New French government named after previous one collapsed in budget fight
ALL-DISTRICT FOOTBALL: Several Eagles notch all-district honors
A 'demon-face' cloud appeared on the skies of Turkey following a storm, as has been alleged by multiple X (formerly called Twitter) accounts. One account, by the name of UFO Mania posted the video, with the caption, "Panic in Turkey Due to the Appearance of a DEMON FACE in the Sky During a Great Storm!!" However, it has been clarified that the video was taken from a Turkish weather account named "HavaForum" which was posted on the 19th of September 2021. The thunder, cloud formation and the alleged 'demon-face' was a phenomenon from nearly three years ago. Another account, named Tara Bull, also posted the same video, with the caption, "Demon looking face appears in the clouds of a violent storm in Turkey." Strange cloud formations are not uncommon in Turkey's skies. In January 2023, an unusual cloud formation that looked like an unidentified flying object (UFO) was seen drifting above Bursa, Turkey, on Thursday morning. As reported by The Guardian, the nearly circular cloud, referred to as a lenticular cloud, stayed unchanged for roughly an hour. Numerous internet users recorded the unusual occurrences on their devices. It emerged at dawn and had a big opening in the center. The footage and photos of the strange-looking cloud quickly spread around the globe. Numerous social media users remarked that the cloud resembled a UFO. Nevertheless, Turkey's state Meteorological Service allegedly clarified that the unusual occurrence was merely a "lenticular cloud". As reported by NDTV, lenticular clouds are recognized for their curved shape resembling flying saucers. They are typically located at elevations ranging from 2,000 to 5,000 meters. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from World and around the world.
‘All we can do is fight’The UConn Huskies suffered a crushing loss to Memphis at the beginning of the 2024 Maui Invitational. It was a wild finish, and Dan Hurley's team came up short, 99-97. The biggest storyline was the technical foul assessed to Hurley in the final minute. Hurley was frustrated by the foul call on Liam McNeeley. In turn, Hurley was hit with a technical foul that ended up shifting the game in the closing stretch. After the game, Hurley did not hide his feelings after the game about the technical foul, per Brendan Marks of The Athletic. David Butler II-Imagn Images "That was a joke. I mean, I just watched it," Hurley said. "I had a lot of issues with what went on in the game...For that call to be made at that point in the game is a complete joke." Hurley went one step further in an interview with CBS Sports, per Matt Norlander. "I think it was the (expletive) calls," Hurley said. "I would expect to come to play in an event, and I don't know too many back-to-back national championship teams that get that type of a whistle." Fans were not pleased with the foul on McNeeley, although the technical for Hurley was a long time coming given his antics throughout the game . After the foul, Hurley was given a technical, and PJ Carter hit four straight free throws to break the 92 tie and give the Tigers a four-point lead down the stretch. By the end of it all, UConn lost by two points, putting that much more emphasis on the foul call and the play down the stretch. UConn has to bounce right back on Tuesday with a game of the loser of Colorado-Michigan State. Related: College Basketball Fans Are Torn Over Dan Hurley’s Technical Foul In Upset Loss vs. MemphisDec. 23, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Poison experts see it every winter holiday season: Parents rush kids to the emergency room or call hotlines, panicking that their child has ingested something dangerous. Between holiday breaks, visiting relatives' homes, attending festivities, and opening gifts galore, kids face extra risks for accidental exposure to poison. In addition to heart felt season’s greetings, the Nebraska Poison Center sends out reminders that changes in routine may increase risks for kids. Poison experts urge parents and party hosts to remember safety best practices. • Pretty holiday plants aren't edible. Keep small children and animals away from mistletoe, holly berries, yew plants and poinsettias. • Be mindful of small batteries. Toys, games, watches, remotes, and musical greeting cards may contain button or disc batteries. If swallowed, they can become stuck and cause serious injury or death if not removed. • Watch out for water beads and magnets in toys . Expanding water beads and rare earth magnets are inappropriate for those who may ingest them. Strong magnets can stick together in the intestines and trigger a medical emergency. If water beads are swallowed, they may swell and cause a blockage in the intestines. • Be on the lookout for nicotine-containing products, including vape liquid and chewing tobacco, as well as CBD and THC products . These are often in brightly colored packaging that can easily be mistaken for candy or other food items for children. If swallowed by youngsters, nicotine may cause shakiness, vomiting or seizures. Keep these items away from common areas, locked and out of reach. • Lock up cleaning cabinets. Cleansers, laundry pods, and other cleaning products should also be stored out of sight. Do not mix chemicals together when cleaning and follow all label directions for using these products. More from this section • Remind relatives without small children about the importance of child-proofing prescription drugs . Encourage friends and family to store medications up, out of sight and locked up tight, not out on a nightstand or counter. Keep all purses and travel bags secured. • Be vigilant about the bar and alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are more readily accessible during gatherings. Clean immediately after gatherings and remove all items that may contain alcohol. Sadly, the holiday season can bring joy and grief simultaneously. As seasonal calls to the Poison Center concerning children increase, so do calls about intentional harm. If you or a loved one are having thoughts of self-harm or are in a crisis, remember that you are not alone. Call 988 to reach the 24/7 National Suicide and Crisis Line for help. Prevention is the best way to avoid and minimize poisonings. The Poison Center’s specially trained registered nurses and pharmacists are available 24/7/365. If you have questions or suspect poisoning exposure, call 1-800-222-1222. Your call will be routed to a local poison control center. Poison Center services are free and confidential. More information The Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) has more about poison exposure. SOURCE: Holiday Help From the Nebraska Poison Center, fact sheet.Chewy ( CHWY -7.17% ) stock took another hit on Thursday, a day after getting dinged by investors reacting to the company's third-quarter earnings report. While there was no direct news of note from the company, one analyst tracking its shares downgraded his recommendation. The result was that Chewy's share price fell by 6% across the trading session, a notably steeper decline than the S&P 500 index's 0.2% drop. Rover has not earned a treat Well before market open that day, Exane BNP Paribas' Chris Bottiglieri changed his recommendation on Chewy. It's now a neutral, according to him, where previously he felt it was worthy of an outperform (i.e., buy). His price target currently stands at $30 per share. It wasn't immediately clear why Bottiglieri made the adjustment, although it hardly seems coincidental that it almost immediately followed that earnings announcement . Although the pet care company managed to grow its revenue and flip to a bottom-line profit, its net income figure came in under the consensus analyst estimate. It has to be said that, while no pundits upgraded their Chewy recommendations Thursday, several bumped their price targets higher. Among these raisers were analysts from TD Cowen, Guggenheim, and Goldman Sachs ; however these raises were relatively modest. Better days ahead? These days, investors expect retail stocks to post robust growth figures -- often, it isn't sufficient if they show only single-digit improvements -- and Chewy's top-line improvement was 5% year over year. It isn't necessarily fair that they're punished in this way, and I think Chewy deserves better -- not least because management is forecasting a much better growth figure (13%) for its current quarter.
Millions of substandard homes making older people sick, report reveals alarming statisticsMarc Miller to propose more changes to immigration and asylum system
ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who tried to restore virtue to the White House after the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, then rebounded from a landslide defeat to become a global advocate of human rights and democracy, has died. He was 100 years old . The Carter Center said the 39th president died Sunday afternoon, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died in November 2023, lived most of their lives. The center said he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. As reaction poured in from around the world, President Joe Biden mourned Carter’s death, saying the world lost an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” and he lost a dear friend. Biden cited Carter’s compassion and moral clarity, his work to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless and advocacy for the disadvantaged as an example for others. “To all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility,” Biden said in a statement. “He showed that we are a great nation because we are a good people – decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.” Biden said he is ordering a state funeral for Carter in Washington. A moderate Democrat, Carter ran for president in 1976 as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad grin, effusive Baptist faith and technocratic plans for efficient government. His promise to never deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter said. Carter’s victory over Republican Gerald Ford, whose fortunes fell after pardoning Nixon, came amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over race, women’s rights and America’s role in the world. His achievements included brokering Mideast peace by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David for 13 days in 1978. But his coalition splintered under double-digit inflation and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His negotiations ultimately brought all the hostages home alive, but in a final insult, Iran didn’t release them until the inauguration of Ronald Reagan, who had trounced him in the 1980 election. Humbled and back home in Georgia, Carter said his faith demanded that he keep doing whatever he could, for as long as he could, to try to make a difference. He and Rosalynn co-founded The Carter Center in 1982 and spent the next 40 years traveling the world as peacemakers, human rights advocates and champions of democracy and public health. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, Carter helped ease nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiate cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, the center had monitored at least 113 elections around the world. Carter was determined to eradicate guinea worm infections as one of many health initiatives. Swinging hammers into their 90s, the Carters built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The common observation that he was better as an ex-president rankled Carter. His allies were pleased that he lived long enough to see biographers and historians revisit his presidency and declare it more impactful than many understood at the time. Propelled in 1976 by voters in Iowa and then across the South, Carter ran a no-frills campaign. Americans were captivated by the earnest engineer, and while an election-year Playboy interview drew snickers when he said he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times,” voters tired of political cynicism found it endearing. The first family set an informal tone in the White House, carrying their own luggage, trying to silence the Marine Band’s traditional “Hail to the Chief" and enrolling daughter, Amy, in public schools. Carter was lampooned for wearing a cardigan and urging Americans to turn down their thermostats. But Carter set the stage for an economic revival and sharply reduced America's dependence on foreign oil by deregulating the energy industry along with airlines, trains and trucking. He established the departments of Energy and Education, appointed record numbers of women and nonwhites to federal posts, preserved millions of acres of Alaskan wilderness and pardoned most Vietnam draft evaders. Emphasizing human rights , he ended most support for military dictators and took on bribery by multinational corporations by signing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. He persuaded the Senate to ratify the Panama Canal treaties and normalized relations with China, an outgrowth of Nixon’s outreach to Beijing. But crippling turns in foreign affairs took their toll. When OPEC hiked crude prices, making drivers line up for gasoline as inflation spiked to 11%, Carter tried to encourage Americans to overcome “a crisis of confidence.” Many voters lost confidence in Carter instead after the infamous address that media dubbed his “malaise" speech, even though he never used that word. After Carter reluctantly agreed to admit the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979. Negotiations to quickly free the hostages broke down, and then eight Americans died when a top-secret military rescue attempt failed. Carter also had to reverse course on the SALT II nuclear arms treaty after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979. Though historians would later credit Carter's diplomatic efforts for hastening the end of the Cold war, Republicans labeled his soft power weak. Reagan’s “make America great again” appeals resonated, and he beat Carter in all but six states. Born Oct. 1, 1924, James Earl Carter Jr. married fellow Plains native Rosalynn Smith in 1946, the year he graduated from the Naval Academy. He brought his young family back to Plains after his father died, abandoning his Navy career, and they soon turned their ambitions to politics . Carter reached the state Senate in 1962. After rural white and Black voters elected him governor in 1970, he drew national attention by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Carter published more than 30 books and remained influential as his center turned its democracy advocacy onto U.S. politics, monitoring an audit of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. After a 2015 cancer diagnosis, Carter said he felt “perfectly at ease with whatever comes.” “I’ve had a wonderful life,” he said. “I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Sanz is a former Associated Press reporter.
More Scots business owners anticipate higher turnover in 2025, poll suggests
David Beckham pays tribute to ‘heartbeat of Manchester United’ Kath PhippsNOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN UNITED STATES CALGARY, Alberta, Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pieridae Energy Limited (“Pieridae” or the “Company”) (TSX: PEA) is pleased to provide 2025 guidance including scope of the 2025 capital program along with production and Net Operating Income 1 (“NOI”) projections. Pieridae’s specific priorities for 2025 are: Sustain a safe and regulatory compliant business Minimize facility outages to maximize sales and processing revenue. Further grow the third-party gathering and processing business at our operated facilities. Meaningfully reduce operating expenses to improve corporate netback. Deliver attractive ROI on value adding optimization projects included in the 2025 capital program. Reduce long term debt to improve financial flexibility. The 2025 production guidance of 23,000 to 25,000 boe/d assumes that approximately 9,400 boe/d of previously announced voluntary production shut-ins in Central AB, Northern AB, and Northeast BC persist throughout 2025. These dry gas, low margin properties produce to third-party facilities and were shut-in during the second and third quarters of 2024 due to low AECO natural gas prices and high processing costs. These shut-ins represent approximately 25% of the Company’s production capability. Material production upside is possible if these properties are reactivated; management’s decision to reactivate production from any of these areas is subject to supportive long-term economics. The shut-in production can be restored within one to two weeks and subsequent well and reservoir performance is not expected to be negatively impacted. Pieridae has hedged 110,000 GJ/d of its 2025 natural gas production at a weighted average fixed price of $3.32/GJ, and 1,679 bbl/d of its 2025 condensate production with a weighted average floor price of CAD$84.41/bbl and a weighted average ceiling price of CAD$92.32/bbl. The Company’s aggregate hedge position for 2025 totals 19,055 boe/d or approximately 80% of the above production guidance range. The unrealized gain on the Company’s hedge portfolio, which extends to mid-2028, is approximately $87 million using the forward strip as of November 30, 2024. Pieridae’s legacy fixed price sulphur contract, which was entered into in 2019, expires on December 31, 2025. Under this contract, the Company receives a net fixed price of approximately $6/tonne for the majority of its sulphur production of approximately 1,400 tonnes per day. Beginning January 1, 2026, the Company will receive market price for all sulphur production, less normal deductions for transportation, handling, and marketing representing a significant potential revenue opportunity. As of November 30, 2024, the spot west coast sulphur price is approximately US$143/tonne, prior to transportation and marketing costs. The $25-$30 million capital budget in 2025 includes approximately $14 million directed towards a high-impact well and facility optimization program funded with the equity raised during Q3 and Q4 2024. These high return, short payout capital projects are expected to increase sales revenue, improve facility efficiency, reduce operating cost and fuel gas consumption, and lower GHG compliance costs. Spending on this program commenced in Q4 2024 and will continue throughout 2025. The remainder of the 2025 capital is focused on routine capital maintenance, field operating technology upgrades, and site closure / decommissioning expenditures in Alberta and BC. Notably, Pieridae has not scheduled a major maintenance turnaround planned at any of the Company’s deep-cut, sour gas processing facilities during 2025 given the successful completion of gas plant turnarounds and other maintenance projects in 2023 and 2024. The next major maintenance turnaround is scheduled for 2026. Due to the current outlook for North American natural gas prices, Pieridae is not planning to resume drilling operations during 2025. Pieridae will only exploit its portfolio of high impact conventional Foothills drilling opportunities once natural gas prices sustainably recover and the Company has achieved its deleveraging target. ABOUT PIERIDAE Pieridae is a Canadian energy company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. The Company is a significant upstream producer and midstream custom processor of natural gas, NGLs, condensate, and sulphur from the Canadian Foothills and adjacent areas in Alberta and in northeast British Columbia. Pieridae’s vision is to provide responsible, affordable natural gas and derived products to meet society’s energy security needs. Pieridae’s common shares trade on the TSX under the symbol “PEA”. For further information, visit www.pieridaeenergy.com , or please contact: Forward-Looking Statements Certain of the statements contained herein including, without limitation, management plans and assessments of future plans and operations, Pieridae’s outlook, strategy and vision, intentions with respect to future acquisitions, dispositions and other opportunities, including exploration and development activities, Pieridae’s ability to market its assets, plans and timing for development of undeveloped and probable resources, Pieridae’s goals with respect to the environment, relations with Indigenous people and promoting equity, diversity and inclusion, estimated abandonment and reclamation costs, plans regarding hedging, plans regarding the payment of dividends, wells to be drilled, the weighting of commodity expenses, expected production and performance of oil and natural gas properties, results and timing of projects, access to adequate pipeline capacity and third-party infrastructure, growth expectations, supply and demand for oil, natural gas liquids and natural gas, industry conditions, government regulations and regimes, capital expenditures and the nature of capital expenditures and the timing and method of financing thereof, may constitute “forward-looking statements” or “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively “ forward-looking statements ”). Words such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “intend”, “plan”, “continue”, “focus”, “endeavor”, “commit”, “shall”, “propose”, “might”, “project”, “predict”, “vision”, “opportunity”, “strategy”, “objective”, “potential”, “forecast”, “estimate”, “goal”, “target”, “growth”, “future”, and similar expressions may be used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management. Forward-looking statements involve significant risk and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, the risks associated with oil and gas exploration, development, exploitation, production, processing, marketing and transportation, loss of markets, volatility of commodity prices, currency fluctuations, imprecision of resources estimates, environmental risks, competition from other producers, incorrect assessment of the value of acquisitions, failure to realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions, delays resulting from or inability to obtain required regulatory approvals, ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources and the risk factors outlined under “Risk Factors” and elsewhere herein. The recovery and resources estimate of Pieridae's reserves provided herein are estimates only and there is no guarantee that the estimated resources will be recovered. As a consequence, actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of factors and assumptions which have been used to develop such forward-looking statements, but which may prove to be incorrect. Although Pieridae believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements because Pieridae can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. In addition to other factors and assumptions which may be identified in this document, assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: the impact of increasing competition; the general stability of the economic and political environment in which Pieridae operates; the timely receipt of any required regulatory approvals; the ability of Pieridae to obtain and retain qualified staff, equipment and services in a timely and cost efficient manner; the ability of the operator of the projects which Pieridae has an interest in to operate the field in a safe, efficient and effective manner; the ability of Pieridae to obtain financing on acceptable terms; the ability to replace and expand oil and natural gas resources through acquisition, development and exploration; the timing and costs of pipeline, storage and facility construction and expansion and the ability of Pieridae to secure adequate product transportation; future oil and natural gas prices; currency, exchange and interest rates; the regulatory framework regarding royalties, taxes and environmental matters in the jurisdictions in which Pieridae operates; timing and amount of capital expenditures; future sources of funding; production levels; weather conditions; success of exploration and development activities; access to gathering, processing and pipeline systems; advancing technologies; and the ability of Pieridae to successfully market its oil and natural gas products. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Additional information on these and other factors that could affect Pieridae's operations and financial results are included in reports on file with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and may be accessed through the SEDAR+ website (www.sedarplus.ca), and at Pieridae's website (www.pieridaeenergy.com). Although the forward-looking statements contained herein are based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, management cannot assure that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and Pieridae assumes no obligation to update or review them to reflect new events or circumstances except as required by applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements contained herein concerning the oil and gas industry and Pieridae's general expectations concerning this industry are based on estimates prepared by management using data from publicly available industry sources as well as from reserve reports, market research and industry analysis and on assumptions based on data and knowledge of this industry which Pieridae believes to be reasonable. However, this data is inherently imprecise, although generally indicative of relative market positions, market shares and performance characteristics. While Pieridae is not aware of any misstatements regarding any industry data presented herein, the industry involves risks and uncertainties and is subject to change based on various factors. Additional Reader Advisories Barrels of oil equivalent (“boe”) may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A boe conversion ratio of 6 Mcf: 1 boe is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. Abbreviations Neither TSX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Ravens vs. Chargers live score, updates, highlights from NFL 'Monday Night Football' game | Sporting News
The U.S. fiscal outlook has dramatically deteriorated since the last time we ran a surplus in 2001, and President Joe Biden — like Democratic and Republican presidents before him — shares some responsibility for our high and rising debt. But it’s not too late to start turning things around. During his time in office, Biden approved more than $4 trillion of new 10-year borrowing, debt-financing everything from COVID relief to infrastructure spending to student debt cancellation. This borrowing helped lift inflation to a 40-year high and push interest rates well above recent levels. It also added to an already high and rising national debt. As a result of borrowing approved by the last four administrations, along with the built-in growth of our health and retirement programs, the national debt will soon approach record levels as a share of the economy. So too will the cost of interest paid by taxpayers on the national debt, which already exceeds spending on Medicare or national defense. And deficits will total about $2 trillion per year . But Biden’s fiscal record isn’t all bad. Coming out of the COVID pandemic, he oversaw a tremendous economic recovery, which has helped limit growth in the ratio of debt to gross domestic product. The president also negotiated and signed into law the bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act, which restored appropriations caps and is projected to save $1.5 trillion over a decade. And the Inflation Reduction Act, though a mixed fiscal bag overall, included important reforms to lower Medicare drug prices and improve tax enforcement. Now, with just under two months left in his term, Biden has the opportunity to build on these fiscal successes and make right some of these fiscal failures. That starts with protecting his legacy on tax compliance. Every year, households and businesses underpay their taxes by $600 billion. The combination of tax cheating and honest mistakes adds tremendously to our debt. Every president from Reagan through Trump proposed to increase funding to the Internal Revenue Service to reduce this “tax gap.” Biden actually succeeded, persuading Congress to appropriate $80 billion to the IRS to upgrade its information technology, improve its customer service and strengthen its enforcement. Unfortunately, this funding is under threat. Congress has already rescinded more than a quarter of the funds to pay for other spending, and an end-of-year appropriations deal could go further. Another $20 billion of cuts from the IRS would reduce tax revenue by more than $65 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Biden should insist against this, threatening to veto any effort to reduce IRS funding, which only encourages further tax cheating. He should also work with Congress to address excessive payments under the pandemic-era employee retention credit, which has cost many times more than intended and turned into a lightning rod for fraud. Beyond the IRS funding, Biden should insist appropriations levels stick to the caps that he negotiated on a bipartisan basis. There will be tremendous pressure from both parties to spend more. Republicans will want to increase funding on defense, Democrats will want to increase nondefense funding, and both will insist that these incremental changes will have little effect on the fiscal outlook. No question, this country has many unmet needs — both when it comes to national security and to our domestic priorities. But Congress should fund those priorities by cutting spending elsewhere. There is tremendous room to cut waste, improve efficiency, and scale back or eliminate projects and programs that aren’t worth their costs or aren’t working. Failing to abide by spending caps this year would make any future enforcement harder and would send the signal that Congress can spend without restraint. Biden should put his foot down. There’s also much that the president can do through executive action. He could start by withdrawing his various student debt cancellation schemes. These policies are costly, inflationary and poorly targeted — most of the benefit will go to those with graduate degrees and very high lifetime earnings. Student debt cancellation is also likely to boost tuitions and reduce the quality of higher education, as schools will be able to charge more and deliver less if potential students know they are unlikely to be responsible for much of the cost. These executive actions also clearly go beyond the powers intended for the president, which the Supreme Court and other courts have recognized by declaring some of these schemes illegal and putting holds on others. On the other hand, this administration has appropriately and intelligently used its clearly defined authority to begin to tackle fraud and other excesses in the Medicare Advantage program. Biden officials should do more here where possible and work in the transition to help the incoming Trump administration understand the importance of a well-run and cost-effective Medicare Advantage program. Most important, Biden should use the presidential bully pulpit to make the case for paying for new priorities, reducing our debt and securing federal trust funds. Social Security is only nine years away from insolvency, while Medicare is only 12 years away. We cannot afford for future administrations to ignore these challenges and continue the cycle of borrowing for everything. We need leaders to level with the American people about the challenges ahead — challenges Biden understands well. And it is not too late.The whole of the I'm A Celebrity camp were put up for a task together, as viewers think they have worked out why. During Monday's episode, all the celebrities were sent to the Fright Bus. BBC Radio One presenter Dean McCullough had already taken on his sixth trial of the series, having struggled so far. The camp had to get used to meals of beans and rice, yet that all changed when the radio host won 10 stars out of 12 in his latest trial. All the celebrities tucked into a much bigger meal than they had been getting used to. However, after their dinner they were sent a letter with a task. Love Island star Maura Higgins marked her 34th birthday in camp and was hoping for a nice treat. Tulisa was convinced there would be no nasty tricks in store for them as they helped Maura celebrate. Yet, they were quickly sent off to the Fright Bus. It marked many of the campmates very first trial and encounter with the show's creepy crawlies. I'm A Celebrity fans believed they cracked why all the campmates were sent away to take on the task. One said: "You know why they’ve done this, don’t you? Barely anyone but Dean and GK Barry has done any critter challenges." Another added: "It’s about time some of them actually did something. It’s probably nice to get out of camp." Someone else commented: "It's more a treat for us, so we get to see somebody else other than Dean doing something." A fourth wrote: "I love the group trials. It gives everyone a shot - wish there was more of them. This one is going to be good." Viewers have been calling for someone other than Dean to do the trials after getting bored of just seeing him take them on. "Time to watch Dean do another challenge. How boring the British public is," one user fumed on social media. Another added: "Looking forward to seeing if Dean p****s me off tonight," while one user posted: "The Dean show is starting now" along with an eye roll emoji. Ant and Dec have also begged the audience to stop voting in Dean and let someone else have a go at winning stars. The duo discussed the show on I'm A Celebrity Unpacked and told the audience they needed to have a 'serious talk' about them constantly voting for Dean. “Right, let’s all have a serious talk, and I’ll look directly in the camera here,” Ant said as he angled himself to look straight at the viewers at home. “Oh God!” Dec jokingly shouted, realising that his TV partner was about to put his foot down. “I think it’s good to see other faces down there,” Ant said, clarifying, “This is not a personal thing, and it’s not about Dean.” Ant got louder and more passionate as he continued: “It’s about us just seeing different people down there! And I think we want to see different people on the show being featured. Some people unfortunately aren’t getting - you know what, I’d like to see Barry do a trial, let’s see Melvin down there, Oti! But we find this every year when someone gets voted multiple times. You just get to a point where you go, ‘Who’s still voting for Dean?’ I don’t get it." Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Late pop sensation Liam Payne is reported to have been in constant contact with hotel staff, asking for alcohol and information on where to get cocaine shortly before his untimely passing. Now, text messages purportedly from Payne to an escort have emerged, showing him allegedly offering her $5,000 (£3,900) for a "party." Argentine journalist Mauro Szeta posted the alleged exchanges on his website ViaSzeta, which seem to show texts from a southeastern Florida number via WhatsApp to an escort. The messages are said to include a link to Payne's Instagram account and a proposition to "play." The text, believed to be from Liam, stated: "'I have all day... I'd gift you $5,000... US dollars,' the message reads. 'You come to my hotel, we party, just me and u." It's reported that the woman's WhatsApp profile picture showed her with a friend, prompting the response: "Who's your friend, do you want to bring her? " To this, the escort is claimed to have answered: "Let's go Noe until 7pm, 5000 USD both, it's the whole day the two of us together.", reports the Mirror . The person sending the messages, supposedly Payne, replied: "Ok fine, but bank transfer." An employee at the hotel has spoken out about yet another troubling incident. Liam allegedly made several calls to receptionists asking for alcohol and where he could buy cocaine. Furthermore, a bellboy who delivered a complimentary fruit platter to Liam's room at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires claimed he was insulted by the artist after declining his request for drugs. Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile , select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Esteban Grassi, the chief receptionist who dialed 999 to secure urgent medical help for Liam before his fatal fall from a balcony while under the influence, is currently part of an official inquiry that also includes four other suspects. The reputable Argentinian news outlet Todo Noticias disclosed WhatsApp messages which Grassi, one of the three individuals who were seen helping Liam back to his third-floor room, allegedly submitted to court authorities. A message from a contact saved as Santiago Benitez Bellboy AM in Esteban's phone detailed an unsettling encounter: "Hello Esteban how are you? Sorry for bothering you but I wanted to let you know about a little situation I had with the person in room 310. When I went to hand him a guest amenity and welcome him to the hotel and Argentina, he invited me into his room (which was a complete mess) and asked me if I could get him cocaine." The bellboy expressed his uncomfortable encounter to his superiors, stating, "I told him, 'I'm sorry sir, but neither I or any other staff can help you with that type of service' to which he replied that I was useless and told me to get out of his sight. I felt a bit threatened because he didn't behave very politely." It was a response which led to an ill-mannered retort from the guest who then branded him as useless and demanded he leave his presence. The bellboy admitted feeling somewhat threatened by the discourteous behaviour. In what appears to be a mention of another hotel worker, identified locally as Gilda Martin who is head of security and part of the investigation, the bellboy's message went on: "I'm going to tell Gilda this too so you're both aware and there's no misunderstandings in case this man mentions my name again at some point in his stay, because he asked me what my name was. I'm just telling you and Gilda this." Mr Grassi aimed to calm the worried junior worker, advising him "not to worry" regarding what Liam had said. Mr Grassi further disclosed details to investigators about Liam's time at CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, as reported by Todo Noticias: "I understand he was more active at night, that he ran reception repeatedly to ask for alcohol all the time and ask where he could get drugs, specifically cocaine." He asserted that he had to act as a middleman with two female escorts who spent time with Liam because of a language barrier, as they spoke no English and the musician did not speak Spanish. Mr Grassi has corroborated earlier reports that the ex-One Direction star requested $300 and alcohol upon inviting them to his room. He recounted: "Liam asked me to act as translator. "That's when they tell me he had to pay them but they didn't specify why. They told me he owed them 5,000 dollars but it seemed strange to me because he had asked me previously for 300 dollars and although I'm not an expert about these things, the amount of money they were asking for seemed a bit excessive to me. ". In addition, Todo Noticias published screenshots of WhatsApp messages allegedly from Liam's phone, which bears a southern Florida area code of 561. These messages were shown to Mr Grassi by one of the women, claiming it as evidence that he owed them money. Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
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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. Ryan Seacrest's Real Height Revealed as 'Wheel of Fortune' Host Gets 'Short Shamed' 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: ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Player Misses $40,000 Win After Disney Disaster ‘Harry Potter’ TV Show Sets Filming Start: All the Details Danny Trejo on How ‘Mysteries Unearthed’ Brings His Career ‘Full Circle’ ‘Scrubs’ Revival in the Works at ABC ‘Jeopardy!’ Fans Say Colin Jost Is ‘Funnier’ Than Ken Jennings & Suggest He Hosts Big SpecialUkraine is slowly losing the three-year conflict on the battlefield. Russia is slowly losing the economic conflict at a roughly equal pace. The Kremlin’s oil export revenues are too low to sustain a high-intensity war and nobody will lend Vladimir Putin a kopeck. Russia’s overheated, military-Keynesian war economy looks much like the dysfunctional German war economy of late 1917, which had run out of skilled manpower and was holed below the waterline after three years of Allied blockade – as the logistical failures of the Ludendorff offensive would later reveal. Vladimir Putin’s war has crippled Russia’s economy. Credit: AP Photos Putin’s strategic victory in Ukraine was far from inevitable a fortnight ago and it is less inevitable now after the Assad regime collapsed like a house of cards , shattering Putin’s credibility in the Middle East and the Sahel. He could do nothing to save his sole state ally in the Arab world. “The limits of Russian military power have been revealed,” said Tim Ash, a regional expert at Bluebay Asset Management and a Chatham House fellow. Turkey is now master of the region. Turkish forces had to step in to rescue stranded Russian generals. Even if Putin succeeds in holding on to his naval base at Tartus – a big if – this concession will be on Ottoman terms and sufferance. “Putin now goes into Ukraine peace talks from a position of weakness,” said Mr Ash. Loading When Trump won the US elections in 2016, corks of Golubitskoe Villa Romanov popped at the Kremlin. There were no illusions this time. Anton Barbashin from Riddle Russia says Donald Trump imposed 40 rounds of sanctions on Russia, belying his bonhomie with Putin before the cameras. He has since warned that Putin will not get all of the four annexed (but unconquered) oblasts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia. The Kremlin had banked on a contested election outcome in the US, followed by months of disarray that would discredit US democracy across the world. The polite interregnum has been a cruel disappointment. Barbashin says Russia’s leaders expect Trump to issue ultimatums to both Kyiv and Moscow: if Volodymyr Zelensky balks at peace terms, the US will sever all military aid; if Putin drags his feet, the US will up the military ante and carpet-bomb the Russian economy. That economy held up well for two years but this third year has become harder. The central bank has raised interest rates to 21 per cent to choke off an inflation spiral. “The economy cannot exist like this for long. It’s a colossal challenge for business and banks,” said German Gref, Sberbank’s chief executive. Sergei Chemezov, head of the defence giant Rostec, said the monetary squeeze was becoming dangerous. “If we continue like this, most companies will essentially go bankrupt. At rates of more than 20 per cent, I don’t know of a single business that can make a profit, not even an arms trader,” he said. If the Saudis again decide to flood the world with cheap crude to recoup market share – as many predict – oil will fall below $US40 and Russia will spin out of economic control. Credit: AP The resurrection of the Soviet military industrial complex – to borrow a term from Pierre-Marie Meunier, the French intelligence analyst – is cannibalising the rest of the economy. Some 800,000 of the young and best-educated have left the country. The numbers slaughtered or maimed in the meat grinder are approaching half a million. Russia’s digital minister says the shortage of IT workers is around 600,000. The defence industry has 400,000 unfilled positions. The total labour shortage is near 5 million. Anatoly Kovalev, head of Zelenograd Nanotechnology Centre, said his industry was crippled by lack of equipment and could not replace foreign supplies. “There is a shortage of qualified specialists: engineers, technologists, developers, designers. There are practically no colleges and technical schools that train personnel for the industry,” he said. Loading Total export earnings from all fossil fuels were running at about $US1.2 billion ($1.9 billion) a day in mid-2022. They have fallen for the last 10 months consecutively and are now barely $US600 million. The Kremlin takes a slice of this for the budget but it is far too little to fund a war machine gobbling up a 10th of GDP in one way or another. Oil tax revenues slumped to $US5.8 billion in November, based on a Urals price averaging near $US65 a barrel. That price could fall a lot further. Russia is facing an incipient price war with Saudi Arabia in Asian markets. Putin is raiding the National Wealth Fund to cover the shortfall. Its liquid assets have fallen to a 16-year low of $US54 billion. Its gold reserves have dropped from 554 to 279 tonnes over the last 15 months. The fund is left with illiquid holdings that cannot be crystallised, such as an equity stake in Aeroflot. The long-awaited rally in oil prices keeps refusing to happen. JP Morgan said excess global supply next year would reach 1.3 million barrels a day due to rising output from Brazil, Guyana, and US shale. Rosneft’s Igor Sechin has told his old KGB friend Putin to brace for $US45-$US50 next year. Adjusted for inflation, that matches levels that bankrupted the Soviet Union in the 1980s. The purpose of the G7’s convoluted oil sanctions was – until a month ago – to eat into Putin’s revenue without curtailing global oil supply and worsening the cost of living shock in the West. This has been a partial success. Russia had to assemble a shadow fleet of tankers and ship oil from Baltic and Black Sea ports to buyers in India and China, who pressed a hard bargain. The International Energy Agency estimates that the discount on Urals crude has averaged $US15 over 2023 to 2024, depriving Putin of $US75 million a day in export revenues. ‘The economy cannot exist like this for long. It’s a colossal challenge for business and banks.’ German Gref, Sberbank’s chief executive Russia can get around technology sanctions but its systems are configured to Western semiconductors. These chips cannot easily be replaced by Chinese suppliers, even if they were willing to risk US secondary sanctions, which most are not. The chips are bought at a stiff premium on the global black market and are unreliable. Ukrainian troops have noticed that Russian Geran-2 drones keep spinning out of control. The Washington Post reports that laser-guided devices on Russia’s T-90M tanks have “mysteriously disappeared”, greatly reducing capability. The industry ministry has been trying to develop analogues to replace chips from Texas Instruments, Aeroflex and Cypress but admitted in October that all three tenders had failed. Alexey Novoselov from the circuits company Milandr said Russia could not obtain the insulator technologies needed to make chips of 90 nanometers or below. It is the dark ages. Loading The US tightened the noose three weeks ago, imposing sanctions on Gazprombank and over 50 Russian banks linked to global transactions. This has greatly complicated Russia’s ability to trade energy and buy technology on the black market. It briefly crashed the rouble, now hovering at around 100 to the dollar. Chinese banks have stopped accepting Russian UnionPay cards. The Chinese press says exporters have pulled back from Russian e-commerce sites such as Yandez or Wildberries because payment fees through third-parties no longer cover thin profit margins. Some have been unable to extract their money from Russia and are facing large losses. Few foresaw the sudden and total collapse of the Soviet regime, though all the signs of economic decay and imperial overreach were there to see by 1989. Putin’s regime is not yet at this point but it would only take one more change in the Middle East to bring matters to a head. If the Saudis again decide to flood the world with cheap crude to recoup market share – as many predict – oil will fall below $US40 and Russia will spin out of economic control. The Ukraine war may end in Riyadh. Telegraph, London The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Putin's Russia Vladimir Putin Opinion For subscribers Most Viewed in Business Loading