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mini slot machine Underperforming Pacers welcome struggling WizardsRodgers Silicon Valley Acquisition Corp. ( OTCMKTS:RSVAU – Get Free Report ) dropped 5.3% during trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $24.18 and last traded at $24.22. Approximately 17,000 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 75% from the average daily volume of 67,461 shares. The stock had previously closed at $25.58. Rodgers Silicon Valley Acquisition Trading Down 5.3 % The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $24.22 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $24.22. Rodgers Silicon Valley Acquisition Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Rodgers Silicon Valley Acquisition Corp. intends to enter into a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses. The company was founded in 2020 and is based in Woodside, California. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Rodgers Silicon Valley Acquisition Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rodgers Silicon Valley Acquisition and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Stock market today: Wall Street hits records despite tariff talkWelling had 11 rebounds for the Wolverines (4-1). Trevan Leonhardt added 11 points while going 4 of 5 from the field while they also had three steals. Dominick Nelson shot 3 of 11 from the field and 4 of 7 from the free-throw line to finish with 10 points, while adding six rebounds. Shelton Williams-Dryden finished with 18 points for the Wolves (0-7). Kyric Davis added 16 points and four blocks for West Georgia. Malcolm Noel had 14 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

NEW YORK (AP) — Top-ranked chess player Magnus Carlsen is headed back to the World Blitz Championship on Monday after its governing body agreed to loosen a dress code that got him fined and denied a late-round game in another tournament for refusing to change out of jeans. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * NEW YORK (AP) — Top-ranked chess player Magnus Carlsen is headed back to the World Blitz Championship on Monday after its governing body agreed to loosen a dress code that got him fined and denied a late-round game in another tournament for refusing to change out of jeans. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? NEW YORK (AP) — Top-ranked chess player Magnus Carlsen is headed back to the World Blitz Championship on Monday after its governing body agreed to loosen a dress code that got him fined and denied a late-round game in another tournament for refusing to change out of jeans. Lamenting the contretemps, International Chess Federation President Arkady Dvorkovich said in a statement Sunday that he’d let World Blitz Championship tournament officials consider allowing “appropriate jeans” with a jacket, and other “elegant minor deviations” from the dress code. He said Carlsen’s stand — which culminated in his quitting the tournament Friday — highlighted a need for more discussion “to ensure that our rules and their application reflect the evolving nature of chess as a global and accessible sport.” Carlsen, meanwhile, said in a video posted Sunday on social media that he would play — and wear jeans — in the World Blitz Championship when it begins Monday. “I think the situation was badly mishandled on their side,” the 34-year-old Norwegian grandmaster said. But he added that he loves playing blitz — a fast-paced form of chess — and wanted fans to be able to watch, and that he was encouraged by his discussions with the federation after Friday’s showdown. “I think we sort of all want the same thing,” he suggested in the video on his Take Take Take chess app’s YouTube channel. “We want the players to be comfortable, sure, but also relatively presentable.” Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The events began when Carlsen wore jeans and a sportcoat Friday to the Rapid World Championship, which is separate from but held in conjunction with the blitz event. The chess federation said Friday that longstanding rules prohibit jeans at those tournaments, and players are lodged nearby to make sartorial switch-ups easy if needed. An official fined Carlsen $200 and asked him to change pants, but he refused and wasn’t paired for a ninth-round game, the federation said at the time. The organization noted that another grandmaster, Ian Nepomniachtchi, was fined earlier in the day for wearing sports shoes, changed and continued to play. Carlsen has said that he offered to wear something else the next day, but officials were unyielding. He said “it became a bit of a matter of principle,” so he quit the rapid and blitz championships. In the video posted Sunday, he questioned whether he had indeed broken a rule and said changing clothes would have needlessly interrupted his concentration between games. He called the punishment “unbelievably harsh.” “Of course, I could have changed. Obviously, I didn’t want to,” he said, and “I stand by that.” Advertisement AdvertisementNone

UPDATE -- nCino to Participate in Upcoming Investor Conferences

Authored by David B. Collum, Betty R. Miller Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology - Cornell University (Email: dbc6@cornell.edu , Twitter: @DavidBCollum), Dave Collum’s annual Year in Review covers a wide range of topics including finance, geopolitics, conspiracy theories, healthcare, energy, and cultural issues, with a focus on skepticism towards mainstream narratives and the potential for significant societal and economic shifts. Every year, David Collum writes a detailed “Year in Review” synopsis ( 2023 , 2022 , 2021 , 2020 , 2019 , 2018 ) full of keen perspective and plenty of wit. This year’s is no exception, with Dave striking again in his usually poignant and delightfully acerbic way. Click here for a PDF version of this report! Part 1 Part 2 (Coming Later This Week) Part 3 (Coming in January of 2025) I have the advantage of having found out how hard it is to get to really know something. ~ Richard Feynman What is a woman? ~ Matt Walsh We have reached crisis levels of doubt. It is The Age of Unenlightenment or what Brett Weinstein calls the Cartesian Dark Ages. ref 1 NSA analyst and radical Islam expert Stephen Coughlin says he no longer knows who is calling the shots. ref 2 How do you know what is a fact? AI-generated images and videos have reached near-perfection. The pathological liars in the mainstream media spew agitprop for the pathological liars inside the beltway, all backed by the pathological liars of the Deep State running the fact-check programs. I use the Deep State phrase first introduced by Berkeley scholar Peter Dale Scott as a catch all to avoid wading through all the possible three- and four-letter agencies domiciled in multiple countries that might be the culprit du jour. A more pejorative and colloquial synonym, “The Blob”, was coined by Obama but has only recently begun trending. If this is all new to you, check out Mike Benz on the Joe Rogan Experience for a crash course (#2237). ref 3 My frustration levels soar when I try to provide what I believe is an uncomfortable truth and my victim responds, “I Googled it, and you are wrong.” Oh for fuck’s sake: how many Deep-State-sponsored fact-checkers told you that? It feels like we are suffering from a non-kinetic assault from somebody using Sun Tsu’s Three Warfares Doctrine: psychological warfare, media warfare, and legal warfare. ref 4 I have no idea where this is coming from, but I have ground my brain to mush trying to understand why so many of our leaders show no evidence of foundational beliefs in the American Experiment. Paul Harvey nailed it in his 1965 diatribe, “If I Were the Devil.” ref 5 Take the three minutes to listen. When finished, ask what Paul would add to a 2024 revision. Walter Kirn: I feel that my information gathering system is broken. Matt Taibbi: Yup. I feel the same way. ref 6 There are days in which I yearn for the return of the era of frontier justice. You couldn’t afford to be a dickweed in the olden days because it was too easy for someone to lay waste to you when nobody was looking. Throughout this document you will be introduced to people and ideas that make you wish some form of justice would return. I have a solution. We try to use the justice system under the new administration, but if that fails, we round up some of the most serious miscreants—I’m thinking Fauci et al. , a few Soros-funded prosecutors in the Department of Justice, and maybe even some of those iatrogenic doctors irreversibly damaging kids—and give them an all-expense paid trip—a three-hour tour—to the tropical paradise called “Snake Island.” Snake Island is a biological anomaly. It is teaming with the most venomous snakes in the world—an estimated 5 snakes per square meter. They feed on shorebirds that must be killed instantly. It is against international law to go there, which strikes me as government overreach. Let’s do a dump-and-run of these cretins: “We’ll be back in a couple hours, gents.” Conspiracy Theory. Every year I denounce people who shy away from conspiracy theories. When you find yourself saying, “I am not a conspiracy theorist but...” you just revealed that you are one. Embrace the label. Men and women of wealth and power conspire. If you disagree, I am baffled that you made it this far through this document. Buckle up because it is gonna get much worse. Michael Shermer, a professional debunker of conspiracy theories, included in his book Conspiracy a series of metrics somebody came up with to determine whether a theory is weak or strong. Michael morphed it into a metric of how nuts you are. He should know because he is a professional! He probably works for the See Eye Ay. As an aside, the word “debunk” is inherently flawed because it implicitly presumes the conclusion that something is wrong, and then you set out to prove it. I read and write to see where it takes me. It might show my suspicion I was right or wrong, but the theories I choose to examine—the rabbit holes I go down—are pre-determined to be worthy of further study. Occasionally, I am told to “stay in your lane.” I try to resist my favorite response—“You sack of shit”—which happens to be exactly the phrase I use when somebody doesn’t use their blinker. Then I calmly point out that nothing important is accomplished by people worried about staying in their lane. Until you’re ready to look foolish, you’ll never have the possibility of being great. ~ Cher Let’s see how you do on the Collum Conspiracy Test (CCT) to obtain your CCT score (CCTS). Read the 30 declarative statements listed below that are in conflict with standard narratives. Keep score on a Post-it by giving yourself: I’ll give you my CCTS when you are done. Now for the quiz... If you got a perfect CCTS of either zero or 60, get professional help. You have an unstable personality. A CCTS above 50 suggests you only spotted the explicit sanity checks; you are a loon but not necessarily at risk of harm to yourself or others. A score of 40–49 tags you as a World-class rabbit chaser. A CCTS of 20–39 places you in the Zerohedge bell curve. Below 20 means you are not a die-hard conspiracy theorist but occasionally spot oddities. I hasten to add that, if you think the world is that straightforward, the Joe Rogan–Marc Andreessen podcast (#2234) ref 7 and Rogan-Mike Benz mind bender ref 8 combo platter will adjust your attitude. As promised, I scored 40; exactly which declarations scored me points is my business, although this Year in Review and previous Year in Reviews ref 9 , 10 , 11 offer some insights. Also, my scale is conservative... I did a curious experiment using Twitter’s “Grok” AI product. The result was rather humorous and serves a dual purpose as a stylistic biographical sketch and bolus for my insatiable narcissism. This is unedited. No phrases like “insufferable douche bag” were deleted: Hey Grok: Describe the general theme of posts on Twitter by @DavidBCollum Grok: Ah, @DavidBCollum, a character on Twitter, or should I say, X, whose posts could be described as a cocktail of wit, skepticism, and a dash of financial insight, all served with a side of humor. Here’s the general theme of his posts: In essence, @DavidBCollum’s X posts are a blend of financial wisdom, cultural critique, personal life, and a good dose of humor, all served with a side of skepticism towards the mainstream narrative. If Twitter were a bar, he’d be the bartender who knows all the good stories, tells them with flair, and makes you question your drink’s price. One of my Twitter buddies, @BenjaminWHart, has been calling me Andy Rooney for years now. I should just declare victory, type QED, quit while I’m ahead, and get a real life. This is the greatest thing I have ever seen that didn’t include female nudity of some kind. ~ John Ziegler, journalist This 2024 Year in Review, also called the Urine Review by my wife or YIR for short, comes in three parts. Bob Moriarty: When are you going to release part three? We wait patiently. Me: Not clear, but I am writing. It is a monumentally complex task compared to the other chapters. Moriarty: I hate it when you whine. Warning: I have provided an overview and implications of the election, but you will be shocked and disappointed (or not) at how little I dug into the nearly 200 pages of notes I had collected. Kilograms of ATP got fried and countless hours of my life were squandered trying to understand Biden and then Harris. And then—*poof*—on November 5th these two DNC Trojan Whores were both gone. We became unburdened by what could have been. 11/5 will live in infamy as the DNC’s 9/11. But all those quotes and anecdotes underscoring the total absurdity of the election seem irrelevant now. I am confident, however, that we collectively dodged a bullet by sending these two sociopaths to the political light. My wife created this for me in 2016... Of course, Trump’s victory was a bipartisan surprise as the polls convinced the Left that Kamala was a legitimate contender while those of us on the Right believed The Blob would find a way to stop Trump at any cost. The election was disruptive on so many levels, and has left us with a geopolitical landscape smothered by a pea-soup fog. I am confident that the Trump Presidency 2.0 will have little connection to the 1.0 release. I am optimistic because the system is broken and needs to be razed and rebuilt. The team he is assembling, for better or worse, includes some young brawlers with a sense of purpose gained from locking horns with the system. It is personal for many of them. Thus, the razing part looks like a lock whereas the reconstruction will be a far trickier task. As to the apparent non-trivial number of apparent losers being hired, I urge people to assume that they were vetted by The Donald’s inner circle and fit nicely in whatever is his plan. Doubtless, Trump et al. will generate plenty of material for a 2025 Urine Review. Source Material. You are born into the last chapter of a whodunnit mystery. If you wish to follow the thread you must read the preceding chapters. My efforts to do so are often reflected in the books I read compiled in the “Books” chapter (Part 2). I choose them carefully because my time is precious. They are invariably from the non-fiction shelf, although I often wonder if they have been shelved wrong. Jonathan Turley’s The Indispensable Right , for example, scrutinizes the battles for free speech in America at the Supreme Court level. It is scholarly and riveting, which are two words that are usually juxtaposed. Jonathan forces you to view free speech through a different lens. I write so that knowledge of these important matters may not fade away like the fleeting memories of a passing dream. ~ Thomas Hooker, 1586-1647, source vague I have come to realize that history is a highly fluid series of opinions that are prone to revision. By example, the section entitled, “A Revisionist History of WWII and FDR” is about a journey through a half dozen books that blindsided me. I gave a 20-minute talk on that topic at the New Orleans Investment Conference. ref 12 , 13 Yup. The revised history of WWII and FDR in 20 minutes. I also love ZeroHedge. Strap on your bullshit filter, but ZeroHedge is often at the vanguard of breaking stories. Twitter has become the other go-to place for the global events of the day. Love him or hate him, Elon saved the day by buying Twitter for the low, low price of $44 billion and then firing 90% of its employees who were contra-functional. Many are now working for FEMA where special skills are neither needed nor encouraged. Elon also brought in a number of new functions including its AI chatbot, Grok, and another AI-based editorial function in which a Tweet can be automatically clarified or revised based on follow up comments. I should add that this document was created without AI except when explicitly mentioned. Twitter was the only place to keep track of the rising stardom of Catturd and Brendan Dilley, legendary memers, and Hailey Welch, known by her boyfriends and now the world as Hawk Tuah Girl. Haliey is more than just a hot chick from the sticks; she pulled off a pump and dump on a new crypto. ref 14 That is how you “Hawk Tuah!” Twitter was also the only place to get the unabridged story of the assassination of Peanut the Squirrel by the New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), first reported on November 1. The head of the DEC had to go into hiding. ref 15 The memes—oh those fabulous Twitter memes—smothered the election posts for 24 hours. 11/1 is the 9/11 of 2024. No squirrel has done more to underscore the evils and overreach of government since Rocky the Flying Squirrel battled the Rooskies. You can’t help but notice that the political right dominates the meme world, which turns out to be of consequence. My theory is the left has no sense of humor. Twitter also serves as my LinkedIn, providing extraordinary digital networks and resources, but it can also break your spirit... Or get a little nasty at times... That Dave Collum guy. I think he is the greatest. I think he is smart as fuck. I enjoy reading his stuff. I enjoy reading his letter. I enjoy listening to him. But I don’t agree with everything he says. I agree with maybe half of it. But he is entitled to his point of view, and I’m entitled to mine, but it’s guys like that that make you think. ref 16 ~ Mark Cohodes (@AlderLaneEggs) This nugget of sociobiology serves as a reminder that this is my Year in Review, not yours. I am offering to share it at fair market value—no cost. You’re welcome. Don’t I risk losing readers? Nope. You’re it. Creating this review forces me to organize 500–700 pages of notes, quotes, and jokes before they go down the memory hole never again to see the light of day. This section is all me—my 2024 Dear Diary entry. I am often asked some variant of, “How do you still work at Cornell with those ideas?” My first answer is that Cornell University is a great institution that has a faction of nutjobs on the faculty. This question has, however, become more than rhetorical on occasion. In 2020 I got my ass whooped by a cancellation because of a statement on social media that got me publicly denounced in an open letter by the former President. The heinous crime: I supported the police in a Tweet. Oh the humanity! I still have a little scar tissue from sleeping with loaded rifles and steak knives strategically placed around the house. (I am not joking.) Occasionally somebody will denounce me on Twitter and tag Cornell (@Cornell). Trying to undermine somebody’s livelihood because you are offended is sinister. You certainly have the right to be offended, but you don’t have the right to never be offended. I respond to such subtle jabs by leaving @Cornell in the thread and then “bitch slapping” the asshat. It is better than hunting them down like a mad dog and “beating them with a bag of oranges”, which is my natural instinct. ( 23andMe DNA traced me back to an inbred tribe in the Neander Valley.) We have an enormous number of expensively schooled imbeciles who are badly educated at great expense. ~ George Will The younger generation is getting harder to understand and very easy to offend. I feel like Jane Fookin’ Goodall on her first day. They have no sense of humor because every joke has an edge—a butt of the joke—and they don’t think that is fair. I got into a kerfuffle with my class on day one by dropping too many jokes that would have been innocuous in smaller doses, but it largely subsided when they realized that I care about them and that many of my stories and anecdotes provide serious career and life lessons, albeit deeply embedded in my Tourettes-like outbursts. I talk to them about the highly distracting digital world that must be resisted. If you have been following social psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s work such as Coddling the American Mind or his latest, The Anxious Generation , you realize it is not their fault: smart phones and social media have turned their brains into tapioca pudding. You might as well park them in front of a one-armed bandit in Las Vegas for 15 hours a day. Now imagine a 12-year-old boy with ritalin coursing through his veins deep-diving Pornhub. Would that kid ever study? Would he ever leave his room? If he somehow managed to get a date—the stats showing a collapse of teen dating are horrifying—would you want your daughter to beta test his new-fangled skills? As parents, do not underestimate the severity of this problem. OK. I got off topic again. I tend to do that. Overall, my year was uneventful, with most of it fitting neatly in the sections on “Investing” and “Healthcare”. I wrapped up my research program this year after a 45-year streak of pretty credible success. The final chapter was my call: I burnt the ships in the harbor by not submitting grant renewals. Credentialed experts and The ScienceTM say that, in addition to the void left by less responsibility, your serotonin and dopamine levels drop, which is offset by being too old to give a fuck. I can feel it. Here is a funny story. Cornell suffered a period of tremendous turbulence arising from Palestinian protests. One of my colleagues in the humanities in a moment of minimal clarity noted that he was “exhilarated” by Hamas’s slaughter of Israelis on October 7th, 2023. He seems to be light on the humanity part. This period of rampant free speech cost Cornell and Universities across the nation a ton of shekels as Jewish bazillionaires started disowning them. Imagine, however, if a WWII veteran came back to Cornell in 1969; it would have looked way worse. If you were donating to your alma mater thinking its faculty was a pillar of mental stability, that one’s on you. But the chaos just wouldn’t subside, so one night I gripped and ripped a tweet: I got a call from my brother-in-law who happens to be a trustee and knows everybody . He opens the convo by reciting part of that tweet. The dialog ensued: Me: “How the hell did you see that?” Brother-in-law: “My boss sent it to me.” Me: “Your wife? How did she see it?” Brother-in-law: “My other boss.” Me: “You are self employed. You don’t have a boss.” Brother-in-law: “The Chairman of the Board of Trustees.” As the story goes, the Chairman cold-called him and asked if he by chance knew this guy Collum. Apparently, a faculty member who isn’t whining like a little punk-assed bitch about being oppressed is a trustee-level moment. “Yes. He is my brother-in-law.” Laughter ensued. Enjoy every sandwich. ~ Warren Zevon on his deathbed He who frames the question wins the debate. ~ Randall Terry This year, I did a Zerohedge Debate organized by Liam Cosgrove of The Grayzone and moderated by Bill Fleckenstein. Steve Keen asserted mankind would largely end by 2050—that is not one of my snarky fake claims—whereas I dismissively called it a gigantic grift to monetize the sun. ref 1 , 2 My intellectual high-water mark was the allusion to AI as “squeegeeing drippings from the floor of the internet.” My now-annual trip to the House of the Rising Sun for Brien Lundin’s New Orleans Investment Conference is always a blast where I meet up with old friends, press the flesh with digital friends, and make new friends. Brien dug long and hard to eventually find the bottom of the barrel (me). You can spot some serious contemporary legends. You think that is cool? Take a look at past participants... I averaged one podcast per week (>70 year-to-date). In one with Mike Farris and Diana West on her studies of WWII (see the section “Revised History of WWII and FDR”), Diana noted that her twice-weekly appearances on The Lou Dobbs Show to discuss current events prevented her from thinking deeply or writing seriously. That captured what I was experiencing. Podcasts do, however, serve a purpose much the way gigs at comedy clubs help comedians test drive their ideas. My list of podcasts below is for archival purposes. Mike Farris takes the gold for most invites. Nick Bryant is the scholar on pedophile networks. His chat was important to my studies of child trafficking (Part 3) and in expanding my network of experts and confidants. Tommy Carrigan’s four-way Rumbles in the Jungle with Tom Luongo and Jim Kunstler are always raucous. My interview with Michelle Mikori set the click-count record this year, but the comments section suggests the viewers would have enjoyed it without the audio on. A couple of sites offer bot-driven compilations, including one that professes to rate them. ref 3 , 4 I like the freedom of podcasting. With podcasting, you can really mess around with the form and the format. You can do as much time as you like without having to pause for commercials. ~ Adam Carolla Here is a list of podcasts and links for 2024: Collum could narrate a proctology exam & make it interesting. ~ Vincent J. Curtis (@VincentJCurtis1) I once live-tweeted a cystoscopy: “It burns! It burns!” I will rise to meet Vincent’s challenge. Last year I had a 1.5 inch bladder stone removed by Dr. Darth Vader with his light saber. He inflicted superficial damage that forced him to re-insert the catheter and leave it for a week. Why an entire week? Because he works on Wednesdays. I was not happy about that. This year, my prostate, which was very large due to old age in manly sort of way I guess, was removed by a surgeon named Dr. Weiner. The non-statistical probability of choosing a career that reflects your name is called “nominative determinism”, ref 1 which suggests you should steer clear of Doctors named Butcher, Hack, or Ripper. It is not a perfect rule: Dr. Richard Titball is not a gender reassignment surgeon but rather a professor of biochemistry. ref 2 His students must be ruthless as evidenced by my irresistible urge to make him the “butt” of my joke. You will not hear this often, but I highly recommend the procedure. I went from two-minute dribbles with countless sleep interruptions to blowing out 14 ounces in 4–5 seconds in a 6–8 foot arc. (I should add that those were separate measurements; I am not that talented...yet.) Livin’ the dream. But let me give you old farts a little advice. For the first couple of post-op urinations, sit your ass down unless you wish to see a replay of the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre. It was a ten-minute cleanup of the floor and walls. When I was a kid, I wanted to be older. This is not what I expected. The only room I can enter and remember why I went there is the bathroom. Over-nourishment makes me hold my breath while I tie my shoes. I can no longer get off the floor without grunting. I am dotting my ‘t’s and crossing my ‘I’s. As my hearing gets worse, the blinker on my car runs unabated. I repeat: old age is not for pussies. The decay of our healthcare system continues. For the first time in US history, life expectancy is dropping. Last year I took a cue from Gretchen Morgenson’s and Josh Rosner’s These are the Plunderers ref 3 and wailed on the swath of destruction to the healthcare system by the private equity Borg. ref 4 Monetary policy incentivizes private equity strip-mining of companies by making capital too cheap. When you buy up hospitals, sell off their assets, and sell the shells to dumb money with a 47% probability of bankruptcy down the road, you are a menace to society. Healthcare is now almost completely corporatized, which means that there is a big middleman who wants the Big Vig. Doctors must act in the corporate interests ref 5 by upselling costly tests and treatments. I am not breaking any HIPAA rules: this is my chart. Are they upselling me? The growing number of doctors in the US has not kept up with the demand as the aging boomers increasingly burden the system. It remains a challenge to attract doctors to less profitable subdisciplines and practices in rural settings. Ken Langone endowed NYU Medical School several years ago, making it free and the most desirable med school in the country. As the movement toward endowed tuitions has spread to other schools, the stated logic is that graduates can serve the public better if they are debt free. ref 6 Alas, tuition benefits have not achieved their stated goals but have made being a doctor even more profitable. Meanwhile, the wait time to get an appointment has increased 24% in 20 years ref 7 (much worse from personal experience), which starts looking serious when you have a big, bloody turbocancer lesion hanging off your face. Firing doctors for refusing to vaccinate was about as helpful as defunding the police. ref 8 The soft corruption infecting the healthcare system over the decades undercuts the quality of patient care. The CDC set up a not-for-profit organization ref 9 to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars from pharma to put a chokehold on healthcare. ref 10 I highly recommend The Real Anthony Fauci by Robert F. Kennedy; ref 11 your blood will boil. For a less biased treatment, and I say less biased because Kennedy hates Tony Fauci, try Sickening by Harvard’s John Abramson in which he describes his role in the scandal in which Vioxx caused 60,000 deaths ref 12 as well as other disasters emanating from the highly conflicted clinical trial-industrial complex. ref 13 A recent study found that clinical trials paid for by pharma showed 50 percent higher drug efficacies than those funded independently. ref 14 This so-called ”sponsorship effect” worked so well with the bond rating agencies leading up to the Great Recession. This year I added Sharyl Attkisson’s Follow the Science to my reading list. She brilliantly describes 25-year career at CBS writing about science and the pharmaceutical industry. Her journey has led to her deep-seated revulsion of the Pharma Blob. ref 15 I also forced myself through The Pfizer Papers , ref 16 which is more of a reference book than a reading book. An army of 3200 volunteer doctors and scientists mowed through gazillions of documents pried loose from Pfizer by a FOIA request. I elaborate in the section entitled “Covid-19 and the Vaccine.” Plot spoiler: Pfizer knew from the very start that the vaccine was wreaking havoc. I would suggest that the whole imposing edifice of modern medicine, for all its breathtaking successes is, like the celebrated Tower of Pisa—slightly off balance. ref 17 ~ King Charles (no kidding) In my consultations with colleagues across academia, I sense a widely held belief that the quality of students has dropped precipitously. This stems from a host of factors including iPhone addiction, helicopter parenting, participation trophies, and upbringings in which no-pain no-gain seems to have gone out of favor. The common refrain is, “Why should I learn it if I can just look it up?” The simple answer is that you need an operating system to think. Why is this being mentioned in a section on healthcare? Your future doctors may be surgically rooting around in your chest cavity like a truffle pig guided by YouTube videos. We return to related issues in the section on “College”, but I urge you to find doctors who are old enough to not be the iPhone Walking Dead. Let’s shoot back. Rumor has it Trump won the election, and Kennedy is being put in charge of Health and Human Services. There is no reason to doubt that he will be the most aggressive leader of that massive government organization in its history. At the next level down, the frontrunner to run the National Institutes of Health is Dr. Jay Bhattacharya of Stanford Medical School. He is a mild-mannered, very bright health policy expert who has developed new attitudes about the healthcare system as one of the three creators of the Great Barrington Declaration. ref 18 (For laughs, I looked at Wikipedia’s writeup on the Great Barrington Declaration, ref 19 and it is a complete sack of propaganda to push the authoritarian narrative that I have come to expect from that once revolutionary idea.) Both Kennedy and Bhattacharya have battled the Healthcare Balrog and emerged victorious. They could be revolutionary. While on the topic of eating organic food, brother-sister pair, Calley and Casey Means, appeared out of nowhere in a Tucker Carlson interview discussing decidedly unhealthy food and healthcare. ref 20 This was not by chance but rather the first salvo in the battle to Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) that is a major plank of the Trump administration. Ozempic, Wegovy, and other related anti-obesity drugs hit the ground running this year. The drug companies have restrictions on what they can advertise off-label, but they bypass the restrictions by exploiting famous Hollywood butterballs trying to become marketable again. We have created the ‘solution’ to treat the problem, without really being disciplined and empathetic enough to stop the creation of obese children in the first place. ref 21 ~ Dr. Lawrence Palevsky, pediatrician I am guessing that somewhere down the road we will discover huge side effects. You are treating the symptom not the disease. Bypassing the most overt phenotype arising from eating dogshit—Dunlop’s Syndrome in which your “belly done lops over your belt”—may not be healthy. And yet some health authorities, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommend it for teens, which will enable consequence-free Cheeto-Mountain Dew diets while they sit around staring into their iPhones. ref 22 Yay. That cannot be good, but I am expecting worse. Side effects include Anxiety, insomnia, and depression, all accompanied by a 45% rise in “suicide ideation.” ref 23 Muscle loss ref 24 seems to be causing “Ozempic Eyes” or “Ozempic Face” ref 25 in which you pick up that starving-POW look. When you are talking about the human biome, it is likely to be FAFO (fuck around find out.) At least your pall bearers will thank you. That BBC headline is spot on: death is the leading cause of not ageing. The profitability of a drug that must be taken for life causes spittle to drool down the chins of pharma CEOs. At $1000 per month without prescription coverage, Ozempic Wallet may become a thing. Euthanasia seems to be cool again. A depressed 28-year-old Dutch woman scheduled to be euthanized in May found happiness as the big day approached. ref 26 In Canada, its popularity has exceeded that of the ice bucket challenge. The CEO of United Health got assassinated by a pro. ref 27 Inscriptions on the bullet casings—“Deny, Depose, Defend”—suggested the company’s record of having the highest denial of coverage percentage in the business ref 28 left one critic a little grumpy and offered him complementary body piercings. This is a rapidly evolving story. The perpetrator has supposedly been identified, leaving the world mystified about why and even if he did it. ref 29 Note to the Elites: this is the shit that happens when the plebes feel like they have no civilized path forward. This is a Fourth Turning move. With especially poor timing, insurance company Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield announced that they would not cover the cost of anesthesia if the surgery took longer than a prescribed time. That policy was retracted fast , ref 30 presumably straight from the desk of the CEO trying to avoid the wireless hole puncher. I suspect that the announcement was already in the chamber to be fired out to the public when the United Health CEO got whacked. FAFO. The new shingles vaccine, Shingrix, was released in time to battle the shingles pandemic among the recently vaccinated. But they are provided for free! Yeah. Right. Government handouts mean you are paying. How broke will we be when all pharma products are free? That would have tremendous palliative benefits of reducing the diseased CPI. And since you have no idea what is in those devilish jabs, I should point out that Shingrix is an mRNA gene therapy. Are you going to jump on that bandwagon again and hope it doesn’t cause bleeding from every orifice? I’ll pass, thankyou very much. I’ve seen claims that healthcare is approaching 20% of US GDP. I have witnessed a huge spike in construction of healthcare facilities in my little college town of Ithaca. Economists love GDP, but let’s unwrap that. Would you be better off if you needed no healthcare whatsoever? Of course. Soaring boomer healthcare costs reflect the cost of keeping a rapidly depreciating fleet of aging Chevy Chevettes, Ford Pintos, and Corvairs on the road. And a headline from Bloomberg... Health and Human Services’s 2025 budget includes the keyword “equity” 829 times. Hundreds of billions are spent chasing the DEI bogey while your health falters. ref 31 And, by the way, why is DEI considered so profoundly important while tagging a hire as a DEI hire is verboten? Dear Kamala: the gold miners are gouging the price of gold. It’s up 10% per year under President Jill Biden. Can you please tell them to stop? Thanks. ref 1 ~ Zerohedge Gold had both a strong year (+30% ytd) and was not particularly newsworthy. Gold bugs always look forward to Ronald-Peter Stöferle’s and Mark J. Valek’s In Gold We Trust comprehensive treatise on the yellow metal and related topics. ref 2 I am not a technical analysis guy but the most highly respected technical analyst of gold, Mike Oliver, said gold would launch if it broke $2500. Although I would not call $2600 a launch, it held above that level to close the year at $2650 (as of 12/16/24) despite a sell-the-news $200+ swoon following the 2024 US elections. While some viewed the election sell-off to be about fundamentals, I think it was just an unwinding of a doom bet on election carnage (rioting, eating cats and dogs, shit like that). Despite detractors, gold is the #2 reserve currency below the dollar. Most are unaware that gold “IPO’d” in August 15, 1971, it has delivered a nearly 8% annualized return priced in dollars. The claim that gold is 5x gain relative to equities and bonds if that is a mean regressing proportionality. Remember that what follows this period of recessionary deflation will be MMT or some facsimile thereof. That is the ‘big bomb of debt’ monetization that ends up sending gold beyond a bull market towards a parabolic surge. ~ David “Rosie” Rosenberg A few nuggets are worthy of mention: Another wage-price spiral attributable to rising oil prices would be very reminiscent of the Great Inflation of the 1970s, when the price of gold soared. In this scenario, $3,500 per ounce would be a realistic target for gold through 2025. ~ Ed Yardeni (@yardeni) The most likely wildcard path to a gold price of $3,000/oz gold is a rapid acceleration of an existing but slow-moving trend: de-dollarization across “Emerging” markets central banks that in turn leads to a crisis of confidence in the U.S. #dollar...” ref 10 –Citigroup analysts Silver is schizophrenic in that it is less of a monetary metal than gold and much more of an industrial metal. As shown below, US traders smack it around, but that is just day trading. When powerful short sellers in the big banks get caught offsides on a big bet, the price will likely get stepped on temporarily. The silver bulls view silver as a leveraged play on gold, but will that be true going forward? A bullish argument is that Joe Sixpack gets more bang for the buck for silver—an ounce for $30. But that seems like a relevant rallying cry only in the final meme/mania phase, and this is no mania yet. The gold–silver ratio is said to have been 7:1 in ancient Rome and is now in the ballpark of 90:1. Some say that the 16:1 ratio in the Earth’s crust is the target for mean regression, but that is probably too simplistic given the complexities of the mining industry. Doomberg warns that there are no big advances in battery technology, and the incremental advances are all in large companies. He urges you to never invest in a story stock promising a breakthrough. Silver’s importance in the Samsung’s newest rechargeable batteries does seem encouraging. The importance of silver in solar panels and the difficulties in recycling them makes silver a good bet should the climate cult continue to help the climate grifters who, in turn, are playing into the hands of the authoritarians. That every electronic device on the planet uses largely non-recyclable silver should drive demand for silver. ref 13 One of the best rules anybody can learn about investing is to do nothing, absolutely nothing, unless there is something to do...I just wait until there is money lying in the corner, and all I have to do is go over there and pick it up... I wait for a situation that is like the proverbial ‘shooting fish in a barrel.’ ~ Jim Rogers, in Market Wizards Let’s begin with savings. I think you save for retirement whereas you invest to fight inflation. Four decades ago (1981), I was a cash-poor new homeowner. I began furnishing it from yard sales but eventually progressed to 18th and 19th century American antiques. They were in a bull market as boomers began homesteading and caught the country bug in large numbers. I now live with really nice furniture that may not be worth what I paid but has not followed IKEA crap off the depreciation cliff. I was doing OK in these formative years including steady flows into retirement accounts, but one day I was reading a USAir magazine story that asked rhetorically, “Are you saving enough for retirement?” I realized I could do better and followed their suggestion to increase the rate of savings incrementally. For many years now I have sheltered 25–30% of my gross salary into retirement. This was true even during the kids’ college years. Last year, for example, I socked away 25% despite purchasing a new SUV for my wife and some aggressive distributions to the next generation. Well, this year, owing to wrapping up my research program, the 25% of my salary deriving from Federal grants evaporated, and my savings dropped to 4%. Technically speaking, I lived paycheck-to-paycheck. I also realized, however, that next year I turn 70 and will get nearly $60,000 per year salary boost from Social Security, which was good timing. I am, however, pondering retirement so that I can go to my office everyday as usual but work for free. Raising children is an enormously expensive endeavor. ~ Malcolm Gladwell My son, a professional violinist, went on a 6-week whirlwind tour of Europe shopping for a new violin. He found nothing of interest until, on nearly the last day, this 1725 Carlo Antonio Testore came across the auction block at Tarisio, and, with 100% funding by the Bank of Dad (BoD), he grabbed it. This six-digit purchase (with all six to the left of the decimal point) is owned by the BoD; he will inherit it. Was it a good buy? I think so. The kid has a good head, keen eye, and fabulous ear. I do not include this violin in my personal savings calculations; it is a hard asset. The mid-19th-century dining room table with the stunning tiger maple on which the Testore resides cost $700. That was a good buy too. An interesting aside, a 1714 Stradivarius is about to cross Sotheby’s auction block at an estimated World-record-beating $12–18 million. ref 1 (Of course, the very best are owned by institutions and will never hit the auction block.) To recap my 45-year investment history, I was 100 percent long-bonds via TIAA from 1980–1987 until a discussion with a colleague in the wake of the ’87 crash convinced me I should hit the equities hard. I averaged in , but did so aggressively, and became wildly enthusiastic about tech by the early ‘90s. I was a poster child for the bubble. However, I had learned enough about markets to conclude that something was wrong. In July of 1998 I jettisoned half of my CREF-based index funds and watched the market tank into the Asian Flu. Feeling half genius and half moron, I was determined to get the second half out if the market rallied back. It did, and I was out of indexes by early ’99 and had tight stops on tech favorites as well as a handful of other real winners. They were all gone by mid ’99, pocketing 700% each on Worldcom and Dell, for example. (I never bought a dot-com.) Without a single share of an equity, I paid off the tail-end of my mortgage (debt-free ever since) and went long gold (cost basis 10% of My Net Worth Positions 1.0–10% of My Net Worth Positions 0.10–1.0% of My Net Worth Positions 50%). The bottom is in when the Fed stops dropping rates. The Fed started dropping rates in March 16th, 2024. Let the games begin. I hasten to add that these correlations of rates and returns don’t necessarily indicate causation. The greatest credit event of all would be a recession in which US yields went up, not down. ~ Michael Hartnett By the end, we’re 40 times leveraged with 0.1% growth to get what looks like 4% growth...find me an economist who can tell me what the real unleveraged growth of America is, and people will have an epileptic fit even thinking about it because it’s teeny. ~ David Murrin I am getting increasingly concerned that we have to endure another decline of 5 percent or more before the year is out. ref 33 ~ Sam Stovall, CFRA Research’s chief investment strategist, way over his skis I feel like a lot of what’s perceived as wealth is an inflation illusion. ~ Stephanie Pomboy The Magnificent Seven. The Mag 7—Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, Meta (Facebook), Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla—are the modern-day Nifty Fifty of 1967 or the 14 Japanese companies rounding out the top 20 companies in the world in 1989. Both offered up spectacular gains, culminating in catastrophic prospective losses. Sometimes the ten largest are discussed, but they lack the catchy name recognition. The Mag 7 are collectively overpriced, moreso than when I launched a diatribe against them in 2022, gloating about their recent beatings only to watch them humiliate me. ref 37 Nvidia (NVDA) has become the market and will be the focus of my scorn. Before projectile vomiting my sour Nvidia grapes, I want to share a few random bullets about the collective Mag 7 and the other players in the Mag 7—the Mag 6—that caught my attention. The only thing less valuable than Tesla stock is a fully grown adult at P. Diddy’s house. ref 38 ~ Lewis Black If you think Silicon Valley knows what it’s doing financially, you really have to rethink things. ~ Jim Chanos, Kynikos Apple’s index representation is set to increase after Buffett’s sale fully unleashed the amount of stock available for trading. In turn, index-tracking funds will need to purchase the shares to mimic its growing heft. ref 43 ~ Bloomberg, failing to understand the definition of “float” ref 44 Nvidia (NVDA) is the poster child of the New Era. I have seen cats chase laser pointers with less enthusiasm. I suspect NVDA and its CEO will be pictured on milk cartons when the next big whoosh lays waste to the indices. Some hang the Ponzi moniker on NVDA owing to massive valuations (50x revenues), shady dealings with Coreweave, and a CEO with bad press from past shenanigans. ~Me, 2023 YIR Nvidia. While nuclear-powered AI is said by some to be the greatest thing since the internet, profits from AI seem to not be materializing. The big players could spend huge bucks just to keep up with each other. Google is at risk of its invader-proof moat drying up. If the generations of technology roll over faster than the R&D can be amortized, AI companies could suffer death by creative destruction. ref 46 Meanwhile, the pick and shovel maker Nvidia has become the first $3 trillion company with a capacity to gain or lose hundreds of billions of dollars in a single day. They added more than the equivalent of Goldman Sachs in one night. Nvidia has become the technology market. To get to a [pre-10:1-share-split] $740 share price simply requires NVDA to maintain a monopolist-like operating profit margin of 55% for the next decade, while also growing sales 10x to more than $600bn. For context, the entire industry sold $527bn worth of chips last year. ~ Jesse Felder (@jessefelder) not knowing that the price would soon double The U.S. Supreme Court will hear Nvidia’s appeal of a court ruling that accuses the company of committing securities fraud. ref 60 ~ Bezinga Headline NVDA investors won’t want to read (and apparently didn’t) Nvidia gets subpoena from US DoJ, Bloomberg News reports –Reuters, another headline NVDA investors didn’t read Nvidia has been a high-wire act for some time. ref 64 ~ Marc Cohodes, 2002 There are a number of people who could have put Jensen in jail. ref 65 ~ Marc Cohodes, 2024, quoting a source I think it is the biggest bubble I’ve ever seen. Nvidia is up $1 trillion in one month. ~ Fred Hickey, The High-Tech Strategist Nvidia is highly unlikely to be a long-term winner as the demand for picks and shovels occurs at the beginning of a gold rush, and then rapidly fades. ref 69 ~ Dhaval Joshi of BCA Research So there you have it. Nvidia is the market. It has offered investors >170% one-year return and a 2400% five-year return. Will their 80% profit margins and valuations at >40x revenue and 100x levered-free cash flow hold up over time? During the dot-com bust Nvidia swan dived 90%. Could the drop be bigger this time? I said yes, ref 70 but what do I know? Here is the bullish case that says they just keep going up. ref 71 AI will likely be transformative and highly profitable, but probably to those who can buy the body parts at a deep discount after a period of carnage. Nvidia provides the infrastructure—the pipes—for AI. Corning provided the infrastructure—the light pipes—for the telecom sector and internet. I have a few questions. Will history refer to the “Magnificent Seven” as a success story or will they become the “Malignant 7” and join the Nifty Fifty and Dotcoms in the Hall of Shame? That I need not even define “Mag Seven” for the reader is a tell. The Yahoo Finance page has a picture of Jensen Huang every...single...day. He has been on countless magazine covers. This seems like the magazine cover jinx that is now an infamous top call, but—and this is Kim Kardashian-sized but—Jensen has not yet been on The Economist . However, as they said in Starwars, there is another... Market Bullets. Before my final wrap up, let’s peek at a couple of funny stories of the type that emerge before the proverbial tide recedes. Chewy surges after ‘Roaring Kitty’ discloses stake. ~ Yahoo Finance Headline When a stock surges 90% because of the “Return of Roaring Kitty”, you know we are currently living in one of the most speculative environments in history. ~ Otavio Costa By the way, what does a whale that can move markets by simply spouting out his blowhole actually look like? This is Roaring Kitty. Are you not entertained now? The Game is indeed nearly over. In conclusion, we are witnessing the great cycle of life. As the markets pull out of some secular low and climb the wall of worry, credit loosens, entrepreneurs begin taking baby steps at creating new wealth, eventually reaching a climax—a blow-off top. Prior to the collapse, the smart guys will have already snuck out the back door to safe havens, leaving the risk in pension plans run by Hillbillies. As the collapse wreaks havoc and crushes the nouveau poor, the “elites” will foreclose on the malinvestment and confiscate the portions of the wealth that survive the washout for pennies on the dollar. Who bought the real estate that went on the auction block in 08–09? Not you or me. Après le deluge, the cycle starts all over again. A 1994 paper by Romer and Akerloff described the great wealth transfer of the boom-bust cycle. I’ve saved my really big concern for last. We appear to be in yet another investment mania. Wall Street guys call it a “blow-off top”, which is coded language for getting you to keep putting your money in through fear that you will miss the best part—the Grand Finale. Lincoln made that mistake too. Yet, somehow, nobody seems euphoric. The Roaring 20s got their name for a reason. The dot-com boom felt like we had catapulted into the future. The housing mania that drove the markets to the ’07 top was euphoric as nouveau homeowners thought Oprah would be giving everybody a house and a pony. During this latest high, by contrast, the Left Half think their lives are over because the Orange Man won. The Right Half voted for the radical reform because they have had enough of the Left Half. The Bottom Half are working two jobs to pay their bills because of the surging cost of living. The Top Half will do anything to avoid returning to the Bottom Half (including selling into a panic). Politicians are despised, the mainstream media is hated, and the healthcare profession killed people. Universities are viewed as neo-Marxist training camps and too damned expensive. It feels like a mix of 1860 USA and 1789 France. Here is the Really Big Question: If everybody is so grumpy at the top, what the hell is the next recession and accompanying bottom going to look like? There is not the slightest indication that [nuclear energy] will ever be obtainable. It would mean that the atom would have to be shattered at will. ~ Albert Einstein, 1932. To state the obvious, energy runs the world. The entire growth of civilization is about harnessing enthalpy (heat) to overcome entropy (chaos). Without the constant input of enthalpy, civilization will decay into a state of maximum entropy, and Bartertown may be our best-case scenario. Beginning with The Quest for Fire , every major advance in cultural evolution demanded increasing energy efficiency from trees, peat bogs, whale blubber, coal, oil, natural gas, and the atom. I am convinced that anthropogenic climate change is a load of anthropogenic crap brought to us by tens of trillions of dollars of anthropogenic grift and global authoritarianism. I have run out of patience with policymakers, corporate decision-makers, and investors who collectively throw up their hands and say, ‘Don’t blame me.’ There is no excuse to fall for the myth of being victimized by the unprecedented. –Stephen Roach in Myth of the Unprecedented Here is where I cut the psychopaths some slack: maybe they are in a position to see that changes are coming and, to quote a famous former governor, “Fuck your freedoms.” The Club of Rome was not nuts asserting exponential growth on a finite orb is arithmetic nonsense as brilliantly described in talks by Albert Bartlett. ref 1 The obvious and final play is nuclear. Perceived risk is amplified by the vivid imagery of Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima setbacks; there were no fatalities at the former two, and an estimated 31 died in the immediate aftermath of Chernobyl. By contrast, wind turbines kill several dozen people per year. My interest in energy and electric vehicles is a combination of curiosity, investment opportunity, and tracking the twisted globalists’ quest for global domination. There are plenty of energy experts; I find the pseudonymous Doomberg to be a fabulous source of grounded wisdom. ref 2 The energy transition is failing and will fail. ref 3 ~ Barry Norris, the founder and chief investment officer of UK hedge fund Argonaut Capital Partners LLP Electric Vehicles. The electric vehicles (EVs) came on too fast. You cannot legislate solutions to technical problems. The EV market appears to be heading for a shakeout that is not just about a bursting bubble on Wall Street. It is bullet time: Something super weird is going on, as Tesla was the *only* car company attacked! ref 11 ~ Elon Musk on the German attacks on Giga factory The investment community’s belief that EVs will displace the internal combustion engine remains as strong as ever. We vigorously disagree... Despite claims to the contrary, our research suggests EVs are less energy efficient than internal combustion engine automobiles. As a result, they will fail to gain widespread adoption. ref 15 ~ Goehring & Rozencwajg Electric vehicles (EVs) are piling up on lots across the country as the green revolution hits a speed bump, data show. ref 18 ~ USA Today, November 14, 2023 The road to electrification could be bumpier than anticipated. ~ Stephen Scherr, Hertz CEO...oops...ex-CEO The Twittersphere pointed out that Volkswagen was run by Nazis. She deleted her Twitter account. Well, hells bells. Let’s get more government in the game... I have a particular fondness, I must tell you, for electric school buses. I love electric school buses! I just love them for so many reasons! Maybe because I went to school on a school bus. Hey, raise your hand if you went to school on a school bus! ~ Kamala Harris, former future President The bottom line seems to be that EVs cost way more than ICEs to buy, finance, insure, and repair. They hold value like bananas left on the countertop. You can’t refuel them in two minutes. They can catch fire, rip through tires because of the excessive weight, get written down near zero after a fender bender because the integrity of the battery is unknowable, experience software crashes worse than Windows 95, witness precipitous drop in miles per charge in cold weather, strain the grid, and bankrupt rental agencies because of all of the above. ref 34 Otherwise, they’re great! That leads to the ultimate question: where will we get all the green energy to power all those green cars? The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself. ~ President Franklin D. Roosevelt Biomass-Derived Energy. I’ve written about biomass before. its problems were vividly laid bare by, of all people, Michael Moore in his Planet of the Humans documentary. ref 35 Destroying the World’s arable soils so that you can drive your car is insane. Of course, the corn lobby will keep the ethanol subsidies coming much the way wool subsidies refuse to die. Otherwise, I sense the idea has already died on the vine. We built a heck of a lot of wind capacity in 2023 in the United States, but the actual amount of wind electricity produced went down simply because you have wind droughts. ref 36 ~ Dan Kish, energy economist, Institute for Energy Research (IER) Wind Turbines. Wind is close behind. Construction and disposal of wind turbines are environmentally brutal. The ornithologists detest the deaths of migratory birds while missing the possible benefits of catching them with nets to make raptor stews. Turbines turn pristine landscapes into eyesores. I used to fish off Wolf Island in the Saint Lawrence River. It is now a big wind farm. Next time you drive by a windfarm, count how many turbines are not turning. Wind turbines seem likely to follow biomass into the dustbin of history. If you want an interesting takedown, listen to this 4-minute riff on wind turbines in the show Landman . ref 37 Let’s shoot them with a few bullets anyway. Solar Power. Cradle-to-grave analyses of the efficacy of alternative energies require a detailed investigation of the overall cost, resource depletion, net energy cost after the consumption of fossil fuels have been accounted for, and all of the above when it comes time for the grave. Analyses by many including David MacKay, ref 43 , 44 , 45 whose work came highly recommended by energy security analyst Iddo Wernick, ref 46 have convinced me alternative “green” energies cannot replace fossil fuels. The incentives for those in the alternative energy industry to carry out such detailed analyses is akin to the incentives of Pfizer to find all the flaws in their drugs and vaccines. The problem of solar panel disposal will explode with full force in two or three decades and wreck the environment because it is a huge amount of waste and they are not easy to recycle. ref 47 ~ Forbes Hundreds of millions of solar panels are in service; most have a lifespan of under 30 years. Each year, their electric output drops by at least half a percent, and given enough time they must be replaced. Best I can tell, nobody has figured out how to solve the “intractable problem of hazardous waste disposal” ref 48 once the solar panels have gone to the light. I am by no means an expert, but this serves as a warning to eco-bliss-ninnies who embrace alternative energies without much thought. Developers who pocketed huge profits and are arguably responsible for them cradle-to-grave will be long gone when that grave part arrives. I am just topping off years of casual reading about energy, admittedly accruing wisdom incrementally: As Europe and the rest of the World get pounded by energy shortages, people may soon be begging for nuclear power plants in their backyards — NIMBY turns RIMBY (right in my backyard). ~ Dave Collum, 2023, cited In Gold We Trust Nuclear Energy. I have been confident for awhile now that nuclear power was going to return. It must return. The bombing of the Nordstream pipeline struck me as a trigger. Freezing a few asses off in a chilly Northern European winter would have the Germans begging for a plant in their backyards. That didn’t happen, but there emerged an urgent push for nuclear energy that came with little warning inside the Trojan Horse of AI. Our children will enjoy in their homes electrical energy too cheap to meter. ~ Lewis L. Strauss, chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission Chips used for AI suck up 5–10x more power than standard CPU systems. ref 58 I call it a Trojan Horse because I believe the enthusiasm for AI is not just putting pressure to find better sources of energy. AI is being used to generate the “buzz” to get sign-off by the public on nuclear energy. I can imagine a future in which Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are the largest components in the XLE energy index. All the cool kids like Gates, Fink, Jensen, and Altman are on the bandwagon. Moreover, the timescales often cited are in years not decades. Something has changed. The big money is all in, which means nuclear energy is surging. I am playing catchup here, but the “next gen” or “second gen” small modular reactors (SMRs) can be mass produced. Our nuclear sub fleet illustrates the basic idea. Cost estimates are all over the map, but the wild variations appear to trace to regulatory uncertainties, which can be bulldozed if the mood is right. Energy whiz Doomberg did a back-of-the-envelope calculation showing that the footprint of a traditional reactor is Why Intel Stock Sank Today

Broderick Jones has made a habit of watching the televised copy of Pittsburgh Steelers games, even if that means listening to the commentators criticize his performance at right tackle. And Jones has given them plenty of ammunition: He’s been flagged nine times – including a pair of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties – and allowed eight sacks and 28 pressures in 11 games this season. But Jones doesn’t blink. “I really don’t listen to what other people are telling me because I feel like I’ve done enough to know what I need to fix and what I don’t need to fix, the things that I do to take that step forward,” Jones said Tuesday afternoon at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “I don’t listen to outsiders. That really don’t faze me.” Despite enduring what Steelers coach Mike Tomlin called the “bumps and bruises associated with on-the-job training,” Jones believes he can build upon the struggles of his second NFL season. The Steelers selected the 6-foot-5, 311-pounder No. 14 overall out of Georgia in 2023, believing as much in the enormity of his potential as his frame. That’s why Tomlin said he has “no intentions of blinking” when asked if Jones would be benched after drawing three penalties and allowing Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Odafe Oweh to record four quarterback hits and 2 1⁄2 sacks in an 18-16 win on Nov. 17. And why Jones takes comfort in knowing that he has Tomlin’s support. “Everything is not going to be perfect. Even though we’re chasing to be perfect, nothing is going to be perfect,” Jones said. “Coach T always tells me he has tremendous faith in me and belief in me, so I feel like I can do anything. It gives me a little bit more confidence. I’ve always had confidence within myself. Hearing him say that, it gives me a little bit of an extra boost or however you want to put it or whatnot. It’s good knowing he has my back.” After allowing two sacks in the season opener at Atlanta, he lost his starting job to rookie Troy Fautanu, the 2024 first-round pick. Jones was benched after picking up three penalties in a six-play span in one drive at Denver. That move was short-lived, however, as Fautanu was placed on injured reserve after undergoing surgery for a dislocated kneecap. So, the Steelers have little choice but to live with Jones and his mishaps and mistakes. In addition to the pair of personal fouls, he has been called for five holding penalties, a facemask and a false start. Jones’ five run-game penalties are tied with Trevor Penning of the New Orleans Saints for the most in the NFL this season. Even though Tomlin has publicly voiced his support for Jones, he made it clear that Jones might have heard an earful of criticism behind closed doors in film sessions and team meetings. “The things that I do with them in the privacy of our space, I’ll leave between us,” Tomlin said. “The things that I tell you guys are often not necessarily how I handle them. And I’ll simply leave it at that.” Losing right guard James Daniels to a season-ending torn Achilles likely exacerbated Jones’ growing pains. Instead of lining up next to a seasoned veteran, Jones is playing beside rookie Mason McCormick. Tomlin was quick to note that the 23-year-old Jones is still in the development stage of his career, almost a year younger than McCormick and only three months older than rookie center Zach Frazier. “So he’s got growth in all areas ahead of him,” Tomlin said, “but he also has an awesome skill set.” While Jones acknowledges that having a pair of young players on the same side of the offensive line makes them obvious targets for opponents, he credits McCormick for bringing out the best in him – even if it sometimes exposes his worst traits. “He brings the nasty to the game of football,” Jones said. “I like the way he plays. Playing next to me, it gives me some type of encouragement to go out there and be physical and finish plays. I’m watching him always be downfield after a play, always around the pile. It’s the little things like that that make him stand out to me, so I try to do the same.” That was evident when Jones got into a heated scuffle with Ravens defensive back Marlon Humphrey, drawing offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in the second quarter. McCormick claimed he is learning assignments and techniques from Jones, seeing him become more deliberate throughout the season even as he’s deals with problems with penalties and pass protections. “Some things have happened, but Broderick has done a really good job of putting things behind him,” McCormick said. “You can see him continue to grow and develop – in his mind, as well. He’s still a young player. I am, too. We’re learning and growing together. You can see that growth really starting to take place. ... “Not everybody gets to see everything that we do. Broderick comes in and works hard. He is extremely talented. The ceiling for him is crazy. He’s going to keep working hard to reach it.” That talent is why Tomlin hasn’t wavered in his support of Jones. Having the support of his head coach is why Jones is confident that he can correct his mistakes and live up to his enormous potential. “I feel like I’ve always been coachable, so I listen to what they say,” Jones said. “I definitely wouldn’t be here without them. I know they won’t lead me down the wrong path. When they say something, it’s always something encouraging, just to give you a push. They’re going to get on you, too – I know it firsthand. Coach T always has all the players’ backs. As long as we have that, we’ll be all right.”Nigeria to tap $200bn hydrogen economy, says ministerYou only have a few hours left to shop Cyber Monday sales — most of the deals from our favorite retailers end at midnight. As a reporter who’s covered Cyber Monday for five years, I can say with confidence that the discounts are currently as good as they’re going to get, and the longer you wait, the greater the risk of what you want selling out or going up in price. To help you find the best Cyber Monday deals actually worth shopping , I combed through thousands of discounts and picked highly rated products that are at least 20% off. When possible, I ran deals through price trackers to make sure they’re at their lowest price in at least three months. I’ll continue to update this list live throughout Cyber Monday with new deals, price drops and additional promos. SKIP AHEAD Best Cyber Monday 2024 deals | More Cyber Monday sales | How I picked the best Cyber Monday deals | Why trust NBC Select? I found, vetted and wrote about every deal I recommend below. I worked with NBC Select editors to finalize the list, which I’m frequently updating to reflect the most up-to-date prices. For more information on our editorial team and how we choose products, check out this page . Amazon Smart Plug 4.7-star average rating from 565,695 reviews on Amazon Once you connect devices like lamps and fans to this smart plug , you can control them via a companion app and Amazon Alexa voice commands. The app also lets you set on/off schedules — I connect my Christmas lights to the smart plug so they turn on at sunrise and off at sunset. It’s compact too, so you can keep your second outlet free or stack two on top of each other. Tile Mate 4.2-star average rating from 23,553 reviews on Amazon Lowest price ever Attach the Tile Mate to your keys or put it inside bags to keep track of where they are. The device pairs with the brand’s app, which shows you its location on a map and lets you ring it so you can follow the sound. The water-resistant tracker can also help you find your phone — just press its center to make it ring, even when it’s on silent mode. Apple AirPods Pro 2 4.6-star average rating from 11,627 reviews on Amazon I use these wireless earbuds every day while running, commuting and taking calls. They offer three listening modes, including active noise cancellation, and up to six hours of battery life on a single charge, according to the brand. The water-resistant headphones come with a MagSafe USB-C charging case and four pairs of silicone tips so you can customize their size. Anker Zolo Portable Charger 4.5-star average rating from 2,553 reviews on Amazon Lowest price ever Anker’s portable charger has a built-in USB-C cable and two USB-C ports, so you can repower three devices at once. It has a digital display on the front, which shows you how much battery it has left. The charger is about the size of a credit card, making it easy to carry in your pocket. Energizer AA Batteries 4.8-star average rating from 49,443 reviews on Amazon It never hurts to have extra batteries at home, especially during the holiday season when you may be using them to power string lights, remotes, kids’ toys and kitchen gadgets. This pack comes with 32 AA alkaline batteries, which last up to 10 years in storage, according to the brand. CeraVe Skin Renewing Eye Cream 4.4-star average rating from 6,530 reviews on Amazon Dermatologists we spoke to recommend this eye cream , which is made with ceramides , caffeine , peptides and niacinamide . Applying it daily helps reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles, hydrate skin and brighten dark circles, according to the brand. Cosrx Snail Mucin 96% Power Face Serum 4.6-star average rating from 75,146 reviews on Amazon Cosrx’s face serum is made with snail mucin , a hydrating ingredient that can boost the skin’s moisture levels and address fine lines, according to dermatologists we spoke to. It helps soothe dryness, reduce dullness and repair dark spots, according to the brand. The serum has a lightweight feel and gives you a dewy glow, plus it absorbs quickly so you can layer other products over it. Apple AirTag (4 pack) 4.7-star average rating from 6,803 reviews on Amazon I attach AirTags to my keys and put them in my bags to keep track of where they are via Apple’s Find My app. The little trackers are about the size of a quarter, and I can use the app to see the device’s location on a map or play a sound on its built-in speaker. You can purchase a keychain to put your AirTags on — my favorite is from Belk and it’s currently on sale. Chamberlain Smart Garage Control 4.3-star average rating from 99,458 reviews on Amazon After installing this controller, you can open and close your garage door from your phone, regardless of where you are. It pairs with the brand’s companion app, which also lets you set schedules, get real-time notifications and give loved ones control access. Chamberlain’s controller is compatible with most garage door openers made after 1993. Fullstar Vegetable Chopper 4.5-star average rating from 10,189 reviews on Amazon Using this kitchen gadget helps you speed up prep time while cooking. It comes with seven interchangeable blades to cut up ingredients, including dicers, slicers and graters. You use the lid’s lever to push food through the blades, and it falls into the attached catch tray, which you can pull out like a drawer. All parts of this tool are dishwasher-safe. Crest 3D Whitestrips Professional Effects 4.6-star average rating from 3,592 reviews on Amazon Crest’s whitening strips are coated with hydrogen peroxide, an ingredient that helps remove tooth stains and brighten your smile, according to dentists I spoke to. They also have a non-slip grip so they stay on during treatments. This kit comes with enough strips for 22 45-minute treatments and two 1-hour express treatments. AncestryDNA + Traits Genetic Test Kit 4.6-star average rating from 27,649 reviews on Amazon This kit comes with everything you need to take a saliva sample and send it to AncestryDNA’s lab. In six to eight weeks, you’ll get your results online. They include information about your genetic origins and ethnicity, as well as your propensity for traits like cilantro aversion, hair strand thickness and the ability to remember dreams. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K 4.7-star average rating from 44,964 reviews on Amazon Lowest price ever Instead of buying a brand new TV, you can upgrade your current model by plugging Amazon’s Fire Stick into its HDMI port. Then, you’ll be able to watch shows and movies across streaming services, as well as download music apps and play Xbox games via cloud gaming. The TV stick, which you can also bring with you while traveling, comes with an Alexa Voice Remote. Kitchen Mama Auto Electric Can Opener 4.2-star average rating from 106,499 reviews on Amazon This battery-operated kitchen gadget automatically opens cans for you with the press of a button. Its sharp blades cut through the sides of cans to fully remove their lids, leaving behind smooth edges. Bissell Little Green Multi-Purpose Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner 4.5-star average rating from 90,926 reviews on Amazon The Bissell Little Green Machine is one of our favorite carpet cleaners , but you can also use it to get rid of grime and stains on furniture, auto interiors, kids car seats and pet supplies. “It’s so satisfying yet appalling to see how much dirt it pulls out of my rugs and the fabric on my couch,” says NBC Select editorial operations manager Rebecca Rodriguez . The lightweight machine, which comes with two nozzle attachments, has a built-in handle so you can tote it around your home and a long hose to reach areas like stairs. Waterpik Aquarius Water Flosser 4.6-star average rating from 142,945 reviews on Amazon This water flosser cleans gums and removes plaque from teeth, similar to standard floss . It comes with seven tips that rotate 360 degrees to reach all areas of your mouth, and has a 22-ounce, dishwasher-safe water reservoir. You can choose from 10 pressure settings, and the built-in timer keeps track of how long you’ve flossed for. Mynt3D Super 3D Pen 4.3-star average rating from 19,039 reviews on Amazon This rechargeable, refillable 3D printing pen helps you or your favorite crafter bring drawings to life. It comes with plastic filament in three colors and has a clog-resistant nozzle. There’s also a speed slider on the pen, which you can move into different positions to control how much material you dispense at a time. Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray 4.3-star average rating from 90,836 reviews on Amazon “This is my go-to product when I style my hair,” says Godio. “I apply it before using a flat iron or blow dryer brush, and it leaves my hair looking smooth, shiny and frizz-free. It also doesn’t weigh down my fine hair like so many other heat protectants do.” The anti-frizz treatment also comes in a curly hair version that I use daily. LifeStraw Peak Series Personal Water Filter 4.8-star average rating from 1,444 reviews on Amazon Take this personal water filter with you while hiking and camping, or pack it in your emergency kit . It removes bacteria, parasites, microplastics and other impurities like dirt from water when you drink through it, according to the brand. You can use it to filter up to 1,000 gallons of water before needing a replacement. Hulu (with ads) Hulu's ad-supported monthly membership is usually $9.99 per month. But new and returning customers who take advantage of this Cyber Monday promotion will pay just 99 cents per month for a full year, so long as they sign up by Dec. 2. The streaming service is also offering Hulu and Disney+ (with ads) as a package deal for $2.99 a month for 12 months, after which it returns to $10.99 monthly. PicassoTiles 100-Piece Set 4.9-star average rating from 36,247 reviews on Amazon Anyone can easily create and manipulate 3D structures with these magnetic tiles. They come in a set with 100 multi-colored pieces and are suitable for kids ages 3 years old and up. TheraIce Migraine Relief Cap 4.6-star average rating from 38,940 reviews on Amazon Let this migraine relief cap get cold in the freezer for about two hours and then put it over your head and eyes, positioning it like a sleep mask. The cap’s cool, compressive feel helps soothe pain, promote relaxation, reduce puffy skin and alleviate sinus pressure, according to the brand. It’s flexible and somewhat stretchy, so it fits most people. Xbox Series S 512 GB All-Digital Console 4.4-star average rating from 4,010 reviews on Amazon “I’ve had the Xbox Series S for a few years now,” says NBC Select commerce editor Jordan Bowman . “As a casual gamer, it’s worth the price for a more compact shape and I pair it with Game Pass (Microsoft’s gaming subscription) so I can try a variety of games throughout the year.” You can also connect your favorite streaming services to this console to access movies and TV shows through platforms like Amazon, Hulu and Netflix. The Xbox comes with one wireless controller. PlayStation 5 Console 4.9-star average rating from 3,805 reviews at Best Buy Lowest price ever “The PlayStation 5 is a core part of my home entertainment set up, letting me play video games and watch my 4K Ultra Blu-rays in one simple package,” says Josh Rios, NBC commerce video producer. “I couldn’t ask for anything more.” This bundle comes with a pre-installed Astro’s Playroom game, a DualSense wireless controller, a disc drive and cables you can use to connect it to your desktop or a TV. The console supports haptic feedback, adaptive triggers and 3D audio technology. Differin Acne Treatment Gel 4.5-star average rating from 81,836 reviews on Amazon Differin is one of dermatologists’ favorite products for acne-prone skin . It’s a topical over-the-counter retinoid , which helps regulate skin turnover to avoid clogged pores and acts as an anti-inflammatory to reduce redness, according to the brand. The fragrance-free cream can also reduce scarring and hyperpigmentation by improving skin tone and texture. Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask 4.6-star average rating from 47,463 reviews on Amazon I keep Lanegie’s berry lip mask on my nightstand and apply it before bed with the included applicator. While I’m sleeping, the coconut oil, shea butter and murumuru seed butter in its formula moisturize my lips so they’re soft and flake-free by the morning. You can wipe off any remaining product when you wake up, but I usually keep it on and use it as a lip balm . Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream 4.6-star average rating from 3,769 reviews on Amazon Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream is one of my go-to moisturizers year round. It’s made with squalane to hydrate and soften skin, as well as strengthen the skin barrier, according to the brand. I only need to use a little bit of cream to cover my face, and it absorbs quickly, leaving behind a lightweight, non-greasy feel. The moisturizer is suitable for all skin types — I have sensitive, combination, acne-prone skin, and this cream never causes irritation. Blissy Silk Pillowcase 4.4-star average rating from 4,101 reviews on Amazon “ Blissy’s silk pillowcase is cooling, which is great since I’m a hot sleeper, and the soft fabric never irritates or tugs at my sensitive, rosacea-prone skin,” says NBC Select updates editor Mili Godio . “Compared to when I use a regular cotton pillowcase, my hair is also less frizzy when I wake up.” The silk pillowcase , which has a hidden zipper closure, comes in a variety of colors so you can choose one that matches your bedding. Dyson AirStrait Straightener 4.3-star average rating from 909 reviews on Amazon Lowest price ever This flat iron simultaneously dries and straightens your hair using air instead of hot plates, which helps prevent hair damage, according to the brand. You can use it on most hair hypes and choose between three temperature settings, and turn on boost mode if you need to style hair quickly. The tool automatically senses when hair is not between the arms and lowers its airflow. Biodance Bio-Collagen Real Deep Mask 4.3-star average rating from 7,926 reviews on Amazon “This sheet mask makes my face so glowy and hydrated,” says Rodriguez. “I love watching it go opaque to transparent as the serum seeps into my skin.” It’s made with oligo- hyaluronic acid , which moisturizes skin, and collagen extract, which helps refine large pores and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, according to the brand. Apple Watch SE (2nd. Gen) 4.4-star average rating from 954 reviews on Amazon Lowest price ever Track your daily activity, workouts, sleep and other health metrics, like heart rate, with this GPS-connected smartwatch . It also lets you send and receive calls and texts, stream music and pay via Apple Pay. Siri voice assistant is built into the watch, which is water-resistant up to about 164 feet, according to the brand. It has up to 18 hours of battery life on a single charge and comes with a charging cable, too. Hicober 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station 4.3-star average rating from 1,949 reviews on Amazon Lowest price ever Unfold Hicober’s magnetic charging station when you want to use it, or fold it into a compact disc to throw in your travel bag. When you lay it flat, you can repower up to three devices at once, eliminating the need for multiple cords and organizing your space, says Harry Rabinowitz , NBC Select reporter. The charger also folds into a stand to prop up your phone. Amazon Kindle 4.4-star average rating from 352 reviews on Amazon Lowest price ever “Getting a Kindle was the best decision I ever made, and that’s coming from a book lover,” says NBC Select commerce editor Lindsay Schneider . “It has a glare-free display, so I can use it no matter the lighting conditions, which is amazing. I also appreciate that the bottom corner gives you the percentage of how far you’ve read.” Amazon’s newest Kindle e-reader is the most lightweight and compact model yet, and you get up to six weeks of battery life on a single charge, according to the brand. Blink Mini 2 4.4-star average rating from 3,982 reviews on Amazon This little camera connects to a companion app, which lets you keep an eye on your home via livestream video and receive real-time motion detection alerts. It also has two-way audio, so you can hear activity and speak to people or pets as needed. The camera also comes with a built-in spotlight and colorful night view. Plus, if you add a weather-resistant power adapter , you can install this camera outside. JBL Clip 5 4.7-star average rating from 789 reviews on Amazon Lowest price ever “This portable Bluetooth speaker goes everywhere with me because I can attach it to any bag using the built-in carabiner,” says Rodriguez. “It’s small, but it has a powerful sound.” The JBL Clip 5 has up to 12 hours of battery life on a single charge, and it’s water-resistant, so you can use it at the beach or pool, as well as in the bathroom. Skylight Digital Picture Frame 4.7-star average rating from 21,881 reviews on Amazon Lowest price ever Upload your favorite photos to this digital frame via its companion app, which also lets you invite your loved ones to add their memories to your library. The Wi-Fi-enabled frame has a 10-inch touchscreen. You can prop it up vertically or horizontally using its adjustable stand. Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides Advanced 4.5-star average rating from 203,951 reviews on Amazon There’s 20 grams of collagen in one serving of this powder, which you can mix into hot or cold beverages like water, coffee or smoothies to support hair, nail and joint health, according to the brand. It also has vitamin C and hyaluronic acid in it, which help with skin hydration and immune health, according to Vital Proteins. The powder is made without sugars, sweeteners, gluten or dairy. (Be sure to consult your doctor before taking any supplements.) Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier 4.6-star average from 149,146 reviews on Amazon Lowest price ever Liquid I.V. is one of my favorite electrolyte powders to drink before a long run or hot yoga class. It comes in single-serve packets, making it easy to throw in my gym bag, and the powder quickly dissolves into water when I mix it well. Liquid I.V. is available in various flavors, so you can pick one that best aligns with your preferences — my favorites are Lemon Lime, Strawberry Lemonade and Tropical Punch, which are currently on sale. Theragun Mini Massage Gun 4.7-star average rating from 6,609 reviews on Amazon Anyone who has sore, tight, tense muscles needs this massage gun — I use it daily on my legs after running or on my back after hunching over my computer all day. It comes with three foam attachments, has three massage speeds and is compact enough to throw in your gym bag or suitcase. You can also connect the massage gun to Therabody’s app via Bluetooth, which walks you through guided treatments. Casper Original Pillow 4.4-star average rating from 11,475 reviews on Amazon Casper’s Original Pillow is one of our favorite options thanks to its two-layer design, which creates a medium soft feel. The pillow’s inner core is stuffed with microfiber fill, while the removable, machine-washable outer cover is made from a soft cotton material. The filling is resistant to clumping, so you can easily redistribute it as needed, according to the brand. This set comes with two standard-size pillows, but you can also buy a set with king-size pillows , as well as individual pillows . Bissell CleanView XR Cordless Vacuum 4.3-star average rating from 104,026 reviews on Amazon This cordless stick vacuum has a removable, rechargeable battery that gives you up to 35 minutes of run time, according to the brand. It converts into a handheld vacuum to clean small messes, stairs or the inside of a car, and comes with a long nozzle so you can reach high spaces like above door frames. The vacuum has a tangle-free brushroll, making it ideal for homes with pets, and its filtration system traps dirt, dust and other allergens inside. You get bristle brush and crevice tool attachments with your purchase. Levoit Core 300-P White Air Purifier 4.7-star average rating from 120,273 reviews on Amazon Lowest price ever Using an air purifier is one of the best ways to improve air quality in your home, especially if you’re concerned about allergies, smoke or odors. This Levoit model is one of our favorites. It cleans the air in rooms up to 1,095 square feet and has a HEPA-grade filter. It’s virtually silent when you turn on sleep mode, too, according to the brand. iRobot Roomba Combo i5+ 4.0-star average rating from 19,297 reviews on Amazon This robot vacuum can also mop your floors and empty itself in the included charging dock as needed. The machine connects to a companion app, which lets you set cleaning schedules, get real-time updates or start cleaning remotely. It’s also compatible with Amazon Alexa voice commands. Fly By Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp 4.2-star average rating from 9,407 reviews on Amazon Lowest price ever I keep this Sichuan Chili Crisp in my pantry at all times so I can drizzle it over fried eggs, fish, roasted vegetables, avocado toast and stir frys. It’s from one of our favorite women-owned , AAPI-owned brands , and is made with three types of peppers to add a flavorful kick to food. I constantly buy it for the hot sauce lovers in my life, put it in stockings and use it as a white elephant gift. Keurig K-Classic Single-Serve Coffee Maker 4.6-star average rating from 104,194 reviews on Amazon You can make between 6 and 10 ounces of coffee in less than a minute with Keurig’s single-serve machine, which has a 48-ounce removable water reservoir. Its drip tray is removable to fit taller travel mugs and it's compatible with K-Cup pods, many of which are on sale right now from brands like Peets and Illy . Our Place Always Pan 2.0 4.6-star average rating from 37,638 reviews at Our Place Lowest price ever Our Place’s Always Pan is one one my most-used pieces of cookware . The 10.5-inch pan is covered in a nonstick ceramic coating, which is oven-safe up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. The pan comes with a steamer basket that doubles as a colander, a beechwood spatula that nests on the handle and a lid with a cool-touch knob. Here are the best Cyber Monday sales to know about. Keep in mind, not every item from a brand or retailer is discounted as described below. All of my recommendations above are based on NBC Select’s previous coverage and reporting. I also included products the NBC Select staff tested, including Wellness Award , Travel Award , Pet Award , Bed & Bath Award and Giftable Tech Award winners. All the deals I recommend are at least 20% off and highly rated with at least a 4.0-star average rating from hundreds of reviews. When possible, I ran deals through price trackers like CamelCamelCamel to ensure products are at their lowest price in at least three months. I’m a reporter at NBC Select who’s covered Black Friday and Cyber Monday since 2020. I’ve reported on the history of these holidays and spoken to experts about what you should buy and skip during major shopping events, like those happening right now. For this story, since not all deals are worth it, I sifted through hundreds of on-sale products to find the best ones actually worth buying across key categories, like tech, travel, home and kitchen. Catch up on NBC Select’s in-depth coverage of personal finance , tech and tools , wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter and TikTok to stay up to date.

What just happened in Aleppo, and what it means for Syria's civil war

Hurry! These are the 10 Most Popular Nordstrom Deals to Shop Before Cyber Monday EndsWhen Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans missed three games with a hamstring injury earlier this season, it looked like he might not have a chance at extending his streak of seasons with 1,000 receiving yards but he’s within range heading into Week 18. Evans had 97 yards in Sunday’s 48-14 win over the Panthers and heads into the finale with 915 receiving yards. If he can get 85 yards against the Saints, Evans will have hit the milestone in all 11 of his professional seasons and quarterback Baker Mayfield said the team will head into the game knowing what’s at stake. “Obviously Mike’s a huge part of this offense and the record is pretty important for us to get — for him to achieve it but for us to make sure it happens,” Mayfield said in his postgame press conference. “Having it right there in front of us and not having to force things. When he’s in the game, he’s a huge part of that and he creates the explosive plays in the passing game. Looking forward to seeing what happens next week.” The Bucs will win the NFC South with a win and a Falcons loss in either of their final two games, so there’s plenty at stake on the team level. The good news for the Bucs is that feeding Evans has generally been a good way to earn victories over the course of his time in Tampa.

BOSTON — Forty years ago, Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie rolled to his right and threw a pass that has become one of college football’s most iconic moments. With Boston College trailing defending champion Miami, Flutie threw the Hail Mary and found receiver Gerard Phalen, who made the grab while falling into the end zone behind a pair of defenders for a game-winning 48-yard TD. Flutie and many of his 1984 teammates were honored on the field during BC’s 41-21 victory over North Carolina before the second quarter on Saturday afternoon, the anniversary of the Eagles’ Miracle in Miami. “There’s no way its been 40 years,” Flutie told The Associated Press on the sideline a few minutes before he walked out with some of his former teammates to be recognized after a video of The Play was shown on the scoreboards. A statue commemorating Doug Flutie's famed "Hail Mary" pass during a game against Miami on Nov. 23, 1994, sits outside Alumni Stadium at Boston College. Famous football plays often attain a legendary status with religious names like the "Immaculate Reception," the "Hail Mary" pass and the Holy Roller fumble. It’s a moment and highlight that’s not only played throughout decades of BC students and fans, but around the college football world. “What is really so humbling is that the kids 40 years later are wearing 22 jerseys, still,” Flutie said of his old number. “That amazes me.” That game was played on national TV the Friday after Thanksgiving. The ironic thing is it was originally scheduled for earlier in the season before CBS paid Rutgers to move its game against Miami, thus setting up the BC-Miami post-holiday matchup. Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie rejoices in his brother Darren's arms after B.C. defeats Miami with a last second touchdown pass on Nov. 23, 1984, in Miami. “It shows you how random some things are, that the game was moved,” Flutie said. “The game got moved to the Friday after Thanksgiving, which was the most watched game of the year. We both end up being nationally ranked and up there. All those things lent to how big the game itself was, and made the pass and the catch that much more relevant and remembered because so many people were watching.” There’s a statue of Flutie winding up to make The Pass outside the north gates at Alumni Stadium. Fans and visitors can often be seen taking photos there. “In casual conversation, it comes up every day,” Flutie said, when asked how many times people bring it up. “It brings a smile to my face every time we talk about it.” A week after the game-ending Flutie pass, the Eagles beat Holy Cross and before he flew off to New York to accept the Heisman. They went on to win the 49th Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Day. Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie evades Miami defensive tackle Kevin Fagan during the first quarter of a game on Nov. 23, 1984, in Miami, Fla. “Forty years seem almost like incomprehensible,” said Phalen, also standing on the sideline a few minutes after the game started. “I always say to Doug: ‘Thank God for social media. It’s kept it alive for us.”’ Earlier this week, current BC coach Bill O’Brien, 55, was asked if he remembered where he was 40 years ago. “We were eating Thanksgiving leftovers in my family room,” he said. “My mom was saying a Rosary in the kitchen because she didn’t like Miami and wanted BC to win. My dad, my brother and I were watching the game. “It was unbelievable,” he said. “Everybody remembers where they were for the Hail Mary, Flutie pass.” Mike Tyson, left, slaps Jake Paul during a weigh-in ahead of their heavyweight bout, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Irving, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) In this image taken with a slow shutter speed, Spain's tennis player Rafael Nadal serves during a training session at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall, in Malaga, southern Spain, on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) A fan takes a picture of the moon prior to a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup 2026 between Uruguay and Colombia in Montevideo, Uruguay, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Santiago Mazzarovich) Taylor Fritz of the United States reacts during the final match of the ATP World Tour Finals against Italy's Jannik Sinner at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni) Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert (1) fails to pull in a pass against Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dee Alford (20) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/ Brynn Anderson) Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love, top right, scores a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears in Chicago, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) India's Tilak Varma jumps in the air as he celebrates after scoring a century during the third T20 International cricket match between South Africa and India, at Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski warms up before facing the Seattle Kraken in an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Kansas State players run onto the field before an NCAA college football game against Arizona State Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Manhattan, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) A fan rapped in an Uruguay flag arrives to the stands for a qualifying soccer match against Colombia for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Montevideo, Uruguay, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico) People practice folding a giant United States flag before an NFL football game between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Brazil's Marquinhos attempts to stop the sprinklers that were turned on during a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match against Venezuela at Monumental stadium in Maturin, Venezuela, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) Georgia's Georges Mikautadze celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the UEFA Nations League, group B1 soccer match between Georgia and Ukraine at the AdjaraBet Arena in Batumi, Georgia, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Tamuna Kulumbegashvili) Mike Tyson, left, fights Jake Paul during their heavyweight boxing match, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Italy goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario misses the third goal during the Nations League soccer match between Italy and France, at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) President-elect Donald Trump attends UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Fans argue in stands during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between France and Israel at the Stade de France stadium in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Thursday Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova hits a return against Danielle Collins, of the United States, during a tennis match at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Malaga, southern Spain. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) St. John's guard RJ Luis Jr. (12) falls after driving to the basket during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against New Mexico, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith) England's Anthony Gordon celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between England and the Republic of Ireland at Wembley stadium in London, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Katie Taylor, left, lands a right to Amanda Serrano during their undisputed super lightweight title bout, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver DJ Turner, right, tackles Miami Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington, left, on a punt return during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) UConn's Paige Bueckers (5) battles North Carolina's Laila Hull, right, for a loose ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Greensboro, N.C., Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown) Rasmus Højgaard of Denmark reacts after missing a shot on the 18th hole in the final round of World Tour Golf Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) Dallas Stars center Mavrik Bourque, right, attempts to score while Minnesota Wild right wing Ryan Hartman (38) and Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) keep the puck out of the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt) Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki (88) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders during the second half of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!What to know about Scott Turner, Trump's pick for housing secretary

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Former President Jimmy Carter has died at the age of 100. The 39th president of the United States was a Georgia peanut farmer who sought to restore trust in government when he assumed the presidency in 1977 and then built a reputation for tireless work as a humanitarian. He earned a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. He died Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care, at his home in Plains, Georgia. At age 52, Carter was sworn in as president on Jan. 20, 1977, after defeating President Gerald R. Ford in the 1976 general election. Carter left office on Jan. 20, 1981, following his 1980 general election loss to Ronald Reagan. Here's the latest: The longest-lived American president died Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” The Carter Center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. In his 1975 book “Why Not The Best,” Carter said of himself: “I am a Southerner and an American, I am a farmer, an engineer, a father and husband, a Christian, a politician and former governor, a planner, a businessman, a nuclear physicist, a naval officer, a canoeist, and among other things a lover of Bob Dylan’s songs and Dylan Thomas’s poetry.” A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. After he left office and returned home to his tiny hometown of Plains in southwest Georgia, Carter regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world.None