Who will be interim mayor of Oakland? That's a more open question now as City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas announced victory in her bid to become an Alameda County supervisor. Bas announced victory Friday in the District 5 race for Alameda County Supervisor, saying that she had received a phone call from her main opponent, Emeryville City Councilmember John Bauters, conceding the race. As NBC Bay Area reports , this concession came despite there still only being 415 votes separating the two candidates as of the last tally on Wednesday, November 20. There are reportedly 4,800 ballots left to count across the county which all have signature issues, and it's not clear how many of those ballots are from District 5. But Bauters clearly doesn't see the math being on his side, and Bas seized on the concession phone call to say, "Please join me in thanking John for his years of public service and a hard-fought campaign," Bas said. In these challenging times, we should all continue to welcome ideas, visions, and solutions for our communities to consider and rally around." Join me in thanking John Bauters for his years of public service and a hard-fought campaign. The issues and needs facing our beloved East Bay are complex, dynamic, and challenging. It will take all of our hard work, together — and I will be a Supervisor for all of us. pic.twitter.com/0Py80yEawO Bas had already declared victory last Wednesday, saying on X, "I will bring an unflagging commitment and engage the community to serve every resident by expanding affordable housing and effective solutions to homelessness, accessible healthcare, good jobs, and safe communities." The District 5 seat was an open seat in this election, with longtime County Supervisor Keith Carson announcing his retirement after 32 years on the board. Bas's move to the county board — which will still need to be confirmed in a final vote count update on December 3 — creates a complicated set of political circumstances for Oakland City Hall. As president of the Oakland City Council, Bas would have become interim mayor after Thao's loss in the recall election is certified by the county early next month. Now, the council will have to wait for Bas's victory to be confirmed, then it will need to elect a new president, who will simultaneously serve as mayor until a special election can be held. It's not clear what the procedure will then be to fill Bas's council seat, representing Oakland's District 2, until a special election can be held for that. Holding the mayoral special election alone is estimated to cost as much as $5 million, as KTVU reports . And this comes at a moment when Oakland is facing a $93 million budget shortfall. As NBC Bay Area notes, there is no law preventing Sheng Thao from running again for mayor in the special election, should she choose to do so. Photo via nikki4supervisor.comBritish American Tobacco ( BTI -0.33% ) is a consumer staples stock, but it is probably one of the riskiest consumer staples stocks you can buy. That's highlighted by its dividend yield, which at around 8.2% is more than three times larger than the yield of the average consumer staples stock. There's a very high probability that the dividend will be paid just as it has in the past over the next year. But that doesn't mean that British American Tobacco's business isn't becoming increasingly risky. The trend is not British American Tobacco's friend The first thing that investors need to recognize is that cigarettes are the core of British American Tobacco's business. A little math with the company's first half 2024 results will prove this out (as a foreign company it only reports semi-annually). Its combustibles division makes up roughly 80% of revenues. Within combustibles, cigarettes account for nearly 98% of the company's volume. So something very close to 80% of the company's business is driven by cigarettes. That's a big problem from a business perspective because cigarette volumes have been steadily declining. Through the first six months of 2024, the company's cigarette volume fell 6.8% versus the same six months of 2023. In 2023, British American Tobacco's cigarette volumes dropped 5.3%. In 2022, the decline was 5.1%. The trend goes further back, but those three data points are enough to highlight what's going on at this consumer staples company -- and the fact that the downtrend appears to be accelerating. If the 6.8% decline in the first half of 2024 is applied to the entire year, the company's cigarette volume will have fallen from roughly 555 billion cigarettes in 2023 to around 517 million this year. Extend that out another year and you come up with roughly 482 billion cigarettes sold. And that's assuming that the rate of decline stays the same and doesn't increase as it has been for the past few years. British American Tobacco knows there's a problem So far, British American Tobacco has been able to offset the impact of volume declines with price increases. But price increases can only go on for so long before they start to exacerbate the volume decline. The company is keenly aware of the problem it faces, too, because in 2023 it changed the way it accounted for its U.S. brands. Although it's a somewhat arcane GAAP accounting issue, the company basically went from assuming the brands would always have value to assuming that they will be worthless in 30 years. By the end of 2024, the brands will have 29 years of "value" left. And by the end of 2025, the remaining life will be 28 years. You get the idea -- each year that passes is another year of life gone. That's why the company is working so hard to build up new businesses, which account for around 20% of the top line on the income statement . That's good and some progress is being made in the effort to offset the ongoing declines in the cigarette business. However, British American Tobacco is still a long way away from the point at which its new businesses, such as nicotine pouches, can offset the business decline taking shape within its most important business. A year is fine, but how much more is a big question mark Dividend investors looking at British American Tobacco's huge 8.2% dividend yield can be pretty confident that the quarterly payments will get paid as usual in 2025. But most income investors don't buy a stock with the goal of owning it for just one year. If you buy British American Tobacco thinking you've secured a lifetime of reliable income, think again. There are very big risks as the business attempts to adjust to the negative trends in its most important business. If you buy British American Tobacco, you'll need to watch it like a hawk.
OTTAWA — Canada will not offer a temporary resettlement program for people fleeing Lebanon, as it did for Gaza and Ukraine, because the government’s focus must remain on Canadian citizens, Immigration Minister Marc Miller says. Miller was testifying about the government’s immigration plan before the House immigration committee on Monday when his fellow Liberal MP Salma Zahid asked about Lebanon. “I have one constituent who within days lost his brother, his wife and three children in one Israeli bombing,” Zahid said. Canada had a program that allowed nearly 300,000 Ukrainians to come here on a temporary basis while the war in Ukraine continues. The government offered a similar, but much smaller program for Gaza residents with family connections in Canada. That program was capped at 5,000 applicants, with approximately 250 people actually travelling here. Zahid said she has a large Lebanese community in her Scarborough riding, and its members want to know why they are being left out. “The community is beside themselves with anger and grief. They see the help we have provided to people fleeing the war in Ukraine. They see the program to bring the extended family of Canadian citizens and permanent residents in Gaza to Canada for temporary safety,” she said. “Will you commit to doing the same for the extended families of Lebanese Canadians?” Miller said he also has a large Lebanese population in his riding and has heard the same concerns, but that Canada can’t open up a program for non-citizens while there are still many Canadians and permanent residents in Lebanon who could need help to flee. “Our focus needs to remain on them and the resources necessary to evacuate them should the situation get worse,” Miller said. Israel has bombed Lebanon during its campaign against the militant group Hezbollah, and the country’s health ministry has reported more than 3,000 people have been killed. The Canadian government has issued an advisory warning against any travel to Lebanon, and has encouraged Canadians who are there to leave while commercial flights are still available. While the government has flown out hundreds of Canadians on special flights, Global Affairs estimates there are between 40,000 and 75,000 Canadians living in Lebanon. Miller said the government continues to encourage those people to leave, but for now it has to focus its efforts on Canadian citizens and permanent residents. He said he hopes there is an end to the conflict soon. “I think everyone would agree that the best way to ensure their safety is to make sure there’s a ceasefire,” he said.Woods rules himself out of Hero World Challenge
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada will “abide” by an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We stand up for international law, and we will abide by all the all the regulations and rulings of the international courts,” Trudeau said. “This is just who we are as Canadians.” On Thursday, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant for “crimes against humanity and crimes committed” since the Israel-Hamas war began more than a year ago. The ICC was created in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity in cases where its member states are unwilling or incapable of doing so. Canada is among its 124 member states. The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif, although Israel has said he was killed in an air strike in Gaza in July. Both Israel and Hamas have rejected the allegations. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Trudeau reiterated the federal government’s call for a ceasefire in the war. “We need to see a ceasefire that protects civilians. We need to get back on track towards a two-state solution with a peaceful Israel living alongside a peaceful Palestinian state,” Trudeau said. In Washington, D.C., Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly repeated the prime minister’s position. “We need accountability in our world, and so based on that, Canada will abide by its obligation under the ICC treaty,” Joly said. Netanyahu’s office is describing the arrest warrants as “an antisemitic decision.” Israel’s Ambassador to Canada Iddo Moed, meanwhile, is speaking out against Canada’s stance to abide by the warrants. “We urge the Canadian government to stand firm in its support of Israel’s right to defend itself by rejecting and condemning the ICC’s decision,” Moed said in a statement. The United States, which is not an ICC member, is rejecting the ICC decision. "The United States fundamentally rejects the Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials. We remain deeply concerned by the Prosecutor’s rush to seek arrest warrants and the troubling process errors that led to this decision," a White House National Security Council spokesperson said, adding the U.S. is discussing next steps with its partners. The ICC does not have its own police force to enforce the warrants. It will be up to the 124 member states to cooperate. With files from ReutersMLB shifts six 2025 Rays games to avoid weather issues
NoneCLEMSON 75, PENN STATE 67
TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. For those on the right side of the political aisle, 2024 was a mixed bag. On the one hand, we had to trudge through the final year of Joe Biden's disastrous presidency while fighting tooth and nail to prevent the administration from inflicting further economic carnage. On the other hand, we also were given an enormous gift at the beginning of November with the victory of Donald Trump. Now, without further ado, I present the top five moments of 2024. First, it goes without saying that the election on Nov. 5 was, by far, the best moment of 2024. At the start of 2024, things did not look good for Trump as he faced a litany of felony charges across multiple jurisdictions. However, despite the legal onslaught, Trump refused to back down. Then, Trump pulled off one of the biggest comebacks in political history as he cruised to victory and helped the Republican Party gain control of both houses of Congress. This election will go down in history as a turning point, considering the vast inroads Trump made among voters who traditionally voted for Democrats. In second place among the... Chris TalgoTiger Woods has announced he will not return to the PGA Tour to compete at the Hero World Challenge next month, as his battle with injury continues. Woods is the tournament host of the limited-field event in the Bahamas and was expected to tee it up at Albany Golf Course alongside some of the world's best players. On Monday however, the 15-time major champion confirmed he will play no part, and will only take on off-course duties. "I am disappointed that I will not be able to compete this year at the Hero World Challenge," he tweeted. "But always look forward to being tournament host and spending the week with @HeroMotoCorp." Ian Poulter makes LIV Golf transfer pledge as clear decision reached on future LIV Golf manager claims two stars calling to join after rejecting 'big offers' As part of his announcement Woods confirmed three more names had committed to compete, having been made exempted by tournament organisers. Woods' close friend, Justin Thomas is in the field, as is Jason Day and Hero World Challenge debutant, Nick Dunlap. It is yet another knockback for Woods, who is continuing to play part-time golf on the PGA Tour due to a whole host of fitness problems. The 48-year-old has competed in all four major championships this season, as well as the Genesis Invitational in February where he was forced to withdraw in the second round due to illness. On the major stage, Woods has played 72 holes just once - coming at the Masters - having missed the cut at the PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and most recently The Open Championship. The latter saw a struggling Woods battle against the elements on the Scottish coast, failing to make it to the weekend at Royal Troon. Follow us on X for the best and latest in sports news Speaking after his missed cut in July, Woods claimed he had intentions of competing in the Bahamas in December, as well as the parent-child PNC Championship the week later. "I'm not going to play until then," Woods said in Scotland when asked if he could play before the Hero. "I'm going to just keep getting physically better and keep working on it. Hopefully just come back for our -- what is it, our fifth major, the Father-Son, so looking forward to it." Having withdrawn from playing in the Bahamas, it remains to be seen whether Woods will partner son, Charlie, at the PNC. If he is to miss the parent-child event, Woods' next showing will come indoors with the 82-time PGA Tour winner set to represent Jupiter Links Golf Club in the launch of TGL in January. In September, the five-time Masters champion revealed that he had undergone surgery on his back. "The surgery went smoothly and I’m hopeful this will help alleviate the back spasms and pain I was experiencing throughout most of the 2024 season,” he wrote on social media at the time. “I look forward to tackling this rehab and preparing myself to get back to normal life activities, including golf.”A long-withheld investigation into a 2019 hacking at LifeLabs Inc. that compromised millions of Canadians' health data has finally been made public after an Ontario court dismissed the company's appeal to prevent its release. A statement from the privacy commissioners of both Ontario and British Columbia says their joint report, completed in June 2020, found that LifeLabs "failed to take reasonable steps" to protect clients' data while collecting more personal health information than was "reasonably necessary." The report ordered LifeLabs to address a number of issues such as appropriately staffing its security team, and the commissioners' statement says the company complied with all of the orders and recommendations. LifeLabs had cited litigation and solicitor-client privilege to prevent the document's publication, but this was opposed by the commissioners' offices. The company then sought a judicial review in Divisional Court in Ontario before the case made its way to the Ontario Court of Appeal, where LifeLabs' appeal was dismissed. B.C. Information and Privacy Commissioner Michael Harvey says in a statement that "the road to accountability and transparency has been too long" for the victims of the data breach. "LifeLabs' failure to put in place adequate safeguards to protect against this attack violated patients' trust, and the risk it exposed them to was unacceptable," Harvey says. "When this happens, it is important to learn from past mistakes so others can prevent future breaches from happening. "But to learn from lessons, we need to share them." Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner Patricia Kosseim says in the statement that she is pleased with the court's decision to uphold the decision by her office "to help restore public trust in the oversight mechanisms designed to hold organizations accountable." In May, Canadians who applied to be part of a class-action lawsuit against LifeLabs began receiving cheques and e-transfers, with administrator KPMG saying more than 900,000 valid claims were received. An Ontario court had approved a total Canada-wide settlement of up to $9.8 million in the data breach, which allowed hackers to access the personal information of up to 15 million customers. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2024. Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press'Housing not tents' Elevate NWO breaks ties with TBDSSAB
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Calin Georgescu, a previously obscure far-right populist and Tiktok star, unexpectedly came in first place with 22.9 percent of the vote during the first round of Romania's presidential election on Sunday. An independent candidate, he has focused his campaign on criticising NATO and pushing for reduced support for Ukraine. Most polls predicted Calin Georgescu to win less than 10% of the vote in the first round of 's presidential election. However, the 62-year-old obscure far-right populist shook the country's political landscape by and advancing to the second round to face off against reformist Elena Lasconi of the progressive Save Romania Union party. He also beat the incumbent Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu of the Social Democratic Party, leaving the ruling party for the first time in Romania’s 35-year post-communist history without a candidate in the runoff, set for Dec. 8. The surprising outcome has left many political observers wondering how most local surveys were off, putting Georgescu behind at least five other candidates. “The debates in these campaigns were very low in quality and ideas,” he said. Read also:
After coaching a full practice and speaking to the media for nearly 17 minutes Friday, Mike Brown received a phone call from Kings general manager Monte McNair informing him that . The . Brown was getting ready to board the plane set for Los Angeles that several players and staff already were on. But the organization maintains there was no specific purpose or malice intended with the timing or execution of his release, The reported Saturday, citing team sources. Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé had the final say and ultimately gave the green light to pull the plug after practice Friday. But the decision to fire Brown was McNair's, Amick and Slater reported, citing team sources. “This was a difficult decision and I want to thank Mike for his many contributions to the organization,” McNair said Friday in a press release. Ranadivé has had a front-row seat to the madness that resulted in a pathetic 0-5 homestand that topped off the Kings' 12th loss in 17 games. Sitting courtside at Golden 1 Center, he has been notably upset and frustrated with the team's performance. Still, team sources insisted to Amick and Slater that the decision originally stemmed from McNair. Additionally, the organization is choosing to back the front office of McNair and assistant general manager Wes Wilcox, Amick and Slater added, who still are considered "safe" despite all of Sacramento's struggles. The Kings' depth -- or lack thereof -- led to a lot of difficult rotation issues for Brown. It's a weakness the front office acknowledged and still hopes to fix by the upcoming Feb. 6 trade deadline. So they felt comfortable parting ways with their head coach knowing they had personnel moves to make. And apparently, Thursday's loss to the Detroit Pistons was the final straw. A defensive blunder by De'Aaron Fox gave the Pistons a one-point lead that sealed their unimaginable victory. After the loss, Brown didn't hold back in his criticism of Fox and the rest of the guys. But that was no different than how Brown handled other pressers: Holding players accountable and never mincing his words. Still, Brown's press conference remarks were "beginning to wear on some players," Amick and Slater reported, citing team sources, and were part of the decision to part ways with Brown. While Brown's press conference critique was directly aimed at Fox on Thursday, Fox's wife Recee emphasized on social media that Fox had no say in the firing. False — Recee Fox (@Cee_Caldwell) This could not be more off base. — Recee Fox (@Cee_Caldwell) Now, Doug Christie will serve as the interim head coach, and the eighth under Ranadivé's ownership. The former Kings guard and current assistant coach met with the Kings brass and accepted their offer of a promotion to replace Brown on an interim basis, leaping lead assistant and former Toronto Raptors head coach Jay Triano. There's a lot to be determined moving forward, and it all begins Saturday night in Los Angeles against the Lakers.