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Cannabis cafes and expanded outdoor drinking? An end to a banking fee? More protections for your credit score if you face medical debt? These are among the roughly 1,000 new laws hitting California starting the first day of 2025. If that sounds like a lot, it could have been much more: California lawmakers introduced nearly 5,000 bills in the most recent legislative session ending this fall, a two-year period that saw nearly half die without a single vote . In all, lawmakers passed about 1,200 bills in 2024 and Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed 200 of those . And that’s the bureaucratic funnel in a nutshell. Most of these incoming laws are technical, fix previous laws or are narrow in scope. But there are some that affect lots of Californians, or are just plain interesting. There are the consumer finance protection laws, numerous education-related laws — including one to expand alcohol education that was written by a former lawmaker arrested for a DUI — as well as a law banning local voter ID rules and another granting a few more days to fight an eviction. Paris Hilton makes a cameo, too. CalMatters reporters describe some of the noteworthy laws taking effect Jan. 1. Dive in to stay informed about the changes that matter to you — and keep coming back as we add more stories about new laws before 2024 rides off into the California sunset.So, the next time you embark on a virtual adventure with an NPC companion by your side, take a moment to appreciate their newfound intelligence and restraint. Gone are the days of mindless prattle and endless chatter – welcome to a world where your virtual allies are as smart and discerning as you are. In this new era of gaming, the bond between player and NPC companion is stronger than ever, united in the shared quest for excitement, challenge, and immersive storytelling.Source: X Spending hours scrolling through social media often leads to a familiar realization: the content starts repeating itself. Reels, shorts, or posts that gain significant traction often follow the same templates, reflecting the trends or themes that dominate the digital landscape. In 2024, social media once again showcased its power to amplify content, turning events into global sensations. As the year ends, let us quickly look at some of those moments that captured our imagination and our feeds. Moo Deng On July 10, 2024, a female pygmy hippo was born at Thailand's Khao Kheow Open Zoo to parents Jona and Tony. Photos of the baby—slippery, lively, wide-eyed, and full of personality—captivated the internet, sparking a phenomenon that slowly took over the world. From clothing lines to McDonald's and Puma posting memes to Glamour magazine publishing an article on how to achieve a “pygmy hippo-inspired” makeup look, the little pig became an internet sensation. Credit: Instagram/@immoodeng Very demure, very mindful No one was able to escape the wave when it hit us out of the blue, and then it was all that anyone would talk about. The "very demure, very mindful" trend gained popularity after beauty influencer Jools Lebron posted a video describing her appearance as "very demure, very mindful" despite her bright, bold makeup. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jools Lebron (@joolieannie) Raygun’s breakdance Rachael Gunn made headlines with her unconventional breakdancing performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Despite not scoring any points, her quirky moves, including the "Kangaroo Hop," went viral and captured the imagination of many around the world. Source: TOI Luigi Mangione case Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old, is accused of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The incident occurred on December 4, 2024, in Midtown Manhattan, where Thompson was shot in what authorities have described as a "targeted attack". However, social media erupted with memes, thirst posts, and detailed explorations of Mangione’s life. Though the case remains unresolved, and Mangione has pleaded not guilty, this weird obsession of the internet with a murder suspect, leaves a lot for us to think about as a society. Source: Instagram/@luigi.mangione.fanpage Vada pav girl Chandrika Dixit, popularly known as the Vada Pav Girl, captured our attention this year for entirely unique reasons. Renowned for her dramatic flair, her high-energy persona made her a social media sensation. Her viral videos garnered massive attention, ultimately earning her a spot on Bigg Boss. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Chandrika Gera (@chandrika.dixit) The Chill Guy Chill Guy debuted on October 4 last year, introduced to the world by American artist Philip Banks through a post on X: “my new character. his whole deal is he’s a chill guy that lowkey doesn’t give a f*ck.” This laid-back character, a human-like dog sporting a hoodie, cargo pants, and casual sneakers, with arms crossed and a knowing smirk, quickly became the internet's favorite meme. From brands to celebrities, everyone embraced him, appearing everywhere—lounging in a cozy café, strolling through a park, or cleverly inserted into trending videos. Source: X ‘Pookie’ While Oxford’s word of the year title was won by ‘brain rot’, one of the words that featured in almost all discourses on the internet is ‘Pookie’. While the term has been around since the 1930s, it saw a resurgence on social media in 2024, seamlessly blending into modern culture and appearing in contexts ranging from relationships and friendships to even pet names. Dolly Chaiwala and Bill Gates Source: PTI Bill Gates was visiting India in February 2024, when during one of his travels he stopped by Dolly's tea stall in Nagpur, known for its unique style. The video, posted by Dolly, soon went viral. However, during an ANI interview, Dolly revealed that he didn’t even know who he served tea to. "I just thought he was a foreigner and offered him tea.”
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For 20 years, He Jiong and Wang Han have been by your side, bringing you joy and laughter as you welcome the new year. Their presence on the annual New Year's Eve celebrations has become a tradition, a comforting constant in a world of ever-changing trends and tumultuous times. As hosts of the hugely popular Chinese variety show "Happy Camp," these two charismatic and talented individuals have endeared themselves to audiences across the nation and beyond.
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Mumbai, Dec 26 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar, and several other leaders in the state on Thursday condoled the death of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, saying the country has lost a great scholar, statesman and economist. Singh, 92, died in Delhi on Thursday night. "With the demise of former PM Manmohan Singh, we have lost a great scholar, economist and statesman. His contributions to Indian economic reforms, serving the nation as PM for ten years, will be remembered forever," CM Fadnavis said on X. Sharad Pawar termed Singh a great economist, visionary reformer and a global statesman. "Deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Dr Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India. Our nation has lost one of its greatest economists, a visionary reformist, and a global statesman," said Pawar, who was agriculture minister in Singh's cabinet. "His departure is an unbearable loss. He was a godly soul who embodied humility, forbearance, tolerance, and compassion. As the architect of India's economic reforms, his legacy will forever inspire generations to come. May his soul rest in eternal peace," Pawar added. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said Singh's vision became a turning point in the country's economic development. "Deeply saddened by the news of former PM Dr Manmohan Singh ji's demise. A gentleman to the core, his vision became a turning point in our country's economic development. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends in this difficult time," Ajit Pawar posted on X. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said he was deeply saddened. "My brief meeting with him, at his residence, made an everlasting impression on me, of how PMs can be truly humble, graceful and dignified, despite the very many achievements marked out against their name and tenure," Thackeray said. "For someone like me, born in the 90s, the opening up of India to the world and vice versa, was like growing up in a decade where each day was new, and the world was brought closer to home, thanks to him," said Aaditya. "Probably one of those people in India, who have had a huge impact on our lives, and the country at large. He truly put our nation on a world stage. As he said about himself while taking on all the unfounded criticism, "history would be kinder", we as Indians truly believe, that the present too will be kinder to his statesman like legacy, as we all bid him a sorrowful goodbye," the Sena (UBT) leader added. Such true gentlemen are rare in politics, even rarer when they reach the pinnacle of national politics, Thackeray wrote. NCP leader Praful Patel described Singh as a man of few words but remarkable action. "His visionary economic policies reshaped the destiny of millions and set India on a path of growth and stability. I had the honor and privilege of working as a minister during his tenure and witnessed his intellect, humility, and dedication to the nation. As Finance Minister and later as Prime Minister, he transformed India's economic landscape and left an enduring legacy of progress and reform," he said. India has lost a true statesman, a scholar par excellence, and a compassionate leader, Patel added. Senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat said Singh's contribution in the creation of a strong India which is competing with the world is immense. "Criticism against Manmohan Singh was politically motivated, but history will take note of him positively. He took courageous decisions like Aadhaar identity card for every citizen, direct benefit transfer, right to food, right to information legislations," he said. Former Congress leader Ashok Chavan said Singh provided several financial initiatives to the state when he was chief minister. "I will never forget the assistance given to infrastructure upliftment of Nanded for the Guru Da Gaddi celebrations," Chavan added. (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)
A Closer Look at 7 Analyst Recommendations For Noble CorpAzerbaijani and US officials believe a Russian surface-to-air missile caused the deadly crash of an Azerbaijani passenger jet, media reports and a US official said Thursday, as the Kremlin cautioned against "hypotheses" over the disaster. The Azerbaijan Airlines jet crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau, an oil and gas hub, on Wednesday after going off course for undetermined reasons. Thirty-eight of the 67 people on board died. The Embraer 190 aircraft was supposed to fly northwest from the Azerbaijani capital Baku to the city of Grozny in Chechnya, southern Russia, but instead diverted far off course across the Caspian Sea. An investigation is underway, with pro-government Azerbaijani website Caliber citing unnamed officials as saying they believed a Russian missile fired from a Pantsir-S air defence system downed the plane. The claim was also reported by The New York Times, broadcaster Euronews and the Turkish news agency Anadolu. Some aviation and military experts said the plane might have been accidentally shot by Russian air defence systems because it was flying in an area where Ukrainian drone activity had been reported. A former expert at France's BEA air accident investigation agency said there appeared to be "a lot of shrapnel" damage on the wreckage. Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said the damage was "reminiscent" of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which was downed with a surface-to-air missile by Russia-backed rebels over eastern Ukraine in 2014. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: "It would be wrong to make any hypotheses before the investigation's conclusions." Euronews cited Azerbaijani government sources as saying that "shrapnel hit the passengers and cabin crew as it exploded next to the aircraft mid-flight". A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, also said early indications suggested a Russian anti-aircraft system struck the plane. Kazakhstan news agency Kazinform cited a regional prosecutor as saying that two black-box flight recorders had been recovered. Azerbaijan Airlines initially said the plane flew through a flock of birds, before withdrawing the statement. Kazakh officials said 38 people had been killed and there were 29 survivors, including three children. Jalil Aliyev, the father of flight attendant Hokume Aliyeva, told AFP that this was supposed to have been her last flight before starting a job as a lawyer for the airline. "Why did her young life have to end so tragically?" the man said in a trembling voice before hanging up the phone. Eleven of the injured are in intensive care, the Kazakh health ministry said. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev declared Thursday a day of mourning and cancelled a planned visit to Russia for an informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a grouping of former Soviet nations. "I extend my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the crash... and wish a speedy recovery to the injured," Aliyev said in a social media post Wednesday. The Flight Radar website showed the plane deviating from its normal route, crossing the Caspian Sea and then circling over the area where it eventually crashed near Aktau, on the eastern shore of the sea. Kazakhstan said the plane was carrying 37 Azerbaijani passengers, six Kazakhs, three Kyrgyz and 16 Russians. A Kazakh woman told the local branch of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) she was near where the plane crashed and rushed to the site to help survivors. "They were covered in blood. They were crying. They were calling for help," said the woman, who gave her name as Elmira. She said they saved some teenagers. "I'll never forget their look, full of pain and despair," said Elmira. "A girl pleaded: 'Save my mother, my mother is back there'." Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation with Aliyev and "expressed his condolences in connection with the crash", Peskov told a news conference. bur/rlp/js