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Is ‘Glicked’ the new ‘Barbenheimer’? ‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator II’ collide in theatersJ eff Jarvis was born in 1954 and studied journalism at Illinois’s Northwestern University. He worked as a TV critic and created the magazine Entertainment Weekly , later leading the online arm of US media company Advance Publications. Since 2001, he has been blogging at Buzzmachine.com and in 2005 he became an associate professor at City University of New York’s graduate school of journalism, directing its new media programme before retiring last year. Jarvis, who lives in New York, is the co-host of the podcasts This Week in Google and AI Inside . What made you want to write your new book, The Web We Weave ? My glib answer is that somebody has to defend the freedoms of the internet because I fear they’re under attack. It’s important to say that I’m not defending the corporations or current proprietors of the internet, but I do think that moral panic over the net will lead to regulation that will affect freedoms for all. This turned into more of a critique of media’s coverage than I had predicted. Why do you think the media turned against the internet and big tech? Media have been engaged in moral panics going way back. What separates this media moral panic from others is the conflict of interest involved: in the media’s view, this new technology competes with them for both audience and advertising dollars – and that is rarely revealed. In my book, I chronicle the failures of Rupert Murdoch on the internet and the billions of dollars that he wasted. He decided to turn on it because he couldn’t succeed at it. The Wall Street Journal fired the first shot with a series demonising the cookie and ad targeting. Yes, but social media give a megaphone to our worst instincts and voices... It does that, but it also enables communities who were not there before to come together. To be clear, I’m an old white guy who learns things very late in life, but I’ve learned a lot by reading the scholars of Black Twitter – André Brock Jr, Charlton McIlwain, Meredith Clark. The internet also enabled these communities to come together in a way that they could not gather because they were not heard in mass media. In the book, you tell Shoshana Zuboff and other critics of surveillance capitalism to get a grip. Why? I object to Zuboff’s use of the term “surveillance”, especially today when we have governments that have behind them the power of law, imprisonment, fine and weapons as they surveil populaces. And so to trivialise surveillance by characterising advertising cookies as that is offensive to me and overblown. Should there be changes around ad targeting? Sure, but I don’t think it starts with that kind of a klaxon call. It feels intuitively right to me whenever someone says that phones and social media are negatively affecting our mental health. Why do you push back on that? As I read the literature on this, it’s clear that the research is far from definitive either way. When we blame the phone for young people’s problems , we once again pass over the much more serious issues. In the US, children are afraid to go to school for [fear of] getting shot. Young women evermore have no control over their bodies. They are inheriting a climate that we fucked up. They are in the midst of a fascist takeover of the country. Oh yeah, let’s blame the phones. What’s your take on AI? I’m more frightened of the AI boys than I am of their AI. The problem is they have corrupted the language around it, so the word “safety” is now meaningless because the doomsters treat safety as them not destroying humankind, when there are very real safety issues that need to be dealt with around bias and fraud and the environment and so on. So it’s difficult to have the conversation now because we don’t have common terms. What impact will the Trump administration have on regulation – and more broadly on your vision for reclaiming the internet? I think you’re going to find the companies themselves not regulated, unless Donald Trump doesn’t like them. And this is what we saw at the last minute with [Jeff] Bezos’s horrid Washington Post editorial decision and with Meta trying to back away from all politics. No one wants to make judgments because it’s expensive and risky to do so. On the one hand, we’ll find companies and investors run wild. On the other, we will see some vindictive action from the Trumpists against certain companies because they have this belief that they’ve been discriminated against. Are you surprised by how far to the right certain Silicon Valley billionaires have leaned? I think one shouldn’t be surprised about the corrupting venality of billions of dollars and I think that’s what we saw at work in some of those cases. The argument that I heard during the election was: “Well, maybe the moguls have gone to the right, but the workers have not.” I don’t know. It wasn’t that long ago when employees at Google revolted over machine learning and defence. So far, I’m not hearing any rumblings of a worker revolt from Anthropic against working with evil empire Palantir for defence contracts. So I don’t know where the pulse of Silicon Valley will be, and I fear that it could go farther right all around or farther into a safety cave. Sign up to Observed Analysis and opinion on the week's news and culture brought to you by the best Observer writers after newsletter promotion Do you think Trump’s relationship with Elon Musk will go the distance? [laughs] God knows. It’s often said that they both want centre stage, so this won’t work, but Trump loves billionaires and crazy, outlandish talk. And Musk, obviously, loves being at the centre of power. His investment in Twitter seemed insane, and it certainly was damaging, but it gave him this power, and this power led to Tesla stock going up. So it probably turned out to be a good investment – in ruining America. I don’t think he’s going to disappear. One of your solutions for making a better internet is to demote the geeks. That feels hard to imagine . Yeah, but looking back at history, it becomes less difficult. Printers were all-important at the beginning, they made every decision and then they were just hired to do an industrial job. Radio, similarly, was a kind of mysterious technology until it wasn’t, and I think the same will be true of the internet and, eventually, AI. With AI, I think that, ironically – and unintentionally – it’s the geeks demoting themselves. I’m not a coder but I can now have a computer do what I want it to do without coders. Eventually, it’s not hard to imagine that anyone can tell the machine what they want to do and it will then do it without the technologists. The Web We Weave: Why We Must Reclaim the Internet from Moguls, Misanthropes, and Moral Panic by Jeff Jarvis is published by Basic Books on 5 December (£25). To support the Guardian and Observer order your copy at guardianbookshop.com . Delivery charges may applym ph nn777 。

Syrian government services come to a 'complete halt'Core & Main president sells $2.75 million in stock

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Weekly Indicators: Short-Term Forecast Very Positive, While Nowcast Hits A Soft Patch

Wheel of Fortune contestants whiffing their bonus puzzles is nothing new, but on December 4’s episode, a player came up short on a $40,000 puzzle that left fans joking that she may never want to visit a Disney theme park again. The game show’s latest big miss involved Vandana Patel, an Indian fusion food expert from Chicago. She won the episode and proceeded to the coveted bonus round with $20,600, a trip to Florida, and the selection of “What Are You Wearing?” as her category. Joined by host Ryan Seacrest and the off-side support of her waving mom, daughter, and husband, she faced the two-word puzzle. Choosing a “DMH” and “A,” Vanna White added a mere “H” to the first word. “We want more!” Seacrest chanted. With that tough break, the 10-second timer began. The puzzle read as, “‘_ H _ T E’ ‘_ L _ _ E S.'” A stern Patel did her very best to concentrate on cracking it, successfully saying “White” was the first word. But she couldn’t figure out the second word, and the timer ran out. The full puzzle was unveiled, “WHITE GLOVES.” Seacrest revealed the gold envelope contained the $40,000 amount and put a consoling arm around Patel’s shoulder. “This was on your bucket list!” he told her. “It was,” she replied. The game show shared the big miss on Youtube, where fans reacted to the loss with the top comment being about how the contestant will likely never want to see Mickey Mouse, or Mario of the Nintendo games, again given their white gloves. “Now she never wants to see mickey or mario again,” the fan wrote scoring 20 likes. “Or the keeper of the Stanley Cup,” replied another. A third fan wrote, “I knew it said WHITE GLOVES and I even solved it before the timer was displayed.” A fourth penned, “Don’t worry, Vandana, I was stumped too. I got the first word, but not the second. That’s alright, you’re a winner regardless. $20K is nothing to sneeze at. Great job! A fifth said, “I knew gloves from the initial and her h got me white. Tough puzzle “Wow. At least it wasn’t the hundred thousand dollar wedge,” wrote one more. Meanwhile , Seacrest, of course, had huge shoes to fill replacing the legendary Pat Sajak after four decades for Season 42. His debut month was the strongest ratings month for WoF in the past three years, and viewers were already treated to a viral moment (via a round of sausage) . That said, there have been some questionable hosting moments. In September, Seacrest suffered what fans dubbed his “first blooper” , involving a prolonged reaction to rewarding a bonus round. Fans also called out the host for ruling against another player before the timer was up. Most controversially, last month, fans called out the host for not reminding a player to pick a letter , leading to him losing the game in a misunderstanding and by a mere $147. This past two weeks, a more puzzling issue has come to light, which is that there has been a mere one bonus puzzle win out of the last eight episodes , many fans blaming the players and not the host. Wheel of Fortune , Weeknights, Check your local listings More Headlines:Trump promises to end birthright citizenship: What is it and could he do it?

As the world prepares for the change of administration in January, current government officials and industry experts convened at the New York Forum on Economic Sanctions to reflect on enforcement trends in 2024, and to speculate about the year ahead. While each regulator was careful to say they did not have a crystal ball view into what the future holds, there was universal agreement that sanctions and export controls will remain powerful enforcement tools, and the machinery that has increased inter-agency coordination is likely to remain in place. Below we highlight key observations from the Justice Department’s National Security Division (NSD), the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), and the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) and discuss how companies can best position themselves in this time of transition. Highlights include: Continued close coordination among agencies Increasing focus on technology Evolving application of sanctions approaches Role of cryptocurrency OFAC’s efforts to modernize Dan Clutch, Deputy Director of the Office of Export Enforcement at BIS, put succinctly what each regulator expressed in some fashion: in his 24 years of government service, he has never seen the type of coordination that currently exists among the various agencies and task forces, and he doesn’t see it going away as leadership transitions: “it’s for real, and it’s here to stay.” This close coordination began following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with the creation of several joint task forces and increased information sharing. Now, almost three years later, it is clear that the agencies have developed highly effective working relationships and have become adept at leveraging their specific expertise to bring enforcement actions of all kinds. For example, BIS Assistant Secretary Matthew Axelrod confirmed that in the past year his team reviewed more than 1,200 Suspicious Activity Reports from Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and actioned more than 150 of them. He also reported that there was a 50 percent increase in charged cases as a result of the Disruptive Technology Strike Force , which is a joint effort among DOJ, Commerce, the FBI and HSI, and predicted more joint resolutions, such as that brought by OFAC and BIS against Microsoft for violations of both sanctions and export controls. Another form of close coordination has been through sharing of information in voluntary self disclosures (VSDs). In the past few years, most regulators have implemented VSD programs under which companies may receive significant benefit for coming forward upon discovery of violations. The regulators confirmed that they regularly share VSDs with their colleagues at other agencies, such that companies should assume that information shared in a VSD to one agency means all have the information. Significantly, however, companies will only receive credit from the regulators to which they themselves make a VSD, meaning that companies should make VSDs to all potentially relevant agencies. Relatedly, BIS highlighted two new features of its VSD program: (1) BIS will now consider it an aggravating factor if a company was aware of misconduct but did not self-report; and (2) BIS will provide “credit in the bank” for companies that provide credible, actionable tips on misconduct by industry competitors. These changes have increased both significant VSDs as well as actionable industry tips. Ian Richardson, NSD’s Chief Counsel for Corporate Enforcement, spotlighted NSD’s first-ever declination under its VSD policy for sanctions and export controls violations. Richardson explained that although NSD’s policy provides for a presumption of a non-prosecution agreement, in this case the company’s self-disclosure was “textbook perfect” so DOJ felt it was appropriate to reward it with a full declination. He noted that the company came in exceptionally early, and proactively provided information that led to guilty pleas by two employees. This result demonstrates that the benefits of self-disclosure and full cooperation are real, even for national security-related violations. One area of significant partnership among agencies is an increased focus on key and emerging technologies. Multiple panelists asserted that we are at pivotal national security moment with foreign adversaries attempting to access these technologies that will shape our future as a country, and the balance of power in the world. DOJ highlighted the success of the Disruptive Technology Strike Force in addressing transshipment networks that convey micro-electronics overseas in violation of export controls, such as a November 2024 resolution with the founder and former chief executive officer of a California-based international logistics and freight forwarding company that pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate export laws by shipping goods to Chinese companies on BIS’ Entity list, and a September 2024 indictment against two defendants who allegedly utilized shell companies, fictitious personas, and falsified records to help Russia obtain American-made laser welding machines in support of Russia’s nuclear program. DOJ asserted that more such actions were on the way. We’ll see. This time last year, we discussed the rising importance of export controls, explaining that the targeted, agile, and less political nature of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) provide the government with a new layer of regulations well-suited to this technology-focused threat. The regulators observed that, more and more, inclusion on BIS’s End User Restriction list is akin to inclusion on OFAC’s SDN list. DOJ also discussed coordination with Commerce specifically in actions abroad, warning that although sometimes DOJ runs into problems with dual criminality — where a foreign jurisdiction does not recognize an action as criminal — DOJ has “creative lawyers and ways of getting the information we need” from other angles and partners. A new twist to protecting technology is that much of it is no longer physical, but rather information that can be transmitted, by an accomplice or through a spearfishing attack, over the internet. In these cases without a transhipping middleman, regulators have found an enforcement angle in the payment. This shift, in part, prompted BIS to develop guidance for the financial industries sector , issued on October 9, 2024, recommending that financial institutions undertake specific compliance practices to minimize their risk of violating General Prohibition 10 of the EAR. BIS emphasized that while these suggestions were not required, regulators would consider the failure to incorporate these or similar measures if a violation did later occur, because knowledge in this context goes beyond actual knowledge, and can be inferred from circumstances surrounding a transaction; in other words, a “known or should have known” standard. Michael Khoo, the Co-Director of DOJ’s Task Force KleptoCapture, discussed the evolution of sanctions tools to reflect changes in the enforcement environment. For example, he said that while the initial focus of many agencies was the primary “bad guys” such as oligarchs and arms dealers — and their movable assets, such as luxury yachts — agencies are pivoting to actions against the army of professional facilitators such as transhippers, lawyers, bankers and corporate services providers that allow the primary bad actors to hide assets and move goods. Similarly, following the initial wave of enforcement actions, regulators continue to consider whether parallel actions are necessary to fully accomplish their goal. For example, in early December, the Southern District of New York, in cooperation with DOJ and the FBI, filed a civil forfeiture complaint against more than $3.4 million in proceeds from the sale of a music studio in Burbank, California, alleging that the proceeds, which are beneficially owned by Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, are the proceeds of sanctions violations. The action was taken despite an indictment charging Deripaska with sanctions violations had already been unsealed on September 29, 2022, and Deripaska remains at large. Khoo expressed surprise that his team did not encounter more crypto assets when pursuing oligarchs, finding that their wealth was largely comprised of luxury goods or fiat holdings. However, he said that crypto is becoming highly relevant on the procurement side of enforcement efforts. Foreign entities seeking to obtain US technology have begun to realize that paying for such goods with USD or through US banks is too risky, and have turned to USD-pegged stable coins to process these transactions, benefitting from the credibility of USD while avoiding the jurisdiction of US regulators. He said that his team is looking at this trend closely, and leveraging the expertise of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team as necessary. Michael Grady, Chief of the Banking Integrity Unit of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section at DOJ, discussed recent actions against crypto currency exchanges such as Binance for failure to comply with Anti Money Laundering (AML) regulations, and predicted such prosecutions will be a priority in the coming year. He added that AML is so crucial because it is not just a national security tool, but it also a screening measure for any other potential violation, such as sanctions, terrorism financing and export controls. Joshua Jungman, Policy Chief Compliance Division OFAC, spoke about the office’s recent modernization efforts, all geared at presenting a more unified message and more helpful information to industry. He highlighted the Office’s new compliance portal through which industry can seek guidance, saying that this new approach will allow his office to provide faster responses to simple questions, elevate the harder questions to the right stakeholders, and allow leadership to see the areas that need more guidance. OFAC is also in the process of refreshing its FAQs, and in the coming months will be putting out more information via a video series and its blog. Jungman indicated that OFAC has heard industry requests to decrease reporting requirements, but said that change won’t be happening any time soon, as it views the information as crucial to fulfilling its mission. New leadership in the incoming administration will undoubtedly make some changes, but companies should not expect a dramatic shift in the enforcement space as it relates to prioritizing the national security of the United States, particularly with respect to Iran, China and Central America. Companies should continue to enhance their due diligence and compliance programs to reflect shifts in the global risk environment including by examining shipping and payment networks and ensuring visibility into the ultimate end users of their products or services. Corporate enforcement tools that were developed and refined by the outgoing administration are likely to be retained and employed by the new team.

Delhi: AAP legislator booked for assaulting fruits seller‘Saltburn’ star deactivates Instagram account due to ‘hatred’, ‘too many lines being crossed’

NoneRape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) is urging retailers to stop selling Conor McGregor's stout and whiskey products after a civil court jury found him liable last week for the assault of Nikita Hand. Clíona Saidléar, RCNI executive director, said she believed the €250,000 damages awarded to Nikita Hand was a "drop in the ocean” for a man of McGregor's wealth. "The companies making money from his alcohol and other products need to look at whether they want to align themselves with a man found by a civil jury to have sexually assaulted a woman,” she said. "They need to stop promoting him and distance themselves... €250,000 won't dent his finances, but the public can play a role here in expressing disapproval for anyone that tries make money with a man who engaged in that despicable behaviour.” Proper No 12 whiskey — which he sold in 2023 but remains a spokesperson for — and his Forged Irish Stout products are stocked by supermarkets and off-licences. During the three-week civil case, McGregor posted Instagram pictures of himself with this Forged Irish Stout in a EuroSpar in the North. He said over six million cans have been sold. Earlier this year, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASAI) upheld a complaint that Forged Irish Stout breached advertising rules on sexualised content. In an Instagram post, there was "significant emphasis through the use of camera angles, on the female models' cleavages and bottoms, and in some cases solely on these areas”. The ASAI said there was no creative reason for this "other than to objectify the female models”. It found this was "an irresponsible manner in which to depict women”. Read more

Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Christmas (and Hanukkah and Kwanzaa for that matter) are quickly approaching. For those who haven’t started putting up holiday decorations at home, now’s the perfect time to start. With early Black Friday deals in full swing, you’ll likely score a deal on any new pieces for yourself and snag a gift for the holiday host or hostess on sale. Depending on what style or type of decorations you’re in the market for, you’ll have better luck when shopping at certain retailers over others. That’s why we created a handy guide with ten of our favourites, whether you’re on the hunt for a new artificial Christmas tree, home decor or holiday entertaining essentials. Sure, Canadian Tire might be best known for its assortment of sports and recreation gear – and of course, tires. However, come the holiday season, the retailer takes pride in becoming “Canada’s Christmas Store.” You’ll find everything you need to deck the halls indoors and outdoors, with a huge selection of artificial Christmas trees , outdoor lights and inflatables and decor for a festive atmosphere. Pieces we love: Airblown Santa Stitch, 3.2-ft , $50; Canvas Pre-Lit Indoor Noelle Fraser , $400; Canvas LED Pre-Lit Artificial Cedar Wreath , $60. For string lights, outdoor decorations and artificial Christmas trees, look to Home Hardware. You’ll find items organized by aesthetic like cozy classic, modern farmhouse and vintage-inspired. Those who string up their old incandescent lights will also be happy to know that you can still find replacement bulbs here too. Pieces we love: Instyle Holiday C9 Light Set , $100; Instyle Holiday Porch Tree & Wreath Set , $200; Danson Decor 6.5′ Noble Pine Tree , $100. When decorating on a budget, Amazon has all the affordable holiday finds you could hope for. There are tons of options for artificial trees under $100, plus expensive-looking garlands and outdoor lighting set-ups that look way more luxe than their price tags suggest. Pieces we love: HOMCOM 6′ Pencil Christmas Tree , $65; 9ft. Norfolk Pine Garland , $23; Minetom Outdoor Projector Lights , $50. If you love the look of elegant holiday decor, add West Elm to your shopping list. You’ll find everything from Scandinavian-inspired designs to vintage-looking trinkets that suit just about any personality. There are also plenty of quirky ornament options, including a lobster tail , an evil eye and après-ski animals. Pieces we love: Village Tealight Candleholders , $29+; Stacked Wood Trees , $38+; Flocked Ball Ornaments (Set of 25) , $40. Walmart is another great option for holiday decor on a budget. Many finds ring in under $20, including plenty of tabletop decor, stockings and ornaments. For collectors, there’s also a big selection of Christmas-themed plushies to add to your home or give as a gift. Pieces we love: Holiday Time Red Wood Nutcracker, $10; Holiday Time Plaid Stocking , $16; Step2 My First Advent Calendar , $80. For those looking for a full holiday home makeover, Michael’s has you covered. Shop for coordinating ornaments, tree skirts, table runners, wreaths and garlands to create the perfect Christmas wonderland. Plus, stock up on craft supplies for personalized decor. Pieces we love: 6ft. Pink Gala Ball Garland , $40; Peppermint Candy Throw Pillow , $37; 12′′ Gingerbread Houses Tabletop Décor , $50. If you’re searching for West Elm-worthy decor with more accessible pricing, look no further. This season, Canadian home decor brand Bouclair offers the sweetest, fluffiest animal ornaments and table toppers, plus glittery mini-trees and ceramic houses that scream holiday cheer. Pieces we love: Decorative Ceramic House , $10; Polar Bear Ornament , $10; Golden Wire Glittery Tree , $18; Decorative Sheep , $13. When it comes to themed entertaining essentials, Anthropologie is your one-stop shop. You’ll find holiday-ready barware, dishware, linens, candles and more with a whimsical, bohemian feel. These unique finds also make for great gifts for a Secret Santa or white elephant exchange . Pieces we love: Holiday in the City Stoneware Mug , $16; Holiday Tree Borosilicate Glass Candle Holder , $38; Beaded Holiday Placemat , $48. What’s more cozy throughout the holiday season than a festive mug filled with eggnog or hot chocolate? Indigo has tons of original designs to choose from, as well as unique serving platters and cozy throw blankets to brighten up your space. Pieces we love: Holiday Icon Glass Set, Set of 4, $50; Glitzmas Everyday Bowls, Set of 4 , $25; Gingerbread Wood Serving Board , $30. Create luxe tablescapes this holiday season with a little help from Pottery Barn. You’ll find festive collectibles that are sure to become family classics, as well as stunning accessories to decorate your home from top to bottom come your next holiday get-together. Pieces we love: Gingerbread Tree Holiday Cookie Jar , $112; Santa’s Sled Salt & Pepper Shakers , $56; Stewart Plaid Dinnerware 16-Piece Set , $372. Shopping Essentials is a category written by research-obsessed shopping experts. Explore product reviews, recommendations and launches — plus behind-the-scenes info on your favourite brands and hidden gems — learn more here or sign up for our newsletter . kmendonca@postmedia.com instagram.com/kate.mendonca Love a deal? Us too. Explore Postmedia’s latest coupon codes from top brands we know and love.The opportunity to return to his home state and take over a football program that has committed the resources for future success is one that Bronco Mendenhall ultimately couldn’t pass up. Mendenhall, the former BYU, Virginia and New Mexico head coach, has been tasked to lead Utah State University’s program. He was officially introduced in front of a large Monday morning crowd during a press conference on the third floor of Maverik Stadium’s West Stadium Center. “The first guiding principle of our program is family first, last and always,” Mendenhall said in his opening remarks to the gathering. “This decision, in addition to this amazing institution, aligns with our first principle family first, last, always. Who in the world gets to lead an amazing football program into a brand new era with such a rich tradition and do it with the support of your family in the same state? I think we have the best job on the planet.” Mendenhall, who spent this past season as the head coach of New Mexico, spoke following some opening remarks from USU President Elizabeth R. Cantwell and Athletics Director Diana Sabau. Mendenhall, a former Snow College and Oregon State defensive back, is the 31st head coach in program history. “It’s incredibly important to me that we elevate students’ success every single step of the way,” Cantwell said. “The impact of a champion-level football program is unbelievable and I know many of you are investors steeped on the athletics side, but I can tell you as a university president of a public service university that is elevates us everywhere. And there are a lot of reasons why, but I believe. I believe in this football program, I believe in Bronco Mendenhall, I believe in Diana Sabau and I believe in USU, and they all go together. So, we’re very, very, very, very fortunate to have Bronco Mendenhall on board. He is the right person for this time. He’s who we need at USU to propel us into an incredible future.” Sabau presented Mendenhall with a framed composition of USU’s Old Main building and told the gathering the A atop the building would be lit blue tonight in honor of the long-time collegiate coach. “This was a national process,” Sabau said. “I received a lot of calls of interest from very well-qualified candidates, from members in the NFL, from former Aggies, from Division I position coaches and coordinators ... and sitting head coaches. There was an intense interest. You all should recognize that and hold that dear. To that end, I made the decision early that we needed the experience of a sitting head coach to develop our young men and daily address the complexities of this changing game of football at the Division I level. ... We needed someone at Utah State for our football program who would elevate our competitive excellence, who would prioritize our academic success and who would engage as good stewards of our community. Bronco Mendenhall emerged as that leader.” Mendenhall, whose mother still lives in his native city of Alpine, signed a six-year contract late last week — one that made him the highest-paid coach in the Mountain West Conference. His base salary for Year 1 is $2 million, with increases every year in the $60,000 range. Mendenhall has also been allocated a significant number of resources for his coaching pool, starting at $3.5 million in Year 1, with a $500,000 increase in each successive season. This commitment to building a program that will join the Pac-12 Conference starting in the 2025-26 academic year is something that did not go unnoticed by Mendenhall, who had a base salary of $1.2 million in his lone season at New Mexico. “We’re thrilled — my wife and I, my staff — and honored (to be USU’s head coach),” said Mendenhall, who was accompanied at the press conference with his wife, Holly, by his side. “We’re very clear that there’s interest in football here. This turnout shows that. Amazing football transforms communities and who would think that could happen, (that), hey, the Aggies winning in football and doing it consistently and well and doing it the right way, it can become the identity not only of the community, but of the entire state. I love the idea of the majority of this team coming from our state. I love the idea of us being dominant in our footprint. I love the idea of diversity. I love the idea of difference. I always love the ability to unite and I intend to have a team that represents us, this community, this institution in a way that you can be proud of, not only in how we play, but who we are.” The 58-year-old is looking forward to building a program that not only competes for conference championships, but takes a lot of pride in success in the classroom and being active in the community. “In my opinion, in the world of college athletics, (this is) the ideal platform to develop amazing young people from, (but), at the same time, championships matter,” Mendenhall said. “And so what you’ll be dealing with in a head coach (like) myself is that, yeah, results absolutely matter, but how we accomplish that, it matters even more. I care about these young people, who they become, what they do with their lives, how they play. But ultimately if they’re influencing this community in a positive way, if they’re becoming amazing young men for their families, if they’re able to contribute in society with all kinds of memories of championship experiences here, that looks like success to me. There isn’t anyone on the planet that will have higher expectations for our players than I. The greatest gift I can give is that of extreme expectations.” This kind of balance is something Mendenhall is confident can come to fruition at USU. “In most institutions where I’ve been, it was the highest grade point average in the school’s history, followed by the most service hours in the school’s history, followed by the most success on the field in school history,” the father of three said. “Those things happen at the same time. Many in college athletics today think those are mutually exclusive, (that) there’s not enough time and all we care about is football. It will take everything our players have to keep up with the football demands.” The lion’s share of Mendenhall’s staff at New Mexico will be joining him at USU, he said in a Monday radio interview with Scott Garrard and Hans Olsen. One of the exceptions is offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven, who Mendenhall specifically mentioned in Monday’s press conference. McGiven spent this past season as the receivers coach/passing game coordinator at San Jose State. This will be McGiven’s third stint in Logan, inasmuch as he was the assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach in 2009 and the QB coach/offensive coordinator from 2013-14. Mendenhall and his staff are currently in the process of “evaluating our current roster.” Evaluating the class of 2025 recruits that signed with the Aggies last week will be the next priority, Mendenhall, who has an all-time record of 140-88 as a head coach, said Monday. “This current team, they didn’t choose me,” said Mendenhall, who has guided 16 of his 18 teams as head coach to bowl eligibility. “They’ll have a chance to choose me over the upcoming months. But, let’s face it, they weren’t the ones that choose and so that relationship will grow and develop as they come, and hopefully the relationships formed will be outstanding. I believe in the power of choice and enabling young people the power of choice. The expectations of the program will be so clear and so transparent and so consistent with fierce accountability (that) really it doesn’t allow anyone to remain neutral.”

None3 ASX Penny Stocks With Market Caps Under A$7B To Watch

Hundreds of companies pay dividends. Many currently offer higher yields, making them attractive for those seeking passive income. With so many options, it's easy to miss some appealing opportunities. MPLX ( MPLX 2.55% ) and Omega Healthcare Investors ( OHI -0.07% ) are two high-yielding dividend stocks many investors have overlooked. Here's why investors won't want to miss these excellent passive income producers. High yield and high growth MPLX doesn't get a lot of attention from investors. It's not as popular as fellow master limited partnerships (MLPs) , Energy Transfer ( ET 0.53% ) and Enterprise Products Partners ( EPD 1.45% ) . However, it stacks up well compared to those high-yielding rivals: MLP Distribution Yield Distribution Coverage Ratio Leverage Ratio Energy Transfer 6.7% 2.0x 4.0x-4.5x Enterprise Products Partners 6.4% 1.7x 3.0x MPLX 7.8% 1.5x 3.4x Data source: MPLX, Energy Transfer, and Enterprise Products Partners. MLP = master limited partnership. As the table shows, MPLX has a much higher yield. That's because it has a lower distribution coverage ratio, largely due to its rapid growth in recent years. It recently increased its distribution by 12.5%, which followed 10% increases in 2023 and 2022. That compares to 5% distribution growth from Enterprise Products Partners over the past year and a 3%-5% annual growth target range from Energy Transfer. MLPX has plenty more growth coming down the pipeline . The company expects to complete its BANGL pipeline expansion next year, while the Blackcomb and Rio Bravo pipelines should enter service in the second half of 2026. The MLP also has a couple more natural gas processing plants under construction that should enter commercial service over the next two years. In addition to that visible growth, MPLX has ample financial capacity to continue making accretive acquisitions. It has made two deals this year, including boosting its stake in BANGL. These growth drivers should give it the fuel to continue increasing its high-yielding distribution at a healthy clip. That makes it a great option for those comfortable with investing in MLPs that send their investors a Schedule K-1 federal tax form each year. This high yield is growing healthier Omega Healthcare Investors has quietly been a very enriching investment over the years . The healthcare real estate investment trust (REIT) pays a 6.7%-yieldin g dividend, which is a lot higher than the average REIT (around 4%). While its dividend growth has stalled in recent years (it hasn't increased the payout since 2019), it has delivered 7.1% compound annual dividend growth overall since it came public in 2003. The REIT invests in income-generating skilled nursing and assisted living facilities in the U.S. and U.K. It leases these facilities back to healthcare companies under long-term triple net (NNN) agreements. It will also invest in real estate loans backed by skilled nursing and senior housing properties. Those investments generate very stable rental and interest income for the REIT to support its high-yielding dividend. Omega Healthcare routinely invests money in additional healthcare properties. For example, it completed $440 million of new investments in the third quarter, including $390 million in real estate acquisitions and $50 million in real estate loans. Its new investments help grow its cash flow, supporting the REIT's high-yielding dividend. The company currently has a rather high dividend payout ratio (95%), which has prevented it from increasing its dividend. However, with its cash flow per share rising, its dividend is getting even healthier. If it can continue growing its cash flow, it should eventually be able to start increasing its dividend again. Enticing options for income-seeking investors MPLX and Omega Healthcare Investors have hefty dividend yields these days. Because of that, they're worth a closer look for those seeking to generate passive income. They could enable investors to collect more income than they would from similar investments.

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