Thanksgiving is my favorite American holiday. Let me count some of the ways I love Thanksgiving: Because it isn’t very commercialized. Because it doesn’t leave out the lovelorn and the lonely. Because it has an intrinsic honesty: It’s about being grateful. Because it’s about as much extended family as most of us can take: just one day of them. Because there aren’t a lot of old movies — aired on other holidays — that get taken out of the movie mausoleum every year, like “Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Miracle on 34th Street” or that one about snow, “Holiday Inn,” and “The Ten Commandments.” Because the political class generally shuts up. It doesn’t feel necessary to make long atavistic speeches with dubious grandiloquence that no one believes, least of all the speakers. Because you don’t have to receive presents and lie to your close friends and family, “I always wanted a toy pig that burps,” or “Thank you for the lovely necktie. I’m sure they will come back into fashion in a few decades.” Because there are no flags or bunting, and most houses aren’t turned into glaring neon performance art, nor are there skeletons hanging from swing sets. Because you don’t have to wear a funny hat and red or green or any other color that signals that you are in the spirit of the event. Because when I worked on the newspapers, I could volunteer and get paid double or better in overtime for a shift on Thanksgiving Day. From my arrival at New York’s Idlewild Airport in 1963, I have been able to luxuriate in America’s bounty and give thanks. It wasn’t always easy being an immigrant, even one of favored language and provenance (British), and it didn’t spare me and my English wife, Doreen, from hard times. We had those. But America remained the mansion on the high ground where, if we were lucky, we could be let in to enjoy the riches of acceptance. My first experience of the United States — and I give thanks for it — was the taxi driver who, when he learned I had hardly any money, gave me a free guided tour of Manhattan, The Bronx and Brooklyn. Finally, he deposited me at an uncompromising address on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, where I was to stay while I found work and before I sent for Doreen, my cherished first wife. It was a walk-up and there was no air conditioning. My hosts were an English couple in their 70s: Doreen’s aunt and her husband. She helped with newborns in wealthier people’s homes well into her old age. He had worked rather unsuccessfully as an industrial jeweler. They were palpably short of money and hadn’t enjoyed an easy life since arriving in America in 1918. Their story had a fairytale, extraordinary last volume. Out on Long Island, their grandson and granddaughter were growing up with a single mother, also in straitened circumstances. She worked with seedlings in a plant nursery. The grandson was to climb to the apex of achievement, to stun his family and, in time, the world with his talent. This young man and I would swim in Long Island Sound, where we would head for anchored yachts with people partying on board. A decade older than my companion, I always believed that when they looked down on the swimmers, the partiers would invite us aboard for food and drink. It never happened, but we enjoyed our aquatic adventures and social failure. If they had only known! As I said, that young man was destined to win all that his mother and grandparents didn’t have. His name is Billy Joel, the “Piano Man.” He is someone for all in America to be thankful for — proof that in the United States, the last can be first. — Llewellyn King is the executive producer and host of “White House Chronicle” on PBS. He wrote this for InsideSources.com .Netflix’s global phenomenon Squid Game is gearing up for its third and final season, with anticipation running high among fans. ET Year-end Special Reads Top 10 equity mutual funds of the year. Do you have any? How India flexed its global power muscles in 2024 2024 was the year India became the talk of America While Squid Game Season 2 is set to premiere on December 26, 2024, all eyes are now on what lies ahead for Season 3. The last chapter promises to deliver a gripping conclusion to the story that has captivated audiences worldwide. The announcement of Season 3 came earlier this year, coinciding with the reveal of the second season’s release date. According to writer-director Hwang Dong-hyuk, the final season will bring the series to a climactic end, continuing the tension-filled narrative established in Seasons 1 and 2, as mentioned in a report by TV Insider. 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The creator confirmed that production for Seasons 2 and 3 occurred simultaneously, with post-production now underway for the final installment. Fans can expect the series to maintain its signature intensity, culminating in a conclusion that ties up all loose ends. Returning Characters and Cast Speculation A complete cast list for Season 3 has yet to be unveiled. However, it is highly likely that Lee Jung-jae will reprise his role as Seong Gi-hun, the protagonist who vowed revenge at the end of Season 1. The continuation of Gi-hun’s journey remains central to the narrative, as he takes bold steps to dismantle the sinister game once and for all. Season 2 introduced several new characters and plotlines, and some surviving cast members from the upcoming second season are expected to carry over into Season 3, as per the TV Insider report. However, given the show’s high-stakes nature, not all characters are guaranteed to make it to the finale. Plot Details: Revenge and Resolution The storyline for Squid Game Season 3 will pick up directly from where Season 2 leaves off. Hwang Dong-hyuk revealed that Seasons 2 and 3 were originally conceived as a single narrative, but the depth of the story required a division into two seasons. In interviews, Hwang explained, “I wanted to tell the story of what happens to Gi-hun after the events of Season 1. The actions he takes to stop the games are pivotal to the story. Splitting the narrative allowed us to give proper attention to each part of the journey.” The series finale is expected to reveal the clash between Seong Gi-hun and the mysterious Front Man, a character whose motivations remain shrouded in mystery. FAQs Is Squid Game a true story? In an interview with AFP, Squid Game director and writer Hwang Dong-hyuk revealed that the inspiration for the series' protagonist, Seong Gi-hun, was drawn from the violent labor strikes at Ssangyong Motor Company in 2009. Why is it called the Squid Game? The game is called "Squid Game" because the shape of the playing field drawn on the ground resembles that of a squid. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )Formula 1 expands grid to add General Motors' Cadillac brand and new American team for 2026 season
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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Formula 1 on Monday at last said it will expand its grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. “As the pinnacle of motorsports, F1 demands boundary-pushing innovation and excellence. It’s an honor for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world’s premier racing series, and we’re committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for race fans around the world," GM President Mark Reuss said. "This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM’s engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level.” The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a U.S. Justice Department investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of F1, would not approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti. Andretti in September stepped aside from leading his namesake organization, so the 11th team will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by new Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The team will use Ferrari engines its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition in time for the 2028 season. Towriss is the the CEO and president of Group 1001 and entered motorsports via Andretti's IndyCar team when he signed on financial savings platform Gainbridge as a sponsor. Towriss is now a major part of the motorsports scene with ownership stakes in both Spire Motorsports' NASCAR team and Wayne Taylor Racing's sports car team. Walter is the chief executive of financial services firm Guggenheim Partners and the controlling owner of both the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and Premier League club Chelsea. “We’re excited to partner with General Motors in bringing a dynamic presence to Formula 1," Towriss said. “Together, we’re assembling a world-class team that will embody American innovation and deliver unforgettable moments to race fans around the world.” Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 world champion, will have an ambassador role with Cadillac F1. But his son, Michael, will have no official position with the organization now that he has scaled back his involvement with Andretti Global. “The Cadillac F1 Team is made up of a strong group of people that have worked tirelessly to build an American works team,” Michael Andretti posted on social media. “I’m very proud of the hard work they have put in and congratulate all involved on this momentous next step. I will be cheering for you!” The approval has been in works for weeks but was held until after last weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix to not overshadow the showcase event of the Liberty Media portfolio. Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive championship in Saturday night's race, the third and final stop in the United States for the top motorsports series in the world. Grid expansion in F1 is both infrequent and often unsuccessful. Four teams were granted entries in 2010 that should have pushed the grid to 13 teams and 26 cars for the first time since 1995. One team never made it to the grid and the other three had vanished by 2017. There is only one American team on the current F1 grid — owned by California businessman Gene Haas — but it is not particularly competitive and does not field American drivers. Andretti’s dream was to field a truly American team with American drivers. The fight to add this team has been going on for three-plus years and F1 initially denied the application despite approval from F1 sanctioning body FIA . The existing 10 teams, who have no voice in the matter, also largely opposed expansion because of the dilution in prize money and the billions of dollars they’ve already invested in the series. Andretti in 2020 tried and failed to buy the existing Sauber team. From there, he applied for grid expansion and partnered with GM, the top-selling manufacturer in the United States. The inclusion of GM was championed by the FIA and president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who said Michael Andretti’s application was the only one of seven applicants to meet all required criteria to expand F1’s current grid. “General Motors is a huge global brand and powerhouse in the OEM world and is working with impressive partners," Ben Sulayem said Monday. "I am fully supportive of the efforts made by the FIA, Formula 1, GM and the team to maintain dialogue and work towards this outcome of an agreement in principle to progress this application." Despite the FIA's acceptance of Andretti and General Motors from the start, F1 wasn't interested in Andretti — but did want GM. At one point, F1 asked GM to find another team to partner with besides Andretti. GM refused and F1 said it would revisit the Andretti application if and when Cadillac had an engine ready to compete. “Formula 1 has maintained a dialogue with General Motors, and its partners at TWG Global, regarding the viability of an entry following the commercial assessment and decision made by Formula 1 in January 2024,” F1 said in a statement. “Over the course of this year, they have achieved operational milestones and made clear their commitment to brand the 11th team GM/Cadillac, and that GM will enter as an engine supplier at a later time. Formula 1 is therefore pleased to move forward with this application process." Yet another major shift in the debate over grid expansion occurred earlier this month with the announced resignation of Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei, who was largely believed to be one of the biggest opponents of the Andretti entry. “With Formula 1’s continued growth plans in the US, we have always believed that welcoming an impressive US brand like GM/Cadillac to the grid and GM as a future power unit supplier could bring additional value and interest to the sport," Maffei said. "We credit the leadership of General Motors and their partners with significant progress in their readiness to enter Formula 1." AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racingAsia-Pacific markets are set to open lower on the second last day of the year, tracking Wall Street's declines on Friday. Asia-Pacific markets were set to open lower on the penultimate trading day of this year, after Wall Street declined on Friday. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 traded 0.3% lower in its first hour of trade. Japan's Nikkei 225 futures pointed to a weaker open for the market, with the futures contract in Chicago at 40,210 compared to the index's previous close of 40,281.16. This week, traders await China's manufacturing PMI on Tuesday, while markets will be closed on Wednesday for New Year's Day holiday. U.S. stocks fell Friday, led by technology names, but major indexes still rose for the week. The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 333.59 points, or 0.77%, to 42,992.21, falling for the first time in six sessions. The S&P 500 fell 1.11% to 5,970.84. The Nasdaq Composite slid 1.49% to 19,722.03, as Tesla dropped about 5% and Nvidia fell 2%. —CNBC's Yun Li and Pia Singh contributed to this report.
Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels rushed for 127 yards, throwing for another 227 and for three touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown pass to Zach Ertz. The Commanders staged a dramatic comeback from a 10-point deficit at half-time, sending them to the play-offs for the first time in four years. The win was enough to give the Los Angeles Rams the NFC West title as it ended the Seattle Seahawks hopes ahead of their meeting in the final week of the season. The Falcons need other results to go their way along with a win over the Carolina Panthers in their final game. Saquon Barkley became the ninth running back in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a single season as the Philadelphia Eagles clinched the NFC East title with a victory over the Dallas Cowboys. The 27-year-old achieved the feat with a 23-yard run during the fourth quarter of the Eagles’ crushing 41-7 success at Lincoln Financial Field. Barkley is 100 yards short of Eric Dickerson’s record of 2,105 yards, set in 1984 for the Los Angeles Rams, ahead of next week’s regular season finale against the New York Giants. However, he could be rested for that game in order to protect him from injury ahead of the play-offs. The Minnesota Vikings scored their ninth consecutive win after hanging on to beat the Green Bay Packers 27-25. Sam Darnold threw touchdowns to Cam Akers, Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailer, pushing his total for the season to 35. The victory set up a final-week showdown with the Detroit Lions for both the division title and top seed in the NFC. The Miami Dolphins kept themselves in the play-off race with a 20-3 victory over the Cleveland Browns. With Dolphins’ quarterback Tua Tagovailoa out with a hip injury, replacement Tyler Huntly threw for 225 yards and a touchdown. Miami will need to beat the New York Jets and hope the Denver Broncos lose to the Kansas City Chiefs to clinch the final AFC wildcard berth. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept alive their dreams of reaching the play-offs by overcoming the Carolina Panthers 48-14. Veteran quarterback Baker Mayfield produced a dominant performance at Raymond James Stadium, registering five passing touchdowns to equal a Buccaneers franchise record. The Buffalo Bills clinched the AFC conference number two seed for the post season with a 40-14 success over the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium. Josh Allen passed for 182 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for another. Buffalo finish the 2024 regular season undefeated at home, with eight wins from as many games. The Indianapolis Colts’ hopes of reaching the play-offs were ended by a 45-33 defeat to the Giants. Malik Nabers exploded for 171 yards and two touchdowns and Ihmir Smith-Marsette broke a 100-yard kick-off return to give the Giants their highest-scoring output under head coach Brian Daboll. Quarterback Drew Lock threw four touchdown passes and accounted for a fifth on the ground to seal the win. Elsewhere, Mac Jones threw two touchdowns to help the Jacksonville Jaguars defeat the Tennessee Titans 20-13, while the Las Vegas Raiders beat the New Orleans Saints 25-10.LAS VEGAS (AP) — Formula 1 on Monday at last said it will expand its grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. “As the pinnacle of motorsports, F1 demands boundary-pushing innovation and excellence. It’s an honor for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world’s premier racing series, and we’re committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for race fans around the world," GM President Mark Reuss said. "This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM’s engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level.” The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a U.S. Justice Department investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of F1, would not approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti. Andretti in September stepped aside from leading his namesake organization, so the 11th team will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by new Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The team will use Ferrari engines its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition in time for the 2028 season. Towriss is the the CEO and president of Group 1001 and entered motorsports via Andretti's IndyCar team when he signed on financial savings platform Gainbridge as a sponsor. Towriss is now a major part of the motorsports scene with ownership stakes in both Spire Motorsports' NASCAR team and Wayne Taylor Racing's sports car team. Walter is the chief executive of financial services firm Guggenheim Partners and the controlling owner of both the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and Premier League club Chelsea. “We’re excited to partner with General Motors in bringing a dynamic presence to Formula 1," Towriss said. “Together, we’re assembling a world-class team that will embody American innovation and deliver unforgettable moments to race fans around the world.” Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 world champion, will have an ambassador role with Cadillac F1. But his son, Michael, will have no official position with the organization now that he has scaled back his involvement with Andretti Global. “The Cadillac F1 Team is made up of a strong group of people that have worked tirelessly to build an American works team,” Michael Andretti posted on social media. “I’m very proud of the hard work they have put in and congratulate all involved on this momentous next step. I will be cheering for you!” The approval has been in works for weeks but was held until after last weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix to not overshadow the showcase event of the Liberty Media portfolio. Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive championship in Saturday night's race, the third and final stop in the United States for the top motorsports series in the world. Grid expansion in F1 is both infrequent and often unsuccessful. Four teams were granted entries in 2010 that should have pushed the grid to 13 teams and 26 cars for the first time since 1995. One team never made it to the grid and the other three had vanished by 2017. There is only one American team on the current F1 grid — owned by California businessman Gene Haas — but it is not particularly competitive and does not field American drivers. Andretti’s dream was to field a truly American team with American drivers. The fight to add this team has been going on for three-plus years and F1 initially denied the application despite approval from F1 sanctioning body FIA . The existing 10 teams, who have no voice in the matter, also largely opposed expansion because of the dilution in prize money and the billions of dollars they’ve already invested in the series. Andretti in 2020 tried and failed to buy the existing Sauber team. From there, he applied for grid expansion and partnered with GM, the top-selling manufacturer in the United States. The inclusion of GM was championed by the FIA and president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who said Michael Andretti’s application was the only one of seven applicants to meet all required criteria to expand F1’s current grid. “General Motors is a huge global brand and powerhouse in the OEM world and is working with impressive partners," Ben Sulayem said Monday. "I am fully supportive of the efforts made by the FIA, Formula 1, GM and the team to maintain dialogue and work towards this outcome of an agreement in principle to progress this application." Despite the FIA's acceptance of Andretti and General Motors from the start, F1 wasn't interested in Andretti — but did want GM. At one point, F1 asked GM to find another team to partner with besides Andretti. GM refused and F1 said it would revisit the Andretti application if and when Cadillac had an engine ready to compete. “Formula 1 has maintained a dialogue with General Motors, and its partners at TWG Global, regarding the viability of an entry following the commercial assessment and decision made by Formula 1 in January 2024,” F1 said in a statement. “Over the course of this year, they have achieved operational milestones and made clear their commitment to brand the 11th team GM/Cadillac, and that GM will enter as an engine supplier at a later time. Formula 1 is therefore pleased to move forward with this application process." Yet another major shift in the debate over grid expansion occurred earlier this month with the announced resignation of Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei, who was largely believed to be one of the biggest opponents of the Andretti entry. “With Formula 1’s continued growth plans in the US, we have always believed that welcoming an impressive US brand like GM/Cadillac to the grid and GM as a future power unit supplier could bring additional value and interest to the sport," Maffei said. "We credit the leadership of General Motors and their partners with significant progress in their readiness to enter Formula 1." AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
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Two-time UK Championship winner Mark Selby lost in the first round of the 2024 event as fellow Englishman Jack Lisowski produced a superb fightback at the York Barbican on Sunday evening. Lisowski, 21st in the world rankings, was 3-0 behind and had only scored six points as Selby dominated the early stages with two stunning centuries. But Lisowski got back into the match and, aided by breaks of 55, 63, 100, 70 and 61, won six of the next seven frames to take the victory 6-4 and set up a last-16 tie with Ali Carter. Former world number one Mark Allen said his game "is not in a good place" after an "awful" performance as he battled to a 6-4 win over Jackson Page in the opening round. Northern Ireland's Allen, who won the tournament two years ago, only made one break of 50 against 23-year-old Page, a player 41st in the rankings and in his first last-32 match at the UK Championship. "It wasn't fun to be part of that match," said Allen. "I'm just playing like that all the time and it's hard to put my finger on why, that's the frustrating thing. "I got the job done and that's pretty much it, it was awful. I'm not in a good place with my game, everything else is fine but with snooker I'm just struggling. "I'm probably trying too hard, I just needed to give 100 per cent on every shot and nothing is coming easy for me." Allen reached the top of the world rankings for the first time in his career after the World Championship in May, before he was replaced by Judd Trump at the end of August. Now third in the world, the 38-year-old has reached two semi-finals in 2024-25, losing to Mark Selby at the British Open in September and against Xiao Guodong in the Champion of Champions earlier this month. Welshman Page led 3-2 but Allen, an 11-time ranking event winner, made his experience count as he won four of the next five frames to clinch victory. However, Allen, who plays either China's Si Jiahui or Wu Yize in the last 16, was left bemused by his lack of form. "I'm doing all the things that got me to world number one, working really hard on the practice table but it's not coming easy," he added. "I'm hoping one performance turns it around but I feel a million miles away from that. "Jackson is a brilliant talent but not very experienced on the big stage so I thought I would take advantage of that and it nearly backfired. "It's not fun, I'm not going to lie - I couldn't enjoy any part of that match. It's unsettling given how much I practice, and considering how hard I've been working. I'm probably not as far as I think I am, I'm my worst critic." In the other match in the afternoon session, England's Ali Carter defeated Welshman Ryan Day 6-4. Carter has twice lost in the semi-finals of the UK Championship, but had not won a match in the later stages of the tournament since his 9-8 loss to Shaun Murphy in the final four in 2012. "It's all about getting a win," said Carter. "Wins have been hard to come by of late and it has zapped my confidence. It was hard work from start to finish. "I found the table was quite heavy and to screw back was quite different, but you have to play on whatever the table is like. "I've had some good times here, but mostly terrible ones. I was 8-4 up in the [2012] semi-finals against Shaun Murphy and that went wrong 9-8 and I've not had too much success since then. "Everything is so dependent on doing well in the big ranking events. I've not had a good run here for a long time so let's hope it leads to one this year."
The Centre for Ageing Better said data analysed on its behalf suggested more than a fifth of people in this age group are living in a poor-quality home that could be making their existing health condition worse. It said people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, those living in London and those who have a serious health condition or disability are more likely to be affected. Data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing covering 2022/23 was analysed by the National Centre for Social Research on behalf of the charity. It found an estimated 4.5 million people aged 50 or older in England with a health condition aggravated by the cold are living in a home with one or more serious problems. Some 2.8 million were aged between 50 and 70, while 1.7 million were aged 70 and older. Health conditions included respiratory diseases, congestive heart failure, heart disease and lung conditions, including asthma. Housing problems identified in the research included damp, water leaks, bad condensation, electrical or plumbing problems, rot and decay. While some 2.2 million people over 50 with health and housing problems owned their home outright, the biggest proportion of people (51%) with such issues lived in rented accommodation. The charity said older renters with a health condition were up to three times more likely to have five or more issues with their home than someone in the same age group who owns their home. Those with a health condition that can be affected by poor housing who had a significant issue in their homes were most likely to live in London (52%) followed by the North East (35%) and the North West (35%), the West Midlands and the East of England (both on 28%), and the South West (27%). Almost half (46%) of people aged 50 and above from black and minority ethnic backgrounds with one of the health conditions had at least one problem with their home, which the charity said amounted to almost 500,000 people. Among white people in this age group it was just under one in three (32%). The research also suggested people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds living with a health condition were also more than twice as likely to have five or more issues with their housing compared with their white counterparts – 15% compared with 6%. Dr Carole Easton, the charity’s chief executive, said not only does the research show the difficulties faced by those living in poor housing, but it is also “very bad news” for both the economy and the NHS. She said: “Our latest research shows that our poor-quality housing crisis is putting people with health conditions in their 50s, 60s and beyond, in harm’s way. “This is obviously terrible for those individuals who live in homes that carry a very real risk of making them sick, particularly when winter comes around. “But it is also very bad news for the country. Older workers living in homes that are making their health conditions worse are going to be less likely to be able to work and help grow the economy. “Older people whose serious health conditions are made worse by their homes will require treatment, putting additional winter pressures on our health system. “All could be averted if we tackled poor-quality housing with the urgency and priority it demands.” Holly Holder, deputy director for homes at the charity, said the Government must “fix this hidden housing crisis by delivering a national strategy to tackle poor quality housing across all tenures and committing to halving the number of non-decent homes over the next decade”. She added: “No-one should have to live in a home that damages their health, yet it is the norm for far too many people in England today. “By failing to address poor-quality homes we are limiting the lives of some of the country’s poorest and most vulnerable people. “Our new analysis shows that the combination of health and house problems are most likely to impact groups of people who are already disadvantaged by multiple health and wealth inequalities.” A Government spokesperson said: “Despite the challenging inheritance faced by this Government, through our Plan for Change we’re taking action to improve housing conditions across all tenures and ensure homes are decent, safe and warm – especially for the most vulnerable. “We’re consulting on reforms to the Decent Homes Standard next year to improve the quality of social and privately rented housing, and introducing Awaab’s Law to both sectors to tackle damp, dangerous and cold conditions for all renters in England. “Our warm homes plan will also help people find ways to save money on energy bills and deliver cleaner heating, with up to 300,000 households to benefit from upgrades next year.”
Sandra Bullock was seen during a rare public outing as she stepped out to watch the Los Angeles Lakers play against the Detroit Pistons Monday. The “Blind Side” star, 60, appeared in good spirits as she watched the Pistons dominate against the Lakers 117-114 from a private box at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. In photos obtained by Page Six, the actress beamed as she laughed and smiled during the game. For the outing, the mother of two wore a black top styled with a gold chain necklace and matching earrings. She completed her look with a full face of glam. It’s unknown if Bullock was accompanied during the game, but she was not photographed interacting with anyone. Her children — Louis, 15, and Laila, 11 — were also not photographed. Other A-listers at the Lakers vs. Pistons game included actor Leonardo DiCaprio, Kris Jenner’s boyfriend, Corey Gamble and Nas. This is the first time the Oscar winner has been photographed in public since Oct. 12 when she was last seen in Los Angeles. At the time, Bullock tried to remain under the radar as she chatted with her two kids outside their car . Just a few days before, on Oct. 8, Bullock had made an even rarer red carpet appearance at the Beyond Fest. The film producer posed with actor Keanu Reeves, 60, as they celebrated the 30th anniversary of their film, “Speed.” For the last year and a half, Bullock has been keeping a low profile after her longtime boyfriend, Bryan Randall , died in August 2023. Randall had been privately battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) for three years before his passing . He was 57. “It is with great sadness that we share that on Aug. 5, Bryan Randall passed away peacefully after a three-year battle with ALS,” his family confirmed to Page Six in a statement at the time. “Bryan chose early to keep his journey with ALS private and those of us who cared for him did our best to honor his request.” The late photographer and Bullock met in January 2015 and began dating soon after.
Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels rushed for 127 yards, throwing for another 227 and for three touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown pass to Zach Ertz. The Commanders staged a dramatic comeback from a 10-point deficit at half-time, sending them to the play-offs for the first time in four years. The win was enough to give the Los Angeles Rams the NFC West title as it ended the Seattle Seahawks hopes ahead of their meeting in the final week of the season. The Falcons need other results to go their way along with a win over the Carolina Panthers in their final game. Saquon Barkley became the ninth running back in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a single season as the Philadelphia Eagles clinched the NFC East title with a victory over the Dallas Cowboys. The 27-year-old achieved the feat with a 23-yard run during the fourth quarter of the Eagles’ crushing 41-7 success at Lincoln Financial Field. Barkley is 100 yards short of Eric Dickerson’s record of 2,105 yards, set in 1984 for the Los Angeles Rams, ahead of next week’s regular season finale against the New York Giants. However, he could be rested for that game in order to protect him from injury ahead of the play-offs. The Minnesota Vikings scored their ninth consecutive win after hanging on to beat the Green Bay Packers 27-25. Sam Darnold threw touchdowns to Cam Akers, Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailer, pushing his total for the season to 35. The victory set up a final-week showdown with the Detroit Lions for both the division title and top seed in the NFC. The Miami Dolphins kept themselves in the play-off race with a 20-3 victory over the Cleveland Browns. With Dolphins’ quarterback Tua Tagovailoa out with a hip injury, replacement Tyler Huntly threw for 225 yards and a touchdown. Miami will need to beat the New York Jets and hope the Denver Broncos lose to the Kansas City Chiefs to clinch the final AFC wildcard berth. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept alive their dreams of reaching the play-offs by overcoming the Carolina Panthers 48-14. Veteran quarterback Baker Mayfield produced a dominant performance at Raymond James Stadium, registering five passing touchdowns to equal a Buccaneers franchise record. The Buffalo Bills clinched the AFC conference number two seed for the post season with a 40-14 success over the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium. Josh Allen passed for 182 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for another. Buffalo finish the 2024 regular season undefeated at home, with eight wins from as many games. The Indianapolis Colts’ hopes of reaching the play-offs were ended by a 45-33 defeat to the Giants. Malik Nabers exploded for 171 yards and two touchdowns and Ihmir Smith-Marsette broke a 100-yard kick-off return to give the Giants their highest-scoring output under head coach Brian Daboll. Quarterback Drew Lock threw four touchdown passes and accounted for a fifth on the ground to seal the win. Elsewhere, Mac Jones threw two touchdowns to help the Jacksonville Jaguars defeat the Tennessee Titans 20-13, while the Las Vegas Raiders beat the New Orleans Saints 25-10.Florida State continues torrid star with rout of UMassPope Francis kicks off a yearlong Jubilee that will test his stamina and Rome's patience VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has opened the great Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica. The ceremony kicks off the 2025 Holy Year. It's a celebration of the Catholic Church that is expected to draw some 32 million pilgrims to Rome. And it will test the pope’s stamina and the ability of the Eternal City to welcome them. This begins the Christmas Eve Mass. The ceremony inaugurates the once-every-25-year tradition of a Jubilee. Francis has dedicated the 2025 Jubilee to the theme of hope. Bethlehem marks a second subdued Christmas Eve during the war in Gaza BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — Bethlehem is marking another somber Christmas Eve under the shadow of war in Gaza. Manger Square lacked its usual festive lights and crowds of tourists on Tuesday. Instead, the area outside the Nativity Church was quiet. The church was built atop the spot where Jesus is believed to have been born. The war, the violence in the occupied West Bank it has spurred and the lack of festivities has deeply hurt Bethlehem's economy. The town relies heavily on Christmas tourism. The economy in the West Bank was already reeling because of restrictions placed on laborers preventing them from entering Israel during the war. Heavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flights WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide due to a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne Tuesday about one hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop, which prevented planes from taking off. American said in an email that the problem was caused by an issue with a vendor technology that maintains its flight operating system. Aviation analytics company Cirium said flights were delayed across American’s major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time. Nineteen flights were cancelled. Middle East latest: Israel expels patients from a hospital in Gaza TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Palestinian Health Ministry says Israeli soldiers raided a hospital in isolated northern Gaza after forcing all the patients and most of the doctors to leave. The Israeli military confirmed its troops had entered the Indonesian Hospital in the town of Jabaliya on Tuesday, as part of an operation searching for Hamas fighters. Winter is hitting the Gaza Strip and many of the nearly 2 million Palestinians displaced by the devastating 15-month war are struggling to protect themselves from the wind, cold and rain. In the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian city of Bethlehem was marking a somber Christmas Eve under the shadow of war in Gaza, with most festivities cancelled and crowds of tourists absent. Caitlin Clark honored as AP Female Athlete of the Year following her impact on women's sports Caitlin Clark has been named the AP Female Athlete of the Year after raising the profile of women’s basketball to unprecedented levels in both college and the WNBA. She led Iowa to the national championship game, was the top pick in the WNBA draft and captured rookie of the year honors in the league. Fans packed sold-out arenas and millions of television viewers followed her journey on and off the court. Clark's exploits also put other women's sports leagues in the spotlight. A group of 74 sports journalists from AP and its members voted on the award. Other athletes who received votes included Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and boxer Imane Khelif. Clark’s only the fourth women’s basketball player to win the award since it was first given in 1931. Major storm pounds California's central coast, blamed for man's death and partially collapsing pier SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — A major storm has pounded California’s central coast bringing flooding and high surf that was blamed for fatally trapping a man beneath debris on a beach and later partially collapsing a pier, tossing three people into the Pacific Ocean. The storm was expected to bring hurricane-force winds and waves up to 60 feet Monday as it gained strength from California to the Pacific Northwest. Some California cities have ordered beachfront homes and hotels to evacuate early Monday afternoon. Forecasters have warned that storm swells would continue to increase throughout the day. Medellin Cartel victims demand truth and justice as cartel boss Fabio Ochoa walks free in Colombia BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) — The return of the notorious drug trafficker Fabio Ochoa to Colombia, following his deportation from the United States, has reopened old wounds among the victims of the Medellin cartel, with some expressing their dismay at the decision of Colombian authorities to let the former mafia boss walk free.Some of the cartel victims said on Tuesday that they are hoping the former drug lord will at least cooperate with ongoing efforts by human rights groups to investigate one of the most violent periods of Colombia’s history, and demanded that Colombian prosecutors also take Ochoa in for questioning. Man arraigned on murder charges in NYC subway death fanned flames with a shirt, prosecutors say NEW YORK (AP) — Prosecutors say a man accused of burning a woman to death inside a New York City subway train used a shirt to fan the flames, causing her to become engulfed. The suspect, identified by police as Sebastian Zapeta, was arraigned in Brooklyn criminal court on Tuesday. He faces murder charges that could put him in prison for life. Federal immigration officials say 33-year-old Zapeta is a Guatemalan citizen who entered the U.S. illegally after being deported in 2018. The apparently random attack occurred Sunday morning on a stationary F train at the Coney Island station in Brooklyn. Amsterdam court sentences 5 men over violence linked to Ajax-Maccabi soccer game THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — An Amsterdam District Court has issued sentences of up to six months in jail against 5 men who were involved in violent disorder after a soccer match between the Dutch club Ajax and Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv in November. The riots caused an international outcry and accusations of deliberate anti-Semitic attacks. The violence following a UEFA Europa League match left 5 people in hospital. More than 60 suspects were detained. The court on Tuesday sentenced one man to 6 months in prison, another to 2 1/2 months, two to 1 month and one to 100 hours of community service.
U.S. stock indexes edged higher in morning trading Tuesday, as gains for some Big Tech stocks made up for weakness elsewhere in the market. The S&P 500 rose 0.4%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 14 points, or 0.1%, as of 9:58 a.m. Eastern time. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite was up 0.7%. Gains in technology, financial and other sectors tempered a pullback by health care, energy and other stocks. Chip company Broadcom rose 1.3%, while semiconductor giant Nvidia, whose enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes, rose 1.2%. American Airlines fell 1.2% after the airline briefly grounded flights nationwide due to a technical issue. U.S. Steel slipped 0.5% a day after an influential government panel failed to reach consensus on the possible national security risks of the nearly $15 billion proposed sale to Nippon Steel of Japan. Treasury yields rose in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.62% from 4.59% late Monday. European markets were mostly higher. Markets in Asia mostly gained ground. U.S. markets will close at 1 p.m. Eastern and stay closed Wednesday for Christmas. Wall Street has several economic reports to look forward to this week, including a weekly update on unemployment benefits on Thursday.
Patrick Mahomes and Chiefs win at the buzzer again, topping Panthers 30-27 on Shrader's field goal
2000 bodies exhumed at Aussie sports field