chennai super game

chennai super game FRISCO, Texas (AP) — A rare win as a double-digit underdog came just in time to let the Dallas Cowboys believe their playoff hopes aren't completely gone in 2024. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * FRISCO, Texas (AP) — A rare win as a double-digit underdog came just in time to let the Dallas Cowboys believe their playoff hopes aren't completely gone in 2024. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? FRISCO, Texas (AP) — A rare win as a double-digit underdog came just in time to let the Dallas Cowboys believe their playoff hopes aren’t completely gone in 2024. Cooper Rush probably will need three more victories in a row filling in for the injured Dak Prescott for any postseason talk to be realistic. The thing is, the Cowboys (4-7) could be favored in two of those games, and already are by four points as an annual Thanksgiving Day host against the New York Giants (2-9) on Thursday, according to BetMGM. Not to mention the losing record at the moment for each of the next four opponents for the defending NFC East champions, playoff qualifiers each of the past three seasons. The Cowboys have a chance to make something of the improbable and chaotic 34-26 win at Washington that ended a five-game losing streak. “Behind the eight ball,” Micah Parsons said, the star pass rusher acknowledging the reality that Dallas hadn’t done much yet. “Let’s see how we can handle adversity and see if we can make a playoff run. But we got a long way to go.” It was a start, though, powered in part by the best 55 minutes from the Dallas defense since the opener, when the Cowboys dismantled Cleveland and looked the part of a Super Bowl contender. The last five minutes for the Dallas defense against the Commanders looked a lot like most of the nine games after that 33-17 victory over the Browns. Which is to say not very good. Jayden Daniels easily drove Washington 69 yards to a touchdown before throwing an 86-yard scoring pass in the final seconds to Terry McLaurin, who weaved through five defenders when a tackle might have ended the game. The Cowboys kept a 27-26 lead thanks to Austin Seibert’s second missed extra point, and withstood another blunder when Juanyeh Thomas returned an onside kick recovery for a TD rather than slide and leave one kneel-down from Rush to end the game. Dallas will have to remember it did hold a dynamic rookie quarterback’s offense to 251 yards before the madness of the ending in the Cowboys’ biggest upset victory since 2010 at the New York Giants. That one was too late to save the season. This one might not be. “We needed it,” embattled coach Mike McCarthy said. “It’s been frustrating, no doubt. We’ve acknowledged that. We’ve got another one right around the corner here, so we have to get some wins and get some momentum.” What’s working Rush ended a personal three-game losing streak with his best showing since the previous time he won as the replacement for Prescott, who is out for the season after surgery for a torn hamstring. The 117.6 passer rating was Rush’s best as a starter, and the NFL’s second-worst rushing attack played a solid complementary role with Rico Dowdle gaining 86 yards on 19 carries. What needs help KaVontae Turpin’s electrifying 99-yard kickoff return did more than lift the Cowboys when it appeared an 11-point lead might get away in the final five minutes. It eased the worst day of special teams for Dallas since John Fassel took over that phase four years ago. Suddenly struggling kicker Brandon Aubrey had one field-goal attempt blocked and missed another. Bryan Anger had a punt blocked. For the second time in five games, Aubrey’s attempt to bounce a kickoff in front of the return man backfired. The ball bounced outside the landing zone, putting the Commanders at the 40-yard line to start the second half and setting up the drive to the game’s first touchdown. Stock up CB Josh Butler, whose NFL debut earlier this season came five years after the end of his college career, had 12 tackles, a sack and three pass breakups. The pass breakups were the most by an undrafted Dallas player since 1994. Stock down Rookie LT Tyler Guyton, who has had an up-and-down season with injuries and performance issues, was benched immediately after getting called for a false start in the fourth quarter. His replacement, Asim Richards, could be sidelined with a high ankle sprain that executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones revealed on his radio show Monday. Veteran Chuma Edoga, who was the projected starter at Guyton’s position before a preseason toe injury, was active but didn’t play against the Commanders. He’s awaiting his season debut. Injuries The status of perennial All-Pro RG Zack Martin (ankle/shoulder) and LG Tyler Smith (ankle/knee) will be a question on the short week after both sat against Washington. Stephen Jones indicated Smith could be available and said the same of WR Brandin Cooks, who hasn’t played since Week 4 because of a knee issue. TE Jake Ferguson may miss at least a second week with a concussion. The short week might make it tough for CB Trevon Diggs (groin/knee) to return. Key number Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 75% — Rush’s completion rate, his best with at least 10 passes. He was 24 of 32 for 247 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. His other game with multiple TDs and no picks was a 25-10 victory over Washington two years ago, when he went 4-1 with Prescott sidelined by a broken thumb. Next steps There’s some extra rest after the short week, with Cincinnati making a “Monday Night Football” visit on Dec. 9. The next road game is at Carolina on Dec. 15. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Advertisement AdvertisementAs President Joe Biden's term comes to an end, social media users are falsely claiming that his administration spent billions of dollars on the construction of just a handful of electric vehicle charging stations. Multiple high-profile figures, including sitting members of Congress, have promoted the claims. The claims misrepresent funding set aside by the 2021 Infrastructure and Jobs Act , also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, for a national network of publicly available electric vehicle chargers . Biden has set a goal of creating 500,000 such chargers by 2030. Here's a closer look at the facts. CLAIM: The Biden administration spent $7.5 billion to build eight electric vehicle charging stations. THE FACTS: That's incorrect. The $7.5 billion figure refers to the total amount allocated through the 2021 law to build a network of charging stations across the U.S., not the amount that has already been spent. There are currently 214 operational chargers in 12 states that have been funded through the law, with 24,800 projects underway across the country, according to the Federal Highway Administration. A charger, often called a charging port, provides electric power to one vehicle at a time through a connector, which is plugged into the vehicle. Stations are physical locations that can have multiple chargers. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg called the claims spreading online “false” in a series of X posts. “$7.5B has not been spent, nor anything like that,” he wrote, adding that federally funded chargers are built by individual states, not the federal government, and that most will be built in the second half of the 2020s. The total $7.5 billion in funding consists of $5 billion distributed through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program , or NEVI, and $2.5 billion distributed through the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program , or CFI. NEVI funds, as determined by a formula, go annually to departments of transportation in all 50 states, plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, from 2022 to 2026. The funds will be available until 2030. Each year, 10% of NEVI funding is set aside for states and local governments that require additional assistance. CFI provides grants to states and other localities through an application process. It funds electric vehicle charging, as well as other alternative fueling infrastructure, with a focus on underserved and disadvantaged communities. Rep. Michael Rulli, a Republican from Ohio, was among multiple high-profile figures who falsely claimed this week that the entire budget has already been spent. “Pete Buttigieg will leave his post as Transportation Secretary having spend $7.5 BILLION to build 8 EV charging stations,” he wrote in an X post that had received approximately 62,900 likes and shares as of Wednesday. “His legacy will be squandering billions on something nobody wants, while millions struggle to afford the things they need.” Rulli's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. By early this year, only four states — Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Hawaii — had opened stations funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, The Associated Press reported in March . A Washington Post article published the next day said this amounted to just seven stations . Loren McDonald, an independent analyst tracking the electric vehicle charger buildout, told the AP that when assessing the progress that's been made it's important to understand that some states have extensive experience constructing electric vehicle charging infrastructure while others have little to none. He explained that Wisconsin, for example, had to pass a new law in order to comply with federal requirements. “This is a federal program, but at the end of the day, it's completely dependent on the states,” he said. “And so the real criticism probably needs to be directed at the states that are moving slowly or how the program was structure. But I don't know how else you would have done it.” Asked whether the federal government could do anything to help states move faster, McDonald suggested that it could have provided them with more guidance on how to manage their individual buildouts. All 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia have access to two rounds of NEVI funding totaling nearly $2.4 billion, according to the Federal Highway Administration. As of Friday, 37 states have access to their third round of funding, for an additional $586 million total. The agency explained, however, that this does not represent money that has already been spent — just the money that is available to fund projects. The Federal Highway Administration has announced more than $1.3 billion in awards through CFI and funds set aside by NEVI with $779 million in grants currently available under both programs. This also represents money that is available for projects rather than money that has been spent. There are currently more than 203,000 publicly available charging ports across the U.S., with nearly 1,000 being turned on every week, according to the agency. This is more than double the number available in 2021. In addition to NEVI and CFI, funding sources include federal tax incentives and private investments. Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck .

We are accustomed to thinking of the Pilgrims at Plymouth and the neighboring Wampanoag tribe of Massachusetts as the first to celebrate Thanksgiving, but some scholars say that isn’t accurate. Here’s the case for other possibilities. The Thanksgiving traditions started by the Pilgrims in Massachusetts in 1621 are what most Americans follow. But history shows a celebration to give thanks occurred in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619. Not only that, 56 years earlier than the Puritan Pilgrims’ gathering, 800 Spanish settlers who founded the city of St. Augustine celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving along with members of the Seloy tribe. In St. Augustine, according to the National Park Service, it could have been cocido, a stew made with salted pork, garbanzo beans and garlic seasoning, accompanied by hard sea biscuits and red wine. If the Seloy contributed to the meal from their food stores, the menu could have included turkey, venison, gopher tortoise, mullet, drum, sea catfish, corn, beans and squash. There are other accounts of thanksgiving celebrations predating the Pilgrims by the French settlers in Florida. An early French account dates to 1564, when persecuted Huguenot settlers celebrated in Northern Florida. A year later the French settlement was wiped out by the Spanish. When the first settlers arrived in Jamestown in April 1607 and raised a cross at Cape Henry, claiming the land for England, they may have had a thanksgiving predating their first known observance in 1619. In that year, Berkeley Hundred was settled, one of a number of plantations granted by the Virginia Co. of London to its stockholders. Prior to leaving England in September 1619, ship Capt. John Woodlief received instructions from investors that included these words: “That the day of our ships arrival at the place assigned for plantacon in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty god.” On Dec. 4, 1619, Woodlief’s ship checked in at Jamestown, the colony’s capital, where a mostly religious thanksgiving ceremony was held, after which the ship sailed up the James River about 30 miles. The Berkeley Hundred plantation was not around long after a growing number of native Powhatan tribal members went to war and drove the settlers out in March 1622. Jamestown: Traveling aboard the ships Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery, 104 men landed in Virginia in 1607 at a place they named Jamestown. It was the first permanent English settlement in the New World. Plymouth: Thirteen years later, 102 settlers aboard the Mayflower landed in Massachusetts at a place they named Plymouth. Jamestown: Economic motives prompted colonization in Virginia. The Virginia Co., organized in 1606, sponsored the Virginia Colony. Organizers of the company wanted to expand English trade and obtain a wider market for English manufactured goods. They naturally hoped for profit from their investment in shares of company stock. Plymouth : Freedom from religious persecution motivated the Pilgrims to leave England and settle in Holland, where there was more religious freedom. However, after a number of years the Pilgrims felt that their children were being corrupted by the liberal Dutch lifestyle and were losing their English heritage. News of the English colony in Virginia motivated them to leave Holland and settle in the New World. Related Articles Jamestown: Inexperience, unwillingness to work and a lack of wilderness survival skills led to bickering, disagreements and inaction at Jamestown. Poor relations with tribes, disease and the initial absence of the family unit compounded the problems. Plymouth: Cooperation and hard work were part of the Pilgrims’ lifestyle. Nevertheless, they too were plagued with hunger, disease and environmental hazards. Jamestown: The settlers were members of the Church of England. Plymouth: The Pilgrims were dissenters from the Church of England and established the Puritan or Congregational Church. In 1619, the first representative legislative assembly in the New World met at the Jamestown church. Since New England was outside the jurisdiction of Virginia’s government, the Pilgrims established a self-governing agreement of their own, the Mayflower Compact. Jamestown: On Dec. 4, 1619, settlers stepped ashore at Berkeley Hundred along the James River and, in accordance with company investors’ instructions, celebrated their first official thanksgiving. Plymouth: In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims held a celebration to give thanks to God for his bounty and blessings. This occasion was the origin of the traditional Thanksgiving as we know it. You can find an interactive map of Historic Jamestown on the National Park Service site here . Sources: National Park Service, Virginia Museum of History and Culture, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation

NoneMomentus announces 1-for-14 reverse stock split

FACT FOCUS: Posts misrepresent Biden administration spending on EV charging stationsWilliam Blair Survey Finds One-Third Of Shoppers Plan Gift Shopping At WalmartAs President Joe Biden's term comes to an end, social media users are falsely claiming that his administration spent billions of dollars on the construction of just a handful of electric vehicle charging stations. Multiple high-profile figures, including sitting members of Congress, have promoted the claims. The claims misrepresent funding set aside by the 2021 Infrastructure and Jobs Act , also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, for a national network of publicly available electric vehicle chargers . Biden has set a goal of creating 500,000 such chargers by 2030. Here's a closer look at the facts. CLAIM: The Biden administration spent $7.5 billion to build eight electric vehicle charging stations. THE FACTS: That's incorrect. The $7.5 billion figure refers to the total amount allocated through the 2021 law to build a network of charging stations across the U.S., not the amount that has already been spent. There are currently 214 operational chargers in 12 states that have been funded through the law, with 24,800 projects underway across the country, according to the Federal Highway Administration. A charger, often called a charging port, provides electric power to one vehicle at a time through a connector, which is plugged into the vehicle. Stations are physical locations that can have multiple chargers. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg called the claims spreading online “false” in a series of X posts. “$7.5B has not been spent, nor anything like that,” he wrote, adding that federally funded chargers are built by individual states, not the federal government, and that most will be built in the second half of the 2020s. The total $7.5 billion in funding consists of $5 billion distributed through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program , or NEVI, and $2.5 billion distributed through the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program , or CFI. NEVI funds, as determined by a formula, go annually to departments of transportation in all 50 states, plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, from 2022 to 2026. The funds will be available until 2030. Each year, 10% of NEVI funding is set aside for states and local governments that require additional assistance. CFI provides grants to states and other localities through an application process. It funds electric vehicle charging, as well as other alternative fueling infrastructure, with a focus on underserved and disadvantaged communities. Rep. Michael Rulli, a Republican from Ohio, was among multiple high-profile figures who falsely claimed this week that the entire budget has already been spent. “Pete Buttigieg will leave his post as Transportation Secretary having spend $7.5 BILLION to build 8 EV charging stations,” he wrote in an X post that had received approximately 62,900 likes and shares as of Wednesday. “His legacy will be squandering billions on something nobody wants, while millions struggle to afford the things they need.” Rulli's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. By early this year, only four states — Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Hawaii — had opened stations funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, The Associated Press reported in March . A Washington Post article published the next day said this amounted to just seven stations . Loren McDonald, an independent analyst tracking the electric vehicle charger buildout, told the AP that when assessing the progress that's been made it's important to understand that some states have extensive experience constructing electric vehicle charging infrastructure while others have little to none. He explained that Wisconsin, for example, had to pass a new law in order to comply with federal requirements. “This is a federal program, but at the end of the day, it's completely dependent on the states,” he said. “And so the real criticism probably needs to be directed at the states that are moving slowly or how the program was structure. But I don't know how else you would have done it.” Asked whether the federal government could do anything to help states move faster, McDonald suggested that it could have provided them with more guidance on how to manage their individual buildouts. All 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia have access to two rounds of NEVI funding totaling nearly $2.4 billion, according to the Federal Highway Administration. As of Friday, 37 states have access to their third round of funding, for an additional $586 million total. The agency explained, however, that this does not represent money that has already been spent — just the money that is available to fund projects. The Federal Highway Administration has announced more than $1.3 billion in awards through CFI and funds set aside by NEVI with $779 million in grants currently available under both programs. This also represents money that is available for projects rather than money that has been spent. There are currently more than 203,000 publicly available charging ports across the U.S., with nearly 1,000 being turned on every week, according to the agency. This is more than double the number available in 2021. In addition to NEVI and CFI, funding sources include federal tax incentives and private investments. Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck .

From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has urged political office holders to use the yuletide to extend love and kindness to the less privileged around them. In his Christmas message to the people, Nwifuru said the season should characterise love, kindness and generosity. “This is a season of joy, reflection, and gratitude; a time to come together as families, friends, and communities to celebrate the hope and love that this special time of the year represents “By doing this, we can embody the true spirit of the season by lifting one another up and spreading goodwill throughout our dear state. “Commemorating the birth of our lord and saviour, Jesus Christ, reminds us of the power of giving, compassion, and unity,” he said. He commended the citizens of the state for their steadfastness in joining him to execute the social contract with them. “As we look back on the year, I am filled with pride and gratitude for the resilience and strength of our people. “Despite the challenges we may face, your dedication, hard work, and unwavering spirit make our state a better place for everyone. The Governor assured that his administration would continue to initiate policies and projects that will enhance the well-being of the people. “It is my fervent wish and prayers that this Christmas will bring peace, happiness, and hope to you and your loved ones.”

Celebrations and taking stock as ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel takes holdBowlero CFO Lavan acquires $1,506 in stockIsrael strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen’s capital, WHO chief says he was ‘metres’ away AP Updated: December 27th, 2024, 00:34 IST in Home News , International 0 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on WhatsApp Share on Linkedin Deir al-Balah (Gaza Strip): Israeli airstrikes in Yemen Thursday targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and the port city of Hodeida, and the World Health Organisation’s director-general said the bombardment occurred as he was about to board a flight in Sanaa, injuring a crew member. “The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge — just a few metres from where we were — and the runway were damaged,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X, adding that he and WHO colleagues were safe. Also Read History shall judge you kindly: Kharge mourns Manmohan Singh’s death 46 mins ago ‘Immense loss for nation’: Top BJP leaders pay tributes to Manmohan Singh 49 mins ago “We will need to wait for the damage to the airport to be repaired before we can leave.” He didn’t mention the source of the bombardment. The Israeli strikes followed several days of Houthi launches setting off sirens in Israel. The Israeli military said it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa and ports at Hodeida, Al-Salif and Ras Qantib along with power stations. It didn’t immediately respond to questions about Tedros’ statement. The latest strikes came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “the Houthis, too, will learn what Hamas and Hezbollah and Assad’s regime and others learned”. Netanyahu monitored the new strikes along with military leaders, his government said. The Iran-backed Houthis’ media outlet confirmed the strikes in a Telegram post but gave no immediate details. The US military also has targeted the Houthis in Yemen in recent days. The United Nations has noted that the ports are important entryways for humanitarian aid. Over the weekend, 16 people were wounded when a Houthi missile hit a playground in Tel Aviv. Last week, Israeli jets struck Sanaa and Hodeida, killing nine people, calling it a response to previous Houthi attacks. The Houthis also have been targeting shipping on the Red Sea corridor, calling it solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. 5 journalists killed in Gaza Meanwhile, an Israeli strike killed five Palestinian journalists outside a hospital in the Gaza Strip overnight, the territory’s Health Ministry said. The Israeli military said that all were militants posing as reporters. The strike hit a car outside Al-Awda Hospital in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. The journalists were working for the local news outlet Al-Quds Today, a television channel affiliated with the Islamic Jihad militant group. Islamic Jihad is a smaller and more extreme ally of Hamas and took part in the October 7, 2023 attack in southern Israel, which ignited the war. The Israeli military identified four of the men as combat propagandists and said that intelligence, including a list of Islamic Jihad operatives found by soldiers in Gaza, had confirmed that all five were affiliated with the group. Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other Palestinian militant groups operate political, media and charitable operations in addition to their armed wings. Associated Press footage showed the incinerated shell of a van, with press markings visible on the back doors. Sobbing young men attended the funeral outside the hospital. The bodies were wrapped in shrouds, with blue press vests draped over them. The Committee to Protect Journalists says that more than 130 Palestinian reporters have been killed since the start of the war. Israel hasn’t allowed foreign reporters to enter Gaza except on military embeds. Israel has banned the pan-Arab Al Jazeera network and accused six of its Gaza reporters of being militants. The Qatar-based broadcaster denies the allegations and accuses Israel of trying to silence its war coverage, which has focused heavily on civilian casualties from Israeli military operations. Another Israeli soldier killed Separately, Israel’s military said that a 35-year-old reserve soldier was killed during fighting in central Gaza early Thursday. A total of 389 soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the start of the ground operation more than a year ago. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed across the border in an attack on nearby army bases and farming communities. They killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250. About 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third believed to be dead. Israel’s air and ground offensive has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry. It says more than half the fatalities have been women and children, but doesn’t say how many of the dead were fighters. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The offensive has caused widespread destruction and driven around 90 per cent of the population of 2.3 million from their homes. Hundreds of thousands are packed into squalid tent camps along the coast, with little protection from the cold, wet winter. Also Thursday, people mourned eight Palestinians killed by Israeli military operations in and around the city of Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Israeli military said that it opened fire after militants attacked soldiers, and it was aware of uninvolved civilians who were harmed in the raid. AP Tags: Houthi Israel Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus WHO Share Tweet Send Share Suggest A Correction Enter your email to get our daily news in your inbox. Leave this field empty if you're human:None

“Gladiator II” asks the question: Are you not moderately entertained for roughly 60% of this sequel? Truly, this is a movie dependent on managed expectations and a forgiving attitude toward its tendency to overserve. More of a thrash-and-burn schlock epic than the comparatively restrained 2000 “Gladiator,” also directed by Ridley Scott, the new one recycles a fair bit of the old one’s narrative cries for freedom while tossing in some digital sharks for the flooded Colosseum and a bout of deadly sea-battle theatrics. They really did flood the Colosseum in those days, though no historical evidence suggests shark deployment, real or digital. On the other hand (checks notes), “Gladiator II” is fiction. Screenwriter David Scarpa picks things up 16 years after “Gladiator,” which gave us the noble death of the noble warrior Maximus, shortly after slaying the ignoble emperor and returning Rome to the control of the Senate. Our new hero, Lucius (Paul Mescal), has fled Rome for Numidia, on the North African coast. The time is 200 A.D., and for the corrupt, party-time twins running the empire (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger), that means invasion time. Pedro Pascal takes the role of Acacius, the deeply conflicted general, sick of war and tired of taking orders from a pair of depraved ferrets. The new film winds around the old one this way: Acacius is married to Lucilla (Connie Nielsen, in a welcome return), daughter of the now-deceased emperor Aurelius and the love of the late Maximus’s life. Enslaved and dragged to Rome to gladiate, the widower Lucius vows revenge on the general whose armies killed his wife. But there are things this angry young phenom must learn, about his ancestry and his destiny. It’s the movie’s worst-kept secret, but there’s a reason he keeps seeing footage of Russell Crowe from the first movie in his fever dreams. Battle follows battle, on the field, in the arena, in the nearest river, wherever, and usually with endless splurches of computer-generated blood. “Gladiator II” essentially bumper-cars its way through the mayhem, pausing for long periods of expository scheming about overthrowing the current regime. The prince of all fixers, a wily operative with interests in both managing gladiators and stocking munitions, goes by the name Macrinus. He’s played by Denzel Washington, who at one point makes a full meal out of pronouncing the word “politics” like it’s a poisoned fig. Also, if you want a masterclass in letting your robes do a lot of your acting for you, watch what Washington does here. He’s more fun than the movie but you can’t have everything. The movie tries everything, all right, and twice. Ridley Scott marshals the chaotic action sequences well enough, though he’s undercut by frenetic cutting rhythms, with that now-familiar, slightly sped-up visual acceleration in frequent use. (Claire Simpson and Sam Restivo are the editors.) Mescal acquits himself well in his first big-budget commercial walloper of an assignment, confined though he is to a narrower range of seething resentments than Crowe’s in the first film. I left thinking about two things: the word “politics” as savored/spit out by Washington, and the innate paradox of how Scott, whose best work over the decades has been wonderful, delivers spectacle. The director and his lavishly talented design team built all the rough-hewn sets with actual tangible materials the massive budget allowed. They took care to find the right locations in Morocco and Malta. Yet when combined in post-production with scads of medium-grade digital effects work in crowd scenes and the like, never mind the sharks, the movie’s a somewhat frustrating amalgam. With an uneven script on top of it, the visual texture of “Gladiator II” grows increasingly less enveloping and atmospherically persuasive, not more. But I hung there, for some of the acting, for some of the callbacks, and for the many individual moments, or single shots, that could only have come from Ridley Scott. And in the end, yes, you too may be moderately entertained. “Gladiator II” — 2.5 stars (out of 4) MPA rating: R (for strong bloody violence) Running time: 2:28 How to watch: Premieres in theaters Nov. 21. Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.

The Los Angeles Galaxy will aim to complete one of the most remarkable transformations in Major League Soccer history on Saturday when they host the New York Red Bulls chasing a record-extending sixth MLS Cup crown. A year ago, the California franchise had hit rock bottom, plummeting to their worst ever regular season record to finish one place off the bottom of the Western Conference. The team that had once been a home to the likes of David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were engulfed in crisis, with fans boycotting fixtures after nearly a decade of failure on the field. Moreover, the Galaxy's status as one of MLS's glamour clubs had been diminished by the arrival of Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, as well as the emergence of city rivals Los Angeles FC, winners of the MLS Cup in 2022. The febrile atmosphere at the Galaxy prompted team ownership to shake up their front office, with Will Kuntz appointed general manager to replace long-time predecessor Chris Klein, who was fired in May 2023. The turnaround since those changes has been dramatic. After winning just eight fixtures in the 2023 season, the Galaxy under head coach Greg Vanney won a record-equalling 19 games this season to finish joint top of the table, second only to leaders LAFC on goal difference. The Galaxy kept up their winning ways in the postseason, swatting aside Colorado 9-1 on aggregate to wrap up their first round series, before thrashing Minnesota United 6-2 and then squeezing past Seattle 1-0 last weekend. Those results have left the club on the threshold of a first MLS Cup title since 2014 and a record sixth championship overall. Victory in Saturday's showpiece in Carson would be especially sweet for Vanney, who appeared in three MLS Cup finals with the Galaxy as a player in 1996, 1999 and 2001 -- and lost all three. Reflecting on his team's journey to this year's final, Vanney said this week his team had thrived under the pressure of being expected to challenge for silverware. "The expectation is to be in games like this, to win trophies and win championships," Vanney said. "This group has come out and attacked it from day one and hasn't been afraid of it or in awe of it -- and that's one of the beauties of this group. "I'm excited for this group and this opportunity and now the objective is to win it and put the stamp on it, rewriting a new group of players and new legacy for this organisation." Vanney's task has become more complicated by an injury to star midfielder Riqui Puig, who suffered torn knee ligaments in last week's Western Conference final win over Seattle and will miss Saturday's game. "He's the ultimate competitor," Vanney said. "He wants to win, compete, and take responsibility on the field. He drives the team in so many ways. "We're going to have to adapt, and we're going to have to adapt in a collective way." The Galaxy meanwhile will be wary of a New York Red Bulls line-up that have ripped up the form book en route to the final. After finishing seventh in the Eastern Conference -- 27 points behind leaders Inter Miami -- the Red Bulls stunned reigning champions Columbus in the first round of the playoffs before wins on the road over rivals New York City FC and Orlando to book their place in their first MLS Cup since 2008. New York's Scotland international midfielder Lewis Morgan says the team is unfazed by Saturday's assignment in Los Angeles. "For me, it doesn't really matter where it is: it's playoff football," Morgan said this week. "It's not the regular season. These games are more cagey. You go 1-0 up, we defend a little bit deeper and we're relying on guys at the back. There have been massive performances." rcw/bbNoneCelebrations and taking stock as ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel takes hold

Mind the Gap: Six Tips to Assess Your Healthcare Coverage Before the New Year( MENAFN - Gulf Times) The Official Gazette published in its Issue No. 17 of 2024 the founding document and the bylaws of Hamad Bin Khalifa Charitable Foundation, which is a private foundation for public benefit that aims to contribute to social and human development in the State of Qatar and abroad, and to provide support and social care to those in need. It enjoys complete independence in practising its activities and has a legal entity with limited liability and an independent financial status, and operates in accordance with the attached bylaws issued by the founder, and the provisions of Decree Law No. (21) of 2006 and its amendments apply to it. According to the founding document, the headquarters of the Foundation shall be in Qatar, and it may establish branches and centers inside and outside the country. The purposes of the Foundation are to improve the standard of living of needy people, especially Qataris, and to provide social care and financial and moral support to them in the fields of education, health and other social development sectors, and to identify and meet their needs, inside and outside Qatar. QR20mn has been allocated to establish and operate the Foundation. MENAFN27112024000067011011ID1108934391 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.