Derrick Henry has been fantastic for the Baltimore Ravens in 2024. They got a big RB upgrade in adding him, and he got a big supporting cast upgrade in joining their squad. With one game left on their schedule, Henry is facing down the opportunity to do something no other player in NFL history has ever accomplished: multiple 2000+ yard rushing seasons. If he pulls it off, his already legendary status is cemented forever, and he’s a lock 1st ballot Hall of Famer. But the work he has left to do to reach the coveted 2k milestone is far from easy. Ravens RB Derrick Henry, with a game left: 305 carries, 1,783 yards, 14 TDs. It'd take a monster game in the finale against Cleveland, but Henry has a shot at becoming the first player ever with multiple 2,000-yard seasons. Henry needs to run for 217 yards against the Browns in Week 18 to eclipse 2000. That sounds like an impossible task for most everybody besides Derrick Henry, and even for him it’s a tall order. But when we look at his history at the end of seasons, it seems more attainable a goal than one might think. 2020 was Henry’s first 2000 yard rushing season, making him the eighth player ever to do so. That year, he actually entered Week 18 needing more yards than he does this time! Facing down the division-rival Houston Texans, Henry needed 223 yards on the ground. And on a massive workload of 34 carries, he hung 250 on Houston that day. Everybody knows December is actually D-Henber whenever Derrick Henry is playing. His reputation as an end of the season menace precedes him. But let’s actually look at the numbers he’s put up in December and January since 2018, when he broke out as the Titans bellcow back. Henry has played 29 games since the 2018 season in December and January. In those games, he’s averaged 20.2 carries and 114.5ypg. That’s a big fat number, but not enough to vault him past the 2k mark. In final games of the year, however, Henry is statistically at his best. In his past 6 final regular season games, he’s averaged 26.3 carries for 160.5ypg. That’s absurd, but still not enough. So how many times has he logged 200+ yards at the end of the year? Well, he’s gone for 200+ 4 times in 29 games in December and January. But in final games of the year, he’s 2 of 6 reaching the 200+ mark. against Cleveland, he’s going to try to make that 3 of 7. The Browns run defense is getting-able, allowed 127.4 rushing yards per game this year. They’ve allowed a team to rush for 200+ twice. I’d imagine most NFL fans are rooting for a Henry volume-performance against the Browns, because witnessing this history would be fun no matter who you are. We’ll see if the King has it in him to do the impossible next week. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.
A factory turned into a battlefield, riot police armed with tasers and an activist who spent 100 days atop a chimney -- the unrest that inspired Netflix's most successful show ever has all the hallmarks of a TV drama. This month sees the release of the second season of "Squid Game", a dystopian vision of South Korea where desperate people compete in deadly versions of traditional children's games for a massive cash prize. But while the show itself is a work of fiction, Hwang Dong-hyuk, its director and writer, has said the experiences of the main character Gi-hun, a laid-off worker, were inspired by the violent Ssangyong strikes in 2009. "I wanted to show that any ordinary middle-class person in the world we live in today can fall to the bottom of the economic ladder overnight," he has said. In May 2009, Ssangyong, a struggling car giant taken over by a consortium of banks and private investors, announced it was laying off more than 2,600 people, or nearly 40 percent of its workforce. That was the beginning of an occupation of the factory and a 77-day strike that ended in clashes between strikers armed with slingshots and steel pipes and riot police wielding rubber bullets and tasers. Many union members were severely beaten and some were jailed. The conflict did not end there. Five years later, union leader Lee Chang-kun held a sit-in for 100 days on top of one of the factory's chimneys to protest a sentence in favor of Ssangyong against the strikers. He was supplied with food from a basket attached to a rope by supporters and endured hallucinations of a tent rope transformed into a writhing snake. Some who experienced the unrest struggled to discuss "Squid Game" because of the trauma they endured, Lee told AFP. The repercussions of the strike, compounded by protracted legal battles, caused significant financial and mental strain for workers and their families, resulting in around 30 deaths by suicide and stress-related issues, Lee said. "Many have lost their lives. People had to suffer for too long," he said. He vividly remembers the police helicopters circling overhead, creating intense winds that ripped away workers' raincoats. Lee said he felt he could not give up. "We were seen as incompetent breadwinners and outdated labour activists who had lost their minds," he said. "Police kept beating us even after we fell unconscious -- this happened at our workplace, and it was broadcast for so many to see." Lee said he had been moved by scenes in the first season of "Squid Game" where Gi-hun struggles not to betray his fellow competitors. But he wished the show had spurred real-life change for workers in a country marked by economic inequality, tense industrial relations and deeply polarized politics. "Despite being widely discussed and consumed, it is disappointing that we have not channelled these conversations into more beneficial outcomes," he said The success of "Squid Game" in 2021 left him feeling "empty and frustrated". "At the time, it felt like the story of the Ssangyong workers had been reduced to a commodity in the series," Lee told AFP. "Squid Game", the streaming platform's most-watched series of all time, is seen as embodying the country's rise to a global cultural powerhouse, part of the "Korean wave" alongside the Oscar-winning "Parasite" and K-pop stars such as BTS. But its second season comes as the Asian democracy finds itself embroiled in some of its worst political turmoil in decades, triggered by conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed bid to impose martial law this month. Yoon has since been impeached and suspended from duties pending a ruling by the Constitutional Court. That declaration of martial law risked sending the Korean wave "into the abyss", around 3,000 people in the film industry, including "Parasite" director Bong Joon-ho, said in a letter following Yoon's shocking decision. Vladimir Tikhonov, a Korean studies professor at the University of Oslo, told AFP that some of South Korea's most successful cultural products highlight state and capitalist violence. "It is a noteworthy and interesting phenomenon -- we still live in the shadow of state violence, and this state violence is a recurrent theme in highly successful cultural products."Nvidia Blackwell Supplier Vishay Intertechnology Likey To See Upside Courtesy Of AI Frenzy: AnalystThe New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Borno State has disowned its senatorial candidate for Borno Central senatorial district in the 2023 elections, Atom Magira, who was arrested and detained by the State’s Police Command. Magira’s personal assistant, Mohammed Yahaya, who confirmed the detention of his principal, said that he was taken into custody by operatives of the Borno State Police Command on Sunday night over alleged criticism of Borno State governor, Babagana Umara Zulum. But, reacting to the development, the chairman of NNPP in Borno State, Barr. Mustapha Mohammed, said the embattled politician resigned from the party over a month ago, adding that Magira has since left the party. He further said as a lawyer, what the detained former NNPP chieftain did, which was addressing himself as ‘His Excellency’ was an offence of impersonation and breaking of electoral law. “Atom Magira is no longer a member of our party. He left the party over a month ago. So there is no chieftain of NNPP in police custody in Borno,” the party chairman said. Magira, a former All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial aspirant in the 2019, is known as a leading opposition figure in the state. He had been vocal in challenging Governor Zulum’s policies. Sources said his detention was not unconnected to a billboard sponsored by supporters of the “Yes To Merger” campaign, which called for a merger of political parties in the state. The billboard, featuring Magira’s image and the slogan “Say Yes To Merger,” was reportedly destroyed by unidentified individuals. “It is on the orders of the state government. They don’t want a serious opposition in the state. Whoever will do that will be crippled; that’s the norm since 1999, but Magira has remained consistent to offer a credible and constructive opposition in Borno State,” a source alleged. As of Monday morning, Magira remained in detention, with no clarity on whether he would be charged to court or not. Efforts to reach the Borno State Police Command’s spokesman, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, for comment were unsuccessful at press time.
Big Ten could place four teams in playoff, thanks to IU's riseTrue crime documentaries once again dominated streaming services in 2024 — in fact, there were so many compelling series, even die-hard fans could feel overwhelmed by all the new debuts. If you’re getting some down time over the holidays, here are five exceptional offerings from the last year that are worth catching up on. All are on Netflix, which should make them easy to find whether you’re home or traveling. The stories they tell are heart-wrenching and harrowing, so “sit back and relax” may not be quite the right turn of phrase — but you will find yourself fully engrossed in each twist and turn. When Cathy Terkanian received a letter from an adoption agency in 2010, she expected good news — that the baby girl she’d placed for adoption as a 16-year-old in 1974 was finally trying to contact her. Instead, she learned that the girl, whom she’d named Alexis, had gone missing 21 years earlier, when she was a teen herself. Even worse: Police were requesting Terkanian’s DNA in the hopes of identifying a body found near a cornfield. However, the agency refused to share any more information about her daughter and the family who adopted her, because it had been a closed adoption. “Into the Fire” unfolds like a murder mystery, as Terkanian becomes an amateur detective enlisting the help of online sleuths and social media in her relentless pursuit to discover what really happened to Alexis. The body investigators found was not Alexis’, but it didn’t take long for Terkanian to find her daughter’s identity: She and her husband entered Alexis’ birthdate into a missing persons database and learned that her new name was Aundria Michelle Bowman. She was 14 when her parents, Brenda and Dennis Bowman, told authorities she had run away from home in Hamilton, Michigan. Terkanian launched a Facebook page called “Find Aundria M. Bowman” in the hopes of finding more clues. The details she uncovered ― including studying years of Google Earth snapshots — convinced her that Dennis Bowman had killed her and buried her body in the backyard. Terkanian’s relentless amateur detective work converged with law enforcement investigations into Dennis Bowman, which uncovered sinister details from his past — and more than one victim. By following her “mother’s instinct” and using gumshoe detective work (and some unsanctioned guerilla tactics), Terkanian found the answers she needed, but never wanted, to know about her daughter’s fate. Finally, a documentary that shines the spotlight on Laci Peterson rather than her headline-hungry killer. Her husband, Scott Peterson, was convicted in 2004 of murdering Laci and their unborn child over Christmas 2002 in Modesto, California, while he was secretly dating another woman. Despite overwhelming circumstantial evidence that he plotted to kill his pregnant wife, including the fact that he said he went fishing in the same area where her remains later washed up, Scott Peterson has been the subject of numerous documentaries and podcasts trying to prove his innocence. “American Murder” flips the script and focuses on Laci when she was alive, with numerous home movies showing her gregarious and sometimes goofy personality, and her constant smile. The documentary — from the iconic true crime filmmaker Skye Borgman (“Girl in the Picture,” “Abducted in Plain Sight”) — also includes heart-wrenching interviews with her family and closest friends, reminiscing about the happy times they shared together and the absence they still feel decades later with her loss. “American Murder: Laci Peterson” dropped at almost the same time as Peacock’s “Face to Face With Scott Peterson,” an eye-rolling three-parter featuring “exclusive interviews” with the convicted killer in prison. That docuseries caters to sympathizers who acknowledge that while Scott Peterson was a first-class asshole, he was no killer. Yet much of the “new evidence” presented in “Face to Face” and recent court filings has already been debunked, discounted and rejected by the courts. While Scott Peterson continues to hog the limelight, “American Murder: Laci Peterson” is an essential reminder of who the real victims were and are in this case. If you’re tempted to give up on this three-part docuseries after watching the beginning, I’m telling you it would be the biggest mistake of your life. Stick with it, because everything you think you know (especially if you’re a savvy sleuth who tends to think the husband/boyfriend did it) is turned upside down. (I previously wrote about this case, but I urge you to bookmark the story to read later to avoid spoilers.) Early in the afternoon on March 23, 2015, Aaron Quinn called 911 and said that his girlfriend, Denise Huskins, had been kidnapped. Intruders wearing scuba suits had broken into his house in the middle of the night — hours after the couple had argued about his relationship with his ex — then restrained and drugged him, and demanded ransom, he told police. Huskins’ disappearance made national headlines, and authorities launched a massive search for the missing woman — whom d etectives accused Quinn of killing and hiding her body. But two days later, Huskins turned up alive. She had survived a horrific and bizarre ordeal, but her nightmare was far from over. After Huskins and other victims’ accounts were discounted by male cops, it seems fitting that the detective who finally cracks this case is a woman. If you aren’t familiar with this case — about Omaha auto mechanic Dave Kroupa’s foray into casual online dating, which ends in an ugly, terrifying love triangle — get ready to buckle your seatbelts because there are some WILD twists and turns in this taut 90-minute documentary that you won’t see coming. A nd even if you do know how the story unfolds, you’ll still be transfixed by new interviews with the surviving victim and investigators, as well as home movies and footage of the trial and police interviews. It’s about the same length as a “Dateline” episode and has a similar structure, but its budget and production value are much higher (and doesn’t include the newsmagazine’s standard B-roll filler of people walking down a sidewalk — although there are some silly reenactments). Kroupa received hundreds of thousands of texts and emails — more even than those reportedly sent to the real-life “Baby Reindeer” — before the story’s deadly ending. I’ll also spare you a trip to Does the Dog Die? and confirm that yes, several pets are killed — offscreen — but you’ll never guess by who. When the two-hour “The Menendez Brothers” documentary dropped on Netflix on the heels of Ryan Murphy’s lurid “Monsters: The Lyle and Erick Menendez Story” docudrama, I expected it to be a slapped-together production, capitalizing on the docudrama’s massive success and a social media phenomenon calling for the brothers to be released from prison. In truth, it was the opposite. The documentary is one of the finest I’ve seen about the 1989 murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez in their Beverly Hills mansion, and situates the case in the context of Lyle and Erik Menendez’s alleged abuse by their father. Former Los Angeles District Attorney George Garcón said at a news conference that this documentary — and another by Peacock 18 months prior in which Roy Roselló, a member of the boy band Menudo, said that he had been drugged and raped as a teen by then-record executive Jose Menendez — factored in his decision to call for the brothers’ resentencing and release . “The Menéndez Brothers” features extensive interviews with the brothers and their relatives, many of whom are actively campaigning for their release from prison. Archival footage of the first trial and the frenzy surrounding O.J. Simpson’s not guilty verdict also provide important context for the brothers’ eventual convictions. Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. 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Log in to hide these messages. Garcón was recently voted out of office, and a judge has put the brakes on the case as his successor gets up to speed, rescheduling a hearing until after the new year. Regardless, the documentary stands as an important framework to understand the complex aspects of this case and how it’s impacted by the modern understanding of sexual abuse and its effects. Dive deep into true crime cases and follow the latest headlines with HuffPost’s Suspicious Circumstances newsletter. Sign up here . Related From Our Partner
Tinubu: ‘It Is Wrong To Kidnap Ambition Of Northerners’ – Atiku’s Aide Knocks AkumeA stone tablet inscribed with the Ten Commandments that was carved anywhere between 300 to 800 A.D. will go on the block at Sotheby’s next week and is expected to fetch up to $2 million, the auction house said. Sotheby’s announced last month it would auction off the tablet, the oldest known artifact of its kind. Inscribed in Paleo-Hebrew script, the late Roman-Byzantine-era marble slab weighs 155 pounds and is about two feet tall, according to the auction house. Known as the Yavne Tablet, it’s named after the city where it was first found. When first unearthed by construction workers excavating to lay down railroad tracks through the Land of Israel to Egypt in 1913, its historical significance was overlooked, Sotheby’s said. One of those workers took it home and used it as a paving stone in the inner courtyard, where it remained for 30 years. Flash forward to 1947, when Tel Aviv municipal archaeologist Jacob Kaplan recounted coming across the artifact four years earlier, buying it from the man’s son. It changed hands several times after that, eventually making its way to New York. Bidding will start at $1 million when the tablet auctioned off next Wednesday, Dec. 18, Sotheby’s said. The slab’s text follows traditional Christian and Jewish biblical verses, though without the third commandment admonishing against taking the name of the Lord in vain. In its place is an instruction to worship on Mount Gerizim, a holy site specific to the Samaritans. “The Yavne Tablet is not simply the earliest surviving complete inscribed stone tablet of the Ten Commandments, but the text it preserves represents the spirit, precision, and concision of the Decalogue in what is believed to be its earliest and original formulation,” Sotheby’s said. “The influence of the Decalogue extends far beyond the Judeo-Christian religions, underpinning around the globe the foundational concepts of common law, natural law, formal legal codes, personal conduct, and the social compact.” With News Wire Services
Emanuel M Schwermer My thesis I invested in QuantumScape ( NYSE: QS ) stock a few days after I wrote my previous bullish call and it was a real roller-coaster. The stock has jumped from around $5 per share to $9+ quite rapidly, but the Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of QS either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
NEW YORK , Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Council for Autism Service Providers (CASP) honored ABA Centers, the nation's fastest growing autism care provider, by partnering to ring the iconic Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange together. Lorri Unumb , Chief Executive Officer of CASP; Christopher Barnett , Founder & Chairman of ABA Centers; and his daughter, Madison Mulvey , were the official bell ringers during the 1 pm ceremony, marking an early close of the markets in preparation for the upcoming Christmas holiday. ABA Centers was founded as a testament to a father's love for his daughter, sparked from Mr. Barnett's personal experience attempting to acquire a diagnosis and then quality care for his own child, Ms. Mulvey, who spent years dealing with a misdiagnosis and missing out on the proper treatment that she desperately needed. What Mr. Barnett experienced as the parent of a child on the spectrum – the inadequacies, the lack of services available, and the long wait lists within the autism care system – were simply unacceptable. As a longtime healthcare entrepreneur, Mr. Barnett recognized that he already harnessed the infrastructure to effectuate real change within the autism care industry, so he set out to create a mission-driven organization, where every employee throughout the corporate and clinical teams is dedicated to making a lasting impact in the lives of autistic children and their families. "I hope that the sound waves of this bell ringing transcend the trading floor and serve as a rally call for quick, compassionate, and top quality autism care across our country," remarked Mr. Barnett. "Seeing CASP and ABA Centers on the New York Stock Exchange podium should encourage other decision makers and deal makers alike to find ways in which they can positively impact the autism care industry further because there are millions of children currently languishing on wait lists and missing out on the autism care that they deserve during the most crucial times." In 2024, ABA Centers achieved the following monumental milestones, which served to amplify its commitment to providing every kid in the country with world class autism care: "For mission-driven organizations like CASP and ABA Centers, this bell ringing ceremony offers a platform to amplify our message and highlight the importance of autism care, as well as the challenges faced by the autism community, to a robust and influential audience," stated Mrs. Unumb. Mrs. Unumb and Mr. Barnett were joined on the bell ringing podium by the C-suite of ABA Centers: Jason Barker ; Joseph Heilner ; Kristy Johnson ; Quatiba Davis; Michael Holohan ; Michael Holzum ; Michael Holzum, Jr. ; and Ted Bender ; members of The Christopher M. Barnett Family Foundation: Julie Barnett , Kaitlyn Mulvey , Madison Mulvey , and Kennedy Mulvey ; and Dan Unumb of the Autism Legal Resource Center. About ABA Centers ABA Centers provides applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy services to children with autism spectrum disorder through a play-based approach rooted in positive reinforcement. The company was designed to disrupt the autism care industry by demolishing wait times traditionally experienced by those in search of a diagnosis or treatment. Its strategically designed behavioral care centers offer the greatest opportunity for growth to young clients and their families. In-home and in-school therapy services are also available to deliver the most impactful continuum of care and to best meet each client's specific needs. In 2024, ABA Centers was named the No. 5 fastest growing private company in America on the Inc. 5000. More information can be found at www.abacenters.com . About the Council of Autism Service Providers Founded in 2016, the Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP) is a non-profit trade association of over 380 autism service provider organizations from all 50 states and multiple countries. It supports members by cultivating, sharing, and advocating for best practices in autism services. From developing clinical practice guidelines for applied behavior analysis to educating legislators about good policy, CASP works every day to ensure individuals with autism receive quality care. Learn more at www.CASProviders.org . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-council-of-autism-service-providers-and-aba-centers-partner-to-ring-closing-bell-at-the-new-york-stock-exchange-302337682.html SOURCE ABA Centers
By Charles Mangwiro | Associated Press MAPUTO, Mozambique — At least 6,000 inmates escaped from a high-security prison in Mozambique’s capital on Christmas Day after a rebellion, the country’s police chief said, as widespread post-election riots and violence are roiling the country. Police chief Bernardino Rafael said 33 prisoners died and 15 others were injured during a confrontation with the security forces. The prisoners fled during violent protests that have seen police cars, stations and infrastructure destroyed after the country’s Constitutional Council confirmed the ruling Frelimo party as the winner of the Oct. 9 elections. The escape from the Maputo Central Prison, located 14 kilometers (9 miles) southwest of the capital, started around midday on Wednesday after “agitation” by a “group of subversive protesters” nearby, Rafael said. Some of the prisoners at the facility snatched weapons from the guards and started freeing other detainees. “A curious fact is that in that prison we had 29 convicted terrorists, who they released. We are worried, as a country, as Mozambicans, as members of the defense and security forces,” said Rafael. Related Articles World News | UCSC, other campuses resolve Gaza protest discrimination complaints from Jewish, Muslim students World News | Bay Area county divests from Caterpillar over equipment sales to Israel World News | UnitedHealthcare CEO’s shooting opens a door for many to vent frustrations over insurance World News | At least 6 dead in political protests in Pakistan’s capital World News | Opposition forces flood the streets in Albanian capital “They (protesters) were making noise, demanding that they be able to remove the prisoners who are there serving their sentences”, said Rafael, adding that the protests led to the collapse of a wall, allowing the prisoners to flee. He called on the escaped prisoners to surrender to authorities and for the population to be informed about the fugitives. Videos circulating on social media show the moment inmates left the prison, while other recordings reveal captures made by military personnel and prison guards. Many prisoners tried to hide in homes, but some were unsuccessful and ended up being detained again. In one video, a prisoner still with handcuffs on his right wrist says he was held n the disciplinary section of the prison and was released by other inmates.NoneNone
TORONTO — Canada's main stock index pushed higher to end Monday up almost 150 points on light trading action, while U.S. stock markets also gained ahead of the Christmas break. "Today is a quiet pre-Christmas Day of trading," said Kevin Burkett, a portfolio manager at Victoria, B.C.-based Burkett Asset Management. While markets in both Canada and the U.S. were mild, Burkett suggests watching the markets closely during the holiday season, a contrast to what's typically a sleepy period for markets. "We're continuing to watch markets very closely here because you've got some tectonic plate shifting in terms of the macroeconomic backdrop," he said. "It's all the political conversations both in Canada and in the U.S." Burkett added fiscal policy seems to be disconnected from monetary policy in the post-pandemic period. "The fiscal policy may shift and that shift absolutely has market implications both in the short and long term," he said. The S&P/TSX composite index was up 149.50 points at 24,748.98. Statistics Canada released its latest numbers on Canada's economic growth, up 0.3 per cent in October — driven by the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction sector. The loonie continued its slide, trading for 69.47 cents US compared with 69.61 cents US on Friday. The telecom sector was the biggest loser at the closing on TSX, which Burkett attributed to "tax loss selling happening at the end of the year." Competition Bureau Canada announced on Monday it was suing Rogers Communications Inc. for allegedly making misleading claims about its infinite wireless plans. The stock price for Rogers, which is hovering near 52-week lows, fell 0.7 per cent on Monday. Meanwhile, BCE was down almost 1.4 per cent and Telus dropped 0.9 per cent. Burkett suggested the day's poor performance among telecom companies was likely tax loss selling since it's almost the end of the year. "It's been a tough year for the communication services sector," he said. South of the border, communications services was the top-performing sector, led by large-cap tech companies. Several big technology companies helped support the gains, including chip companies Nvidia and Broadcom. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 66.69 points at 42,906.95. The S&P 500 index was up 43.22 points at 5,974.07, while the Nasdaq composite was up 192.29 points at 19,764.89. The February crude oil contract was down 22 cents at US$69.24 per barrel and the February natural gas contract was down six cents at US$3.35 per mmBTU. The February gold contract was down US$16.90 at US$2,628.20 an ounce and the March copper contract was down one cent at US$4.09 a pound. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX: GSPTSE, TSX: CADUSD, TSE: BCE, TSE: RCI. B) Ritika Dubey, The Canadian Press
Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi looks back on 2024Matt Gaetz says he won't return to Congress next year after withdrawing name for attorney general WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Gaetz is not coming back to Congress. The Florida Republican said Friday he has no intention of serving another term in the House now that he is no longer President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general. Gaetz withdrew as the nominee this week amid growing fallout from the allegations of sexual conduct against him. Gaetz denies the allegations. Gaetz didn't lay out his plans now that he's out of office, saying only, “I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch." After Gaetz's withdrawal on Thursday, Trump named former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi to lead the Justice Department. Vance takes on a more visible transition role as he works to boost Trump's most controversial picks WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role. He's been helping Donald Trump’s most contentious Cabinet picks try to win confirmation in the Senate, where he has served for the last two years. Vance spent part of Wednesday at the Capitol with Rep. Matt Gaetz sitting in on meetings with Trump’s controversial choice for attorney general. On Thursday, Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings over the coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. Beyond evangelicals, Trump and his allies courted smaller faith groups, from the Amish to Chabad Donald Trump’s lock on the white evangelical vote is legendary, but he didn't focus exclusively on large religious voter blocs. He and his allies also wooed smaller religious groups, away from the mainstream. He posted a tribute to Coptic church members on social media and met with members of Assyrians for Trump — two smaller Christian communities with Middle Eastern roots. He visited the grave of the revered late leader of an Orthodox Jewish movement. His allies sought votes from the separatist Amish community. While Trump won decisively, the outreaches reflected aggressive campaigning in what was expected to be a tight race. NATO and Ukraine to hold emergency talks after Russia's attack with new hypersonic missile KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — NATO and Ukraine will hold emergency talks Tuesday after Russia attacked a central city with a hypersonic ballistic missile that escalated the nearly 33-month-old war. Ukraine's parliament canceled a session Friday over the security threat. In a stark warning to the West, President Vladimir Putin said in a nationally televised speech Thursday that the attack with the intermediate-range Oreshnik missile was retaliation for Kyiv’s use of U.S. and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory. Putin said Russia is launching production of the Oreshnik, saying it's so powerful that several of them fitted with conventional warheads could be as devastating as a strike with strategic — or nuclear — weapons. Texas education board approves optional Bible-infused curriculum for elementary schools AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas’ education board has voted to allow Bible-infused teachings in elementary schools. The approval Friday follows other Republican-led states that have pushed this year to give religion a larger presence in public classrooms. The curriculum adopted by the Texas State Board of Education is optional for schools to adopt, but they’ll receive additional funding if they do so. Parents and teachers who opposed the curriculum say the lessons will alienate students of other faith backgrounds. Supporters argue the Bible is a core feature of American history and that teaching it will enrich learning. 2 men convicted of charges related to human smuggling after scheme led to an Indian family’s death FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (AP) — A prosecution spokesperson says a jury has convicted two men of charges related to human smuggling for their roles in an international operation that led to the deaths of a family of Indian migrants who froze while trying to cross the Canada-U.S. border during a 2022 blizzard. Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel and Steve Shand each faced four charges related to human smuggling before being convicted Friday. Patel is an Indian national. Shand is an American from Florida. They were arrested after the family froze while trying to cross the desolate border during a 2022 blizzard. Northern California gets record rain and heavy snow. Many have been in the dark for days in Seattle FORESTVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A major storm with heavy snow and record rain that's moving through Northern California has toppled trees, closed roads and prompted evacuations in some areas after knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people in Washington and Oregon. Forecasters warn that the risk of flash flooding and rockslides will continue through Friday. The National Weather Service has extended a flood watch for areas north of San Francisco as a plume of moisture known as an atmospheric river inundates Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. Up to 16 inches of rain is forecast in Northern California and southwestern Oregon. The storm system unleashed winds earlier this week that left two people dead and hundreds of thousands without power in Washington. Archaeologists discover 4,000-year-old canals used to fish by predecessors of ancient Maya WASHINGTON (AP) — Using drones and Google Earth imagery, archaeologists have discovered a 4,000-year-old network of earthen canals in what’s now Belize. The research published Friday in Science Advances shows that long before the ancient Maya built temples, their predecessors were already altering the landscape of Central America’s Yucatan peninsula. The ancient fish canals were used to channel and catch freshwater species such as catfish. These structures were used for around 1,000 years — including during the “formative” period when the Maya began to settle in permanent farming villages and a distinctive culture started to emerge. California case is the first confirmed bird flu infection in a US child Health officials are confirming bird flu in a California child — the first reported case in a U.S. minor. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced confirmatory test results on Friday. Officials say the child had mild symptoms, was treated with antiviral medication and is recovering. The child’s infection brings the reported number of U.S. bird flu cases this year to 55, including 29 in California. State officials have said the child lives in Alameda County, which includes Oakland, and attends day care, but released no other details. Giants release quarterback Daniel Jones just days after benching him EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The Daniel Jones era in New York is over. The Giants quarterback was granted his release by the team just days after the franchise said it was benching him in favor of third-stringer Tommy DeVito. New York president John Mara said Jones approached the team about releasing him and the club obliged. Mara added he was “disappointed” at the quick dissolution of a once-promising relationship between Jones and the team. Giants coach Brian Daboll benched Jones in favor of DeVito following a loss to the Panthers in Germany that dropped New York's record to 2-8.Arsenal delivered the statement Champions League win Mikel Arteta had demanded as they swept aside Sporting Lisbon 5-1. Arteta wanted his team to prove their European credentials following some underwhelming displays away from home, and the Gunners manager got exactly what he asked for. Goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhaes, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard got their continental campaign back on track in style following the 1-0 defeat at Inter Milan last time out. A memorable victory also ended Sporting’s unbeaten start to the season, a streak of 17 wins and one draw, the vast majority of which prompted Manchester United to prise away head coach Ruben Amorim. The Gunners had failed to win or score in their two away games in the competition so far this season, but they made a blistering start in the Portuguese capital and took the lead after only seven minutes. Declan Rice fed overlapping full-back Jurrien Timber, who curled a low cross in behind the home defence for Martinelli to finish at the far post. Arsenal doubled their lead in the 20th minute thanks to a glorious ball over the top from Thomas Partey. Saka escaped the clutches of his marker Maximiliano Araujo to beat the offside trap and poke the ball past advancing goalkeeper Franco Israel for Havertz to tap home. It was a scintillating first-half display which completely overshadowed the presence of Viktor Gyokeres in Sporting’s attack. The prolific Sweden striker, formerly of Coventry, has been turning the heads of Europe’s top clubs with his 24 goals in 17 games this season – including a hat-trick against Manchester City earlier this month. But the only time he got a sniff of a run at goal after an optimistic long ball, he was marshalled out of harm’s way by Gabriel. David Raya was forced into one save, tipping a fierce Geovany Quenda drive over the crossbar. But Arsenal added a third on the stroke of half-time, Gabriel charging in to head Rice’s corner into the back of the net. To rub salt in the wound, the Brazilian defender mimicked Gyokeres’ hands-over-his-face goal celebration. That may have wound Sporting up as they came out after the interval meaning business, and they pulled one back after Raya tipped Hidemasa Morita’s shot behind, with Goncalo Inacio netting at the near post from the corner. Former Tottenham winger Marcus Edwards fired over, as did Gyokeres, with Arsenal temporarily on the back foot. But when Martin Odegaard’s darting run into the area was halted by Ousmane Diomande’s foul, Saka tucked away the penalty. Substitute Trossard added the fifth with eight minutes remaining, heading in the rebound after Mikel Merino’s shot was saved, and Gyokeres’ miserable night was summed up when his late shot crashed back off the post.
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"The Council of Autism Service Providers" And "ABA Centers" Partner to Ring Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange(WXYZ) — Saving lives as a paramedic is nothing out of the ordinary for Ben Roth, but there was something different about it Sunday. Roth, who lives in Texas, was off-duty and all the way in Chicago's Soldier Field with his six-year-old daughter when it seemed fate was still working to put him in the right place at the right time. Roth was in the Windy City to see the Detroit Lions. He has season tickets and has been a fan since the days of the legendary Barry Sanders. And as fans were settling in at Soldier Field to watch the game, Roth spotted someone wearing a shirt from the University of North Texas. "And that's a random shirt to see anywhere outside of Texas, especially at a Chicago Bears game, and I said, 'Hey, go Mean Green!'" Roth told 7 News Detroit, adding that he went over to talk to the young man who was at the game with his uncle. As the families were chatting, the man gave Roth and his little girl a couple of passes to get down onto the field. "They had two extra passes because his wife got sick and couldn't go," Roth said. And moments after Roth and his daughter got down onto the field, they overheard someone saying that a man had collapsed. Roth, state troopers, and staff from the Bears organization worked together to save a man who had gone into cardiac arrest. Illinois State Police thanked Master Sergeant Hansen, Sergeant Decatur, Trooper Resendez, and the off-duty paramedic in a Facebook post on Monday. Roth is thankful they were all in the right place at the right time. "The Lions winning was nice, but the reason I kept saying miracle is just like, one thing had to happen after another," he said. "I want the Lions to win, but somebody getting to see their family or somebody getting to talk to their family - far more important."
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