
Tis’ the merriest and brightest season of all, and the list of local restaurants and bars decking the halls to celebrate is growing. With a variety of cocktail concoctions from the gingerbread mule to the tipsy elf, photo opportunities in an all-new “ski chalet” and a plethora of jubilant decor, a visit to these pop-ups will fill you with Yuletide cheer. Jingle Bar at Brit’s Pub: The nationwide, magical Christmas pop-up bar has made a home in Brit’s Pub this holiday season. Get jolly with holiday tunes, seasonal cocktails, games, entertainment and prizes. Tickets starting at $15.50. Dates and times vary, now though Jan. 12, Brit’s Pub, 1110 Nicollet Mall, Mpls, thejinglebars.com . Holiday Flight Club: Experience holiday traditions around the world through cuisines, dishes and cocktail parings from various countries — all from the comfort of Travail’s seasonally decorated basement bar. Tickets starting at $135. Seatings at 5:45 p.m. and 8 p.m., now through Jan. 4, Travail’s Basement Bar, 4134 Hubbard Av. N., Robbinsdale, travailkitchen.com . Nico’s Navidad: With five themed rooms, a full holiday cocktail menu, Candy Cane Bar, Whoville, Bar Humbug and a life-size Santa, it’s safe to say Nico’s in Uptown has enough Christmas cheer to share. Accepting reservations and walk-ins. 4-10 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Fri. and Sat., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sun., now through Jan. 5, Nico’s Taco Bar, 2516 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., nicostacobar.com . Down Through the Chimney: Immerse yourself in a winter wonderland as you sip on handcrafted cocktails and nibble on holiday bites by the Santa-approved fireplace at Hotel Emery’s holiday pop-up bar. Accepting reservations and walk-ins. 4 p.m.-midnight Wed.-Sun., now through Dec. 29, Hotel Emery, 215 S. 4th St., Mpls., hotelemery.com . Jingle Bar at Lola’s Lakehouse: Jingle Bar returns to Lola’s Lakehouse for another holiday season with cheerful craft cocktails and mocktails, live music, and festive fare. Seating is on a first come, first served basis. Reservations are encouraged. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri. and Sat., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sun. Now through Dec. 31, Lola’s Lakehouse, 318 E. Lake St., Waconia, lolaslakehouse.com . Mid Century Modern Holiday Pop Up: Build your own mini-Gingerbread house as you sip on holiday-themed cocktails or hot mulled blackberry “wine” in Dashfire’s cocktail room. 4 p.m.-midnight Thurs.-Sat., now through Dec. 28, Dashfire, 1620 Central Av. NE, Mpls., dashfire.us . The Red Nose Room and Après Ski Chalet: Red Cow’s Red Nose Room is back this year with the new Après Ski Chalet. Both with their own unique holiday menus featuring a variety of merry bevvies and foods - including Christmas cookies and Boozy Cider. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tues.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-11p.m. Fri., 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Sat., 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun., now through Dec. 31, Red Cow Uptown, 2626 Hennepin Av., Mpls., redcowmn.com . The Naughty List: Head to Umbra for some of the North Pole’s rarest spirits, from spiced Caribbean rum and eggnog-infused Kentucky bourbon to elven-distilled gin and mulled cider. Bar and lounge seating is first come, first serve. 11 a.m-10 p.m. Sun.-Sat., now through Dec. 31, Umbra inside the Canopy Hotel, 708 3rd St. S., Mpls., umbrampls.com . Jingle Giles: Earl Giles presents its first annual six week-long holiday pop-up event, featuring themed craft cocktails, seasonal dishes, live music, trivia and holiday markets. Reservations are encouraged. 3-10 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sun., now through Dec. 31, Earl Giles, 1325 Quincy St. NE., Mpls., earlgiles.com . Hell-a-dazzle: Step into an explosion of holiday cheer in Hell’s Kitchen’s underground lair. The festivities feature Christmas kitsch décor from wall to wall, a 35-foot bloody mary and mimosa bar and live music. Reservations are encouraged. 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Sun.-Thurs., 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri. and Sat., now through Jan.13, Hell’s Kitchen, 80 S. 9th St., Mpls., hellskitcheninc.com . The Nutcracker Suite: Nestled away in the Sovereign State winery is an enchanting 21+ cocktail lounge with seasonal drinks like the “Sugar Plum Fairy Martini” and the “Nutcracker.” Guests must have tickets to the Spirit of Winter event to attend. Tickets start at $15. 4-8 p.m. Sun.-Thurs., 4-9 p.m. Fri. and Sat., and 4-8 p.m. on Mon. Dec. 23. Runs now through Dec. 29, Sovereign Estate Winery, 9950 North Shore Rd., Waconia, sovereignestatewine.com . Miracle Bar: The Miracle Bar is popping up at two locations in Minnesota this holiday season. Both Pinz and River City Extreme will feature one-of-a-kind seasonal cocktails and vibrant décor. Tickets start at $15. 4-10 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., noon-11 p.m. Fri. and Sat., noon-9 p.m. Sun., now through Dec. 29, 2 Locations, Pinz, 7520 N. 32nd St., Oakdale, and River City Extreme, 3875 School Blvd., Monticello, tripleshift.com . Winter Wonder Bar: There’s snow doubt Creekside Supper Club takes Christmas seriously. Sip on a holiday cocktail and enjoy a classic supper club meal in their decked-out dining room. Reservations are recommended. 4-9 p.m. Tues.-Thurs., 4-10 p.m. Fri., 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-10 p.m. Sat., 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-9 p.m. Sun., now through Jan. 12, Creekside Supper Club, 4820 Chicago Av., Mpls., creeksidemn.com . Dorit’s Tavern: Located on Surly’s second floor is a unique holiday pop-up featuring cold beers, killer pizza, and Jello shots. The mid-80′s themed dive bar is taking reservations. 3-9 p.m., now through Jan. 5, Surly Brewing Co., 520 Malcolm Av. SE., Mpls., surlybrewing.com . No Coal for You!: Black Sheep Pizza is decking out there coal-fired pizzeria and bar for the holidays with an all-new line up of happy hour food and drinks for the season. The restaurant and bar also extended its happy hour and late-night hours. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-2:30 a.m. Fri. and Sat., now through Jan. 4, Black Sheep Pizza - North Loop, 600 Washington Av. N., Mpls., blacksheeppizza.com . Welcome to the Jingle: Hola Arepa, the Latin street food restaurant, is doing a tropical take on the joyful season with its holiday bar in the jungle, featuring specialty cocktails and reggae and afrobeat Christmas playlist. 4-10 p.m. Tues.-Thurs., 4-11 p.m. Fri., 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Sat., 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun., now through Dec. 29, Hola Arepa, 3501 Nicollet Av. Mpls., holaarepa.com . Ella.Anderson@startribune.com is a University of Minnesota student reporter on assignment for the Star Tribune.Trending News Today Live Updates: In today's fast-paced world, staying informed about the latest developments is more important than ever. Trending News Today brings you the most current and impactful stories from across the globe, covering a wide range of topics including politics, technology, entertainment, sports, and social issues. Whether it's a significant political event, a groundbreaking technological innovation, or the latest in pop culture, we provide you with up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis. Our goal is to ensure that you're always in the loop, aware of the trends that are shaping the world around us. Stay tuned for the latest news that matters. Trends News Today Live: The Spencer Stare: Royal fans obsessed with William, Charlotte, and George’s striking resemblance to Diana
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The standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.
Federal prosecutors moved to dismiss the criminal charges against President-elect Donald Trump that accused him of plotting to overturn the 2020 election and to abandon the classified documents case against him, citing longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. The decision by special counsel Jack Smith, who had fiercely sought to hold Mr Trump criminally accountable for his efforts to subvert the 2020 election, represented the end of the federal effort against the former president following his election victory this month despite the election-related cases and multiple other unrelated criminal charges against him. The move, announced in court papers, marks the end of the Justice Department’s landmark effort to hold Mr Trump accountable for what prosecutors called a criminal conspiracy to cling to power in the run-up to his supporters’ attack on the US Capitol on January 6 2021. In court papers, prosecutors said the Justice Department’s position “is that the Constitution requires that this case be dismissed before the defendant is inaugurated”. Mr Smith’s team emphasised that the move to abandon the prosecutions, in federal courts in Washington and Florida, was not a reflection of their view on the merits of the cases but rather a reflection of their commitment to longstanding department policy. “That prohibition is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Government stands fully behind,” the prosecutors wrote in Monday’s court filing in the election interference case. The decision was expected after Mr Smith’s team began assessing how to wind down both the 2020 election interference case and the separate classified documents case in the wake of Mr Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. The Justice Department believes Trump can no longer be tried in accordance with longstanding policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted. Mr Trump has cast both cases as politically motivated and has vowed to fire Mr Smith as soon as he takes office in January. The 2020 election case brought last year was once seen as one of the most serious legal threats facing the Republican as he vied to reclaim the White House. However, it quickly stalled amid legal fighting over Mr Trump’s sweeping claims of immunity from prosecution for acts he took while in the White House. The US Supreme Court in July ruled for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, and sent the case back to US District Judge Tanya Chutkan to determine which allegations in the indictment, if any, could proceed to trial. The case was just beginning to pick up steam again in the trial court in the weeks leading up to this year’s election. Mr Smith’s team filed a lengthy brief in October laying out new evidence they planned to use against him at trial, accusing him of “resorting to crimes” in an increasingly desperate effort to overturn the will over voters after he lost to President Joe Biden.
Observability Tools and Platforms Market Recent Trends, Outlook, Size, Share, Growth, Industry Analysis, Advance Technology And Forecast -2028 12-06-2024 07:42 PM CET | Business, Economy, Finances, Banking & Insurance Press release from: ABNewswire Dynatrace (US), ScienceLogic (US), LogicMonitor (US), Auvik (Canada), New Relic (US), GitLab (US), AppDynamics (US), SolarWinds (US), Splunk (US), Datadog (US), Sumo Logic (US), Monte Carlo (US), Acceldata (US), IBM (US), StackState (US). Observability Tools and Platforms Market by Component (Solution, and Services), Deployment type (Public cloud, and Private cloud), Vertical, and Region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, Latin America) - Global Forecast to 2028. The global observability tools and platforms market [ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/observability-tools-and-platforms-market-69804486.html?utm_campaign=observabilitytoolsandplatformsmarket&utm_source=abnewswire.com&utm_medium=paidpr ] will grow from USD 2.4 billion in 2023 to USD 4.1 billion by 2028, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 11.7% during the forecast period. The increasing need for businesses to gain continuous insights into the overall health and performance of their deployed applications is anticipated to drive the market's growth. Download PDF Brochure@ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=69804486 [ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=69804486&utm_campaign=observabilitytoolsandplatformsmarket&utm_source=abnewswire.com&utm_medium=paidpr ] By component, the solution segment to hold a larger market share during the forecast period Observability platform provides tools for evaluating, monitoring, and managing cloud services, applications, and infrastructure. It provides features such as full visibility across the cloud, eliminating blind spots, and early detection of issues and vulnerabilities to secure the cloud, better insights, cost control, fast troubleshooting, and performance tracking across the cloud. Moreover, Observability solutions are built for organizations of various sizes, and as the cloud activity increases, the monitoring tool can scale simultaneously. These solutions are also available on a subscription-based model, which reduces operational expenditure. These advantages of the solutions are expected to fuel their demand in the future. By vertical, Retail and consumer goods exhibits significant growth in the market during the forecast period Data observability in the retail industry helps improve internal analytics, and shopping experiences, notably reducing time-to-detection of data quality issues and increasing revenue with reliable and trustworthy data. Challenges that were faced by the industry in the past years were such as missing and duplicative data, complicated queries, and inconsistent logic across pipelines which created confusion in analytics, missing ingestion pipelines from marketing sources, loss in visibility to increase marketing spend efficiency, lack of access to fresh, up-to-date data for stakeholders to make decisions. With Data observability, the retail industry has gained a few benefits such as custom alerting for known business logic, such as update frequency for third-party data, field-level lineage graphs that help show the downstream impact of changes, and automated thresholding for data quality metrics across key tables. With the advent of e-commerce and online retailers, the retail industry has faced tremendous changes in recent years and has readjusted itself to the new business environment. Shop retailers are adopting more innovative technologies, such as cloud computing and big data analytics, to sustain and thrive. Asia Pacific to grow at the highest rate among regions in the observability tools and platforms Market during the forecast period Observability Tools and Platforms market in Asia Pacific has been studied for countries such as China, Japan, India, and the Rest of Asia Pacific. The region is expected to experience extensive growth opportunities due to high consumer spending, internet penetration, and the rising adoption of advanced technologies, such as AI, ML, analytics, and cloud computing. The presence of many prominent large multi-national companies and emerging fruitful startups in the region has led to rising demand for the latest Observability tools and platforms. Major factors for technological advancements in the region are the rising levels of urbanization, technological innovation, and government support for the digital economy. Rapid advancements in telecommunications, cloud computing, and IoT have led to several organizations adopting cloud-based strategies. The increasing adoption of cloud technologies and the massive amount of data has led to the complexity of managing workloads and applications manually, which is the primary factor in adopting observability solutions among enterprises in this region. Request Sample Pages@ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=69804486 [ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=69804486&utm_campaign=observabilitytoolsandplatformsmarket&utm_source=abnewswire.com&utm_medium=paidpr ] Unique Features in the Observability Tools and Platforms Market Observability tools provide unified monitoring capabilities across diverse technology stacks, including cloud-native, hybrid, and on-premises environments. This enables organizations to gain holistic insights into application performance, infrastructure health, and user experience. Modern observability platforms excel in collecting, aggregating, and analyzing real-time data from various sources such as logs, metrics, and traces. This ensures instant detection of anomalies, enabling faster issue resolution and maintaining system reliability. Integration with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) enhances the analytical capabilities of observability platforms. These tools can automatically identify patterns, predict potential failures, and suggest corrective actions, reducing downtime and improving operational efficiency. A standout feature of observability platforms is their ability to provide end-to-end tracing of user requests across distributed systems. This visibility helps pinpoint bottlenecks, optimize application performance, and ensure seamless user experiences. Advanced observability tools offer customizable dashboards that provide context-rich visualizations. These dashboards enable stakeholders to monitor critical metrics, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions efficiently. Major Highlights of the Observability Tools and Platforms Market As businesses transition to cloud-native and distributed architectures, the demand for observability tools designed for cloud environments is surging. These platforms enable organizations to manage, monitor, and optimize applications deployed in multi-cloud and hybrid setups. Organizations are prioritizing tools that provide real-time insights into application health, infrastructure performance, and user experience. The ability to identify and address issues proactively is becoming a cornerstone of operational efficiency. Observability platforms are increasingly leveraging AI and ML to enhance anomaly detection, predictive analytics, and automated root-cause analysis. This innovation reduces resolution times and minimizes system downtime. The shift toward microservices and DevOps methodologies is significantly shaping the observability market. Tools that offer end-to-end tracing and seamless integration with CI/CD pipelines are becoming essential for modern application development and operations. Businesses are seeking unified observability platforms that combine logs, metrics, and traces into a single interface. This convergence simplifies monitoring processes, improves cross-team collaboration, and reduces tool sprawl. With the explosion of data volumes and system complexities, scalability is a key highlight of modern observability tools. These platforms are designed to scale dynamically, catering to the growing needs of organizations while supporting various deployment models. Inquire Before Buying@ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=69804486 [ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=69804486&utm_campaign=observabilitytoolsandplatformsmarket&utm_source=abnewswire.com&utm_medium=paidpr ] Top Companies in the Observability Tools and Platforms Market The Major Players for observability tools and platforms market include some of the key vendors as well as startups offering Observability solutions across the globe, which include Dynatrace (US), ScienceLogic (US), LogicMonitor (US), Auvik (Canada), New Relic (US), GitLab (US), AppDynamics (US), SolarWinds (US), Splunk (US), Datadog (US), Sumo Logic (US), Monte Carlo (US), Acceldata (US), IBM (US), StackState (US), Nexthink (Switzerland), Riverbed (US), Broadcom (US), Lightstep (US), Microsoft (US), Atatus (India). LogicMonitor is committed to exploring and expanding possibilities for businesses by advancing their technology. The vision of the company is 'Turn It On - Today', monitoring keeps the world of business turning. LogicMonitor comprehensively monitors infrastructures, from on-premises to the cloud. Within a shorter time span, the team here works the way out, making it possible for businesses to advance their technology, ensuring airline passengers aren't stranded due to system outages (travel and tourism, hospitality industry), food stays at safe temperatures (food and beverages industry), and spinning wheels don't interrupt our favorite streaming shows (media and entertainment industry). The company believes in 'Turn the Dial', wherein they believe monitoring should do more than visualize today's or current information, it should open new avenues for businesses to grow. LogicMonitor goes above and beyond to empower its customers, claiming to be the most extensible monitoring platform globally. When customers can solve problems before they start, they can shift their focus from maintenance to innovation. 'Turn the Corner' briefs that as AI/ML turns from sci-fi promises to day-to-day realities, technology is enabling businesses to see what's coming before it happens. LogicMonitor collaborates closely with its customers to understand their risks, anticipate their needs, thereby providing insights that unlock their vision. Few reportable specialties offered by the company include network monitoring, server monitoring, application monitoring, NetApp monitoring, VMware monitoring, XenServer monitoring, Cisco monitoring, MongoDB monitoring, SQL monitoring, PostgreSQL monitoring, Netscaler monitoring, cloud monitoring, AWS monitoring, software as a service, cloud monitoring, hybrid monitoring, SaaS, infrastructure monitoring, GCP monitoring, Azure monitoring, and AIOps. The company has a global presence with offices in Santa Barbara, Austin, Boston, New York City, London, India, Australia, and Singapore. New Relic is a technology-driven company, which develops cloud-based software to help website and application owners track the performance of their services. It delivers the observability platform for engineers to plan, build, deploy, and operate more perfect software. The company caters to more than 17,000 customers worldwide through 15 offices. It is one of the prominent players in the cloud performance management market. New Relic offers a wide range of cloud-based products and solutions. The company offers solutions for DevOps, cloud adoption, cloud-native, and digital customer experience. New Relic serves customers across different industry verticals, including e-commerce and retail, media, and the public sector. The company is focused on enabling customers to create perfect software by offering a comprehensive cloud-based observability platform. New Relic's platform offers capabilities such as programmability, infinite tracing, integration, and security. Apart from products and solutions, the company also offers professional and support services. It has developed a strong relationship with several cloud providers, including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, IBM Cloud, Pivotal CloudFoundry, and others. The company serves a variety of industries, including e-commerce and retail, healthcare, media and entertainment, the public sector, and emerging start-ups. Its marketing strategy focuses on meaningful interactions with practitioners and buyers by targeting software developers, operations professionals, IT leaders, and technology executives across many industries and regions. The New Relic platform gives one clear picture of the software and simplifies the complexity of monitoring hybrid cloud infrastructure. It's a pure Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution. The company provides various cloud solutions such as Application Performance (APM), Network Monitoring, Mobile Monitoring, Browser Monitoring, Infrastructure Monitoring, Log Management, and Model Performance Monitoring. Media Contact Company Name: MarketsandMarkets Trademark Research Private Ltd. Contact Person: Mr. Rohan Salgarkar Email:Send Email [ https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=observability-tools-and-platforms-market-recent-trends-outlook-size-share-growth-industry-analysis-advance-technology-and-forecast-2028 ] Phone: 18886006441 Address:1615 South Congress Ave. Suite 103, Delray Beach, FL 33445 City: Florida State: Florida Country: United States Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/observability-tools-and-platforms-market-69804486.html This release was published on openPR.
In early September the foreign press made a big fuss because President Maduro “brought Christmas forward” to October 1st. In truth, this is something the Venezuelan leader had done before, nearly always as an effective strategy to cool down political, economic and social tensions. Press buzz aside, the measure is welcomed by retailers who could seamlessly move from their Halloween decorations to Christmas trees and glittered ornaments. It also generated an incentive for people to buy things “ahead of time,” “before the December price hike,” etc. But beyond that, the truth is that in Venezuela Christmas is felt way before December 24. In fact, our country is a living example of a famous slogan created by a Colombian radio station: “Since September it feels like December is around the corner.” Venezuelans have the holidays on their minds during the last trimester, and they start planning the most important gastronomic traditions: , ham bread and chicken salad. The is the main event, with its long preparation often becoming an opportunity for families to gather and catch up. There are many theories concerning its origin. One says that it was created from the scraps that the elites gave to their slaves during colonial times. Another is that it takes on a Spanish pie but made out of corn flour due to the shortage of wheat. But the theory I like the most – with solid bibliography to back it up – says that the can be traced back hundreds of years, to pre-Hispanic times, when Indigenous peoples prepared a corn dough wrapped in its own leaves and cooked in clay pots. Now, the stew that fills the does have a lot to do with the Spaniards, and it was later adapted and perfected. So a deconstructed has pre-colonial elements: corn and (achiote). As for the elements that came from the Iberian peninsula, some of them are clearly Spanish: onion, garlic, beef, pork, sugar cane and wine. But the rest, like olives, capers, raisins and almonds is actually inherited from the Moorish presence in Iberia for hundreds of years. All things considered, the hallaca is synonymous with Venezuela’s (mixing). It involved a brutal colonization, which shapes us to this day, but the traditions were adopted and molded by the people, with variants in different regions. The final result has a glorious balance between savory, sweet, acid and bitter. Not just that, have a perfect sidekick in ham bread ( ). The recipe was created in 1905 in a central Caracas bakery called Ramella. Its sole goal was to make use of leftover ham. How Venezuelan is that? We’re a country that always finds a workaround, making use of all scraps, itself as many times as it takes. As Venezuelan culinary editor Miró Popic points out, “ham bread was born before the discovery of oil, in a poor, austere country, where one day of Christmas tried to make up for 364 days of hardship.” And history can be cyclical. Still, during the worst economic crisis of the Fourth Republic (1958-1999) and the tough years of economic siege we’ve lived through, with 2016 and 2017 having been especially terrible, Venezuela held firm to its legitimate right to celebrate the holiday season. Rightly so, because our traditions are unique and full of life. The most traditional music genre is the , a popular rhythm from western Zulia state which bears African, Spanish and possibly Berber influences. In fact, the very name originally referred to , an Arab flute. This genre is furthermore traced back to slaves’ protest chants against their masters. Plantation owners granted their slaves a single day a year to hold their festivities. That meant a grand party, during which the enslaved peoples also voiced their discontent with all the oppression around them, not just from slave masters but also the Church. “Why has God abandoned us?” they asked. As a result, as time went on, became an instrument for popular classes to express their hopes and frustrations. There are plenty of songs denouncing inequality in cities like Maracaibo, where the oil riches and the poverty of the majority have always stood in stark contrast. This political facet of has remained heavily present to this day. When I was a little girl, before Hugo Chávez arrived in power, there was a that radio stations played all the time. “ ” by the Gran Coquivacoa group was a theme criticizing the government led by Social Christian Rafael Caldera, who held the presidency twice (1969-1974 and 1994-1999). Apart from the political songs, I have two favorite that are quite bittersweet. One is “ ” by Ricardo Cepeda: The other one is “ ” by Argenis Carruyo: Apart from , there are other synonymous with the holidays, with a stronger presence of religious themes. Aguinaldos and parrandas are two examples which in turn have different variants depending on the region. Then there are the crazy traditions, with origins that are harder to trace and a lot more dependent on people’s levels of superstition. One case is eating lentils on Christmas Eve to invoke prosperity. Never mind how often we already eat lentils throughout the year... Other examples include yellow underwear to attract riches, taking a suitcase out so that next year is full of traveling, or breaking out new clothes so that new experiences abound. No one actually in these things, but many will do them just in case! Nevertheless, my favorite one are the skateaways (“patinatas”), which are public celebrations carried out on the streets. Major avenues and roads are closed so that young and not-so-young kids can take over with their skateboards, bicycles and skates. It is often an occasion for kids to break out their Christmas gifts. As I watch them, I’m usually reminded of the essence of Christmas: working and fighting for children to be happy. And if we recall where Christmas is from, we wish and struggle so that children in Gaza can smile too.Mikaela Shiffrin has abrasion after crash in World Cup giant slalom - NBC Sports
Lindsay Corporation Stock Hits 52-Week High at $135.17An $18,000 grant from big-hearted businesses has thrown a critical lifeline to the Border's multicultural community and the volunteers who support them. or signup to continue reading The Albury-Wodonga Volunteer Resource Bureau's cultural exchange project took out the main award at Thursday night's Border Trust Give500 pitch event at Albury. An ecstatic general manager Renee Wilson said the funds would help retain the services of their bilingual support worker and keep two 12-seater buses on the road to transport participants to the programs so vital to maintaining community connection. During her pitch to Give500 donors, Ms Wilson said the bureau's programs had already helped more than 4000 multicultural community members. From Coffee and Card catch-ups to Conversations in English and Homework Help, the cultural exchange program offers an array of activities designed to break down the barriers to inclusion for people from cultural and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. She asked those gathered to reflect on a time when they might have stood in a room full of people and yet "never felt so alone ... nodding and smiling but not understanding what anyone is saying". "That's what the majority of newly arrived migrants face on a daily basis," Ms Wilson said. "They know nothing about our processes and systems, they've often escaped from war-torn countries and places of violence ..." The barriers caused by a lack of access to transport and limited or no English can prove detrimental to both physical and mental health, Ms Wilson explained. "The cultural exchange program was born in 2016 from a huge need and a gap we saw in the community to support CALD community members that found themselves socially isolated," she said. "One of the biggest barriers our participants face is transportation, because most do not have their licence or a vehicle to get to and from the programs. "So with wonderful volunteers, we are able to pick them up from their homes, bring them to and take them home afterwards. "If we didn't have the two 12-seater mini buses, unfortunately we wouldn't have people who are able to attend." will each receive $4000 as runners-up in this year's Give500 campaign. Give500 is Border Trust's collective giving campaign, aimed at growing a culture of local philanthropy and supporting life-changing community programs across the Border region. The annual program invites individuals and groups to become Give500 donors and pool their donations (one $500 donation equals one vote) to support local projects. On Pitch Night donors hear from a shortlist of grant applicants and vote to determine the winner. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement Advertisement
Energy experts slam Labour's controversial 'boiler tax' plan and say eye-watering climate change targets are 'unachievable'WASHINGTON — As President Joe Biden uses his final days in office to boost Ukraine’s defenses, Russia is playing a different game: spreading disinformation aimed at eroding U.S. support for Ukraine before Donald Trump’s return to the White House next month. Since the U.S. election on Nov. 5, the Kremlin has used state-run media and its networks of fake news sites and social media accounts to push divisive narratives about the war and America’s Republican president-elect. Analysts say the content, translated into English for American audiences, is intended to turn sentiment against Ukraine at a pivotal time, with the hope of reducing U.S. military assistance and ensuring a Russian victory. Recent examples include fake videos supposedly showing Ukrainian soldiers burning effigies of Trump or his supporters. One clip depicts soldiers saying Trump must not be allowed to take office and should “never be president again.” Multiple researchers have debunked the video, noting telltale signs of digital manipulation. A different video claims to show Ukrainian soldiers firing at a mannequin wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat and a Trump campaign shirt. That video was analyzed and determined to be fake by private analysts and Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, a government agency that tracks Kremlin propaganda. Other versions — just as fake — depict Ukrainian soldiers burning Trump’s books or calling him a coward. In the weeks after the election, the clips spread far beyond Ukraine and Russia, circulating among Trump supporters and believers in QAnon, the conspiracy theory that claims Trump is fighting a war against a Satanic cabal of powerful world leaders. It’s part of Russia’s continued push to divide Americans over the nearly 3-year war in Ukraine and paint Ukrainians as unreliable, dishonest allies, according to analysts who have tracked Russian disinformation and propaganda since the war began. By discouraging American support for Ukraine, the Kremlin is hoping to cut off the most vital source of military assistance that has kept Ukrainian hopes alive since Russia invaded in February 2022. Early in the war, Russian propagandists portrayed Ukrainian leaders as corrupt and self-serving. Russian state media claimed Ukraine’s leaders held Nazi sympathies — even though President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish — or were involved in clandestine bioweapons research that Moscow sought to tie to the COVID-19 pandemic. Each false claim was used to justify Russia’s invasion. “It’s planted by the Russians, this idea that ‘Ukraine is so corrupt it shouldn’t even be a state, and we are the right people to be running this place,’” said Rupert Smith, a retired British general and former NATO deputy supreme commander who now leads a Brussels-based consulting firm called Solvo Partners. “Now this is being used as an excuse for not supporting Ukraine.” The fake video claiming to show Ukrainian soldiers firing on the Trump mannequin spread on platforms such as X, Telegram and YouTube, getting an early boost from pro-Kremlin news sites before migrating to ones popular with Americans, according to an analysis by researchers at NewsGuard, a firm that tracks disinformation. Some versions of the video were created long before the election but were passed off as more recent. Within days, the video was receiving hundreds of thousands of views and had been translated into several languages besides Russian and English, including German, Chinese and Polish, NewsGuard found. According to U.S. intelligence, Russia sought to support Trump in the presidential election, believing he would reduce American backing for Ukraine and perhaps the NATO alliance. The incoming president has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, criticized U.S. military aid to Ukraine and NATO and promised to end the war in 24 hours, comments that appear to suggest he would press Ukraine to surrender territory now occupied by Russia. In response to questions about Russia’s role in spreading disinformation about Ukraine, a spokesperson for the Russian Embassy in Washington referred to past statements rejecting any involvement. In the time it has left, the Biden administration has urged Ukraine to quickly increase the size of its military by drafting more troops and has stepped up weapons shipments while forgiving billions in loans provided to Kyiv. So far, the White House has pushed more than $56 billion in security assistance to Ukraine and expects to send billions more before Biden leaves office on Jan. 20, 2025. It’s easy to understand Russia’s motives in trying to cut off that supply of aid, said Joshua Tucker, a New York University professor and Russia expert who studies online disinformation. What’s harder to gauge, he said, is the effectiveness of Russian disinformation, especially on social media platforms already crowded with false, bizarre and debunked claims. One reason that Russia may persist with disinformation targeting Americans is the relative ease and affordability of such operations compared with diplomatic or military alternatives. Russia likely sees disinformation as part of a long-term effort to undermine America’s global leadership by dividing its people and undermining support for its institutions, Tucker said. Whether the topic is immigration, the government, the U.S. economy or the war in Ukraine, he said, the goal remains the same and goes beyond one election cycle or one candidate. “I think what they were really hoping for is a contested result with lots of people out in the streets, arguing the election wasn’t legitimate,” Tucker said. If they couldn’t have that, however, Russia’s disinformation agencies will keep pushing narratives that they believe will inflame Americans and boost their chances in Ukraine, Tucker said. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
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