QuantumScape checks last item off its 2024 to-do list, enabling higher sample volumes of first commercial solid-state battery
Cinemas are making a major comeback. Recent box office numbers in North America show several new films with strong attendance numbers. This speaks to a bigger trend: that more and more people are getting out of the house and going to the movie theatre. “We just saw Moana, so we thought, why not experience Moana 2 on the big screen. It’s the holidays for us, so we’re actually visiting from Toronto. We thought it would be a cool thing to do today,” the Nestor family told CityNews Winnipeg. According to late box office numbers, it appears many other families like the Nestors are following suit. In North America, Gladiator 2 grossed over $111 million since premiering on Nov. 22, only to be outdone by Wicked, which grossed over $263 million in the same span. Then, there’s Moana 2, which grossed a whopping $225 million in just its first weekend. “When the content is there, we really see an influx of our guests coming into the movie theatres,” said Ellis Jacob, CEO of Cineplex. “And even when I personally went to see Wicked, I ended up with a bunch of lousy seats because the theatre was sold out. But I was happy to do that and see all of the guests enjoying the movie experience.” This return to the cinemas is a trend that’s been on the upswing for years. After pandemic shutdowns, according to IMDB, the yearly box office numbers were just over $4.4 billion in North America in 2021. That number in 2024 is over $7.6 billion, so far. For Ryan Lawrence and his four-year-old daughter, it’s the entire movie theatre experience that’s getting them back out to the cinema. “The sound, the games, the food, the popcorn smell that you get when you walk in the door. And yeah, she was born right during COVID, so it’s a new experience for her at four years old, and she loves it. My kids all talk about coming to the movie theatres all the time. So, popcorn is the biggest one I think,” said Lawrence.A range of independent TDs are contemplating the prospect of entering Ireland’s next coalition government as Fianna Fail and Fine Gael consider ways to secure a solid majority. Three long days of counting in the General Election finished late on Monday night when the final two seats were declared in the constituency of Cavan-Monaghan. Fianna Fail was the clear winner of the election, securing 48 of the Dail parliament’s 174 seats. Sinn Fein took 39 and Fine Gael 38. Labour and the Social Democrats both won 11 seats; People Before Profit-Solidarity took three; Aontu secured two; and the Green Party retained only one of its 12 seats. Independents and others accounted for 21 seats. The return of a Fianna Fail/Fine Gael-led coalition is now highly likely. However, their combined seat total of 86 leaves them just short of the 88 needed for a majority in the Dail. While the two centrist parties that have dominated Irish politics for a century could look to strike a deal with one of the Dail’s smaller centre-left parties, such as the Social Democrats or Labour, a more straightforward route to a majority could be achieved by securing the support of several independent TDs. For Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin and current taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris, wooing like-minded independents would be likely to involve fewer policy concessions, and financial commitments, than would be required to convince another party to join the government benches. Longford-Westmeath independent TD Kevin “Boxer” Moran, who served in a Fine Gael-led minority government between 2017 and 2020, expressed his willingness to listen to offers to join the new coalition in Dublin. “Look, my door’s open,” he told RTE. “Someone knocks, I’m always there to open it.” Marian Harkin, an independent TD for Sligo-Leitrim, expressed her desire to participate in government as she noted that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael were within “shouting distance” of an overall majority. “That means they will be looking for support, and I certainly will be one of those people who will be speaking to them and talking to them and negotiating with them, and I’m looking forward to doing that, because that was the reason that I ran in the first place,” she said. Meanwhile, the Social Democrats and Irish Labour Party both appear cautious about the prospect of an alliance with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. They will no doubt be mindful of the experience of the Green Party, the junior partner in the last mandate. The Greens experienced near wipeout in the election, retaining only one of their 12 seats. Sinn Fein appears to currently have no realistic route to government, given Fianna Fail and Fine Gael’s ongoing refusal to share power with the party. Despite the odds being stacked against her party, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald contacted the leaders of the Social Democrats and Labour on Monday to discuss options. Earlier, Fianna Fail deputy leader and outgoing Finance Minister Jack Chambers predicted that a new coalition government would not be in place before Christmas. Mr Chambers said planned talks about forming an administration required “time and space” to ensure that any new government will be “coherent and stable”. After an inconclusive outcome to the 2020 election, it took five months for Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Greens to strike the last coalition deal. Mr Chambers said he did not believe it would take that long this time, as he noted the Covid-19 pandemic was a factor in 2020, but he also made clear it would not be a swift process. He said he agreed with analysis that there was no prospect of a deal before Christmas. “I don’t expect a government to be formed in mid-December, when the Dail is due to meet on December 18, probably a Ceann Comhairle (speaker) can be elected, and there’ll have to be time and space taken to make sure we can form a coherent, stable government,” he told RTE. “I don’t think it should take five months like it did the last time – Covid obviously complicated that. But I think all political parties need to take the time to see what’s possible and try and form a stable government for the Irish people.” Fine Gael minister of state Peter Burke said members of his parliamentary party would have to meet to consider their options before giving Mr Harris a mandate to negotiate a new programme for government with Fianna Fail. “It’s important that we have a strong, stable, viable government, whatever form that may be, to ensure that we can meet the challenges of our society, meet the challenges in terms of the economic changes that are potentially going to happen,” he told RTE. Despite being set to emerge with the most seats, it has not been all good news for Fianna Fail. The party’s outgoing Health Minister Stephen Donnelly became one of the biggest casualties of the election when he lost his seat in Wicklow in the early hours of Monday morning. Mr Donnelly was always predicted to face a fight in the constituency after boundary changes saw it reduced from five to four seats. If it is to be a reprise of the Fianna Fail/Fine Gael governing partnership of the last mandate, one of the major questions is around the position of taoiseach and whether the parties will once again take turns to hold the Irish premiership during the lifetime of the new government. The outcome in 2020 saw the parties enter a coalition on the basis that the holder of the premier position would be exchanged midway through the term. Fianna Fail leader Mr Martin took the role for the first half of the mandate, with Leo Varadkar taking over in December 2022. Current Fine Gael leader Mr Harris succeeded Mr Varadkar as taoiseach when he resigned from the role earlier this year. However, this time Fianna Fail has significantly increased its seat lead over Fine Gael, compared with the last election when there were only three seats between the parties. The size of the disparity in party numbers is likely to draw focus on the rotating taoiseach arrangement, raising questions as to whether it will be re-run in the next coalition and, if it is, on what terms. On Sunday, Simon Coveney, a former deputy leader of Fine Gael, said a coalition that did not repeat the rotating taoiseach arrangement in some fashion would be a “difficult proposition” for his party. Meanwhile, Fine Gael minister Paschal Donohoe said he would be making the case for Mr Harris to have another opportunity to serve as taoiseach. On Monday, Mr Chambers said while his party would expect to lead the government it would approach the issue of rotating the taoiseach’s role on the basis of “mutual respect” with Fine Gael. “I think the context of discussions and negotiations will be driven by mutual respect, and that’s the glue that will drive a programme for government and that’s the context in which we’ll engage,” he said. On Monday, Labour leader Ivana Bacik reiterated her party’s determination to forge an alliance with fellow centre-left parties with the intention of having a unified approach to the prospect of entering government. Asked if Labour was prepared to go into government with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael on its own, she told RTE: “No, not at this stage. We are absolutely not willing to do that. “We want to ensure there’s the largest number of TDs who share our vision and our values who want to deliver change on the same basis that we do.” The Social Democrats have been non-committal about any potential arrangement with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, and have restated a series of red lines they would need to achieve before considering taking a place in government. Leader Holly Cairns, who gave birth to a daughter on polling day on Friday, said in a statement: “The party is in a very strong position to play an important role in the next Dail. In what position, government or opposition, remains to be seen.” Fianna Fail secured the most first preference votes in Friday’s proportional representation election, taking 21.9% to Fine Gael’s 20.8%. Sinn Fein came in third on 19%. While Sinn Fein’s vote share represented a marked improvement on its disappointing showing in June’s local elections in Ireland, it is still significantly down on the 24.5% poll-topping share it secured in the 2020 general election. The final breakdown of first preferences also flipped the result of Friday night’s exit poll, which suggested Sinn Fein was in front on 21.1%, with Fine Gael on 21% and Fianna Fail on 19.5%.Evans scores again as Canadiens down Lightning 5-2
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How do you follow up the creation of one of the biggest games of all time? If you're Brendan Greene, aka PlayerUnknown, it's by building something even bigger. Greene, creator of PUBG, founded a studio called PlayerUnknown Productions where he and his team have been working on a massively multiplayer sandbox called Artemis : a digital world the size of an actual planet. Today on the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted , Greene revealed that he's ready to let players get some hands-on time with the engine powering that planet by releasing Preface: Undiscovered World. Preface is a tech demo of the engine the studio is using to build Artemis, which generates planets "using machine learning technology [and] natural Earth data to generate these worlds from latent space," Greene said. Want to see a planet-sized planet on your own desktop? You can download Preface: Undiscovered World on Steam and play with it for free right now. “In Preface, users can witness an Earth-scale world generated in real-time by our machine learning agents directly on their GPU," Greene said, along with "some simple systems to allow you to explore it." I haven't had the chance to play with Preface myself yet, but I've watched Greene demonstrate early builds of it for me twice now: once at GDC in 2023, and this year when I visited PlayerUnknown Productions back in July . I was impressed both times as the engine first generated a planet viewable from outer space, then formed terrain, mountains, valleys, trees, and rocks when Greene zoomed into the surface from orbit. After those two teases, I'm excited to finally get my hands on the planet builder myself and take it for a spin. Greene said the creation of Artemis "is going to be a five or 10 year journey," and in July he told me the ultimate goal is to build "not just a game engine, [but a] world engine, or a digital place engine. But really, it's building a holodeck, building a space that you can create whatever experiences you want." Preface wasn't the only announcement Greene had at the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted today. He also announced that Prologue, the open world survival game PlayerUnknown Productions is working on, will enter early access on Steam next year. You can read more about Prologue here . The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
HP Inc. stock outperforms competitors on strong trading day
NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — Narin An handled the windy conditions with a hot putter on Thursday, making four straight birdies around the turn and finishing with an 8-under 64 for a one-shot lead in the CME Group Tour Championship. At stake for the 60-player field is a $4 million prize to the winner, the largest single-day payoff in women's golf. Nelly Korda already has won more than that during her sterling season of seven wins. Now she faces an eight-shot deficit over the next three days at Tiburon Golf Club if she wants to end her year in fitting fashion. Korda, coming off a victory last week, couldn't make amends for her three bogeys and had to settle for an even-par 72. She has come from behind in four of her victories, and still has 54 holes ahead of her. But it has made the task that much tougher. Everything felt easy for An, a 28-year-old from South Korea who has never won on the LPGA and has never cracked the top 10 in any of the 16 majors she has played. “Today my putt really good,” An said. “The speed was good and the shape was good. I just try to focus a little bit more.” She had a one-shot lead over Angel Yin, who shot 30 on the back nine, including an eagle on the par-5 17th hole that most players can easily reach in two. Former U.S. Women's Open champion Allisen Corpuz and Marina Alex were at 66, with Lydia Ko leading the group at 67. Despite the wind so typical along the Gulf Coast of Florida, 27 players — nearly half the field — shot in the 60s. “It's a good head start for the big ol' prize we get at the end of the week,” Yin said. Whoever wins this week is assured of breaking the 17-year-old LPGA record for most money earned in season. The record was set by Lorena Ochoa in 2007 at $4,364,994, back when the total prize money was about half of what it is now. Ochoa earned $1 million for winning the Tour Championship in 2007. The opening round followed a big night of awards for the LPGA Tour, where Korda officially picked up her first award as player of the year, which she clinched earlier this month . Ko was recognized for her big year, highlighted by an Olympic gold medal that put her into the LPGA Hall of Fame. She regained plenty of focus for the opening round on a course where she won just two years ago. “The course isn't easy,” Ko said. “I set a goal of shooting 3 under today, and somebody shot 8 under. I was like, ‘OK, maybe I need to make a few more birdies.’ It's a course that can get away from you as much as you can shoot some low scores, so I’m just trying to stick to my game plan and go from there.” Also in the group at 67 was Albane Valenzuela of Switzerland, already celebrating a big year with her debut in the Solheim Cup and her first appearance in the Tour Championship. She made a late run at her first LPGA title last week at Pelican Golf Club, and kept up her form. And she can see the finish line, which is appealing. “I everyone is looking at that $4 million price tag,” Valenzuela said. “I try not to look too much at the result. I feel like in the past I’ve always been stuck on results, and ultimately all I can do is control my own round, my own energy, my own commitment. “It's the last week of the year. It’s kind of the bonus week. No matter what, everyone is having a paycheck.” ___ AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf The Associated Press
Cruise’s robotaxi service will shut down as GM pulls its funding
Key posts 5.37am PM defends his response to antisemitism amid Coalition criticism 5.28am Minister defends PM over reports he was heckled at synagogue Hide key posts Posts area Latest 1 of 2 Oldest Go to latest Pinned post from 5.50am Government claims Cross River Rail cost has more than tripled, foreshadowing lengthy delays By Felicity Caldwell The new LNP government claims Cross River Rail will cost more than $17 billion and not be ready until 2029. Labor had promised Cross River Rail would be delivered with a budget of $5.4 billion, with most construction finished by 2025 and passenger services starting in 2026. But the LNP says when finished, the tunnel must be independently certified by the National Safety Regulator, which would take at least two years, and also pointed the finger at lost workdays due to industrial action. The government says $5 billion was “hidden” and included integration works to connect the tunnel with the existing rail network, stabling to park the trains, a new signalling system, buses to carry passengers while stations and tracks were being built, and additional maintenance equipment. But opposition transport spokesman Bart Mellish accused Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg of “cooking the books”. “No government, business or person has included the cost of maintenance for the life of an asset when calculating the cost to build the project,” he said. Loading “It’s also concerning that the new government isn’t committed to a 2026 opening of the project. “Also, adding the cost of buses to be used across the whole of south-east Queensland to the project is also laughable.” Latest posts Latest posts 6.39am ‘It costs nothing to show respect’: PM slams Dutton’s flag pledge By Josefine Ganko Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s pledge not to stand in front of Indigenous flags at press conferences is evidence that Dutton is “always looking for division”. “It costs nothing to show respect,” Albanese told ABC’s RN Breakfast. “The flags were designated way back in 1995, it’s up to [Dutton] to explain why he has chosen to attempt to make this an issue.” Loading Indigenous leader Thomas Mayo, one of the key proponents of the Yes vote in the Voice to parliament referendum, also joined RN to discuss the issue. He said the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags, which Albanese had stood in front of since his election in 2022, were “important to us”. “We are in a country that tried to erase us and make us disappear, it’s a symbol that we are still here, and we exist,” he said. He said the move was a distraction from the Coalition’s lack of solutions for Australians who were struggling. “This is what Peter Dutton does, it’s his style of politics,” Mayo said, accusing the opposition leader of “punching down on Indigenous Australians”. “We accept that people voted no [in the referendum], but continuing to pretend we don’t exist by not standing in front of the flag, I don’t think that’s the kind of leader Australians want.” 6.19am Logan swimmers watched over by AI By Catherine Strohfeldt In a first for the state, Logan City Council has rolled out AI-powered surveillance systems at a town pool to safeguard against drowning. The technology at Gould Adams Park Aquatic Centre uses cameras focused on the pool to identify signs of struggle in the water, then sends real-time alerts on smart watches worn by lifeguards. Mayor Jon Raven said the alert system would give “greater peace of mind” to swimmers. “For those in our community who can’t swim or are not confident in the water – this could help save someone’s life,” he said. “While there’s no replacement for adequate supervision from parents, caregivers and lifeguards, this technology will be an extra layer of safety around pools.” The council said the cameras only detected generic behaviours, and could not capture facial or body imagery. It expected to continue rolling out the technology to other pools it managed across the next few years. 6.06am LNP blocks Labor move for more time to consider key youth justice bill changes By Matt Dennien Debate has kicked off in Queensland parliament over the government’s youth justice bill, with Labor trying – and failing – to have key parts delayed until early next year. Shadow attorney-general Meaghan Scanlon moved opposition amendments after the dinner break last night to address many stakeholders’ concerns about consultation lasting just days, and adverse outcomes. The amendments, voted down by the LNP and Katter’s Australian Party, would have returned more than a dozen clauses for “full and proper examination” by a committee. “While we acknowledge the outcome of the election and the policy that was taken to it by the LNP, that policy was in slogan and infancy form at best,” Scanlon said. Attorney-General Deb Frecklington accused Labor of simply trying to delay the laws and “laughing about victims ... about the people of Queensland who want to be safe in their homes over Christmas”. “All they want to do with this amendment is say to the people of Queensland, ‘Be afraid over Christmas. Be afraid on Boxing Day.’” Debate resumes today, with the bill set to pass by 5.30pm on Thursday with what Frecklington described as “technical amendments”, yet to be detailed, she would introduce to “strengthen and clarify the bill”. Advertisement 5.37am PM defends his response to antisemitism amid Coalition criticism By Josefine Ganko Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has delivered an extended defence of his response to antisemitism, in the wake of the terror attack on the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne on Friday, and the vandalism in Sydney this morning. Facing criticism from the Coalition, including Liberal senator Jane Hume’s accusation that he had “emboldened and enabled” antisemtic crimes”, the prime minister detailed his initial response to the Adass synagogue firebombing. [On Friday], I’d been briefed by the AFP. I’d rung in to ... ABC Melbourne and responded publicly. We put out a statement. I’d spoken to Josh Burns, I’d spoken to Mr Spiegelman. I’d spoken to other Jewish community leaders as well. I visited a synagogue in Perth. On Saturday evening, we received a request for additional security funding, because the $20 million we had provided was almost expended. On Sunday morning, less than 24 hours later, I responded with support for $32.5 million of additional funding.” He continued that on Monday the National Security Committee met, and the authorities formally declared the firebombing an act of terrorism. The AFP operation Avalite was then formed and announced at a press conference. Albanese also pointed to other responses including the “landmark” ban on the Nazi salute and hate symbols, and the appointment of Jillian Segal as the special envoy to combat antisemitism. “We criminalised doxxing, something that was called for, but which unfortunately, the opposition voted against,” Albanese said. “We now have legislation before the parliament to criminalise hate speech, including the urging or threatening, of course, or violence against other individuals or groups because of who they are and what their beliefs are.” 5.34am Finding hot coffee baby attacker ‘may well be a slow burn’ By William Davis Bringing the man believed to have seriously scalded a Brisbane baby with hot coffee to justice will likely be a “slow burn” after he escaped to an unknown country. The suspect reportedly came up behind a young mother at Hanlon Park in Stones Corner about midday on August 27, and tipped the contents of a Thermos on her nine-month-old boy before running away. Loading Four days later – and just hours before investigators say they confirmed his identity – the man flew out of Sydney Airport to an unknown country. “That remains an active investigation, so you know that may well be a slow burn,” Queensland Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski told Brisbane Times yesterday. When asked for a rough time frame, he said it would be inappropriate to comment. “I can’t speculate on that. It’ll depend on the offender and our ability to identify, locate and bring him back to justice.” 5.28am Minister defends PM over reports he was heckled at synagogue By Josefine Ganko Labor Minister Clare O’Neil says reports that claimed the prime minister was heckled on his visit to the Adass synagogue in Melbourne on Tuesday were overblown. In an interview on Seven’s Sunrise , it was put to O’Neil that people yelled phrases at Anthony Albanese including “You’re late” and “Nice day for tennis,” referring to the tennis match Albanese played in Perth the day after the firebombing of the synagogue. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited the Adass Israel synagogue on Tuesday. Credit: Justin McManus “I’d just say I saw some of the reporting of that, I think, you know, some of those people weren’t even from that local community,” O’Neil said. “I was actually at the Adass synagogue a little bit later that afternoon speaking to members of the community. People were grateful that the prime minister was there, they were pleased to have him there and of course to see him make that commitment to help rebuild the synagogue there and to invest to try to rescue those sacred Torahs that have been damaged in the fire.” Loading O’Neil said that while she was “sure there angry and upset people”, she did not think that was the “universal experience of having the PM there”. “The PM, in my view, has shown real leadership, he’s come to the synagogue, done the things people want a prime minister to do, he has made that commitment to rebuild the synagogue, has set up this task force to show we’re cracking down on any of this behaviour.” Advertisement 5.21am ‘An outrage’: PM condemns ‘another antisemitic attack’ By Josefine Ganko Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has responded to the antisemitic vandalism in Sydney’s east, the second time the suburb of Woollahra has been targeted in a month. Albanese said the incident was an “outrage” and “another antisemitic attack”. He said he would be briefed by the Australian Federal Police’s Operation Avalite, the task force that was assembled this week in response to the Adass Israel Synagogue terror attack in Melbourne on Friday. “I stand with the Jewish community and unequivocally condemn this attack. There is no place for hatred or antisemitism in our community.” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke also posted a statement to X, calling the attack an “abhorrent attempt to intimidate our Jewish community”. “It will not be successful,” Burke wrote. 5.14am A wet Wednesday on the cards Don’t forget your umbrella today – the Bureau of Meteorology predicts more rain across Brisbane, this morning and this afternoon, following the downpour late yesterday, although it should be clearing by this evening. The top temperature isn’t expected to hit 30 degrees – warmer days are ahead, however. 4.53am This morning’s headlines at a glance Here are the stories making the rounds beyond Brisbane this morning: The organisers of alternative music festival Good Things have been accused of ignoring allegations of sexual assault, harassment and anti-social behaviour – including men groping women, filming up girls’ skirts, and abusing those who turned down their advances. A group of Australian women who underwent hysterectomies after reporting severe side-effects from a permanent sterilisation device has lost a class action against pharmaceutical giant Bayer , with a judge noting that chronic pelvic pain was common for many women. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called out the influence of News Corp’s alleged bias, warning colleagues during a cabinet meeting that Rupert Murdoch’s media empire was openly working to back Opposition Leader Peter Dutton . ‘An insult to the intelligence of the American people’: The alleged shooter of a CEO in the US has broken his silence after his arrest. Tourists at the famous monkey forest in Bali have been crushed to death by falling branches . New York prosecutors have filed a murder charge against Luigi Mangione, 26. In the hours since his apprehension, his baffling journey from star student to murder suspect has begun to come into focus. Latest 1 of 2 Oldest Latest Oldest Most Viewed in National Loading
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington was minding his own business during practice recently, doing his due diligence while running his route when the ball suddenly came his way. Washington wasn’t sure what option he was on the play. he certainly wasn’t first. Probably not even second. Maybe not even third. Washington was on the back side all by his lonesome while a sea of wide receivers and running backs zig-zagged across quarterback field of vision. Only, Wilson didn’t like what he saw. Not enough to throw it anyway. So he pivoted to his left and found Washington wide open for a big gain. Asked if he was surprised to find the ball in his hands, Washington nodded. “A little bit,” he said. “I don’t know. I don’t know what was going on with the other people.” Wilson did. He almost always seems to these days for the (9-3), who find themselves atop the AFC North behind the play of their resurgent 36-year-old quarterback, who has taken a decidedly democratic approach to resurrecting his career. The nine-time Pro Bowler threw the ball to 10 different players while piling up 414 yards . Sure, mercurial star got the ball. But so did Washington. And third tight end MyCole Pruitt. And wide receiver Ben Skowronek, who turned his second catch of the season into a 23-yard gain on a drive that ended with one of Wilson’s three touchdown passes. “You never know when it’s coming your way,” Skowronek said. Not with Wilson at the controls. Fourteen different players have at least one catch this season for the Steelers. That includes Mike Williams, whose lone grab a month since being acquired from the New York Jets for the winning score in the final minutes against Washington. It also includes Skowronek, who spent the early portion of the season on injured reserve and worried he’d sort of lost his place in line while he rehabbed. Skowronek and his teammates have quickly learned that with Wilson, there is no “line.” During his six starts since returning from a calf injury, Wilson has thrown it wherever, whenever. “It’s like in baseball,” said Wilson, a former minor league second baseman. “You’ll never hit a home run if you don’t swing. And I really believe that you’ve got to swing, you’ve got to trust guys. You’ve got to be able to trust yourself.” Something that hasn’t been an issue for Wilson for years, even if he arrived in Pittsburgh at a crossroads following an abrupt fall from grace in Denver. The Steelers couldn’t sign Wilson to a one-year deal for the veteran minimum fast enough, and Wilson wasted little time building a rapport with players who were relative strangers. What began with throwing sessions in San Diego has morphed into team dinners and Friday nights where Wilson and first-year offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will hole themselves up in the team facility poring over tapes and bouncing ideas off each other until their wives call wondering where they are. On game days, that work manifests itself in various ways. It’s tight end Pat Freiermuth drifting toward an open area while Wilson scrambles, as he did two plays after Skowronek’s grab for a 25-yard touchdown. It’s Wilson calling an audible at the line of scrimmage late against Cincinnati to hit Van Jefferson for that led to a clinching field goal. It’s not just good for the stat sheet, it’s good for the vibes. “Morale is a big part,” Smith said. Guys who want to be invested. Spreading it around is beneficial in a myriad of ways. It means players don’t feel they are “decoys on every play,” as Smith put it. It also means once you put it on film, it means opponents have to find a way to defend it. And the more things an opponent has to defend, the better for an offense, particularly one led by a quarterback who will make his 195th start on Sunday when Cleveland (3-9) visits. “Russ has seen every coverage,” Skowronek said. “He’s ran all these concepts before. So he knows progressions like probably the back of his hand.” Besides, Wilson knows he can’t just preach about the importance of being unselfish without practicing it a little bit too. That means giving opportunities to those who have worked for it, no matter where they might fall on the depth chart. “I think that the best part about it is that we’re all super close,” Wilson said. “And I think that bond is really everything too, and just the understanding of each guy and the relationships that we have together, it’s fun. We’re having a great time.” It sure looks like it. The Steelers are averaging a healthy 28.7 points since Wilson recovered from a calf injury that forced him to watch the first six games from the sideline. For the first time in a long time, Pittsburgh no longer has to rely exclusively on its defense to get by. While Mike Tomlin will never get comfortable with the idea of getting into a shootout — blame his defensive coaching roots before taking over in Pittsburgh in 2007 — it’s nice to know his team can match opponents score for score if necessary. Another one could be looming against the Browns, who piled up more than 500 yards on Monday night. If one materializes, Wilson is ready to do whatever is necessary and find whoever is necessary, regardless of pedigree, salary or resume. “We got to love that part of it,” Wilson said. “We can’t fear it. We’ve got to want it. We’ve got to expect it. We’ve got to embrace it. We’ve got to challenge that. We’ve got to be in those moments and be locked into that moment. I think we do an extremely good job of that.” ___ AP NFL:
AP News Summary at 10:00 p.m. ESTGold miner Metals Exploration closes in on £90m deal to buy rival Condor By EMILY HAWKINS Updated: 22:00 GMT, 2 December 2024 e-mail View comments A gold miner backed by Nick Candy is closing in on a deal to buy a rival for up to £90million. AIM-listed Metals Exploration has made an offer worth £67.5million up front, and a potential £22.6million more in future, to buy Condor Gold. The announcement came after the Mail yesterday revealed Metals – which is 38 per cent owned by property magnate Candy – was prepared to go hostile in the bid. But Jim Mellon, Condor’s non-executive chairman and one of Britain’s richest men, has given an irrevocable commitment to back the deal. This means he would vote against any rival bid. The deal will bring together two of Britain’s most colourful businessmen. Mellon, 67, who has been described as Britain’s Warren Buffett, owns 26 per cent of Condor, which is listed on AIM as well as the Toronto stock exchange. Glittering: Property magnate Nick Candy (pictured with wife Holly Valance) has a 38% stake in AIM-listed Metals Exploration Candy, 51, is married to pop star and actor Holly Valance and made his fortune through luxury London developments. Shares in Condor soared 19.79 per cent, or 4.75p, to 28.75p yesterday, but are still down by almost two thirds over the past decade. Metals shares, meanwhile, tumbled 8.8 per cent, or 0.5p, to 5.2p. ‘Metals obviously think they can get a bargain,’ said Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at broker AJ Bell. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Neglect imperils Royal Mail: Government should have learned... Political turmoil in France sends euro tumbling and... Share this article Share HOW THIS IS MONEY CAN HELP How to choose the best (and cheapest) stocks and shares Isa and the right DIY investing account The deal will see Metals make the extra payment if the amount of gold found at Condor’s mines exceeds estimates. Metals operates in the Philippines and its shares have more than doubled in the past year. Condor Gold is smaller and is the owner of the 2.3m-ounce La India Project in Nicaragua. It first started looking for a buyer for this asset in 2022. DIY INVESTING PLATFORMS AJ Bell AJ Bell Easy investing and ready-made portfolios Learn More Learn More Hargreaves Lansdown Hargreaves Lansdown Free fund dealing and investment ideas Learn More Learn More interactive investor interactive investor Flat-fee investing from £4.99 per month Learn More Learn More Saxo Saxo Get £200 back in trading fees Learn More Learn More Trading 212 Trading 212 Free dealing and no account fee Learn More Learn More Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence. Compare the best investing account for you Share or comment on this article: Gold miner Metals Exploration closes in on £90m deal to buy rival Condor e-mail Add comment Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence. More top storiesLarson Financial Group LLC lowered its holdings in VanEck Gold Miners ETF ( NYSEARCA:GDX – Free Report ) by 65.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,509 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock after selling 2,905 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC’s holdings in VanEck Gold Miners ETF were worth $60,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Beacon Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in VanEck Gold Miners ETF by 202.4% during the 2nd quarter. Beacon Capital Management LLC now owns 747 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares during the period. LRI Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of VanEck Gold Miners ETF during the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. Cedar Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of VanEck Gold Miners ETF by 63.4% during the 2nd quarter. Cedar Wealth Management LLC now owns 874 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 339 shares during the period. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in VanEck Gold Miners ETF by 53.0% during the 3rd quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 950 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 329 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Eagle Bay Advisors LLC boosted its stake in VanEck Gold Miners ETF by 95.8% in the 2nd quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 1,175 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 575 shares during the period. VanEck Gold Miners ETF Stock Up 0.6 % Shares of GDX opened at $37.66 on Friday. VanEck Gold Miners ETF has a twelve month low of $25.67 and a twelve month high of $44.22. The stock has a market cap of $15.05 billion, a PE ratio of 28.03 and a beta of 0.85. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $39.66 and its 200-day moving average price is $37.59. VanEck Gold Miners ETF Company Profile The Fund seeks to match as closely as possible the price and yield performance of the AMEX Gold Miners Index. The Fund, utilizing a passive or indexing investment approach, attempts to approximate the investment performance of the Index by investing in a portfolio of stocks that generally replicate the Index. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GDX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for VanEck Gold Miners ETF ( NYSEARCA:GDX – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for VanEck Gold Miners ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for VanEck Gold Miners ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .