Cryptocurrency markets are full of surprises, and some of those low-priced coins might be the next big successes. Several altcoins stand below a dollar and boast enormous promise for growth within 2025. Those under that radar include the spotlight-catching Dogen and these five affordable cryptocurrencies capable of bringing massive gains forward. DOGEN Pumps Hard: The Strongest Meme Token Dominating Crypto Doge, Shib, and Floki will be left whimpering as the real alpha storms in. Meet DOGEN – the baddest, most bullish meme token to ever hit the market. Only the strongest, most fearless holders can tame it. Big muscles and balls of steel - that’s DOGEN. No dips, no drama - nothing but hardcore! Just moving forward to ATHs! Like it tough? Then DOGEN is the right token for you. Frogs leap away - DOGEN will show who is the boss here ! Supercharged from day one, it's primed to explode with a 700% surge expected in the coming months. This Solana-powered beast is ready to pump out insane, thousand-fold gains await! DOGEN has something in store for its most loyal fans: an airdrop! Interested? All you have to do is flex your social muscles, grab some tokens in the presale, and start recruiting the DOGEN army with your referral link. For each recruit, you'll earn a generous 20% of their Golden Points for each of their token buys. And it doesn't end here. DOGEN's referral game is savage! You'll make 7% on each token your direct brothers (1st level) buy with your code, and it gets even juicier — the more brothers you bring, the more levels you unlock and the more profits you start to stack like a boss. Altseason is ahead, and DOGEN holders will be the ones leading the charge . Wanna dominate the crypto market? Then join the DOGEN army! It's a community of true winners who enjoy exclusive campaigns, killer perks, and top deals in the game. Afford yourself a luxury life! Posh cars, stacks of money, and beautiful women - that's all for DOGEN holders who don't settle for less. Flex Hard, Earn Big – DOGEN is Your Next Power Play! Dogecoin: From Meme to Major Cryptocurrency Dogecoin is a cryptocurrency that started in 2013 as a fun alternative to traditional coins, using a Shiba Inu dog as its logo. Unlike Bitcoin, which has a capped supply, Dogecoin has no maximum limit, and 10,000 new coins are mined every minute. Its value soared in 2021, with the help of social media and endorsements from figures like Elon Musk, making it one of the top cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. The coin's ample supply and active community have made it popular for smaller transactions and online tipping. With the current market cycle, Dogecoin still manages to attract interest based on its robust community support and high exposure in the crypto space. Kaspa: A High-Throughput Cryptocurrency Utilizing the GHOSTDAG Protocol Kaspa is a proof-of-work cryptocurrency that is built on the GHOSTDAG protocol. Unlike classical blockchains, GHOSTDAG lets parallel blocks be concurrent and sorts them in a consensus order. This is a block Directed Acyclic Graph (blockDAG). That stretches the Nakamoto consensus mechanism to safe operation at block rates beyond very high - currently at one per second, targets 10 per second and hopes for 100 per second. The confirmation time is tiny and is effectively limited only by internet latency. Kaspa features have included Reachability for querying on the DAG's topology; block data pruning; planned subnetwork support; SPV proofs to simplify future layer 2 solutions as a means of improving cryptocurrency network scalability and transactional speeds. TRON (TRX): A Decentralized Platform Empowering Content Creators Foundation with its launch in 2017. TRX was originally built on Ethereum but migrated to its own network in 2018. TRON would enable full ownership rights and rewards for content creators by allowing consumers to directly compensate creators without the involvement of intermediaries such as YouTube and Facebook. It supports smart contracts, several blockchain systems, and decentralized applications (dApps). Transactions are recorded on a public ledger in a manner similar to Bitcoin. TRON provides the avenue through which developers can build dApps and share content with fewer significant transaction fees. Perhaps its focus on creators, enabling them, and decentralized internet services would make some attention in this current cycle of the market. VeChain (VET): Enhancing Supply Chain Transparency with Blockchain VeChain is a blockchain-based network which improves supply chain management, making it more transparent and traceable. Founded in 2015 by Sunny Lu, former CIO of Louis Vuitton China, it assigns unique IDs and sensors to physical products. This allows detailed tracking through the supply chain, aiding in authenticity verification and recall management across industries like food, fashion, and automotive. In 2018, VeChain launched its own blockchain, VeChainThor, introducing a dual-token system with VET for value transfer and VeThor Token (VTHO) for transaction fees. Its practical application is shown by partnerships with firms like PricewaterhouseCoopers, Walmart China, and BMW. VeChain continues expanding its utility and aiming for wider adoption in different sectors. Conclusion Although DOGE, KAS, TRX, and VET might promise lesser short-term prospects, DOGEN is unique. Targeting the best for those who need the most luxury and success, DOGEN takes after other great tokens such as BONK and Popcat and will have a big surge in growth. DOGEN helps create a community of leaders and offers real rewards like exclusive campaigns and advantages to early adopters. Site: https://dogen.meme/ Twitter: https://x.com/dogenmeme Telegram: https://t.me/Dogen_Portal Join our WhatsApp Channel to get the latest news, exclusives and videos on WhatsApp _____________ Disclaimer: Analytics Insight does not provide financial advice or guidance. Also note that the cryptocurrencies mentioned/listed on the website could potentially be scams, i.e. designed to induce you to invest financial resources that may be lost forever and not be recoverable once investments are made. You are responsible for conducting your own research (DYOR) before making any investments. Read more here.ATLANTA — As she checked into a recent flight to Mexico for vacation, Teja Smith chuckled at the idea of joining another Women’s March on Washington. As a Black woman, she just couldn’t see herself helping to replicate the largest act of resistance against then-President Donald Trump’s first term in January 2017. Even in an election this year where Trump questioned his opponent’s race, held rallies featuring racist insults and falsely claimed Black migrants in Ohio were eating their neighbors’ pets, he didn't just win a second term. He became the first Republican in two decades to clinch the popular vote, although by a small margin. Supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris hold their fists in the air after she delivered a concession speech after the 2024 presidential election Nov. 6 on the campus of Howard University in Washington. “It’s like the people have spoken and this is what America looks like,” said Smith, the Los Angeles-based founder of the advocacy social media agency, Get Social. “And there’s not too much more fighting that you’re going to be able to do without losing your own sanity.” After Trump was declared the winner over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, many politically engaged Black women said they were so dismayed by the outcome that they were reassessing — but not completely abandoning — their enthusiasm for electoral politics and movement organizing. Black women often carry much of the work of getting out the vote in their communities. They had vigorously supported the historic candidacy of Harris, who would have been the first woman of Black and South Asian descent to win the presidency. Harris' loss spurred a wave of Black women across social media resolving to prioritize themselves, before giving so much to a country that over and over has shown its indifference to their concerns. AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters, found that 6 in 10 Black women said the future of democracy in the United States was the single most important factor for their vote this year, a higher share than for other demographic groups. But now, with Trump set to return to office in two months, some Black women are renewing calls to emphasize rest, focus on mental health and become more selective about what fight they lend their organizing power to. “America is going to have to save herself,” said LaTosha Brown, co-founder of the national voting rights group Black Voters Matter. She compared Black women’s presence in social justice movements as “core strategists and core organizers” to the North Star, known as the most consistent and dependable star in the galaxy because of its seemingly fixed position in the sky. People can rely on Black women to lead change, Brown said, but the next four years will look different. “That’s not a herculean task that’s for us. We don’t want that title. ... I have no goals to be a martyr for a nation that cares nothing about me,” she said. Supporters cheer during a community rally with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris on Oct. 27 in Philadelphia. AP VoteCast paints a clear picture of Black women's concerns. Black female voters were most likely to say that democracy was the single most important factor for their vote, compared to other motivators such as high prices or abortion. More than 7 in 10 Black female voters said they were “very concerned” that electing Trump would lead the nation toward authoritarianism, while only about 2 in 10 said this about Harris. About 9 in 10 Black female voters supported Harris in 2024, according to AP VoteCast, similar to the share that backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. Trump received support from more than half of white voters, who made up the vast majority of his coalition in both years. Like voters overall, Black women were most likely to say the economy and jobs were the most important issues facing the country, with about one-third saying that. But they were more likely than many other groups to say that abortion and racism were the top issues, and much less likely than other groups to say immigration was the top issue. Despite those concerns, which were well-voiced by Black women throughout the campaign, increased support from young men of color and white women helped expand Trump’s lead and secured his victory. Politically engaged Black women said they don’t plan to continue positioning themselves in the vertebrae of the “backbone” of America’s democracy. The growing movement prompting Black women to withdraw is a shift from history, where they are often present and at the forefront of political and social change. One of the earliest examples is the women’s suffrage movement that led to ratification in 1920 of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which gave women the right to vote. Black women, however, were prevented from voting for decades afterward because of Jim Crow-era literacy tests, poll taxes and laws that blocked the grandchildren of slaves from voting. Most Black women couldn’t vote until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Black women were among the organizers and counted among the marchers brutalized on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama, during the historic march in 1965 from Selma to Montgomery that preceded federal legislation. Decades later, Black women were prominent organizers of the Black Lives Matter movement in response to the deaths of Black Americans at the hands of police and vigilantes. In his 2024 campaign, Trump called for leveraging federal money to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs in government and discussions of race, gender or sexual orientation in schools. His rhetoric on immigration, including false claims that Black Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating cats and dogs, drove support for his plan to deport millions of people. Tenita Taylor, a Black resident of Atlanta who supported Trump this year, said she was initially excited about Harris’ candidacy. But after thinking about how high her grocery bills have been, she feels that voting for Trump in hopes of finally getting lower prices was a form of self-prioritization. “People say, ‘Well, that’s selfish, it was gonna be better for the greater good,''' she said. “I’m a mother of five kids. ... The things that (Democrats) do either affect the rich or the poor.” Where can Black women feel supported and flourish financially? When posed that question, Dr. Lori Martin, a professor of African and African American studies and sociology at Louisiana State University, had this to say: "A livable place for Black women is safe, and for women with children, it is home to schools where all students have access to an excellent education. It would also be diverse, with a visible and thriving Black community, including Black businesses." While the socioeconomic realities of our current time touch all corners of the country, there are pockets of the U.S. where the wealth gap narrows and Black women have more opportunities. MoneyGeek analyzed data on income, the cost of crime , homeownership , and poverty levels from 164 cities across the United States to rank the best — and worst — cities for Black women to live and financially flourish in. MoneyGeek ranked 164 cities with populations greater than 65,000 from the best to the worst for Black women. The ranking includes analysis of income, poverty rate, homeownership, educational attainment and health insurance gaps between Black women and the entire population nationally and locally. The size of the local Black population and the cost of crime in the area were included in the ranking to reflect the presence of the Black community and safety, respectively. Southfield — a suburb of Detroit — and Pearland — a Houston suburb — ranked as the top two cities in the analysis. Notably, Southern cities make up the majority of cities in the top 25, with 13 located in this region. In contrast, Minneapolis, Minnesota, ranked as the worst city for Black women. In Minneapolis, Black women face high poverty rates in absolute and relative terms and have low rates of health insurance coverage compared to the cities analyzed. Meanwhile, Miami ranks as the second least favorable city, with a significant local income gap — there, white men earn almost triple the income of Black women. Income disparity is a key measure of how well Black women are doing today. For each city in the analysis, we calculated the local Equal Pay Day — the day in the following year when Black women would make an equivalent amount as white men — using the median income of Black women working full time and the median income of white men working full time in each locality. In Carson, California, the median pay of Black women is higher than the median pay of white men. However, in Evanston, Illinois, Black women make just over a third of white men's earnings, meaning they would need to work until September 24, 2024, to earn the equivalent of a white man's 2022 pay. Economic challenges faced by Black women include restricted career advancement opportunities, insufficient health insurance, and inadequate retirement savings. Survey data from Goldman Sachs indicates that 42% of Black women perceive limited career growth opportunities compared to 35% of U.S. adults, and merely 43% are able to obtain health insurance through their employer, in contrast to 53% nationwide. Additionally, 71% of Black women feel they are living paycheck to paycheck, compared to 63% of the general population. The intersection of racial and gender bias contributes to these challenges, resulting in low-wage jobs and a considerable wealth gap. Our analysis validates this, demonstrating that Black women who work full-time, year-round, earn 64 cents for every dollar white men earn working full-time, year-round. Less access to economic opportunities puts Black women at a disadvantage in building wealth. The FDIC's National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households found that 11.3% of Black households were unbanked compared to just 2.1% of white households. Unbanked households are credit invisible — that is, they don't have a credit history and, therefore, can't build credit. Having no credit history makes it difficult to utilize credit cards to manage cash needs and mortgages to buy homes. Advocating for economic opportunities for Black women The struggle for economic equity remains a persistent challenge for Black women in America, who have historically faced systemic wage disparities and employment obstacles. However, there are tools and resources that can provide Black women with economic opportunities and empowerment. Dr. Ukanwa shares additional solutions, such as: 1. Invest in education: Research has already shown that degrees increase lifetime earnings, close some societal gaps, and increase job security. But if degrees are not your path, it also means continuing to build that knowledge and expertise in something you can be the best at. Figure out your expertise and what you bring to the table. 2. After building your expertise in a field, build your reputation and personal brand: With an excellent reputation and personal brand, people will start to seek you out rather than the other way around. This increases the worth of your expertise. 3. Find out what your expertise is worth: Educate yourself on how to negotiate . Negotiate to be paid what you are worth. 4. Get into the habit of ownership: Build your own equity, which decreases the dependence on someone else for your income. For example, this could be your own business, stocks , or real estate. To rank the best cities for Black women, MoneyGeek analyzed data from the American Community Survey , MoneyGeek's Safest Cities and Safest Small Cities and Towns studies, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The analysis started with over 500 places in America with populations of 65,000 or more. Places without granular data about Black women or lacking other data points for the analysis were removed to get to the final set of 164 cities. The ranking of the best cities for Black women was based on eight factors: safety, Black population, educational attainment, poverty rates, income, employment, health insurance, and homeownership. Each factor was weighted equally and scaled to a score between 0 and 1. The factors were calculated as follows: Safety (full weight): This metric equally comprises two metrics. Percent of local population that is Black (full weight): This percentage represents the proportion of Black individuals within a city's total population, as reported by the United States Census Bureau's five-year American Community Survey (ACS) from 2021, the most recent data available. Educational attainment (full weight): This metric equally comprises two metrics. Poverty rate (full weight): The percentage point difference between the city's rate of Black women earning at or above the poverty level and the rate of all women living above the poverty level nationally. This finding comes from the 2021 Census ACS five-year data, the latest available source covering over 200 cities. Income (full weight): This factor equally comprises two metrics. Employment (full weight): The difference in percentage points between the Black female employment rate and the white male employment rate in the locality. Health insurance (full weight): This metric reveals the percentage point difference between Black women (ages 19-64) and white men (ages 19-64) with health insurance. This information comes from the Census ACS five-year data from 2021, the most recent data source available. Black female homeownership (full weight): This factor comprises three metrics. The full data set can be found here . This story was produced by MoneyGeek and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media. Get local news delivered to your inbox!USB Dongle Market Outlook and Future Projections for 2030 12-22-2024 01:32 PM CET | Business, Economy, Finances, Banking & Insurance Press release from: Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting USB Dongle Market The usb dongle market represents a dynamic and continually evolving landscape, shaped by changing consumer demands and technological advancements. In this comprehensive report, we provide an in-depth exploration of the market, designed for a wide range of stakeholders including manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and investors. Our goal is to equip industry participants with essential insights that enable informed decision-making in an ever-changing market environment. This analysis not only examines the current state of the usb dongle market but also forecasts its future trends. Scope and Purpose This report serves as an extensive resource, thoughtfully curated to deliver actionable intelligence to industry stakeholders. It covers critical elements such as market dynamics, competitive environments, growth opportunities, challenges, and regional differences. The insights provided go beyond mere descriptions, offering a valuable tool for stakeholders to refine their strategies and make informed choices in a competitive market. Request for Sample Report: https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/market-report/USB-Dongle-Market/request-for-sample-report Comprehensive Market Analysis We are committed to providing a thorough analysis that explores every aspect of market growth, including shifts in consumer preferences and technological innovations driving demand for usb dongle products. We also address the challenges faced by the industry, such as economic uncertainties and intense competition, offering insights to help stakeholders navigate these complexities. Key Players in the USB Dongle Market: Kestrel Instruments Nordic Semiconductor FTDI Chip EURESYS S.A. NXP Semiconductors Fujitsu Components America, Inc. C2G, Inc. ASUSTeK Computer Inc. (ASUS) Sandberg A/S SONOFF Technologies Strategic Guidance for the Future This report invites stakeholders to delve into a detailed examination of the competitive landscape. By profiling key players in the usb dongle market and analyzing their strategies, we offer crucial insights to help industry participants make informed strategic decisions. Whether it's about outpacing competitors or learning from successful approaches, our analysis is designed to guide stakeholders toward success. Anticipated Insights Understanding the diverse segments within the usb dongle market is critical to success. Our report breaks down segment sizes, potential growth trajectories, and key trends, offering actionable insights that allow stakeholders to develop targeted strategies and optimize resource allocation. The knowledge provided empowers stakeholders to navigate the complexities of the usb dongle market with clarity and confidence. Balancing Market Forces and Strategic Impact This report delivers a comprehensive analysis of the factors shaping the usb dongle market. By evaluating both the drivers of market growth and the obstacles that could impede it, stakeholders gain a holistic understanding of the market's dynamics. For manufacturers, this analysis helps align innovation efforts with consumer demands and regulatory trends, while investors and decision-makers gain a deeper understanding of economic risks and supply chain vulnerabilities, allowing them to make more informed strategic choices. Our goal is to provide stakeholders with the knowledge needed to confidently and successfully navigate the usb dongle market. Competitive Landscape Our in-depth examination of the usb dongle market's competitive landscape highlights key players, scrutinizing their strategies and impacts on the industry. By analyzing the approaches of major companies, stakeholders gain a valuable understanding of market dynamics and can leverage these insights to identify growth opportunities, innovate, and make informed strategic decisions. Market Segmentation The report begins with a detailed analysis of the unique characteristics defining each segment within the usb dongle market. Segmentation can occur across various dimensions, including product types, customer demographics, or specific use cases. Understanding these differences allows stakeholders to tailor their strategies, products, and marketing efforts to meet the specific needs of each segment, enhancing competitive positioning and maximizing opportunities for success. Market Segments: Product Type: Interface Change Dongle Protected Dongle Application: Enterprise Individual Market Size and Segment Growth Potential A crucial part of the report focuses on understanding the size and significance of each market segment. We provide quantitative data that illustrates the market share and contribution of each segment, enabling stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding resource allocation, strategic prioritization, and investment. This section offers insights into the growth potential of each segment, including factors driving future expansion, evolving consumer preferences, and technological adoption. Conclusion This report serves as a strategic guide for stakeholders in the usb dongle market, offering comprehensive insights into market segmentation, competitive dynamics, and growth potential. By understanding the market's complexities and emerging opportunities, industry participants can make well-informed decisions that drive success and innovation in this rapidly evolving market. Other Reports E-Waste Shredder Market https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/market-report/E-Waste-Shredder-Market Hybrid Cooling Tower Market https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/market-report/Hybrid-Cooling-Tower-Market Metal Corner Beads Market https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/market-report/Metal-Corner-Beads-Market Single Zone Ductless Air Conditioner Market https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/market-report/Single-Zone-Ductless-Air-Conditioner-Market "Contact Us Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting Private Limited Contact No: +91 7580990088 Email Id: sales@dhirtekbusinessresearch.com" "About Us Dhirtek Business Research & Consulting Pvt Ltd is a global market research and consulting services provider headquartered in India. We offer our customers syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. Our objective is to enable our clientele to achieve transformational progress and help them to make better strategic business decisions and enhance their global presence. We serve numerous companies worldwide, mobilizing our seasoned workforce to help companies shape their development through proper channeling and execution. We offer our services to large enterprises, start-ups, non-profit organizations, universities, and government agencies. The renowned institutions of various countries and Fortune 500 businesses use our market research services to understand the business environment at the global, regional, and country levels. Our market research reports offer thousands of statistical information and analysis of various industries at a granular level." This release was published on openPR.
Amazon and Starbucks workers are on strike. Trump might have something to do with it Amazon delivery drivers and Starbucks baristas are on strike in a handful of U.S. cities as they seek to exert pressure on the two major companies to recognize them as unionized employees or to meet demands for an inaugural labor contract. Strikes during busy periods like the holidays can help unions exercise leverage during negotiations or garner support from sympathetic consumers. One expert says he thinks workers at both companies are “desperate” to make progress before President-elect Donald Trump can appoint a Republican majority to the National Labor Relations Board. Workers at Starbucks, Amazon and some other prominent consumer brands are fighting for their first contracts after several locations voted to unionize. Bluesky finds with growth comes growing pains — and bots Bluesky has seen its user base soar since the U.S. presidential election, boosted by people seeking refuge from Elon Musk’s X, or wanting an alternative to Meta’s Threads and its algorithms. The platform grew out of the company then known as Twitter and was eventually intended to replace it. While this is still very much a pie in the sky, Bluesky’s growth trajectory could make it a serious competitor to other social platforms. With growth, though, comes growing pains. It’s not just human users who’ve been flocking to Bluesky but also bots, including those designed to create partisan division or direct users to junk websites. Farmers are still reeling months after Hurricane Helene ravaged crops across the South LYONS, Ga. (AP) — Farmers in Georgia are still reeling more than two months after Hurricane Helene blew away cotton, destroyed ripened squash and cucumbers and uprooted pecan trees and timber. Agribusinesses in other Southern states saw costly damage as well. The University of Georgia estimates the September storm inflicted $5.5 billion in direct losses and indirect costs in Georgia alone. In rural Toombs County, Chris Hopkins just finished harvesting his ravaged cotton crop and figures he lost half of it, costing him about $430,000. Poultry grower Jeffrey Pridgen in Georgia's Coffee County had four of his 12 chicken houses destroyed and others badly damaged. Farmers say more government disaster assistance is needed. Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI’s strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products. But he grew disillusioned with the company and told The Associated Press this fall he would “try to testify” in copyright infringement cases against it. Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge shows price pressures eased last month WASHINGTON (AP) — An inflation gauge that is closely watched by the Federal Reserve barely rose last month in a sign that price pressures cooled after two months of sharp gains. Prices rose just 0.1% from October to November. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, prices also ticked up just 0.1%, after two months of outsize 0.3% gains. The milder inflation figures arrived two days after Federal Reserve officials, led by Chair Jerome Powell, rocked financial markets by revealing that they now expect to cut their key interest rate just two times in 2025, down from four in their previous estimate. Albania to close TikTok for a year blaming it for promoting violence among children TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania’s prime minister says the government will shut down video service TikTok for one year, blaming it for inciting violence and bullying, especially among children. Albanian authorities held 1,300 meetings with teachers and parents following the stabbing death of a teenager in mid-November by another teenager following a quarrel that started on TikTok. Prime Minister Edi Rama, speaking at a meeting with teachers and parents, said TikTok “would be fully closed for all. ... There will be no TikTok in the Republic of Albania.” Rama says the ban will begin sometime next year. Albanian children comprise the largest group of TikTok users in the country, according to domestic researchers. Stock market today: Wall Street rises to turn a dismal week into just a bad one NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to turn what would have been one of the market’s worst weeks of the year into just a pretty bad one. The S&P 500 rallied 1.1% Friday to shave its loss for the week down to 2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped nearly 500 points, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. A report said a measure of inflation the Federal Reserve likes to use was slightly lower last month than expected. It’s an encouraging signal after the Fed shocked markets Wednesday by saying worries about inflation could keep it from cutting interest rates in 2025 as much as earlier thought. Starbucks workers begin strikes that could spread to hundreds of US stores by Christmas Eve Workers at U.S. Starbucks stores have begun a five-day strike to protest a lack of progress in contract negotiations with the company. The strikes began in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle and could spread to hundreds of stores across the country by Christmas Eve. Workers at 535 of the 10,000 company-owned Starbucks stores in the U.S. have voted to unionize. The Starbucks Workers United union accuses the Seattle-based coffeehouse chain of failing to honor a commitment made in February to reach a labor agreement this year. Starbucks says the union prematurely left the bargaining table this week. It said Friday there's been no significant impact to store operations. It's beginning to look like another record for holiday travel Drivers and airline passengers without reindeer and sleighs better make a dash for it: it’s beginning to look like another record for holiday travel in the U.S. The auto club AAA predicts that more than 119 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home between Saturday and New Year’s Day. The two weekends on either side of Christmas are tempting a lot of people to head out earlier. U.S. airlines expect to have their busiest days to be Friday and Sunday this week and next Thursday, Friday and Sunday. A government shutdown that could start as soon as Saturday was not expected to immediately affect flights and airport operations. Amazon workers are striking at multiple facilities. Here's what you should know Amazon workers affiliated with the Teamsters union are on strike for a second day at seven of the company’s delivery hubs just days before Christmas. At midnight on Saturday, the Teamsters say workers at a prominent unionized warehouse in New York will also join. The union has not indicated how many employees were participating in the walkout or when it will end. The Teamsters say the workers were continuing their strike on Friday after Amazon ignored a Sunday deadline the union had set for contract negotiations. The company says it doesn’t expect the strikes taking place in Southern California, San Francisco, New York City, Atlanta, and Skokie, Illinois, to impact holiday shipments.Pope Francis has officially announced that Blessed Carlo Acutis will be canonized during the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year 2025, specifically at the Jubilee of Teenagers from April 25 to 27. The canonization Mass is expected to take place on Sunday, April 27, at 10:30 a.m. local time in St. Peter’s Square. born in 1991, will become the first millennial saint of the Catholic Church. Known for his devotion to the Eucharist and his use of technology for evangelization, Acutis created a website cataloging Eucharistic miracles worldwide before his death from leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15. The path to sainthood for Acutis required the recognition of two miracles. The second miracle, recognized by Pope Francis in May 2024, involved the healing of Valeria Valverde, a young Costa Rican woman who suffered severe head trauma from a bicycle accident. After her mother prayed at Acutis’ tomb, Valverde made a full recovery against all medical predictions. Acutis’ canonization has generated widespread enthusiasm among Catholics globally, particularly among youth. His life serves as an example of how faith can thrive in contemporary society, inspiring numerous initiatives aimed at engaging young people within the Church. In the same announcement, Pope Francis revealed that Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati will also be canonized during the Jubilee of Youth, scheduled for July 28 to August 3, 2025. Frassati, who died in 1925 at the age of 24, was an Italian Catholic activist known for his charitable work and devotion to social justice. These canonizations are expected to bring many young people to Rome in 2025 for the Catholic Church’s Jubilee of Hope, highlighting the importance of youth and modern-day sanctity in the faith.
HUMANS have already reached the Moon – and Mars seems like the obvious next step. But how will we get there? There are several mega-rockets already being developed that could take us to the red planet in our lifetimes. Nasa nuclear rocket Mars is far away – around 140 millions from Earth on average. That means getting there is not only time-consuming, but very expensive in terms of fuel. Nasa hopes that one way of bringing the time and cost down is using nuclear propulsion. "Nasa’s goal is to minimize the time the crew travels between Earth and Mars to as close to two years as is practical," Nasa said in 2021. Read more on Nasa "Space nuclear propulsion systems could enable shorter total mission times and provide enhanced flexibility and efficiency for mission designers." In 2023, Nasa revealed that it had teamed up with Darpa (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) on building such a rocket. And it said that this would allow for speedy trips to Mars and back. "Nasa will work with our long-term partner, Darpa, to develop and demonstrate advanced nuclear thermal propulsion technology as soon as 2027," said Nasa boss Bill Nelson. Most read in Science "With the help of this new technology, astronauts could journey to and from deep space faster than ever – a major capability to prepare for crewed missions to Mars." One early concept of a a Nasa rocket looked a bit like a Star Wars X-wing. And Nasa says that nuclear thermal rockets could be three times more efficient than regular chemical propulsion. Elon Musk's SpaceX Starship Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk hasn't exactly been quiet about his dreams of shipping humans to Mars. It's no secret that Musk wants to set up a colony on the red planet, turning humans into an interplanetary species. And his company SpaceX has built a rocket called Starship that aims to do just that. Here's what you need to know about the Red Planet... Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun It is named after the Roman god of war The landmass of Mars is very similar to Earth but due to the difference in gravity you could jump three times higher there than you can here Mars is mountainous and hosts the tallest mountain known in the Solar System called Olympus Mons, which is three times higher than Everest Mars is considered to be the second most habitable planet after Earth It takes the planet 687 Earth days to orbit the Sun So far, there has been 39 missions to Mars but only 16 of these have been successful "SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket – collectively referred to as Starship – represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond," SpaceX explains. The company says that Starship will enter the Martian atmosphere at 7.5km a second. And its heat shield will allow it to safely land on Mars without being destroyed in the process. Starship is currently going through testing phases, with its seventh flight-test set to take place in early 2025. Musk hopes that the Starship spacecraft can be re-filled with fuel while in low-Earth orbit. That means it can launch into space, and then fuel up once again before a trip to Mars. Nasa SLS Nasa has nuclear dreams – but in the meantime, the space agency needs a more conventional rocket for daring crewed missions. Enter the SLS, or Space Launch System, which is the main launch vehicle for Nasa's Artemis programme. Artemis is a series of missions that will ultimately return humans to the surface of the Moon. The only SLS launch to take place so far was an uncrewed test in November 2022. Nasa is due to use the SLS again in April 2026 as part the crewed Artemis II flight. But the eventual plan is for SLS to carry humans to Mars too. "The SLS rocket is designed to be evolvable, which makes it possible to increase its capability to fly more types of missions," Nasa explained. "Including human missions to the Moon and Mars and robotic scientific missions to the Moon, Mars, and the outer planets." READ MORE SUN STORIES Nasa added: "The final SLS configuration, Block 2, will provide 9.4 million lbs. of launch thrust, compared to the Block 1’s8.8 million lbs. and will be the workhorse vehicle for sending cargo to the Moon, Mars, and other deep space destinations. "SLS Block 2 will be designed to lift up to 46 t (101,000 lbs.) to deep space."After GU, GTU makes helmets compulsory
Heavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flightsSpaceships of the future that could jet humans to Mars from Nasa Star Wars-style nuclear rocket to Elon Musk’s Starship
Nebraska offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen has no shortage of memories of the Iowa football program. An Iowa native born in Davenport, Holgorsen’s days as a Hawkeye fan are long in the past — but he remembers what it’s like to coach against them. An experience that Holgorsen first underwent as a young Texas Tech assistant in 2001 will be reprised again this weekend. “Twenty-some years later, it’s the same scheme, the same coach, the same everything; this is crazy,” Holgorsen said of Iowa. “It’s going to take another good effort and more improvement to be able to go to Iowa and play in that atmosphere against a good football team.” Nebraska’s recent surge on offense will have the Huskers feeling confident about their upcoming matchup. While Nebraska may not have equaled its recent 44-point outburst against Wisconsin during a loss to USC two weeks prior, foundational improvements were there from the start in Holgorsen’s eyes. People are also reading... Recap: Here's how Joey Graziadei will win 'Dancing with the Stars' They fell in love with Beatrice. So they opened a store in downtown. At the courthouse, Nov. 23, 2024 Search warrants lead to arrest of man in narcotics investigation No change in bond amounts in child abuse death case Clabaugh family presents Outstanding Educator award Harmonizers to perform Courthouse lighting ceremony planned for Sunday Kidnapping in Nebraska prompted police chase that ended with 3 dead on I-29 in Missouri Inside Nebraska volleyball’s finishing kick for a Big Ten title: First up, Wisconsin Zitel bound over to district court in death of child Just Askin': Dana Holgorsen noncommittal on future, ranking a big week for Nebraska Athletics Streaming review: 'Landman' gives Billy Bob Thornton a real gusher of a series Amie Just: Bring out the tissues — and the brooms — for Nebraska volleyball's emotional win At the courthouse, Nov. 16, 2024 Despite scoring 13 points on offense against the Trojans, the Husker offense “just felt better” in that game, Holgorsen said, leading to a “very motivated team” during the week’s practice efforts. And when NU hit the field on Saturday, improvements were there. After struggling to finish drives against USC, Nebraska scored five touchdowns in its seven red zone attempts against Wisconsin. Nebraska threw the ball well, protected its quarterback and found a "difference-maker" in running back Emmett Johnson. “We ran the ball better; that’s the second week in a row I thought the O-line has played well,” Holgorsen said. “Dylan (Raiola) hasn’t been hit a whole lot, he feels good, he’s getting better and processing things well. We’re throwing it and catching it better and our receivers are in the right spots.” It’s been no easy task to drive those improvements in a short amount of time. Holgorsen has only been in Lincoln for a little over three weeks, having first been summoned by head coach Matt Rhule to evaluate the team’s offense before taking over control of it. Midseason coordinator changes may not be rare, but hiring a new face from outside the program is, and Holgorsen admits it made for a “rough” first week on the job. After all, none of the Husker coaches Holgorsen was joining and players he was beginning to coach knew exactly how the situation would play out. Instead, they had to go through it together. “I started getting into the offensive room and those coaches were looking at me crazy like, ‘What are you doing here?’ It’s just true, so we had to sit down and talk and start feeling things out and start working together,” Holgorsen said. “Give those assistant coaches a lot of credit because they didn’t bat an eye. I thought we were smart with how we handled it — I could’ve came in here and changed specific things and that wouldn’t have been the right thing to do for the coaches and the players. I was the one that had to learn.” A desire to challenge himself was one reason Holgorsen said he took the Nebraska job, something which showed up in the new offensive language he needed to familiarize himself with. Having come up as a young coach in the Air Raid offense, Holgorsen exclusively learned, mastered and taught those principles in the years since. It had been 35 years since he last had to learn a new offensive language, Holgorsen estimated. Flash cards with terminology from the Nebraska offense and help from other assistants have helped smooth over that process. Holgorsen may not have been able to stamp his identity all over the offense yet, but he has been able to tweak things, including the very playbook Nebraska operates from. Rhule’s original concepts of a pro-style offense have been added to, transformed and adjusted over the years, with current coaches Marcus Satterfield, Glenn Thomas and Donovan Raiola all bringing different principles and focuses to the playbook. “There’s just all kinds of ideas, so that playbook got pretty big,” Holgorsen said. “I was just like, ‘Look, there’s only one sheet and whatever’s on the sheet is what’s going to get called.’” Trimming down the number of plays Nebraska practices is one such adjustment Holgorsen has made, a process that is collaborative among the Husker coaching staff. Holgorsen also said Nebraska was “probably playing people in too many different spots,” something he’s looked to change so players can focus on their individual roles with more accuracy. “We’ve done a good job of coming together and coming up with a plan of what makes sense to our players,” Holgorsen said. “If it don’t make sense to me, it ain’t gonna make sense to them.” Those changes, and the potential Nebraska showed on offense last week, have excited Husker fans about what the future of a Holgorsen-led offense will look like. However, nothing is guaranteed yet. Holgorsen said that when taking the job he told Rhule he’d get the team ready for USC, Wisconsin and Iowa before figuring out what the future holds. “I don’t want to talk about it, and I don’t want to know what’s next,” Holgorsen. What Holgorsen does know is that he’s enjoying the opportunity in front of him. In part because of the responsibilities he had as a head coach compared to being an offensive coordinator, Holgorsen said he had “more fun on Saturday than I’ve had in a long time” overseeing the Husker offense. As Holgorsen continues furthering improvements within the Nebraska offense, the only guarantee Husker fans have is that he’ll be on the sidelines Friday. It’s currently “the plan” that he will continue as Nebraska’s playcaller during its bowl game, Holgorsen said. “My plan’s to focus on Iowa, try to beat Iowa and see what happens after that.” Get local news delivered to your inbox!Gavin and Stacey star reveals cast were kept in dark about SECOND plot twist as she lifts lid on top secret filming
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Prominent MAGA figures have accused Elon Musk of silencing critics who challenge his views on immigration . The controversy erupted when at least 14 right-wing accounts reported losing access to premium features on X, including blue verification badges and monetization tools, reports CNBC. This follows a wave of criticism targeting Musk's pro-immigration stance, particularly from anti-immigration factions within the MAGA movement. The affected users, many affiliated with the media group ConservativeOG, said they were penalized after publicly voicing opposition to Musk's position. These accounts saw their reach on the platform shrink significantly, triggering accusations that Musk was shadowbanning or censoring those who disagreed with him. Read Next: ‘Zelle Became A Gold Mine For Fraudsters': Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Lawsuit Some of these individuals expressed concern that losing monetization features would impact their ability to continue posting content regularly. In response to the growing controversy, Musk posted a "reminder" on X about the platform's algorithm, stating that accounts frequently blocked or muted by verified users would see their reach decline. However, this explanation only fueled further accusations of censorship. Critics felt that Musk, despite his claims of championing free speech, was punishing those who voiced opposition to his views on immigration. Among those impacted was Preston Parra , head of ConservativeOG, who described the actions as a "political takedown" aimed at silencing conservative voices. Parra vowed to continue fighting Musk's platform policies, which he sees as an attack on conservative values. The incident has sparked a broader debate over the influence of tech executives like Musk and their role in shaping political discourse, especially in light of his immigrant background and ties to pro-immigration figures. The controversy highlights the ongoing tension between free speech advocates and those who believe social media platforms should regulate harmful content. Read Next: Billionaire Investors Michael Burry, David Tepper Could Benefit From China's Stimulus Measures © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
L ate in the summer of 1962, a long plume of fire arced over the beach at Sonmiani, watched by gaggles of tourists from nearby Karachi. The country became, one newspaper account was to claim, the “first in the Islamic world, third in South Asia and 10th in the entire world to launch a vessel into outer space.” The reality was somewhat less impressive. The sounding rocket was entirely American-made and launched as part of NASA’s Apollo lunar programme. Two hundred rocket launches would take place over the next decade, probing the winds and temperature of the upper atmosphere. Three decades after that launch, Central Intelligence Agency analysis observed that Pakistani scientists who had studied at NASA’s Wallops Island and the Goddard space flight centres had begun to turn those sounding rockets into short-range missiles. Flight-tested eight times since the beginning of 1989, the Hatf-1 and Hatf-2 missiles lacked a guidance system, were highly inaccurate, and could not carry Pakistan’s nuclear bombs, the CIA recorded . Islamabad, though, was attempting to obtain Soviet Union-made missiles from North Korea, and had sought European technology as well. Last week, the United States announced sanctions on Pakistan’s missile production and development agency, the National Development Complex—a decision that comes on the back of multiple rounds of similar action against Chinese and Pakistani companies involved in supplying the organisation. The sanctions are driven by fears that an economically-crippled Pakistan could become a proliferator of ballistic missiles, just as it once sold nuclear-bomb technology to North Korea, Iran, Iraq and Libya. The sanctions story isn’t new, though. Sanctions had first been imposed on the NDC in 1998 by President Bill Clinton because of the same missile proliferation risks. Those sanctions were waived after 9/11, though, to enable American counter-terrorism cooperation with Pakistan—cooperation that never fully materialised. America’s decision comes decades too late to end the dangers posed by Pakistan’s missiles. The story illustrates the lethal consequences the Cold War could yet have for the world. “First Muslim Nobel Prize winner,” read the gravestone of the man the world honoured for his role in predicting the existence of the Higgs boson. Late in 2013, a magistrate in the town of Rabwah ordered the scrubbing out of the reference to Abdus Salam’s religion. The Ahmadiyya sect he belonged to had been declared non-Muslim by Pakistan in 1974, by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s government. Abdus Salam was excised from textbooks and Pakistan’s memory. The year before Pakistan’s first rocket launch, Salam had travelled to the United States together with then-military ruler Field Marshall Ayub Khan. As Ayub Khan’s scientific advisor, Salam worked to build the foundations of modern science in Pakistan. In the course of that 1961 visit, he seized on NASA’s open offer to establish rocket ranges in all countries on the littoral Indian Ocean. Following the 1962 launch of Rehbar-1, the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission’s Space Sciences Wing deepened its rocket cooperation with the West. France transferred technology to manufacture sounding rockets, while German firms supplied the ammonium perchlorate needed to make solid rocket fuel. Great Britain helped with rocket launches. The year after the first rocket launch, Pakistan began operating a small reactor with applications in medicine, industry, and agriculture. The research reactor was the first in a long series of developments that would blossom into a nuclear weapons programme in 1973, following the war that led to the independence of Bangladesh. The United States was aware of this programme early, according to declassified CIA documents. The CIA predicted that Islamabad could have a bomb “as early as the first part of the 1980s.” The United Kingdom, for its part, believed Pakistan could have a nuclear weapon by 1981. In 1978, the British diplomat Michael Pakenham handed over a dossier to the State Department, recording Pakistan’s purchase of inverters used in plants to enrich uranium. Early in 1979, the American ambassador in Islamabad, Arthur Hummel, confronted military ruler General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq with the evidence scholar William Burr has recorded in an authoritative study . The State Department had long resisted this course of action, fearing it would jeopardise the relationship with a long-standing ally against the Soviet Union. That was increasingly offset, though, by the realisation that a Pakistani bomb could pose “a direct threat to US national interests in the Middle East and Persian Gulf.” Finally, in March 1979, the United States imposed a law cutting military and economic aid to countries that acquired nuclear enrichment technology. Less than six months later, though, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Jimmy Carter’s National Security Advisor, now argued that “our security policy towards Pakistan cannot be dictated by our non-proliferation policy.” F16 combat jets—which for years would be Pakistan’s primary means to deliver its nuclear bombs—soon made their way to General Zia, along with other state-of-the-art military equipment, enabled by a special exclusion carved out from the non-proliferation law. Financial aid was injected into Pakistan to stabilise its currency. America had decided to ignore the bomb. Also read: Reciprocity will define Trump 2.0 – trade ties with India will be purely transactional Late in 1984, a man with a thick accent walked into the Texas offices of the defence contractor EG&G and offered to pay in gold for 50 Krytrons, tiny light-bulb-like devices that can be used as the high-speed switches needed to trigger nuclear explosions. Electronics had been seized at Montreal’s Dorval airport in 1980. Firms in Switzerland, Germany, and France vied with each other to sell technology to Pakistan. And when the United States pressurised them to stop, Pakistan simply turned to China. Even though President Ronald Reagan would hand over $3.2 billion in aid to Pakistan, the country’s nuclear programme continued to dramatically accelerate. A bomb wasn’t much use, though, without a means to deliver it—and while the F16 was a superb platform, Pakistan’s Generals wanted something more effective and reliable. Two separate missile development programmes are believed to have been launched. The first, centred around a solid-fuel rocket, was operated with assistance from China at the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission under scientist Samar Mubarakmand. The second, helped by liquid-fuel technology from North Korea, was run at Abdul Qadeer Khan’s Khan Research Laboratories, or KRL. In 1988, China agreed to sell M-11 missiles , launchers, and support equipment to Pakistan. The next year, Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) tested the first Hatf design, based on the French-sounding rockets it had tested. SUPARCO, established in 1981 by General Zia to take over the rocket programme, was later detected to be receiving multiple transfers of missile-related equipment and technology. And in 1993, Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto is alleged to have travelled to Pyongyang to swap nuclear bomb designs and know-how for Nodong missiles. KRL test-fired the liquid-fuelled Ghauri in 1998, based on the Nodong, which brought New Delhi within range of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons. A year later, KRL launched the Ghauri-2, which was capable of hitting most of India. Exactly one day later, PAEC successfully tested the Shaheen-1, introducing solid-fuelled intermediate-range capabilities to the Pakistani arsenal. Even though President George Bush had reimposed nuclear weapons sanctions in 1990, it did little to retard Pakistan’s missile and bomb programmes. Little impact was made, either, by Clinton’s sanctions. Following 9/11 and the lifting of those sanctions, the NDC produced improved versions of missiles developed by SUPARCO, notably the Hatf-2, also known as the Abdali, and its successors, the Ghaznavi, Shaheen-1 and Shaheen-2. The NDC also developed Pakistan’s first cruise missile, the Babur, which surprised many experts with its technological capabilities. Also read: Yoon’s failed coup shows the rise of democracy in South Korea is reversible Equipped with a growing nuclear arsenal powered by a stockpile of plutonium from four reactors, as well as an expanding infrastructure for uranium enrichment, Islamabad is developing increasingly sophisticated means to deliver its bombs. The Babur-2 will be capable of delivering nuclear bombs at ranges of over 700 kilometres, hugging the terrain to evade air defences. The air-launched Ra’ad is armed with conventional warheads but heralds the acquisition of even more sophisticated capabilities. Longer-range missiles are under development, too. There’s little direct threat to the United States from these missile systems: The country, after all, has built missile defences to protect against far more sophisticated adversaries, including China and Russia. Like in the 1970s, though, the real danger is that Pakistan could end up supplying nuclear weapons technologies to states in the Middle East and elsewhere, destabilising the global order. From the outset of its nuclear programme, Pakistan leveraged its strategic position to extract concessions. As late as 2009, leaked diplomatic cables show, Pakistan was able to use its 9/11 role to flatly reject American requests to return highly-enriched uranium from an ageing research reactor. The cables also show that now-President Joe Biden became increasingly frustrated with Pakistan’s support of the jihadists his country was battling in Afghanistan—but failed to mount enough pressure to force Islamabad to change course. America’s Cold War fixations let the nuclear genie out of the bottle in Pakistan. It’s probably too late to shove it back in. Praveen Swami is contributing editor at ThePrint. He tweets @praveenswami. Views are personal. 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Charlie Woods heard the crowd’s roar but was in disbelief after the 15-year-old’s first ace found the hole, hidden 176 yards away on the back right section of the par-3, No. 4 green. Once confirmed, the reaction of his famous father made it worth the wait. Tiger Woods gave his son bear hug and a playful shove as the PNC Championship’s showcase pairing briefly surged into the lead. A man who has accomplished everything in the game called it “an unbelievable moment.” “We went nuts,” Woods said. “I don’t know what we did, but we enjoyed it.” The record-setting fun was just beginning. From there, it was neck-and-neck with defending champions and playing partners Bernhard and Jason Langer on Sunday at Orlando’s Ritz-Carlton Golf Club until the elder Langer’s putt caught the right edge of the hole for a dramatic eagle 3 on the par-5 18th of the first playoff hole. Jason Langer’s prior attempt appeared true but suddenly straightened out and ran by the hole. After the elder Langer’s effort fell, the 67-year-old with two Masters wins, a record 47 Champions Tour victories, 42 more on the European and now a unprecedented six at the PNC raised his arms in celebration. “I was the beneficiary,” he said. “I played less break, and mine was able to bounce in there, roll in. A lot of excitement at that point.” Earlier, the younger Woods’ eagle attempt burned the edge of the hole much to the dismay of a crowd backing the game’s most popular player, back on the golf course just three months after back surgery to tee it up with his son. “For us to have that experience together, I know we didn’t win, but it was the fact that we competed,” Tiger Woods said. “No one really made a mistake out there. We had to earn it, and that’s what you want to have. Hats off to Langers. “They played amazing.” Each team repeatedly rose to the occasion to record matching 15-under 57s during a scintillating fight to the finish. The two teams remained tied from the 12th hole, trading four straight birdies until matching par 3s on No. 17. Another birdie on the par-5 18th sent the competition to extra holes and set the tournament scoring record at 28-under par as the crowd chanted “Charlie” as players exited the green. Nothing, though, would match the energy of the crowd or his family following the hole-in-one, even if Charlie Woods didn’t get to fully experience the moment. “It was just a perfect 7-iron,” he said. “Of course never got to see it go in. So that sucks. But that’s all right.” For Tiger Woods, it was a career highlight. “That was the thrill of a lifetime to be able to have that moment with Charlie,” he said. “[Daughter and caddie] Sam on the bag, just our family and friends. That’s what this event is about — bonding and family.” Winning mattered, too. “It’s in our DNA,” Langer said. “Tiger plays to win, and his son is playing to win, and so are we. But the cool thing here is you want to win but you have so much fun just whether you win or not. “You could finish 10th and have a great time.” Other than a runner-up finish in 2021, Team Woods had never been in serious contention, finishing no better than a tie for fifth (2023). Wearing matching Sunday red in their fifth PNC appearance , Team Woods matched Team Langer’s back-nine magic, featuring 8 birdies in 9 holes. Bernhard Langer gained a brief advantage with a short approach to 2 feet on the par-4 16th to set up a kick-in birdie. But Charlie Woods answered with a wide to inside 5 feet. Team Woods made turn with a 1-shot lead over the Langers after a birdie on the par-4 9th. But a birdie on the par-3 12th by Team Langer began the dramatic nip-and-tuck duel between the Hall of Fame fathers and their sons. Two legends of the game made an impression on their sons and each other. “Speechless,” Charlie said of Bernhard Langer. “He didn’t miss a shot out there.” Having watched Tiger Woods for decades, Langer was less stunned by the shots he executed, including hitting a driver off the deck on to the par-5 14th green from 260 yards into the wind. “He’s got a lot more game than most of us,” Langer said. “Even when he’s 70 percent, he’s still a force to be reckoned with.” Team Woods will continue to be one at the PNC Championship. Tiger and Charlie will not come up short for much longer. “I’m convinced they are going to win this thing in the next few years,” Langer said. “They are just too good.” Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com.