Tomas Hertl has waited for this since the Golden Knights’ schedule came out. “One of the days I looked for before the season was (when) we’d play in the ‘Shark Tank,’” Hertl said. That day is Friday. That’s when Hertl will return to San Jose’s SAP Center for the first time since the Sharks traded him to the Knights in March. The rivalry between the two Pacific Division foes has dipped the past few years. The Knights (23-8-3) have consistently been one of the NHL’s best teams. The Sharks (11-20-6) haven’t made the playoffs since 2019. San Jose, given its lack of recent success, decided it made sense to trade Hertl. He had an incredible tenure with the team, scoring 218 goals and 484 points in 712 games after being selected with the 17th pick in the 2012 draft. The surprising part is San Jose was willing to trade Hertl within the division. The Knights gave up their 2025 first-round pick and center prospect David Edstrom in the deal, but also got the Sharks to retain 17 percent of Hertl’s $8.14 million cap hit. The 31-year-old has no idea what to expect Friday. “The feeling will get me when I get there, even at the morning skate and stuff like that,” Hertl told the Review-Journal. “I’m pretty excited to come back, but at the same time, it’s going to be a little weird. I was there for 11 years. I was never in the visiting room. Now, I’m coming to the rink like an outsider.” Solid tenure The Sharks were consistent contenders most of Hertl’s time with the team, but never got over the hump. He helped San Jose reach the 2016 Stanley Cup Final, which it lost in six games to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Hertl’s last trip to the playoffs with the Sharks was a memorable one. He scored a short-handed goal in double overtime of Game 6 of San Jose’s first-round series with the Knights in 2019. That extended the series to Game 7, which the Sharks won in overtime after center Cody Eakin was called for a controversial major penalty in the third period. San Jose went on to advance to the Western Conference Final but lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues in six games. Hertl finished with 15 points in 19 games during that postseason run. Things have been tough for the Sharks ever since. Their .396 points percentage is the worst in the NHL since the start of the 2019-20 season. San Jose finished with the league’s worst record last year, which led to it landing Boston University center Macklin Celebrini with the first pick in June’s draft at Sphere . Celebrini, 18, is third among rookies in scoring with 25 points in 25 games. Hertl still has plenty of friends on the Sharks. He tries to keep up with them when he can. “I don’t want them to do better than us, but I still keep an eye on them,” Hertl said. “When you play somewhere for 11 years, no one can really take that away from you.” New team Hertl, by his own standards, has had an inconsistent first full season with his current team. He has 24 points in 34 games, but leads the Knights with seven power-play goals. He’s coming off a two-point game Monday in his team’s 3-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks . “He’s around the puck,” Cassidy said. “I think he’s fitting in better in terms of the style we want to play. It takes a while, especially for centermen.” One of the challenges Hertl has faced during his time with the Knights is a lack of consistent linemates. Coach Bruce Cassidy has found at least one good winger for Hertl in Keegan Kolesar. Cassidy then tried out William Karlsson on Hertl’s left wing Monday and the decision paid off right away. The Knights had a 17-4 edge in shot attempts with Karlsson, Hertl and Kolesar on the ice. “I like playing with him. He’s got the vision and he’s pretty shifty,” Karlsson said. “We’ve just got to be a little bit more effective. We had the chances, but didn’t bury too many. The chances have been there and it’s been good.” Cassidy could shuffle the lines again when left wing Ivan Barbashev and center Nicolas Roy return from their upper-body injuries. It’s unclear if either will be available Friday. For now, Hertl appears to have found a solid group to work with. Just before what should be one of his most emotional games of the year. “I know they’re playing better, and it definitely won’t be an easy game, but I definitely want to have a good game there and enjoy, hopefully, a good reception from the fans,” Hertl said.
How to Clean Your Smart Bulb: Maintenance, Troubleshooting Tips You Need to DoAnge Postecoglou searching for answers over Tottenham’s injury crisisShark Tank star unleashes on AOC in brutal on-air take-down MSNBC host tears into Pelosi for tanking AOC's hopes of rising in Dem ranks By NOA HALFF FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 13:29 EST, 26 December 2024 | Updated: 13:33 EST, 26 December 2024 e-mail 11 View comments Shark Tank star Kevin O'Leary slammed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, branding the New York congresswoman 'one of the worst managers' he's ever seen and claiming he would 'fire her' if he lived in her district. The business mogul unleashed on AOC during an appearance on Fox News ' 'The Story' on Monday, calling out her track record in Congress - and accusing her of spending all her time posting on social media. 'I admire AOC for her marketing prowess,' O'Leary said. 'But she's one of the worst managers I've ever seen.' 'If I lived in her jurisdiction, which to me is one of the worst managed in the country, I would fire her and hire somebody way better,' he added. The wealthy investor criticized Ocasio-Cortez's rejection of Amazon's second headquarters in New York. 'She destroyed the opportunities of 10,000 people when she rejected the Amazon facility there a long time ago - I've never forgiven her for that,' he said. 'But I admire her ability to just get in front of her phone, post on social media, raise $10-15 dollars at a time by saying outrageous things over and over again.' He challenged viewers who live in her jurisdiction to 'ask what she's done for you lately except post this stuff for social media.' Shark Tank star Kevin O'Leary slammed Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, branding her 'one of the worst managers' he's ever seen and claiming he would 'fire her' if he lived in her district Read More Nancy Pelosi's knives are out for AOC as she secretly works to destroy her plan to rise in ranks O'Leary's comments came in response to AOC's recent criticism of Elon Musk's political influence and her claims that America has become an 'oligarchy.' 'I don't think we're witnessing the start of an oligarchy. I think we are fully here,' she said last week. O'Leary defended the Tesla CEO, praising his 'incredible track record.' '(Elon Musk) is a guy who has incredible track record and amazing executional skills. He's simply saying one thing, he's gonna find a lot of waste in government. 'You can endorse them or reject them as you wish ... but he's going to post it on his global network and put a lot of pressure on lawmakers on both sides of the aisles to go get it done. I like this, this is interesting.' This comes as Ocasio-Cortez joined the picket line alongside thousands of Amazon workers who decided to strike just days before Christmas. Workers from seven Amazon facilities across the US walked off the job last Thursday in a bid to pressure the company to come to a labor agreement during one of the busiest shopping periods of the year. Fox News Privacy Policy The business mogul unleashed on the congresswoman, calling out her track record in congress - and accusing her of spending all her time posting on social media Members of Teamsters local unions joined the picket line after Amazon ignored a December 15 deadline that the union set for contract negotiations. On Sunday, AOC decided to show her support for workers as she marched around with signs and made a speech at the Teamsters strike in Queens. 'Tis' the season! And if you all can deliver packages, you should be able to afford packages for your family, to afford the things that you need for your babies, for your families, for your neighborhood,' the progressive Democrat said, bundled up in a Teamsters hat and jacket. 'And so we're here to support you all in making sure that we do that,' she said, adding that 'New York has got your back.' Elon Musk Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Fox News Share or comment on this article: Shark Tank star unleashes on AOC in brutal on-air take-down e-mail Add comment
ATLANTA (AP) — Already reeling from their November defeats, Democrats now are grappling with President Joe Biden’s pardoning of his son for federal crimes, with some calling the move misguided and unwise after the party spent years slamming Donald Trump as a threat to democracy who disregarded the law. The president pardoned Hunter Biden late Sunday evening, reversing his previous pledges with a grant of clemency that covers more than a decade of any federal crimes his son might have committed. The 82-year-old president said in a statement that his son’s prosecution on charges of tax evasion and falsifying a federal weapons purchase form were politically motivated. “He believes in the justice system, but he also believes that politics infected the process and led to a miscarriage of justice,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who along with Biden and other White House officials insisted for months that Hunter Biden would not get a pardon. That explanation did not satisfy some Democrats, angry that Biden’s reversal could make it harder to take on Trump , who has argued that multiple indictments and one conviction against him were a matter of Biden and Democrats turning the justice system against him. “This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis wrote of Biden on the social media platform X. “When you become President, your role is Pater familias of the nation,” the governor continued, a reference to the president invoking fatherhood in explaining his decision. “Hunter brought the legal trouble he faced on himself, and one can sympathize with his struggles while also acknowledging that no one is above the law, not a President and not a President’s son.” Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., said on X: “This wasn’t a politically motivated prosecution. Hunter committed felonies and was convicted by a jury of his peers.” Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet said Biden “put personal interest ahead of duty” with a decision that “further erodes Americans’ faith that the justice system is fair and equal for all.” Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., called the pardon “understandable” if viewed only as the “action of a loving father.” But Biden's status as “our nation's Chief Executive," the senator said, rendered the move “unwise.” Certainly, the president has Democratic defenders who note Trump’s use of presidential power to pardon a slew of his convicted aides, associates and friends, several for activities tied to Trump’s campaign and first administration. “Trump pardoned Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort, as well as his son-in-law’s father, Charles Kushner — who he just appointed US ambassador to France,” wrote prominent Democratic fundraiser Jon Cooper on X. Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison said there “is no standard for Donald Trump, and the highest standard for Democrats and Joe Biden.” Harrison pointed to Trump's apparent plans to oust FBI Director Christopher Wray and replace him with loyalist Kash Patel and suggested the GOP's pursuit of Hunter Biden would not have ended without clemency. “Most people will see that Joe Biden did what was right,” Harrison said. First lady Jill Biden said Monday from the White House: “Of course I support the pardon of my son.” Democrats already are facing the prospects of a Republican trifecta in Washington, with voters returning Trump to the White House and giving the GOP control of the House and Senate. Part of their argument against Trump and Republican leaders is expected to be that the president-elect is violating norms with his talk of taking retribution against his enemies. Before beating Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump faced his own legal troubles, including two cases that stemmed from his efforts to overturn his defeat to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. Those cases, including Trump’s sentencing after being convicted on New York state business fraud charges, have either been dismissed or indefinitely delayed since Trump’s victory on Nov. 5, forcing Democrats to recalibrate their approach to the president-elect. In June, President Biden firmly ruled out a pardon or commutation for his son, telling reporters as his son faced trial in the Delaware gun case, “I abide by the jury decision. I will do that and I will not pardon him.” As recently as Nov. 8, days after Trump’s victory, Jean-Pierre ruled out a pardon or clemency for the younger Biden, saying, “We’ve been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is no.” The president’s about-face came weeks before Hunter Biden was set to receive his punishment after his trial conviction in the gun case and guilty plea on tax charges. It capped a long-running legal saga for the younger Biden, who disclosed he was under federal investigation in December 2020 — a month after his father’s 2020 victory. The sweeping pardon covers not just the gun and tax offenses against the younger Biden, but also any other “offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014, through December 1, 2024.” Hunter Biden was convicted in June in Delaware federal court of three felonies for purchasing a gun in 2018 when , prosecutors said, he lied on a federal form by claiming he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. He had been set to stand trial in September in a California case accusing him of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes. But he agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor and felony charges in a surprise move hours after jury selection was set to begin. In his statement Sunday, the president argued that such offenses typically are not prosecuted with the same vigor as was directed against Hunter Biden. “The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election,” Biden said in his statement. “No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son. ... I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision.” Associated Press journalists Will Weissert aboard Air Force One and Darlene Superville, Mary Claire Jalonick and Michael Tackett in Washington contributed to this report.The Prime Minister said his younger brother, who had learning difficulties because of complications at birth, had met “all the challenges life threw at him with courage and good humour”. He died peacefully on Boxing Day, according to the Prime Minister’s spokesman. The Prime Minister had been due to go on holiday with his family on Friday, but it is understood that he will now remain at home, and hopes to join them later. Sir Keir said in a statement: “My brother Nick was a wonderful man. “He met all the challenges life threw at him with courage and good humour. We will miss him very much. “I would like to thank all those who treated and took care of Nick. Their skill and compassion is very much appreciated.” Sir Keir spoke candidly about his brother in a recent biography written by journalist and former Labour Party adviser Tom Baldwin. While growing up in Surrey, the brothers shared a bunk bed in a room with an airing cupboard, and “just enough space for a couple of small desks where we’d do our homework”. The biography recorded how each child of the Starmer family was given a dog for their 10th birthday, and Nick and his twin sister Katy received Jack Russell terriers called Greg and Ben. The book also described how their mother, Jo, had taught Nick to read, but Sir Keir remembered how the school described his brother as “remedial”. Sir Keir, the middle child of four siblings, said: “They had no expectation of him or anything and I’m not sure he even sat exams, so he had nothing to show for coming out of education. “We were a family of six, so it didn’t feel lonely and I shared a room with him, but Nick didn’t have many friends and got called ‘thick’ or ‘stupid’ by other kids.” He added: “Even now I try to avoid using words like that to describe anyone.” Nick worked on scrap cars and scaffolding, earning enough money to rent a home near where he had grown up, according to the book. It said Sir Keir was best man at Nick’s wedding, and the now Prime Minister recalled borrowing a car so his brother was not “driving his bride from the church in his beaten-up minivan, which had all his clothes in the back”. The marriage ended and Nick lived for some time in Yorkshire. In 2022, Sir Keir stepped away from local election campaigning to make several hospital visits to see his brother, who was seriously ill at the time. The Prime Minister also spoke about Nick in his speech at this year’s Labour Party conference in Liverpool. As he described his early encounters with art and culture, and the need to remove social barriers, Sir Keir told delegates: “My brother, who had difficulties learning, he didn’t get those opportunities. “Every time I achieved something in my life, my dad used to say, ‘Your brother has achieved just as much as you, Keir’. “And he was right. I still believe that.” Mr Baldwin, writing for The Times on Friday, recalled the moment in 2023 that he learned from Sir Keir that his brother was dying of lung cancer. He wrote: “This has been a huge part of his life over the past couple of years, during which he made regular trips to Leeds where his brother was in hospital. “Even during the election campaign and since he entered Downing Street, Starmer has continued to visit without a camera crew in sight. “He got to know the staff treating his brother so well that he could recite all their names and they would let him into the hospital through a back door so that there would be no publicity.” Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch was among those in the world of politics to offer their condolences. She wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “This is such awful news. Particularly devastating at Christmas time. “My sincere condolences to Keir Starmer and all his family.” Irish premier Simon Harris wrote: “My sincere sympathy to Keir Starmer and his family on such sad news. “They are in my thoughts at this difficult time.”6,000 inmates escape from a high-security prison as post-election violence roils Mozambique
AMP co-founder Agent00 has been suddenly banned on Twitch for the first time, leaving fans waiting for him to explain what happened. Over the last couple of years, Kai Cenat and everyone in his Twitch collective, ‘Any Means Possible,’ has skyrocketed in popularity on the Amazon-owned streaming platform. Among those AMP members is co-founder Agent00 , who averages over 10k viewers each stream thanks to his focus on Just Chatting, GTA 5, and other popular games. On December 5, 2024, Agent was suddenly banned from Twitch – but has yet to reveal the reason why. Agent suddenly banned on Twitch Visiting his Twitch channel no longer gives you access to his VODs and other stream features, but instead gives you the site’s usual ban message. “This channel is temporarily unavailable due to a violation of Twitch’s Community Guidelines or Terms of Service,” it reads. Agent hasn’t responded to news of the ban, so it’s unclear what caused the suspension as of writing. However, many fans across social media began speculating that it was caused by him driving a car without a seatbelt on. In the stream , Agent was showing off his project car when he decided to take it out on the road to test-drive the vehicle while interacting with viewers. According to Twitch Community Guidelines , streamers are prohibited from broadcasting content that may “endanger your life,” such as driving while distracted. “We also prohibit activity that may endanger your life, lead to your physical harm, or encourage others to engage in physically harmful behavior,” it reads. As an example, it lists “dangerous or distracted driving, including using a phone while driving and driving under the influence” as content that may not be shown or promoted. Related: Of course, we’ll have to wait for Agent to comment on the ban to know anything for certain as Twitch does not share details about suspensions with the public.
6,000 inmates escape from a high-security prison as post-election violence roils Mozambique
OTTAWA — Parents of children who died because of online sexual extortion are urging MPs to act on online harms legislation. The bill and other legislation have been blocked from moving forward for months due to a parliamentary privilege debate raging between the Liberals and Conservatives. Justice Minister Arif Virani split the bill into two parts this week heeding calls from critics to separate the more controversial hate speech provisions from the child exploitation components. But the bill still can’t move forward until the privilege filibuster is over. Barbie Lavers, whose teenage son died by suicide after being extorted online over intimate images, told House of Commons committee today that she supports the act and asked politicians to come to a temporary alliance and stop using children as political pawns to show “one party is more correct than the other.” Carole Todd, whose daughter Amanda died by suicide due to online sextortion, told MPs it is hurtful to watch political arguments after waiting 12 years for legislation. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024. Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press
It was already pretty easy to divide the people making this summer’s romantic drama blockbuster It Ends With Us into different camps—something the movie’s stars basically did themselves , after the film’s cast allegedly refused to do press appearances with director and co-star Justin Baldoni in the lead-up to the movie’s release. We could, for instance, infer—given that he filmed jokey promos for the movie with her husband Ryan Reynolds (and also Hugh Jackman and Reynolds’ mom)—that star Brandon Sklenar was on Blake Lively’s side in what was a clandestine conflict with Baldoni, and some of the film’s other producers, over allegations of sexual harassment on the movie’s set. Now that those allegations aren’t clandestine—with Lively having lodged a formal complaint against Baldoni , accusing him of both inappropriate behavior while making the movie, and ordering a shadowy PR campaign to ruin her reputation after its release—Sklenar has once again used social media to make sure people know which side of the conflict he’s on. This is per Variety , which noted that Sklenar posted a link to Lively’s extensive complaint on his Instagram Story, captioned “For the love of god, read this.” He wasn’t alone amidst the film’s cast or creators, either: Jenny Slate, who co-starred in the film as the sister of Baldoni’s character, gave a vociferous statement of support for Lively to Today , stating that, “I voice my support as she takes action against those reported to have planned and carried out an attack on her reputation... What has been revealed about the attack on Blake is terribly dark, disturbing and wholly threatening. I commend my friend, I admire her bravery and I stand by her side.” Oh, and author Colleen Hoover , on whose book the film is based, tagged Lively on her own Instagram Story, writing that, “You have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met. Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.” Meanwhile, the number of people currently making strong statements of support on Baldoni’s behalf basically rounds down to “his lawyer,” with even some of his former PR people suing him now over the fallout from Lively’s complaint.GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Princely Umanmielen's return to the Swamp ended with a police escort . Umanmielen, who spent three years at Florida before transferring to Ole Miss, left the stadium with a number of officers surrounding him. And the defensive end still tried to get at heckling fans. It started when Umanmielen left the sideline in the waning seconds of a 24-17 loss to the Gators . He was walking toward the visiting locker room when at least one fan yelled at him from the stands. Umanmielen clearly didn't like what he heard and made his way toward the seats. Officers quickly stepped in and escorted Umanmielen back toward the locker room. They then walked him directly to the team's waiting busses, but more fans were in the path and shouted at him again. Umanmielen turned and started toward the fans before officers stepped in and stopped him. It was the latest bit of oddness for Umanmielen, who wore an orange Gators ski mask through Ole Miss' practice facility late in the week. He finished the game with seven tackles, including a sack. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballWINDSOR, N.S., Ont. — A Nova Scotia support agency for homeless people is holding a memorial service on Dec. 11 for a man found dead last week at the site of an ice fishing tent where he lived in Windsor, N.S. Leslie Porter, director of the Windsor-West Hants Caremongers, says the man in his early 50s was a regular at a warming centre her group operates, adding that her community located 55 kilometres northwest of Halifax doesn't have services, including addictions treatment, that could have helped him. Connie Pollock, a volunteer at Caremongers and a friend of the man, identified him as William (Billy) Walsh and says that prior to becoming homeless he was a welder and — as a younger man — an avid motocross racer. Pollock says Walsh was one week away from being placed in an affordable housing unit in Yarmouth, N.S., when he died. Had he lived in a "physically safer place," she said, "it would have made the world of difference to him." “He was so excited to be able to move into an apartment and to reinvent himself." In recent years, he had become receptive to receiving care, Pollock says, but services in Windsor are lacking. Porter said, “If we had a facility in our area for mental health and addictions counselling, we believe he may have been someone who could have been helped." RCMP have confirmed that a man died Nov. 26 in the community and, while the death was not considered suspicious, an autopsy to determine the cause of death is being conducted by the medical examiner's office. “He was a good citizen . ... and when COVID hit he lost his shop, he lost his apartment, he lost his dignity and ended up on the streets ... and he just turned to social services for assistance a few months ago,” Pollock said. Nova Scotia announced on Oct. 11, 2023, it was investing $7.5 million for a village of Pallet shelters — self-contained units to be used as temporary housing. Pallet shelters have been installed in Halifax and Kentville, N.S., but Pollock and Porter said these aren't available yet in their community. There are almost 530 shelter beds across the province, with about 400 of them in the Halifax Regional Municipality. Kimm Kent, director of Peer Outreach Support Services and Education in Windsor, said, "we need supported housing ... the reality is nobody should be having to sleep outside and not everybody can manage an apartment by themselves." Alyse Hand, a spokeswoman for the Department of Community Services, said in an email that the province is working with municipalities and non-profit support groups to help homeless people. "Our focus is on creating long-term, sustainable housing supports and solutions that meet people where they are," she wrote. In Windsor, she said, the province is working with the Portal Youth Outreach association, which operates six units of supportive housing, and the West Hants Family Resource Centre, where the province funds one full-time housing support worker. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 2, 2024. — Story by Michael Tutton in Halifax. The Canadian Press
Canada 'Freedom Convoy' leader found guilty over trucker protest role