2024 was a brutal year for the Amazon rainforest, with rampant wildfires and extreme drought ravaging large parts of a biome that’s a critical counterweight to climate change. A warming climate fed drought that in turn fed the worst year for fires since 2005. And those fires contributed to deforestation, with authorities suspecting some fires were set to more easily clear land to run cattle. The Amazon is twice the size of India and sprawls across eight countries and one territory, storing vast amounts of carbon dioxide that would otherwise warm the planet. It has about 20% of the world’s fresh water and astounding biodiversity, including 16,000 known tree species. But governments have historically viewed it as an area to be exploited, with little regard for sustainability or the rights of its Indigenous peoples, and experts say exploitation by individuals and organized crime is rising at alarming rates. “The fires and drought experienced in 2024 across the Amazon rainforest could be ominous indicators that we are reaching the long-feared ecological tipping point,” said Andrew Miller, advocacy director at Amazon Watch, an organization that works to protect the rainforest. “Humanity’s window of opportunity to reverse this trend is shrinking, but still open.” There were some bright spots. The level of Amazonian forest loss fell in both Brazil and Colombia. And nations gathered for the annual United Nations conference on biodiversity agreed to give Indigenous peoples more say in nature conservation decisions. “If the Amazon rainforest is to avoid the tipping point, Indigenous people will have been a determinant factor," Miller said. Forest loss in Brazil’s Amazon — home to the largest swath of this rainforest — dropped 30.6% compared to the previous year, the lowest level of destruction in nine years. The improvement under leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva contrasted with deforestation that hit a 15-year high under Lula's predecessor, far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro, who prioritized agribusiness expansion over forest protection and weakened environmental agencies. In July, Colombia reported historic lows in deforestation in 2023, driven by a drop in environmental destruction. The country's environment minister Susana Muhamad warned that 2024's figures may not be as promising as a significant rise in deforestation had already been recorded by July due to dry weather caused by El Nino, a weather phenomenon that warms the central Pacific. Illegal economies continue to drive deforestation in the Andean nation. “It’s impossible to overlook the threat posed by organized crime and the economies they control to Amazon conservation,” said Bram Ebus, a consultant for Crisis Group in Latin America. “Illegal gold mining is expanding rapidly, driven by soaring global prices, and the revenues of illicit economies often surpass state budgets allocated to combat them.” In Brazil, large swaths of the rainforest were draped in smoke in August from fires raging across the Amazon, Cerrado savannah, Pantanal wetland and the state of Sao Paulo. Fires are traditionally used for deforestation and for managing pastures, and those man-made blazes were largely responsible for igniting the wildfires. For a second year, the Amazon River fell to desperate lows , leading some countries to declare a state of emergency and distribute food and water to struggling residents. The situation was most critical in Brazil, where one of the Amazon River's main tributaries dropped to its lowest level ever recorded. Cesar Ipenza, an environmental lawyer who lives in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon, said he believes people are becoming increasingly aware of the Amazon's fundamental role “for the survival of society as a whole." But, like Miller, he worries about a “point of no return of Amazon destruction.” It was the worst year for Amazon fires since 2005, according to nonprofit Rainforest Foundation US. Between January and October, an area larger than the state of Iowa — 37.42 million acres, or about 15.1 million hectares of Brazil’s Amazon — burned. Bolivia had a record number of fires in the first ten months of the year. “Forest fires have become a constant, especially in the summer months and require particular attention from the authorities who don't how to deal with or respond to them,” Ipenza said. Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Guyana also saw a surge in fires this year. The United Nations conference on biodiversity — this year known as COP16 — was hosted by Colombia. The meetings put the Amazon in the spotlight and a historic agreement was made to give Indigenous groups more of a voice on nature conservation decisions , a development that builds on a growing movement to recognize Indigenous people's role in protecting land and combating climate change. Both Ebus and Miller saw promise in the appointment of Martin von Hildebrand as the new secretary general for the Amazon Treaty Cooperation Organization, announced during COP16. “As an expert on Amazon communities, he will need to align governments for joint conservation efforts. If the political will is there, international backers will step forward to finance new strategies to protect the world’s largest tropical rainforest,” Ebus said. Ebus said Amazon countries need to cooperate more, whether in law enforcement, deploying joint emergency teams to combat forest fires, or providing health care in remote Amazon borderlands. But they need help from the wider world, he said. “The well-being of the Amazon is a shared global responsibility, as consumer demand worldwide fuels the trade in commodities that finance violence and environmental destruction,” he said. Next year marks a critical moment for the Amazon, as Belém do Pará in northern Brazil hosts the first United Nations COP in the region that will focus on climate. “Leaders from Amazon countries have a chance to showcase strategies and demand tangible support," Ebus said.Colorado adds record insurance coverage for Sanders and Hunter before Alamo Bowl
The crash happened at 10.45am in crowded downtown Delray Beach, multiple news outlets reported. The Brightline train was stopped on the tracks, its front destroyed, about a block away from the Delray Beach fire rescue truck, its ladder ripped off and strewn in the grass several yards away, The Sun-Sentinel newspaper reported. The Delray Beach Fire Rescue said in a social media post that three Delray Beach firefighters were in stable condition at a hospital. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue took 12 people from the train to the hospital with minor injuries. Emmanuel Amaral rushed to the scene on his golf cart after hearing a loud crash and screeching train brakes from where he was having breakfast a couple of blocks away. He saw firefighters climbing out of the window of their damaged truck and pulling injured colleagues away from the tracks. One of their helmets came to rest several hundred feet away from the crash. “The front of that train is completely smashed, and there was even some of the parts to the fire truck stuck in the front of the train, but it split the car right in half. It split the fire truck right in half, and the debris was everywhere,” Mr Amaral said. Brightline officials did not immediately comment on the crash. A spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board said it was still gathering information about the crash and had not decided yet whether it will investigate. The NTSB is already investigating two crashes involving Brightline’s high-speed trains that killed three people early this year at the same crossing along the railroad’s route between Miami and Orlando. More than 100 people have died after being hit by trains since Brightline began operations in July 2017 – giving the railroad the worst death rate in the United States. But most of those deaths have been either suicides, pedestrians who tried to run across the tracks ahead of a train or drivers who went around crossing gates instead of waiting for a train to pass. Brightline has not been found to be at fault in those previous deaths.“Wanted” posters with the names and faces of health care executives have been popping up on the streets of New York. Hit lists with images of bullets are circulating online with warnings that industry leaders should be afraid. The apparent targeted killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the menacing threats that followed have sent a shudder through corporate America and the health care industry in particular, leading to increased security for executives and some workers. In the week since the brazen shooting, health insurers have removed information about their top executives from company websites, canceled in-person meetings with shareholders and advised all employees to work from home temporarily. An internal New York Police Department bulletin warned this week that the online vitriol that followed the shooting could signal an immediate “elevated threat.” Police fear that the Dec. 4 shooting could “inspire a variety of extremists and grievance-driven malicious actors to violence,” according to the bulletin, which was obtained by The Associated Press. “Wanted” posters pasted to parking meters and construction site fences in Manhattan included photos of health care executives and the words “Deny, defend, depose” — similar to a phrase scrawled on bullets found near Thompson’s body and echoing those used by insurance industry critics. Thompson’s wife, Paulette, told NBC News last week that he told her some people had been threatening him and suggested the threats may have involved issues with insurance coverage. Investigators believe the shooting suspect, Luigi Mangione, may have been motivated by hostility toward health insurers. They are studying his writings about a previous back injury, and his disdain for corporate America and the U.S. health care system. Mangione’s lawyer has cautioned against prejudging the case. Mangione, 26, has remained jailed in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested Monday. Manhattan prosecutors are working to bring him to New York to face a murder charge. UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, said this week it was working with law enforcement to ensure a safe work environment and to reinforce security guidelines and building access policies, a spokesperson said. The company has taken down photos, names and biographies for its top executives from its websites, a spokesperson said. Other organizations, including CVS, the parent company for insurance giant Aetna, have taken similar actions. Government health insurance provider Centene Corp. has announced that its investor day will be held online, rather than in-person as originally planned. Medica, a Minnesota-based nonprofit health care firm, said last week it was temporarily closing its six offices for security reasons and would have its employees work from home. Heightened security measures likely will make health care companies and their leaders more inaccessible to their policyholders, said former Cigna executive Wendell Potter. “And understandably so, with this act of violence. There’s no assurance that this won’t happen again,” said Potter, who’s now an advocate for health care reform. Private security firms and consultants have been in high demand, fielding calls almost immediately after the shooting from companies across a range of industries, including manufacturing and finance. Companies have long faced security risks and grappled with how far to take precautions for high-profile executives. But these recent threats sparked by Thompson’s killing should not be ignored, said Dave Komendat, a former security chief for Boeing who now heads his own risk-management company. “The tone and tenor is different. The social reaction to this tragedy is different. And so I think that people need to take this seriously,” Komendat said. Just over a quarter of the companies in the Fortune 500 reported spending money to protect their CEOs and top executives. Of those, the median payment for personal security doubled over the last three years to just under $100,000. Hours after the shooting, Komendat was on a call with dozens of chief security officers from big corporations, and there have been many similar meetings since, hosted by security groups or law enforcement agencies assessing the threats, he said. “It just takes one person who is motivated by a poster — who may have experienced something in their life through one of these companies that was harmful,” Komendat said. ___ Associated Press reporters Wyatte Grantham-Philips in New York and Barbara Ortutay in San Francisco, contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Asian stocks see heavy outflows for second straight month in NovemberFORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump promised on Tuesday to “vigorously pursue” capital punishment after President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of most people on federal death row partly to stop Trump from pushing forward their executions. Trump criticized Biden’s decision on Monday to change the sentences of 37 of the 40 condemned people to life in prison without parole, arguing that it was senseless and insulted the families of their victims. Biden said converting their punishments to life imprisonment was consistent with the moratorium imposed on federal executions in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder. “Joe Biden just commuted the Death Sentence on 37 of the worst killers in our Country,” he wrote on his social media site. “When you hear the acts of each, you won’t believe that he did this. Makes no sense. Relatives and friends are further devastated. They can’t believe this is happening!” Presidents historically have no involvement in dictating or recommending the punishments that federal prosecutors seek for defendants in criminal cases, though Trump has long sought more direct control over the Justice Department’s operations. The president-elect wrote that he would direct the department to pursue the death penalty “as soon as I am inaugurated,” but was vague on what specific actions he may take and said they would be in cases of “violent rapists, murderers, and monsters.” He highlighted the cases of two men who were on federal death row for slaying a woman and a girl, had admitted to killing more and had their sentences commuted by Biden. Is it a plan in motion or more rhetoric? On the campaign trail, Trump often called for expanding the federal death penalty — including for those who kill police officers, those convicted of drug and human trafficking, and migrants who kill U.S. citizens. “Trump has been fairly consistent in wanting to sort of say that he thinks the death penalty is an important tool and he wants to use it,” said Douglas Berman, an expert on sentencing at Ohio State University’s law school. “But whether practically any of that can happen, either under existing law or other laws, is a heavy lift.” Berman said Trump’s statement at this point seems to be just a response to Biden’s commutation. “I’m inclined to think it’s still in sort of more the rhetoric phase. Just, ‘don’t worry. The new sheriff is coming. I like the death penalty,’” he said. Most Americans have historically supported the death penalty for people convicted of murder, according to decades of annual polling by Gallup, but support has declined over the past few decades. About half of Americans were in favor in an October poll, while roughly 7 in 10 Americans backed capital punishment for murderers in 2007. Death row inmates are mostly sentenced by states Before Biden’s commutation, there were 40 federal death row inmates compared with more than 2,000 who have been sentenced to death by states. “The reality is all of these crimes are typically handled by the states,” Berman said. A question is whether the Trump administration would try to take over some state murder cases, such as those related to drug trafficking or smuggling. He could also attempt to take cases from states that have abolished the death penalty. Could rape now be punishable by death? Berman said Trump’s statement, along with some recent actions by states, may present an effort to get the Supreme Court to reconsider a precedent that considers the death penalty disproportionate punishment for rape. “That would literally take decades to unfold. It’s not something that is going to happen overnight,” Berman said. Before one of Trump’s rallies on Aug. 20, his prepared remarks released to the media said he would announce he would ask for the death penalty for child rapists and child traffickers. But Trump never delivered the line. What were the cases highlighted by Trump? One of the men Trump highlighted on Tuesday was ex-Marine Jorge Avila Torrez, who was sentenced to death for killing a sailor in Virginia and later pleaded guilty to the fatal stabbing of an 8-year-old and a 9-year-old girl in a suburban Chicago park several years before. The other man, Thomas Steven Sanders, was sentenced to death for the kidnapping and slaying of a 12-year-old girl in Louisiana, days after shooting the girl’s mother in a wildlife park in Arizona. Court records show he admitted to both killings. Some families of victims expressed anger with Biden’s decision, but the president had faced pressure from advocacy groups urging him to make it more difficult for Trump to increase the use of capital punishment for federal inmates. The ACLU and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops were some of the groups that applauded the decision. Biden left three federal inmates to face execution. They are Dylann Roof, who carried out the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; 2013 Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev ; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018 , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. _______ Associated Press writers Jill Colvin, Michelle L. Price and Eric Tucker contributed to this report.
The hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO's elusive killer yields new evidence, but few answersThe hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO's elusive killer yields new evidence, but few answers
Former Patriots coach Bill Belichick will head coach North Carolina's Tar Heels
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Pick your adjective to describe the Kansas City Chiefs this season — charmed, serendipitous, fortunate or just plain lucky — and it probably fits, and not just because they keep winning games that come down to the wire. Every time they need help at a position, they've found someone sitting on the couch, seemingly waiting for their call. First it was wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who returned to the Chiefs just before the season after Marquise Brown was lost to shoulder surgery. Then it was running back Kareem Hunt, who likewise returned to his former team when Isiah Pacheco broke his fibula. Left tackle D.J. Humphries came next when other options at the position were struggling, and this week it was Steven Nelson, who came out of retirement to help a secondary that has struggled for weeks. "Just got an opportunity, got a call. Was very excited about it," said Nelson, who spent his first four seasons in Kansas City before stints in Pittsburgh and Houston, and ultimately calling it quits in June so he could spend more time with his family. "I've got two daughters and been spending a lot of time with him," Nelson said, "but still trying to work out. It was kind of the perfect scenario, getting the call, especially where this team has been and this point in the season. Great opportunity." It's been a perfect opportunity for all of them. Perfect fits for the Chiefs, too. Each could have signed just about anywhere else and been able to contribute, yet they were still sitting around when Chiefs general manager Brett Veach reached out. In the case of Smith-Schuster, Hunt and Humphries, there were some concerns about injuries that had kept some teams away, but the Chiefs were willing to take a risk on them. Smith-Schuster, who has dealt with knee trouble for years, missed some time with a hamstring injury this season. But he still has 202 yards and a touchdown receiving, and has provided some veteran leadership in the locker room. Hunt was coming off a sports hernia surgery, a big reason why the Browns — whom the Chiefs visit Sunday — declined to bring him back after five years spent in a one-two punch with Nick Chubb. But when Pacheco went down, Hunt stepped in and their offense barely missed a beat; he has run for a team-leading 608 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games. Humphries was still rehabbing a torn ACL at the start of the season, but the former Pro Bowl tackle was cleared just before the Chiefs called him. Kingsley Suamataia and Wanya Morris had struggled to protect Patrick Mahomes' blind side, so they brought in Humphries to help out. And while he hurt his hamstring late in his debut last week against the Chargers, the Chiefs still hope he'll be recovered and fully up to speed in time for the stretch run and the playoffs. "I'm in Kansas City, bro. I'm pretty ecstatic. It don't get much better than this," Humphries said. "Everybody is excited for me to be here and that's a really good feeling. You're getting All-Pro guys' arms outstretched, like, 'We're so glad you're here.'" The providential signings don't stop at those four players, either. When the Chiefs lost kicker Harrison Butker to knee surgery, they signed Spencer Shrader off the Jets practice squad, and he promptly kicked a game-winner against Carolina. But then Shrader hurt his hamstring and landed on injured reserve. The 49ers had just waived Matthew Wright, and the Chiefs signed him up. He's gone 8 for 9 on field-goal tries, has been perfect on PATs, and banged the game-winner off the upright and through last week against Los Angeles. Just like Smith-Schuster, Hunt and Nelson, Wright had been with Kansas City a couple of years ago. "It definitely helps, him knowing how we do things, how we practice and what we expect," Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub said. "That all helped, for sure. And he's a veteran. He's been a lot of places. It wasn't like he was a rookie off the street." Or off the couch, for that matter. NOTES: Butker planned to kick again Thursday and could come off IR to face the Browns on Sunday. "He looked good," Toub said. "We have to see how he responds." ... Humphries (hamstring) did not practice Thursday. RT Jawaan Taylor (knee) was limited. ... SS Justin Reid will likely handle kickoffs against Cleveland. He has a stronger leg than Wright and also puts another athletic and adept tackler on the field on special teams. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Clockwise, starting from upper left, Tiger Woods, Nelly Korda, Rory McIlroy and Charley Hull. Getty Images Why , I keep asking myself, as my head looks toward the ceiling, and my back lies flat against the ground. Why did I play golf six-straight days while on vacation this summer, with a couple of those rounds followed by a run? Why didn’t I pause in between? Why didn’t I at least stretch? Why didn’t I stop when I felt *something* early on in the lower right side of my back? Why, why, why, why ? Well, honestly, if we’re on a true fact-finding mission, it’s because I’m stupid. If you’ve clicked on stories on these pages previously, you’re aware of that. But yeah, in mid-August, after the last of those aforementioned jogs, an almost electrical-shock feeling hit me. Afterward, I could barely walk. I couldn’t bend over. Sleep was difficult. Running was over. Golf, too. Turns out, I had severely pulled a back muscle. (In full disclosure, the doctor never used the word “severely” in their diagnosis, but damn it, it hurt.) Through pain comes joy, though — my tragedy works well as a lead to an article where I’m offering holiday wishes, 24 of them in all. No. 1, then, is obvious: Listen to your bodies, friends. Indulge. But don’t gorge. As for me? After a wonderfully detailed stretching and weight program — most of which involved lying flat on the ground, as noted in paragraph one — I’m recently back to full health. Back to running. Back to golf. Oh, did tee ball No. 1 feel sublime, despite where it ended up. Didn’t matter. Without question, I’ve gotten a healthy dose of perspective and appreciation and all that through all of this. With that, let’s continue this annual piece. There are 23 more wishes left, and an obvious bonus one. 2. For Scottie Scheffler, more wins and fewer run-ins with the law are the obvious picks, but let’s go with more dry humor. If you missed it, his latest crack came earlier this month, at the Hero World Challenge, where he was asked this by a reporter: “I saw Tiger joined you for a little bit during the pro-am. What do you guys talk about when he’s out there and is it a little bit surreal that here you are just kind of shooting it with Tiger Woods especially after the season you’ve had, how you just elevated your career?” To which Scheffler responded: “Yeah, I think most of the time we just talk about money and how the purses need to be bigger. Today we really grinded on the Ryder Cup and how it’s just such BS that we’ve never gotten paid. Tiger was really frustrated. He feels like he hasn’t made enough money in his career. I feel the same way. I feel like last year I didn’t get paid enough for what I did. Mostly that, just a bunch of griping.” (Stocking stuffer: A complete recovery from his Christmas Day accident .) 3. For Rory McIlroy , another major, at long last, and it comes unsurprisingly at the PGA, which is being played at Quail Hollow, where McIlroy’s being king. (He’s won at the Charlotte club four times.) The stocking stuffer, of course, is a Masters win, but not even Santa can stop Scheffler there, it seems. 4. For McIlroy and Shane Lowry, more karaoke . Should wish No. 3 happen, “Finally” by Ce Ce Peniston makes sense. 5. For the previously mentioned Tiger Woods , a new Sun Day Red logo. You see, the current one has 15 stripes, one for each of his major victories, so yeah, another win at one of the big four would call for a redesign. Either that, or some sight of the career finish line. (Stocking stuffer: A win at the fifth major, the PNC Championship.) 6. For Bryson DeChambeau , clicks, views and subscribers. Wait, that’s on my list. 7. For Xander Schauffele , a victory stogie at Augusta, but I think it comes at Oakmont. 8. For Charley Hull , a victory heater at the Evian. 9. For Nelly Korda, attention to the level of Caitlin Clark, or more. Korda will take care of her play. But let’s get some eyeballs on her. Let’s get her a rival, too. We’d love to see a Korda- Jeeno Thitikul Sunday back-nine battle next summer at the U.S. Open at Erin Hills. 10. For Lydia Ko , another major. Let’s make it the Women’s PGA, which would leave her just a U.S. Open title away from the career grand slam. 11. For Lexi Thompson, peace. Her words at the U.S. Women’s Open , after she announced her retirement from full-time golf, struck me. “I just think, especially with what’s happened in golf, as of recently, too, a lot of people don’t realize what we go through as a professional athlete,” Thompson said. “I’ll be the last one to say, throw me a pity party. That’s the last thing I want. We’re doing what we love. We’re trying the best every single day. You know, we’re not perfect. We’re humans. Words hurt. It’s hard to overcome sometimes.” Stocking stuffer: One more win. 12. For the LPGA, a commissioner with friends in the TV and web-broadcasting game. Stocking stuffer: a Ryder-Cup-like team event featuring men and women. 13. For the Ryder Cup, a 13.5-13.5 score on Sunday, and playing captain Keegan Bradley leading Tyrrell Hatton 1-up on 18 at Bethpage. Stocking stuffer: Sahith Theegala wins 2 and 1 over Robert MacIntyre to get us to this point. 14. For Ryder Cup fans, the money to be able to see wish No. 13. 15. For Tom Kim , decades (plural) more of Presidents Cup fire. 16. For the PGA Tour, for the Strategic Sports Group, for LIV Golf, for the DP World Tour, for everyone involved in this tug of war, an ending. Does that mean coming together? Does that mean staying apart? Let’s see some resolution. 17. For the new TGL league, interest after the first couple of weeks. Will viewers continue to tune in? Will players continue to care as big events start popping up on the PGA Tour schedule? 18. For pro golf TV broadcasts, something new. A golf-style “Manningcast” would be gold. Think of it — two or three former pros as hosts who discuss shots, tell stories, interview everyone and B.S. along the way. I’d watch. 19. For Angel Yin, a spot on this show. She was one of the best interviews I had this year. 20. For Willie Mack III, a PGA Tour win. I was fortunate to share his story this year. 21. For Tracy Phillips, a Champs tour win. I was fortunate to share his story this year, too. 22. For the men’s majors, deserving champions. OK, so far we’ve got McIlroy winning the PGA and Schauffele winning the U.S. Open. So let’s go with Ludvig Aberg at the Open Championship, and your newest green jacket wearer will be Akshay Bhatia . 23. For the women’s majors, deserving champions. Here, we’ve already wished for Ko to win the PGA, and Hull the Evian. So let’s go with Lauren Coughlin at the Chevron, Thitikul at the U.S. Open, and Korda at the Women’s Open. 24. For my nephew, scores in the 70s, if only so I can ask Korda next year how to get below that number. Nelly Korda shares her two best tips for golfers trying to break 80 for the first time. 👇 pic.twitter.com/fBFIa86VUg Bonus! For golf fans, same as always. And forever. The ability to cut out at noon on Friday and play until the sun sets. And eat a brat at the turn. And win the Masters ticket lottery. And go on a fall golf trip. The good stuff. Editor’s note: This year, I also wrote observations after each of the four men’s majors and the Presidents Cup. The Masters article can be read here , the PGA Championship article here , the U.S. Open article here , the Open Championship article here and the Presidents Cup article here . Latest In News Golf.com Editor Nick Piastowski is a Senior Editor at Golf.com and Golf Magazine. In his role, he is responsible for editing, writing and developing stories across the golf space. And when he’s not writing about ways to hit the golf ball farther and straighter, the Milwaukee native is probably playing the game, hitting the ball left, right and short, and drinking a cold beer to wash away his score. You can reach out to him about any of these topics — his stories, his game or his beers — at nick.piastowski@golf.com.
Luke Humphries defeats Luke Littler to retain Players Championship Finals title
Senate body to review issues of Qasr-e-Naz in Karachi
Gold prices in India have breached the Rs 80,000 per 10 grams mark, rebounding from the market impacts of Donald Trump's expected high tariff trade policy and a resilient US dollar, according to analysts. Amid escalating geopolitical tensions due to the Russia-Ukraine war, the precious metal's value soared, surpassing USD 2,700 per ounce in global arenas, experts observed. While uncertainties over the US economy and volatile stock markets are steering investments towards safe-haven assets like gold, the US Federal Reserve's cautious interest rate stance and a robust dollar are presenting obstacles for the bullion, analysts noted. (With inputs from agencies.)When it comes to retirement planning, the power of dividends cannot be overlooked. These steady payouts can act as the financial building blocks of a well-funded retirement, especially when they come from companies. By investing in top , you will collect checks every quarter and benefit from the potential for long-term growth. Moreover, reinvesting dividends over time can dramatically increase your wealth, leading you on the path toward a financially secure retirement. To start, here are two top known for their strong dividends and growth potential that can help you build substantial retirement savings. Investors looking for reliable stocks for a well-funded retirement could consider ( ). The oil and gas producer is growing its dividend at an exceptional pace and consistenty rewards its shareholders with higher payments. Thanks to its high-quality assets and ability to increase production, it also offers solid growth potential. Canadian Natural Resources has built a reputation as a dividend powerhouse. The company has increased its dividend payments every year for the past 25 years, and its dividend grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21% during the same period. The resiliency of its payouts and high growth reflect the company’s commitment to rewarding its shareholders with higher cash returns in all market conditions. Currently, Canadian Natural Resources offers an attractive dividend yield of 4.9%. But it’s not just about dividends. The company’s shareholders have also enjoyed solid capital appreciation. Over the past five years, the stock has climbed by an impressive 177%, significantly outpacing market averages. Its stellar dividend growth and potential to deliver above-average capital gains make it a solid long-term stock. The company’s diversified and long-life asset base, high-quality reserves, and low-maintenance capital requirements provide a stable foundation for growth. Additionally, Canadian Natural Resources is likely to benefit from a disciplined capital allocation strategy and a rock-solid balance sheet, ensuring that it can continue to fund growth initiatives while maintaining and even enhancing its dividend payouts. When it comes to building a reliable retirement portfolio, ( ) is a no-brainer for generating steady dividend income and decent capital gains. Enbridge’s vast pipeline network transports oil and gas. Moreover, it is steadily expanding its renewable energy portfolio and investing in utility-like projects. This diversification and resilient cash flow have enabled the company to grow its dividend consistently. This dividend growth trend is likely to continue, driven by the high utilization rate of its assets and diverse revenue streams. The company’s extensive pipeline network connects key supply and demand regions in North America. Thus, these assets operate at high capacity, generating robust earnings and distributable cash flow (DCF). Moreover, long-term contracts and regulated tolling frameworks add to the stability of Enbridge’s earnings, allowing it to maintain a reliable growth trajectory and fund its dividend-growth strategy. Enbridge is strengthening its cash flows by investing in conventional and renewable energy assets. Further, its strategic acquisitions augur well for growth and add stability. The company’s recent addition of three premier gas utilities to its portfolio enhances its cash flow and strengthens its position for long-term growth. These acquisitions and an expanding asset base position Enbridge to capitalize on rising global energy demand. Enbridge will likely bring several multi-billion-dollar secured growth projects online over the next few years. These initiatives will significantly bolster its earnings base, supporting dividend growth and stock price. Overall, Enbridge stock ensures steady dividend income, high yield, and decent capital gains in the long run.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Pick your adjective to describe the Kansas City Chiefs this season — charmed, serendipitous, fortunate or just plain lucky — and it probably fits, and not just because they keep winning games that come down to the wire. Every time they need help at a position, they've found someone sitting on the couch, seemingly waiting for their call. First it was wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who returned to the Chiefs just before the season after Marquise Brown was lost to shoulder surgery. Then it was running back Kareem Hunt, who likewise returned to his former team when Isiah Pacheco broke his fibula. Left tackle D.J. Humphries came next when other options at the position were struggling, and this week it was Steven Nelson, who came out of retirement to help a secondary that has struggled for weeks. "Just got an opportunity, got a call. Was very excited about it," said Nelson, who spent his first four seasons in Kansas City before stints in Pittsburgh and Houston, and ultimately calling it quits in June so he could spend more time with his family. "I've got two daughters and been spending a lot of time with him," Nelson said, "but still trying to work out. It was kind of the perfect scenario, getting the call, especially where this team has been and this point in the season. Great opportunity." It's been a perfect opportunity for all of them. Perfect fits for the Chiefs, too. Each could have signed just about anywhere else and been able to contribute, yet they were still sitting around when Chiefs general manager Brett Veach reached out. In the case of Smith-Schuster, Hunt and Humphries, there were some concerns about injuries that had kept some teams away, but the Chiefs were willing to take a risk on them. Smith-Schuster, who has dealt with knee trouble for years, missed some time with a hamstring injury this season. But he still has 202 yards and a touchdown receiving, and has provided some veteran leadership in the locker room. Hunt was coming off a sports hernia surgery, a big reason why the Browns — whom the Chiefs visit Sunday — declined to bring him back after five years spent in a one-two punch with Nick Chubb. But when Pacheco went down, Hunt stepped in and their offense barely missed a beat; he has run for a team-leading 608 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games. Humphries was still rehabbing a torn ACL at the start of the season, but the former Pro Bowl tackle was cleared just before the Chiefs called him. Kingsley Suamataia and Wanya Morris had struggled to protect Patrick Mahomes' blind side, so they brought in Humphries to help out. And while he hurt his hamstring late in his debut last week against the Chargers, the Chiefs still hope he'll be recovered and fully up to speed in time for the stretch run and the playoffs. "I'm in Kansas City, bro. I'm pretty ecstatic. It don't get much better than this," Humphries said. "Everybody is excited for me to be here and that's a really good feeling. You're getting All-Pro guys' arms outstretched, like, 'We're so glad you're here.'" The providential signings don't stop at those four players, either. When the Chiefs lost kicker Harrison Butker to knee surgery, they signed Spencer Shrader off the Jets practice squad, and he promptly kicked a game-winner against Carolina. But then Shrader hurt his hamstring and landed on injured reserve. The 49ers had just waived Matthew Wright, and the Chiefs signed him up. He's gone 8 for 9 on field-goal tries, has been perfect on PATs, and banged the game-winner off the upright and through last week against Los Angeles. Just like Smith-Schuster, Hunt and Nelson, Wright had been with Kansas City a couple of years ago. "It definitely helps, him knowing how we do things, how we practice and what we expect," Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub said. "That all helped, for sure. And he's a veteran. He's been a lot of places. It wasn't like he was a rookie off the street." Or off the couch, for that matter. NOTES: Butker planned to kick again Thursday and could come off IR to face the Browns on Sunday. "He looked good," Toub said. "We have to see how he responds." ... Humphries (hamstring) did not practice Thursday. RT Jawaan Taylor (knee) was limited. ... SS Justin Reid will likely handle kickoffs against Cleveland. He has a stronger leg than Wright and also puts another athletic and adept tackler on the field on special teams. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Former Patriots coach Bill Belichick will head coach North Carolina's Tar Heels
SAN ANTONIO — Colorado secured what it said was record insurance coverage for quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter as the star duo opted to complete their college careers in the Alamo Bowl rather than sit out and prepare for the NFL draft. Colorado would not disclose the amount of insurance coverage each received, citing privacy laws. Coach Deion Sanders and athletic director Rick George both said it was the largest in college football history. "We happen to have two players that are probably going to be the first two picks of the NFL draft," Sanders said Monday. "We all know who those two are and they have received, I think, the highest number of coverage that has ever been covered in college football. It far exceeds anyone that has ever played this game of college football." While college programs maintain insurance policies for their athletes in case of injury, Colorado increased disability coverage for its entire roster in the Alamo Bowl. Sanders, the coach of the No. 20 Buffaloes, ensured his QB son and two-way star Hunter received larger policies since both are expected to be among the top 10 selections in the upcoming NFL draft. "It was his idea we should get disability insurance for our athletes for this game to ensure that they played and if there was some kind of injury that they would be well taken care of," George said. "So, we worked together on that. We're excited about it. We think it's great that all our players are playing in the game. That's what all bowl games should be like." Colorado (9-3, No. 23 CFP) will face the 17th-ranked BYU Cougars (10-2, No. 17 CFP) in the Alamo Bowl on Saturday. While most teams are scrambling with starters opting out of bowl games this year to enter the transfer portal or NFL draft, the Buffaloes did not lose any player on their two-deep roster. "It's more than what I got (when he played at Kansas State)," Colorado linebackers coach Andre' Hart said. "They gave us a helmet and said pop this on your leg and get out there and play. For them to get that (increased insurance coverage), I just think it's beneficial. To talk about where the game is, where it's going and how leadership is taking care of the players, I thought that's excellent." Shedeur Sanders completed 337 of 454 passes for 3,926 yards and 35 touchdowns this season. Many scouting services have Sanders rated as the top quarterback in this year's draft. Hunter received the Heisman Trophy as a two-way standout at cornerback and wide receiver. He had 92 receptions for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns and as a cornerback had four interceptions, broke up 11 passes and limited the opposition to 22 receptions on 688 defensive snaps. "They've taken care of us, everybody," Colorado running back Micah Welch said. "It really means a lot to have every teammate up here. That's a big thing. What I like about Coach Prime, they're taking care of us." Get local news delivered to your inbox!Tally hits 52 as two more polio cases detected
Firefighters and passengers hurt after train hits fire truck on crossingMcDonald’s hopes to win back customers with a generous offer