West Virginia knocks off No. 3 Gonzaga in overtime
RICHARDSON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / December 11, 2024 / Optex Systems Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:OPXS), a leading manufacturer of precision optical sighting systems for domestic and worldwide military and commercial applications, announced today it has been awarded a three-year, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for Optically Improved Periscopes from DLA Land and Marine with a maximum value of $6.5 million and two additional option years. Danny Schoening, CEO, Optex Systems stated "Optex continues to support our domestic armored vehicle manufactures through the ongoing supply of laser protected periscopes. These units provide our customers with real-time situational awareness while protecting them from harmful laser strikes. This three year contract speaks to the decades-long relationship with the U.S. Government and our commitment to quality and reliability." With this order, the current Optex backlog is in excess of $42 million. ABOUT OPTEX SYSTEMS Optex, which was founded in 1987, is a Richardson, Texas based ISO 9001:2015 certified concern, which manufactures optical sighting systems and assemblies, primarily for Department of Defense (DOD) applications. Its products are installed on various types of U.S. military land vehicles, such as the Abrams and Bradley fighting vehicles, Light Armored and Armored Security Vehicles, and have been selected for installation on the Stryker family of vehicles. Optex also manufactures and delivers numerous periscope configurations, rifle and surveillance sights, and night vision optical assemblies. Optex delivers its products both directly to the military services and to prime contractors. For additional information, please visit the Company's website at www.optexsys.com . Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including those relating to the products and services described herein. You can identify these statements by the use of the words "may," "will," "could," "should," "would," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "continue," "estimate," "project," "intend," "likely," "forecast," "probable," and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements represent our expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies concerning future events, including, but not limited to, any statements regarding growth strategy; product and development programs; financial performance and financial condition (including revenue, net income, profit margins and working capital); orders and backlog; the estimated value of IDIQ contracts; expected timing of contract deliveries to customers and corresponding revenue recognition; increases in the cost of materials and labor; costs remaining to fulfill contracts; contract loss reserves; labor shortages; follow-on orders; supply chain challenges; the continuation of historical trends; the sufficiency of our cash balances for future liquidity and capital resource needs; the expected impact of changes in accounting policies on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows; anticipated problems and our plans for future operations; and the economy in general or the future of the defense industry. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, continued funding of defense programs and military spending, the timing of such funding, general economic and business conditions, including unforeseen weakness in the Company's markets, effects of continued geopolitical unrest and regional conflicts, competition, changes in technology and methods of marketing, delays in completing engineering and manufacturing programs, changes in customer order patterns, changes in product mix, continued success in technological advances and delivering technological innovations, changes in the U.S. Government's interpretation of federal procurement rules and regulations, changes in spending due to policy changes in any new federal presidential administration, market acceptance of the Company's products, shortages in components, production delays due to performance quality issues with outsourced components, inability to fully realize the expected benefits from acquisitions and restructurings or delays in realizing such benefits, challenges in integrating acquired businesses and achieving anticipated synergies, changes to export regulations, increases in tax rates, changes to generally accepted accounting principles, difficulties in retaining key employees and customers, unanticipated costs under fixed-price service and system integration engagements, changes in the market for microcap stocks regardless of growth and value and various other factors beyond our control. You must carefully consider any such statement and should understand that many factors could cause actual results to differ from the Company's forward-looking statements. These factors include inaccurate assumptions and a broad variety of other risks and uncertainties, including some that are known and some that are not. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. The Company does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement. You should carefully evaluate such statements in light of factors described in the Company's filings with the SEC, especially on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. In various filings the Company has identified important factors that could cause actual results to differ from expected or historic results. You should understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors. Consequently, you should not consider any such list to be a complete list of all potential risks or uncertainties. Contact: IR@optexsys.com (972) 764-5718 SOURCE: Optex Systems Holdings, Inc. View the original on accesswire.comSupreme Court to take up today validity of Places of Worship Act - The Times of India
WASHINGTON , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Shield AI, the defense technology company building autonomy for the world, has announced it is expanding its work with Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: PLTR), a leading provider of AI systems, to develop and deliver large-scale command and control of autonomous uncrewed systems, including operations in GPS- and communications-denied environments. With Warp Speed, Palantir's manufacturing OS for American re-industrialization, Shield AI is doubling down on its commitment to delivering scalable, AI-powered solutions to protect service members and civilians. By leveraging Shield AI's advanced Hivemind software development kit, along with Palantir's suite of powerful software solutions—including enterprise resource planning, geospatial intelligence, and operational decision-making tools—the partnership combines the strengths of both companies to address the most critical defense challenges. "Shield AI and Palantir have both built technology products proven in the most demanding environments," said Brandon Tseng , Shield AI's President, Co-founder, and former Navy SEAL. "Our partnership is about bringing together Palantir's software dominance and Shield AI's expertise in autonomy to deliver the best possible outcomes for customers. It's exciting to scale up what we've been working on together in this next chapter of our partnership." This announcement builds on work Shield AI and Palantir showcased at the Association of the U.S. Army's (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Expo in October, where the companies demonstrated the integration of Shield AI's Hivemind with Palantir's Gaia. This integration created a unified command-and-control system for autonomous systems. Hivemind's proven autonomy capabilities—demonstrated on platforms like the V-BAT , F-16, MQM-178 Firejet, and Nova quadcopter—now seamlessly integrate with Gaia's geospatial intelligence tools, enabling real-time mission execution and precision targeting. "The American Industrial Base needs Warp Speed," said Shyam Sankar , Palantir's Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President. "Shield AI stands out in their field, having achieved mission impact and product results where others have struggled. This partnership, and Shield AI's deploying of our newly announced manufacturing OS will enable faster and better delivery to customers, and ultimately aid in the defense of the West." About Palantir Technologies Inc. Foundational software of tomorrow. Delivered today. Additional information is available at https://www.palantir.com . Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements may relate to, but are not limited to, Palantir's expectations regarding the amount and the terms of the contract and the expected benefits of our software platforms. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time those statements are made and were based on current expectations as well as the beliefs and assumptions of management as of that time with respect to future events. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond our control. These risks and uncertainties include our ability to meet the unique needs of our customer; the failure of our platforms to satisfy our customer or perform as desired; the frequency or severity of any software and implementation errors; our platforms' reliability; and our customer's ability to modify or terminate the contract. Additional information regarding these and other risks and uncertainties is included in the filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Except as required by law, we do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise. Media Contact Lisa Gordon, media@palantir.com About Shield AI Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense technology company whose mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems. In pursuit of this mission, Shield AI is building the world's best AI pilot. Its AI pilot, Hivemind, has flown jets (F-16; MQM-178 Firejet), a vertical takeoff and landing drone (MQ-35 V-BAT), and three quadcopters (Nova, Nova 2, iPRD). The company has offices in San Diego , Dallas , Washington DC and abroad. Shield AI's products and people are currently in the field actively supporting operations with the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. allies. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X and Instagram. Media Contact Lily Hinz , media@shield.ai View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shield-ai-and-palantir-technologies-deepen-strategic-partnership-and-announce-deployment-of-warp-speed-302324396.html SOURCE Shield AI
TEHRAN – Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, stated that Tehran categorically condemns the recent terrorist attack on its consulate in Aleppo, Syria, adding that the country intends to pursue legal actions against the terrorist groups behind the attack. In a statement made on Saturday, Baghaei highlighted that "terrorist elements" targeted the consulate amid a resurgence of Takfiri terrorism in Syria. He criticized the violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which protects diplomatic missions from such attacks. Baghaei assured that all staff at the consulate were unharmed and in good health. Videos on social media surfaced Friday, allegedly showing terrorists storming the consulate. The attack was reportedly orchestrated by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a Takfiri group, which launched a major offensive in Aleppo and Idlib provinces on Wednesday, capturing several areas. Syrian forces are currently engaged in intense battles with the terrorists to reclaim control. Syria has faced foreign-backed terrorism since 2011, with Western countries and some regional countries supporting them. Israel has been identified as a key supporter of groups opposing President Bashar al-Assad's government since the conflict's onset. HTS, primarily operating in Idlib, maintains alleged ties with Turkey and reportedly receives backing from Western and Israeli intelligence. Despite efforts to rebrand, the group's Al-Qaeda roots and foreign affiliations remain central to its activities in Syria. The Aleppo attack follows a ceasefire in Israel's conflict with Lebanon, where Hezbollah resisted Israeli attempts to occupy southern regions of the Arab country.Stock market today: Wall Street edges back from its records as bitcoin briefly pops above $100,000
DALLAS — With Juan Soto gone , the Yankees could trade for a top-tier rental for the second straight offseason. “We’re open to anything,” Brian Cashman said Wednesday morning as rumors involving Houston’s Kyle Tucker swirled around the Winter Meetings. The meetings began with Soto spurning the Yankees for a record-setting, 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets . Astros general manager Dana Brown then made it known that he would “listen on anybody” when asked if he’d consider trading Tucker and starting pitcher Framber Valdez. Like Soto, Tucker is a power-hitting right fielder who gets on base and bats from the left side. While not as gifted a hitter as Soto, Tucker is still a force who also offers more speed and better defense. Could he replace Soto ahead of his own walk year? “I would expect us to have conversations with all teams about what availability of players on their roster are, as well as all agents of players in free agency that we like, too,” Cashman said when asked if he’d be in contact with Brown. “We’ll check every box and ascertain price tags and that will be true of anything in the marketplace.” According to multiple reports, the Astros like Yankees’ right-hander Luis Gil, the American League Rookie of the Year , in a potential deal for Tucker. Meanwhile, the Cubs are also seen as suitors, among others, as Seiya Suzuki and Isaac Paredes are chips for Chicago. Last year, the Yankees traded five players — Jhony Brito, Kyle Higashioka, Michael King, Drew Thorpe and Randy Vásquez — to San Diego for Soto and Trent Grisham. It was a high price to pay for what amounted to just one year of Soto. The Yankees also paid the superstar a record-setting $31 million for 2024 to avoid arbitration. Tucker, scheduled to become a free agent for the first time next winter, is projected to make $15.8 million in arbitration this offseason. Were the Yankees to acquire the 27-year-old, they could try to engage him in extension talks like they did with Soto. However, it may be hard for Tucker to pass on a shot at the open market after seeing what Soto got. While Tucker won’t pull in as many dollars as Soto did, his age and talent should put him in line for a gigantic deal of his own. Limited to 78 games last season thanks to a shin fracture, Tucker hit .289/.408/.585 with 23 home runs, 49 RBI, 11 stolen bases and a 180 wRC+. The seven-year pro is a .274/.353/.516 hitter with 125 homers, 417 RBI, 94 stolen bases and a 139 wRC+ for his career. A three-time All-Star, Tucker also won the World Series with Houston in 2022. With Rōki Sasaki’s free agency underway, Cashman said the Yankees already have a presentation prepared for the Japanese ace as they await a meeting date. Sasaki grew up a big fan of Masahiro Tanaka, but Cashman declined to say if the former Yankee factored into the team’s pitch. “We’ve had some great [Japanese] players that have played here and enjoyed playing here,” Cashman said, highlighting Tanaka, Hideki Matsui, Ichiro Suzuki and Hiroki Kuroda. “But that doesn’t guarantee any individual’s decision piggybacking on those types. But I know those players are great resources to speak to the experiences that they had here.” Cashman saw Sasaki pitch for the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2023. He came away impressed, calling the right-hander a “big arm with a big desire to be great.” “His intent is to be one of the game’s greatest pitchers on the planet,” Cashman said. “We certainly would love to participate in allowing that to happen.” With the Yankees and Mets both interested in Sasaki — the 23-year-old’s age limits him to international signing bonus pool money — agent Joel Wolfe said that Sasaki could handle the bright lights of New York on Tuesday. However, Wolfe also suggested that Sasaki could benefit from a smaller market after negative experiences with Japanese media took a mental toll on the pitcher. According to Cot’s Contracts , the Yankees’ 2025 projected payroll is $258.1 million for competitive balance tax purposes after agreeing to an eight-year, $218 million contract with former Braves starter Max Fried on Tuesday. That puts them over the first tax threshold of $241 million. The second threshold is $261 million, followed by $281 million and $301 million. Last month, Hal Steinbrenner said he had yet to think about a target number for next year’s payroll. On Wednesday, Cashman was asked if a number had been communicated to him. He responded by simply saying that Steinbrenner said that all possibilities should be brought to his attention. “He’s fully invested and involved every step of the way,” Cashman said. “So he’s aware of all the price tags on the trade acquisitions, as well the free agents.” In spring training, Steinbrenner said that he didn’t want to trade top prospects Will Warren, Spencer Jones and Chase Hampton. Each went on to endure disappointing seasons in various ways, though, as Warren, who made his MLB debut, and Jones saw their numbers dip while the now-healthy Hampton suffered a flexor strain. On Wednesday, Cashman said he’s “open minded to everything” when asked about possibly trading members of the trio. “Certain guys, you’re more willing to discuss, and other guys, you’ve got a lot more trepidation in discussing,” he continued. “It’s just the nature of the beast.” With regards to Jones, Cashman said the outfielder is capable of more than he showed during a strikeout-heavy 2024 campaign . The GM called the Yankees’ sixth-best prospect, per Baseball America, a “physical beast,” but he noted bigger players sometimes take more time to develop. Cashman cited Dellin Betances and Aaron Judge as examples while talking about Jones, who is 6-6. “All those tools are real, so the excitement is all there,” Cashman said of Jones, who has displayed power and speed. “You also have to be patient.”
JPMorgan Chase & Co. stock rises Wednesday, still underperforms marketFormer Iowa star Kate Martin and reigning WNBA champion Kayla Thornton will headline the Golden State Valkyries' inaugural roster. The Valkyries are selected one player each from 11 teams during the Golden State Expansion draft on Dec. 6. The full results of the expansion draft are below. 2024 WNBA Expansion Draft Results The Valkyries did not select a player from the Seattle Storm. The Valkyries were able to choose one player left unprotected by each of the 12 established WNBA teams. Each club had until Nov. 25 to submit a list of six protected players who could not be selected by the Valkyries. The Valkyries were permitted to make trades with clubs, involving agreements to select or avoid exposed players, from Nov. 25 to Dec. 5. A club's protected list could include any six players whose rights were held by the franchise, including those designated as core players. Coring a player gives them a one-year max contract and allows a team exclusive negotiating rights the following season. Golden State was limited to drafting one player set to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2024 season. The franchise was not allowed to draft any pending UFA who had previously been cored for at least two seasons. The expansion draft is being managed by general manager Ohemaa Nyanin, who formerly worked as assistant GM for the reigning WNBA champion New York Liberty. Nyanin said ahead of the draft in December that the Valkyries would focus on building a team with a strong defensive identity (h/t Andscape's Sean Hurd .) The Valkyries are not limited by position in the initial expansion draft. The franchise can address further positional needs when free agency begins in February, or during the 2025 WNBA Draft in April. Golden State heads into the draft with three picks, including the No. 5 selection. The launch of the WNBA's 13th franchise was announced in October 2023. The team is owned by Golden State Warriors governors Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, and like their NBA counterparts will play home games in San Francisco's Chase Center. The Valkyries will be coached in their inaugural season by former Las Vegas Aces assistant coach Natalie Nakase. She worked with the Aces during their back-to-back championship runs in 2022 and 2023. The Golden State expansion draft marked the WNBA's first since the Atlanta Dream joined the league in 2008 and will be followed by two more in the near future. Franchises in Toronto and Portland are preparing to join the league ahead of the 2026 season.Several members of Donald Trump's incoming US administration have received threats including bomb alerts, the FBI said Wednesday, with one nominee reporting a pipe-bomb scare sent with a pro-Palestinian message. The President-elect's picks for UN ambassador and head of the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as his former choice to be US attorney general, said they were among those who had received the threats. "The FBI is aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees, and we are working with our law enforcement partners," the agency said in a statement. Swatting refers to a practice in which police are summoned urgently to someone's house under false pretenses. Such hoax calls are common in the United States and have seen numerous senior political figures targeted in recent years. Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for Trump's transition team, said that several appointees and nominees "were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them." Outgoing President Joe Biden "has been briefed" on the threats, the White House said. "The White House is in touch with federal law enforcement and the President-elect’s team, and continues to monitor the situation closely," a spokesperson said in a statement. "The president and the administration unequivocally condemn threats of political violence." Biden has vowed a smooth and peaceful presidential transition -- in contrast to when Trump riled a mob that attacked the US Capitol in January 2021 with false claims of election fraud. Elise Stefanik, a Trump loyalist congresswoman tapped to be UN ambassador, said her residence in New York was targeted in a bomb threat. She said in a statement that she, her husband, and small son were driving home from Washington for the Thanksgiving holiday when they learned of the threat. Lee Zeldin, Trump's pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, said his home was targeted with a pipe bomb threat sent with a "pro-Palestinian themed message." The former congressman from New York said he and his family were not home at the time. Matt Gaetz, who dropped out as Trump's pick to be attorney general after facing opposition over sexual misconduct allegations, reposted Zeldin's message on X and said: "Same." Scott Turner, the nomine for Housing Secretary and a retired NFL player, and Trump's pick for Labor Secretary, meanwhile also said they had also received bomb threats at their homes. Fox News Digital quoted unidentified sources saying that John Ratcliffe, Trump's nominee to head the CIA, and Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary pick, were additionally targeted. Ahead of his return to the White House in January, Trump has already swiftly assembled a cabinet of loyalists, including several criticized for a severe lack of experience. The Republican, who appears set to avoid trial on criminal prosecutions related to attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss, was wounded in the ear in July in an assassination attempt during a campaign rally. The shooter was killed in counter-fire. In September, authorities arrested another man accused of planning to shoot at Trump while he played golf at his course in West Palm Beach, Florida. Leavitt appeared to reference the previous incidents, saying that "with President Trump as our example, dangerous acts of intimidation and violence will not deter us." bur-dk/smsThe search and rescue organization for Metro Vancouver’s North Shore mountains is warning people to do their research after two international visitors became stranded while relying on hiking apps to plan their routes. Allan McMordie with North Shore Rescue managed the Sunday night rescue of a man from Goat Ridge, a backcountry area behind Grouse Mountain. He said the man told rescuers he had not been expecting snow, despite two of the local ski hills opening with fresh powder last month. “All you had to do was look at the top of the mountains from Vancouver and know there’s snow up there,” he said in an interview. “To be in running shoes and not even expecting any snow was pretty naive.” The man from France had set out on a marked route, then decided to make his way through very rough, steep terrain to a separate trail at significantly higher elevation. “This is rugged backcountry,” McMordie said. “It’s almost impassable.” McMordie could not confirm which apps the hikers in both recent rescues were using, but said a lack of any marked route or trail reports is a good indication not to use the application. In any case, he said trip planning should involve multiple sources for information. If the man from France had done any research, McMordie said he would have discovered the backcountry area where he was rescued is closed for the winter. In both recent cases, he said there are signs at each trailhead with maps showing trails and topography, along with reminders about key steps in trip planning, he said. Both men were lucky to have been able to make 911 calls, McMordie added, as service is patchy in the area and their phone batteries had nearly run out. Above all, he said hikers should tell someone else where they’re going and when they expect to return, so that person can alert local authorities if necessary. “Absolutely nobody knew where this person was and what he was doing that day,” McMordie said of the man from France. “If he had not been able to get that (911) call out, he would still be there.” Sunday’s rescue on Goat Ridge came three days after a similar call, when another man”seriously underestimated the difficulty” of a route marked in an online hiking app, North Shore Rescue said in a statement posted to social media. The group said there is “barely a trail” in the summer and “nothing whatsoever” in the winter, making for “full mountaineering conditions” at this time of year. The man called for help after hiking for eight hours that left him “tired, soaked (and) hypothermic” as the sun was setting,” it said. It’s doubtful the man would have survived the night in the Mount Seymour backcountry if he hadn’t been able to make the call, the rescue group added. The man had been staying in a short-term accommodation and had taken an Uber to the trailhead. Only his girlfriend in Norway knew where he was, and he was not wearing or carrying adequate gear for the conditions, McMordie said. Vancouver-based Stephen Hui, the author of several B.C. hiking guidebooks, said the rough, mountainous terrain steps away from urban Metro Vancouver and the extent of the snowpack in winter is a surprise for many visiting hikers. Hui said online apps can be helpful and often provide commentary about trail conditions from other hikers, but it’s crucial to look at additional sources of information, including complete maps and provincial and national park websites. He said local authorities and outdoor groups have some responsibility for people heading into the backcountry, and there is room for more signage and education. Ultimately, though, he said people must be responsible for themselves. “We can’t handhold everybody,” he said. “There’s always going to be dangers in hiking.”
Jim Rossman | Tribune News Service Cord cutting used to refer to abandoning pay TV and putting up an antenna to watch free over-the-air TV. Then cord cutting expanded to include streaming services like Netflix and Hulu and individual streaming sources. Related Articles TV and Streaming | Best TV of 2024: A modestly better lineup than usual, but why didn’t it feel that way? TV and Streaming | ‘Emilia Pérez’ leads Golden Globe nominations with 10, followed by ‘The Brutalist’ and ‘Conclave’ Now we also include streaming bundles, like YouTube TV or Hulu Live or DirecTV Stream. These bundled services mimic cable and satellite service, in that they have hundreds of channels. The ease or complexity of the cord cutting experience depends on how you have things set up. Let’s take a look at some gift options for your favorite cord cutter. As far as I know DirecTV is the only streaming bundle service that offers its own hardware. The Gemini Air is a small dongle that plugs into an HDMI port on your TV. It is paired with a remote control to allow for easy navigation. If you were an AT&T U-Verse TV customer, the Gemini Air/DirecTV Stream experience will be very familiar. The Gemini Air is a rarity in that it has number buttons. DirecTV Stream has the option of turning on channel numbers in the guide. I’ve used DirecTV Stream with my Roku TV and with the Gemini Air and the Air makes navigating the huge list of channels much easier. The Gemini Air runs the Google operating system, so you can see and use all your other streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Max and more. You can also load apps and games from the Google Play store. The Gemini Air connects to your home’s Wi-Fi network, and it can stream 4K content to your TV. The remote control has a microphone so you can use your voice to search or interact with Hey Google’s voice assistant. DirecTV Stream customers can get a free Gemini Air from AT&T with their service. Additional units are available for $120. There are lots of smart TV brands. Some run on the Roku operating system, some run Google TV and some use their own brand of smart TV apps. If you’d like to add Google TV to any set, you can get Google’s new TV Streamer (4K) for just $99 from store.google.com. The small device connects to your TV’s HDMI port. It also can connect to your home’s internet via Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet connection. The Google TV interface is not tied to any specific streaming service. You can use any streaming service or app that’s available on the Google Play store. It features a simple remote with voice control and the Google TV Streamer is also a hub and controller for Matter and Thread home devices that work with Google’s home ecosystem. If you use an over-the-air antenna for watching your free local channels, I’m betting you’d like the option to record those channels. TiVo used to be the best/easiest way to record OTA TV, but they’ve discontinued their OTA recorders. A great alternative is from TabloTV, which is a small box that you connect to your TV antenna. The TabloTV does not directly connect to your TV. Instead it connects to your home’s Wi-Fi, and the antenna signal is wirelessly sent to any TV or compatible device in your home. Your TV picks up the signal through a free app, which is compatible with smart TV brands like Samsung, LG, Google TV, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV or Android TV. This method is extremely handy if you don’t want to be bothered running an antenna wire from your attic or roof all the way to your TV. It’s also great if you want to use an indoor antenna, but your TV is not situated in a room that faces the broadcast towers. You can place the antenna and TabloTV where you get the best reception. The TabloTV comes in two models – with either two or four tuners. This means you can record or watch two or four shows at a time. TabloTV has onboard storage to record up to 50 hours of shows, but you can plug in any USB hard drive and expand to record thousands of hours of programming. You can also bundle a TabloTV with an OTA antenna if you like, or you can use your own antenna. Two things to know, there are no ongoing subscription costs for guide data, and there is no streaming service integration. You will need another way to add in streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. TabloTV models start at $99.95 for the two tuner model at tablotv.com. The four-tuner model is $139.95, but they may be on sale during the holidays. ©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Thunderbird Entertainment Group Announces 2024 Annual General Meeting and Update on Meeting Materials
B.C. Premier Eby says U.S. tariffs would be 'devastating' for forest industryVICTORIA — British Columbia Premier David Eby says 25-per-cent U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods would be "devastating" for the province's lumber and forestry industries. He made the comment ahead of a meeting with fellow first ministers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Eby was scheduled to participate in the virtual meeting on Wednesday to discuss U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's threat to impose the tariffs unless Canada and Mexico stop illegal border crossings and prevent illicit drugs from entering the United States. Eby said the lumber and forestry sectors are already strained by a recent increase in duties amid the ongoing U.S.-Canada dispute over softwood lumber. He said after the first meeting of his new cabinet in Victoria that the tariffs are "unjustified," and they would hurt Americans as much as they would Canadians. The premier said B.C. is a source of natural gas, wood products, minerals and other products that U.S. businesses depend on, and the tariff would hinder jobs and opportunities in the province while making "life more expensive for Americans." Eby and Ottawa have called for a united front dealing with Trump's tariff plan, which he announced on social media on Monday. Eby said B.C. officials had repeatedly raised concerns with Ottawa over organized crime and illicit drugs, such as fentanyl, in relation to border security. "It's a priority for us. It has been for a while, we've written to Ottawa about it. Doesn't justify the tariffs, but it does mean that we can talk about those issues as well." Eby said Trump's proposed tariff "doesn't make economic sense," and the measure is not necessary to address issues at the border. The premier said he believes B.C. has a strong case to make for the tariff being "badly placed" if Trump's priority is to reduce costs for Americans. "I think the premiers are unified," Eby said. "There are 13 of us plus the prime minister. It's a big group of people with different political perspectives, but on this issue of ensuring that we're protecting the people in our country from these unjustified tariffs, I believe we're completely in line on that question." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2024. The Canadian Press
'Hugely compelling factor': AOC says Dems must learn midterm lesson from 2018 blue wave
President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday that he has chosen Keith Kellogg, a highly decorated retired three-star general, to serve as his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, who is one of the architects of a staunchly conservative policy book that lays out an "America First" national security agenda for the incoming administration, will come into the role as Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its third year in February. Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social account, and said "He was with me right from the beginning! Together, we will secure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, and Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN!" Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump's top adviser on defense issues, served as national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, was chief of staff of the National Security Council and then stepped in as an acting security adviser for Trump after Michael Flynn resigned. As special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Kellogg will have to navigate an increasingly untenable war between the two nations. The Biden administration has begun urging Ukraine to quickly increase the size of its military by drafting more troops and revamping its mobilization laws to allow for the conscription of troops as young as 18. The White House has pushed more than $56 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia's February 2022 invasion and expects to send billions more to Kyiv before Biden leaves office in less than months. Trump has criticized the billions that the Biden administration has poured into Ukraine. Washington has recently stepped up weapons shipments and has forgiven billions in loans provided to Kyiv. The incoming Republican president has said he could end the war in 24 hours, comments that appear to suggest he would press Ukraine to surrender territory that Russia now occupies. As a co-chairman of the American First Policy Institute's Center for American Security, Kellogg wrote several of the chapters in the group's policy book. The book, like the Heritage Foundation's "Project 2025," is a move to lay out a Trump national security agenda and avoid the mistakes of 2016 when he entered the White House largely unprepared. Kellogg in April wrote that "bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties." Kellogg was a character in multiple Trump investigations dating to his first term. He was among the administration officials who listened in on the July 2019 call between Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which Trump prodded his Ukrainian counterpart to pursue investigations into the Bidens. The call, which Kellogg would later say did not raise any concerns on his end, was at the center of the first of two House impeachment cases against Trump, who was acquitted by the Senate both times. On Jan. 6, 2021, hours before pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, Kellogg, who was then Pence's national security adviser, listened in on a heated call in which Trump told his vice president to object or delay the certification in Congress of President Joe Biden 's victory. He later told House investigators that he recalled Trump saying to Pence words to the effect of: "You're not tough enough to make the call." ___ Baldor reported from Washington. AP writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.