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My partner won’t listen when I tell him I don’t like it when he shoves a hand up my skirtThe team that President-elect Donald Trump has selected to lead federal health agencies in his second administration includes a retired congressman, a surgeon and a former talk-show host. All could play pivotal roles in fulfilling a political agenda that could change how the government goes about safeguarding Americans' health — from health care and medicines to food safety and science research. In line to lead the Department of Health and Human Services secretary is environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine organizer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Trump's choices don't have experience running large bureaucratic agencies, but they know how to talk about health on TV . Centers for Medicare and Medicaid pick Dr. Mehmet Oz hosted a talk show for 13 years and is a well-known wellness and lifestyle influencer. The pick for the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Marty Makary, and for surgeon general, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, are frequent Fox News contributors. Many on the list were critical of COVID-19 measures like masking and booster vaccinations for young people. Some of them have ties to Florida like many of Trump's other Cabinet nominees: Dave Weldon , the pick for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, represented the state in Congress for 14 years and is affiliated with a medical group on the state's Atlantic coast. Nesheiwat's brother-in-law is Rep. Mike Waltz , R-Fla., tapped by Trump as national security adviser. Here's a look at the nominees' potential role in carrying out what Kennedy says is the task to “reorganize” agencies, which have an overall $1.7 billion budget, employ 80,000 scientists, researchers, doctors and other officials, and effect Americans' daily lives: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Atlanta-based CDC, with a $9.2 billion core budget, is charged with protecting Americans from disease outbreaks and other public health threats. Kennedy has long attacked vaccines and criticized the CDC, repeatedly alleging corruption at the agency. He said on a 2023 podcast that there is "no vaccine that is safe and effective,” and urged people to resist the CDC's guidelines on if and when kids should get vaccinated . Decades ago, Kennedy found common ground with Weldon , 71, who served in the Army and worked as an internal medicine doctor before he represented a central Florida congressional district from 1995 to 2009. READ: Starting in the early 2000s, Weldon had a prominent part in a debate about whether there was a relationship between a vaccine preservative called thimerosal and autism. He was a founding member of the Congressional Autism Caucus and tried to ban thimerosal from all vaccines. Kennedy, then a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, believed there was a tie between thimerosal and autism and also charged that the government hid documents showing the danger. Since 2001, all vaccines manufactured for the U.S. market and routinely recommended for children 6 years or younger have contained no thimerosal or only trace amounts, with the exception of inactivated influenza vaccine. Meanwhile, study after study after study found no evidence that thimerosal caused autism. Weldon's congressional voting record suggests he may go along with Republican efforts to downsize the CDC, including to eliminate the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, which works on topics like drownings, drug overdoses and shooting deaths. Weldon also voted to ban federal funding for needle-exchange programs as an approach to reduce overdoses, and the National Rifle Association gave him an “A” rating for his pro-gun rights voting record. Food and Drug Administration Kennedy is extremely critical of the FDA, which has 18,000 employees and is responsible for the safety and effectiveness of prescription drugs, vaccines and other medical products, as well as overseeing cosmetics, electronic cigarettes and most foods. Makary, Trump’s pick to run the FDA, is closely aligned with Kennedy on several topics . The professor at Johns Hopkins University who is a trained surgeon and cancer specialist has decried the overprescribing of drugs, the use of pesticides on foods and the undue influence of pharmaceutical and insurance companies over doctors and government regulators. Kennedy has suggested he'll clear our “entire” FDA departments and also recently threatened to fire FDA employees for “aggressive suppression” of a host of unsubstantiated products and therapies, including stem cells, raw milk , psychedelics and discredited COVID-era treatments like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. Makary's contrarian views during the COVID-19 pandemic included questioning the need for masking and giving young kids COVID-19 vaccine boosters. But anything Makary and Kennedy might want to do when it comes to unwinding FDA regulations or revoking long-standing vaccine and drug approvals would be challenging. The agency has lengthy requirements for removing medicines from the market, which are based on federal laws passed by Congress. Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services The agency provides health care coverage for more than 160 million people through Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act, and also sets Medicare payment rates for hospitals, doctors and other providers. With a $1.1 trillion budget and more than 6,000 employees, Oz has a massive agency to run if confirmed — and an agency that Kennedy hasn't talked about much when it comes to his plans. While Trump tried to scrap the Affordable Care Act in his first term, Kennedy has not taken aim at it yet. But he has been critical of Medicaid and Medicare for covering expensive weight-loss drugs — though they're not widely covered by either . Trump said during his campaign that he would protect Medicare, which provides insurance for older Americans. Oz has endorsed expanding Medicare Advantage — a privately run version of Medicare that is popular but also a source of widespread fraud — in an AARP questionnaire during his failed 2022 bid for a U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania and in a 2020 Forbes op-ed with a former Kaiser Permanente CEO. Oz also said in a Washington Examiner op-ed with three co-writers that aging healthier and living longer could help fix the U.S. budget deficit because people would work longer and add more to the gross domestic product. Neither Trump nor Kennedy have said much about Medicaid, the insurance program for low-income Americans. Trump's first administration reshaped the program by allowing states to introduce work requirements for recipients. Surgeon general Kennedy doesn't appear to have said much publicly about what he'd like to see from surgeon general position, which is the nation's top doctor and oversees 6,000 U.S. Public Health Service Corps members. The surgeon general has little administrative power, but can be an influential government spokesperson on what counts as a public health danger and what to do about it — suggesting things like warning labels for products and issuing advisories. The current surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, declared gun violence as a public health crisis in June. Trump's pick, Nesheiwat, is employed as a New York City medical director with CityMD, a group of urgent care facilities in the New York and New Jersey area, and has been at City MD for 12 years. She also has appeared on Fox News and other TV shows, authored a book on the “transformative power of prayer” in her medical career and endorses a brand of vitamin supplements. She encouraged COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic, calling them “a gift from God” in a February 2021 Fox News op-ed, as well as anti-viral pills like Paxlovid. In a 2019 Q&A with the Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation , Nesheiwat said she is a “firm believer in preventive medicine” and “can give a dissertation on hand-washing alone.” National Institutes of Health As of Saturday, Trump had not yet named his choice to lead the National Institutes of Health, which funds medical research through grants to researchers across the nation and conducts its own research. It has a $48 billion budget. Kennedy has said he'd pause drug development and infectious disease research to shift the focus to chronic diseases. He'd like to keep NIH funding from researchers with conflicts of interest, and criticized the agency in 2017 for what he said was not doing enough research into the role of vaccines in autism — an idea that has long been debunked . ___ Associated Press writers Amanda Seitz and Matt Perrone and AP editor Erica Hunzinger contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Smith scores 18 in Bellarmine's 80-68 win against Bowling Green
The Detroit Lions have been one of the most formidable teams in the NFL this season, as Dan Campbell's squad is 13-2 and is tied for the NFC North lead and the No.1 seed in the conference with the Minnesota Vikings , though they do hold the head to head advantage with Minnesota due to their Week 6 victory over the Vikings. Detroit will travel to Levi's Stadium to square off against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football in Week 17. The Lions' defense has had an exceptional season, as Aaron Glenn's unit is allowing just 19.9 points per game , tied for the sixth-fewest with the Green Bay Packers , and has overcome a plethora of injuries to key starters, including cornerback Carlton Davis. Davis was having a solid 2024 campaign before breaking his jaw during the Lions Week 15 contest versus the Buffalo Bills . The 27-year-old snagged two interceptions and allowed just a 59.7% completion rate when targeted in 13 games this year. Davis was placed on Injured Reserve shortly after his injury in Week 15, and Dan Campbell stated on Dec.20 that he isn't optimistic that the team will get the veteran back this season. Davis may have played his final snap as a Lion, as the former Auburn standout will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and general manager Brad Holmes could look to move on. If Davis isn't back in Detroit next year, Bleacher Report's Matt Holder predicts the Lions will select East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Davis, Dorsey, Emmanuel Moseley and Kindle Vildor are all impending free agents, so expect Brad Holmes to use one of his first draft picks on a cornerback for the second year in a row. The East Carolina product is coming off a torn ACL, but he has plenty of traits to be a quality corner at the next level. Revel Jr. played in just three games in 2024 after tearing his ACL during a practice leading up to East Carolina's matchup versus Liberty on Sept.21, a game the Pirates lost. Though Revel Jr. suffered a significant injury just three games into his senior season, the North Carolina native still snagged two interceptions this season and allowed just a 40.9% completion rate on 22 targets. Revel played 328 coverage snaps and started 12 games for East Carolina during his junior campaign in 2023, and allowed a 44.2% completion rate on 43 targets and a 61.2 passer rating when targeted . The 2023 Second-Team All-American Athletic Conference selection has outstanding length and good height at 6'3 and is also a superb athlete. If the Lions fail to re-sign Davis this offseason, pairing Shavon Revel Jr. with Terrion Arnold would give Detroit two young and talented boundary cornerbacks for the future. MORE DETROIT LIONS NEWS Amon-Ra St. Brown makes photo of young Lions OC Ben Johnson go viral Lions actually have some competition for most injured starters in NFL Dan Campbell explains reasons behind Lions waiving Brandon JosephTurning tragedy into purpose: Gabby Petito's father advocates for missing Black and brown peopleStock up on these popular board games for your next get-together
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Nyla Harris had 14 points and Jayda Curry scored 10 of her 14 points in the fourth quarter to help No. 24 Louisville get past Colorado 79-71 on Saturday. The Cardinals led 56-55 after three quarters before pulling away in the fourth by scoring 16 unanswered points, capped by a fast-break layup by Curry, before Colorado made its first field goal of the frame with 2:48 left. Colorado scored the next six points to get within single digits at 72-63, but freshman Tajianna Roberts banked in a jumper in the lane at the other end. Izela Arenas sealed it on two free throws with 24.9 seconds left for a nine-point lead. Roberts finished with 13 and Arenas had 11 for Louisville (5-2). Frida Formann scored 25 points for Colorado (6-2). Jade Masogayo added 12 points, Nyamer Diew scored 10 and Kindyll Wetta matched her career-high with 10 assists. Formann went on a personal 8-0 run to give Colorado a 43-37 lead with 7:38 left in the third. She reached 20 points during the run, while no other player had scored in double figures. Louisville plays No. 8 Oklahoma on Wednesday in the SEC/ACC Challenge. Colorado continues a five-game homestand against Tennesse Tech on Tuesday. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketballThe two-day 11th Annual Gulf Studies Forum, held by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies in Doha, began Saturday. The first roundopf the forum is organised into two tracks and the first is “Arab Gulf States and the Palestine Question” and the second is “The Gulf City as a Structure and Social Agent”. Researchers from the Gulf, other Arab states, and beyond will present a total of 40 research papers across 14 sessions and a keynote. The forum began with opening remarks from HE the Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, introduced by Alanoud Al-Khalifa, researcher at the ACRPS Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies Unit. HE Al-Khulaifi noted the pioneering role of the Arab Center in raising public awareness about issues of concern to the Arab region, in particular the Gulf. He stressed that the Gulf States and other Arab and Islamic countries will remain focused on the Palestine question. These countries seek to harness all their capabilities to support the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and their just efforts to achieve self-determination. The stability and security of the region are closely linked to a just solution to the Palestine question. He pointed to the pivotal role played by the State of Qatar in promoting dialogue and peacemaking and stressed the importance of mediation as a principal tool for resolving conflicts. He went on to review Qatar’s efforts in resolving regional and international conflicts, including its mediation in humanitarian issues; such as supporting families affected by conflicts. He called for transforming the ideas emerging from the forum into practical steps to enhance stability and sustainable peace in the region. He also spoke about Qatar’s efforts regarding the Palestine question, stressing the need to reach a just and comprehensive solution that guarantees the rights of the Palestinians in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and the two-state solution. Proceedings started with the first session of the first track titled “The Attitudes of the Gulf States toward the Palestine Question”, chaired by Ghanim Al-Najjar. Abdulaziz bin Othman bin Saqr analysed the Saudi stance on the Israeli war on Gaza, emphasising its core demand for Palestinian self-determination and the establishment of an independent state within the pre-1967 borders. Abdullah Al-Ghailani explored Gulf positions on the Palestine issue, tracing their evolution from the 1948 Nakba to Al-Aqsa Flood. The session concluded with Sultan Al Khulaifi’s paper on Qatari foreign policy under Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani (1972-1995), addressing the complexities of Qatar’s approach to the Palestine question during this period. The second session of the first track was chaired by Chaired by Hatem Al-Shanfari and began with Asaad Saleh Al-Shamlan discussing Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan's announcement of the “International Alliance to Implement the Two-State Solution” during the 2024 UN General Assembly. Sherine Mubarak explored US-Saudi relations from 1933 to 1953, highlighting tensions due to differing views on Palestine. Hossam Elsayed Zaki Shalabi reviewed the Trucial States and Oman’s positions on Palestine from 1917 to 1948, examining their responses to key events like the Balfour Declaration, the Great Palestinian Revolt, the 1947 partition plan, and their role in the 1948 war. The first session of the second track, chaired by Saad Albazei and titled “The City and Nation-Building (1): The Saudi Case” featured three papers. The first paper by Ulrike Freitag focused on the cosmopolitan city of Jeddah to examine the different ways in which people have created affective links with cities and ways of expressing identity in the city through certain types of civic engagement. Alanoud Al-Khalifa’s paper elucidated how the historical narrative of Diriyah is employed to affirm political legitimacy in Saudi Arabia and reinforce the vision of the contemporary nation-state. In the third paper, Rufei Li argued that the urban transformation process of al-Balad, Jeddan, is the outcome of state-building and nation-building processes, which in turn impacted al-Balad significantly regarding its role in Saudi Arabia’s nation-building. The third session of the first track and second session of the second track were also organized simultaneously. Dania Dhafer chaired the first track, which was organized in collaboration with the Gulf International Forum. Kristian Ulrichsen presented a paper on the potential impact of the 2024 US presidential elections on US policy towards the Gulf. Mohammad Ghanem Al-Rumaihi analysed the challenges in Gulf-US relations following the Gaza war, focusing on the Gulf’s effort to balance East-West relations amid political complexities. Inderjit Parmar discussed the implications of the 2024 US election results, predicting that a second Trump administration would oppose international institutions and escalate tensions with China, potentially destabilizing the Middle East and global energy supplies. In the second track titled “The City and Nation-Building (2): Khaliji Cases”, chaired by Amal Ghazal, three papers were presented: Sundus Al-Rashid discussed the history of the Kuwait National Museum, beginning with its location in the city and its relationship with surrounding facilities as a cultural and social institution, as well as its national symbolism. Saoud Abdulaziz Al Ahmad, Amnah Abdullah Alshammari, and Betul Uzun examined the strategic use of urban spaces in shaping national identity in Qatar, focusing on Msheireb and Souq Waqif. Djamel Boussaa focused on the role of heritage tourism and its implications for urban regeneration in the context of Doha, Jeddah, and Dubai to demonstrate how the resilient historic urban centres are struggling to survive in a fast global environment. Modern Urbanism in the Gulf In the next two sessions, only papers of the second track were presented. In its third session titled “Urban Modernization Structures as a Social Agent”, chaired by Yagoub Al-Kandari, Yasser Mahgoub explored the complex interplay between urban structures and social dynamics in Kuwait City and Doha to show how urban development shapes and is shaped by social processes. Mahdi Laadhari investigated the changes tied to urban and societal development in Kuwaiti society, focusing on the Diwaniya and the modernization process it underwent. Abdulrahman Albaker chaired the fourth session titled “The Gulf City and Modern Urbanism”, which featured Davide Ponzini, who presented recent plans and mega-projects in Gulf cities and limitations and opportunities to advance planning knowledge, as well as Mustapha Ben-Hamouche, who examined the future of GCC cities through urban planning frameworks, referencing the “Life Cycle of Cities” hypothesis. The forum will continue conclude Sunday, as outlined in the agenda. On Sunday, there will be three sessions on the forum’s first track, and four sessions and a keynote on the forum’s second track. Related Story Liwan Library Forum second edition opens Tuesday Gulf Association for Family Medicine Hold Meeting in Doha
Outgoing Congress Still Has Time To Act On PBM ReformAIA Middle East Conference concludes, MDD wins awardBilbo Baggins once wrote that “the old that is strong does not wither.” Well, Lord of the Rings is over 70 years old, and War of the Rohirrim may be a worrying (but beautifully crafted, often entertaining) omen for a franchise looking to justify itself. Peter Jackson directed three of the greatest, most monumental movies in cinema history with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He tried, and failed, to recapture the wonder of Middle-earth with The Hobbit movies, needlessly chopped up and full of garish VFX (lest we forget Legolas defying gravity more than Wicked’s Elphaba ). Regrettably, the series has become a hotbed for insufferable finger-wagging and pedantry after Amazon’s Rings of Power . Admittedly, its first season was a bit iffy, but Season 2 was extraordinary, and perhaps the most vivid and compelling interpretation of Tolkien’s texts since the original films. Jackson, Phillipa Boyens and co. have since returned to the fold. They’re making at least two more live-action movies (starting with The Hunt for Gollum ). It could be an attempt to sway contemptuous fans back to the fold, or perhaps it’s just about money, or maybe – just maybe – they have good stories to tell. Unfortunately, War of the Rohirrim isn’t quite a testament to the latter hope. What is LOTR: The War of the Rohirrim about? “All of Middle-earth [and the real world, let’s be honest] knows the tale of the One Ring,” Miranda Otto’s Éowyn narrates. “But there are others... tales that light a path through the dark.” Set over 180 years before the events of the Fellowship of the Ring, the movie follows Héra (Gaia Wise), the “headstrong, wild” daughter of Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox), the king of Rohan – he won’t admit it, but he’s “proud of his tearaway daughter,” Éowyn says, and while you won’t find her name in the “old tales... by her hand, many great deeds were done.” Related: Everything seems swell in Edoras, but one punch starts a war. Freca (Shaun Dooley), a Dunlending lord with Rohirric blood (and a clear disdain for Helm) hears that Héra may be marrying a Gondorian prince. He proposes she marry Wulf (Luke Pasqualino), her childhood friend, instead. Helm turns him down, leading to a fight – a generous description, considering Helm haymakers Freca and kills him. Wulf is furious and vows to avenge his father’s death, lighting the fuse of the titular war. Lord of the Rings is perfect for anime Let me say this outright: War of the Rohirrim looks and sounds spectacular, with an eye-popping, vibrant blend of different styles; you can see Attack on Titan (both Weta and MAPPA worked on the visuals), Studio Ghibli , and even Ralph Bakshi’s original Lord of the Rings movie. The landscapes are breathtaking, Stephen Gallagher’s score bows its head to Howard Shore’s irreplaceable compositions while sprinkling its own melodies, and Kenji Kamiyama doesn’t merely try to emulate Jackson’s staging and direction – this feels like a unique entry in the LOTR canon; epic, but gorgeous in a way only this medium can allow. Here, the Mûmakil (the big elephants) are terrifying, fury-eyed beasts, the Great Eagles are great (the best animated birds since The Rescuers: Down Under – yes, really), and we even get a slimy, enormous Watcher in the Water that’s slickly brought to life. The action is generally well-done, if not always that exciting; anime has some of the most dynamic set pieces across movies and television, and outside of its world-building and general presentation, War of the Rohirrim doesn’t maximize its potential (Helm Hammerhand aside). War of the Rohirrim’s story is uninspiring Here’s the thing: War of the Rohirrim isn’t for the rookies, nor does it feel like a deep-cut Tolkien story (because it isn’t). Excluding Éowyn’s vague narration, it operates on the assumption that you not only know about Rohan and Gondor, but you care about their pasts, their lineages, and the political tensions that lie between the two allied kingdoms. That onus shouldn’t be on us , it’s on the filmmakers, and this movie fails where its predecessors (even The Hobbit films) succeeded. It’s not that it’s missing any connections to the main Lord of the Rings saga (its references are admirably restrained, and each one works better than the last), it just struggles to communicate why this story is worthy of our attention. There’s a blatant message in here – if men don’t curb their arrogance, it could be their downfall – but it’s tritely conveyed, a consequence of a film that’s fast-paced but lacks impact in its momentum. For example, Helm Hammerhand is immediately likable (mainly due to Cox’s wonderful voice performance), but do I feel like I know him as I did Gandalf, Frodo, Sam, and the rest of the Fellowship? This is a writing issue, and one character stands out: I’m sorry, but Héra is a dull lead, and it’s obvious that the movie was written around a character with almost no basis in the source material. She may be “headstrong and wild”, but we barely get a sense of who she is; everyone loves her, she’s a talented fighter, she’s not interested in getting married... and that’s about it. By Wise’s own admission, she’s not a “fully-formed woman” – but she’s not a fully-formed character, either. Dexerto review score: 3/5 – Good If nothing else, War of the Rohirrim is a proof of concept; we need more Lord of the Rings animes from Tolkien’s legendarium. However, striking animation and a charming vocal ensemble aside, it feels regrettably forgettable – entertaining in the moment, but dispensable. If “all we have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to us,” I’d rather wait for something better. Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will hit cinemas on December 13. Check out what we know about Rings of Power Season 3 , how to get the War of the Rohirrim popcorn bucket , and for more information on how we score TV shows and movies, check out our scoring guidelines here.
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Konstas joins cult heroes, Tugga and one Test wonder in rogues’ gallery of Boxing Day debutantsOfftake for a minimum of 32,000 tonnes of NOVONIX’s high-performance synthetic graphite material to be supplied to PowerCo from 2027-2031 BRISBANE, Australia, Nov. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NOVONIX Limited (NASDAQ: NVX, ASX: NVX) (“NOVONIX” or the “Company”), a leading battery materials and technology company, and PowerCo SE (“PowerCo”), today announced the signing of a binding offtake agreement for a minimum of 32,000 tonnes of high-performance synthetic graphite material. The material will be supplied to PowerCo over a five-year term starting in 2027. Established by Volkswagen in 2022, PowerCo is committed to ramp-up global battery cell production. PowerCo oversees international factory operations, advances in cell technology, and vertical integration of the battery value chain. PowerCo has identified three gigafactory locations – Salzgitter in Germany, Valencia in Spain, and St. Thomas in Canada - with a combined capacity of up to 200 GWh/year. NOVONIX and PowerCo previously announced the signing of a non-exclusive Testing and Development Agreement in March 2024. NOVONIX’s Riverside facility is poised to become the first large-scale production site dedicated to high-performance synthetic graphite for the battery sector in North America and is slated to begin commercial production in 2025, with plans to grow output to 20,000 tonnes per annum (“tpa”) to meet current customer commitments. Previously, the Company announced the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (“MESC”) awarded the Company a US$100 million grant and was selected for a US$103 million investment tax credit towards the funding of the Riverside facility. The Company is also progressing plans to build a second production facility, in the southeastern United States, that will have an initial capacity of 30,000 tpa and plans to expand that facility to 75,000 tpa. NOVONIX remains in discussions with the DOE Loan Program Office (“LPO”) for an Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Program loan to support the construction of this new production facility. NOVONIX’s current plans call for total production to increase to at least 150,000 tpa of synthetic graphite material to accommodate anticipated customer demand. Key Deal Terms Offtake commitment is for a minimum of 32,000 tonnes over the five-year term of the agreement. Products will be priced under a pricing structure that has been agreed between the parties. The start of commercial supply is targeted to commence in 2027, subject to NOVONIX achieving agreed upon milestones regarding final mass production qualification and satisfying certain compliance criteria. NOVONIX must also secure financing commitments for the production facilities that will supply PowerCo product. If these milestones or requirements have not been satisfied, then PowerCo may terminate the agreement. This announcement has been authorized for release by NOVONIX Chairman, Admiral Robert J. Natter, USN Ret. About NOVONIX NOVONIX is a leading battery technology company revolutionizing the global lithium-ion battery industry with innovative, sustainable technologies, high-performance materials, and more efficient production methods. The Company manufactures industry-leading battery cell testing equipment, is growing its high-performance synthetic graphite material manufacturing operations, and has developed a patented all-dry, zero-waste cathode synthesis process. Through advanced R&D capabilities, proprietary technology, and strategic partnerships, NOVONIX has gained a prominent position in the electric vehicle and energy storage systems battery industry and is powering a cleaner energy future. To learn more, visit us at www.novonixgroup.com or on LinkedIn and X . For NOVONIX Limited Scott Espenshade, ir@novonixgroup.com (investors) Stephanie Reid, media@novonixgroup.com (media) Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This communication contains forward-looking statements about the Company and the industry in which we operate. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” or “would,” or other similar expressions. Examples of forward-looking statements in this communication include, among others, statements we make regarding meeting our target production capacity and scaling of production at our Riverside facility, our plans to build a new production facility and achieve initial and total production capacities, our efforts to finance this new production facility with a loan from the LPO, our estimate of future anticipated North American graphite demand and our plan to be a significant supplier of high-performance synthetic graphite to the North American market. We have based such statements on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Such forward-looking statements involve and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the timely deployment and scaling of our furnace technology, our ability to meet the technical specifications and demand of our existing and future customers, including PowerCo, the accuracy of our estimates regarding market size, expenses, future revenue, capital requirements, needs and access for additional financing, the availability and impact and our compliance with the applicable terms of government support, including the DOE MESC grant and, if obtained, the LPO loan, our ability to obtain patent rights effective to protect our technologies and processes and successfully defend any challenges to such rights and prevent others from commercializing such technologies and processes, and regulatory developments in the United States, Australia and other jurisdictions. These and other factors that could affect our business and results are included in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 20-F. Copies of these filings may be obtained by visiting our Investor Relations website at www.novonixgroup.com or the SEC's website at www.sec.gov . Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or outcomes, and actual performance and outcomes may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in this communication. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement in this communication is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law.None
Cal Baptist makes cross-country trip to battle Darius Johnson, UCFGAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Princely Umanmielen's return to the Swamp ended with a police escort . Umanmielen, who spent three years at Florida before transferring to Ole Miss, left the stadium with a number of officers surrounding him. And the defensive end still tried to get at heckling fans. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.LENS, France (AP) — Pierre-Emile Højbjerg scored after VAR came to the rescue for Marseille to beat Lens 3-1 in the French league on Saturday. The Denmark midfielder struck in the 89th minute with a free kick awarded when Rémy Labeau-Lascary had what would have been a late equalizer ruled out for a foul by Angelo Fulgini in the buildup. The decision prompted a chorus of whistles from the home fans, who were further riled to see former Lens player Elye Wahi go on for the visitors. Valentin Rongier fired Marseille ahead early in the second half, set up by Neal Maupay, who had been played into the danger area by a good ball from Mason Greenwood. Brazilian forward Luis Henrique made it 2-0 on a counterattack in the 57th. Fulgini pulled one back from close range in the 80th after M’Bala Nzola had two efforts blocked on the line, and Labeau-Lascary thought he’d equalized in the 86th, only for Fulgini’s shove to prove decisive at the other end. The win helped Marseille consolidate third place after its third successive win away from home. Roberto De Zerbi’s team has failed to win any of its last three home games. Following a serious illness, former Lens president Gervais Martel kicked the ball in a symbolic gesture ahead of the actual kickoff. The 70-year-old was visibly moved by the reception he received from fans who displayed a giant banner thanking him for his leadership, and from players who lined up with his name on their jerseys. Lyon visited Reims later Saturday, after St. Etienne hosted fellow struggler Montpellier. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
It should have been a typical Saturday in August this year. Linda, a design student in her early 20s, was headed to a friend’s graduation ceremony when her world turned upside down. She was waiting to board the train at Buona Vista MRT station when a couple approached her and said they had spotted a man taking upskirt photos of her while she had been travelling up the escalator earlier at the train station. “(The couple) pointed out the guy, who (by then) was looking at us with shifty eyes and walking away quickly from me,” said Linda, who declined to be identified by her real name. The couple told Linda they had not pursued him, because they noticed he had swiftly deleted the photos when they were nearing him. As the information sunk in, a shaken Linda began crying as she set foot on the train. However, her emotions quickly evolved into that of rage, as she thought about how her offender could have done the same to other women. “It dawned on me that I could have been just one of his many victims, and I felt the need to stop him,” she recalled. “In a sudden fit of rage, I went down every single train carriage looking for him but could not find him.” She later alighted and approached the ground staff at Boon Lay MRT Station and was advised to make a police report. Linda did so but has not heard back about the status of the case. “I feel very upset just knowing that a dangerous creep like that can go about his daily life, possibly even violating more girls, and it makes me feel very disgusted and scared.” Even though she was not physically harmed by the incident, it has had a lasting impact. Four months on, she continues to be haunted by her perpetrator’s actions. “I feel scared when I take escalators or sit on trains. I always look over my shoulder now and get suspicious of any man standing behind me with his phone out,” she said. “Sometimes, we make eye contact and I just feel like an anxious and crazy woman who’s paranoid about every man around her, but I just can’t help it.” Linda told CNA TODAY that she has also become very conscious of her attire in public. She wears dresses or shorts only if her boyfriend is with her, as he can stand behind her on escalators to protect her from potential voyeurs. Otherwise, she wears long pants as much as possible. And when she does go out wearing shorts, she will also wear an additional pair of safety shorts underneath — something she never used to do because they are quite uncomfortable and can cause chafing or even rashes in Singapore’s weather. While she is saddened at having to change up her wardrobe and avoid wearing clothes she likes, Linda said she feels she has to do it for her own safety. “I have tons of cute clothes in my wardrobe collecting dust because I’m so scared to wear them,” she lamented. She also prefers to stand sideways when travelling up escalators alone. “Sure, it looks weird ... but I prefer to know the person behind me is not doing anything funny.” STILL “VERY MINDFUL” AFTER SIX YEARS Indeed, the impact of upskirting is often more far-reaching than many realise – and 42-year-old Ms Chen knows this all too well. Six years after she fell prey to an upskirter, Ms Chen – who works in the technology sector and declined to give her full name – still vividly recalls what transpired that day. Ms Chen had stopped by a pharmacy at Raffles Place MRT Station after work one evening. While testing a cosmetic item, Ms Chen looked up at a mirror in the store and locked eyes with a man, who seemed startled that she had seen him. “I saw this guy in the reflection, and he was very shocked, as though he wasn’t expecting me to look at him in the (mirror’s) reflection. I was also wondering what he was doing in that aisle itself, and that’s when I felt a bit uncomfortable.” Still, she shook off the nagging feeling, thinking it was just fatigue from a long work day. “I decided to continue testing and looking at other products, but soon after, I felt something was wrong again. As I did a side glance... I saw him.” The same man was squatting at a corner of the aisle, with his arm and phone outstretched. Realising Ms Chen had caught him in the act of taking a photo, he quickly stood up and darted out of the shop. Stunned, Ms Chen sought the assistance of the pharmacy’s staff, requesting the woman to check the CCTV footage in the shop. “When she came out (of the staff room), she was clutching her chest and close to tears when she said, ‘Oh my god... you were upskirted twice.’” Ms Chen made a police report that night, and later told her sisters and friends about the upskirting episode. “I realised that when I was explaining (the incident to them), I often felt like I had to tell them I was actually in a work dress, and that it was not a short dress,” she recalled. “Later, I realised it was unnecessary because the very act of upskirting is wrong.” For a few months after the incident, Ms Chen tried to avoid walking around the area as it would bring back unpleasant memories and negative emotions. She has also become more cautious of her surroundings in general, especially when travelling up an escalator. “I’ll be very mindful to have a bag and to make sure it is covering the back of my skirt.” Her perpetrator was apprehended a few months after committing the crime. While he had offered her a restitution of S$2,000 to settle the matter privately outside of court, Ms Chen declined. He was eventually sentenced to two weeks’ jail. "I TRIED TO CATCH HIM" During a routine supermarket run at Jurong Point six months ago, Ms Joey K, 27, was browsing the aisles when something unusual caught her eye – a man crouched nearby, his phone facing upwards on the floor. “I was a bit taken aback because the outfit I was wearing was a typical grocery shopping kind of outfit,” said Ms K who works in marketing and is an online content creator also known online as misssonglai. She explained that she had worn a simple T-shirt and knee-length shorts with a flare cut. “I was too shocked to react, and I thought I was imagining things,” said Ms K. Her husband was in another aisle at the time, and it happened so quickly that she began wondering whether she had imagined the whole thing. “I just kept thinking, was it real?” recalled Ms K, but she knew something was wrong as the man behaved suspiciously along the supermarket aisles. “You can see him running to other aisles and just squatting down really fast,” she said. “I tried to catch him, but he wasn’t doing it in front of me,” said Ms K. This was not Ms K’s first encounter with an upskirt offender. Back in 2020, when there was an easing of some pandemic measures and people were allowed to return to work, Ms K was upskirted while on her way to the office one morning. At the time, she was standing on the escalator at an MRT station when she felt a “tickling” sensation against the back of her legs. Her initial confusion quickly turned to unease. Due to pandemic safe-distancing measures, everyone around her was standing quite far apart from each other, and the train station was quieter than usual, with many people still working from home. “The second time I felt this tickling, I turned around and saw this guy standing behind me and a phone under my dress,” said Ms K. Realising what was happening, an incensed Ms K grabbed the man and demanded to see his phone. “When I got the phone, I couldn’t find anything at all. It made me feel so crazy,” said Ms K. She knew that some perpetrators could quickly move photos to another folder or delete them in that split second, adding to her growing anger and anxiety. “I pulled down my mask and was shouting at him and I was trembling, too.” The man continued to deny doing anything and walked away. Adamant and trusting her instincts, Ms K followed the man onto the train and confronted him, asking to see the photos. Feeling a mix of fury and fear, Ms K’s said she was shaking as she returned the phone to the man and walked away. A few weeks after the incident, her heart would start racing when she stood on the escalator and she constantly looked over her shoulder to see who was behind her, Ms K recalled. “Just because you didn’t find the hard evidence doesn’t mean it didn't happen. Sometimes, (the perpetrators) just delete or clear it really fast,” said Ms K. In fact, she has seen this happen in a dramatic way: More than 10 years ago, during her polytechnic days, Ms K confronted a man at a bus stop who had been taking her picture with a camera. To her shock, he swallowed his SD card to prevent her from obtaining any proof. “I want anyone in the same situation to know that if you ever question whether something like this has happened to you, it’s most likely real. Trust yourself,” said Ms K, who no longer wears dresses when she takes the MRT. When she was younger, Ms K had the notion that upskirting offences only happened if you were wearing a short skirt, but the various incidents she has personally encountered over the years changed her views. “After it happened to me, I realised you can be wearing anything, and it can still happen to you.” She added: “When I take the escalators now, I always turn around to see who’s standing behind me. If it’s a man, I would turn around and run up the escalator quickly.” “I hate it when men stand behind me on the escalators,” said Ms K, who added that her unpleasant encounters have left her hypervigilant about her surroundings. TROUBLING UPWARD TREND OF UPSKIRTING IN SINGAPORE The encounters experienced by the three women are far from isolated incidents in Singapore, which has seen a troubling rise in voyeuristic offences, including upskirting, in recent years. In 2020, the Annual Crime Brief reported 394 voyeurism cases. This rose sharply to 467 cases in 2021. While the number of cases declined slightly to 424 in 2022, it rose again in 2023 – this time climbing to 476 cases. Voyeurism encompasses a range of acts that involve non-consensual observation or recording of an individual in private settings or situations where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy. Upskirting, specifically, refers to the act of taking photographs or videos under a person’s clothing, typically with the intention of capturing images of their underwear or intimate areas, without their knowledge or consent. In fact, it is a form of sexual violence facilitated by technology, said Ms Sugidha Nithiananthan, the director of advocacy and research at the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE). In May 2019, Parliament passed the Criminal Law Reform Act, introducing significant amendments to the Penal Code to address emerging crime trends and enhance protections for vulnerable individuals. Among the changes, the Penal Code now directly covers voyeurism offences, including the taking of upskirt photos. These amendments came into effect on 1 January 2020. Before 2020, voyeurism was not criminalised under any specific statutory provision. Instead, it was criminalised under the Insult of Modesty provisions of the Penal Code and the Films Act. According to an article on his website, lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam said: “These patchwork of laws, however, did not adequately cover the range of circumstances in which voyeurism offences are committed”. For example, the possession of voyeuristic still images was not covered. The newly introduced Section 377BB of the Penal Code defined what exactly constitutes voyeurism and provided adequate punishments. Previously, “upskirting” was punishable under the old Section 509 of the Penal Code, which did not specifically address recording videos and carried a maximum jail term of one year. Under the updated Section 377BB, the act is now explicitly criminalised, and the maximum jail term has been increased to two years. The move by Parliament came amid a spate of high-profile upskirting cases in 2019. In June that year, 26-year-old Lee Zhen Hao was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment after taking over 140 upskirt videos within three months. He had intended to sell these videos online for between S$30 and S$80 each. Four months later, four individuals were charged for their involvement in the “SG Nasi Lemak” Telegram chat group, which had over 44,000 members and was used to share obscene content, including upskirt images. The 39-year-old administrator Liong Tianwei, was jailed for nine weeks and fined S$26,000. Another administrator of the chat, Leonard Teo Min Xuan, 27, was sentenced to one year of mandatory treatment for major depressive disorder. Then, in November, a 19-year-old polytechnic student, Khai Jun Wei, was sentenced to 21 months’ probation for taking upskirt videos of 17 women at various MRT stations. TOUCHING NOT NEEDED TO HURT A PERSON While non-victims might dismiss upskirting and other non-physical forms of sexual violence as less serious, because they do not cause visible or physical injury to survivors, the stories of women who have been upskirted show that the harm caused is real and lasting. “You do not need to touch a person to hurt them. Similarly, perpetrators can be sexually violent without physically assaulting the survivor,” said AWARE’s Ms Nithiananthan. Victims of these sexual offences experience trauma symptoms that are similar to what victims of physical sexual assault, such as molestation and rape, feel. This can include disturbed sleep and appetite, hypervigilance, avoidance of places where they had experienced voyeurism, social withdrawal, and poorer relationships and friendships. These are some of the changes that 28-year-old communications professional Ms Yeo, who declined to give her full name, has undergone. Ten years ago, she was filmed in a public washroom at her polytechnic. Her perpetrator had stuck his phone underneath the gap of a neighbouring stall. Since then, Ms Yeo has been paranoid about going to public washrooms, and always chooses the last stall flanking the wall. She also said the incident “destroyed (and) did a lot of damage” to her mental state and that she had “never felt so violated in her life”. Ms Yeo also finds that she is hypervigilant of her surroundings, “constantly (keeping her mind) switched on” for anything out of the ordinary. In fact, she noted that she has become so on edge when out in public that she once almost knocked a girl’s phone out of her hands when she felt a brush behind her on the escalator on her way to work. “It hit me that I’ve gotten so high-strung. If I felt anybody around me or could have any device near me, I would react that way.” Most recently, she was going down the escalator at Bishan MRT station when she realised a man was standing extremely close to her and tying his shoelace with his phone camera facing upwards towards her. She noted his descriptions and immediately made a police report. Dr Annabelle Chow, principal clinical psychologist of Annabelle Psychology, said the reason these offences might be downplayed is because sexual aggression and crime are often viewed on a spectrum or hierarchy. “Given that upskirting is a non-contact sexual crime, the behaviour may be seen as ‘mild’ since it does not actually physically ‘hurt’ the victim, unlike other offences such as rape or molestation,” said Dr Chow. In fact, Ms June Fong, senior forensic psychologist of Promises Healthcare, noted that the psychological and emotional impact on victims of non-contact offences could be more far-reaching than victims of contact sexual offences. This is because in addition to the initial shock of the event, survivors also live in fear that their images are immortalised on the internet, or are stored on someone’s computer or phone forever. Dr Lynette Rama, clinical and forensic psychologist also from Promises Healthcare, added that because these pictures or videos might be distributed on the internet or via chat groups, it can lead to revictimisation, even beyond the original offender’s control. The impact of these offences can bleed into all aspects of the survivor's life, said Ms Nithiananthan. Survivors might also have to endure the long, frustrating and expensive process of trying to get their images taken down from various sites. “However, it can be nearly impossible to permanently remove an image, potentially contributing to the survivor’s trauma,” she said. Because of this, survivors of these offences suffer long-lasting anxiety and lack of control. Furthermore, the tendency of others to diminish or dismiss the impact of non-physical sexual violence can compound survivors’ confusion and self-blame, hamper their recovery and deter them from reporting their experiences to authorities, added Ms Nithiananthan. Dr Chow added that dismissing the offence by pretending it did not happen or simply asking the perpetrator to delete the images does not lessen the emotional impact or trauma experienced by the survivors. “Such responses trivialise the offence and fail to recognise the emotional and psychological harm inflicted on victims.” Agreeing, Ms K said that while the incident was deeply unsettling, what enraged her the most was the response she received when she shared her experience on Instagram. Comments flooded in, with many either dismissing the severity of the incident or outright victim-shaming. Some commenters questioned whether Ms K was overreacting, while others accused her of seeking attention or boasting about her appearance. Beyond the victim-shaming and dismissive remarks, Ms K often wonders about the incidents she might have missed, when the perpetrators’ actions went unnoticed. “Out of 10 times, maybe I caught them four or five times. But what about the other five times I didn’t? For all I know, they got the angle they wanted and uploaded it to those websites. It’s just such a sad thought.” “I can't even imagine how many times the photo has been used or circulated,” said Ms K. Noting that there is often limited awareness about the emotional and psychological impact of non-contact offences, counsellors also told CNA TODAY that it is not uncommon for others to trivialise non-contact offences, as there is “no physical harm” involved. Dr Rama said: “One of the significant factors for why non-contact offences are sometimes downplayed is the perception that since there was no visible physical harm done to the victim, their bodily integrity was not violated in the same way.” The experts said that in some instances, survivors may even find themselves at the receiving end of victim-blaming. This shifts the focus of the offence to the victim – including blaming the victim’s dressing, for example – instead of the perpetrators and their behaviour. This is something that victims who spoke to CNA TODAY could relate to. Apart from her boyfriend and closest friends, Linda said that she was hesitant to confide in others about the upskirt incident. “The only people in my family who know about this are my sister and grandmother. I felt scared that people would judge me if I told them, and I know my mother would freak out. “Even my grandmother asked if I was wearing a very short skirt,” she added. WHAT SURVIVORS CAN DO Responding to CNA TODAY’s queries, the police said they’ve introduced a “Sexual Crime Report” option at the queue management system kiosk at Neighbourhood Police Centres. “When a victim of sexual crime selects this option at the kiosk, the Police will prioritise attending to them and facilitate their reporting in a private area.” In addition, the police have a programme known as the Victim Care Cadre Programme (VCCP) to support victims of these various crimes, including sexual crimes. These Victim Care Officers (VCO) work with the Police to support victims of crime, including victims of sexual crimes, scams and other serious offences throughout the investigation process. Apart from this, victims may also reach out to centres such as AWARE’s Sexual Assault Care Centre for support. The Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO) also runs the SHECARES@SCWO support centre for survivors of online harms. In addition to operating a helpline and text line for victims, the centre provides pro bono counselling support and legal clinics. And while the core psychological treatment approaches for victims of sexual offences with and without contact share fundamental similarities, the counselling support provided may still differ slightly in practical terms, said Dr Chow. For one thing, survivors of contact offences may require additional focus on the physical aspects of their trauma, such as managing sensitivities to touch, she explained. In contrast, non-contact offence survivors may need greater support in dealing with the impact of privacy violations and fears surrounding the non-consensual distribution of their images. Noting the realities of victim-blaming, Ms Fong of Promises Healthcare said that a crucial aspect of therapy for victims of non-contact sexual crime is to enable them to advocate for themselves in the face of such societal attitudes that minimise victims’ distress. “They might hear things like ‘It’s only upskirting, it’s not like you were molested’; or ‘Was it because you were wearing a short skirt?’, or even ‘Take it as a compliment that someone finds you attractive’. “Part of therapy is enabling victims to shake off the feelings of self-blame they might experience.” Beyond these, broader societal support is also required – including fostering greater gender equality and more respectful societal attitudes towards women. Ms Nithiananthan of AWARE said that such offences are essentially forms of gender-based violence. “Global research shows that most perpetrators are men and boys and most survivors are women and girls. These are not innocent, accidental or playful acts, or schoolboy larks. It is a form of sexual violence and must be understood in that context," she said. “Behaviour such as this is ultimately about power and control and a disregard of women's consent and agency. It is a form of misogyny, abusing women’s ignorance and helplessness in these situations, to feed a man’s sense of power, control and superiority." Agreeing, Dr Razwana Begum, the head of the public safety and security programme at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), noted that gender inequality often fosters environments where harassment – including offences like upskirting – is normalised or trivialised. Dr Razwana said that many offences stem from unequal power dynamics, where perpetrators feel entitled to violate others’ personal boundaries. Normalising equitable gender roles from a young age thus addresses this imbalance, creating a culture of accountability. “Teaching children about mutual respect and boundaries (also) dismantles harmful stereotypes, such as the idea that such behaviours are ‘just boys being boys’,” she added. The experts added that age-appropriate discussions about consent should also be incorporated into the education curriculum. Ms Daisy Anne Mitchell, 26 – who had pictures of herself taken at Tanah Merah MRT Station in 2023 while she was decked in activewear – said: “I’m flabbergasted that someone has the audacity to do that and think it’s okay and think they can get away with it.” “A lot of men just do not know what it's like to be in that situation,” the content creator and coach told CNA TODAY. “You don't know what it's like to be confronted like that, to be violated like that, be sexualised, to be scrutinised... It’s crazy.” WHERE TO GET HELP AWARE’s Sexual Assault Care Centre helpline: 6779 0282 SHECARES @ SCWO helpline: 8001 01 4616Rep. Barragán Introduces Zero-Emission Vessel Innovation Act