Sportscaster Greg Gumbel dies from cancer at age 78NORTH SOUND, Antigua (AP) — Bangladesh avoided the follow-on but trailed West Indies by 181 runs with one wicket remaining at stumps Sunday on the third day of the first test. When bad light stopped play at 5:14 p.m. local time, the tourists were 269-9, replying to West Indies’ first-innings total of 450-9 declared. Taskin Ahmed was 11 not out and Shoriful Islam was on 5 when the umpires ruled the light was too poor to continue. The last pair endured some hostile bowling from Alzarri Joseph in fading light in the last few overs before stumps. Taskin, especially, was Joseph's target and the pair exchanged words on several occasions. Joseph finished the day with 3-69 from 25 overs. Justin Greaves followed his maiden century in West Indies' innings with career-best figures of 2-34 and Jayden Seales took 2-42. “I think (the pitch) was a bit slow today but I think we bowled well as a unit,” Joseph said. “We still have a lead of 181 so tomorrow we're just going to try to get the last wicket as soon as we can and put a score on the board.” Mominul Haque and Jaker Ali made half centuries at the top and lower down the order which held together the Bangladesh innings. Mominul made a dogged 50 from 116 balls at No. 3, sharing partnerships of 45 with Shahadat Hossain (18) and 62 with Litton Das (40). After posting his 21st half century in tests, Mominul was out next ball. Jaker, batting at No. 7, reached his second half century in as many tests from 85 balls. He was out for 53 with the total 246-8. Taskin and Hasan Mahmud saw Bangladesh past the follow-on target with eight wickets down in the 93rd over, then Shoriful joined with Taskin for three overs to see out the day. For most of the day, Bangladesh made slow and cautious progress with only sporadic bursts of accelerated scoring. There was a period of brisk scoring at the start of the second session and again by Taijul Islam (25) when the second new ball was taken at 196-6 after 80 overs. Resuming at 40-2, Bangladesh reached 50 after 26 overs, added 65 runs for the loss of one wicket in the first session and 60 for the loss of two wickets in the second. West Indies applied the squeeze at times during the second session, keeping runs down and putting the batters under pressure. Between the 51st and 61st overs, Bangladesh added only 10 runs for the loss of Litton's wicket. West Indies bowled with discipline throughout a day in which 78 overs were bowled and seven wickets fell. ___ AP cricket:
Arsenal climbed to second in the Premier League table with a 1-0 victory over Ipswich Town on Friday night. It wasn't a straightforward victory by any means and the Gunners were made to work hard for the three points. It wasn't pretty, but they got the job done and several players stepped up. One player in particular who shone against the Tractor Boys and is rewarding Mikel Arteta for his recent trust in him is Myles Lewis-Skelly. The youngster made his third league start in a row for Arsenal against Ipswich and showed why he was being handed the opportunity, with a fine display. It was far from a classic but Arsenal finished off their 2024 home fixtures with three points Myles Lewis-Skelly Against Ipswich Throughout his time as a prospect, Lewis-Skelly was known more for his work as a midfielder, but he's earned an opportunity with Arsenal playing at left-back. He's adapted to the position very well. His performance against Ipswich was indicative of that as he did a superb job keeping Omari Hutchinson quiet. Throughout the game, he recorded two clearances, three tackles, won eight of his nine ground duels and finished with a pass success rate of 98%. He rarely put a foot wrong and justified Arteta's decision to start him at left-back over the more experienced Oleksandr Zinchenko and Riccardo Calafiori. In terms of his SofaScore rating, only Jurrien Timber (8.0) earned a higher score than Lewis-Skelly (7.9). The performance caught the attention of Arsenal fans too and they were quick to jump on social media and share their excitement and appreciation for the youngster. The Emirates faithful couldn't hide their excitement about his potential. One fan simply posted: "Myles Lewis-Skelly. What a player." Another supporter was filled with superlatives for him and said: "Myles Lewis-Skelly is a perfect blend of bravery, doggedness and strength, and an incredibly smooth technician on top. Few players can protect the ball like him, and he confidently stamped his passing identity on the game. Every Arsenal player trusts him; 18 going on 28." A third fan claimed the youngster was seizing control of the left-back position and Calafiori had a lot of work to do to earn a spot in the starting lineup again, saying: "Myles Lewis-Skelly with this current tremendous performances in the defence will definitely cement his position in the Left-Back. Calafiori isn't ready." Arsenal have a very deep squad this season, but the 18-year-old is emerging as one of the club's most promising players. It takes some serious talent to keep the likes of Calafiori, who was one of the Gunners' marquee signings in the summer, out of the side. All statistics courtesy of SofaScore and accurate as of 27/12/2024
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Winter cold has set in across Lake County. Thursday morning saw a low of 12 degrees, with a wind chill below zero through the night, according to the National Weather Service. The cold highlights the challenges facing an increasing number of people in Lake County, with local officials and nonprofits saying there are more residents and families facing homelessness than they’ve seen in years. A census count of the county’s homeless population in January found 701 people living without permanent housing, a 50% increase compared to the 467 the year before. Dominic Strezo, community development administrator with Lake County, said homelessness “continues to be an issue.” Lake County / HANDOUT A volunteer looks for homeless people during the 2022 Lake County homeless census.– Original Credit: News-Sun The next census count will be taken at the end of January, although data won’t be available until the spring, according to Malin Gembra, Lake County Continuum of Care program coordinator. Eighty to 100 volunteers will canvas the county looking for unsheltered people, while the county does an internal count of various shelters to get a “larger picture” of where homelessness stands. Strezo expects numbers to be in line with last January. While he can’t point to one singular cause for the recent increase, he said high housing costs are a factor. It’s a common challenge for the region and the country as a whole. “It’s a tremendous barrier,” Strezo said. “The solution to homelessness is housing, and access to affordable housing is a common theme for the numbers we’re seeing.” The data shows more families, even working ones, are facing homelessness for the first time, Gembra said. Larger families are struggling to find adequate, affordable housing. While Lake County Community Development doesn’t directly work with people struggling with housing, it’s the pass-through entity for about $4 million a year in federal money to area nonprofits. That includes organizations like PADS Lake County, a shelter and resources group that currently houses about 500 people between several hotel shelters, according to executive director Allen Swilley. There’s an ongoing dearth of affordable housing in Lake County, he warned, putting “significant pressure” on existing systems. PADS has seen a 75% increase in family homelessness in Lake County over the last five years, and a 300% increase in general homelessness during the same period. In the last 12 months, PADS has seen a 50% increase in general homelessness, Swilley said. “The numbers are growing exponentially, and it’s difficult to keep up because Lake County doesn’t necessarily have the social infrastructure to respond to its challenges,” he said. While the winter may bring the plight of the homeless into the spotlight, Swilley emphasized that there “is no season when it comes to homelessness.” “You’re just as vulnerable in the winter as you are in the summer,” he said. Efforts to address the problem are ongoing. A plan to transform a former Travelodge in Waukegan into a fixed-site shelter is going through its “due diligence,” Strezo said, and if opened will bring more than 200 beds into the shelter system. He said the county is also looking to tap into funding from the Home Illinois Plan. For more permanent housing affordability solutions, Lake County will simply need more housing, Strezo said. But it’s a complicated issue with any one solution involving different jurisdictions, regulations and resources. Swilley expressed gratitude to Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor, praising her efforts to support affordable housing and shelters. Other municipalities have been far more resistant, he said. “Our mission is impeded by local municipalities that can’t act with such political courage, and are not as progressive when it comes to responding to their neighbors in need,” Swilley said. “But we’re hoping to turn the tide.”JASPER, ALTA. — This year, Kim Stark's kids took responsibility for decorating the family Christmas tree. Ornaments include toy cars, puzzle pieces, string and a pair of binoculars — things her three young daughters had handy after the family lost their home in summer’s devastating Jasper wildfire. "I have the most wonderful tree on the planet," said Stark. "It's part of our story and part of who we are. “If (the kids) are happy, I'm happy." Stark is part of the fabric of the Jasper townsite, a 10-year member of the fire department and owner of a coffee shop and bakery. Her family, plus three furry pets and a fish, are living in a condo as they navigate rebuilding their home. “(The kids) miss our house, and we talk about our house,” said Stark. “We make sure we go to our neighbourhood, so that it doesn't become somebody else's neighbourhood.” Stark and other residents are anxious and nervous for the future following the fire that hit the town July 24. About 5,000 residents and 20,000 visitors were safely evacuated before the fire breached the western edge of town and destroyed 350 homes and businesses, including 820 housings units. The Insurance Bureau of Canada pegged the damage at $880 million. Six months after the fire, debris is still being cleared — lot by lot. Locals including Stark are quick to say things could have been worse. But anxiety over temporary living situations and what may be a long and slow rebuild process has many residents and municipal leaders feeling unsettled heading into 2025. For Sabrina Charlebois and David Leoni, the top concern is the Alberta government's $112-million modular housing project. It's to put up 250 pre-built rental units in the town and rent them to those displaced by the fire. Social Services Minister Jason Nixon said the first homes should be ready by late January or early February, with the rest in April. The majority are to be multi-bedroom suites to accommodate families. “If we can get all of our approvals on time, we definitely are on time to be able to build in the context of what we promised,” Nixon said. It’s complicated, he added, given there are layers of government with an Alberta town in a national park. Charlebois was born and raised in Jasper. The fire destroyed her childhood home, which her late father built, as well as the salon where she worked. "It's better than nothing," she said of the housing project, noting at least 2,000 residents were displaced so demand could outnumber the new units. Charlebois, who has been staying in a hotel, said it's understandable projects like this take time. But "we're six months into this, and there's no homes for anyone." "My fear is not finding a place to live, because I have to be out of my hotel by the spring," she said. Leoni, a dentist and former Olympic biathlete, and his family also lost their home, as did seven staff at his clinic. He said the April cutoff date Charlebois is facing also applies to his staff staying in hotels. "Hopefully that's concurrent with the provincial government's opening of these modular units that they're putting in, because we're going to lose staff," said Leoni. "Without them I can't do anything." The clinic needed to replace $160,000 worth of equipment and required a top-to-bottom scrub before appointments resumed in October. Leoni estimates his patient list is down one-third because of the fire. Whether those patients return remains to be seen. Charlebois and Leoni both said their anxiety is heightened when they consider the unpredictable nature of the town's tourism economy and how it could complicate the pace of rebuilding. It’s a catch-22: residents need houses in order to rebuild and restart the economy, but they can’t restart the economy without tourists. And tourists require services, which require workers, who require housing. Bill Given, the town's chief administrator, said he's optimistic the municipality can "thread the needle.” But he has his own anxieties when it comes to rebuilding, namely the complexity of Jasper operating under both federal and provincial oversight. "An associated risk of that is that individual agendas from different orders of government overtake the public interest in delivering on what Jasper needs," Given said. "I think there's also a risk, maybe somewhat smaller, that private interests overtake the broader public interest." Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland, who lost his home in the fire, said they have to find a way. "Failure is not an option for anybody," said Ireland. "We have one chance to get this right, and that's what we have to do." In the meantime, Stark and her daughters watch from behind a fence as what's left of their home is cleared away. "I'm super excited just to have a hole instead of a burnt spiral staircase that was coming up in my backyard. “Now,” she said, “it's just this beautiful dirt. "There's future there." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 27, 2024. Jack Farrell, The Canadian PressChina Hits EV Target 10 Years Early, Still Hasn’t Reached 2020 Nuclear Target
The golden era of the Warriors dynasty may be over, but the franchise is still actively working to build the best roster possible around Stephen Curry . According to ESPN's Shams Charania, their plan involves the NBA trade market, where they are searching for their next superstar. "I'm told that the Warriors are on the real hunt for a star. A playmaker and a scorer alongside Stephen Curry," said Shams on NBA Today . "This summer, they pursued Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz, and they made a pitch to Paul George with the Clippers. The debate with the Warriors and the teams who look into their situation is if they are going to find it outside the roster or will it be in-house with a player like Jonathan Kuminga." The Warriors achieved greatness with their legendary championship core of Stephen Curry , Klay Thompson , Draymond Green , and Kevin Durant . But since the departures of Durant and Klay, it's left a vacancy for the Warriors that Stephen Curry has been unable to fill on his own. Despite a couple of miserable seasons, the Warriors are still confident that Curry can lead them to another championship. This season, with averages of 22.6 points, 6.6 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game on 45.6% shooting, Steph is proving that he can still live up to his superstar standards. The biggest question now for the Warriors is where they can find Curry's next co-star. As some have mentioned, it's possible that they already have their next star in the form of a young player like Moses Moody or Jonathan Kuminga ( who just scored a career-high 33 points ). If not, the Warriors will have to look elsewhere for some help and several players could make a big impact for them. One example is New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram. While the Warriors already have depth at the wing positions, Ingram's size and skills could give them added versatility in the frontcourt along with potentially bolstering their perimeter defense. Kyle Kuzma is another potential option for the Warriors. His shooting and scoring ability may not be up to All-Star standards but it will surely provide a boost for a Warriors squad that currently ranks 20th in field goal shooting (45.6% as a team this season). If the Warriors want an upgrade at center, they might consider making an offer for Chicago Bulls big man Nikola Vucevic , who is rumored to be on the trade block this season. With averages of 21.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game this season, Vucevic knows how to put the ball in the hoop and his particular skillset would make a nice contrast to Curry's game. Whether it's one of those names or someone else entirely, the Warriors are sure to take their chances on the trade market this season, and with Steph Curry still playing elite basketball, they owe it to him to surround him with the best team they can. If someone doesn't step up soon to help him, GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. will have no problem searching for someone from the outside to step in and take up the mantle as Curry's co-star. After a win against the Rockets yesterday, the Warriors are set to finish their back-to-back set tonight, at home, at 10:00 PM EST against the Minnesota Timberwolves . Both teams are scheduled for a rematch two days later, at Chase Center, on December 8th at 8:30 PM. After that, the Warriors will be playing in the NBA Emirates Cup on Wednesday, December 11th, at Toyota Center, in the West Quarterfinal against the Houston Rockets . This article first appeared on Fadeaway World and was syndicated with permission.The European Union reached a blockbuster free trade agreement Friday with Brazil, Argentina and the three other South American nations in the Mercosur trade alliance, capping a quarter-century of on-off negotiations even as France vowed to derail the contentious accord . Provided it is ratified, the accord would create one of the world’s largest free trade zones, covering a market of 780 million people that represents nearly a quarter of global gross domestic product. The accord’s proponents in Brussels say it would save businesses some $4.26 billion in duties each year, slashing red tape and removing tariffs on products like Italian wine, Argentine steak, Brazilian oranges and German Volkswagens. Its critics in France, the Netherlands and other countries with big dairy and beef industries say the pact would subject local farmers to unfair competition and cause environmental damage . From Uruguay, the host of the Mercosur summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the deal as a “truly historic milestone” at a time when global protectionism is on the rise. “I know that strong winds are blowing in the opposite direction, toward isolation and fragmentation, but this agreement is our clear response,” von der Leyen said, an apparent reference to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s vows to protect American workers and goods. Under pressure from his country’s powerful and vocal farming lobby, French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday the deal remained “unacceptable” as it stands and stressed that governments have not yet seen “the final outcome” of negotiations. “The agreement has neither been signed nor ratified. This is not the end of the story,” Macron’s office said, adding that France demands additional safeguards for farmers and commitments to sustainable development and health controls. For France to block the deal, it would need the support of three or more other EU member states representing at least 35% of the bloc’s population. The French government, which has been rallying countries to oppose the pact, named Austria, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland as other wary states that share French concerns about the deal. To take effect, the pact must also be endorsed by the European Parliament. In remarks aimed at her “fellow Europeans,” and perhaps in particular French skeptics, von der Leyen promised the accord would boost 60,000 businesses through lower tariffs , streamlined customs procedures and preferential access to raw materials otherwise supplied by China. “This will create huge business opportunities,” von der Leyen said. She then turned to address European farmers who fear that an influx of cheap food imports will jeopardize their livelihoods. South American countries do not have to adhere to the same standards for animal treatment and pesticide use. “We have heard you, listened to your concerns, and we are acting on them,” von der Leyen said. Outrage over environmental rules, rising costs and unregulated imports has unleashed massive farmers’ protests across the continent over the past year. Leaders on both sides of the Atlantic who long have pushed for the deal praised the announcement Friday, welcoming the results as a boon for export industries. It marks the first major trade agreement for Mercosur, which is comprised of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and, newly, Bolivia. The bloc had previously only managed to conclude free-trade deals with Egypt, Israel and Singapore. “An important obstacle to the agreement has been overcome,” said Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, where the nation’s vaunted car industry is poised to profit. From Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the agreement “an unprecedented economic bridge.” At the Mercosur summit in Uruguay’s capital of Montevideo, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva praised “a modern and balanced text which recognizes Mercosur’s environmental credentials.” “We are securing new markets for our exports and strengthening investment flows,” he said. The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency said it expects the pact to boost the nation’s Europe-bound exports by $7 billion. Libertarian President Javier Milei of Argentina described the accord as aligning with his free market principles. Argentines are excited about selling more beef and agricultural products in the EU. The deal is the product of 25 years of painstaking negotiations , dating back to a Mercosur summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1999. Talks collapsed over differences in economic priorities , regulatory standards and agricultural policies. The rise of protectionist tendencies also repeatedly upended hopes. Momentum picked up in 2016, as former President Trump imposed harsh tariffs on Europe. At the same time, market-friendly governments came to power in South America’s biggest economies, Brazil and Argentina, which had been closed for years. In June 2019, negotiators announced a deal that included provisions for tariff reductions and commitments to environmental standards. But it was never implemented. In Brazil, the region’s economic powerhouse, right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, presided over record levels of deforestation in the Amazon , prompting EU governments to demand tougher sustainability criteria . In Argentina, a new left-wing protectionist government opposed the deal. But things picked up as the region’s politics shifted again in 2023. Brazil’s President Lula rode to power on pledges to rein in illegal logging , soothing concerns that the pact could accelerate deforestation . Argentina’s Milei is working to open the nation’s notoriously closed and crisis-stricken economy. But if past EU trade agreements are any indication, ratification could take years. “We celebrate it, but it’s still far from reality,” Milei said of the accord. In 2016, the EU and Canada signed a pact, known as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA, but the approval process is still lumbering along. Germany’s parliament only signed off on that pact two years ago, and the French Senate rejected it in March this year . “Anyone with any memory is skeptical,” said Brian Winter, a vice president of the New York-based Council of the Americas. “They have trotted out leaders and declared victory and celebrated, and yet there always seems to be a hitch.”
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Bank OZK ( NASDAQ:OZK – Get Free Report ) and First Financial Bankshares ( NASDAQ:FFIN – Get Free Report ) are both mid-cap finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation, risk, dividends and earnings. Dividends Bank OZK pays an annual dividend of $1.64 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.3%. First Financial Bankshares pays an annual dividend of $0.72 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.7%. Bank OZK pays out 27.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. First Financial Bankshares pays out 49.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Bank OZK has increased its dividend for 28 consecutive years and First Financial Bankshares has increased its dividend for 13 consecutive years. Bank OZK is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth. Analyst Ratings This is a summary of current recommendations for Bank OZK and First Financial Bankshares, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Volatility and Risk Bank OZK has a beta of 1.16, meaning that its stock price is 16% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, First Financial Bankshares has a beta of 0.78, meaning that its stock price is 22% less volatile than the S&P 500. Institutional & Insider Ownership 86.2% of Bank OZK shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 69.8% of First Financial Bankshares shares are owned by institutional investors. 6.7% of Bank OZK shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 4.2% of First Financial Bankshares shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Profitability This table compares Bank OZK and First Financial Bankshares’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Valuation and Earnings This table compares Bank OZK and First Financial Bankshares”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Bank OZK has higher revenue and earnings than First Financial Bankshares. Bank OZK is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than First Financial Bankshares, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Summary Bank OZK beats First Financial Bankshares on 13 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks. About Bank OZK ( Get Free Report ) Bank OZK provides various retail and commercial banking services for individuals and businesses in the United States. The company offers deposit services, including non-interest bearing checking, interest bearing transaction, business sweep, savings, money market, individual retirement, and other accounts, as well as time and reciprocal deposits. It also provides trust and wealth services, such as personal trusts, custodial accounts, investment management accounts, and retirement accounts, as well as corporate trust services, including trustee, paying agent and registered transfer agent services, and other related services. In addition, the company offers treasury management services comprising automated clearing house, wire transfer, transaction reporting, wholesale lockbox, remote deposit capture, automated credit line transfer, reconciliation, positive pay, commercial card, and other services, as well as zero balance and investment sweep accounts. Further, it provides real estate, consumer, small business, indirect recreational vehicle and marine, equipment, agricultural, commercial and industrial, government guaranteed, lines of credit, homebuilder, and affordable housing loans; lender and structured, business aviation, and subscription financing services; and mortgage and other lending products. Additionally, the company offers ATMs; telephone, online, and mobile banking services; credit and debit cards; safe deposit boxes; and other products and services. The company was formerly known as Bank of the Ozarks and changed its name to Bank OZK in July 2018. Bank OZK was founded in 1903 and is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. About First Financial Bankshares ( Get Free Report ) First Financial Bankshares, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides commercial banking products and services in Texas. The company offers checking, savings and time deposits; automated teller machines, drive-in, and night deposit services; safe deposit facilities, remote deposit capture, internet banking, mobile banking, payroll cards, funds transfer, and performing other customary commercial banking services; securities brokerage services; and trust and wealth management services, including wealth management, estates administration, oil and gas management, testamentary trusts, revocable and irrevocable trusts, and agency accounts. It also provides commercial and industrial, municipal, agricultural, construction and development, farm, residential, and consumer auto and non-auto, as well as non-owner occupied and owner occupied commercial real estate loans. In addition, the company offers advisory and specialized services related to asset management, investing, purchasing, advertising, public relations, and technology services. First Financial Bankshares, Inc. was founded in 1890 and is headquartered in Abilene, Texas. Receive News & Ratings for Bank OZK Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank OZK and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Trump's immigration and border team is filling out.Digital lenders' profit woes; Prosus' new fintech bet
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President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a “political resolution” to the issue. The request came as TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs to the court, in which the company argued the court should strike down a law that could ban the platform by Jan. 19 while the government emphasized its position that the statute is needed to eliminate a national security risk. “President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Act’s deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case,” said Trump’s amicus brief, which supported neither party in the case. The filings come ahead of oral arguments scheduled for Jan. 10 on whether the law, which requires TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban, unlawfully restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment. Earlier this month, a panel of three federal judges on the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld the statute, leading TikTok to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. The brief from Trump said he opposes banning TikTok at this junction and “seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office.”This year came in like a drunk on a weeklong bender — and left like a glue-sniffing drunk on a yearlong bender. In other words, what the hell just happened in 2024? A Kennedy joined forces with a Republican . The Dems switched candidates four months before the election. MAGA ruled MSG , and the far left’s heartthrob is a rich white kid who assassinated a CEO in Midtown Manhattan. Joe Rogan became a presidential kingmaker while Donald Trump worked a shift at McDonald’s. It was tumultous and unpredictable. At least there’s Taylor Swift to bring us some consistency: She’s still getting richer, ruling the NFL discourse and influencing grown men to wear friendship bracelets . But in the shifting landscape, a semblance of sanity returned. Cancel culture, DEI, trans lunacy and group think receded — while free speech thrived. Politics and pop culture became almost indistinguishable from each other. Kamala Harris’ “brat” status and Trump’s stilted “YMCA” dance overtook everything (the latter was even the preferred celebration of athletes). But only one side was victorious. The pantsuit is now 0 and 2 in presidential elections after the drubbing that Kamala Harris took in November. (My prediction: The first female president will be a Republican in a skirt.) Harris was never up to snuff, despite what the Dems and the media in the KHive tried to sell us. Speaking of duds, the Democrat establishment was exposed as covering up Joe Biden’s cognitive decline while assuring us he was completing daily Iron Mans. Party leaders like Barack Obama lost influence and likability after peddling fascist fear porn and berating black men for supporting Trump over Harris. Can’t keep a good Trump down, or out of the White House . He was indicted four times and convicted by a Manhattan jury in the Stormy Daniels hush money case — and still emerged stronger and bigger in 2024. He built a new working-class coalition, tapped into the dissatisfaction with Biden’s policies and, with the help of Elon Musk, led a great political realignment. Trump’s victory meant brutal defeat for Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, who managed a conviction of the soon-to-be 47th President only to see it stuck in limbo. As are Bragg’s fortunes after subway Samaritan Daniel Penny was, thankfully, acquitted earlier this month. It felt like bros ruled politics in 2024 — but the ladies got it done in sports. Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark dazzled — winning Rookie of the Year, making the playoffs and boosting WNBA attendance by whopping figures. As a result, the league is winning bigly, even if folks like Washington Mystics co-owner Sheila Johnson are loath to give Clark credit. At the Paris Olympics, Simone Biles made a triumphant comeback and Katie Ledecky became the first female swimmer to win gold at four different games. Meanwhile, Aussie competitor Raygun , with her intersectional approach to her “sport,” broke breakdancing — and our tolerance for nonsense. Gloves-off comedy roared in 2024. Netflix’s outrageous “The Roast of Tom Brady,” which saw the one-time golden boy take stronger hits than he did in 23 NFL seasons, slaughtered every sacred cow . It also launched Tony Hinchcliffe and Nikki Glaser into another stratosphere. Shane Gillis became comedy’s Lazarus, hosting “Saturday Night Live” five years after getting canned from the show. He’s also reviving Bud Lite in its post Dylan Mulvaney era. Unfortunately, the phrase “freak off” is now in our vernacular thanks to hip-hop’s all-powerful Sean “Diddy” Combs, whose spectacular downfall is due to his alleged sexual proclivities. Good old sex appeal reigned. After a years-long apology tour for, um, selling lingerie, Victoria’s Secret once again staged a fashion show with scantily clad Angels. “SNL” host Sydney Sweeney’s boobs caused a cultural eruption and proved that a nice set of girls are back. And Jeremy Allen White stripped to his Calvins for billboards, harkening to the golden era of undies ads with Marky Mark Wahlberg. Haliey Welch, otherwise known as “Hawk Tuah girl,” was on her way to total domination. The 21-year-old factory worker rose to international prominence the old-fashioned way: by drunkenly making a fellatio joke. She launched a podcast — then attached her name to a meme coin that tanked and led to accusations of a scam. She went into hiding and now says she’s cooperating with lawyers . Welch remains a cautionary tale about instant viral fame. Last year, Spotify parted with “f–king gifters” Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. This year, they delivered another bomb with “Polo” — leaving their $100 million Netlfix deal looking more precarious . Hunter Biden scored big with a pardon , but the sun has set on the Biden family’s decades-long power grip. Hey, at least Jill Biden can still call herself “Dr.” Going into 2025, there remains a sense of optimism that we’re headed in the right direction. Now if we can only figure out what’s going on with drones causing sky gridlock over Jersey.
Set aside the drama circulating Jimmy Butler ‘s future in South Beach, immediate or otherwise, and turn your attention to Jaime Jaquez Jr ., the Miami Heat second-year player out of UCLA. The Heat are underwhelming at the moment despite holding the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. Above that, and all the trade noise centered on his team , Jaquez Jr. is crafting an exceptional season that should be making the Heat brass proud. It sure is making his head coach smile. Heat Sophomore Doing All the Right Things in Miami Miami Heat SM Jaime Jaquez Jr. Showing Why Organization Drafted Him Jaquez Jr. stormed out of the gate in year number one with the Heat. It was evident that early in the 2023-24 season, Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra had shown trust in his young forward early. Throughout the season, that trust rarely wavered, if at all. Jaquez Jr. even played significant minutes down the season’s stretch and in Miami’s first-round playoff match-up against the Boston Celtics . Granted, both Butler and Terry Rozier were injured and didn’t lace up for that series. But that circumstance allowed Jaquez Jr. to play the minutes and role that he did. Nevertheless, Spoelstra had him out there, and all in all, Jaquez Jr. put together a solid rookie season. A season later, in his second year, Jaquez Jr. is shining bright again in Miami. However, his numbers are down from last season. Particularly his PPG, shooting percentage, and minutes. However, Jaquez Jr. is playing his role considerably well and showing little, if any, signs of a sophomore slump. Despite the drop, his stat line is still impressive, but his role has also changed slightly. That could be the reason for the slight decline in production. He’s averaging 8.9 points on 42% from the field and 28% from three in 21 minutes per game—all down from last season. Despite the decrease in offensive production, his impact has increased. This is proof that the Heat made the right decision by drafting Jaquez Jr. to begin with. Erik Spoelstra Hands Out Flowers It’s not always about the box score, said Spoelstra when talking up Jaquez Jr. and his impact on the season following Miami’s 89-88 squeeze-out win over the Orlando Magic on Boxing Day. Spoelstra had several glowing comments to direct in Jaquez Jr.’s path, including calling him an “X-factor.” “The reason we drafted him [Jaquez Jr.] and the reason he’s had success over his college year and last year is that he does winning things. He’s at his best when he’s filling up a lot of things in the box score or not in the box score and he did a lot of winning things tonight. I think the steals, deflections, and the momentum plays I think fuelled his offense and gave him a lot of confidence on that other end. He’s a big-time X factor for us. He’s putting together a healthy stretch for us right now so I think that’s probably been the key more than anything else.” The stretch Spoelstra refers to includes Butler’s absence. He has missed the last three games and is likely to miss Miami’s next game on Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks. Jaquez Jr. has stepped up in Butler’s absence, from which Spoelstra’s praise stems. It’s not just this stretch but the entire season to date. Jaquez Jr. is playing good basketball and, as his coach stated, ‘doing winning things.’ This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.It was once among the most promising ways to funnel climate finance to vulnerable communities and nature conservation. The trading of carbon credits , each equal to a tonne of CO 2 that has been reduced or removed from the atmosphere, was meant to target quick, cost-effective wins on climate and biodiversity. In 2022, demand soared as companies made environmental commitments using offsets, with the market surpassing $2bn (£1.6bn) while experiencing exponential growth. But the excitement did not last. Two years later, many carbon markets organisations are clinging on for survival, with several firms losing millions of dollars a year and cutting jobs. Scandals about environmentally worthless credits , an FBI charge against a leading project developer for a $100m fraud, and a lack of clarity about where money from offsets went has caused their market value to plunge by more than half . Predictions that standing rainforests and other carbon-rich ecosystems would become multibillion-dollar assets have not yet come to pass. But at Cop29 over the past two weeks, governments have given the sector fresh hope by signing off rules that will create an international carbon trading system for countries to meet their Paris commitments. In Azerbaijan on Saturday evening, governments agreed to rules on how countries can create, trade and register emission reductions and removals as carbon credits after years of deadlock on article 6 of the Paris agreement. It paves the way for top emitters such as Germany and Japan to buy cheap removals and reductions from decarbonisation schemes in developing countries such as renewable energy schemes, rainforest protection or tree-planting, counting them towards their own targets. Trading could begin as soon as 2025 once technical bodies have agreed on the finer details. If it works well, the market would fund the low-hanging fruit of climate mitigation while making sure emissions are capped in line with the Paris agreement. There is particularly strong interest in carbon removal, with many large tech firms buying credits and trying to scale up the market. After several false starts, negotiators and observers say this is the last chance to get it right. “International carbon markets have crashed twice in two decades. This was due to an erosion of credibility. At Baku, the operationalisation of international carbon trading under Paris can prevent a third meltdown that could be fatal,” said Axel Michaelowa, a carbon markets expert at the University of Zurich. “They are a powerful tool to accelerate the diffusion of low-carbon technology around the world. The Paris carbon market is now ready to roll out in 2025. It can accelerate mitigation and thus help close the gaping emissions gap that separates us from achieving the 1.5C target,” he said. Big concerns about carbon markets remain. In the run-up to Cop28 in Dubai last year, it emerged that vast tracts of African forest had been sold off in a series of huge carbon offsetting deals to a little-known UAE firm overseen by a member of Dubai’s royal family, prompting fears of a “new scramble for Africa” over the continent’s carbon resources. The potential size and impact of any country-level market is also unclear. Norway has reserved up to $740m (£590) for purchases under the Paris carbon market, signing agreements in Baku with Benin, Jordan, Senegal and Zambia, but there are questions over how many other developed countries will make purchases despite predictions it could soar into a multibillion-dollar market. Then, there is the issue of environmental integrity, which has repeatedly undermined faith in carbon credits, including the previous UN carbon trading system. A new study in Nature Communications published during the first week of Cop29 found that less than 16% of carbon credits issued represent real emissions reductions, meaning that the vast majority are hot air. Moments after governments approved the Paris carbon trading system, observers warned that the rules were not strict enough to avoid similar issues. Dr Lambert Schneider, one of the co-authors and a senior researcher at the Oeko-Institut, said these problems would undermine the Paris agreement if they spilled into the official UN system. “The available evidence suggests that many carbon credits are not backed by any actual emission reductions. If these quality issues continue under article 6, this could undermine our efforts to achieve our climate targets. It is critical that we fix the integrity issue of the market,” he said. “We currently see proposals on the table that would credit the natural absorption of carbon dioxide by forests. But these removals occur anyways and not because of any human intervention. If these credits are used by buyers to emit more, this would result in more carbon added up to the atmosphere. And the potential for issuing such credits is very large,” he said. There have been efforts to clean up standards in the sector, which could form part of the UN market. Verra, the leading carbon credit standard which was the subject of a joint Guardian investigation into their rainforest offsets that found they were mostly worthless, is introducing a new system for generating the carbon credits. Mandy Rambharos, the non-profit’s CEO, said they were determined to get it right and move on from recent issues. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion “We’ve invested in millions of dollars for no guarantee of any return [in the new rainforest carbon credit methodology]. It’s all done at risk,” she said. “We need to take accountability for some things that went wrong. But I’m saying as well, it’s not just Verra. “The idea to grow the carbon market is to get climate financing to the right places. A London taxpayer is not going to give thousands of dollars to developing countries to reduce the emissions, especially if you’re not sure about those developing countries’ commitment. We’re all in the same bucket, whether it’s Mali, Saudi Arabia or China; that’s where the idea of where carbon markets came about,” she added. This month, a carbon credit integrity initiative – the ICVCM – approved three rainforest methodologies as high quality, including Verra’s new rules, meaning that buyers can trust that the credits represent real emission reductions. But those involved with the process have raised concerns about their approval. The Guardian understands that many experts did not think the methodologies met the standards. This is strongly contested by the ICVCM. Credits such as this could eventually form part of country-to-country carbon deals, and experts say that ensuring these deals have real environmental benefits will be key to their success. “The new rules are a start, but the risk of abuse still remains alive and well,” said Injy Johnstone, a research fellow at the University of Oxford. “We have to learn the lessons of past mistakes and watch for new ones this system could create, otherwise we risk the Paris agreement becoming a market failure,” she said.
Episode Four Launches RYA AI Tool for Marketing Campaign Generation