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646jili com WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's administration is urging Ukraine to quickly increase the size of its military by drafting more troops and revamping its mobilization laws to allow for the conscription of those as young as 18. A senior Biden administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private consultations, said Wednesday that the outgoing Democratic administration wants Ukraine to lower the mobilization age to 18 from the current age of 25 to expand the pool of fighting-age men available to help a badly outnumbered Ukraine in its nearly three-year-old war with Russia. The official said “the pure math” of Ukraine's situation now is that it needs more troops in the fight. Currently Ukraine is not mobilizing or training enough soldiers to replace its battlefield losses while keeping pace with Russia's growing military, the official added. The White House has pushed more than $56 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia's February 2022 invasion and expects to send billions more to Kyiv before Biden leaves office in less than months. But with time running out, the Biden White House is also sharpening its viewpoint that Ukraine has the weaponry it needs and now must dramatically increase its troop levels if it's going to stay in the fight with Russia. White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett in a statement said the administration will continue sending Ukraine weaponry but believes “manpower is the most vital need" Ukraine has at the moment. “So, we’re also ready to ramp up our training capacity if they take appropriate steps to fill out their ranks,” Savett said. The Ukrainians have said they need about 160,000 additional troops to keep up with its battlefield needs, but the U.S. administration believes they probably will need more than that. More than 1 million Ukrainians are now in uniform, including the National Guard and other units. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been hearing concerns from allies in other Western capitals as well that Ukraine has a troop level problem and not an arms problem, according to European officials who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive diplomatic conversations. The European allies have stressed that the lack of depth means that it may soon become untenable for Ukraine to continue to operate in Russia’s Kursk border region . The situation in Kursk has become further complicated by the arrival of thousands of North Korean troops , who have come to help Moscow try to claw back the land seized in a Ukrainian incursion this year. The stepped-up push on Ukraine to strengthen its fighting ranks comes as Ukraine braces for President-elect Donald Trump to take office on Jan. 20. The Republican said he would bring about a swift end to the war and has raised uncertainty about whether his administration would continue the vital U.S. military support for Ukraine. “There are no easy answers to Ukraine’s serious manpower shortage, but lowering the draft age would help,” said Bradley Bowman, senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. "These are obviously difficult decisions for a government and society that has already endured so much due to Russia’s invasion.” Ukraine has taken steps to broaden the pool of draft-eligible men, but the efforts have only scratched the surface against a much larger Russian military. In April, Ukraine’s parliament passed a series of laws, including one lowering its draft-eligible age for men from 27 to 25, aimed at broadening the universe of men who could be called on to join the grinding war. Those laws also did away with some draft exemptions and created an online registry for recruits. They were expected to add about 50,000 troops, far short of what Zelenskyy said at the time was needed. Zelenskyy has consistently stated that he has no plans to lower the mobilization age. A senior Ukrainian official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Ukraine does not have enough equipment to match the scale of its ongoing mobilization efforts. The official said Ukrainian officials see the push to the lower the draft age as part of an effort by some Western partners to deflect attention from their own delays in providing equipment or belated decisions. The official cited as an example the delay in giving Ukraine permission to use longer-range weapons to strike deeper into Russian territory. The Ukrainians do not see lowering the draft age to recruit more soldiers as a substitute for countering Russia’s advantage in equipment and weaponry, the official said. Conscription has been a sensitive matter in Ukraine throughout the war. Russia’s own problems with adequate troop levels and planning early in the war prevented Moscow from taking full advantage of its edge. But the tide has shifted and the U.S. says the Ukrainian shortage can no longer be overlooked. Some Ukrainians have expressed worry that further lowering the minimum conscription age and taking more young adults out of the workforce could backfire by further harming the war-ravaged economy. The senior Biden administration official added that the administration believes that Ukraine can also optimize its current force by more aggressively dealing with soldiers who desert or go absent without leave. AP White House correspondent Zeke Miller and AP writer Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv contributed to this report.None

'We want to kick on': Declan Gallagher praises team effort in 'excellent' Celtic drawBIG 12 THIS WEEK

Independent TDs could be the kingmakers of the next Dáil as many put their hands up for inclusion in government talks. One newly-minted independent TD told the Irish Mirror on Monday that he was not elected just to “sit on the pot”. As the final counts concluded across several constituencies, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said it was time to “get on with the work”. However, his deputy leader Jack Chambers cast doubt upon a new government being in place before Christmas. Fianna Fáil will be the largest party in the Dáil having won 48 seats after the election of Niamh Smyth and Brendan Smith in Cavan-Monaghan. Sinn Féin will have 39 seats in the next Dáil, while Fine Gael will have 38. The Green Party has just one seat, while the Social Democrats and Labour both have 11. People Before Profit will have 3 TDs, while Aontú will have two. There will be 17 independent and other TDs and four members of Independent Ireland. READ MORE: General Election 2024: What are the options for a new government? READ MORE: Election 2024: Mary Lou McDonald contacts Labour and Social Democrat leaders to discuss government formation Attention has already turned to the formation of the next government. It now appears increasingly likely that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will have nearly enough seats between them to make up the 88-seat majority required in the Dáil. However, questions remain about whether independents or a smaller party will join them to form a government. Several independents told the Irish Mirror on Monday that they would be willing to talk to Mr Martin and Taoiseach Simon Harris with a view to forming a government. Some said they would also talk to Sinn Féin, but admitted that Mary Lou McDonald’s party will not have the numbers. Sean Canney, an independent TD in Galway East, said he would be willing to support the government, noting he had done so before, during the Fine Gael-Independent regime from 2016 to 2020. He said: “I have no problem going into government if the programme for government is palatable and we can work out an agreement. We’ll have to wait until we are asked to come into talks. There are a few right-minded independents who actually could form a group that would actually help form a government.” Mr Canney said this could include people like Michael Lowry, Noel Grealish, Michael and Danny Healy-Rae, Verona Murphy and Marian Harkin. Asked if he would go into government with Sinn Féin, Mr Canney said that the party might have to “pull together people I wouldn’t support” in order to form a government. Ms Harkin, who was re-elected to Sligo-Leitrim on Sunday evening after looking like she was going to lose her seat, told the Irish Mirror that she was “interested in being able to influence the next government, whoever that might be”. Michael Healy-Rae, meanwhile, said he would go into government if it would benefit Kerry. “Our job is to represent people, and if we can do that better some way than another way, isn’t that the thing to do?” he said. “We’ll answer the call if we’re wanted. The redline would be issues that affect us in Kerry." He said this included housing, dental care, health care and infrastructural projects like a bypass in Killarney. Barry Heneghan, a new independent for Dublin Bay North, said he would be willing to enter government, and he made this clear to voters when he canvassed. “I want the best for the people. If I can make a deal which gets us another Gaelscoil or something for people with disabilities or a school for children with autism or something really good for Dublin Bay North, I don’t think people would be too upset with me doing it,” he said. “If it is not me, it is going to be somebody else.” Asked if he would support Sinn Féin, Mr Heneghan said that people who elected him “didn’t want me to sit on the pot on the backbenches for five years”. Smaller parties, such as Labour and the Social Democrats, were playing coy when questioned about the prospect of going into Government, stating they want to speak to parties of the left first. However, Michael Collins, leader of Independent Ireland, told the Irish Mirror that his party would be willing to replace the Greens in a three-party government. He said: “Independent Ireland will be sitting down with whoever wants to talk or whoever can crack up the figures. We have our policies there. [Other parties] will know whether they can marry with us or not.” Elsewhere, the Tánaiste said it is time to “get on with the work” following Fianna Fáil’s success. “We’ll let the dust settle and savour the moment. We’ll then be in a position over the next couple of days to assess the landscape, devise our strategies,” he said. Later, in a speech after counting in his Cork constituency had finished, Mr Martin said: “The people have spoken, let us now get on with the work.” While the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party will meet in Leinster House on Wednesday, deputy leader Jack Chambers said no government will be formed before Christmas. Fine Gael will also meet on Wednesday. Sinn Féin is also expected to gather in Leinster House on Wednesday. Its party leader Mary Lou McDonald has contacted the leadership of the Social Democrats and Labour to speak about government formation. Follow updates, breaking news and top stories as they happen below. Join our Election 2024 WhatsApp group here to get live election results and updates. You can leave the group at any time if you don't like it.You knew it was coming, didn’t you? Baseball’s reigning Evil Empire took the initiative this week, signing another high-profile starting pitcher and giving its fans something additional to be grateful for during Thanksgiving week (besides, of course, those shots of the Commissioner’s Trophy being shown off here, there and everywhere throughout Southern California). And after the bombshell announcement Tuesday night, that the Dodgers had signed Blake Snell , the howls could be heard throughout the land. The Dodgers are making a mockery of the sport. The rest of baseball can’t compete. They’re signing everybody! And how are the Cincinnatis and Pittsburghs and Colorados of the sport able to compete with an organization that not only brings in boatloads of money – and has created a second source of runaway revenue through its ties to Japan – but isn’t interested in hoarding it? Shouldn’t the next step be a salary cap to restrain this franchise’s runaway spending? Oh, stop it. Competitive balance is not an issue in baseball, period. Four different teams have won the last four World Series, and nine different fan bases have celebrated championships in the last 12 years. There hasn’t been a repeat champion in ... checks notes ... a quarter of a century. (That would be the New York Yankees, the first Evil Empire, in 1999-2000.) Meanwhile, Kansas City, Detroit and Baltimore have all risen from rebuilding to contention in the last couple of seasons. Milwaukee and Cleveland, both smaller markets, were legitimate threats as this past postseason began. And the Padres, long squeezed between Mexico to their south, the Imperial Valley to their east, the Pacific to their west and L.A. to their north, just might have been the second-best team in baseball in 2024 and, may we remind you, had the Dodgers by the neck going into Game 4 of their National League Division Series . Nor are they going away, even with some payroll retrenching in the wake of controlling owner Peter Seidler’s death. (But, nope, still no parade.) Most of the caterwauling, of course, comes from those whose favorite teams were either outbid or declined to spend. Trust me, no ownership in Major League Baseball can claim poverty, even with the cable TV issues that have scrambled some teams’ finances. Yes, big-market teams start with a financial advantage. Yes, Diamond Sports’ bankruptcy and the cord-cutting revolution have factored in. And yes, the Dodgers and Yankees have insulated themselves to a degree by owning their own cable networks. So, maybe, give them some credit for intelligence and foresight? Front Office Sports reported that deferrals on Snell’s reported five-year, $182 million deal, said to be $60 million, would push the Dodgers closer to the $1 billion mark in deferred money owed to five players. Shohei Ohtani’s whopping $680 million deferred on a $700 million contract signed last winter enabled the Dodgers to add additional pieces. Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts also have chunks of deferred money in their contracts – as does, interestingly, Teoscar Hernández on his one-year 2024 deal with the Dodgers. That would make that contract even more of a bargain than we thought. And this is an undisputable fact: Salary caps and other payroll-limiting mechanisms put no limits on front office creativity and ingenuity. It’s been pretty well established that in Guggenheim Baseball’s 13-year ownership of the Dodgers, especially after Mark Walter’s organization corrected the problems of the Frank McCourt era and particularly after Friedman arrived from Tampa Bay in 2015, the Dodgers have a smart, savvy organization whose advantages go way beyond their cash on hand. (And yes, as I noted on social media Tuesday night, we do tease them about sometimes trying too hard to be the smartest guys in the room. But most of the time they are, anyway.) Assuming everyone stays healthy – and as we saw throughout baseball in 2024, that’s a tall ask – what will the Dodgers’ rotation look like in 2025? They’ll have left-hander Snell, a two-time Cy Young Award winner who was one of the victims of a soft free agent market last spring and didn’t sign with the San Francisco Giants until March 19. He got off to a dreadful start as a result but was lights out from the start of July. In 14 starts he was 5-0 (and his team 12-2 in those starts), with a 1.23 ERA, an opponents’ batting average of .123, an 0.78 WHIP, five double-digit strikeout games and a 3.8-1 strikeout to walk ratio, and a complete-game no-hitter, an achievement for someone denigrated as a five-and-dive pitcher. Maybe those final three months spurred him to sign early this time. It’s almost certain the Dodgers will use a six-man rotation from the start of the season, and right now they have seven possibilities and who knows what they do from here. They’ll have Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Shohei Ohtani as a pitcher. Tyler Glasnow, Snell’s former teammate in Tampa Bay, will be back, as will Tony Gonsolin in his return from Tommy John surgery. Dustin May, essentially inactive since May of 2023, will return, and Clayton Kershaw is expected to re-sign and has indicated he plans to retire a Dodger. Is there room for free agent Jack Flaherty, last season’s major trade deadline acquisition? Or fellow free agent Walker Buehler, who closed out Game 5 of the World Series against the Yankees, following a sometimes spotty comeback from injury? And the wild card might be Roki Sasaki, who will be posted by his Japanese team this winter. The Dodgers had long been considered the favorites to land him, and even Snell’s signing might not change that. Then again, the way the 2024 Dodgers went through pitchers because of injuries – 40 for the season, including 12 starting pitchers – shouldn’t they be tempted to grab every reasonably healthy arm they can and sort it out as they go along? But this is, and should be, the bottom line: Every fan in every sport wants the people running their favorite team to care as much about winning as they do. In a lot of cities, with a lot of teams, that’s really hard to envision. In Dodger Stadium, it’s not hard at all. And if they’re going to be the new Evil Empire, why not just lean into it and have Dieter Ruehle play “The Imperial March” (i.e., Darth Vader’s Theme) before every game? jalexander@scng.com

Swifties hearts ‘ache’ as Taylor Swift breaks down in tears during Eras Tour show in Toronto: ‘We gotta protect her...’

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. ( NASDAQ:IBKR – Free Report ) in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund acquired 1,645 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $229,000. A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Interactive Brokers Group by 3.7% in the third quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,746 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $383,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Boston Financial Mangement LLC increased its holdings in shares of Interactive Brokers Group by 5.4% in the 3rd quarter. Boston Financial Mangement LLC now owns 1,955 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $272,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. boosted its stake in Interactive Brokers Group by 5.6% during the 3rd quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. now owns 2,007 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $280,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the period. Tortoise Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Interactive Brokers Group by 76.6% during the 2nd quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 256 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares during the period. Finally, Signaturefd LLC grew its position in Interactive Brokers Group by 9.5% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,359 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $189,000 after purchasing an additional 118 shares during the last quarter. 23.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $163.00 price target on shares of Interactive Brokers Group in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. UBS Group lifted their target price on Interactive Brokers Group from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Interactive Brokers Group from $152.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 4th. Finally, Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Interactive Brokers Group from $166.00 to $165.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $143.00. Interactive Brokers Group Stock Down 0.0 % Shares of Interactive Brokers Group stock opened at $191.62 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $154.06 and a 200-day simple moving average of $133.41. Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $72.60 and a fifty-two week high of $193.21. The firm has a market cap of $80.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.79. Interactive Brokers Group ( NASDAQ:IBKR – Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 15th. The financial services provider reported $1.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.78 by ($0.03). Interactive Brokers Group had a net margin of 7.89% and a return on equity of 4.83%. The business had revenue of $2.45 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.32 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.55 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. will post 6.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Interactive Brokers Group Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 13th. Investors of record on Friday, November 29th will be issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.52%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 29th. Interactive Brokers Group’s payout ratio is 15.27%. About Interactive Brokers Group ( Free Report ) Interactive Brokers Group, Inc operates as an automated electronic broker worldwide. The company engages in the execution, clearance, and settlement of trades in stocks, options, futures, foreign exchange instruments, bonds, mutual funds, exchange traded funds (ETFs), precious metals, and cryptocurrencies. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IBKR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. ( NASDAQ:IBKR – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Interactive Brokers Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Interactive Brokers Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Man Utd told big summer sale was a ‘bad call’, as star was a player ‘you don’t want to lose’

Provident Bancorp, Inc. Adopts Stock Repurchase ProgramThrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its holdings in US Foods Holding Corp. ( NYSE:USFD – Free Report ) by 2.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 99,066 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 2,800 shares during the quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in US Foods were worth $6,092,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in USFD. Quent Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of US Foods by 87.6% during the third quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 469 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of US Foods in the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of US Foods during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Huntington National Bank lifted its stake in shares of US Foods by 332.5% in the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 532 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 409 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new stake in US Foods in the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Institutional investors own 98.76% of the company’s stock. US Foods Stock Performance Shares of USFD stock opened at $69.43 on Friday. US Foods Holding Corp. has a 12 month low of $42.80 and a 12 month high of $69.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.17 billion, a PE ratio of 29.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.66. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $62.91 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $57.30. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. Insider Activity at US Foods Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of US Foods from $66.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of US Foods from $71.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 8th. StockNews.com raised US Foods from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. Truist Financial upped their target price on US Foods from $66.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on US Foods from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $71.09. Read Our Latest Research Report on US Foods US Foods Company Profile ( Free Report ) US Foods Holding Corp., together with its subsidiaries, engages in marketing, sale, and distribution of fresh, frozen, and dry food and non-food products to foodservice customers in the United States. The company's customers include independently owned single and multi-unit restaurants, regional concepts, national restaurant chains, hospitals, nursing homes, hotels and motels, country clubs, government and military organizations, colleges and universities, and retail locations. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding USFD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for US Foods Holding Corp. ( NYSE:USFD – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for US Foods Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for US Foods and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .A water main break on the Upper West Side sent a massive torrent of water cascading into a New York City subway station Wednesday — causing two lines to come to a halt as the deluge flooded from the platform and cascaded onto the track. The C and B lines were suspended as of 7 p.m. as frustrated commuters faced massive delays finding their way home a day before Thanksgiving. The water main break struck around 1:45 p.m. and also affected surface streets on the Upper West Side. Drivers were forced to navigate around pools of water on the street near Central Park as FDNY and NYPD personnel directed traffic. A rush of raging water gushed into the 103rd Street and Central Park West station, according to social media footage. Several feet of water could be seen on the tracks. On top of the two line suspensions, straphangers are also dealing with partial suspensions on the A, E and D lines with delays for the 1, 3, F, M, and Q trains Wednesday evening, according to the MTA’s service status. Mayor Eric Adams said water was shut off around 3 p.m. as officials tried to fix the problem. “Now our partners at the MTA are already restoring service on the A,B,C and D lines,” Adams said Wednesday evening during an unrelated press conference. “For the eight impacted buildings, we have water on the go, on sight for residents to make sure they have water.” The soggy traveling snag lefts riders exasperated “When I first got here, there were cops and everything blocking the traffic,” commuter Alex Febles told CBS 2. “I’m going to go home but obviously I can’t do that now.” Another traveler just wanted to get back home to New Jersey. “I tried to go down there, but they have it all yellow taped up,” Faranah McKoy, told the station. “I would love to head home, because I am tired and I’m heading to Jersey. So my commute just started.” An email to the MTA was not immediately returned Wednesday evening.

Wilson falls to Harrisburg in District 3 Class 6A football final