-law’s father, Charles Kushner — who he just appointed US ambassador to France,” wrote prominent Democratic fundraiser Jon Cooper on X. Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison said there “is no standard for Donald Trump, and the highest standard for Democrats and Joe Biden.” Harrison pointed to Trump’s apparent plans to oust FBI Director Christopher Wray and replace him with loyalist Kash Patel and suggested the GOP’s pursuit of Hunter Biden would not have ended without clemency. “Most people will see that Joe Biden did what was right,” Harrison said. First lady Jill Biden said Monday from the White House, “Of course I support the pardon of my son.” Democrats already are facing the prospects of a Republican trifecta in Washington, with voters returning Trump to the White House and giving the GOP control of the House and Senate. Part of their argument against Trump and Republican leaders is expected to be that the president-elect is violating norms with his talk of taking retribution against his enemies. Before beating Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump faced his own legal troubles, including two cases that stemmed from his efforts to overturn his defeat to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. Those cases, including Trump’s sentencing after being convicted on New York state business fraud charges, have either been dismissed or indefinitely delayed since Trump’s victory on Nov. 5, forcing Democrats to recalibrate their approach to the president-elect. In June, President Biden firmly ruled out a pardon or commutation for his son, telling reporters as his son faced trial in the Delaware gun case: “I abide by the jury decision. I will do that and I will not pardon him.” As recently as Nov. 8, days after Trump’s victory, Jean-Pierre ruled out a pardon or clemency for the younger Biden, saying: “We’ve been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is no.” The president’s about-face came weeks before Hunter Biden was set to receive his punishment after his trial conviction in the gun case and guilty plea on tax charges. It capped a long-running legal saga for the younger Biden, who disclosed he was under federal investigation in December 2020 — a month after his father’s 2020 victory. The sweeping pardon covers not just the gun and tax offenses against the younger Biden, but also any other “offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014, through December 1, 2024.” Hunter Biden was convicted in June in Delaware federal court of three felonies for purchasing a gun in 2018 when, prosecutors said, he lied on a federal form by claiming he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. He had been set to stand trial in September in a California case accusing him of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes. But he agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor and felony charges in a surprise move hours after jury selection was set to begin. In his statement Sunday, the president argued that such offenses typically are not prosecuted with the same vigor as was directed against Hunter Biden. “The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election,” Biden said in his statement. “No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son. ... I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision.” ___ Associated Press journalists Will Weissert aboard Air Force One and Darlene Superville, Mary Claire Jalonick and Michael Tackett in Washington contributed to this report.NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes drifted lower Tuesday in the runup to the highlight of the week for the market, the latest update on inflation that’s coming on Wednesday. The S&P 500 dipped 0.3%, a day after pulling back from its latest all-time high . They’re the first back-to-back losses for the index in nearly a month, as momentum slows following a big rally that has it on track for one of its best years of the millennium . The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 154 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.3%. Tech titan Oracle dragged on the market and sank 6.7% after reporting growth for the latest quarter that fell just short of analysts’ expectations. It was one of the heaviest weights on the S&P 500, even though CEO Safra Catz said the company saw record demand related to artificial-intelligence technology for its cloud infrastructure business, which trains generative AI models. AI has been a big source of growth that’s helped many companies’ stock prices skyrocket. Oracle’s stock had already leaped more than 80% for the year coming into Tuesday, which raised the bar of expectations for its profit report. In the bond market, Treasury yields ticked higher ahead of Wednesday’s report on the inflation that U.S. consumers are feeling. Economists expect it to show similar increases as the month before. Wednesday’s update and a report on Thursday about inflation at the wholesale level will be the final big pieces of data the Federal Reserve will get before its meeting next week, where many investors expect the year’s third cut to interest rates . The Fed has been easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high since September to take pressure off the slowing jobs market, after bringing inflation nearly down to its 2% target. Lower rates would help give support to the economy, but they could also provide more fuel for inflation. Expectations for a series of cuts through next year have been a big reason the S&P 500 has set so many records this year. Trading in the options market suggests traders aren’t expecting a very big move for U.S. stocks following Wednesday’s report, according to strategists at Barclays. But a reading far off expectations in either direction could quickly change that. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.22% from 4.20% late Monday. Even though the Fed has been cutting its main interest rate, mortgage rates have been more stubborn to stay high and have been volatile since the autumn. That has hampered the housing industry, and homebuilder Toll Brothers’ stock fell 6.9% even though it delivered profit and revenue for the latest quarter that topped analysts’ expectations. CEO Douglas Yearley Jr. said the luxury builder has been seeing strong demand since the start of its fiscal year six weeks ago, an encouraging signal as it approaches the beginning of the spring selling season in mid-January. Elsewhere on Wall Street, Alaska Air Group soared 13.2% after raising its forecast for profit in the current quarter. The airline said demand for flying around the holidays has been stronger than expected. It also approved a plan to buy back up to $1 billion of its stock, along with new service from Seattle to Tokyo and Seoul . Boeing climbed 4.5% after saying it’s resuming production of its bestselling plane , the 737 Max, for the first time since 33,000 workers began a seven-week strike that ended in early November. Vail Resorts rose 2.5% after the ski resort operator reported a smaller first-quarter loss than analysts expected in what is traditionally its worst quarter. All told, the S&P 500 fell 17.94 points to 6,034.91. The Dow dipped 154.10 to 44,247.83, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 49.45 to 19,687.24. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in China after the world’s second-largest economy said its exports rose by less than expected in November. Stocks rose 0.6% in Shanghai but fell 0.5% in Hong Kong. Indexes fell across much of Europe ahead of a meeting this week by the European Central Bank, where the widespread expectation is for another cut in interest rates. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox!The recently concluded 2024 State Literary Festival, held at Temple Trees, stood as a resplendent testament to our literary and cultural vibrancy. With origins tracing back to 1957, this annual celebration is orchestrated by the Department of Cultural Affairs. Kumuduni Haputhanthri receives the Award for publishing the highest number of award-winning books on behalf of Sarasavi Bookshop The State Literary Festival is a platform to acknowledge excellence in Sinhala, Tamil, and English literature. The festival has continued to laud the written word in its capacity to promote understanding, empathy, and hence social progress. The event brings together wordsmiths to celebrate the power of literature. The awardees receive a trophy, a certificate, and a cash prize. The nominees are presented with a certificate complemented by a cash prize—a practice initiated at last year’s festival. Emphasising the role of literature in rebuilding society. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his message to the festival, noted how literature has historically served as a purpose of hope during global crises: “History has shown that even in the greatest global crises, creative literature has reignited hope, inspiring people to pursue life with renewed purpose. As we navigate the path of national recovery and social reconstruction, the role of literature and its creators is pivotal in shaping our collective future. Professor Jinadasa Danansuriya receives the Sahitya Ratna Award for Sinhala category (Pictures by Dushmantha Mayadunne) We are facing a society full of distress—a society that ignores others. We must create a human habitation that can bear ethnic diversity and appreciates the beauty of diversity regardless of caste and religion. Doesn’t the declined appreciation of art meet us again in society as violence? The various characters, behaviours, imaginations, and cultural contacts found in a work of literature expand our imagination. A century’s worth of life experience can be gained through the study of literature.” Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya delivered a message about the arts’ declining status in society due to decades of underfunding. She calls for a paradigm shift to advance cultural engagement from an early age: “A society distant from literature, music, and art is in front of us because of the low funds allocated to cultural life by those who led the country. This must first be accurately identified, weighed, and prioritised. An emotional citizen who emerges as a part of the education system of the country should be created. Annalakshmi Rajadurai receives the Sahitya Ratna Award for Tamil category It should be systematically developed from early childhood. Only half of our tree of life is completed by technology, science, or an industrial approach. Its other part represents aesthetically oriented thoughts, a heart filled with human dignity. This is generated by literature. We are facing a society full of distress—a society that ignores others. We must create a human habitation that can bear ethnic diversity and appreciates the beauty of diversity regardless of caste and religion. Doesn’t the declined appreciation of art meet us again in society as violence? The various characters, behaviour, imaginations, and cultural contacts found in a work of literature expand our imagination. A century’s worth of life experience can be gained through the study of literature.” Cultural Affairs Minister Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi elaborated on literature’s role in advancing empathy and reducing societal conflict: Vihanga Perera receives the award for the Best Original Novel in English “The State Literary Festival means to offer the gratitude of the state to the literati of the country. If they did not have this incredible imagination potential, any group that is in power at this moment has to accept a weak community. We should have the ability to understand and share another person’s feelings. Unhappiness, violence, and conflict are inevitable in a society of unsympathetic people The progress achieved by art in a country is not the same as the progress measured in number or indicators measured by ‘development projects’ Any country is immeasurably indebted to literature.” Sahitya Rathna Award A highlight of the festival is the presentation of the Sahitya Rathna Awards, which honour lifetime contributions to literature. This year’s laureates—Prof. Jinadasa Danansuriya, Annalakshmi Rajadurai, and Professor Emeritus Senath Walter Perera—do proclaim the noble power of literary pursuits, transcending the bounds of Sinhala, Tamil, and English tongues. Born in 1945 in Dambadeniya, Prof. Danansuriya has had a remarkable career as a scholar, critic, and translator in Sinhala literature. A graduate of the University of Vidyalankara, he served in academia for over four decades, contributing significantly to literary criticism and translation studies. Prof. Walter Perera receives the Sahitya Ratna Award for English category Among his notable works are Sahithya Vesmuhunu (1978), Vichaara Satahan (1995), and Kalaathmaka Parikalpanaya (2005). His translations, including Hirakaruva Bahdakkemu (1974) and Ithala Janakantha (2009), have introduced Sri Lankan readers to global literary traditions. Recognised with numerous accolades, including the Pranaama Award (1996) and Kalabooshaana State Award (2021), Prof. Danansuriya continues to contribute to the field of children’s literature. Annalakshmi Rajadurai, born in 1939 in Jaffna, made history as the first woman to receive the Sahitya Rathna Award. A literary icon in Tamil literature, she has blended journalism, poetry, and fiction throughout her career. Her editorial roles in Jhothi and Mithran revolutionised Tamil media, while her works, including Vilichudar (1970) and Neruppu Velichcham (1984), explore themes of unity and resilience. Ethnic harmony Her contributions to ethnic harmony are notable in her translations under the title Uru Thai Makkal, which aim to bridge communal divides. She has won awards such as the Tamil Nithi Award (2023) and the Sri Lanka-London Tamil Literary Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award (2019). Prof. Emeritus Senath Walter Pereradedicated over 40 years to teaching and promoting postcolonial and Sri Lankan writing. His tenure at the University of Peradeniya saw the creation of ground breaking courses that introduced students to the richness of local English literature. In addition to his academic work, Professor Perera’s contributions to literary journals such as Phoenix and The Journal of Commonwealth Literature have brought international attention to Sri Lankan writers. His mentorship roles with The Gratiaen Trust and involvement with the Commonwealth Writers Prize highlight his commitment to promoting local voices on a global stage. The festival celebrates contemporary authors, translators, and critics across 25 categories. Key awardees in English medium include Vihanga Perera (Best Original Novel: Students and Rebels), Sajida Fazal (Best Original Children’s Literature: Collin and the Caterpillar), A.A. Moses (Best Original Youth Literature: Anya: The Spirit of Yala), Shirani Rajapaksha (Best Original Short Story Collection: Offerings to the Blue God) and Gayathri M. Hewagama (Best Original Poetry Collection: Amber Lights). Other notable winners included The Petition by Leel Gunasekara for Best Translated Novel and Beyond Check-Points by Duleep De Chickera for Original Text on Varied Subjects. The Daily News Associate Features Editor Sachitra Mahendra has been nominated for the Best Translated Novel award at the State Literary Awards 2024 for his English translation of Dr. Palitha Ganewatta’s Sinhala novel ‘Mawatha Abiyasa’, titled ‘Road Ahead’. The festival’s credibility rests on its rigorous evaluation process. Books published between January 1 and December 31 of the previous year are collected and registered with the Department of National Archives. Categories span 25 subject areas, covering original and translated works in prose, poetry, drama, children’s literature, and academic texts. Each submission undergoes an assessment by a panel of experts.

Campaigners want a mind-bending brew swigged by to be legalised. The monarch, 76, sipped kava on his recent visit to Samoa. He downed the potion despite it being a criminal offence in the UK to sell, supply or import products containing the high-inducing plant. But activists say if it is fit for the King, it should be made legal. Simon Gellar from the Kava Coalition trade association asked: “Isn’t it time to reconsider its prohibition for everyone else?” Kava, dubbed “nature’s Valium”, is hugely popular in the South Sea islands and is made a shrub’s roots. Users say it leaves them feeling calm and relaxed but doesn’t affect their cognitive performance. Australia’s former deputy prime minister Michael McCormack accidentally drank too much of the drink in Vanuatu, Melanesia in 2022 and was admitted to hospital after going cross-eyed. Come and join The Daily Star on , the social media site set up by ex-Twitter boss Jack Dorsey. It's now the new go-to place for content after a mass exodus of the Elon Musk-owned Twitter/X. Fear not, we're not leaving , but we are jumping on the bandwagon. So come find our new account on , and see us social better than the rest. You can also learn more about The Daily Star team in what Bluesky calls a . So what are you waiting for?! Let'sMassachusetts ex-senator who seeks pardon from Trump wanted ‘post-trial contact with jurors’

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casino online games gcash ‘RICE FOR ALL’ CAMPAIGN Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa inspects the rice being sold at P40 per kilogram at the Kamuning Public Market in Quezon City, in a photo taken on Dec. 5. —Lyn Rillon MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) is considering declaring a “food security emergency” early next year as it scrambles to rein in the prices of rice, a key staple and a major driver of inflation. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. told the Inquirer in a text message on Friday that he was scheduled to meet on Jan. 3 with key agencies under the DA, including the Bureau of Plant Industry and the National Food Authority (NFA), to assess the national rice situation. “After that, there will be an announcement,” said Tiu Laurel, who broached the idea of declaring a food security emergency to drastically bring down rice prices. READ: DA: Rice price should be P30/kg due to tariff cut, lower global prices The DA is empowered under the amended rice tariffication law to make such a declaration to allow the release of buffer stocks from the NFA to stabilize prices of rice, one of the biggest components of a Filipino household’s food basket. Albay Rep. Joey Salceda expressed support for Tiu Laurel’s move, saying that the combination of measures, including cracking down on hoarders could immediately bring down rice prices by as much as P6 a kilo. He added that declaring a food security emergency was “what the Murang Pagkain Supercommittee has been asking the DA to do,” referring to the House quinta committee formed to investigate alleged rice price manipulation and smuggling. “I urge him to follow through as soon as possible. We should see a price reduction of at least P6 per kilo as a result of stricter enforcement against hoarding,” said Salceda, who chairs both the House committee on ways and means and the quinta committee. Meanwhile, the DA has also ordered the removal of brand labels in imported rice as well as elimination of “premium” and “special” labels on imported rice, believing that some industry players are using them “to justify inflated prices.” Tiu Laurel threatened to withdraw import permits if traders would be found “unwilling to follow our regulations,” such as in removing these labels on imported rice. “Importing rice is not a right but a privilege,” he stressed. The DA pointed out that prices of certain rice brands have remained high even though tariffs on imported rice had already been slashed to 15 percent until 2028 from 35 percent. The DA has been able to sell well-milled rice under its Rice-for-All program at P40 a kilo. But at the market, the DA’s monitoring showed that local well-milled rice retailed between P40 and P52 per kilo, albeit already lower from P40 to P56 per kilo last year. Local regular milled rice, on the other hand, ranged from a low of P39 to a high of P48 per kilo as of Dec. 23, compared with P43 to P52 per kilo on Dec. 22 last year. Imported regular milled rice was sold from P44 to P45 per kilo. This variety was not available around the same day a year ago. Imported well-milled rice was priced from P40 to P56 per kilo, from P58 per kilo last year. According to Marikina Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo, domestic retail prices “should have stabilized” around P35 a kilo considering that the landed price of imported rice has already gone down by P11 a kilo year-on-year. Instead, domestic retail prices have remained high, a clear sign of “abuse,” said Quimbo, an economist and senior vice chair of the House committee on appropriations. For the DA, rice prices can even be lowered, thus it is also considering allowing other government corporations, such as Food Terminal Inc., to import significant quantities of rice to directly compete with private importers. The DA’s legal division will also determine whether provisions of the Consumer Price Act could be activated to deal with possible profiteering at the expense of ordinary Filipinos struggling to buy rice. Tiu Laurel likewise hinted at enlisting concerned government agencies, particularly the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), to audit the financial records of rice traders to ensure compliance with fair pricing practices. The Department of Trade and Industry may also assist in monitoring prices of rice in markets and groceries, Tiu Laurel added. Salceda also reminded Tiu Laurel that he has asked the DA to look into warehouses and work with the Bureau of Customs to do post-clearance inspections of imported stocks. “We need action from the DA sooner rather than later, so I hope the study process doesn’t last beyond a few days,” he said. In previous quinta committee hearings before Congress adjourned on Dec. 18, the panel members castigated rice importers and traders for allegedly colluding to manipulate rice prices despite tariff reductions, forcing consumers to shoulder the artificially inflated costs. Agap Rep. Nicanor Briones noted that two major importers—RBS Universal Grains Traders Corp. and Sodatrade Corp.—that collectively imported 273,000 metric tons of rice had shared ownership, “indicating that there is possible collusion here.” According to the general information sheets of both companies, both have interlocking directorships: Corazon Barnuevo, Rosalie Barnuevo, Rosalyn Shimokawa and Bernard Barnuevo. RBS was incorporated in 2014 while Sodatrade was incorporated in 2015. Salceda called on the BIR to look into the country’s top rice importers, which comprise 36 percent of the country’s total imports. Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . The Marcos administration is under intense pressure to address rice prices as inflation remains a top concern among Filipinos and the perceived failure in controlling inflation has dragged down President Marcos’ approval ratings.

LEVITTOWN, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Drummers With Attitude had its humble beginnings in the year 2000, thanks to a special education teacher named Kevin Travers who wanted to share his love for music with students. Over the past 24 years, it has grown into a program that invites students of all walks of life from across the Bristol Township School District. They hosted a recent practice at Harry S. Truman High School. While they host various performances throughout the year, the tipoff event at the 76ers game on December 6th will be a special one. They will dedicate it to 12-year-old Josiah Grant, who was tragically struck by a car while riding his bicycle and lost his life. Watch the video above to see what this performance means to Josiah Grant's mother and sister, and how the drummers plan to keep his memory alive. RELATED: Student engineers build and race off-road vehicles at Rowan UniversityViolent showdown in Pakistan's capital pits government against Imran Khan supportersAlimentation Couche-Tard earns US$708.8 million in second quarter

WASHINGTON — Special counsel Jack Smith moved to abandon two criminal cases against Donald Trump on Monday, acknowledging that Trump’s return to the White House will preclude attempts to federally prosecute him for retaining classified documents or trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat. The decision was inevitable, since longstanding Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. Yet it was still a momentous finale to an unprecedented chapter in political and law enforcement history, as federal officials attempted to hold accountable a former president while he was simultaneously running for another term. Trump emerges indisputably victorious, having successfully delayed the investigations through legal maneuvers and then winning re-election despite indictments that described his actions as a threat to the country's constitutional foundations. People are also reading... Sheriff: 1 arrested, 1 wanted after Statesville man strangled, robbed Lake Norman residents voice concerns with Marshall Steam Station changes Iredell County bridge to close for $1.2 replacement project Basketball transfer Patterson back home at West Iredell to 'bring in some wins' Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams making furniture in Alexander County again Baseball league cries foul as Iredell plans to charge to use Jennings Park fields MerMade: Workspace opens in Statesville, caters to artists, crafters Statesville embraces underdog role in rematch with defending champ Hickory Statesville falls to Hickory, Mooresville tops NW Guilford in football playoffs Mooresville's Farmer, Graham picked to play in Shrine Bowl With supermajority in NC House gone, Iredell's Republican lawmakers talk changes, challenges Statesville sweeps varsity doubleheader with South Iredell; Shehan reaches 1,000 points in Lake Norman win Historian, writer Bill Moose subject of Iredell County Historical Society event Monday West Iredell starts season strong with win over Bunker Hill Statesville Police Department welcomes first police attorney, Stephanie Adkins FILE - Special counsel Jack Smith speaks to the media about an indictment of former President Donald Trump, Aug. 1, 2023, at an office of the Department of Justice in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) “I persevered, against all odds, and WON," Trump exulted in a post on Truth Social, his social media website. He also said that “these cases, like all of the other cases I have been forced to go through, are empty and lawless, and should never have been brought.” The judge in the election case granted prosecutors' dismissal request. A decision in the documents case was still pending on Monday afternoon. The outcome makes it clear that, when it comes to a president and criminal accusations, nothing supersedes the voters' own verdict. In court filings, Smith's team emphasized that the move to end their prosecutions was not a reflection of the merit of the cases but a recognition of the legal shield that surrounds any commander in chief. “That prohibition is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Government stands fully behind,” prosecutors said in one of their filings. They wrote that Trump’s return to the White House “sets at odds two fundamental and compelling national interests: on the one hand, the Constitution’s requirement that the President must not be unduly encumbered in fulfilling his weighty responsibilities . . . and on the other hand, the Nation’s commitment to the rule of law.” In this situation, “the Constitution requires that this case be dismissed before the defendant is inaugurated,” they concluded. Smith’s team said it was leaving intact charges against two co-defendants in the classified documents case — Trump valet Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira — because “no principle of temporary immunity applies to them.” Steven Cheung, Trump's incoming White House communications director, said Americans “want an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and we look forward to uniting our country.” Trump has long described the investigations as politically motivated, and he has vowed to fire Smith as soon as he takes office in January. Now he will start his second term free from criminal scrutiny by the government that he will lead. The election case brought last year was once seen as one of the most serious legal threats facing Trump as he tried to reclaim the White House. He was indicted for plotting to overturn his defeat to Joe Biden in 2020, an effort that climaxed with his supporters' violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. President-elect Donald Trump arrives before the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in Boca Chica, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP) But the case quickly stalled amid legal fighting over Trump’s sweeping claims of immunity from prosecution for acts he took while in the White House. The U.S. Supreme Court in July ruled for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, and sent the case back to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to determine which allegations in the indictment, if any, could proceed to trial. The case was just beginning to pick up steam again in the trial court in the weeks leading up to this year’s election. Smith’s team in October filed a lengthy brief laying out new evidence they planned to use against him at trial, accusing him of “resorting to crimes” in an increasingly desperate effort to overturn the will of voters after he lost to Biden. In dismissing the case, Chutkan acknowledged prosecutors' request to do so “without prejudice,” raising the possibility that they could try to bring charges against Trump when his term is over. She wrote that is “consistent with the Government’s understanding that the immunity afforded to a sitting President is temporary, expiring when they leave office.” But such a move may be barred by the statute of limitations, and Trump may also try to pardon himself while in office. immunity afforded to a sitting President is temporary, expiring when they leave office. The separate case involving classified documents had been widely seen as legally clear cut, especially because the conduct in question occurred after Trump left the White House and lost the powers of the presidency. The indictment included dozens of felony counts accusing him of illegally hoarding classified records from his presidency at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and obstructing federal efforts to get them back. He has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing. The case quickly became snarled by delays, with U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon slow to issue rulings — which favored Trump’s strategy of pushing off deadlines in all his criminal cases — while also entertaining defense motions and arguments that experts said other judges would have dispensed with without hearings. In May, she indefinitely canceled the trial date amid a series of unresolved legal issues before dismissing the case outright two months later. Smith’s team appealed the decision, but now has given up that effort. Trump faced two other state prosecutions while running for president. One them, a New York case involving hush money payments, resulted in a conviction on felony charges of falsifying business records. It was the first time a former president had been found guilty of a crime. The sentencing in that case is on hold as Trump's lawyers try to have the conviction dismissed before he takes office, arguing that letting the verdict stand will interfere with his presidential transition and duties. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office is fighting the dismissal but has indicated that it would be open to delaying sentencing until Trump leaves office. Bragg, a Democrat, has said the solution needs to balance the obligations of the presidency with “the sanctity of the jury verdict." Trump was also indicted in Georgia along with 18 others accused of participating in a sprawling scheme to illegally overturn the 2020 presidential election there. Any trial appears unlikely there while Trump holds office. The prosecution already was on hold after an appeals court agreed to review whether to remove Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis over her romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she had hired to lead the case. Four defendants have pleaded guilty after reaching deals with prosecutors. Trump and the others have pleaded not guilty. Associated Press writers Colleen Long, Michael Sisak and Lindsay Whitehurst contributed to this story. ___ Special Counsel Jack Smith plans to step down before Trump’s inauguration, according to The New York Times. 12 political cartoons size up Donald Trump's Cabinet picks Here are the people Trump has picked for key positions so far President-elect Donald Trump Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Marco Rubio, Secretary of State Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Pam Bondi, Attorney General Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. Doug Burgum, Secretary of the Interior The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Labor Secretary Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner, Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. Chris Wright, Secretary of Energy A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. Linda McMahon, Secretary of Education President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Tulsi Gabbard, National Intelligence Director Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. John Ratcliffe, Central Intelligence Agency Director Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Lee Zeldin, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Brendan Carr, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Elise Stefanik, Ambassador to the United Nations Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. Matt Whitaker, Ambassador to NATO President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. Mike Huckabee, Ambassador to Israel Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Steven Witkoff, Special Envoy to the Middle East Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Mike Waltz, National Security Adviser Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Tom Homan, ‘Border Czar’ Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Dr. Mehmet Oz, Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to advise White House on government efficiency Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought, Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Additional selections to the incoming White House Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. McGinley was White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration, and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.” Associated Press writer Colleen Long contributed to this story. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.S&P/TSX composite rises on morning of Christmas Eve, U.S. stock markets also up

Charlize Theron Joins Cast of Christopher Nolan’s Next Movie By The cast of ‘s next movie grows larger, with Variety reporting that is set to star in the highly anticipated next project from the director. Theron joins an ensemble cast that already features some of Hollywood’s biggest names in the as-of-now mysterious movie. Previously, it was announced that , , , and would all also star in the upcoming project, which remains shrouded in mystery. Theron is a legend in the world of Hollywood, having risen to superstardom in the 1990s. Throughout her career, she’s starred in several high-profile projects, including The Italian Job, The Devil’s Advocate, Monster, Atomic Blonde, Mad Max: Fury Road, and more. Next up for her will be The Old Guard 2, a sequel to the 2020 action movie that she also starred in. What do we know about Christopher Nolan’s next movie? Early reports suggest that Pattinson, Damon, Holland, and Hathaway will make up “the core leads” of the movie. Lupita Nyong’o and Zendaya, both of whom were , will also have supporting roles in some degree. Nolan’s next, still untitled picture will release in the United States theaters on July 17, 2026, from Universal Pictures. While Nolan hasn’t commented on what his next movie may be about, the latest prominent theory suggests it may involve , one of whom is older and one of whom is younger. It has also been reported that Nolan’s movie will utilize a never-before-used . (Source: ) Anthony Nash has been writing about games and the gaming industry for nearly a decade. When he’s not writing about games, he’s usually playing them. You can find him on Twitter talking about games or sports at @_anthonynash. Share article

Ms Dwane Stanley said she had made the decision after “careful consideration and reflection”. The party responded by saying the decision had not been unexpected. Former Sinn Fein TD Brian Stanley quit the party in October amid a controversy relating to a complaint against him. He claimed he was subjected to a “character assassination” by a clique within the party and likened its processes to a kangaroo court. Sinn Fein rejected his claims and insisted it handled the matter in accordance with proper procedures. In a social media post on Friday his wife said she had now followed her husband out of the party. She said: “During my 27 years of membership, I worked diligently to advance the objectives of the party. “I met and worked with some great republicans on that journey and will always cherish those memories. “I have given this careful consideration and reflection over the recent past and decided to resign my membership of Sinn Fein.” Ms Dwane Stanley claimed since the controversy surrounding her husband, she and her family had endured “outright attacks”. She added: “I had hoped that the party at leadership level would have made the effort to engage with me directly and give some support and assistance to me to try and deal with these matters. “However, no contact has been made by the leadership with me over the past five months.” She said she would continue as an independent republican councillor. Ms Dwane Stanley had been Sinn Fein’s only councillor on Laois County Council. A Sinn Fein spokesperson said: “Coun Caroline Dwane Stanley this evening tendered her resignation from the party. “This decision was not unexpected.”Alex Jones’ bankruptcy judge orders new hearing on The Onion’s Infowars bidLucknow: Sahir Ludhianvi , a name synonymous with timeless poetry and soulful lyrics, had fans flocking to theatres during Bollywood's golden era just to hear his songs. His work became the heart and soul of Indian cinema, with the movie ‘ Pyaasa ' cementing his status as a poster boy of lyricism. However, Ludhianvi's journey as a poet began in solitude, grappling with personal struggles and finding his voice in verses that resonated deeply with audiences. On Friday, renowned film producer Ajay Jain explored Ludhianvi's multifaceted personality at the Koshala Literature Festival. Jain also reflected on Ludhianvi's iconic collaborations with legends like Javed Akhtar and Gulzar, which profoundly shaped Bollywood's lyrical heritage. He highlighted Ludhianvi's deep connection to nature, stating, "Sahir's poetry drew strength from the world around him, making it timeless." "Over time, his work evolved to celebrate themes of love, social justice, and enduring human emotions," he added.WASHINGTON — A ninth U.S. telecoms firm has been confirmed to have been hacked as part of a sprawling Chinese espionage campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans, a top White House official said Friday. Biden administration officials said this month that at least eight telecommunications companies, as well as dozens of nations, had been affected by the Chinese hacking blitz known as Salt Typhoon. But deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger told reporters Friday that a ninth victim had been identified after the administration released guidance to companies about how to hunt for Chinese culprits in their networks. The update from Neuberger is the latest development in a massive hacking operation that has alarmed national security officials, exposed cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the private sector and laid bare China’s hacking sophistication. Hackers Attacked Telecommunication Networks The hackers compromised the networks of telecommunications companies to obtain customer call records and gain access to the private communications of what officials have said is a a limited number of individuals. Though the FBI has not publicly identified any of the victims, officials believe senior U.S. government officials and prominent political figures are among those whose whose communications were accessed. Neuberger said Friday that officials did not yet have a precise sense how many Americans overall were affected by Salt Typhoon, in part because the Chinese were careful about their techniques, but that a “large number” were in the Washington-Virginia area. Officials believe the goal of the hackers was to identify who owned the phones and, if they were “government targets of interest,” spy on their texts and phone calls, she said. The FBI said most of the people targeted by the hackers are “primarily involved in government or political activity.” Neuberger said the episode highlighted the need for required cybersecurity practices in the telecommunications industry, something the Federal Communications Commission is to take up at a meeting next month. In addition, she said, the government was planning additional actions in coming weeks in response to the hacking campaign, though she did not say what they were. “We know that voluntary cyber security practices are inadequate to protect against China, Russia and Iran hacking of our critical infrastructure,” she said. The Chinese government has denied responsibility for the hacking.

Jets take high-octane offense into contest with Predators

CHRIS Brown has a lifelong love, a passion, an obsession he just can't let go - basketball. Six months ago the former professional basketball player focused all of that energy into a new business at Broadmeadow called Hoop Dreams. Login or signup to continue reading "I always wanted to start something focusing on individual coaching," he said. "When I came here to play it was a rugby league town. The last couple of years basketball has just taken off." Brown was an international import back in 2003 to the former local team - the Hunter Pirates. He had been playing in Japan, but the guard took the opportunity to play in the NBL and this move would end up anchoring him to the city. Brown fell in love and the couple went on to have three children who "fortunately also fell into basketball". His eldest child Diyah, 13, plays for the Newcastle Falcons and has made country NSW selection, with hopes of pursuing the game further. Basketball is booming in the Hunter, with plans for a new $82-million Newcastle basketball stadium under way. But the project has garnered hundreds of objections from the community due to the location on Wallarah and Blackley ovals. "We need the courts, we need the space," he said. "With the NBA popularity growing here and on social media the sport is considered cool, kids love the culture of it. Everyone is watching Steph Curry shoot threes, they love it." With a $30,000 fitout complete with a custom-designed court, gym, meeting space and even a mural, it is easy to see why this dedicated basketball training space has quickly grown in popularity for young players. According to Brown there are 75 aspiring and academy athletes on the books, ranging from under 12s right through to age 18. The roster of coaches, which includes program appearances from NBL 1 Falcons players Myles Cherry and Ryan Beisty, focus on individual skills and going back to basics. "Within a week we were at capacity," he said of launching the business. "The kids love basketball, but there is so much more to sports than just the game. We have a nutritionist, strength and conditioning training, a psychologist. The goal is skill development for kids of all ages, but we also just want to help create good kids." Brown has big plans for the business which is currently running as a not-for-profit. He wants to create outreach programs in NSW, to get the teenagers out into low socio-economic communities to do their own coaching. "It is important for those high performance kids to give back, to have that experience," he said. The third part of the puzzle is travel, taking his own Hoop Dreams teams to play in other competitions both nationally and abroad. On the first weekend of November, Hoop Dreams saw its first touring team compete in the Annual Seaside Classic Tournament in Port Macquarie. The under 17s girls team took home the win. "The hardest transition is figuring out what do you do when you stop playing professional sport," he said. "I hope we can build this as place for connection, a community for these kids." Jessica began her journalism career in 2009 as a cadet at The Port Stephens Examiner before moving to London for a two-year stint working in magazines and digital publishing. The Lake Macquarie local returned to Australia where she took up a reporting role at The Maitland Mercury. She worked across several rounds including local council, police and property before moving into digital journalism and joining the team at The Newcastle Herald in 2017. Jessica began her journalism career in 2009 as a cadet at The Port Stephens Examiner before moving to London for a two-year stint working in magazines and digital publishing. The Lake Macquarie local returned to Australia where she took up a reporting role at The Maitland Mercury. She worked across several rounds including local council, police and property before moving into digital journalism and joining the team at The Newcastle Herald in 2017. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Get the latest property and development news here. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. 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New Orleans Pelicans star center Zion Williamson has started the conditioning phase of his rehab from a left hamstring strain and is expected to return to practice next week, the team announced Tuesday. Williamson, who is considered week-to-week, has been sidelined since Nov. 6. The two-time All-Star has played in just six games this season, averaging 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists. New Orleans selected Williamson with the top overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. His time with the Pelicans has been marked by multiple injuries, starting with a torn meniscus during the preseason of his rookie year. Williamson has played in just 190 career games over five seasons, while also missing the entire 2021-22 campaign. He has averaged 24.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists. --Field Level Media

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TORONTO — Broad-based gains led Canada’s main stock index to close higher in the shortened Christmas Eve trading session, while U.S. stock markets also rose. The S&P/TSX composite index ended up 97.84 points at 24,846.82, as most sectors rose other than telecoms and health care. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 390.08 points at 43,297.03. The S&P 500 index was up 65.97 points at 6,040.04, while the Nasdaq composite was up 266.24 points at 20,031.13. The gains added to increases in recent days to help offset the drop in markets last week after the U.S. Federal Reserve released its latest outlook. The climb however was more likely related to year-end balancing than any change in sentiment, said Dustin Reid, chief fixed income strategist at Mackenzie Investments. “I think it’s mostly just year-end flows that are driving it. I don’t think there’s anything that’s particularly reversed in terms of sentiments since the Fed meeting,” said Reid. There’s reallocation by geography, moving asset classes and other adjustments to align portfolios that is likely affecting markets, he said. “I find that price action around month end, quarter end, and year-end, you shouldn’t try and ascribe a ton of fundamental cause as to why things are moving, because there’s a lot of flows happening below the surface that are probably driving the price action that are not necessarily fundamentally based.” The U.S. Fed guided for only two rate cuts in 2025 at its Dec. 18 meeting, which pushed down markets for the day. But Reid said the guidance was largely in line with expectations, and the strong U.S. economy has likely since helped boost markets. The Canadian market, meanwhile, might be benefiting a little from the expectations of even more rate cuts needed here than expected as the economy is showing softness. On Monday, Statistics Canada said its early estimate for November suggests real GDP for the month edged 0.1 per cent lower for the first drop this year. “The negative flash print for November really suggests that the bank is going to have a fair bit more work to do,” said Reid. “I think that the market is not pricing in enough easing for calendar ’25 for the Bank of Canada.” There was no economic data releases Tuesday to sway markets, he said. The Canadian dollar traded for 69.51 cents US compared with 69.47 cents US on Monday. The February crude oil contract was up 86 cents at US$70.10 per barrel and the February natural gas contract was up 16 cents at US$3.50 per mmBTU. The February gold contract ended up US$7.30 at US$2,635.50 an ounce and the March copper contract was up two cents at US$4.11 a pound.Fans screamed, cheerleaders danced and confetti cannons exploded as Taiwan's baseball team rode in military vehicles through the capital Taipei on Tuesday following their historic victory in an international tournament. F-16 fighter jets firing flares escorted the men's team back to Taiwan on Monday, a day after they beat Japan 4-0 in the final of the WBSC Premier12 in Tokyo and sparked jubilation across the island of 23 million people. Baseball is wildly popular in Taiwan and winning the WBSC Premier12 for the first time has been a focus of newspaper front pages, social media chat groups and office conversations. After receiving a rapturous welcome at Taipei's international airport on Monday night, the players turned out Tuesday for a street parade in front of thousands of adoring fans waving Taiwanese flags and "Team Taiwan" signs. Employees of a bank climbed out of their first-floor office windows to watch the players go past. "I couldn't sleep for two nights, that shows how excited I am," Victor Chai, 30, told AFP as he stood in the crowd. "I've been watching games for 20 years, and I never thought I'd see the day when Taiwan's team would win an international championship." After playing under the name Chinese Taipei, the team wore black hooded sweaters emblazoned with Taiwan as they stood in the back of military jeeps and trucks. The parade ended at the Presidential Office Building where the team was greeted by President Lai Ching-te and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim -- wearing the same sweaters as the players. "Thank you for showing Taiwan to the world," Lai told the players. "Taiwan is not just about semiconductors; Taiwan also has baseball." Taiwan and China have been ruled separately since 1949, but Beijing claims the island as part of its territory and has sought to erase it from the international stage. Taiwan competes under the name Chinese Taipei in international sports events due to pressure from China, which baulks at any attempt to give the island legitimacy. Lai has been an outspoken defender of Taiwan's sovereignty, angering Beijing, which calls him a "separatist".

Walmart-owned e-commerce giant Flipkart has unveiled its much-anticipated Black Friday Sale, set to commence on 24 November and run through 29 November. The event promises substantial savings on a wide array of smartphones, including premium models such as the iPhone 15, Samsung Galaxy S24+, and Google Pixel 9, alongside mid-range and budget-friendly options. Among the most eye-catching offers, the will be available at an effective price of 57,749, a significant reduction from its original launch price of 79,900. Similarly, the iPhone 15 Plus is set to cost 65,999, while the high-end iPhone 15 Pro Max will see its price drop to 1,23,999, down from 1,59,999. Android enthusiasts are also in for a treat. The will be on sale at 64,999, while the Pixel 9 will be priced at 71,999, a discount from its launch price of 79,999. The Samsung Galaxy S23 is expected to retail at a remarkable 38,999 during the sale period. For those seeking value-for-money options, the Moto G85 will receive a 1,000 discount, bringing its effective price to 16,999. The Moto Edge 50 Pro will cost 29,999, while Vivo’s V30 Pro will drop to 33,999, a notable markdown from its initial price of 41,999. Budget-conscious buyers can also look forward to the CMF Phone 1, which is expected to be on sale for just 13,999. Other devices, including the Vivo T3 Ultra, Nothing Phone 2a Plus, Galaxy Z Flip 6, Realme P1, Vivo T3, Realme 12X, and Moto Edge 50 Neo, will also feature discounted prices. Details of these offers and additional electronics deals are expected to be revealed soon. This sale presents a good opportunity for customers planning to upgrade their smartphones or explore the latest in technology who missed the Diwali deals. Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world to know more. 3.6 Crore Indians visited in a single day choosing us as India's undisputed platform for General Election Results. Explore the latest updatesThe Minister of Education, Dr Mauruf Alausa, says the Federal Government has, henceforth, cancelled foreign trainings for scholars. Alausa, who said this at the opening ceremony of a three-day conference organised by the British Council, on Tuesday in Abuja, said that scholars would now be trained within Nigeria. The theme of the conference is, “Building Sustainable and Relevant Tertiary Institutions and Systems in Africa”. The minister said that the Federal Government would be spending substantial money in building simulation lab, as well as building and developing the country’s universities. “We have just decided to canceled foreign training for scholars. The amount of money we are spending to train one scholar abroad, we could use it to train 20 people here. We will be training everybody here. “We will unleash capacity in our universities. We are going to be spending more money now on research, innovation, and also on welfare, both on our academics and non-academics,” he said. The minister said that the Federal Government was poised to use education to empower the youths. “I have just spoken about the first component of our six-pillar agenda. The second component will be focusing heavily on technical, vocational and educational training,” he said. He said that young Nigerians would be incentivise to go to technical college and acquire technical knowledge. “We will pay for their tuition as a second step, and as a third step, a master craft person, when they will get their practical training, we will pay them as well. “The curriculum will be 80 per cent practical on-the-job training and 20 per cent didactic, and as they are finishing, we will also give them entrepreneurial grants, not loan,” he said. Speaking on education budget, he said that people only looked at the money on the budget without considering what the government spends on tertiary institutions. READ ALSO: According to him, people just look at what is budgeted to the education ministry, but not really counting the fact that it is also funding federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. Earlier, Dr Richard Montgomery, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, said that with the growing African population that might hit 2.5 billion by 2050; Africa needed to build strong and sustainable tertiary institutions Montgomery said that such institutions should be able to produce skilled and employable graduates. “Africa is growing, it has a hugely young population. It is going to be 2.5 billion people by 2025 “So you need to harness the demographic dividend, and we need to work harder to build institutions that are sustainable and resilient. “We need to evolve higher education systems, so that they are better able to harness talent, and are better able also to produce graduate skills and knowledge, which aligned to the growing economies,” he said. According to him, social progress and economic prosperity rely on a healthy tertiary education system. “The transnational education partnership that we have agreed in Nigeria is creating more linkages between Nigerian higher education institutions and UK universities “We hope in time, that it is going to unlock more finance, more expertise, more partnerships between UK institutions and Nigerian institutions. “In 2022, we had about 750,000 overseas students who came to the UK to study in our higher education institutions, and many of them, tens of thousands of them, come from the African continent,” he said. Mr Steve Smith, the UK Prime Minister’s International Education Champion, said that the UK’s international education strategy emphasised the importance of education as a tool for social and economic transformation. Smith said that it sets out the UK government’s ambition to foster strong internationally connected education systems that enabled knowledge sharing, innovation and a welcoming environment for students globally. “In Africa, this has to include listening to African voices and leaders to develop respectable and equitable UK-Africa partnerships that enhance people-to-people links. “That will also support research collaborations and align educational goals with the evolving needs of society, all on the basis of mutual respect ” he said.

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It's party time, Colorado Springs. Following the Switchbacks' 3-0 win over Rhode Island FC to capture their first-ever USL Championship title on Saturday, the club will hold a celebration party at Weidner Field on Dec. 6. Doors will be open from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Fans will be able to meet with the coaches, take a photo with the trophy, purchase championship merchandise and more, the club announced via social media on Friday. Colorado Springs coach James Chambers officially dubbed Weidner Field a "fortress" following Saturday's win. The Switchbacks won all four of their postseason games at home, outscoring opponents 8-1 in that span. In the regular season and playoffs, the Switchbacks won 14 games in downtown Colorado Springs, after starting off the season 0-5. Forwards Ronaldo Damus and Juan Tejada, and midfielders Jairo Henriquez and Zach Zandi each scored twice over the playoffs. Tejada was named the championship final MVP. Henriquez and Damus scored the Switchbacks' first goals of the playoffs, helping the club earn a 2-0 win over Oakland Roots SC in the Western Conference quarterfinals, Nov. 2. Zandi earned his first career brace, or two-goal game, in league play in the conference semifinals against Orange County SC eight days later. His game-winner in extra time sent the Switchbacks to the conference finals for the second time in three seasons. Tejada scored the only goal of the match in the conference final against Las Vegas Lights FC on Nov. 16. He struck again in the league final on Saturday, scoring the first goal of the match. Henriquez and Damus also scored to give the Switchbacks the decisive three-goal victory.g i casino 。

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Sam McDowell: Chiefs enacted emergency plan after Patrick Mahomes’ outburst vs. Raiders. What next?The Boston Fleet allowed two goals in the final two minutes to fall 3-1 to the Toronto Sceptres to kick off the second Professional Women’s Hockey League’s season Saturday afternoon at Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto. The Fleet played for the inaugural PWHL title last season, falling in the final game to Minnesota. In the 2024-25 season opener, the Fleet were outshot 41-19, including 32-7 over the final two periods. Former Northeastern University goaltender Aerin Frankel was superb in stopping 38 of 40 shots. Hannah Miller scored a power-play goal with 1:38 left for the game-winner. Emma Maltais scored into an open net with 12 seconds left to account for the final. Boston took a 1-0 lead at 3:00 of the opening period thanks to a goal by captain Hilary Knight. Megan Keller and Hannah Bilka earned assists.

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Upon Andrew Jackson’s inauguration as the seventh president of the United States in 1829, he owned 95 enslaved people and a sprawling plantation in Nashville named “the Hermitage.” Last week, the Andrew Jackson Foundation, the group that owns and operates the Hermitage today, announced the discovery of gravesites where an estimated 28 enslaved people were buried on the plantation’s grounds. By the time of his death in 1845, Jackson owned 150 enslaved people and had expanded the Hermitage to a vast 1,000 acres. He and his family owned more than 300 enslaved men, women and children from 1788 to the end of the Civil War in 1865. “Any time you have this large of a population of enslaved people at the site, there has to be a cemetery somewhere,” Tony Guzzi, the Hermitage’s chief of preservation and site operations, tells Annie Correal of the New York Times . “And we have found that piece of history that was missing.” Advances in technology and a tip-off from a 1935 agricultural report allowed the foundation to make the recent discovery, along with a new source of funding. The historical report had identified an area of graves and large trees on the property, which was located in January 2024. The burial site is near a creek an estimated 1,000 feet northwest of the main house. It has been largely undisturbed for the last 180 years, overgrown and untouched by farming or infrastructure. Archaeologists used ground-penetrating radar to identify possible and probable graves without damaging them, validating their hunches through cautious partial excavation that revealed “depressions oriented in rows” and “unnaturally placed pieces of limestone, all suggesting possible gravesites,” according to a statement . Jackson first purchased the Hermitage from a neighbor on July 5, 1804, expanding the original 425-acre property into a cotton-producing plantation. The Hermitage’s website delves into the stories of some of the known enslaved people who toiled on the plantation. In October 1804 , Jackson ran an advertisement in the Tennessee Gazette with a $50 reward for the return of an enslaved person who escaped the plantation earlier that year. The advertisement added: “ten dollars extra, for every hundred lashes any person will give him, to the amount of three hundred.” When Jackson was elected president in 1829, he brought 14 enslaved people—eight women and six men—to labor in his new home at the White House. According to The White House Historical Association , Jackson’s enslaved household likely worked on many of the improvements to the White House during his administration, including adding running water to the building. Others served as domestic laborers and likely as jockeys in his hobby for racing horses. The Hermitage now joins other mansions owned by former U.S. presidents where visitors can observe burial sites of enslaved people. Historians at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello , George Washington’s Mount Vernon and James Madison’s Montpelier have previously located cemeteries where enslaved people were buried. “Locating the physical remains of these individuals is a strong reminder of what this landscape was and what it represented—historically, an elite white space, a plantation and a place of enslavement sustained by arduous labor and sacrifice of Black bodies,” Carlina de la Cova , a bioarchaeologist at the University of South Carolina who was not involved in the project, tells Live Science ’s Kristina Killgrove. The newly discovered gravesite has been fenced off, but beginning this week, the Hermitage is including the site in a new free tour, reports Travis Loller of the Associated Press . An advisory committee consisting of historians and descendants of some of the enslaved people at the Hermitage will decide on how to memorialize the site. “It is historically significant, after decades of searching, that we are highly confident we have found the cemetery for people who were enslaved at the Hermitage,” Jason R. Zajac , president and CEO of the Andrew Jackson Foundation, says in the statement. The foundation cautioned against sharing definitive numbers about how many graves were found, as not all possible sites may turn out to be graves, and there could be more yet to be identified. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday. Olatunji Osho-Williams | READ MORE Olatunji Osho-Williams is an intern with Smithsonian magazine.New Hampshire reels off 27-straight points in 27-9 win over MaineThe buzz, the laughter... new team-mates with a new purpose - MATT BARLOW shines a light on the wonderful world of walking football

NEW YORK (AP) — In a string of visits, dinners, calls, monetary pledges and social media overtures, big tech chiefs — including Apple’s Tim Cook, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos — have joined a parade of and world leaders in trying to improve their standing with President-elect Donald Trump before he takes office in January. “The first term, everybody was fighting me,” Trump said in . “In this term, everybody wants to be my friend.” Tech companies and leaders have millions into his inauguration fund, a sharp increase — in most cases — from past pledges to incoming presidents. But what does the tech industry expect to gain out of their renewed relationships with Trump? Clearing the way for AI development A clue to what the industry is looking for came just days before the election when Microsoft executives — who’ve largely tried to show a neutral or bipartisan stance — joined with a close Trump ally, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, to outlining their approach to artificial intelligence policy. “Regulation should be implemented only if its benefits outweigh its costs,” said the document signed by Andreessen, his business partner Ben Horowitz, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and the company’s president, Brad Smith. They also urged the government to back off on any attempt to strengthen copyright laws that would make it harder for companies to use publicly available data to train their AI systems. And they said, “the government should examine its procurement practices to enable more startups to sell technology to the government.” Trump has pledged to rescind President Joe Biden’s sweeping AI executive order, which sought to protect people’s rights and safety without stifling innovation. He hasn’t specified what he would do in its place, but his campaign said AI development should be “rooted in Free Speech and Human Flourishing.” Easier energy for data centers Trump’s choice to head the Interior Department, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, has spoken openly about the need to boost electricity production to meet increased demand from data centers and artificial intelligence. “The AI battle affects everything from defense to healthcare to education to productivity as a country,′′ Burgum said on Nov. 15, referring to artificial intelligence. “And the AI that’s coming in the next 18 months is going to be revolutionary. So there’s just a sense of urgency and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration′′ to address it. Demand for data centers due to the rapid growth of cloud computing and artificial intelligence, and local governments are competing for lucrative deals with big tech companies. But as data centers begin to consume more resources, some residents are pushing back against the world’s most powerful corporations over concerns about the economic, social and environmental health of their communities. Changing the antitrust discussion “Maybe Big Tech should buy a copy of ‘The Art of The Deal’ to figure out how to best negotiate with this administration,” suggested Paul Swanson, an antitrust attorney for the law firm Holland & Hart. “I won’t be surprised if they find ways to reach some accommodations and we end up seeing more negotiated resolutions and consent decrees.” Although federal regulators began cracking down on Google and Facebook during Trump’s first term as president — and flourished under Biden — most experts expect his second administration to and be more receptive to business mergers. Google may benefit from Trump’s return after he made comments on the campaign trail suggesting isn’t in the U.S. national interest, after a judge declared its search engine . But recent nominations put forward by his transition team have favored those who have been critical of Big Tech companies, suggesting Google won’t be entirely off the hook. Fending off the EU Cook’s notoriously rocky relationship with the EU can be traced back to a 2016 ruling from Brussels in a tax case targeting Apple. Cook slammed the bloc’s order for Apple to pay back up to 13 billion euros ($13.7 billion) in Irish back taxes as “total political crap.” Trump, then in his first term as president, piled on, referring to the European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, who was spearheading a campaign on special tax deals and a crackdown on Big Tech companies, as the “tax lady” who “really hates the U.S.” Brussels was after the bloc’s top court rejected Apple’s appeal this year, though it didn’t stop Cook from calling Trump to complain, Trump in October. Trump hosted Cook for a Friday evening dinner at the president-elect’s Mar-a-Lago resort, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly. Neither Apple nor the Trump transition team has commented on the nature of their discussions. Making amends? , Amazon and Meta all pledged to donate $1 million each to Trump’s inaugural fund. During his first term, Trump criticized Amazon and railed against the political coverage at The Washington Post, which billionaire Bezos owns. Meanwhile, Bezos had criticized some of Trump’s past rhetoric. In 2019, Amazon also argued in a court case that Trump’s bias against the company harmed its chances of winning a $10 billion Pentagon contract. More recently, Bezos has struck a more conciliatory tone. He recently said at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit in New York that he was “optimistic” about Trump’s second term, while also endorsing president-elect’s plans to cut regulations. The donation from Meta came just weeks after privately at Mar-a-Lago. During the 2024 campaign, Zuckerberg did not endorse a candidate for president, but voiced a more positive stance toward Trump. Earlier this year, he praised Trump’s response to his first assassination attempt. Still, Trump in recent months had continued to attack Zuckerberg publicly. And Altman, who is in a legal dispute with AI rival Elon Musk, has said he is about the Tesla CEO’s influence in the incoming administration. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year alleging that the maker of ChatGPT betrayed its founding aims of benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits. The Associated Press

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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — returned home Saturday after his meeting with Donald Trump without assurances the president-elect will back away from threatened tariffs on all products from the major American trading partner. Trump called the talks “productive” but signaled no retreat from a pledge that Canada says unfairly lumps it in with Mexico over the flow of drugs and migrants into the United States. After the leaders’ hastily arranged dinner Friday night at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, Trudeau spoke of “an excellent conversation” but offered no details. Trump said in a Truth Social post later Saturday that they discussed “many important topics that will require both Countries to work together to address.” For issues in need of such cooperation, Trump cited fentanyl and the “Drug Crisis that has decimated so many lives as a result of Illegal Immigration," fair trade deals "that do not jeopardize American Workers” and the U.S. trade deficit with its ally to the north. Trump asserted that the prime minister had made “a commitment to work with us to end this terrible devastation” of American families from fentanyl from China reaching the United States through its neighbors. The U.S., he said, “will no longer sit idly by as our Citizens become victims to the scourge of this Drug Epidemic.” The Republican president-elect has a 25% tax on all products from Canada and as one of his first executive orders when he takes office in January. U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border. On immigration, the U.S. Border Patrol made 56,530 arrests at the Mexican border in October alone and 23,721 arrests at the Canadian border between October 2023 and September 2024 — and Canadian officials say they are ready to make new investments in border security. Trudeau called Trump after the Republican's social media posts about the tariffs last Monday and they agreed to meet, according to a official familiar with the matter who was not authorized to publicly discuss detail of the private talks. The official said other countries are calling Canadian officials to hear how about how the meeting was arranged and to ask for advice. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, after speaking with Trump on the telephone, said Thursday she was confident would be averted. At the dinner that was said to last three hours, Trump said he and Trudeau also discussed energy, trade and the Arctic. A second official cited defense, Ukraine, NATO, China, the Mideast, pipelines and the Group of Seven meeting in Canada next year as other issues that arose. Trump, during his first term as president, once called Trudeau but it was the prime minister who was the first G7 leader to visit Trump since the Nov. 5 election. "Tariffs are a crucial issue for Canada and a bold move was in order. Perhaps it was a risk, but a risk worth taking,” Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal. Trudeau had said before leaving from Friday that Trump was elected because he promised to bring down the cost of groceries but now was talking about adding 25% to the cost of all kinds of products, including potatoes from Prince Edward Island in Atlantic Canada. “It is important to understand that Donald Trump, when he makes statements like that, he plans on carrying them out. There’s no question about it,” Trudeau said. “Our responsibility is to point out that he would not just be harming Canadians, who work so well with the United States, but he would actually be raising prices for Americans citizens as well and hurting American industry and business,” he added. The threatened tariffs could essentially blow up the North American trade pact that Trump’s team negotiated during his first term. Trudeau noted they were able to successfully renegotiate the deal, which he calls a “win win” for both countries. When Trump imposed higher tariffs as president, other countries responded with retaliatory tariffs of their own. Canada, for instance, announced against the U.S. in a response to new taxes on Canadian steel and aluminum. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US $2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports are from Canada. Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing in for national security. Canada is one of the most trade-dependent countries in the world, and 77% of Canada’s exports go to the U.S. ___ Gillies reported from Toronto.

Biden opens final White House holiday season with turkey pardons and first lady gets Christmas tree WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has kicked off his final holiday season at the White House, issuing the traditional reprieve to two turkeys who will bypass the Thanksgiving table to live out their days in Minnesota. The president welcomed 2,500 guests under sunny skies as he cracked jokes about the fates of “Peach” and “Blossom.” He also sounded wistful tones about the last weeks of his presidency. Separately, first lady Jill Biden received the delivery of the official White House Christmas tree. And the Bidens are traveling to New York later Monday for an early holiday celebration with members of the Coast Guard. Couple charged in ring suspected of stealing $1 million in Lululemon clothes MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Connecticut couple has been charged in Minnesota with being part of a shoplifting ring suspected of stealing around $1 million in goods across the country from upscale athletic wear retailer Lululemon.Jadion Anthony Richards and Akwele Nickeisha Lawes-Richards, both of Danbury, Connecticut, were charged this month with one felony count of organized retail theft. Both went free last week after posting bail bonds of $100,000 for him and $30,000 for her. They're also suspected in thefts from Lululemon stores in Colorado, Utah, New York and Connecticut. They're due back in court next month. Formula 1 expands grid to add General Motors' Cadillac brand and new American team for 2026 season LAS VEGAS (AP) — Formula 1 will expand the grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a federal investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, would not approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti, who has since stepped aside. The 11th team will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by new Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The team will use Ferrari engines its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition in time for the 2028 season. US goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is retiring from international soccer U.S. women’s national team goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is retiring from international soccer. Naeher is on the team’s roster for a pair of upcoming matches in Europe but those will be her last after a full 11 years playing for the United States. Naeher was on the U.S. team that won the Women’s World Cup in 2019 and the gold medal at this year's Olympics in France. She’s the only U.S. goalkeeper to earn a shutout in both a World Cup and an Olympic final. Bah, humbug! Vandal smashes Ebenezer Scrooge's tombstone used in 'A Christmas Carol' movie LONDON (AP) — If life imitates art, a vandal in the English countryside may be haunted by The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Police in the town of Shrewsbury are investigating how a tombstone at the fictional grave of Ebenezer Scrooge was destroyed. The movie prop used in the 1984 adaption of Charles Dickens' “A Christmas Carol” had become a tourist attraction. The film starred George C. Scott as the cold-hearted curmudgeon who is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve who show him what will become of his life if he doesn’t become a better person. West Mercia Police say the stone was vandalized in the past week. Megachurch founder T.D. Jakes suffers health incident during sermon at Dallas church DALLAS (AP) — The founder of Dallas-based megachurch The Potter's House, Bishop T.D. Jakes, was hospitalized after suffering what the church called a “slight health incident.” Jakes was speaking to churchgoers after he sat down and began trembling as several people gathered around him Sunday at the church. Jakes' daughter Sarah Jakes Roberts and her husband Touré Roberts said in a statement on social media late Sunday that Jakes was improving. The 67-year-old Jakes founded the non-denominational The Potter's House in 1996 and his website says it now has more than 30,000 members with campuses in Fort Worth and Frisco, Texas; and in Denver. At the crossroads of news and opinion, 'Morning Joe' hosts grapple with aftermath of Trump meeting The reaction of those who defended “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski for meeting with President-elect Trump sounds almost quaint in the days of opinionated journalism. Doesn't it makes sense, they said, for hosts of a political news show to meet with such an important figure? But given how “Morning Joe” has attacked Trump, its viewers felt insulted. Many reacted quickly by staying away. It all reflects the broader trend of opinion crowding out traditional journalist in today's marketplace, and the expectations that creates among consumers. By mid-week, the show's audience was less than two-thirds what it has typically been this year. Pilot dies in plane crash in remote woods of New York, puppy found alive WINDHAM, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities say a pilot and at least one dog he was transporting died when a small plane crashed in the snowy woods of the Catskill Mountains, though a puppy on the flight was found alive with two broken legs. The Greene County sheriff’s office says Seuk Kim of Springfield, Virginia, was flying from Maryland to Albany, New York, when the plane crashed at about 6:10 p.m. Sunday in a remote area. Officials believe the pilot died from the impact. The surviving dog was hospitalized, while a third dog was not located. The flight was connected with a not-for-profit group that transports rescue animals. Warren Buffett gives away another $1.1B and plans for distributing his $147B fortune after his death OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Investor Warren Buffett renewed his Thanksgiving tradition of giving by handing out more than $1.1 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to four of his family's foundations Monday, and he offered new details about who will be handing out the rest of his fortune after his death. Buffett has said previously that his three kids will distribute his remaining $147.4 billion fortune in the 10 years after his death, but now he has also designated successors for them because it’s possible that Buffett’s children could die before giving it all away. Buffett said he has no regrets about his decision to start giving away his fortune in 2006. Pop star Ed Sheeran apologizes to Man United boss Ruben Amorim for crashing interview MANCHESTER, England (AP) — British pop star Ed Sheeran has apologized to Ruben Amorim after inadvertently interrupting the new Manchester United head coach during a live television interview. Amorim was talking on Sky Sports after United’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich on Sunday when Sheeran walked up to embrace analyst Jamie Redknapp. The interview was paused before Redknapp told the pop star to “come and say hello in a minute.” Sheeran is a lifelong Ipswich fan and holds a minority stake in the club. He was pictured celebrating after Omari Hutchinson’s equalizing goal in the game at Portman Road.FIU_Joseph 1 run (Czeremcha kick), 9:48. FIU_Lyons 21 run (Czeremcha kick), 2:02. MTU_Willis 56 pass from Vattiato (Rankin kick), 10:40. FIU_D.Patterson 19 pass from K.Jenkins (Czeremcha kick), 8:04. FIU_D.Patterson 38 pass from K.Jenkins (Czeremcha kick), 6:14. MTU_Willis 37 pass from Vattiato (Rankin kick), 3:34. MTU_FG Rankin 35, :26. FIU_Rivers 50 pass from K.Jenkins (Czeremcha kick), 11:01. MTU_Middlebrook 1 run (Rankin kick), 7:23. RUSHING_Middle Tennessee, Middlebrook 10-41, Credle 10-36, Vattiato 7-28, Wilkins 1-8, Gardner 1-8. FIU, Lyons 15-101, Joseph 11-20, K.Jenkins 5-10, D.Patterson 1-6, Owens 2-6, Jones 2-4, Jnopierre 1-(minus 1), (Team) 2-(minus 2). PASSING_Middle Tennessee, Vattiato 21-33-1-256, (Team) 0-1-0-0. FIU, K.Jenkins 19-27-0-319. RECEIVING_Middle Tennessee, Willis 6-123, Middlebrook 4-32, M.Butler 3-36, Sutton 3-20, Credle 3-7, Sherman 2-38. FIU, Rivers 7-117, D.Patterson 4-97, Fournet 4-64, Joseph 1-19, Jnopierre 1-16, Lyons 1-5, Ferguson 1-1. MISSED FIELD GOALS_Middle Tennessee, Rankin 36.

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