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The Dallas Cowboys (3-7) visit the Washington Commanders (7-4) on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at Commanders Field and will aim to break a five-game losing streak. What channel is Commanders vs. Cowboys on? What time is Commanders vs. Cowboys? The Commanders and the Cowboys play at 1 p.m. ET. NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more. Commanders vs. Cowboys betting odds, lines, spread Commanders vs. Cowboys recent matchups Commanders schedule Cowboys schedule NFL week 12 schedule This content was created for Gannett using technology provided by Data Skrive.Ravens coach John Harbaugh mum on suspended WR Diontae Johnson
Zim Engineer Sets New Standards In AustraliaNEW 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.” 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.”
Investing in top through a has been a smart strategy for generating worry-free, tax-free passive income since 2009. This is because dividends, capital gains, or interest are exempt from tax in a TFSA, thereby enhancing overall returns. With this background, let’s look at the three worth buying and holding in a TFSA for worry-free passive income. These companies have stable businesses and a growing earnings base, enabling them to reward their shareholders with higher dividend distributions consistently. Moreover, these stocks offer attractive yields. ( ) is known for its consistent payouts and high yield, making it a top choice for TFSA investors looking to earn worry-free passive income. Canada’s leading wireless service provider has consistently rewarded its shareholders through its multi-year dividend-growth program. For instance, it has paid about $21 billion in dividends in the past two decades and raised its dividend 27 times in the past 14 years. Notably, the telecom giant recently raised its quarterly dividend by 7%. Meanwhile, it expects its annual dividend to increase by 7-10% from 2023 through 2025. Further, it has a payout ratio of 60-75% of free cash flow, which implies its dividend distributions are sustainable in the long run. Telus also offers an attractive yield of 7.3%. The telecom giant’s durable payouts reflect its ability to deliver profitable growth driven by significant broadband network investments. It is investing in expanding its PureFibre Network and 5G infrastructure and leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), which bodes well for future growth. Telus also focuses on high-growth segments such as cybersecurity and digital transformation, which will likely boost its financials and accelerate its growth. Further, its growing customer base and focus on increasing average revenue per user, reducing the churn rate, and lowering costs will continue to support its earnings, driving higher payouts. TFSA investors could consider ( ) stock for its stellar dividend growth and payments. The energy infrastructure company has consistently raised its dividend since 2000 at a CAGR of 7%. The company’s resilient business model, led by its highly regulated and contracted assets, supports its payouts, making it a reliable dividend stock for steady and growing passive income. TC Energy stock also offers a healthy yield of 5.6%. TC Energy is well-positioned to consistently pay and increase its dividend by 3-5% annually in the coming years. Its long-term contracts and regulated asset base will likely generate low-risk earnings and cash flow and support future payouts. The energy company is set to benefit from higher system utilization, a secured capital program, and growing demand for natural gas, power, and energy solutions. Further, the company’s focus on productivity savings and debt reduction will fuel its earnings and cash flows, enhancing its shareholder value through higher payouts. TFSA investors can also consider the top Canadian for worry-free income. These financial services giants have a proven record of consistently distributing dividends for more than a century. ( ) is an appealing choice among the leading Canadian banks due to its lucrative yield. Notably, this financial services giant has consistently paid dividends since 1833 and raised them at a CAGR of 6% since 2013. Moreover, it offers an attractive yield of 5.4%. Scotiabank’s solid dividend history reflects its ability to grow earnings across various market conditions. The financial services company’s diversified revenue streams, exposure to high-growth markets, growing loans and deposit base, steady credit performance, and improved operational efficiency boost its earnings and support its dividend payouts. Scotiabank’s solid earnings base and conservative payout ratio imply that its payouts are sustainable in the long term.
A few months ago, I logged into my online Securus account to send an electronic message to a friend in a Washington State prison. To my shock, I found the word “blocked” on my account and I was not able to send any messages. The block came just a few weeks after I had published an article with Truthout on censorship inside of prisons and had sent the finished article to some of my sources over the e-messaging system. It’s hard to know for sure, but the block is either the result of my journalism, or it is a result of facilitating a book club that connects people inside with those on the outside. Since my Truthout article was about how difficult prisons make it to access information, especially for LGBTQ+ people, the block seems ironic, to say the least. People in prison do not have direct access to the internet or to any standard email services, nor can they generally receive phone calls. Instead, any communication other than paper mail ( which is increasingly rare ) takes place over services managed by for-profit companies like Aventiv, ViaPath and IC Solutions . If one of these services chooses to implement a block on an account, as in my case, an outside user cannot send e-messages, put money on a loved one’s books or pay for phone calls — for anyone who lives in a prison, anywhere in the United States, that uses the service that has implemented the block. The only remedy for this is apparently to appeal to the state Department of Corrections (DOC), but unsurprisingly, there is no obvious method for such an appeal available to an outside family member or friend. Figuring out how to appeal required several calls and emails, and in the end, did not yield any change to my situation. This block is inhibiting my ability to do my work, and more than that, it’s isolating my friends in prison from contact with the outside world. Censorship in prisons has expanded with the monopolization of prison communications in the hands of only a few private companies. For instance, the services I use the most — JPay and Securus — are under the parent company of the behemoth Aventiv. I have not yet found any information on how blocks like this are processed and how frequent they are, but it seems the Washington State Department of Corrections did not actually mean to block me from communicating with people in other states. That is just a side effect of monopolization. When Aventiv implements a block, it is companywide, meaning that I’m unable to message anyone who uses JPay or Securus, or where the phone service is provided by either Aventiv company, even though Washington State does not even use JPay. Half of all states that have e-messages in their prisons (22) use JPay as their e-message provider. Meanwhile, 42 percent of phone calls are managed by Securus, meaning that my block is a significant barrier to communicating with a large segment of the total prison population. According to the Securus helpline, blocks like this are not uncommon. My ban was upheld on appeal (an email) because I was sharing messages that included more than one person in the prison. Not only is barring people in prison from communicating with one another enforced in more draconian ways than in the past, but prisons are increasingly banning people on the outside from being in contact with more than one person in prison. Given the reality that almost 2 million people are imprisoned in the U.S. each year and the disproportionate impact of the criminal legal system on particular communities, it is arbitrary for prisons and communication companies to act as though no one will have two family members or two close friends in prison at the same time. It is also unfair and punitive to further limit the outside support available to those inside. My rule-breaking activities were related to the Abolitionist Book Club , a reading group that brings together people inside and outside prisons. I co-founded the group in 2023 with a close friend of mine, Vincent “Tank” Sherrill, who lives in a Washington State prison, and another outside organizer, Matthew Charlebois. Our original goal was to create a space for political education about abolition for our comrades outside and inside prison through reading Mariame Kaba and Andrea Ritchie’s book No More Police together. We have since finished the book and become a tight-knit community who meets together virtually once a month to grow our abolitionist imaginations through our relationships with each other. Organizing a group like this is not easy. Our meetings are held over Zoom, with each person in prison joining the video call via a buddy system with the outside members. We were pleasantly surprised that everyone in the prison received the copies of the book despite its title, but as soon as we held our first online meeting, book club members at the Washington Corrections Center for Women received a warning from the facility’s investigator telling them that they were not allowed to participate in this “illegal book club.” One member came to a second meeting — mainly to talk about how to proceed — and was punished with a major infraction (reduced to a minor infraction upon her appeal). This member submitted a formal proposal to the prison to make the group official, since our work fits the prison’s definition of “pro-social behavior” that it supposedly encourages, but she never received a response to the proposal and was not able to join any more of our discussions. After this intimidation, members from the women’s prison were too afraid to join our meetings, but punishment of some members of the book club did not stop us. The Abolitionist Book Club continues, building solidarity and shared analysis between comrades inside and outside prison. This experience has affirmed the value of doing collective work, rather than individual or even centralized work. I was the main outside instigator of the Abolitionist Book Club, and most of the first contacts were mine. I’m proud, though, that as we have grown, everyone in the group has taken ownership and I’m no longer any more central than anyone else. This meant that when I was cut off, other people in the group were ready to step in. Being formally cut off from my friends and comrades inside has been yet another lesson about creating dense webs of relationships rather than jealously guarding our relationships or contacts; it’s much harder for the DOC to destroy that whole web than to sever one particular line of communication. I would love to say that if we organize in this way, the DOC can’t touch us, but unfortunately that’s not true. Since the block, it has been much harder to be in touch with some of my close friends in prison, and I have dearly missed talking regularly with these folks. Nonetheless, I’m thankful for not being totally cut off since I am still able to communicate with the help of others in the book club. The block has a direct impact on my journalism as well as my personal relationships. It would be bad enough if I had only been blocked from communication inside Washington State, where I’m working with people on various projects, but I also can’t send messages to people I know in Michigan or in Missouri. Even worse, I can’t reach out to speak to people in any state or facility that uses an Aventiv service to report on their experiences, unless I reach out to them via another friend of theirs. That, however, would be third party contact , which is the same rule I’m accused of violating. I am stuck either continuing to violate that rule or ceasing to do journalism about the experiences of people in prison. Like so many people before me, most especially those in prison themselves, I have been censored by the prison for writing about censorship in the prison. I am outraged that this has happened; that the prison has extended its reach to censor those of us outside prison in this way is dangerous and disturbing. But the real travesty here is the regular , ongoing censorship that people in prison are subjected to daily, like the women in our book club who were cut off from one of the few sources of outside support and communication available to them. Worse yet, people in prison don’t necessarily have a way of knowing why I’m not responding to them — and Aventiv takes their money to send messages that are not delivered. I keep receiving emails from JPay telling me that someone has sent me a message, but I’m unable to read these messages. One person has been released from prison altogether after sending me a message I couldn’t read, and we’ve completely lost touch. The monopolization of communication technologies combined with the system’s bans on “double contact” significantly expands the existing regime that destroys relationships between people in prison and their communities on the outside. Ultimately, the result of blocking communication is to keep people in prison away from those who want to offer support, and away from people like me who might be able to tell their story to the broader world.None
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HCC in Lincoln enrolling students in welding classes LINCOLN — Heartland Community College in Lincoln is now enrolling students in welding classes. The program provides more opportunities for Logan County students while also maintaining the welding skills and industrial technology offerings on the main campus in Normal, according to a news release. “Welding is an in-demand career in Logan County and Heartland is excited to provide the training locally for students to enter the workforce in just four months," Heartland Community College Lincoln Director Jennifer Kirby stated in the news release. Lincoln welding classes will be held in the spring 2025 semester, beginning with an eight-week 100-level intro course. Students will be able to advance to a 200-level advanced course after the completion of the first. Students completing the two-course sequence will earn the Gas Metal Arc Welding Basics micro-certificate and will be eligible to complete the larger 16-hour Welding Skills Certificate. The Welding Skills Certificate is stackable into a larger Industrial Technology Applied Associate of Science degree. Scholarship opportunities are available for this program. For more information on welding courses or other questions, email Lincoln.Center@heartland.edu or call 217-735-1731. ‘Paw & Claus’ offers pet photos with Santa BLOOMINGTON — The Humane Society of Central Illinois is planning a holiday fundraiser this Wednesday in Bloomington. A press release from the Humane Society said it's hosting a "Paws & Claws" photo event with Santa from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Moose Lodge, 614 IAA Drive in Bloomington. The statement said Santa will be available for photos with pets. A $10 minimum donation is required, and a holiday-themed photo frame will be offered for an additional $10. Photos will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. A hot chocolate bar for people and pup cups for dogs will be available. Photography will be provided by One Klik Away Photography. The Humane Society said it's running its year-end "Home for the Holidays" fundraising campaign and has raised $40,000 of its $50,000 goal. Lil John to play at Devon in Decatur on July 25 DECATUR — Hip-hop artist Lil Jon will appear at the Devon Lakeside Amphitheater on Friday, July 25. Lil Jon is known for a number of hits that have become dance floor mainstays, including "Turn Down for What," "Snap Yo Fingers," "Get Low," "Yeah!", "Shots" and more. An opening act has not yet been announced, but will be announced Wednesday, Dec. 11, the Devon said on its Facebook page. The Lil Jon show is not part of the Devon's season tickets package. Tickets for the show will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 13, at devonamphitheater.com . Ticket prices range from $59 for the lawn, $69 for the terrace, $79 for reserved seating and $79 for the pit. Pantagraph staff Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Shares of Slate Office REIT ( TSE:SOT.UN – Get Free Report ) shot up 26.8% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as C$0.52 and last traded at C$0.52. 557,754 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 535% from the average session volume of 87,894 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.41. Slate Office REIT Stock Performance The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of C$0.51 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$0.44. The company has a current ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 329.26. The company has a market capitalization of C$50.64 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.19 and a beta of 1.35. About Slate Office REIT ( Get Free Report ) Slate Office REIT is an open-ended real estate investment trust. The REIT's portfolio currently comprises 43 strategic and well-located real estate assets located primarily across Canada's major population centres including one downtown asset in Chicago, Illinois. The REIT is focused on maximizing value through internal organic rental and occupancy growth and strategic acquisitions. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Slate Office REIT Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Slate Office REIT and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
The science of Assisted Reproductive Technology is progressing at a much faster pace. Compared to fertility treatments done a decade ago, today the technology has improved, giving rise to improved success rates. Earlier women dealing with low ovarian reserve, medical conditions like Premature Ovarian Insufficiency, were often advised to go for a donor cycle. However, there could be techniques like Ovarian PRP & Stem cell therapy leading to rejuvenation which if proven beyond its experimental stage, may benefit women facing low ovarian reserve. Times Now Digital spoke to Dr Sonia Malik, Chief Clinical Mentor at Nova IVF Fertility, about Ovarian PRP Rejuvenation and how it is beneficial. Ovarian PRP Rejuvenation: What Is It?Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) is a platelet concentration obtained from an individual's blood. Growth factors that promote tissue regeneration and repair are abundant in platelets. In order to potentially increase the quality and number of eggs produced, ovarian PRP rejuvenation involves injecting PRP directly into a woman's ovaries. It works on the principle that in women who generally suffer with low ovarian reserve or age-related reduction in fertility, the growth factors in PRP may help repair ovarian tissue, boosting the natural process of egg formation. Who Can Benefit from Ovarian PRP?The primary patients for ovarian PRP treatment are women with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) or diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). POI can cause early menopause, especially in women under 40, while DOR is the early loss of viable egg production by the ovaries. Furthermore, PRP rejuvenation may be an option for women experiencing age-related fertility decline, especially those in their late 30s who wish to prolong their reproductive window. PRP may be an alternative option for women whose low egg quality has resulted in several failed IVF cycles to increase their chances of success. ConclusionOvarian PRP rejuvenation is a significant advancement in reproductive treatment, especially for women dealing with age-related infertility or low ovarian reserve, while ovarian PRP rejuvenation is not a guaranteed solution for infertility. As research continues, this treatment could become a standard offering in fertility clinics worldwide, providing hope for women who are otherwise primarily advised donor cycles. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Health and around the world.
CHICAGO (AP) — As Donald Trump’s Cabinet begins to take shape, those on both sides of the abortion debate are watching closely for clues about how his picks might affect reproductive rights policy in the president-elect’s second term . Trump’s cabinet picks offer a preview of how his administration could handle abortion after he repeatedly flip-flopped on the issue on the campaign trail. He attempted to distance himself from anti-abortion allies by deferring to states on abortion policy, even while boasting about nominating three Supreme Court justices who helped strike down the constitutional protections for abortion that had stood for half a century. In an NBC News interview that aired Sunday, Trump said he doesn't plan to restrict medication abortion but also seemed to leave the door open, saying “things change.” “Things do change, but I don't think it's going to change at all,” he said. The early lineup of his new administration , including nominations to lead health agencies, the Justice Department and event the Department of Veterans Affairs, has garnered mixed — but generally positive — reactions from anti-abortion groups. Abortion law experts said Trump's decision to include fewer candidates with deep ties to the anti-abortion movement could indicate that abortion will not be a priority for Trump's administration. “It almost seems to suggest that President Trump might be focusing his administration in other directions," said Greer Donley, an associate law professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Karen Stone, vice president of public policy at Planned Parenthood Action Fund , said while many of the nominees have “extensive records against reproductive health care,” some do not. She cautioned against making assumptions based on Trump's initial cabinet selections. Still, many abortion rights groups are wary, in part because many of the nominees hold strong anti-abortion views even if they do not have direct ties to anti-abortion activists. They're concerned that an administration filled with top-level officials who are personally opposed to abortion could take steps to restrict access to the procedure and funding. After Trump’s ambiguity about abortion during his campaign, "there’s still a lot we don’t know about what policy is going to look like," said Mary Ruth Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis School of Law. That approach may be revealed as the staffs within key departments are announced. Trump announced he would nominate anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Health and Human Services Department, which anti-abortion forces have long targeted as central to curtailing abortion rights nationwide. Yet Kennedy shifted on the issue during his own presidential campaign. In campaign videos, Kennedy said he supports abortion access until viability , which doctors say is sometime after 21 weeks, although there is no defined timeframe. But he also said “every abortion is a tragedy” and argued for a national ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy, a stance he quickly walked back. The head of Health and Human Services oversees Title X funding for a host of family planning services and has sweeping authority over agencies that directly affect abortion access, including the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The role is especially vital amid legal battles over a federal law known as EMTALA, which President Joe Biden’s administration has argued requires emergency abortion access nationwide, and FDA approval of the abortion pill mifepristone. Mini Timmaraju, president of the national abortion rights organization Reproductive Freedom for All, called Kennedy an “unfit, unqualified extremist who cannot be trusted to protect the health, safety and reproductive freedom of American families.” His potential nomination also has caused waves in the anti-abortion movement. Former Vice President Mike Pence , a staunch abortion opponent, urged the Senate to reject Kennedy’s nomination. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the national anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said the group had its own concerns about Kennedy. “There’s no question that we need a pro-life HHS secretary," she said. Fox News correspondent Marty Makary is Trump’s pick to lead the FDA, which plays a critical role in access to medication abortion and contraception. Abortion rights groups have accused him of sharing misinformation about abortion on air. Russell Vought , a staunch anti-abortion conservative, has been nominated for director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought was a key architect of Project 2025 , a right-wing blueprint for running the federal government. Among other actions to limit reproductive rights, it calls for eliminating access to medication abortion nationwide, cutting Medicaid funding for abortion and restricting access to contraceptive care, especially long-acting reversible contraceptives such as IUD’s. Despite distancing himself from the conservative manifesto on the campaign trail, Trump is stocking his administration with people who played central roles in developing Project 2025. Trump acknowledged that drafters of the report would be part of his incoming administration during the Sunday interview with NBC News, saying “Many of those things I happen to agree with.” “These cabinet appointments all confirm that Project 2025 was in fact the blueprint all along, and the alarm we saw about it was warranted,” said Amy Williams Navarro, director of government relations for Reproductive Freedom for All. Dr. Mehmet Oz , Trump’s choice to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is a former television talk show host who has been accused of hawking dubious medical treatments and products. He voiced contradictory abortion views during his failed Senate run in 2022. Oz has described himself as “strongly pro-life, praised the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade , claimed “life starts at conception” and referred to abortion as “murder.” But he also has echoed Trump’s states-rights approach, arguing the federal government should not be involved in abortion decisions. “I want women, doctors, local political leaders, letting the democracy that’s always allowed our nation to thrive to put the best ideas forward so states can decide for themselves,” he said during a Senate debate two years ago. An array of reproductive rights groups opposed his Senate run. As CMS administrator, Oz would be in a key position to determine Medicaid coverage for family planning services and investigate potential EMTALA violations. As Florida’s attorney general, Pam Bondi defended abortion restrictions, including a 24-hour waiting period. Now she’s Trump’s choice for attorney general . Her nomination is being celebrated by abortion opponents but denounced by abortion rights groups concerned she may revive the Comstock Act , an anti-vice law passed by Congress in 1873 that, among other things, bans mailing of medication or instruments used in abortion. An anti-abortion and anti-vaccine former Florida congressman, David Weldon, has been chosen to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which collects and monitors abortion data across the country. Former Republican congressman Doug Collins is Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs amid a political battle over abortion access and funding for troops and veterans. Collins voted consistently to restrict funding and access to abortion and celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade. “This is a team that the pro-life movement can work with," said Kristin Hawkins, president of the national anti-abortion organization Students for Life. The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here . The AP is solely responsible for all content.Dusty May, No. 14 Michigan try to continue strong start vs. Arkansas
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — J.K. Dobbins will miss at least the next four games after the Los Angeles Chargers placed the running back on injured reserve Saturday. The team also placed safety Alohi Gilman on injured reserve and signed safety Tony Jefferson to the active roster. Dobbins sprained the MCL in his left knee late in the first half of the Chargers’ 30-23 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday. Dobbins is fourth in the AFC in rushing with 766 yards and averages 4.8 yards per carry, third highest among AFC running backs with at least 100 carries. He has been considered among the candidates for AP Comeback Player of the Year after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in last season’s opener. Gus Edwards will be counted on to be the lead back in Dobbins’ absence. Edwards missed four games during the middle of the season because of an ankle injury and has 25 carries for 93 yards in three games since returning to the lineup. The Chargers are 7-4 and hold the sixth seed in the AFC going into Sunday’s game at NFC South leader Atlanta (6-5). Los Angeles is at Kansas City (10-1) in a prime-time game on Dec. 8, hosts Tampa Bay (5-6) on Dec. 15 and Denver (7-5) on Dec. 19. Gilman suffered a hamstring injury in the loss to the Ravens. He has 47 tackles, which is fifth on the team, along with one sack. Los Angeles also elevated cornerback Dicaprio Bootle and linebacker Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste from the practice squad for Sunday’s game. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflAFP – Romanians voted yesterday in the first round of a presidential election amid a surge in inflation that could favour far-right leader George Simion. The vote kicks off two weeks of elections in the poor North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member country, including a parliamentary vote and a December 8 presidential run-off. Social democrat Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu is leading a field of 13 contenders in the race to take over from President Klaus Iohannis in the largely ceremonial post. Ciolacu has about 25 per cent support in opinion polls, followed by AUR leader Simion on 15 to 19 per cent. Ciolacu, whose Social Democratic Party (PSD) has shaped the country’s politics for more than three decades, promised stability and a “decent” standard of living as he voted Sunday. Simion, 38, has seen his popularity surge by tapping into voter anger over record inflation – 10 per cent last year and 5.5 per cent predicted for 2024 – while promising more affordable housing. Looking for a new election breakthrough for European far-right parties, he warned of possible “fraud” and “foreign interference” when voting. But he added: “I am happy that we are giving Romanians hope and the prospect of a better future.” Simion is targeting people like Rodica, a 69-year-old who was among the first to vote in Bucharest’s chilly sunshine. The pensioner, who would not give a family name, was afraid of the neighbouring war and wanted “better living conditions and peace”. The Black Sea nation now plays a “vital strategic role” for NATO – as it is a base for more than 5,000 soldiers – and the transit of Ukrainian grain, the New Strategy Center think tank said. Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election has further “complicated” Romania’s choice, political analyst Cristian Pirvulescu told AFP . Known for his fiery speeches, Simion is a Trump fan who sometimes dons a red cap in appreciation of his idol.A New Jersey town has ended its police chaplain program after a controversy over social media comments made by one of its religious leader volunteers. “After much discussion, we have made the decision to disband the program,” Interim Township Manager Michael Lapolla said during the Dec. 3 township council meeting in Montclair. “The conflicts between freedom of speech and freedom of religion are sometimes too difficult for anyone to handle, let alone us in government. And, none of us want to be the arbiter of those conflicts.” The decision comes after residents and local groups brought attention to comments and social media posts made by a chaplain, Kevin Dawud Amin, an imam at Masjid al Wadud. An investigation by the Montclair Civil Rights Commission " f ound that multiple posts on the Facebook page were considered antisemitic, and the Township of Montclair states its opposition - in the strongest way possible - to antisemitism or any kind of hate speech,“ township spokesman Matthew Amaral told NJ Advance Media. The imam has repeatedly denied his comments were antisemitic, reports by the outlet Montclair Local say. He could not be reached for comment on Friday. The town and police department, Lapolla said in the streamed meeting, are not in a position to monitor social media accounts of their volunteers and determine which posts may or may not be offensive. “It’s unfortunate, but we just do not see a way around this,” Lapolla said at the meeting. The Civil Rights Commission declined to make someone available for an interview, referring NJ Advance Media to township meeting minutes. “The Civil Rights Commission continues to condemn all acts of bias, discrimination, and hate in Montclair Township,” the advisory board said in a statement posted earlier this week. Montclair Police Chief Todd Conforti said at the Dec. 3 council meeting that the department will maintain its relationship with religious leaders, even though the program is ending. So, if when police are responding to an incident, a resident requests to see a religious leader, officers can still attempt to make that connection. “We still have our same community partners,” he said. “We still have the ability to reach out to people and help people.” Mayor Renee Baskerville made statements alluding to the controversy at an earlier town meeting, on Nov. 26. “I stand against hate in all of its forms,” she said at the meeting. “...Any behaviors that cause harm, fear or hurt are unacceptable.” According to the township’s website, the chaplain program allowed community religious leaders to work with police and other law enforcement officials “during times of crisis or incidents, to provide a more comprehensive response to those in need.” The website lists seven chaplains of various faiths, though the imam is not among those listed online. The chaplain program started in 2017, town officials said. Amin was approved as a chaplain in 2023, Montclair Local reported. The controversy has gained some wider attention, with U.S. Rep Mikie Sherrill, a candidate for governor, posting on X about it Thursday. “I denounce the antisemitic statements made on social media by the outgoing police chaplain in Montclair,” she posted. “Montclair is a town that prides itself on inclusivity and diversity — antisemitic, homophobic, or racist comments have no place in our community.” RECOMMENDED • nj .com See all homes sold in Montclair, Nov. 25 to Dec. 1 Dec. 4, 2024, 4:52 p.m. Montclair to celebrate Chanukah with festive community event Dec. 6, 2024, 6:56 a.m. Council members said at the Dec. 3 meeting they would, in coming weeks, take whatever legal steps were necessary to officially disband the program, but that it would be defunct before the process is complete. Officials also said they are opening to reinstituting the program at some point in the future. NJ Advance Media staff writer Jeff Goldman contributed to this report.
Cloud-Based Platforms: How It Enhances Employee Learning and GrowthUS court asks TikTok to sell or face ban by January 2025 TikTok spox says ban is based on flawed and hypothetical concerns, amounting to censorship A US federal appeals court has upheld a law that orders social media app, TikTok, to sell to an American owner or face a nationwide ban starting 19 January 2025. The decision marks a significant step in the long-standing battle over the popular social media platform’s ties to its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. The court rejected TikTok’s argument that the law violates the US Constitution, saying the law is about national security. “The law targets control by a foreign adversary, not the content or speech on TikTok,” the judges said. TikTok will appeal to the Supreme Court. Spokesperson Michael Hughes said, “This ban is based on flawed and hypothetical concerns, amounting to censorship. If enforced, it will silence over 170 million Americans.” Following the court verdict, ByteDance has said it won’t sell TikTok, calling that impossible. US officials say TikTok could allow the Chinese government to access user data or manipulate content for propaganda. No evidence has been shown but the government says the ownership is the risk. The court agreed, saying, “Even without evidence of manipulation in the US, the risk is great enough to act.” The law also allows President Biden to extend the January deadline once, but no decision has been made. If the ban happens, app stores and internet providers will face penalties for hosting TikTok. Analysts say that social media platforms like Meta, YouTube, and Snapchat will gain from TikTok’s removal. American content creators are worried. “I don’t want Zuckerberg to own TikTok. This is insane,” one said. Another said, “I hope TikTok survives but it doesn’t look good.” Critics say the ban is too much. Patrick Toomey from the ACLU said it sets a “bad precedent,” adding, “The government has no evidence of harm.” Civil rights groups and experts have also said a broader privacy law could address the concerns without targeting specific apps. As the deadline looms, TikTok’s fate in the US is up to its appeal or a last-minute deal. For now, its 170 million American users are in limbo. US State Department 'targeting' India: PM Modi’s BJP World Bank pledges historic $100bn aid for poorest nations Syria monitor says rebels near Homs city, key link to regime bastion OpenAI rolls out new subscription tier for ChatGPTRanking All Of Wicked's Songs Based On Emotional Impact