Why the Tesla Stock Rally Is Fading Today
Listen to Story I n Petrapole, West Bengal, India’s busiest land crossing with Bangladesh, a truck carrying cotton yarn rumbled across the border. At the wheel for this sortie across from Petrapole land port was Annapoorni Rajkumar, a woman from Tamil Nadu. What made this special wasn’t just the landmark event of a woman driving a heavy goods vehicle across an international border from Bengal for the first time, but also the speed with which she completed her task. In just a few hours, Annapoorni returned after offloading her cargo in Benapole, in Bangladesh—an unheard of turnaround time. The credit goes to the Suvidha portal, a digital vehicle facilitation system introduced by the Bengal government in collaboration with the Land Ports Authorities of India (LPAI), Indian Customs and the Border Security Force. The portal has redefined trade at Bengal’s six international check posts (ICPs)—Petrapole and Ghojadanga in North 24 Parganas, Mahadipur in Malda, Hili in Dakshin Dinajpur, Changrabandha in Coochbehar and Fulbari in Jalpaiguri. Faster trade has brought financial benefits—the state government recently announced that it has earned Rs 600 crore in revenue since the inception of the project in July 2022. Before Suvidha came, exporters faced endless delays, with trucks languishing at borders for 40 to 70 days due to fiendish bottlenecks. Cross-border trade at Petrapole was especially nightmarish. Exporters would often run up Rs 1 lakh in detention costs, that too for consignments that ran the risk of spoilage. Exorbitant sums had to be paid to touts and middlemen to skip the queue. The portal has slashed waiting time to just one-two days. In a transparent process, exporters can book slots for their trucks through the portal by paying a fee ranging from Rs 3,000 to Rs 15,000, which include platform charges for the government and fees levied by customs and LPAI. Trucks now arrive at a designated time, bypassing the need for extended detention. “The Suvidha portal has removed hassles, enabling even women drivers to undertake journeys,” says Kamlesh Saini, manager of the Petrapole Land Port. Sunil Kumar, a trucker from Punjab, notes, “I arrive at Petrapole a day before my slot, park in the LPAI warehouse and cross the border by evening the next day.” The Suvidha portal is built on cutting-edge technology. Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras scan vehicle numbers and retrieve details from the Vahan database. The Sarathi database provides driver details, reducing the need for manual checks. Exporters, customs officials and drivers, all receive real-time notifications about truck movements with transparency. The average export release time at Petrapole was reduced from 60 hours in 2022 to just 14 hours in 2023, says a report by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs. “Our costs have reduced significantly and everything is systematic. If we face issues, a dedicated team resolves them promptly,” says Pradip Dey, secretary of the Export Import Association of Bangaon. The success of Suvidha resulted from the collaboration between two IPS officers from the 1989 batch—Rajeev Kumar, West Bengal’s additional chief secretary of IT, and LPAI chairman Aditya Mishra. They had to overcome many challenges—including resistance from touts and even an attack on Saini. Kumar deputed Sukesh Kumar Jain, the incumbent inspector general of police, traffic, as project head. Multiple meetings took place between all stakeholders, including Bangladeshi officials. “The primary focus was to maximise exports and protect exporters from ill practices. In this, we have been successful,” Jain tells india today. The success of Suvidha has inspired similar initiatives, like the LPAI’s Land Port Management System (LMPS) in Agartala, Tripura. “We have launched LMPS in Tripura and will do the same with other land ports,” says Mishra. The LPAI manages 15 ICPs in the country currently. The Bengal government has extended the Suvidha model to passenger movement. The newly launched Yatri Suvidha portal at Petrapole allows travellers to book slots for immigration interviews, eliminating long queues. Suvidha won gold at the 26th National Awards for eGovernance 2023. It has been lauded by the World Bank for its transformative impact on cross-border trade. The portal stands as a model of progress, demonstrating how technology, with a little help from friends, can revolutionise trade.Manmohan Singh Had 'Pivotal Role' In Shaping India's 'Economic Trajectory': Guterres
Jimmy Carter, a former peanut farmer who rose from rural Georgia to the White House and went on to a storied post-presidency that included winning the Nobel Peace Prize, died Sunday at his home in Plains, Ga. He was 100. An outsider, free from the baggage of Washington, Carter defeated President Gerald R. Ford in 1976, a victory seen as representing a clean break with the Watergate era. But the 39th president’s solitary term in office was hamstrung by a sluggish economy and crises at home and abroad. His presidency was also an anomaly, sandwiched between a total of two decades of Republican presidents. Carter, who was born on Oct. 1, 1924, was predeceased by his wife, Rosalynn Carter, who died on Nov. 19, 2023. The couple was married for more than 77 years. Their son Chip Carter confirmed the former president’s death Sunday to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . The Carter Center announced in February 2023 that the former president had decided to receive hospice care and spend his remaining time at home with family, rather than seek further medical treatment “after a series of short hospital stays.” Years before, Carter had been diagnosed with melanoma, which he announced in August 2015 had extended to his brain. He said at the time that he expected to have a short time to live, but after aggressive treatment he was reported free of the melanoma by December of that year. In what was perhaps the high point of his post-presidency years, Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Oct. 11, 2002, for what the Nobel Foundation called “his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” In his acceptance speech, Carter criticized the very notion of preemptive war as having “catastrophic consequences.” He added: “If we accept the premise that the United Nations is the best avenue for the maintenance of peace, then the carefully considered decisions of the United Nations Security Council must be enforced. All too often, the alternative has proven to be uncontrollable violence and expanding spheres of hostility.” Relationship with Congress Scholars have judged Carter’s dealings with Congress critically. Democrats controlled both the Senate and the House for the entirety of his presidency. But many experts have argued that the former agribusinessman was largely disinterested in working directly with lawmakers. After leaving the White House, Carter tried to reverse the conventional wisdom about his relationship with Congress, arguing that lawmakers mostly supported his initiatives. “Despite the controversial and often unpopular nature of my proposals to the Congress, I had remarkably good success in congressional approval of bills I supported,” he wrote in his 2010 book “White House Diary.” Carter pointed to congressional vote data compiled by CQ, writing that at the time his book was published it showed he ranked third among all presidents, behind Lyndon B. Johnson and John F. Kennedy, when it came to garnering congressional approval for legislation on which he took a position and was voted on by lawmakers. Congress gave Carter his way 76.6% of the time, according to the CQ Almanac data. But Politifact, an independent fact-checking organization, found the former Georgia governor’s batting average with Congress was “unexceptional.” That’s because few of Carter’s initiatives actually became law; CQ’s methodology handed out successful scores for a positive vote in one chamber, even if a bill never became law. The roots of Carter’s struggles with Congress can be traced to his time in the governor’s mansion, according to scholars at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center, which specializes in presidential studies. “As when he was governor, Carter had an abiding dislike for the backroom dealing that is so pervasive in Washington,” Robert Strong, a politics professor at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va., wrote for the Miller Center. Strong said lawmakers “found the new president hard to deal with.” Soon after he entered the White House, lawmakers sensed he lacked the support of many Americans — and they pounced. “Congress asserted its power over the president by shooting down (a) consumer-protection bill and (a) labor reform package,” Strong said. “Carter responded by vetoing a public works package in 1978 on the grounds that it was inflationary. A pattern of mutual distrust and contempt had been set.” Energy policy Also complicating his dealings with Congress was his opposition, soon after taking office, to a rivers and harbors bill supported by Democratic leaders that he felt was full of wasteful spending. Perhaps his biggest achievement was on energy policy, which Carter pushed at a time when U.S. oil imports had risen 65% in the four years before he became president. Carter’s advocacy also came when America was heavily reliant on imports from the OPEC cartel. He convinced lawmakers to pass several measures credited with increasing oil and natural gas supplies and generally lowering prices, as well as others that reshaped mileage standards for cars and American companies’ use of fuel. Carter faced an economy besieged by so-called stagflation, a combination of high inflation, high unemployment and plodding growth. His often-troubled presidency was a drag on congressional Democrats — and his own reelection effort — in 1980. Former California Gov. Ronald Reagan walloped Carter, taking 489 of 538 Electoral College votes. Carter won just six states, including Georgia, as well as the District of Columbia. Republicans picked up 34 House seats and 12 in the Senate, enough to take control of that chamber. After the presidency Carter revealed during an August 2015 press conference that the Iranian hostage crisis, in which an attempted military rescue of embassy employees ended in the deaths of eight American servicemembers, was among his biggest regrets. “I wish I had sent one more helicopter to get the hostages, and we would’ve rescued them,” Carter said, “and I would’ve been reelected.” The New York Times reported in March 2023 that allies of Reagan went on a mission to the Middle East seeking to stop the Iranians from releasing 52 American hostages before Election Day in 1980. After leaving the White House, Carter was among the most active former presidents of the modern era. He participated in election monitoring around the globe, and regularly worked with Habitat for Humanity. What’s more, the Carter Center in Atlanta studied issues such as mental health and fought lesser-known problems, including Guinea-worm disease. Before leaving office in 2001, then-President Bill Clinton reportedly told confidants that the Carter Center was the model for the kind of post-presidency pursuits he envisioned. ©2024 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Visit cqrollcall.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Hormel Foods Corp. stock falls Monday, underperforms market
Washington Commanders win in overtime to clinch play-off berthMake no mistake about it — the Los Angeles Lakers gave up a lot for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton . Although the writing has been on the wall for D’Angelo Russell for quite some time, he’s still a former No. 2 with plenty of skill. Playing on a team like the Brooklyn Nets, where the only real expectations are internal, might bring the best out of him. To that point, Russell was solid for the Lakers during the regular season but he didn’t play nearly as well as the team hoped. It didn’t matter who was coaching the Lakers, he faded in the spotlight. Maxwell Lewis is more of a theory than a rotation-caliber player so far in his career. Nonetheless, the 22-year-old has that in common with the three second-round picks that L.A. gave up in the package. With that in mind, as the Lakers only had five second-round picks through 2031, they were clearly very motivated to make this deal. The reason why is simple. What Will Dorian Finney-Smith’s Role Be With Lakers? Los Angeles needs exactly what Finney-Smith brings to the table. He’s an athletic multipositional defender with a knack for making winning plays. Even after just a few short months around, Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez couldn’t help but lament his loss. Jordi Fernandez on what the #Nets miss in Dorian Finney-Smith: “We miss toughness, leadership, day to day happiness and about being about the right things and all that stuff. It’s just very simple that if we were to have that maturity and that toughness, we close this game.” — Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) December 29, 2024 Meanwhile, the Lakers’ only lockdown perimeter defender was 2019 No. 10 pick Cam Reddish . However, Reddish is in no man’s land offensively. He isn’t an efficient enough scorer to wind him up and let him go but he also looks out of place as a three-point specialist. His numbers underscore that, as he’s averaging 3.8 points in 19.5 minutes per game, shooting 30.6 percent from deep. Max Christie , who now starts over Reddish, has made 36.0 percent of his threes in comparison. At the other end, he doesn’t have the agility or technique of Reddish but has shown respectable improvement. Now, even Dalton Knecht —a favorite of Lakers head coach JJ Redick —has been relegated to the second unit . The Final Starter? Finney-Smith could be the final evolution of the Lakers starting lineup. Not only is he an top-tier defender, he’s shooting a scorching 43.5 percent from deep. Because of his prowess in a 3-and-D role, he’s an even better option than Christie. DFS defensive highlights pic.twitter.com/IpnuGyJoMb — Q (@qshironalberti3) December 30, 2024 At 6-foot-7 and 220 pounds, he’d also give Los Angeles a bigger look, as he weighs 30 more pounds than Christie. As the league is somewhat semi-positionless but hasn’t leaned fully into small-ball, this benefits the Lakers. Finney’s not just an optimal fit in the starting lineup, he makes L.A’s first unit more suited to guard modern NBA offenses. With the Lakers currently ranking 18th in the NBA in opponent’s point per game (114.1) and 21st in defensive rating (114.9), he comes at the perfect time. This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.‘Living in a home that damages health the norm for far too many older people’
There's a new era for NASCAR games coming in 2025, but fans may want to grab the previous titles while they still can. Motorsport Games, the company that until recently held the rights to make NASCAR racing games, has announced that all of its NASCAR titles and associated DLC will be pulled from digital storefronts on December 31. The silver lining from that announcement is that titles like NASCAR Heat, NASCAR Rivals, and NASCAR: Ignition will be going on sale before the games are delisted. All of the affected games and their physical disc counterparts will remain playable after January 1, 2025, they just won't be directly available for online purchases. NASCAR branded games date back to 1991 with Bill Elliott's NASCAR Challenge, and the license has been utilized by several different gaming publishers over the decades. The current NASCAR rights holder is iRacing, which reportedly plans to release NASCAR '25 across all consoles and PC in Fall 2025. Real-life NASCAR racers have previously shown their support for games based on their events. Perhaps most notably, Ross Chastain credited NASCAR 2005 for his thrilling wallride finish in 2022 . NASCAR subsequently banned the move as a potential safety hazard.WASHINGTON — The United States is expected to announce that it will send $1.25 billion in military assistance to Ukraine, U.S. officials said Friday, as the Biden administration pushes to get as much aid to Kyiv as possible before leaving office on Jan. 20. The large package of aid includes a significant amount of munitions, including for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and the HAWK air defense system. It also will provide Stinger missiles and 155 mm- and 105 mm artillery rounds, officials said. The officials, who said they expect the announcement to be made on Monday, spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public. The new aid comes as Russia has launched a barrage of attacks against Ukraine’s power facilities in recent days, although Ukraine has said it intercepted a significant number of the missiles and drones. Russian and Ukrainian forces are also still in a bitter battle around the Russian border region of Kursk, where Moscow has sent thousands of North Korean troops to help reclaim territory taken by Ukraine. Earlier this month, senior defense officials acknowledged that that the Defense Department may not be able to send all of the remaining $5.6 billion in Pentagon weapons and equipment stocks passed by Congress for Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in. Trump has talked about getting some type of negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia, and spoken about his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin . Many U.S. and European leaders are concerned that it might result in a poor deal for Ukraine and they worry that he won’t provide Ukraine with all the weapons funding approved by Congress. The aid in the new package is in presidential drawdown authority, which allows the Pentagon to take weapons off the shelves and send them quickly to Ukraine. This latest assistance would reduce the remaining amount to about $4.35 billion. Officials have said they hope that an influx of aid will help strengthen Ukraine’s hand, should Zelenskyy decide it’s time to negotiate. One senior defense official said that while the U.S. will continue to provide weapons to Ukraine until Jan. 20, there may well be funds remaining that will be available for the incoming Trump administration to spend. According to the Pentagon, there is also about $1.2 billion remaining in longer-term funding through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which is used to pay for weapons contracts that would not be delivered for a year or more. Officials have said the administration anticipates releasing all of that money before the end of the calendar year. If the new package is included, the U.S. has provided more than $64 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.
Randy Kaye, of New Jersey, recently landed this lower Niagara River steelhead while fishing with Capt. Chris Cinelli of Grand Island. Through Jan. 19 – Late Canada Goose season in the South Area. The daily limit is five birds per person. Dec. 7-Jan. 12 – Late duck season for the Western Zone. Go to dec.ny.gov for regulations. Dec. 8 – Final day, regular big game season in the Northern and Southern zones. Dec. 9-15 – Late big game bowhunting and muzzleloader seasons in the Northern Zone. Dec. 9-17 – Late big game bowhunting and muzzleloader seasons in the Southern Zone. Dec. 10 – Family Christmas party and awards presentation for the Erie County Trappers Association begins at 7:30 p.m. at Hamburg Rod and Gun Club, 3434 Hickox Road, Hamburg. Bring a dish to share and a wrapped present. For more information, call Patti at 337-2556. Dec. 12 – Erie County Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs monthly meeting at Southtowns Walleye, 5895 Southwestern Blvd., Hamburg. Board meeting at 6:30 p.m., with the regular meeting scheduled for 7. Dec. 12 – Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Association final meeting of the year begins at 7 p.m. at North Amherst Fire Company, 2200 Tonawanda Creek Road, Amherst. The meeting will feature the state's DEC to discuss the 2024 Lake Ontario salmon season and 2025 stocking numbers. Dec. 12 – Niagara County Fisheries Development Board monthly meeting begins at 6 p.m. at North Amherst Fire Hall, 2200 Tonawanda Creek Road, Amherst. Dec. 13 – "Birds, Boots and Brews" with Buffalo Audubon begins at 7 p.m. at Pearl Street Grill & Brewery, 76 Pearl St. For more information, go to buffaloaudubon.org . Dec. 14 – Pancake breakfast with Santa from 9 to 11 a.m. at Southtowns Walleye Association of WNY, 5895 Southwestern Blvd., Hamburg. Admission is $5 for those 12 and up, while those under 12 are admitted free. Bring a new wrapped toy to donate. Register by calling Sue Guenther at 435-9932. Dec. 14 – WNY Chapter of Trout Unlimited Christmas party from 2 to 5 p.m. at Duff’s Famous Wings, 3090 Orchard Park Road, West Seneca. Donation is $10. Dec. 15 – Final day, Great Lakes musky fishing season. Dec. 17 – Erie County Fisheries Advisory Board monthly meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Bison City Rod and Gun Club, 511 Ohio St. Dec. 19 – Southtowns Walleye monthly membership meeting starts at 7 p.m. at 5895 Southwestern Blvd., Hamburg. This will be the last night to bring an unwrapped present for the club’s Toys for Tots program. Call Sue Guenther at 435-9932 for more info. Dec. 20 – Ten X youth shooting program for those age 12-20 continues at 853 Ransom Road, Lancaster, starting at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $8 per shooter. Check out tenxshootingclub.com or email daschwenk@outlook.com . Dec. 26-Jan. 1 – Holiday deer hunt for bow, crossbow and muzzleloader in the Southern Zone. Jan. 1 – First Day hikes. Submit calendar items to billhiltsjr@gmail.com at least three weeks in advance. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
NoneSEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks took a bumpy path to sole possession of first place in the NFC West. Sunday's 26-21 win over the Jets featured several special teams miscues, including a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by New York. On the flip side, the Seahawks got their second pick-6 in as many weeks and just enough production by Geno Smith and the offense. The Seahawks' uneven performance was characteristic of a season in which they started 3-0, then lost five of six before winning another three in a row to take command of their underachieving division. Seattle (7-5) leads Arizona by one game, with a matchup against the Cardinals looming next weekend. Zach Charbonnet gave Seattle its first lead of the day on an 8-yard touchdown run with 5:37 to go, and the Seahawks' defense capped another strong outing with a game-sealing stop on fourth down. After a sack by Leonard Williams gave the Jets a fourth-and-15 at the 34-yard line, Aaron Rodgers threw a desperation pass to Garrett Wilson that fell incomplete, giving Seattle the ball with 33 seconds left. Williams is on a tear. After losing out on NFC defensive player of the week honors last week to teammate Coby Bryant despite 2 1/2 sacks and four quarterback hits, “Big Cat” had an even better game. Williams finished with two sacks, three tackles for loss, a 92-yard interception return for a touchdown that was the longest pick-6 in NFL history by a defensive lineman, and a blocked extra point. The touchdown was the first of Williams’ career. He became the first player since 1982 with multiple sacks, an interception return for a touchdown and a blocked kick in a game. Maybe this week the league will agree he was the NFC's best defender. The special teams could not have been much worse in the first half. The Seahawks fumbled three kickoffs, losing two, and allowed Kene Nwangwu's 99-yard kickoff return for a TD. Dee Williams fumbled on a kickoff in the first quarter to give New York the ball at the 27-yard line, and four plays later, Rodgers hit Isaiah Davis for a touchdown to give the Jets a 14-0 lead. Laviska Shenault Jr. muffed two kicks and fumbled at the Seattle 38-yard line in the second quarter. Seattle also had an extra point blocked. Smith led his third game-winning drive of the season and his 11th since he became Seattle’s starting quarterback in 2022. Facing the team that drafted him in 2013, Smith went 20 of 31 for 206 yards and a touchdown. For the first time in five weeks, he was not intercepted. The Seahawks trailed by 14 points on two occasions, but Smith brought Seattle back while avoiding the untimely picks that dogged him recently. He threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Barner in the second quarter, and led the Seahawks on a go-ahead nine-play, 71-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter. Coach Mike Macdonald and his staff have to address the problem with their kick returners, Shenault and Dee Williams. Two lost fumbles and several muffs could have easily cost Seattle the game. WR DK Metcalf left the game briefly with a knee issue but returned. ... P Michael Dickson was unavailable in the fourth quarter because of back spasms. 38 — The Seahawks decided to go for it on fourth-and-6 at their own 33-yard line with 9:34 left in the game. A primary reason was that Dickson was unavailable to punt because of back spasms. The Jets were flagged for having 12 men on the field after sending a punt returner out, which gave Seattle fourth-and-1 at the 38. The Seahawks got a first down after Jets cornerback Quantez Stiggers was flagged for pass interference on Metcalf, and eight players later, Charbonnet scored to put Seattle ahead. Without going for it on fourth down from their own 38, the Seahawks likely would’ve lost. The Seahawks will seek a season sweep of the Cardinals. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
The secret to making successful financial New Year’s resolutions
Scams unwrapped: Kaspersky’s cybersecurity experts warn of evolving holiday scamsIs Palantir Overhyped? Discover Why This AI Star Might Stumble
US to send $1.25 billion in weapons to Ukraine, pushing to get aid out before Biden leaves officeChimezie's late layup lifts Boston University past Maine 59-56
Pat McAfee did not hold back when asked about his thoughts about the Indianapolis Colts after being eliminated from playoff contention. On X (formerly Twitter), the former Colts punter responded to a fan who wanted McAfee to talk about the Colts on his show Monday. “I’ve said what I believed to be the truth about the team.. & a bunch of ‘Colts fans’ on the internet were trying to get me booed out of the city.. Current players, who have won nothing during their entire tenures, started using me and my face to try and paint me as the enemy in the city I’ve committed my life to,” McAfee wrote. “And in the end... everything went.. just like I f***ing said it would In the biggest moments everybody with a brain knew they’d crack.. and they did.” McAfee went on to talk about Joe Flacco giving the Colts a better chance to win than Anthony Richardson . “When I said Joe Flacco gives us a better chance to win than AR immediately after the tap out.. I would’ve said whatever backup QB we had on the roster. That can’t be what the face of your team is doing.. just can’t be.. and to a bigger aspect of it all, somehow AR thought it was ok to do that. That’s a locker room issue.. that’s a culture issue.. thats an indicator of a loser attitude radiating thru a building that was built by greats.” Pat McAfee continues rant against Colts McAfee also said he’s not renewing his season tickets next year. “As a multiple year season ticket holder (not renewing).. and someone who has actively, daily, attempted to be an additive to this beautiful city. I hope they become a good franchise again.. this city deserves it.. the OGs in the Colts building deserve it (equipment managers, trainers, ticketing, PR, sales).. and on the flip side the players/coaches in that building deserve whatever happens to them. Your unwarranted arrogance, laziness, and lack of professionalism has lead you to ANOTHER early vacation... which is probably what most of you entitled bums have been hoping for.” On Sunday, the Colts lost to the New York Giants 45-33. Their record is now 7-9 on the year and will miss the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. Richardson, who did not play on Sunday due to multiple injuries, has thrown eight touchdonwns and 12 interceptions with a 61.6 passer rating in 11 games. He is execpted to be the team’s starting QB in 2025. This article first appeared on 5 GOATs and was syndicated with permission.