Senior members of Canada's cabinet held talks Friday with US President-elect Donald Trump's nominees to lead the departments of commerce and the interior, as Ottawa works to hold off the threat of punishing tariffs. Canada's newly-appointed Finance Minister Dominic Leblanc and Foreign Minister Melanie Joly met with Howard Lutnick, Trump's commerce secretary nominee, who will also lead the country's tariff and trade agenda. Interior secretary nominee Doug Burgum was also at the meeting held at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Leblanc's spokesman Jean-Sebastien Comeau, who confirmed the participants, described the talks as "positive and productive." Trump has vowed to impose crippling 25-percent tariffs on all Canadian imports when he takes office next month. He has said they will remain in place until Canada addresses the flow of undocumented migrants and the drug fentanyl into the United States. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has promised retaliatory measures should Trump follow through on his pledge, raising fears of a trade war. Leblanc and Joly "outlined the measures in Canada's Border Plan and reiterated the shared commitment to strengthen border security as well as combat the harm caused by fentanyl to save Canadian and American lives," Comeau said in a statement. Canada's Border Plan -- estimated to cost CAN$1 billion ($694 million) -- was crafted as part of Ottawa's response to Trump's concerns. Lutnick and Burgum "agreed to relay information to President Trump," the statement said. Trudeau is facing his worst political crisis since sweeping into office in 2015. Leblanc was named finance minister earlier this month after the surprise resignation of Chrystia Freeland. In a scathing resignation letter, Freeland accused Trudeau of prioritizing handouts to voters instead of preparing Canada's finances for a possible trade war. More than 75 percent of Canadian exports go to the United States and nearly two million Canadian jobs depend on trade. bs/ahaBlues have struggled to string together positive results so far this season. But Morton says having a more settled team and strength in depth will enable Kevin Maher’s side to be at their best more often. “It helps having a settled team and having competition for places too,” said Morton. “We need 20 players, not just 11 and there will be rotation, injuries and setbacks so every player is important in getting a consistent team gelling. “We’ve had some clean sheets under our belts against top teams too now and naturally it builds confidence. “That confidence will continue and hopefully we can get a good unbeaten run going to climb the league table.” The Shrimpers triumphed 2-0 at Halifax Town on Saturday to make it three matches unbeaten. And Morton labelled it a significant success for Blues, who are now 14th in the table. “It was really important to get three points at the end of what I thought as a positive week,” said Morton. “Getting two draws and a win in the week is good, especially having Forest Green, Woking where we went down to 10 men and Halifax away. “It’s a tough week and to get the win was massive. “We’re really big on clean sheets so that was pleasing too. “Collectively we felt it was a good performance and it’s one we’ll take confidence from too which is important.” Morton also played a key part in securing Saturday’s win as he set up both of Southend’s goals. And the 25-year-old wants that to be a sign of things to come. “It's always good to be involved in goals and it’s something I want to add to my game,” said Morton. “Maybe it will be assists more than goals playing deeper but I want to help the team any way I can. "I’ve not always based my game on stats mainly because of the position I play and the responsibilities I have elsewhere but you’ve got to do a bit of everything. “I feel I can add a few more stats but as long as my performance is positive overall then those stats will come.” Morton’s next chance to impress comes at Brentwood Town in the FA Trophy this weekend. And the midfielder stressed the Shrimpers would be taking the third round tie seriously. “We want to win every game,” said Morton. “We’ve had a bit of inconsistency this season but cup games can help with your league performances. “We look at this as just as important as a league match where hopefully we can get a good performance and win. “We’ll be taking it seriously and we’ve prepared properly this week. “I see it as a great opportunity to make it four unbeaten so we feel more positive and confident going into the Hartlepool game next week.” Morton again looks likely to feature in the centre of the park having started nine of the last 10 games. And he is enjoying his regular role in the team. “To be playing as regularly as I have been and getting the minutes I have means you’re naturally going to progress,” said Morton. “You’ll be fitter and sharper and getting that base means you’ll be able to express yourself a lot more. “The way we want to play suits me and you build relationships with the players on the pitch when you play. “Like I said previously, the team has been quite consistent in terms of who has been playing which helps with the team performance. “You’re gelling and everyone will be doing better the more you play. "For me I feel like I’ve been doing OK but I know there’s more to come and I’m really focused on being even better.BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Bradley Ezewiro scored 19 points off of the bench to help lead UAB past Alcorn State 91-74 on Sunday night. Ezewiro shot 5 of 5 from the field and 9 for 9 from the line for the Blazers (7-6). Christian Coleman scored 15 points while shooting 6 of 8 from the field and 3 for 4 from the line. Alejandro had 15 points and went 5 of 10 from the field (3 for 6 from 3-point range). The Braves (0-13) were led in scoring by Keionte Cornelius, who finished with 22 points. Jalyke Gaines-Wyatt added 14 points for Alcorn State. Marcus Tankersley finished with 10 points. UAB took the lead with 11:35 remaining in the first half and never looked back. Coleman led their team in scoring with 11 points in the first half to help put them up 50-31 at the break. Ezewiro scored 15 points in the second half to help lead the way as UAB went on to secure a victory, despite being outscored by Alcorn State in the second half by a two-point margin. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
2024 may not have been as big a year for television as 2023 – but there were plenty of gems. Series like FX's "Shōgun," Prime Video's "Fallout," and Netflix's "Baby Reindeer" cut through the noise. Here are the BI entertainment team's favorite television series of the year. Advertisement Amid shake-ups in the television industry, 2024 still delivered a slate of great TV series ranging from familiar continuations to ambitious debuts. That includes series like FX's "Shōgun," an immersive adaptation that brought top Japanese talent to American screens; the Brian Jordan Alvarez comedy "English Teacher," which turns high school culture wars into comedy fodder; and hits like "Baby Reindeer," which captivated the world with a story pulled from creator Richard Gadd's life. Advertisement Here are our favorites from this year.To help slow learners catch up with their peers in the classroom, the School Education Department has launched Vidya Shakti, a new initiative that aims to create inclusive learning outcomes with a focus on foundational content in subjects like mathematics, science and English. In collaboration with IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation, the department has launched Vidya Shakti as a pilot project in 78 institutions, including 15 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs), 15 Andhra Pradesh Model School, 15 institutions run by A.P. Open Schools Society and four schools run by A.P. Residential Educational Institutions Society, besides 29 junior colleges across the State. The second phase of the pilot project, scheduled from January 2, 2025, will include 10 more educational institutions. “We are trying to build safe and supportive environment in schools with a student-centric approach that prioritises the well-being of students, both academically and otherwise,” said Director, School Education, V. Vijay Rama Raju. Stating that Vidya Shakti was a transformative programme with far-reaching goals, he informed that classes were being delivered via zoom meetings, conducted from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. by select teachers trained by resource persons from IIT-Madras Pravartak in bilingual mode. “It is simulation-based learning that allows students to visualise concepts and perform virtual experiments, fostering deeper comprehension,” Mr. Rama Raju told The Hindu . Teachers have been trained to use simulation tools and open-source software to teach concepts in an interactive mode and deliver the online sessions effectively using digital platforms. They are also expected to upload assignments and track student progress. A baseline test was conducted at the beginning of the programme to assess the initial learning levels of the students, while weekly micro assignments like peer-evaluated tasks are taken up to allow continuous evaluation of student progress. “This approach enables us to identify gaps and implement targeted interventions to address the learning challenges,” said Mr. Rama Raju. The authorities ensure that recorded content is kept available on a dedicated YouTube channel for students who miss sessions due to power failures and other reasons. Digital ‘Akkas’ Educated but unemployed women with basic technical skills have been trained to act as coordinators (Digital Akkas) to assist in connecting schools to the Zoom sessions. They upload the student assignments and mark them into the ‘Vidya Shakti’ app for monitoring of their performance. All schools enrolled under this programme will start using the ‘Vidya Shakti’ app from December 23. The role of a ‘Digital Akka’ is to act as a bridge between teachers, students and technical teams to ensure smooth operation of the classes. Creation of the role of ‘Digital Akka’ serves dual purpose. It contributes towards the cause of women empowerment in the rural pockets by providing them employment opportunities and also helps the department strengthen the delivery system of the new mode of education. Published - December 22, 2024 07:01 pm IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Andhra Pradesh / Vijayawada / education
Monday night’s minor snow may have made the ground and trees a pretty sight come Tuesday morning, but for the most part, Pulaski’s roadways were spared from any major problems. Pulaski County Road Director Ryan Price said that there were a few calls for slick spots on county backroads, “but all in all, we got by really good this time.” Pulaski County Judge-Executive Marshall Todd added, “There were no reported incidents whatsoever. The road crew was on standby all night, but were not needed for any calls related to the weather.” Likewise, Somerset Street Department Director David Hargis said his crews went out and put salt on a few of the streets that have hills, but overall there were no problems reported for the city. In fact, while the Pulaski County School District decided to cancel classes Tuesday, both the Somerset Independent School District and the Science Hill Independent School District continued on as normal. Both Price and Hargis said their departments have worked ahead to prepare for the inevitable winter weather that strikes the area around this time of year. “We’ve been working, probably, for about a month now, slowly getting stuff together,” Price said. “We like to get everything together close to Thanksgiving.” That includes getting equipment onto their trucks and testing everything to make sure it’s in working order, he said. “We’re fully stocked with salt, and all of our equipment is ready for whenever we do get a snow,” he said, adding that the county has 500 to 600 tons of “straight salt” as well as about the same amount of a salt-and-rock mixture. That’s similar to what Somerset has on hand, as Hargis said, “We have close to 1,000 tons of salt, so we’re in good shape.” And likewise, Hargis said the city crews have been working on their plows and equipment, making sure everything was working properly. While the National Weather Service in Jackson, Ky., couldn’t give an exact figure to the amount of snow that fell in Pulaski, Meteorologist Philomon Geertson said that Liberty – Pulaski’s neighbor to the west – reported 0.4 inches of snow. There was much more snow reported to the east of the Lake Cumberland region, with Geertson saying that the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet reported the largest state accumulation, 4 inches, occurred on Black Mountain, along Ky. 160 crossing over the state border to Virginia. There’s another chance this week for winter weather, although Geertson again said there was more potential for accumulation east of this area and east of I-75. That is predicted to take place Wednesday night on through to Thursday morning, he said. “There could certainly be an additional light snow or snow showers from (a cold) front as it rolls on through. I can even see the ingredients coming together for a snow squall or two right along or just ahead of that cold front. It will be overnight to the early morning hours, but there is certainly a potential that could lead to some slippery roads,” he said. Behind that cold front will be some more cold temperatures, he said. While Tuesday’s highs were in the low 30s, Wednesday’s temperatures could reach the 40s, he said. But after the cold front moves in, Thursday’s temperatures are expected to be “back in the freezer” and in the 30s. Additionally, the lows Thursday night could dip to the lower or mid teens, he said. But the most important potential problem from the cold front, he said, was the possibility of wind gusts. “Right now we’re expecting wind gusts in the 30 to 40 mile-per-hour range, later Wednesday evening into early Thursday morning as that front comes through, so that could notable,” Geertson said. “If anyone has outdoor decorations, they might want to make sure they’re secured.” While it’s difficult to predict how the months ahead will go – never mind what the woolly worms and persimmon seeds say – Geertson said that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is calling for “slightly above normal temperatures” for this winter, with near normal precipitation for December, January and February. “With that being said,” Geertson warned, “the weather pattern is such that we can certainly see incursions of well-below-normal (temperature) air moving in at times. It’s just that it’s not necessarily expected to stay for a long period of time.” Should a snow storm hit the Pulaski area, officials had several pieces of advice to offer motorists. For the City of Somerset, Hargis asked residents of the downtown area not to park on the streets. Having roads clear of cars helps his department clear road of snow much more quickly, he said. He also asked drivers not to drive too close to snow removal vehicles. Not only could they get their cars pelted with salt, but Hargis warned that it could cause accidents, as the drivers of the city trucks cannot see well around their vehicles. Price also asked county drivers to stay off the road if possible. “It’s better for us to work whenever there’s not as much traffic. And it’s always good to give yourself a little more time (traveling). “Be patient with us,” Price added. “We’ve got several (hundred) miles of road and we’ve got to go down a road and come back, so it doubles our mileage. So it takes us a while, but we appreciate everybody’s patience. We’ll try our best to give everybody dry roads as soon as possible.” The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet also gave advice to motorists during winter weather events: –Travel only when necessary during major snow events. –Stock vehicles with ice scrapers, jumper cables, blankets, a flashlight, a cell phone charger, non-perishable snacks and a first aid kit in case you get stranded on the road. –Winterize your vehicle. Check your car battery, tire pressure and brakes. Ensure your heater, defroster, headlights and windshield wipers are working properly. –When snow and/or ice are on roadways, drive slowly, no matter what type of vehicle you drive. It takes more time and distance to stop your vehicle in poor weather, so brake early and slowly. –Pay attention to weather advisories and allow more time for travel on routine commutes. –Slow down when approaching intersections, off-ramps, bridges or shaded areas. These are all places susceptible to black ice – a thin coating of hard-to-see clear ice that can form on the pavement surface. –Maintain a safe distance from snowplows and other heavy highway equipment, and do not pass snowplows on the shoulder. –Know before you go. Download the free WAZE app or visit goky.ky.gov to check traffic conditions before you travel. The map also offers access to select traffic cameras on interstates and parkways. –Buckle up! Phone down! Eliminate distractions while driving.Thai institutional investors see the domestic and global economies on a promising recovery path next year, on the back of anticipated interest rate cuts, as they express growing interest in sustainable investment, a recent survey by the Association of Investment Management (AIMC) has found. AIMC chairwoman Chavinda Hanratanakool said fund managers have a positive view of the Thai economy in 2025, supported by their expectations that GDP will tend to grow continuously, and that the domestic policy interest rate may be adjusted down to 1.75% by the end of the year to stimulate the economy. However, fund managers have concerns about political instability, which may be a factor affecting confidence, she added. With regard to equity investments, they will focus on medium to large cap stocks that have environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies, which are expected to generate better returns than general stocks. Prominent industries include commerce, tourism-recreation, technology, and finance. In terms of domestic bond investment, the focus is on medium and long-term government bonds and private debt instruments. Real estate investment trusts (REITs) and infrastructure funds are recommended as alternative assets while gold would account for a small proportion in their portfolio. In terms of the global economic outlook, institutional investors believe that the global economy will recover gradually, with positive factors including GDP growth in major economies and a downward trend of interest rates. The US policy interest rate is expected to be adjusted down to 3.5-3.75% by the end of 2025. When it comes to the global investment portfolio, they would focus on large and medium-sized stocks in developed markets such as the US, Europe (the UK, Germany) and India. Prominent industries include technology, finance, communications, luxury goods and utilities. In terms of global debt instruments, institutional investors believe they should invest in medium-term debt instruments in developed markets such as the US and Europe. With regard to alternative assets, investment should focus on REITs and infrastructure funds, which still yield satisfactory returns. "The survey revealed that asset management firms are focusing on ESG investment, with plans to launch new funds such as an ESG mixed fund, which caters to investors seeking tax benefits, and an ESG Foreign Investment Fund or Feeder Fund, which invests abroad to expand opportunities in sustainability," said Mrs Chavinda. AIMC believes economic recovery and the increasing interest in sustainable investment would support investment to show better prospects in 2025, she added.
NoneWASHINGTON: US consumer spending increased in November amid strong demand for a range of goods and services, underscoring the economy’s resilience, which saw the Federal Reserve this week projecting fewer interest rate cuts in 2025 than it had in September. There was also good news on inflation last month after a series of warmer readings. The report from the Commerce Department on Friday showed moderate monthly rises in prices, with a measure of underlying inflation posting its smallest gain in six months. Nonetheless, the annual increase in core inflation, excluding food and energy, remained stubbornly well above the US central bank’s 2 percent target. There are also worries that plans by President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration to cut taxes, impose or raise tariffs on imports and deport millions of undocumented immigrants would stoke inflation. “The economy continues to grow from strong consumer demand as income growth and the wealth effect from higher portfolio values give consumers capacity to spend,” said Jeffrey Roach, chief economist at LPL Financial. “Inflation was more benign than expected but the stickiness of some categories supports the Fed’s hesitancy to materially lower rates next year.” Consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of US economic activity, rose 0.4 percent last month after a downwardly revised 0.3 percent gain in October, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis said. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast consumer spending advancing 0.5 percent after a previously reported 0.4 percent rise in October. The nearly broad-based increase in spending was led by new motor vehicles, likely in part as households replaced vehicles damaged during Hurricanes Helene and Milton. That accounted for the bulk of the 0.8 percent rebound in goods outlays. Spending on recreational goods and vehicles also rose as did outlays on financial services and insurance, mostly charges, fees and commissions. There was also increased spending on recreation services, healthcare, clothing and footwear, furniture as well as housing and utilities. Spending at restaurants and bars as well as on hotel and motel stays also increased. Spending on services rose 0.2 percent. When adjusted for inflation, consumer spending rose 0.3 percent after edging up 0.1 percent in October. The so-called real consumer spending is running at an annualized rate of 3.1 percent in the first two months of the fourth quarter. “That will lay the foundation for another very solid GDP number for the fourth quarter,” said Lou Crandall, chief economist at Wrightson ICAP. Consumer spending surged at a 3.7 percent pace in the third quarter, the fastest in 1-1/2 years, helping to propel the economy to a 3.1 percent growth rate following a 3.0 percent pace of expansion in the April-June quarter. The Atlanta Fed is forecasting gross domestic product increasing at a 3.1 percent rate in the fourth quarter. Fed Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday described the economy as having “just been remarkable,” adding “I feel very good about ... the performance of the economy and we want to keep that going.” The central bank on Wednesday cut its benchmark overnight interest rate by 25 basis points to the 4.25 percent-4.50 percent range. It forecast only two rate reductions in 2025, in a nod to the economy’s continued resilience and still-high inflation. In September, Fed officials had forecast four quarter-point rate cuts next year. The shallower rate cut path in the latest projections also reflected uncertainty over policies from the incoming Trump administration. Stocks on Wall Street traded higher. The dollar slipped against a basket of currencies. US Treasury yields fell. Labor market stamina, marked by low layoffs and strong wage growth, is underpinning consumer spending. Strong household balance sheets, reflecting high stock market and home prices are also driving spending. Household savings remain supportive. Economists, however, cautioned that it was mostly middle- and higher-income households that were benefiting from the wage gains and wealth effects, noting that lower-income consumers were under financial pressure. Personal income rose 0.3 percent, with wages shooting up 0.6 percent. Income at the disposal of households after accounting for inflation rose 0.2 percent, meaning some tapped their savings to fund purchases. The saving rate dipped to 4.4 percent from 4.5 percent in October. Economists did not believe that the moderation in inflation last month would have changed the tone of the Fed’s message on Wednesday. The personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index rose 0.1 percent after an unrevised 0.2 percent gain in October. Goods prices were unchanged after three straight monthly decreases. Motor vehicle prices increased 0.7 percent, but the cost of recreational goods and vehicles fell for the fourth consecutive month. Services prices rose 0.2 percent after gaining 0.4 percent in October. Housing inflation increased at the slowest pace since April 2021, reflecting a moderation in rents. The cost of food and accommodation services rose by the most in 10 months. In the 12 months through November, the PCE price index advanced 2.4 percent after rising 2.3 percent in October. The increase in the annual inflation rate was partly due to last year’s low readings dropping out of the calculation. Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the PCE price index climbed 0.1 percent. That was the smallest rise since May, and followed an unrevised 0.3 percent gain in October. Core inflation was running at a 2.5 percent rate in the last three months. In the 12 months through November, core prices increased 2.8 percent after advancing by the same margin in October. The Fed tracks the PCE price measures for monetary policy. It hiked its policy rate by 5.25 percentage points between March 2022 and July 2023. “The general disinflation trend, in view of the much higher US dollar, is intact for the next two months,” said Brian Bethune, an economics professor at Boston College. “However, if the incoming administration raises tariffs significantly, that will provoke retaliation and usher in a period of stagflation that will rival the stagflation of the 1970s.” — Reuters
NORTHWEST VERMONT — Republican Vermont Reps. Chris Mattos of Milton and Pat Brennan of Colchester were voted into State Senate seats last month, among six other Republicans new to the chamber, rendering the Democratic supermajority a thing of the past. Republicans unseated four incumbents and scored another two open seats vacated by long-serving Democrats. The GOP nearly doubled its representation in the upper chamber, from seven seats last session to 13 in the next. Democrats and Progressives, who held 23 seats before and just 17 now, will no longer have the two-thirds majority necessary to override gubernatorial vetoes. The Democratic party also lost its supermajority this election cycle in the Vermont House. Brennan and Mattos are excited about their wins, as well as hope about the renewed potential to accomplish some of their legislative goals, with the shift in their party’s favor that’s taken place in Montpelier in the wake of this election cycle. “I think the tone is going to set itself,” Brennan said. “I don't think I'll have to set it. I think the voters set the tone when they chose their senators and representatives at the polls this year. I think it's going to be a tone of collaboration... We'll hopefully get along, and I don't see why we wouldn't.” Brennan, represented Colchester in the House for 21 years before winning the Grand Isle District senate seat previously held by the late former Senator Dick Mazza (D). In a contentious race, Brennan beat Democrat Andy Julow by 725 votes . “When there was a supermajority, there was no need for collaboration,” he said. “The other team there just did what they wanted and we weren't involved a whole lot, other than saying ‘No, we kind of don't like that bill, it's not good for my people at home.’ That’s where you get ‘the party of no.’” Brennan believes it’s not that the Republicans are actually the party of no, but that their suggestions and ideas weren’t listened to in the past. He hopes all parties will be able to come together now, not to push their “own agendas” but to do “what’s good for Vermont.” Brennan thinks he was voted into office as a state senator because the people wanted a change, largely to do with the growing tax burden, but also because of the reputation he’s built up among constituents in his district as a state representative for decades already. “I think everybody agrees, or 90% of the population might agree, the supermajority was not a good thing for anyone, especially the taxpayer,” Brennan said. “The supermajority had their chance to make some changes and didn't do that. So the pressure’s on now. People are looking at the new legislature, the new make-up, to make things right.” Mattos said he’d be lying if he said he wasn't surprised at the upset that happened in Vermont this election. On Nov. 5, Mattos beat incumbent Senator Irene Wrenner (D), to represent Chittenden-North, a district that includes parts of Milton, Essex Town, Westford and Fairfax. “I knew we were going to pick up some seats, but not to the number that we did, so I was very happy,” he said. Mattos credits the swing to voters’ frustrations about rising property taxes, and the potential expenses of the Clean Heat Standard — a Vermont law passed last year committing the state to reducing its greenhouse gas output, which has sparked debate around its potential costliness once put into practice, despite advocates’ assurance it can be done affordably — as well as an increase in Department of Motor Vehicles’ fees that was not even requested by that department. “I think Vermonters were just tapped out with all the different fees and taxes that have increased over the past couple of years,” Mattos said. “So they definitely voted with their pocketbooks this election. It showed across the state.” When asked what parts of the budget they would look to pare down in order to see that taxpayer burden reduced, both Mattos and Brennan named the public education fund first and foremost. Mattos in particular worked on the education committee his first three years in the Vermont House, and has been on the ways and means committee for the past four. Now that he’ll be in the Senate, figuring out education finance remains his biggest priority — particularly now that the number of members of each party in the chamber are “more balanced.” “We're really going to have a seat at the table to get our ideas out there,” Mattos said. “Over the past years, the majority definitely said, ‘We can do whatever we want, we don't need your support.’ And they definitely, definitely showed it.” Mattos said while on ways and means, legislators had a draft of a bill brought up and had a meeting with leadership advocates the next day, and the day after that the bill had become a study on education finance — which, he said, in the next 24 hours, was halted by the opposing party. “So, I’m hoping that doesn't happen anymore,” Mattos said. “There are backstops in both bodies. I’m hopeful that the majority will listen to our ideas that we have, because I think we do have some good ideas out there.” Mattos believes it’s a huge issue that the current education funding system allows no way for individual school boards to know how their budget will affect their town’s tax rate, because of how dependent local property taxes are on what all other school districts choose to do. He said it’s problematic that historically low-spending districts are expected to “subsidize” higher-spending districts, or for higher-spending districts to get tax rate “discounts.” “We need to have a system that's more predictable for the school boards when they're crafting their budgets and determining where they want to spend their money and how much they want to spend,” he said, referencing the three budget votes in his own town of Milton this past year. “When it gets down to it, when we do a budget re-vote, and voters want to see substantial decreases in the tax rate, it really takes a lot of money to cut to get to something that can pass,” he said. “It's really an all-state model, and it's all these towns voting on their local budgets.” Mattos’ proposition is having a standard spending rate to cover the essentials mandated by the state of every district. This way, individual school districts wouldn’t be to blame for their baseline needed expenditures, and anything beyond that can be voted on by the taxpayer, with local taxation being more closely tied to what the local district is spending than it currently is. When asked about funding deferred maintenance — a problem that has gone on for decades in many districts due to the costly nature of making essential facility repairs — Mattos pointed to the number of added hires that have been made in many districts, and the growing size of school staffs despite declining student enrollments as a place to look to cut down on expenditures, freeing up funds to address deferred maintenance in that way. Mattos also acknowledged that private health insurance rates have risen drastically. “It's going to take a lot of money to do all those things, and we need to work within the budget of the state to be able to get there — and not raise new taxes, not raise new fees,” he said. Brennan agreed education funding is number one on his list of things to look at in an effort to render Vermont a more affordable state, as he said he heard out of almost every door he knocked on whilst campaigning that property taxes are too high. “I don't know how people survive, and actually a lot of them don't,” Brennan said. “A lot of people are packing their bags and moving out of state. So that's where we start: We need a total restructuring of how we fund education.” Brennan said he looks forward to considering the recommendations of studies on education funding, and to considering Gov. Phil Scott’s ideas on the matter moving forward, to provide some taxpayer relief via trims to aspects of education that currently may be out of balance. “I expect there to be probably two or three bills to address that, maybe more,” Brennan said. Otherwise, Brennan is concerned with revisiting a true reform of Act 250 in an effort to keep housing more affordable, as well as digging into what can be done for Vermonters’ healthcare. In addition, he expects to see and support a number of bills to strengthen public safety and address the drug epidemic, by getting “a little tougher on crime.” Mattos agreed about the need for further reform Act 250, specifically to make the laws more predictable and less risky for developers to engage with, and hopefully speeding up the development of housing statewide, whilst still protecting the natural beauty of the state. “Gov. Scott's adage, is we need more taxpayers, not more taxes,” Mattos said. “The housing thing is another initiative of mine, because that's what I do in my professional life. I'm a licensed realtor and have a property management and excavation business, so I see it every day.” Mattos favors a mix of housing types, for short- and long-term rental apartment complexes, various sizes and styles available to home-owners on different incomes, and senior living facilities for those who can’t keep up with their large homes but want to stay in the community. He said there’s lots of education out there for first-time home buyers as well as great incentives with down payment assistance from local credit unions, but that he would also favor governmental assistance for first-time home buyers to incentivize completing a homeownership course — say, a $1,000 credit at closing for young Vermonters who don’t want to rent forever. “With the rents being what they are, it's really cumbersome for people to be able to save up money while being able to afford rent,” Mattos said. “So if we increase our housing stock and take pressure off the vacancy rate that's so low that it's very hard to find an apartment, we could make some strides there by being able to get more affordable housing out there.” Mattos’ other concerns are the expenses that could come with the Clean Heat Standard. Instead, he wants to focus more on funding infrastructure-based climate resiliency in the wake of recent flooding events. Though only just elected to their first terms, Brennan and Mattos said they hope to continue serving in their respective senatorial seats well beyond this initial term, and to make Vermont better and more affordable while in office. “I’m not sure we've earned their trust yet,” Brennan said. “That's something that we have to do when we start the session. They're frustrated and they wanted change, and they voted for change. The trust comes now when we get to Montpelier and we actually have to produce.” “I am going to earn their trust and make every effort I can and vote for responsible bills to make Vermont better and to reduce the property tax burden on Vermonters,” he added. VTDigger has reported that a third of the monetary support funding GOP campaigns in some of Vermont’s most contentious races this year came from just 10 wealthy families , with major donors’ impact on the election dwarfing the contributions of those made by others — this year, this held true to a much more significant degree among Republicans than it did for Democrats. The Digger story referenced Mattos’ and Brennans’ races specifically, and quoted the Vermont Democratic Party’s executive director, Jim Dandeneau, as saying Democrats have worked for years to build a Vermont that works for everyone and not just the “wealthy few,” yet these wealthy few this year made a concerted effort to disproportionately fuel and promote said Republican races. “I think that's a misnomer,” Brennan told us in response. “I did receive a lot of money from wealthier people. I received a lot of money from middle class people, and I received $20 checks from people who really couldn't afford $20.” “The wealthier people gave what they could afford,” he added. “It wasn't that it was ‘big money.’ It was that people were concerned about the direction Vermont was headed. Some of that money wasn't all Republican, rich folk. It was Democrat, Republican, Independent.” Mattos said he is beholden to all the constituents in his district, and said he’s done that for the past seven years as a state representative and will continue to do that as a state senator. “I appreciate all the support that I received,” he said. “We have business owners largely in Chittenden County that were a little fed up and tired of the way Vermont was moving, so they wanted to donate, and they happened to donate to my campaign, and I appreciate that.” “I'm happy that I had the level of support that I did,” he added. “But at the end of the day, I represent the people who are in my district.” Brennan talks about himself as a steward of “common sense” governance, which as he sees it, means not passing legislation for the sake of passing legislation, but actually thinking about it and how it will impact the average citizen’s life and pocketbook. “And I consider myself an average citizen,” he said. “So it works out well.” “I'm not sure what Webster says ,” he added. “But to me, common sense is taking a look at an issue, putting the book aside, just just looking at an issue, thinking about the repercussions of a bill, both ways, who it affects, how it affects them, and saying: ‘Does this make sense?’” Brennan said he is a true Republican and votes with the party 90% of the time, but that simultaneously, he’s not married to the party, and hopes to carry on the late Dick Mazza’s legacy by honoring Mazza’s centrism and ability to collaborate across the aisle. “I would just like to urge constituents of all parties, even the ones who didn't vote for me, to contact me with concerns,” he said. “I take every call and concern very seriously, and we'll try to address them in the quickest and most responsible way I can.” Brennan can be reached at pbrennan@leg.state.vt.us or at 802-578-2763. “My door is always open,” Mattos said, as well. “My office is on Main Street in Milton, so I always have people stop by... And I'm just going to continue doing that and putting out my legislative updates and always fielding any phone calls, text messages and emails.” Mattos can be reached at cmattos@leg.state.vt.us or at 802-828-2228.
NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge is signaling that Rudy Giuliani’s contempt hearing next Friday might not end so well for the former New York City mayor and onetime personal lawyer for President-elect Donald Trump as two Georgia election poll workers try to collect a $148 million defamation award they won against him. Judge Lewis J. Liman in Manhattan issued an order Friday in which he was dismissive of what he described as attempts by Giuliani and his lawyer to dodge providing information to the election workers' lawyers. And he said the litigants should be ready at the contempt hearing to explain why he should not grant a request by lawyers for the two election workers that he make adverse inferences from evidence in the case that would put Giuliani's Palm Beach, Florida, condominium in danger of being surrendered to satisfy the defamation award. The judge also said he may rule on the contempt request at the hearing. Giuliani has maintained that the Palm Beach property is his personal residence now and should be shielded from the judgment. He faces a Jan. 16 trial before Liman over the disposition of his Florida residence and World Series rings . Lawyers for the election workers filed the contempt request after saying Giuliani had failed to turn over a lease to his Manhattan apartment, a Mercedes, various watches and jewelry, a signed Joe DiMaggio shirt and other baseball momentos. The judge ordered Giuliani to turn over the items in October. A request for comment was sent to a lawyer for Giuliani, who was supposed to be deposed on Friday. In October, Liman ordered Giuliani to turn over many of his prized possessions to the poll workers. Giuliani’s lawyers have predicted that Giuliani will eventually win custody of the items on appeal. The contempt hearing follows a contentious November hearing in which Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor, became angry at the judge and said Liman was treating him unfairly. Giuliani was found liable last year for defaming the two Georgia poll workers by falsely accusing them of tampering with ballots during the 2020 presidential election. The women said they faced death threats after Giuliani falsely claimed they sneaked in ballots in suitcases, counted ballots multiple times and tampered with voting machines. Larry Neumeister, The Associated PressWhile it really is nice to be wanted in life, the same cannot be said in Starfield . If you have a bounty on you from any of the factions, a whole lot of bounty hunters will show up trying to cash in. The good news is that you can get rid of the bounties without too much issue if you know where to go. Starfield bounty kiosk location guide The future is largely controlled and organized through kiosks in Starfield . This applies to bounties as well as almost everything else. Below, you can find an ever-growing list of bounty clearance kiosk locations where you can wipe away your sins for just a handful of credits. You might even find The Hunter chilling out near one of them. If you wish to avoid a bounty in the first place, then make sure nobody sees you stealing, assaulting an NPC, hacking doors or safes, pickpocketing goods from people, or trespassing somewhere you shouldn’t be. You should also be incredibly careful with your abilities. I used the anti-gravity ability in New Atlantis by accident, and it ended up costing me over 160,000 Credits. So, don’t have any fun, basically. You can check if you have a bounty on you by opening your star map and looking at the top right of the screen. Any bounty in that space will be listed there, along with the value of it. It should also be noted the new Shattered Space DLC doesn’t seem to have any bounty kiosks available, meaning you’ll have to clear them out elsewhere. During your travels, be wary of any hostile environments like Serpentis and Kryx, as they will most likely attack on-site. I recommend avoiding these pathways altogether if you’re looking for easy access t o bounty kiosks in Starfield . But, if you don’t mind a little trouble, come prepared with the best weapons and tools for your ship . When you touch down on Jemison’s landing pad, go forward to the central area filled with various shops. Look to the left of the spiral structure to spot the Viewport building. Head inside the Viewport Bar’s main entryway on the left side of Jemison Mercantile. The Self-Service Bounty Clearance machine will be right next to the bar. The good news about Akila City is that it really is just like the old west, and a bit of cash can solve all your problems. From the landing pad, head straight into town, and you will see a bright red sign for the Hitching Post bar. It’ll be across from the Shepherd’s General Store. Go inside to find the Bounty Clearance Kiosk next to the bartender and a small “Bar” sign. In orbit near Akila, you can find the Trident Luxury Lines Staryard. Approach the ship and look for its port to begin docking. Head right down the corridor after you board, and you will find the bounty kiosk on the right side near the main reception area. Also, keep in mind that Trident doesn’t sell any parts or ships at the Trident Staryard. Make your way into Cydonia, down the main corridor through the hanging barrier, and then look to the right to find the Broken Spear Bar. Once you go through the bar entryway, you’ll see another kiosk station to the left. Go to the Deimos Staryard in orbit above the Deimos moon of Mars. Head inside, down the first corridor, and then to the left to find the bounty kiosk. It’ll be right next to the Deimos Sales Computer. This is also a pretty solid shipyard to build at if you are at a high enough level, providing better ship weapons in the game. Make your way to Neon and then head to the elevator to reach the upper floor. After going up, take a right and continue going forward until you get to the very end. Here, you’ll see the Astral Lounge. Go up the stairs and enter the Trade Tower: Astral Lounge doorway. The bounty kiosk will be easy to spot, right by the entrance. At the landing pad, look for the Trade Authority Kiosk. Just beyond that, with one of the worst signs ever, is the Pit Stop Bar. Head inside to find the Bounty Clearance kiosk on the left, near a poster with the words, “Shut up and Drink.” If all your factions are hostile due to bad behavior, your best bet is to use a Civilian Outpost bounty kiosk. These outposts can pop up on various planets, such as the far side of Jemison. They will often have a bounty board and a mission board for you to use if you want to grab a mission or pay off a bounty on your way through. Planets with Civilian Outposts seem to be randomly generated, so not everyone will have the exact coordinates. Before landing on a planet, you can check to see if it has an outpost with its house icon. You’ll likely find a bounty kiosk somewhere within this facility. Explore the galaxy to find more Civilian Outposts, giving you additional kiosks to utilize. How to clear bounties in Starfield To remove a bounty, all you need to do is find one of the kiosks and interact with it. If you have an active bounty, you will be prompted to pay the fine. For example, when I first tried out the machine, I was greeted with a 350 credit bounty for Neon. Those who cause havoc in multiple places will need to pay bounties off individually with each Faction. You’ll have a choice on which ones you want to pay off when on the ‘Which Faction would you like us to contact on your behalf?’ page. Keep in mind that you will need to be in a system that is not controlled by the faction that has placed a bounty on you. They won’t let you pay it off in their own territory. Extra charges may also apply to completely clear your bounties. In particular, my bounty for Neon was listed for 350 credits, but the total cost came out to 385 credits. It’s not a whole lot of extra cash, so it shouldn’t be too overwhelming with this small convenience fee. However, you should still be prepared as they can get expensive depending on your crimes. After you’ve paid it off, your criminal record with a specific region will be cleared. You may even see a message from the Starfield bounty kiosks that states, “Our records indicate that you are not wanted by any Faction within the Settled Systems at this time.” Hats off to you for being such a good citizen. If you don’t want to spend the credits, you can go to jail, although this will slightly reduce your current XP level. You also lose any stolen goods you have on you, and considering I stole my precious cowboy hat , that is just not an option for me. Additionally, you can try to bribe your way out of any situation, which is usually pretty cheap. That won’t actually get rid of the bounty; it just leaves you free to get arrested another day.
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NORTHWEST VERMONT — Republican Vermont Reps. Chris Mattos of Milton and Pat Brennan of Colchester were voted into State Senate seats last month, among six other Republicans new to the chamber, rendering the Democratic supermajority a thing of the past. Republicans unseated four incumbents and scored another two open seats vacated by long-serving Democrats. The GOP nearly doubled its representation in the upper chamber, from seven seats last session to 13 in the next. Democrats and Progressives, who held 23 seats before and just 17 now, will no longer have the two-thirds majority necessary to override gubernatorial vetoes. The Democratic party also lost its supermajority this election cycle in the Vermont House. Brennan and Mattos are excited about their wins, as well as hope about the renewed potential to accomplish some of their legislative goals, with the shift in their party’s favor that’s taken place in Montpelier in the wake of this election cycle. “I think the tone is going to set itself,” Brennan said. “I don't think I'll have to set it. I think the voters set the tone when they chose their senators and representatives at the polls this year. I think it's going to be a tone of collaboration... We'll hopefully get along, and I don't see why we wouldn't.” Brennan, represented Colchester in the House for 21 years before winning the Grand Isle District senate seat previously held by the late former Senator Dick Mazza (D). In a contentious race, Brennan beat Democrat Andy Julow by 725 votes . “When there was a supermajority, there was no need for collaboration,” he said. “The other team there just did what they wanted and we weren't involved a whole lot, other than saying ‘No, we kind of don't like that bill, it's not good for my people at home.’ That’s where you get ‘the party of no.’” Brennan believes it’s not that the Republicans are actually the party of no, but that their suggestions and ideas weren’t listened to in the past. He hopes all parties will be able to come together now, not to push their “own agendas” but to do “what’s good for Vermont.” Brennan thinks he was voted into office as a state senator because the people wanted a change, largely to do with the growing tax burden, but also because of the reputation he’s built up among constituents in his district as a state representative for decades already. “I think everybody agrees, or 90% of the population might agree, the supermajority was not a good thing for anyone, especially the taxpayer,” Brennan said. “The supermajority had their chance to make some changes and didn't do that. So the pressure’s on now. People are looking at the new legislature, the new make-up, to make things right.” Mattos said he’d be lying if he said he wasn't surprised at the upset that happened in Vermont this election. On Nov. 5, Mattos beat incumbent Senator Irene Wrenner (D), to represent Chittenden-North, a district that includes parts of Milton, Essex Town, Westford and Fairfax. “I knew we were going to pick up some seats, but not to the number that we did, so I was very happy,” he said. Mattos credits the swing to voters’ frustrations about rising property taxes, and the potential expenses of the Clean Heat Standard — a Vermont law passed last year committing the state to reducing its greenhouse gas output, which has sparked debate around its potential costliness once put into practice, despite advocates’ assurance it can be done affordably — as well as an increase in Department of Motor Vehicles’ fees that was not even requested by that department. “I think Vermonters were just tapped out with all the different fees and taxes that have increased over the past couple of years,” Mattos said. “So they definitely voted with their pocketbooks this election. It showed across the state.” When asked what parts of the budget they would look to pare down in order to see that taxpayer burden reduced, both Mattos and Brennan named the public education fund first and foremost. Mattos in particular worked on the education committee his first three years in the Vermont House, and has been on the ways and means committee for the past four. Now that he’ll be in the Senate, figuring out education finance remains his biggest priority — particularly now that the number of members of each party in the chamber are “more balanced.” “We're really going to have a seat at the table to get our ideas out there,” Mattos said. “Over the past years, the majority definitely said, ‘We can do whatever we want, we don't need your support.’ And they definitely, definitely showed it.” Mattos said while on ways and means, legislators had a draft of a bill brought up and had a meeting with leadership advocates the next day, and the day after that the bill had become a study on education finance — which, he said, in the next 24 hours, was halted by the opposing party. “So, I’m hoping that doesn't happen anymore,” Mattos said. “There are backstops in both bodies. I’m hopeful that the majority will listen to our ideas that we have, because I think we do have some good ideas out there.” Mattos believes it’s a huge issue that the current education funding system allows no way for individual school boards to know how their budget will affect their town’s tax rate, because of how dependent local property taxes are on what all other school districts choose to do. He said it’s problematic that historically low-spending districts are expected to “subsidize” higher-spending districts, or for higher-spending districts to get tax rate “discounts.” “We need to have a system that's more predictable for the school boards when they're crafting their budgets and determining where they want to spend their money and how much they want to spend,” he said, referencing the three budget votes in his own town of Milton this past year. “When it gets down to it, when we do a budget re-vote, and voters want to see substantial decreases in the tax rate, it really takes a lot of money to cut to get to something that can pass,” he said. “It's really an all-state model, and it's all these towns voting on their local budgets.” Mattos’ proposition is having a standard spending rate to cover the essentials mandated by the state of every district. This way, individual school districts wouldn’t be to blame for their baseline needed expenditures, and anything beyond that can be voted on by the taxpayer, with local taxation being more closely tied to what the local district is spending than it currently is. When asked about funding deferred maintenance — a problem that has gone on for decades in many districts due to the costly nature of making essential facility repairs — Mattos pointed to the number of added hires that have been made in many districts, and the growing size of school staffs despite declining student enrollments as a place to look to cut down on expenditures, freeing up funds to address deferred maintenance in that way. Mattos also acknowledged that private health insurance rates have risen drastically. “It's going to take a lot of money to do all those things, and we need to work within the budget of the state to be able to get there — and not raise new taxes, not raise new fees,” he said. Brennan agreed education funding is number one on his list of things to look at in an effort to render Vermont a more affordable state, as he said he heard out of almost every door he knocked on whilst campaigning that property taxes are too high. “I don't know how people survive, and actually a lot of them don't,” Brennan said. “A lot of people are packing their bags and moving out of state. So that's where we start: We need a total restructuring of how we fund education.” Brennan said he looks forward to considering the recommendations of studies on education funding, and to considering Gov. Phil Scott’s ideas on the matter moving forward, to provide some taxpayer relief via trims to aspects of education that currently may be out of balance. “I expect there to be probably two or three bills to address that, maybe more,” Brennan said. Otherwise, Brennan is concerned with revisiting a true reform of Act 250 in an effort to keep housing more affordable, as well as digging into what can be done for Vermonters’ healthcare. In addition, he expects to see and support a number of bills to strengthen public safety and address the drug epidemic, by getting “a little tougher on crime.” Mattos agreed about the need for further reform Act 250, specifically to make the laws more predictable and less risky for developers to engage with, and hopefully speeding up the development of housing statewide, whilst still protecting the natural beauty of the state. “Gov. Scott's adage, is we need more taxpayers, not more taxes,” Mattos said. “The housing thing is another initiative of mine, because that's what I do in my professional life. I'm a licensed realtor and have a property management and excavation business, so I see it every day.” Mattos favors a mix of housing types, for short- and long-term rental apartment complexes, various sizes and styles available to home-owners on different incomes, and senior living facilities for those who can’t keep up with their large homes but want to stay in the community. He said there’s lots of education out there for first-time home buyers as well as great incentives with down payment assistance from local credit unions, but that he would also favor governmental assistance for first-time home buyers to incentivize completing a homeownership course — say, a $1,000 credit at closing for young Vermonters who don’t want to rent forever. “With the rents being what they are, it's really cumbersome for people to be able to save up money while being able to afford rent,” Mattos said. “So if we increase our housing stock and take pressure off the vacancy rate that's so low that it's very hard to find an apartment, we could make some strides there by being able to get more affordable housing out there.” Mattos’ other concerns are the expenses that could come with the Clean Heat Standard. Instead, he wants to focus more on funding infrastructure-based climate resiliency in the wake of recent flooding events. Though only just elected to their first terms, Brennan and Mattos said they hope to continue serving in their respective senatorial seats well beyond this initial term, and to make Vermont better and more affordable while in office. “I’m not sure we've earned their trust yet,” Brennan said. “That's something that we have to do when we start the session. They're frustrated and they wanted change, and they voted for change. The trust comes now when we get to Montpelier and we actually have to produce.” “I am going to earn their trust and make every effort I can and vote for responsible bills to make Vermont better and to reduce the property tax burden on Vermonters,” he added. VTDigger has reported that a third of the monetary support funding GOP campaigns in some of Vermont’s most contentious races this year came from just 10 wealthy families , with major donors’ impact on the election dwarfing the contributions of those made by others — this year, this held true to a much more significant degree among Republicans than it did for Democrats. The Digger story referenced Mattos’ and Brennans’ races specifically, and quoted the Vermont Democratic Party’s executive director, Jim Dandeneau, as saying Democrats have worked for years to build a Vermont that works for everyone and not just the “wealthy few,” yet these wealthy few this year made a concerted effort to disproportionately fuel and promote said Republican races. “I think that's a misnomer,” Brennan told us in response. “I did receive a lot of money from wealthier people. I received a lot of money from middle class people, and I received $20 checks from people who really couldn't afford $20.” “The wealthier people gave what they could afford,” he added. “It wasn't that it was ‘big money.’ It was that people were concerned about the direction Vermont was headed. Some of that money wasn't all Republican, rich folk. It was Democrat, Republican, Independent.” Mattos said he is beholden to all the constituents in his district, and said he’s done that for the past seven years as a state representative and will continue to do that as a state senator. “I appreciate all the support that I received,” he said. “We have business owners largely in Chittenden County that were a little fed up and tired of the way Vermont was moving, so they wanted to donate, and they happened to donate to my campaign, and I appreciate that.” “I'm happy that I had the level of support that I did,” he added. “But at the end of the day, I represent the people who are in my district.” Brennan talks about himself as a steward of “common sense” governance, which as he sees it, means not passing legislation for the sake of passing legislation, but actually thinking about it and how it will impact the average citizen’s life and pocketbook. “And I consider myself an average citizen,” he said. “So it works out well.” “I'm not sure what Webster says ,” he added. “But to me, common sense is taking a look at an issue, putting the book aside, just just looking at an issue, thinking about the repercussions of a bill, both ways, who it affects, how it affects them, and saying: ‘Does this make sense?’” Brennan said he is a true Republican and votes with the party 90% of the time, but that simultaneously, he’s not married to the party, and hopes to carry on the late Dick Mazza’s legacy by honoring Mazza’s centrism and ability to collaborate across the aisle. “I would just like to urge constituents of all parties, even the ones who didn't vote for me, to contact me with concerns,” he said. “I take every call and concern very seriously, and we'll try to address them in the quickest and most responsible way I can.” Brennan can be reached at pbrennan@leg.state.vt.us or at 802-578-2763. “My door is always open,” Mattos said, as well. “My office is on Main Street in Milton, so I always have people stop by... And I'm just going to continue doing that and putting out my legislative updates and always fielding any phone calls, text messages and emails.” Mattos can be reached at cmattos@leg.state.vt.us or at 802-828-2228.
S&P/TSX composite, U.S. markets trade lower Friday morning after holiday break
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Ezewiro scores 19 and UAB takes down Alcorn State 91-74Stock market today: Wall Street slips as technology stocks drag on the market NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks slipped as Wall Street closes out a holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 fell 1.4% Friday and the the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 402 points, or 0.9%. The Nasdaq composite is down 2%. Technology stocks were the biggest drag on the market. The major indexes are still on track to close the week with gains, and the S&P 500 remains headed for its second consecutive annual gain of more than 20%. In Asia, Japan’s benchmark index surged as the yen remained weak against the dollar. Stocks in South Korea fell after the main opposition party voted to impeach the country’s acting leader. 10 tips from experts to help you change your relationship with money in 2025 NEW YORK (AP) — As the calendar changes to 2025, you might be thinking about how to approach your relationship with money in the new year. Whether you’re saving to move out of your parents’ house or pay off student loan debt, financial resolutions can help you stay motivated. If you’re planning to make financial resolutions for the new year, experts recommend that you start by evaluating the state of your finances in 2024. Then, set specific goals and make sure they’re attainable for your lifestyle. Most Americans blame insurance profits and denials alongside the killer in UHC CEO death, poll finds WASHINGTON (AP) — Most Americans believe health insurance profits and coverage denials share responsibility for the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO — although not as much as the person who pulled the trigger. So says a new poll from NORC at the University of Chicago. It finds that about 8 in 10 Americans say that the person who committed the killing has “a great deal” or “a moderate amount” of responsibility for the Dec. 4 shooting of Brian Thompson. Still, some see suspect Luigi Mangione as a heroic figure. About 7 in 10 adults say coverage denials or health insurance profits also bear at least “a moderate amount” of responsibility for Thompson’s death. Another jackpot surpasses $1 billion. Is this the new normal? Remember this moment because it probably won’t last: A U.S. lottery jackpot is projected to soar above $1 billion, and that's still a big deal. Friday’s Mega Millions drawing is worth an estimated $1.15 billion. The prize has evoked headlines across the country, despite the nation's top 10 jackpots already having boasted billion-dollar payouts. Jonathan Cohen is the author of the book “For a Dollar and a Dream: State Lotteries in Modern America.” He says he expects jackpots to continue to grow in size. Larger payouts attract more media attention, increase ticket sales and bring in new players. How the stock market defied expectations again this year, by the numbers NEW YORK (AP) — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The benchmark index posted its first back-to-back annual gains of more than 20% since 1998. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing. But it wasn’t just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin and gold surged and “Roaring Kitty” reappeared to briefly reignite the meme stock craze. Richard Parsons, prominent executive who led Time Warner and Citigroup, dies at 76 NEW YORK (AP) — Richard Parsons, one of corporate America’s most prominent Black executives who held top posts at Time Warner and Citigroup, has died. He was 76. Parsons died Thursday at his Manhattan home. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2015 and cited “unanticipated complications” from the disease for cutting back on work a few years later. Financial services company Lazard confirmed his death. Parsons was a longtime member of the company's board. His friend Ronald Lauder told The New York Times that the cause of death was cancer. Parsons stepped down Dec. 3 from the boards of Lazard and Lauder’s company, Estée Lauder, citing health reasons. He had been on Estée Lauder’s board for 25 years. Israel strikes Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital while the WHO chief says he was meters away JERUSALEM (AP) — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen has targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and multiple ports. The World Health Organization’s director-general said Thursday's bombardment took place just “meters away” as he was about to board a flight in Sanaa. He says a crew member was hurt. The strikes followed several days of Houthi attacks and launches setting off sirens in Israel. Israel's military says it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the airport in Sanaa, power stations and ports. The Israeli military later said it wasn’t aware that the WHO chief was at the location in Yemen. At least three people were reported killed and dozens injured in the Sanaa airport strike. Holiday shoppers increased spending by 3.8% despite higher prices New data shows holiday sales rose this year even as Americans wrestled with still high prices in many grocery necessities and other financial worries. According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, holiday sales from the beginning of November through Christmas Eve climbed 3.8%, a faster pace than the 3.1% increase from a year earlier. The measure tracks all kinds of payments including cash and debit cards. This year, retailers were even more under the gun to get shoppers in to buy early and in bulk since there were five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Mastercard SpendingPulse says the last five days of the season accounted for 10% of the spending. Sales of clothing, electronics and Jewelry rose. Finland stops Russia-linked vessel over damaged undersea power cable in Baltic Sea FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Finnish police say authorities detained a ship linked to neighboring Russia as they investigate whether it damaged a Baltic Sea power cable and several data cables. It was the latest incident involving disruption of key infrastructure. Police and border guards boarded the Eagle S and took control as they investigate damage to the Estlink-2 undersea power cable. The cable brings electricity from Finland to Estonia across the Baltic Sea. The cable went down on Wednesday. The incident follows damage to two data cables and the Nord Stream gas pipelines. Both have been termed sabotage. Climate-friendly electricity sees big battery projects soar again for 2024 2024 was another banner year for a source of electricity that is better for people’s lungs, better for climate change and may be reaching your home now when you turn on the lights or turn up the thermostat — large banks of batteries. Storing extra power in batteries effectively extends the hours of solar and wind power in a day. Storage is also important as global electricity demand rises. Last, it is important for increasingly frequent extreme weather events, worsened by climate change. Texas and California are embracing the benefits of batteries, but some other regions are dragging their feet.
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emerged from a closed-door meeting with opposition leaders on Tuesday to warn his Conservative rival against amplifying “erroneous narratives” that he says Americans are using about the Canada-U.S. border. Trudeau delivered the caution to Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre in the House of Commons after they met face to face, along with other party leaders, to discuss Trudeau’s meeting with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump last Friday. “What (Trudeau) said was, we don’t negotiate against ourselves. It would be helpful in the coming weeks and months if we didn’t in any way amplify the kind of messaging and language that the Trump administration is using to attack Canada,” Green Party Leader Elizabeth May recounted to reporters after the meeting. Trudeau invited party leaders to be briefed on the discussion he had with Trump and the Canada-U.S. relationship. The federal Liberals are hoping to talk Trump off his threat of imposing a 25-per-cent tariff on Canadian imports over concerns about illegal immigration and fentanyl flowing into the United States. He made the same threat to Mexico. During Tuesday’s question period, Poilievre told MPs that “Trudeau has lost control of everything.” “He lost control of the borders, lost control of immigration, lost control of spending and the deficit,” said Poilievre. “This has put Canada in an unbearably weak position.” Trudeau responded by saying he believes Poilievre “needs to reflect carefully on whether he really wants to amplify the erroneous narratives,” which he says Americans are advancing when it comes to issues surrounding the border. “Less than one per cent of migrants coming into the United States irregularly come from Canada, where .02 per cent of fentanyl coming into the United States comes from Canada,” Trudeau said. “Amplifying these broken narratives is simply not responsible leadership.” Since Trump won the presidential election on Nov. 5, Poilievre has accused Trudeau of being too weak to defend Canadian interests. He has also taken aim at the prime minister’s handling of immigration and for pushing a consumer carbon tax and proposed cap on oil and gas emissions, which he says make the country less competitive for industry and businesses. Trudeau has for more than a year lagged Poilievre in public opinion polls, as Canadians express a desire for change and anxiety over the cost of living and housing prices. Leaving Tuesday’s meeting with Trudeau, Poilievre struck a more muted tone, telling reporters he told the prime minister that Conservatives could be counted on to make the case that American tariffs would not only invite retaliatory tariffs while hurting American consumers. “This is a president, an incoming president, who was elected on the promise to make to make America richer. These tariffs would make America poorer. They would raise energy prices when he promised that he would cut them in half, they would kill American jobs and drive up American cost of living,” Poilievre told reporters. “Those are arguments that I intend to make to anyone in a position of authority who will listen to them between now and January 20th and I think it should be easy to make those arguments, and easy to convince the Americans, even Mr. Trump’s most nationalist supporters, that this is bad for them and bad for America.” Trump will be sworn into office on Jan.20. Poilievre’s office has not yet responded to a query as to whether the Conservative leader intends to speak to any American leaders or other U.S. contacts to caution them against imposing tariffs on Canadian goods. Since Trump’s re-election, Trudeau’s Liberals have been trying to revive what they called their “Team Canada” approach from Trump’s first term in office, where opposition leaders and premiers put aside their political differences to present a united front to the U.S. administration, as the countries, along with Mexico, renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement. Speaking after Tuesday’s meeting and without divulging details, federal New Democratic Party Leader Jagmeet Singh accused Poilievre of being unwilling to put aside his differences, even when behind closed doors. “For him, he was still trying to score political points even when there’s no cameras,” Singh said. May put in another way. She said while Poilievre was not “aggressive” in his disagreement, “there was clearly different tone from Mr. Poilievre.” Asked whether she felt the Conservative leader was trying to score political points, she said: “Absolutely.” “We’re trying to pull together as ‘Team Canada,’ but I guess Mr. Poilievre can’t help himself from trying to say in a private meeting the things that he objects to about government policy.” May said the opposition party leaders listened for most of the meeting, then asked some questions and had a discussion. Besides Trudeau, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was also present, as was Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc. Trudeau also cautioned the party leaders about what happens when incorrect information circulates in the U.S., May said. “We certainly all were reminded that false information getting into the U.S sticks there forever,” she said. “The prime minister reminded us of how many Americans still think the terrorists from 9/11 came into the U.S. from Canada. ” National Post staylor@postmedia.com Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what’s really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers. Sign up here . Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our politics newsletter, First Reading, here .It seemed too perfect that North Carolina would be playing at Boston's Fenway Park after Bill Belichick surprised everyone by taking the Tar Heels’ head coaching job. But despite the poetic setup, Belichick won’t be making a return to the city where he won multiple championships with the New England Patriots. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, North Carolina officials confirmed that Belichick will not attend the Fenway Bowl, where the Tar Heels (6-6) are set to face UConn (8-4) on Saturday morning. While his absence might surprise some fans, Belichick’s reasoning is aligned with his approach to his new role. “He’s totally dialed into building the roster," UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham told ESPN. "He didn’t want to go to practice or be a distraction to the kids or the coaches for the bowl game.” Since his hiring, Belichick has been laser-focused on recruiting and roster construction alongside his trusted confidant, Mike Lombardi. The duo has reportedly spent the weeks since his announcement in what Cunningham described as a "locked room," crafting the foundation for the program’s future. For Belichick, this meticulous preparation is the priority, not public appearances or bowl festivities. UNC, so far, has lost 13 players to the portal , while adding 10 and holding onto five of their own, per InsideCarolina. Interim coach Freddie Kitchens, who is set to join Belichick’s staff permanently, has taken the reins for the Fenway Bowl. The Fenway Bowl may be without its most notable new figure, but Belichick’s presence is already being felt in ways that go beyond a single game. His impact on the program’s direction signals that big changes are underway in Chapel Hill.
Deepfakes and AI Weren't a Big Part of Election Disinformation, Meta Says