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LAS VEGAS -- After weeks of controversy, angry local feedback and even criticism from reigning world champion himself, the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix produced the best race of the 2023 season. Not only that, it delivered the most financially lucrative weekend in Sin City's long and storied history, eclipsing even February's Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. It wasn't to everybody's taste. During the buildup to last year's event, which featured a very over-the-top driver presentation, Verstappen quipped the race was "99% show and 1% sporting event," adding that the ceremony had made him feel like "a clown." As if to prove winning makes everything better, the Dutchman signed off his victory at the inaugural race later in the weekend by singing "Viva Las Vegas" over the radio. When asked how he was feeling about the second year's race during Wednesday's media session, Verstappen started with a typically frank reply. "I get it," he said, with a wry smile. Pressed on what he meant, he added: "I get it. I understand why we're here and business wise, racing-related wise. For me, the opening ceremony ... if you ask me if I want to do that or not, I will always choose not to do it, but that's not why something is more positive or not. But I'm happy to be here, I'm happy to be in Vegas, it's a great city. "Is it my favorite track on the calendar? No, but everyone has their favorite tracks. But I'm happy to be here. Last year the racing was very exciting, there was a lot of racing going on, a lot of straights, it's good for overtaking, the shots are amazing, you know, driving on the Strip. So I hope you don't write all too negative about what I think about Vegas because the race last year was great." Glowing praise indeed, which will have been music to the ears of the organizers of the race: itself. The event is unique on the sport's schedule as it is the only one that sees F1 double up as the promoter, having invested in building the permanent paddock facility in the middle of the city. Verstappen will also be relieved to know there is no driver presentation this time around. His comments and the other negative headlines the race generated -- which peaked when 's Ferrari was , with the subsequent delay to fix the others on the circuit negating any practice running for the rest of the first day -- ended up being a blip on the overall event and the money it generated. The eye-watering numbers were historic. A Clark County report issued in April totaled at $1.5 billion, while . To give those staggering figures some context, Super Bowl LVIII totaled overall economic impacts at $1 billion, with $33.6 million generated in taxes. Outdrawing America's biggest sporting event was not something F1 had dared predict 12 months ago. It was a massive vindication on a project that cost the series an estimated $400 million. Most impressive to those on the Las Vegas side is that the debut race managed to do something previously considered impossible: generating big bucks the weekend before Thanksgiving, traditionally the leanest on the calendar in terms of revenue. F1 and Las Vegas have been careful in downplaying the chances of replicating or beating those numbers this year, and also brushed off reports of lower ticket sales this time around -- the city is notoriously a late market when it comes to people purchasing holidays and attending events. When asked if the race had seen a late boost for tickets this year, Las Vegas GP CEO Renee Wilm said on Wednesday: "Yes, we're seeing very much what we expected. We have a number of zones that are already sold out, our general admission is sold out. Wynn Grid Club has sold out, main grandstand has sold out. I'm probably missing a couple, but we're very excited about the conversion rates we've seen this past week. "Once we got past Austin and the election, that's when [ticket] traffic increased and so did conversion. This is a very last-minute market, and we did not go on sale as early as we did in Year 1. Year 1 we had our big launch event, that was six months essentially earlier than we went on sale for Year 2." In terms of how to measure success this time around, she said: "We have many objectives, obviously, but there's the [Las Vegas Grand Prix] objectives, and then there's Formula 1 objectives. I think from an F1 perspective, it's obviously continuing to grow and educate the sport in the U.S. We still believe it's our key strategic growth market." It wasn't just on-track matters that precipitated negative headlines, though. The long buildup to the first race, which included an extensive build of the barriers that line the circuit and the building of scaffolding near iconic landmarks such as the Bellagio fountain, irked locals, who dealt with disruption. But with the first event requiring everything to be done from scratch, this year has felt like a much lighter lift. "We've been much more engaged in a constructive way with the community, and we did just a better job with communication, just around road closures," Wilm said. "We also didn't have nearly as much construction as we did in Year 1. Year 1 was 3.8 miles of re-asphalting. This year, we [only] put up some lighting tresses, patched a few areas and put up some safety barriers." Locals were not just upset with the disruption to roads, though. While the money generated last year was impressive, some critics have suggested that impact was felt by a small minority rather than the community at large. Wilm countered that suggestion by saying that $22 million of the tax generated last year has been redirected back into the local school system. "We've seen such a turnaround in local sentiment," Wilm added. "I think once you really look at the numbers, and then you eliminate the negative sentiment, it has absolutely hit home with locals that we are creative. We're here to stay. We're here to be part of the community and to give back both economically as well as in other qualitative ways." Making an event that has a happy community at the heart of it has become the driving force behind all future plans made for the race. "It needs to work for everybody," said Steve Hill, CEO and president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. "It needs to work for the businesses, the sponsors of the race, the resort community and it needs to work for the community itself. This year I think we are much closer to that balance than we were last year. It was a fantastic performance last year and an amazing achievement to pull it off." And what of the final product? Most in F1 expect another great race, with the colder November temperatures creating a rare challenge for teams with their tires. Another bonus, ironically centered around Verstappen, is also tantalizingly close. The Dutchman could wrap up the title at the race if he finishes ahead of or avoids losing more than three points to him. The race has gamed out multiple scenarios in case that does happen to mark the occasion. Whether Verstappen will be triumphantly belting out another rendition of Elvis Presley come Saturday evening remains to be seen.CHICAGO (AP) — As begins to take shape, those on both sides of the abortion debate are watching closely for clues about how his picks might affect reproductive rights policy in the . offer a preview of how his administration could handle abortion after he repeatedly on the campaign trail. He attempted to distance himself from anti-abortion allies by deferring to states on abortion policy, even while boasting about nominating three Supreme Court justices who helped strike down the constitutional protections for abortion that had stood for half a century. In an NBC News interview that aired Sunday, Trump said he doesn’t plan to restrict medication abortion but also seemed to leave the door open, saying “things change.” “Things do change, but I don’t think it’s going to change at all,” he said. The of his , including nominations to lead health agencies, the Justice Department and event the Department of Veterans Affairs, has garnered mixed — but generally positive — reactions from anti-abortion groups. Abortion law experts said Trump’s decision to include fewer candidates with deep ties to the anti-abortion movement could indicate that abortion will not be a priority for Trump’s administration. “It almost seems to suggest that President Trump might be focusing his administration in other directions,” said Greer Donley, an associate law professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Karen Stone, vice president of public policy at , said while many of the nominees have “extensive records against reproductive health care,” some do not. She cautioned against making assumptions based on Trump’s initial cabinet selections. Still, many abortion rights groups are wary, in part because many of the nominees hold strong anti-abortion views even if they do not have direct ties to anti-abortion activists. They’re concerned that an administration filled with top-level officials who are personally opposed to abortion could take steps to restrict access to the procedure and funding. After Trump’s ambiguity about abortion during his campaign, “there’s still a lot we don’t know about what policy is going to look like,” said Mary Ruth Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis School of Law. That approach may be revealed as the staffs within key departments are announced. Trump he would nominate anti-vaccine activist to lead the Health and Human Services Department, which anti-abortion forces have long targeted as central to curtailing abortion rights nationwide. Yet Kennedy shifted on the issue during his own presidential campaign. In campaign videos, Kennedy said he until , which doctors say is sometime after 21 weeks, although there is no defined timeframe. But he also “every abortion is a tragedy” and a national ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy, a stance he quickly walked back. The head of Health and Human Services oversees Title X funding for a host of family planning services and has sweeping authority over agencies that directly affect abortion access, including the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The role is especially vital amid legal battles over a federal law known as EMTALA, which President administration has argued requires emergency abortion access nationwide, and FDA approval of the abortion pill mifepristone. Mini Timmaraju, president of the national abortion rights organization Reproductive Freedom for All, called Kennedy an “unfit, unqualified extremist who cannot be trusted to protect the health, safety and reproductive freedom of American families.” His potential nomination also has caused waves in the anti-abortion movement. Former Vice President , a staunch abortion opponent, urged the Senate to reject Kennedy’s nomination. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the national anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said the group had its own concerns about Kennedy. “There’s no question that we need a pro-life HHS secretary,” she said. Fox News correspondent is Trump’s pick to lead the FDA, which plays a critical role in access to medication abortion and contraception. Abortion rights groups have accused him of sharing misinformation about abortion on air. , a staunch anti-abortion conservative, has been nominated for director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought was a key architect of , a right-wing blueprint for running the federal government. Among other actions to limit reproductive rights, it calls for eliminating access to medication abortion nationwide, cutting Medicaid funding for abortion and restricting access to contraceptive care, especially long-acting reversible contraceptives such as IUD’s. Despite distancing himself from the conservative manifesto on the campaign trail, Trump is with people who played central roles in developing Project 2025. Trump acknowledged that drafters of the report would be part of his incoming administration during the Sunday interview with NBC News, saying “Many of those things I happen to agree with.” “These cabinet appointments all confirm that Project 2025 was in fact the blueprint all along, and the alarm we saw about it was warranted,” said Amy Williams Navarro, director of government relations for Reproductive Freedom for All. , Trump’s choice to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is a who has been accused of dubious medical treatments and products. He voiced contradictory abortion views during his in 2022. Oz has described himself as praised the Supreme Court decision , claimed and referred to abortion as But he also has Trump’s states-rights approach, arguing the federal government should not be involved in abortion decisions. “I want women, doctors, local political leaders, letting the democracy that’s always allowed our nation to thrive to put the best ideas forward so states can decide for themselves,” he said during a Senate debate two years ago. An array of reproductive rights groups opposed his Senate run. As CMS administrator, Oz would be in a key position to determine Medicaid coverage for family planning services and investigate potential EMTALA violations. As Florida’s attorney general, defended abortion restrictions, including a 24-hour waiting period. Now she’s Trump’s . Her nomination is being celebrated by abortion opponents but denounced by abortion rights groups concerned she may revive the , an anti-vice law passed by Congress in 1873 that, among other things, bans mailing of medication or instruments used in abortion. An anti-abortion and anti-vaccine former Florida congressman, has been chosen to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which collects and monitors abortion data across the country. Former Republican congressman is Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs amid a over and funding for troops and veterans. Collins voted consistently to restrict funding and access to abortion and celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade. “This is a team that the pro-life movement can work with,” said Kristin Hawkins, president of the national anti-abortion organization Students for Life.
The holiday season is rapidly approaching, and for many it will rapidly pass in a flurry of shopping, gift wrapping and, maybe, snow. But The Daily Progress is reminding the greater Charlottesville community that some things are here to stay. One of them is the Santa Fund for Schoolkids, the Christmastime charitable campaign that The Daily Progress has run since 1894 and is marking its 130th anniversary this year. The Santa Fund is one of the oldest newspaper-run charities in the entire U.S., if not the oldest. Established by founding publisher James H. Lindsay two years after the newspaper’s first edition, the Santa Fund collects donations every year to provide vouchers for local families to purchase the essentials their children need but too often go without. “Much has fortunately changed since the Lindsay family founded The Daily Progress in 1892 and established the Santa Fund two years later. But much unfortunately remains the same,” said editor of The Daily Progress Reynolds Hutchins. “Too many of our children see Christmas come and go without even the bare essentials: shoes, socks, glasses, coats, books and medicine.” Hutchins “Any child who goes wanting is one child too many, and in our corner of Virginia, 12.6% of the population lives below the poverty line,” he continued. Today, the Santa Fund is a joint collaboration between Charlottesville’s newspaper of record, radio station WINA and the United Way of Greater Charlottesville. The trio work together to serve children in need across Charlottesville and the surrounding counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Nelson and Orange. They have raised roughly $4 million since that partnership was forged. Till “As we mark 130 years of the Santa Fund’s extraordinary legacy, we are reminded of the profound impact the campaign has had on the lives of schoolchildren in the Charlottesville area,” said Daily Progress publisher Kelly Till. “This is more than a campaign – it’s a commitment to our communities’ future.” Last year, the Santa Fund raised $199,135.05. While falling short of its $250,000 target — in a year marked by a precipitous drop in charitable giving nationwide — the fund still managed to assist more than 1,700 children. This year’s target is $225,000. It’s an ambitious goal, but one that Ravi Respeto, president of the local United Way chapter, believes is achievable. Respeto “It has been a program that has always raised money for itself, because it’s so popular and it’s been in our community for so long,” Respeto told The Daily Progress. “Families really look forward to contributing to this program. Also, people love to make a gift in memory or in honor of those people or pets that are really meaningful to them.” Financial contributions ranging from $50 to $75,000 will fund one-time vouchers distributed to the parents or caretakers of children in need, who are identified by teachers, guidance counselors and other school officials. Families can then use the vouchers to shop at one of several participating retailers, including Kid-to-Kid, Marshalls, Shoe Show and TJ Maxx. The store sends the receipt to the United Way for reimbursement, and all the while, the children are entirely unaware they are the beneficiary of any charity. “It’s a pretty seamless program; it doesn’t make a child feel like they have a special circumstance or they don’t even realize that their family, their parents, can’t afford those things,” said Respeto. “It kind of gives the family an easy way to address the needs of their children without it feeling like they’re being singled out.” While the charitable initiative is focused on meeting some of the basic needs for children in the area, the broader priority is on improving their early education experience. “A kid doesn’t just need a coat in December, he needs shoes in March,” Markiana Smith, the local United Way’s engagement and belonging manager, told The Daily Progress. “We understand that kids cannot learn if they don’t have the resources to learn, so I take this as a step in the right direction to early education.” Smith Smith is in charge of operating the Santa Fund, which provides assistance year round. But the holiday season is the busiest for Smith, whose responsibilities include opening, reading and transcribing the hundreds of heartwarming notes attached to every donation to the fund, often made in honor of family, friends, neighbors, pets and heroes. Last year, a $500 donation was made “in honor of the USPS letter carriers delivering for your in spite of trying conditions,” while another $52.50 gift was contributed “in memory of Tigger the tiger cat, every kid deserves a coat.” “These great little notes that are just out there for people in the community to realize that we’re only as strong as our community is strong,” said Respeto. “[The] fabric of community is built by people coming together and pulling the resources, and that’s what Santa Fund represents.” This “warm and fuzzy dynamic” that becomes palpable among the donors, organizers and recipients of the Santa Fund is part of what has allowed the charitable campaign to continue raising hundreds of thousands of dollars every year for well over a century, according to Respeto. Hutchins agreed. “That this charity has raised $4 million since The Daily Progress partnered with the United Way of Greater Charlottesville is admirable,” said Hutchins. “That this charity has not just survived but thrived for 130 years is remarkable. There is evidence this may be the oldest newspaper-run charity in the entire country. That is not only a testament to the good work of The Daily Progress and the United Way, but the good hearts in our community.” Those interested in donating can do so online at thesantafund.org or via the post by mailing a check to Santa Fund for Schoolkids, 200 Garrett St., Suite I, Charlottesville, VA 22902. This year, for the first time ever in honor of the fund’s 130th anniversary, the names of donors will be published in The Daily Progress and every one of its subsidiary newspapers in Central Virginia, including the Orange County Review, the Greene County Record, the Madison County Eagle and the Rural Virginian. “The days are shorter, colder and harder for all of us. I know how easy it is to see the numbers at the gas pump, to read the bank statement, to watch the stock ticker rise and fall, and then draw the purse strings tight,” said Hutchins. “But I beseech our readers, our neighbors, to remember that we only make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give. “Let us honor Christmas in our hearts as its founder, himself a child, instructed us, ‘Give. ... For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.’” Emily Hemphill (540) 855-0362 ehemphill@dailyprogress.com @EmilyHemphill06 on X Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. 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Brown-John: Windsor-Essex public education really is in crisisNew Delhi, Dec 28 (IANS): Karnataka Congress President and Deputy Chief Minister, D.K. Shivakumar stated on Saturday that the Centre is wrong in its approach to the demand for a memorial for late former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Dy CM Shivakumar made the statement while speaking to reporters in New Delhi and answering a question in this regard. “The central government has erred in terms of its approach towards building a memorial for late former PM Manmohan Singh. They should give consent for the memorial,” he said. “Our AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge was right in demanding it. They should have shown large heartedness. We make an appeal to the central government to show large heartedness at least now. As late Dr Manmohan Singh stated, the Opposition and history are going to remember him kindly,” Dy CM Shivakumar underlined. Dy CM Shivakumar further stated that Dr Manmohan Singh left a great legacy and during his tenure, he gave protection of the Constitution and law to the common man. “No one thought about the Forest Land Act, the Food Security Act, the Employment guarantee schemes. In the education sector, in terms of bringing transparency, economics, removal of licence raj, empowering Asha workers to reach the doors of mothers and protect their health. He ensured security under the Constitution,” Shivakumar stated. “We have lost such a leader. He was 92-years-old and he is going to live on through his programmes. We can never forget how he kept our economy safe and robust in challenging times,” Shivakumar pointed out. “Former President late APJ Abdul Kalam wrote a letter to Sonia Gandhi to assume power as the Prime Minister. Sonia Gandhi rejected the offer and she stated that this country needs to be saved and an economist should be given an opportunity. The credit for the sacrifice goes to the Gandhi family,” Dy CM Shivakumar stressed. “Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi could have also become the PM or a central minister. He did not choose to become one. Dr Singh was given a free hand to lead the country. The Opposition parties have also agreed on the contributions of Manmohan Singh in laying a strong foundation for the Indian economy,” he stated. Minister for Social Welfare H.C. Mahadevappa stated, “Manmohan Singh was raised from utmost poverty. He didn’t have food to eat and studied under the street lights and rose to be one of the finest economists in the world. He is a great inspiration for all Indians.”Short Interest in Eos Energy Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:EOSEW) Increases By 3,260.0%
Shares of Trump Media and Technology Group slid in midday trading on Friday after US President-elect Donald Trump transferred all his shares into a revocable trust, according to a regulatory filing. Mr Trump transferred all of his nearly 115 million shares — worth around four billion dollars (£3.2 billion) on paper — in the parent company of social networking site Truth Social as a “bona fide gift” to the Donald J Trump Revocable Trust, the Securities and Exchange Commission filing on on Thursday said. Mr Trump’s shares amount to more than half of the company’s stock. It is not clear why Mr Trump transferred the stock. Donald Trump Jr is the sole trustee and has sole voting and investment power over all securities owned by the trust. Trump Media shares were down about 2% at midday, to 34.68 dollars each. At one point on Friday, they were down around 6%. Trump Media shares have been volatile since the company began trading in March. They reached intraday highs close to 80 dollars (£63.70) on the first day of trading, then slumped to all-time lows in September when Mr Trump and other insiders were finally allowed to sell shares after standard lock-up agreements expired. Mr Trump has not sold any shares in the company. The company’s stock price has fluctuated wildly on news — good and bad — related to Mr Trump. They tumbled after Mr Trump’s conviction in a hush money trial in May, then surged after the first assassination attempt on him in July. They surged again after he won re-election in November, even as the company reported a 19.2 million-dollar (£15.29 million) third-quarter loss. Mr Trump created Trump Media after he was banned from Twitter and Facebook following the January 6 2021 Capitol riot.Vikings, Eagles win and move nearer to clinching playoff spots