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A big shopping deadline is drawing near for some people, and it has nothing to do with the holidays. Millions of people use flexible spending accounts to help pay for health care, and some may lose money left in those accounts if they don’t spend it by year’s end. There are many ways to spend that use-it-or-use it balance __ think raiding the local drugstore __ but it’s important to understand FSA rules before going on a shopping spree. Here are some things to consider. What are fSAs? FSAs let you set aside money from your paycheck before taxes to cover a wide range of medical expenses like copays, deductibles, eyeglasses and other supplies. They are set up through your employer, and individuals can set aside up to $3,300 in these accounts. Figuring out the right amount to set aside can be tricky because it involves forecasting how much care you might need. And you have to use the money by a certain point or you lose it. What are the deadlines? They can vary by employer or plan administrator. In some cases, you may have to spend the money by Dec. 31 or you will lose it. But many plans offer a grace period in the new year to let people use their remaining funds or they allow participants to carry over some of the leftover balance. “Make sure you understand the clock and the rules,” said David Feinberg of Justworks, a technology company that helps small businesses with benefits. There are limits. The IRS, for instance, limits the balance carried over to $660 for 2025. Any amounts over that could be lost if they are still in your account by the plan deadline. How can I spend my FSA balance? Story continues below video Think of medical expenses not covered by insurance. The IRS keeps a huge list of eligible expenses for both FSAs and health savings accounts. But companies can limit the expenses they’ll reimburse, so employees should check with their employers. Eligible expenses can include travel costs to the doctor’s office, eyeglasses, bandages, sunscreen, condoms and tampons. FSA dollars may even be used to cover things like gym memberships or electric massagers if you have a doctor’s note stating that they are medically necessary. But they don’t cover things like health insurance premiums or certain cosmetic procedures like teeth whitening. Do you have any receipts from health care you could submit, like the copayment for a doctor’s office visit? That would qualify. Some plan administrators watch for stockpiling. Don’t buy a crate of aspirin to use up your balance. Limit purchases to about a year’s supply. Items can be bought in stores or online. What is an HSA? Health savings accounts, or HSAs, also allow you to set aside money before taxes. The difference is that you won’t lose the balance, you can keep the account if you leave your job, and some plans let you invest the money. HSAs can only be paired with high-deductible insurance plans. Account holders can contribute several thousand dollars each year, depending on the type of coverage they have. FSAs work with more types of coverage. And the help they offer can be more immediate. The money you decide to set aside over the course of the year is available right away.Eddie Russell This story was one of the top stories from 2024 and was originally published in August. Former Wyndham councillor and Melton property developer Intaj Khan is running for deputy lord mayor of Melbourne as second in command to AFL great Anthony Koutoufides. Last week, ‘Team Kouta’ declared their intention to run in the upcoming City of Melbourne council election in October. On the ticket is Carlton legend Anthony Koutoufides, who is gunning for the top spot as lord mayor, former Liberal MP Gladys Liu, property developer Zaim Ramani and Mr Khan. For Mr Khan, the message is simple. “Our job is to make the city vibrant again... that’s the reason we are running,” he said. “The [current] leadership has failed. It’s time for ‘Kouta’ to clean up the mess.” Mr Khan’s experiences as a councillor and committee member for Wyndham council have influenced his goals and helped him identify the big issues. “The greatest thing I learnt was the importance of affordable housing,” said Mr Khan. “We really don’t want there to be any council rate increases in the Melbourne city council municipality over the next two years so we can give an opportunity for those struggling with cost of living.” Returning the city to its former state of financial ascendency and bringing workers back are major priorities, said Mr Khan. “In the next four years, I’d like to see Melbourne’s CBD become a place where people want to invest money. “We’ve got to understand the Covid era is over.” Although an unlikely partnership at first glance, the duo “carry the same vision” for their beloved home. “The one thing about Kouta is... he loves the city so much and when he says that, he means it,” said Mr Khan. Mr Koutoufides’ AFL background is an endorsement of his character, Mr Khan said, who is a cricket lover himself. “AFL is a fantastic game that teaches a lot about leadership and working in a team with different skills. “He’s been a great captain. I think councillors will be glad to work with ‘Team Kouta’. Mr Khan said Mr Koutoufides would be a breath of fresh air given his lack of political allegiances. “You can trust in his leadership because he’s not been affiliated with any party... he brings balance to the table, which is what you need when the city is out of it.”LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Austin Seibert missed his second extra point of the game with 21 seconds left after Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin connected on an 86-yard touchdown, Juanyeh Thomas returned the ensuing onside kick attempt for a touchdown and the Dallas Cowboys pulled out a 34-26 victory Sunday that extended the Washington Commanders’ skid to three games. Seibert, who missed the previous two games with a right hip injury, was wide left on the point-after attempt following a low snap. Thomas then took the kick back 43 yards as the Cowboys (4-7) ended their losing streak at five in improbable fashion. Part of that was the play of backup Cooper Rush, who threw for 247 yards and two TDs in his third start in place of starter Dak Prescott. Part was also the defense forcing two turnovers, as Chauncey Golston ripped the ball out of Brian Robinson Jr.’s hands for what was called an interception of Daniels in the second quarter, and Donovan Wilson stripped John Bates midway through the fourth. KaVonte Turpin provided the fireworks with a spinning, 99-yard kickoff return TD seconds after Daniels found Zach Ertz in the end zone and scored on a 2-point conversion to cut the deficit to three with 3:02 left. In the final three minutes alone, the Commanders (7-5) scored 10 points and allowed Thomas’ TD. All that after the score was 10-9 through three quarters before madness ensued. CHIEFS 30, PANTHERS 27 CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns , Spencer Shrader kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired and Kansas City beat Carolina to reach double-digit wins for the 10th straight season. Noah Gray caught two TD passes as the Chiefs (10-1) bounced back from last week’s 30-21 loss at Buffalo and won at the buzzer yet again in a season of narrow escapes. DeAndre Hopkins also had a touchdown catch for the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, who scored on their first five possessions. Bryce Young finished 21 of 35 for 262 yards and a touchdown for the Panthers (3-8), who had their two-game winning streak snapped. David Moore had six receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown. Trailing 27-19, Young completed a fourth-down pass to Adam Thielen to move the chains, then went deep for the veteran receiver, who drew a pass-interference penalty on Chamarri Conner. That set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Chuba Hubbard. LIONS 24, COLTS 6 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for two scores and David Montgomery added a third touchdown run, leading Detroit to a victory over Indianapolis. Gibbs finished with 21 carries for 90 yards as the Lions (10-1) extended their league-high winning streak to nine straight. Detroit has its been 11-game record since the franchise’s inaugural season in 1934. Jared Goff continued his sensational season, too, completing 26 of 36 throws for 269 yards. The Colts (5-7) lost their second straight home game and for the fourth time in their past five games. Anthony Richardson was 11 of 28 with 172 yards while rushing 10 times for 61 yards. While Indy managed to hold the NFL’s highest-scoring offense largely in check Sunday, it was doomed by its inability to finish drives with touchdowns. BUCCANEERS 30, GIANTS 7 EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Baker Mayfield catapulted into the end zone on a spectacular 10-yard scramble for one of Tampa Bay’s four rushing touchdowns, and the Buccaneers beat the Giants and new starting quarterback Tommy DeVito, snapping a four-game losing streak and extending New York’s skid to six. The Giants’ decisions this week to bench and then release quarterback Daniel Jones did nothing to help the NFL’s lowest-scoring offense. DeVito threw for 189 yards, mostly in the second half with New York well on its way to its sixth straight loss at home, where it is winless. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers dominated in every phase in a near-perfect perfect performance that featured TD runs of 1 yard by Sean Tucker, 6 yards by Bucky Irving and 1 yard by Rachaad White. After recent losses to the Ravens, 49ers and Chiefs, Tampa Bay (5-6) moved within one game of idle Atlanta in the NFC South. Tampa Bay scored on five of its on first six possessions to open a 30-0 lead, and none was more exciting than Mayfield’s TD run with 12 seconds left in the first half. On a second-and-goal from the 10, he avoided pressure and went for the end zone. He was hit by Cor’Dale Flott low and Dru Phillips high around the 2-yard line, and he was airborne when he crossed the goal line. The ball came loose when he hit the turf but he jumped up and flexed — seemingly mocking DeVito’s go-to celebration — as the Bucs took a 23-0 lead. DOLPHINS 34, PATRIOTS 15 MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa threw for 317 yards and four touchdowns, including two scores to running back De’Von Achane, and Miami routed New England. The Dolphins (5-6) have a thin margin for error the rest of the season but have kept themselves afloat with a three-game winning streak. With their win at New England (3-9) in Week 5, the Dolphins have swept their division rivals in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1999-2000. Tagovailoa, who moved to 7-0 in his career against New England, entered the game with a league-high 73.4% completion rate and went 29 for 40. Backup Skylar Thompson replaced Tagovailoa with about 11 minutes left in what was already a blowout, but a bad handoff on his first play resulted in a fumble that was recovered by cornerback Christian Gonzalez and returned 63 yards for a touchdown. It cut New England’s deficit to 31-15, and Tagovailoa returned the next drive. TITANS 32, TEXANS 27 HOUSTON (AP) — Will Levis threw for 278 yards and his 70-yard touchdown pass to Chig Okonkwo put Tennessee on top in the fourth quarter and the Titans held on for a win over the Texans. Okonkwo grabbed a short pass and rumbled for the touchdown to put the Titans (3-8) up 30-27 with 91⁄2 minutes remaining. Safety Eric Murray missed a tackle that would have stopped him near midfield. The Texans (7-5) had a chance to tie it with less than two minutes remaining, but Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 28-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide left. He fell to the ground after the miss before getting up and slamming his helmet on the field. Titans coach Brian Callahan held both hands in the air and smiled after watching the miss that allowed his team to win on a day it had three turnovers. The Texans forced a three-and-out, but couldn’t move the ball after that and Harold Landry sacked C.J. Stroud in the end zone for a safety to make it 32-27 and allow Tennessee to snap a two-game skid. VIKINGS 30, BEARS 27, OT CHICAGO (AP) — Sam Darnold threw for 90 of his 330 yards in overtime to set up Parker Romo’s game-ending 29-yard field goal , and Minnesota outlasted Chicago after giving up 11 points in the final 22 seconds of regulation. Darnold threw two touchdown passes, Jordan Addison caught eight passes for a career-high 162 yards and a touchdown, and T.J. Hockenson had 114 yards receiving for the Vikings (9-2), who remained one game behind Detroit in the rugged NFC North. Caleb Williams threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears (4-7), who lost their fifth straight. Minnesota appeared to have the game in hand, leading 27-16 with 1:56 left after Romo kicked a 26-yard field goal. But the Bears weren’t finished. Deandre Carter made up for a muffed punt that led to a touchdown in the third quarter with a 55-yard kickoff return to the 40. Williams took it from there, capping an eight-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen. A 2-point conversion pass to DJ Moore made it 27-24 with 22 seconds remaining. The Bears recovered the onside kick and Williams hit Moore over the middle for a 27-yard gain to the 30 before spiking the ball. Cairo Santos made a 48-yard field goal as time expired.

Chandigarh (Haryana) [India], December 28 (ANI): Haryana Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini in Chandigarh on Saturday, approved the extension of the Haryana Logistics, Warehousing and Retail Policy, 2019, along with the schemes notified under it until the new Haryana Logistics, Warehousing & Retail Policy is notified. The Haryana Logistics, Warehousing & Retail Policy, 2019 offers various fiscal incentives to reduce the cost of doing business and promote investments in the logistics, warehousing, and retail sectors in Haryana. The units are supported through incentives on Investment--capital Subsidy, Interest Subsidy, Stamp Duty reimbursement, EDC reimbursement, and electricity Duty exemption--along with support on capacity building, an official release said. Also Read | Ladki Bahin Yojana: 'These' Beneficiary Women To Receive INR 9,000 in December Installment, Check Details. The policy focuses on simplification of regulatory laws and procedures for the logistics, warehousing and retail sectors. It aims at creating quality and cost-competitive multi-modal logistics and warehousing infrastructure as well as retail-oriented infrastructure, along with promoting human capital development initiatives targeted at the creation of a labour pool skilled for these sectors, the release added. The policy also aims to attract private sector investments as well as PPP investments in logistics, warehousing and retail sectors, apart from creating a strong ecosystem for delivering on big-ticket industry and infrastructure projects. It also intends to enhance the upgradation and adoption of modernized technologies in these sectors, the release mentioned. Also Read | Telangana Shocker: Woman 'Raped' in Nirmal District After Refusing 'Unnatural Sex' Demand. The release said that the Department of Industries & Commerce is in the process of getting the Haryana Logistics, Warehousing & Retail Policy, 2024 notified. The 2019 policy was valid for 5 years and expired on March 8, 2024. The same has been extended by the Cabinet today till December 31, 2024, or till the time the final Logistics, Warehousing & Retail Policy, 2024 is approved, whichever is earlier, stated in the release. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)After Iranian arrest tied to U.S. military murders, town advances sanctuary policies

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Play now Get the latest Belfast Live breaking news on WhatsApp Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Join us on WhatsApp The 14th of February is a day that many of us celebrate our love for our partners, but for ice skating legends Torvill and Dean, it is known as Bolero Day as it was the date in 1984 that they won gold in the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. On the 40th anniversary of that moment, they announced that they would be retiring from performing next year and embarking on a tour celebrating their 50-year skating partnership and the iconic moments that have earned them the title of the world's greatest ice skating duo. Ahead of their tour coming to Belfast for three performances in April, the duo stopped by the SSE Arena to chat to Belfast Live and put our political reporter on thin ice - literally. " When you say 50 years, gosh, that's a long time, but also you go, that was 50 years, just like that," Christopher Dean said. " I think we're ready to do our last tour. I think whilst we can still feel fit and we can still skate in a way that we want to be able to see, I think this final tour is the right time for us." This isn't the first time that the skating duo have called it quits as back in 1998, the pair decided to hang up their skates and Christopher moved to the US and Jayne focused on her family. However, back in 2006, the pair reunited as Dancing on Ice hit our screens on ITV which would eventually lead them to perform once again. Our Political Reporter swapped Stormont for Ice Skates as he joined Torvill and Dean for an ice skating lesson (Image: Justin Kernoghan/Belfast Live) "In '98, we decided that that's when we were going to quietly retire, and we both had other things and so on," Jayne Torvill said. " But then we got this phone call asking if they thought we could teach celebrities to skate, and we said no, no, no. "When we first started the series, we were choreographing all the routines and then one of our producers said, Would you mind demonstrating some of the moves on camera? And we said, no, that's fine. They said, could you demonstrate them to the music? And we were like, well, that's like a routine. And she went, yeah. And so we ended up performing again, but once we started it, we just enjoyed it so much." Despite a few slips, James was just about still standing! (Image: Justin Kernoghan/Belfast Live) The pair told us that they credit the show for keeping them fit and said that their upcoming tour will be "nostalgic". " We're going to take everybody back to the beginning where we started, and then we're going to go through some of our iconic pieces up to today," Christopher added. " But we have 15 other world professional skaters that are going to be accompanying us and helping tell that story. " We've got big multimedia screens, really talented skaters, and so I think it's going to be an inspirational night and it's going to be a celebration at the same time." Torvill and Dean will be back on UTV every Sunday night in early 2025, as Head Judges on the 17th series of Dancing on Ice. but as for our political reporter, he is probably better suited to Strictly Come Dancing. Video by Harry Bateman/Belfast Live For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here. Story Saved You can find this story in My Bookmarks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Follow BelfastLive Facebook Twitter Comment More On Dancing on Ice Strictly Come Dancing ITV UTV SSE ArenaBoston College holds on down stretch to top Fairleigh DickinsonLANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Austin Seibert missed his second extra point of the game with 21 seconds left after Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin connected on an 86-yard touchdown, Juanyeh Thomas returned the ensuing onside kick attempt for a touchdown and the Dallas Cowboys pulled out a 34-26 victory Sunday that extended the Washington Commanders’ skid to three games. Seibert, who missed the previous two games with a right hip injury, was wide left on the point-after attempt following a low snap. Thomas then took the kick back 43 yards as the Cowboys (4-7) ended their losing streak at five in improbable fashion. Part of that was the play of backup Cooper Rush, who threw for 247 yards and two TDs in his third start in place of starter Dak Prescott. Part was also the defense forcing two turnovers, as Chauncey Golston ripped the ball out of Brian Robinson Jr.’s hands for what was called an interception of Daniels in the second quarter, and Donovan Wilson stripped John Bates midway through the fourth. KaVonte Turpin provided the fireworks with a spinning, 99-yard kickoff return TD seconds after Daniels found Zach Ertz in the end zone and scored on a 2-point conversion to cut the deficit to three with 3:02 left. In the final three minutes alone, the Commanders (7-5) scored 10 points and allowed Thomas’ TD. All that after the score was 10-9 through three quarters before madness ensued. CHIEFS 30, PANTHERS 27 CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns , Spencer Shrader kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired and Kansas City beat Carolina to reach double-digit wins for the 10th straight season. Noah Gray caught two TD passes as the Chiefs (10-1) bounced back from last week’s 30-21 loss at Buffalo and won at the buzzer yet again in a season of narrow escapes. DeAndre Hopkins also had a touchdown catch for the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, who scored on their first five possessions. Bryce Young finished 21 of 35 for 262 yards and a touchdown for the Panthers (3-8), who had their two-game winning streak snapped. David Moore had six receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown. Trailing 27-19, Young completed a fourth-down pass to Adam Thielen to move the chains, then went deep for the veteran receiver, who drew a pass-interference penalty on Chamarri Conner. That set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Chuba Hubbard. LIONS 24, COLTS 6 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for two scores and David Montgomery added a third touchdown run, leading Detroit to a victory over Indianapolis. Gibbs finished with 21 carries for 90 yards as the Lions (10-1) extended their league-high winning streak to nine straight. Detroit has its been 11-game record since the franchise’s inaugural season in 1934. Jared Goff continued his sensational season, too, completing 26 of 36 throws for 269 yards. The Colts (5-7) lost their second straight home game and for the fourth time in their past five games. Anthony Richardson was 11 of 28 with 172 yards while rushing 10 times for 61 yards. While Indy managed to hold the NFL’s highest-scoring offense largely in check Sunday, it was doomed by its inability to finish drives with touchdowns. BUCCANEERS 30, GIANTS 7 EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Baker Mayfield catapulted into the end zone on a spectacular 10-yard scramble for one of Tampa Bay’s four rushing touchdowns, and the Buccaneers beat the Giants and new starting quarterback Tommy DeVito, snapping a four-game losing streak and extending New York’s skid to six. The Giants’ decisions this week to bench and then release quarterback Daniel Jones did nothing to help the NFL’s lowest-scoring offense. DeVito threw for 189 yards, mostly in the second half with New York well on its way to its sixth straight loss at home, where it is winless. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers dominated in every phase in a near-perfect perfect performance that featured TD runs of 1 yard by Sean Tucker, 6 yards by Bucky Irving and 1 yard by Rachaad White. After recent losses to the Ravens, 49ers and Chiefs, Tampa Bay (5-6) moved within one game of idle Atlanta in the NFC South. Tampa Bay scored on five of its on first six possessions to open a 30-0 lead, and none was more exciting than Mayfield’s TD run with 12 seconds left in the first half. On a second-and-goal from the 10, he avoided pressure and went for the end zone. He was hit by Cor’Dale Flott low and Dru Phillips high around the 2-yard line, and he was airborne when he crossed the goal line. The ball came loose when he hit the turf but he jumped up and flexed — seemingly mocking DeVito’s go-to celebration — as the Bucs took a 23-0 lead. DOLPHINS 34, PATRIOTS 15 MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa threw for 317 yards and four touchdowns, including two scores to running back De’Von Achane, and Miami routed New England. The Dolphins (5-6) have a thin margin for error the rest of the season but have kept themselves afloat with a three-game winning streak. With their win at New England (3-9) in Week 5, the Dolphins have swept their division rivals in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1999-2000. Tagovailoa, who moved to 7-0 in his career against New England, entered the game with a league-high 73.4% completion rate and went 29 for 40. Backup Skylar Thompson replaced Tagovailoa with about 11 minutes left in what was already a blowout, but a bad handoff on his first play resulted in a fumble that was recovered by cornerback Christian Gonzalez and returned 63 yards for a touchdown. It cut New England’s deficit to 31-15, and Tagovailoa returned the next drive. TITANS 32, TEXANS 27 HOUSTON (AP) — Will Levis threw for 278 yards and his 70-yard touchdown pass to Chig Okonkwo put Tennessee on top in the fourth quarter and the Titans held on for a win over the Texans. Okonkwo grabbed a short pass and rumbled for the touchdown to put the Titans (3-8) up 30-27 with 9 1/2 minutes remaining. Safety Eric Murray missed a tackle that would have stopped him near midfield. The Texans (7-5) had a chance to tie it with less than two minutes remaining, but Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 28-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide left. He fell to the ground after the miss before getting up and slamming his helmet on the field. Titans coach Brian Callahan held both hands in the air and smiled after watching the miss that allowed his team to win on a day it had three turnovers. The Texans forced a three-and-out, but couldn’t move the ball after that and Harold Landry sacked C.J. Stroud in the end zone for a safety to make it 32-27 and allow Tennessee to snap a two-game skid. VIKINGS 30, BEARS 27, OT CHICAGO (AP) — Sam Darnold threw for 90 of his 330 yards in overtime to set up Parker Romo’s game-ending 29-yard field goal , and Minnesota outlasted Chicago after giving up 11 points in the final 22 seconds of regulation. Darnold threw two touchdown passes, Jordan Addison caught eight passes for a career-high 162 yards and a touchdown, and T.J. Hockenson had 114 yards receiving for the Vikings (9-2), who remained one game behind Detroit in the rugged NFC North. Caleb Williams threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears (4-7), who lost their fifth straight. Minnesota appeared to have the game in hand, leading 27-16 with 1:56 left after Romo kicked a 26-yard field goal. But the Bears weren’t finished. Deandre Carter made up for a muffed punt that led to a touchdown in the third quarter with a 55-yard kickoff return to the 40. Williams took it from there, capping an eight-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen. A 2-point conversion pass to DJ Moore made it 27-24 with 22 seconds remaining. The Bears recovered the onside kick and Williams hit Moore over the middle for a 27-yard gain to the 30 before spiking the ball. Cairo Santos made a 48-yard field goal as time expired. The Associated Press

Oliver Glasner declared Crystal Palace are on the right path after they finally broke their away duck with a 1-0 win at Ipswich. Jean-Philippe Mateta struck in the second half with the only real piece of quality in a nervy encounter between two struggling teams. It is now two wins and three draws from the last six matches for Glasner’s side, whose winter revival is gathering pace nicely following a sticky start to the campaign. “I feel very happy, we’re all very pleased with the result, it was not the best performance but the result was more important,” said the Eagles boss. “Most of the time we controlled the game and we scored an amazing goal, a fantastic finish from JP. “We had more chances to decide the game but we couldn’t, but I think the win was well deserved. “We didn’t give them any chances from open play and with a clean sheet you can always take the win. “It’s a big win. Now it’s not time to sit back and relax but to keep going. In four days we face Manchester City. We stay humble. There are still many things to improve but we are on the right path.” Ipswich looked the likelier to score as a low-key first half drew to a close and were denied by a point-blank save by Dean Henderson from Harry Clarke’s near-post header. Shortly after the interval Wes Burns got clear down the right and lifted an inviting cross towards Liam Delap, whose header was straight at Henderson. However, from out of nowhere Palace conjured up a lightning counter-attack to go ahead on the hour. Eberechi Eze led the charge before feeding Mateta, who surged forward with a couple of stepovers before brushing off the attention of Jacob Greaves and finishing superbly past Arijanet Muric. It was the French forward’s sixth goal of the season, and his first away from Selhurst Park. Back came Ipswich with Leif Davis fizzing in another cross for Delap, who somehow mistimed his jump and completely missed the ball from six yards. As time ticked down Greaves looped a header against the far post, with the rebound just eluding substitute Ali-Al Hamadi. “Frustrating night,” said Town boss Kieran McKenna. “It was a tight first half, we weren’t fantastic in terms of the flow of the game and didn’t create as many opportunities as we wanted. But having said that neither did our opponents. “In the second half we conceded a really poor goal and that proved decisive. We can do better than we did tonight.”Weather Forecast Today, December 29: Check Weather Updates, Rain Predictions for Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Shimla

Christopher Nolan's Next Film Is Officially The Odyssey, a 'Mythic Action Epic Shot Across the World'Van Nistelrooy has replaced Steve Cooper at the King Power Stadium and saw Jamie Vardy open the scoring after just 98 seconds. Bilal El Khannouss and Patson Daka added goals after the break to ensure the Dutchman started with three points in style. Starting with a win! 🤩 Delivered by @bcgame #LEIWHU pic.twitter.com/X90nFSbMLm — Leicester City (@LCFC) December 3, 2024 His task is to keep the Foxes in the Premier League this season and after ending a five-game winless run they moved up to 15th, four points clear of the relegation zone. West Ham’s hierarchy will have seen what impact a managerial change can have as the jury remains out on Lopetegui, with away fans making their feelings clear by chanting “You’re getting sacked in the morning”. Niclas Fullkrug scored a consolation goal at the death but it counted for nothing and forthcoming games against Wolves, Bournemouth, Brighton and Southampton could determine the Spaniard’s future. When Van Nistelrooy went to bed last night, even he would not have dreamt of his side starting as well as they did as they went ahead with less than two minutes on the clock. One of the Dutchman’s first conversations following his appointment was to take Vardy to task for breaking his record for scoring in the most consecutive Premier League games nine years ago. And the veteran striker rolled back to the years as, living on the shoulder of the West Ham defence, he raced clear from El Khannouss’ through-ball and slotted into the corner. The linesman’s flag immediately went up but a lengthy VAR review ruled Vardy had timed his run perfectly and the goal stood. Vardy could have added a second from a similar move but this time Lukasz Fabianski denied him. The Dutchman quickly learned about the frailties of his side as West Ham created a raft of chances in search of an equaliser. Jarrod Bowen forced Mads Hermansen into a stretching save when he cut in from the right before Ings’ header crashed into the post and Max Kilman slipped at the crucial point from the rebound. Bowen, a constant threat, sent a ball across face of goal which evaded everyone before the England international was denied by a reflex save from the busy Hermansen. The Danish goalkeeper needed to be alert to tip over Mohammed Kudus’ deflected effort early in the second half before he was saved by the referee’s whistle after after his attempted punch went into his own goal, Tomas Soucek the man penalised. Leicester remained a threat on the counter-attack and that is how they doubled their lead just after the hour. Kasey McAteer was set clear down the left and his ball inside was perfect for El Khannouss to find the bottom corner from 15 yards. It was almost three as Fabianski produced an acrobatic save from Wilfred Ndidi’s header before Leicester needed a heroic piece of defending to keep their 2-0 lead intact. Crysencio Summerville bundled the ball goalwards and it was heading over the line until Conor Coady adjusted his feet and poked it clear. The Foxes, who also had a goal from substitute Bobby De Cordova-Reid chalked off by VAR, wrapped things up in the 90th minute when Daka broke clear and emphatically converted into the roof of the net. West Ham did get on the scoresheet when Fullkrug headed a corner home, but the game was already done.Top Amazon Offers on Premium Smartwatches with 90% DiscountGerman President Urges Unity After "Dark Shadow" Of Christmas Market Attack

Firan Technology Group Corporation Completes Acquisition of FLYHT Aerospace Solutions Ltd.PARIS — The Notre Dame Cathedral, a sprawling construction site for the past five years, is a quick stroll from where I live, and it is an amazement. Its turbocharged reconstruction from a devastating fire, in a brief time span that many thought impossibly ambitious, is testament in stained glass, sculpture and masonry to a can-do France. The rebuilt cathedral stands in magnificent, maddening counterpoint to a can’t-do France — a succession of floundering, failed and loathed governments in this century that have embittered millions of voters. The paradox of those competing versions of France, as baffling to many French as to foreigners, reaches a moment of dueling denouements this week. Rather than resolving the contradictions of a can- and can’t-do republic, it is more likely to deepen them. On Saturday, the archbishop of Paris will preside over Notre Dame’s reopening, striking the massive front doors with his staff three times in the presence of thousands of donors, clergy and dignitaries, including Donald Trump. President Emmanuel Macron will deliver an address in the cathedral’s forecourt, followed by a liturgical ceremony inside. An inaugural Mass will follow on Sunday. Yet that high drama will be preceded by a low one. France’s government — in power less than three months, though “power” is too sturdy a term for so frail an entity — is tottering and probably won’t last until the weekend. Prayers are unlikely to help. Should the government of Prime Minister Michel Barnier be toppled in a no-confidence vote driven by populist extremists from the left and right, France’s already precarious political and fiscal situation could explode in full-blown crisis, including a run on its sovereign debt. Macron’s task in establishing a viable new government amid Parliament’s dysfunction “would mean finding a five-legged sheep,” Benjamin Morel, a constitutional expert, told Le Monde. I often wander over to Notre Dame to gawk alongside the tourists. It has remained the essential Paris landmark, a place of religious devotion and secular pilgrimage even amid the scaffolding and cranes that have shrouded it since the 2019 blaze. In May, the fencing in front of the cathedral was transformed into a multiracial, multiethnic photographic homage to craftspeople and others who helped rebuild it — the faces of can-do France. Black-and-white portraits gave star billing to hundreds of stone masons, carpenters, architects, curators, plumbers, roofers, electricians, historians, scaffolders, equipment handlers, cleaning crews, site managers, administrators, and restorers of sculptures, paintings, and stained glass. They were a sampling of more than 2,000 workers involved in the reconstruction. Some were highly skilled artisans, others journeymen or even apprentices. One was a friend of mine, Jean-Gabriel Levon, who left a position as a successful start-up executive two years ago to launch a new career in carpentry. Months later, he was tasked with hewing a thick oaken beam — square, shoulder height, thick as a linebacker’s leg — for the massive framework reinforcing the cathedral’s nave, using axes that were replicas of those used in the 12th and 13th centuries, during Notre Dame’s construction. Working methodically, it took him three days. “I was grateful to work on a project for one of the most emblematic places in the world,” Jean-Gabriel told me. “And I was amazed at the quality of the people who were involved, their technical expertise and personal traits.” France pulled off the nearly $1 billion reconstruction, on time, on budget — and funded by thousands of individual donors, some oligarchs, many ordinary — despite interruptions caused by the pandemic and disputes over furnishings, design and other features. It is an awesome achievement by any standard, all the more given the seeming impossibility of executing major projects elsewhere in the world. Americans, for whom major building projects are frequently emblems of dysfunction, should be envious. Recall New York’s Second Avenue subway, planned for nearly a century before the first, 1.8-mile segment was completed in 2017. Or the decade-long effort to relocate the FBI’s obsolete headquarters — still at least 10 years from the finish line at an estimated price of $10 billion, and counting. France’s advantage, in addition to a fierce will to revive a national icon, was a highly centralized government under Macron, a president who staked his reputation on the project’s success. Yet it was also Macron who plunged France into political dysfunction last summer with his colossal misjudgment in calling a gratuitous snap election that yielded a fragmented Parliament. That prompted him to form a jerry-built coalition whose survival depends on the sufferance of an outsider — his archrival, Marine Le Pen, leader of the populist far-right National Rally, the biggest party in Parliament’s lower house. Now Le Pen, who has problems of her own — she is on trial for alleged embezzlement, and a guilty verdict could ruin her political career — says she will deliver the coup de grâce this week by voting to oust Barnier and his cabinet. The government’s collapse would leave France in a dire political, constitutional and debt-driven financial mess. France’s can- and can’t-do split screen — workers who pulled off a miracle at Notre Dame and politicians who loosed a wrecking ball on the edifice of government — has produced emotional whiplash for the French. A week of joy and pride, tinged with fury and revulsion.

What is it like to be a high-performance Cuban athlete today? This was the question that came to mind when I was about to talk to triple jumper Cristian Nápoles. The conventional athlete who only cared about training and being the best in his specialty, at least a decade ago, has mutated. Now, while maintaining their sports discipline, these athletes have, at the same time, new interests. While active, they start businesses, are creators of content for social media, aspire to be influencers and promote themselves as artists. This is the case of Nápoles, 25 years old and a native of Marianao, Havana, who is also a world and Pan American medalist. His story of redemption is worth telling. In less than a year, he went from being excluded from the national team and unable to participate in the Barrientos Memorial, to being a bronze medalist at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Life, almost always unfair, allowed Nápoles to have his moment in a jump this time. A few centimeters less, a bad step, a few badly placed spikes, and this story would be different. As a child, he liked baseball and high jump. He won medals at the José Godoy In Memoriam, the top event for high jump in Cuba for many years. However, once he began to participate in national events, he realized that, due to his height, in addition to the opinion of the coaches, he was not going to go much further. “My father gave me the option of joining the national team in triple jump. I developed little by little, because I was in ballet, and the dancers have their feet facing outwards, which made it difficult for me to step,” he says. “Ballet?” I ask him, and he tells me that in sixth grade he was enrolled in that artistic discipline, when he studied in Playa at the Mártires de Barbados School. “They recruited me and told me I was good. I liked it. The school was on Paseo del Prado, until I got self-conscious, it was a bit complicated. Then my great-aunt, now deceased, brought me to the Pedro Marrero with my mother,” he recalls. Related Posts “Song to Havana” in photographs November 17, 2024 Elderly women and emigration: who cares for them? November 15, 2024 Activists report new sexist murders: 45 this year November 6, 2024 Deborah Andollo: “I’m not afraid of the sea, but I respect it” October 31, 2024 var jnews_module_313648_0_67431bef1938c = {"header_icon":"","first_title":"Related Posts","second_title":"","url":"","header_type":"heading_1","header_background":"","header_secondary_background":"","header_text_color":"","header_line_color":"","header_accent_color":"","header_filter_category":"","header_filter_author":"","header_filter_tag":"","header_filter_text":"All","post_type":"post","content_type":"all","number_post":"4","post_offset":0,"unique_content":"disable","include_post":"","exclude_post":313648,"include_category":"13908,13912,13913,13909,13911,13910,13914,34,13925,13926,13927,565,13928","exclude_category":"","include_author":"","include_tag":"","exclude_tag":"","sort_by":"latest","date_format":"default","date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","force_normal_image_load":"","pagination_mode":"nextprev","pagination_nextprev_showtext":"","pagination_number_post":"4","pagination_scroll_limit":0,"boxed":"","boxed_shadow":"","el_id":"","el_class":"","scheme":"","column_width":"auto","title_color":"","accent_color":"","alt_color":"","excerpt_color":"","css":"","paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_21"}; Much later we found ourselves talking in the stands of the same stadium, the one where he started more than 15 years ago in athletics. Now it seems impossible that someone can start practicing something there; in the jumping pit a bush grows at will. Indirectly involved in his first steps was his father, Juan Nápoles, a renowned long jump coach and currently a member of the national team. His resume also includes having been one of the architects of figures such as Juan Miguel Echeverría, Maykel Massó, Maikel Vidal and Lester Lescay. “So that there would be no problems, and people would start to say that I was there thanks to my father, he talked to other coaches to train me, since I was one of his students, and they said no,” remembers Nápoles, gold medalist at the 2015 Cali Cadet World Championship and silver medalist at the 2016 Bydgoszcz Junior World Championship, only surpassed by his fellow countryman Lázaro Martínez. His first experience in the adult category in a top-level event would be at the 2017 London World Championship, when he was still young. “I get goosebumps when I remember that event. My grandmother passed away, so my dad returned to Cuba and I stayed training with Yoelbi Quesada. There I met Will Claye, Christian Taylor, Nelson Évora, whom I had watched since I was little on my dad’s laptop. I was 18 years old, and seeing them was very emotional,” he says. “At that World Championship, my inexperience affected me. I finished fourth by three centimeters, but I wasn’t paying attention to that. Évora jumped 17.19 and I jumped 17.16. My first two jumps were foul, so I took 10 steps back to start the race, which is to say, too much. I remember that Alberto Juantorena, one of the few in the Federation who calls me by my second name, Atanay, whistled at me and told me that I had a lot to gain and nothing to lose. Then I jumped 17.16. “Yorgelis Rodríguez, the one from the heptathlon, had competed before, and finished fourth by 40 points. I made fun of her. When I finished competing, from the stands she said to me: ‘Look up,’ and then I saw that I was fourth. Before that I hadn’t even noticed the board. It was a beautiful and unforgettable experience,” reveals the triple jumper from Havana. A year later, Cristian Nápoles would be champion of the Central American Games in Barranquilla by beating the very talented and current Olympic champion for Spain, Jordan Díaz. However, more than the event itself, Nápoles remembers with a smile the formation of the team, precisely in the Pedro Marrero. “At that time Jordan and Andy Díaz were already beating me, sometimes even Lázaro. Then they told us that for the Central American Games there was one fixed, which was Jordan. He was winning all the competitions as a junior. Even so, he would also participate in the last confrontation, where the other triple jumper that would go to the Central American Games would come out. The stands were full, it reminded me of when I was a child competing in this same stadium. I was the last to jump. Jordan Díaz comes and does 17.40, forget about that. Andy and Lázaro do 17 and a bit, and I come, do 17.11 and I get second. I had to keep jumping and I finished with a time of 17.28. I go to the Central American Games with Jordan and I take the gold with 17.34, my personal best at that time. Jordan got silver.” At the 2019 World Championships you again have a good result, despite beginning your differences with commissioner Yipsi Moreno. After the Central American Games, Yipsi was doing things wrong. She made bad decisions. She was the commissioner; she didn’t have to demand anything directly from any coach. She didn’t have to decide on the training plans. At the 2019 World Championships in Doha, I was taken out last, due to differences with my father, who also ended up leaving the national team. I was sanctioned for indiscipline. In the end I went straight to the World Championships in Doha, without previous competitions, just training. I qualified tenth with discomfort. In the finals, in the first jump I did 17.36, in the second 17.38 and in the fourth is when I got injured. I finished fifth. What was it like training during the pandemic? That’s when the real problems began. They sent us to a bubble in Camagüey. Yipsi thought we were military. She even made demands about our hair, and some were adults, parents. She could order us in the sports field, but not in the personal one. I was not a saint, so I had my problems with her. For the Tokyo Olympics she put me out last again, and even so I went to the finals. I finished tenth. Jordan Díaz had dropped out, and Andy couldn’t compete due to an injury and then stayed. When I returned from the event, I had my Ocha, the saint, made and asked to be released from the national team. The reason was to look for a club and continue competing for Cuba wherever I was. It has become difficult for us to be signed together, athlete and coach (father), and I didn’t want to separate at that time. Now that opportunity can arise. You really wanted to do something unprecedented in Cuban athletics. I understand that the idea was not very well received... That year, 2022, I trained at Marrero. It was the Obregón World Championships and I was ready to compete with anyone. We talked about being able to compete at the Barrientos Memorial, but Yipsi refused. At the end of 2022, after she was removed from her position, the new commissioner Rolando Carlos Charro called me. He told me that he wanted to hear my conditions, I told him my plans and he accepted. After that year away from the National Athletics Team and official competitions, you return in style. You get the bronze medal at the 2023 Budapest World Championships, once again achieving your best mark in the important event. One of the fundamental factors for that medal was, like my dad, my physical trainer, Yoel Carrío. I remember that I didn’t feel the jumps, the impact, it was light, and I remained stable, around 17 meters. We went to the San Salvador 2023 Central American Games, where I jumped 17.11, and Lázaro won. I was quite unhappy because I was the reigning champion and I wanted to retain my title, but at least he stayed at home. We live that rivalry in the competition, but outside of it we get along very well. I get along with everyone, even with Jordan, who is the most complicated. Already at the World Cup, during the qualification, I got tangled up. I was tenth in the qualification. Before the finals I was in fourth with my dad, and I put on music. The first song that comes on is “Me dicen Cuba,” by Alexander Abreu, and my dad starts telling me that that was the day, that I owed it to many people who were watching me from heaven. Every time I go to compete, I remember my dead. The first jump was foul, in the second I did 17.02 and I placed fifth. Then, before the fourth jump, my dad called me and told me to stop being so cowardly, to try not to lose to the Chinese guy who had 17.11. All that, along with swearing. It really got me excited, and made me concentrate more on the race. I remember that I was going to stop that jump. I jumped too far and my torso went forward. My subconscious told me to stop the jump, because I was going to screw up. When I landed, I made a fuss, because I knew it wasn’t a foul and that I was above that 17.11. When they said it was 17.40, I went crazy. I could have jumped more, but I took out all my emotion there, and I left the competition. Lázaro had 17.41 and Hugues Fabrice Zango in the last jump did 17.64. To this day, that is my personal record. Then came the Santiago de Chile Pan American Games, where there are photos of me crying. I had told my dad that I didn’t want to go, but because of the commitments, I had to do it and I ended up with bronze. It was in November, out of date, and because of that I had an injury that has affected me until now. I went to the 2024 Paris Olympics with physical discomfort. It is true that 2024 has been your worst year in terms of sports... I had a terrible 2024, with an injury, and there was no time for anything. I do need training. I am not like Andy or Jordan, who with two or three things reach their sporting form. Regardless of talent, I rely more on training. I did not have time to work with my physical trainer. After the Glasgow Indoor World Championships, I had stem cells injected into my ankle. I was not stable, and I could not do anything else at the Olympic Games. I was going to give my best, but it was not going to be worth anything. It hurts me because I did not qualify for the finals, but there is still Los Angeles 2028 and I am young. My dad taught me to move on quickly and I am preparing well. At the Paris Olympics, Cuba left without medals in athletics for the first time in its history since the 1960 Rome Games. Days later, at the Junior World Championships, where historically good results had been achieved, the same fate arose. These are not good times for Cuban athletics. I will be brief. The world is based on technology. If there is no good recovery, which is done by digesting supplements, it is very difficult. Here there are some, but not enough. The base was lost in the pandemic. The boys are behind. I went to London as a junior. Finally, there are the conditions. The Esfaar Cardín, the high-performance training school, is in poor condition. For some time now, an artistic side can be seen on your social media... Since I was little, I liked it. I remember that my dad took me to Caturla, but since I was always hoarse, they didn’t accept me. Now everyone sings. I have several projects that require time and investment, in video, studio, models. Music is difficult and so is showbiz. For now, I’m singing to let off steam. I have a group called NTK and a kid called Papi Jordan. We sing moffa, dancehall, trap, and salsa. All kinds of things. If in the future we have some results and the money necessary to invest in music, I will open an artist production company. It’s also difficult to do two or three things at once, because sometimes I’m also an influencer with a persona on social media. In fact, today I have to go to a friend’s bar called Mango to promote it. It’s me dressed as a woman. It all started with Lázaro. They give me the wig and the dress. He shows me a video of a samba dance, we do it and it goes viral. I’ve always liked that kind of fun; I’m not into anything. How do you manage these projects at the same time? It’s very difficult here. Outside you have a lot of managers who know. Here they work for the State or they don’t know. Lázaro, for example, had advice from Dayron Robles, and he got going on his own. I also have my business on the way, until I can launch it. It’s a food business, a product similar to a cordon bleu. We’re making it homemade and with home delivery. Just yesterday I bought a deep fryer. What I do say is that when it’s sport, it’s sport, and I need trustworthy people for when I can’t. I also have another business recording memories at home, and now I’m going to buy a printer, because what matters the most is printing, for the children with their schoolwork. These are things that I do apart from sports and that give me a break to help the family. I’m also in my second year of university studying Physical Culture. I fell behind when I asked for leave. Do you like it? If I weren’t an athlete, I would have studied food preparation. I would like to be a chef. I like food and cooking. But since I have no other option, I study Physical Culture, and from there I like physiotherapy, giving massages. Tags: Cuban athletics featured

No. 22 UCLA edges No. 14 Gonzaga in another classic between rivals"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?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" To keep reading, please log in to your account, create a free account, or simply fill out the form below.

New AI Update! Transforming The Sims Like Never Beforeby Jayantha Somasundaram (First part of this article appeared yesterday (23 Dec., 2024) In the early years of the Twentieth Century the Irish and the Jews were unwittingly united by their military campaign against British rule in Ireland and Palestine. “Reasons for these allegiances are complex and rooted in shared experiences of imperialism” wrote M. C. Rast author of Shaping Ireland’s Independence: Nationalist, Unionist and British Solutions to the Irish Question 1909-1925 in History Today’s June 2024 edition. Ireland is divided not only geographically between the north and south but also between Roman Catholicism and Protestant Christianity; while the Republican South is consciously pro-Palestine, Northern Ireland is pro-Israel. As the British tried to escape from the turmoil in both colonial Palestine and Ireland by resorting to partition, just as they would do in British India, the parallels become evident. The Government of Ireland Act (1920) and the Anglo-Irish Treaty (1921) only led to civil war and religious rioting; just what partition would do for Palestine and British India. Palestine became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1516 and was fought over during World War I. The British captured Palestine from the Ottomans during the War and were mandated by the League of Nations (the precursor to the United Nations) to progress Palestine towards independence. Jewish settlers had initially welcomed the British Mandate because they believed that London would, in terms of the 1917 Balfour Declaration, create a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Up to the first century AD Palestine had been Jewish-majority, then a Christian-majority society (second to the eleventh century) and thereafter Muslim-majority. “In 1919 there were approximately 58,000 Jews in Palestine, with ‘non-Jewish communities’ constituting 91.7 per cent of the population...by 1937 the Jewish population had risen to 386,084, comprising 27.9 per cent of the total,” explains Rast. In the half century beginning 1880, the USA was the destination of choice for European Jews, with two and a half million migrating over that period. This tide however was stemmed when the US Congress passed the Immigration Act in 1924 limiting this flow. European Jewish immigration therefore was redirected to Palestine. The 1937 Peel Commission would recommend partition; it used the Irish partition as its model saying that “the gulf between Arabs and Jews in Palestine is wider than that which separates Northern Ireland from the Irish Free State.” To which The Derry Journal retorted “Britain cares not a fig for the welfare of either Jew or Arab, any more than for Catholic or Protestant Irishman, except in so far as the one can be played off against the other for purposes of imperial policy.’ Irgun As a consequence of Arab rioting in August 1929 which saw 67 Jews killed in Hebron, a tragedy that led many Jews to believe in the need for armed action, Irgun – Hā Irgun Ha-Tzvaʾī Ha-Leūmī b-Ērētz Yiśrāʾel – the National Military Organization in the Land of Israel – was formed in 1931. Until his death in 1940, its leader was Vladimir Yevgenyevich Zhabotinsky (later Ze’ev Jabotinsky) a Russian Jew. The number of members of Irgun varied from a few hundred to a few thousand. But Jabotinsky’s influence survived his early death, his ideas being carried forward by Menachem Begin (Israel’s Prime Minister 1977–1983) and the son of his secretary the Polish Jew, Benzion Mileikowsky: Israel’s current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Besides Irgun another important paramilitary group Lehi emerged in British Palestine. It was founded in 1940 by Avraham Stern. Stern was born in Poland in 1907 but moved to Palestine when he was 18 to study at the Hebrew University and would later join Irgun which was debating what stance should be adopted towards the British who were now fighting Nazi Germany. Stern argued that the Irish example during World War I provided the model for the Jews; to exploit Britain’s preoccupation with a war in Europe to mount pressure on them. He and his followers broke with Irgun in August 1940 and formed the Lohamei herut yisrael (The Fighters for Israel’s Freedom) or Lehi. Stern’s ideas were taken from Mikhail Bakunin the 19th century Russian anarchist. Bakunin stressed armed struggle and Stern viewed the two millennia of exile as lulling the Jewish people into complacency. According to Professor Shlomo Shpiro of Bar-Ilan University in Israel, a specialist in intelligence, terrorism and security, for Stern the task of nation building in Palestine and the struggle for statehood would enable Jewish exceptionalism to consummate itself. “Our nation has a culture and a level of development higher than those of other nations. We have higher moral values. Some call this ‘the Chosen People.’ We must be a unique group within a unique nation.” Lehi Stern believed that suffering and privation as a consequence of an armed struggle for nationhood and statehood would enable the Jews to rediscover themselves. The armed struggle must not however end with the achievement of statehood; it was a means not an end for the Jewish nation. Combat was therefore not merely the responsibility of the soldier. “Our nation will fight for a long time in its own land before it establishes its own sovereign rule...therefore, many more generations of Jewish children will go to school to learn the skills of the sword, and for many generations to come will the Hebrew Kingdom be as a military camp in the Oriental Arab desert.” Armed struggle was the duty of all; every Jew had to be a warrior. Religion more than political ends raised armed struggle to a ritual above any other facet of human endeavour. ‘‘Hallelujah with machine guns! The Lord is a Man of War! Hallelujah with battle and bomb! Hallelujah with rifle and grenade! Hallelujah to the Ruler of Zion!’’ Unlike many East European Jews who had socialist sympathies and admired the emancipation of the Jews that followed the Russian Revolution, Stern was influenced more by radical right-wing European conservative thinking and the practical gains of De Valera and the Sinn Fein in Ireland. In fact Yitzhak Shamir his lieutenant and successor adopted Michael as his nom de guerre in memory of Michael Collins, the Irish rebel. Stern succeeded in creating a nationalist ideology with messianic Jewish elements. “Stern was the first modern Jewish thinker to propound violence and terrorism as a core ideology of national liberation and independence, rather than a temporary or expedient means of self-defence.” (SHPIRO, Shlomo The Intellectual Foundations of Jewish National Terrorism: Avraham Stern and the Lehi (Terrorism and Political Violence Vol. 25, No. 4, 2013 pp 606–620) By early 1942 the British Police had effectively penetrated Lehi, had hunted down and killed or arrested its cadre and Stern had become a fugitive. He was finally tracked down and killed on 12 February 1942. Stern was succeeded by Yitzhak Yezernitsky (later Yitzhak Shamir) from Belarus, who would be a future Israeli prime minister (1983–84 and 1986–1992). Under Shamir, Lehi adopted Bakunin’s cell structure, became better organised, better equipped and drew new recruits enabling it to launch more effective attacks against the British in Palestine. He ordered the assassination in Cairo in November 1944 of the most senior British official in the region, the Minister Resident for the Middle East, 1st Baron Moyne, Lord Walter Edward Guinness DSO* PC. During and after the Second World War there was a huge influx of illegal Jewish refugees arriving in Palestine in ever increasing numbers, though even as late as 1947, the Palestinians, both Muslim and Christian, still made up two thirds of the population. King David Hotel In July 1946 Begin directed the bombing of Jerusalem’s King David Hotel. The explosives were placed below its southern wing which “housed the nerve centre of British rule in Palestine: the government secretariat and the headquarters of both British military forces in Palestine and Transjordan and British intelligence.” (HOFFMAN, Bruce The rationality of terrorism and other forms of political violence: lessons from the Jewish campaign in Palestine 1937-1947 (Small Wars & Insurgencies Vol. 22, No. 2, May 2011, pp 258–272) King David Hotel: After the attack The blast killed 91 persons and injured 45 others, many of them civilians. The King David Hotel attack which is regarded as the single most lethal terrorist incident of the twentieth century secured Irgun’s political objective. It drew the world’s attention to Palestine, the struggle of the Jews and the military impotence of British colonial rule. It exposed the hollow claim of the British Mandate authorities that they were prevailing militarily against terrorism. Begin had successfully created panic among the British public and shaken their confidence in London’s ability to govern Palestine. Back in the UK newspaper editorials swayed public opinion with this typical report in the Manchester Guardian that the bombings “will be a shock to those who imagined that the Government’s firmness had put a stop to Jewish terrorism and had brought about an easier situation in Palestine. In fact, the opposite is the truth.” (Hoffman 2011:264). In Palestine the Mandate authority responded with harsh measures: daily curfews, cordon-and-search operations and even martial law. These extreme measures only alienated people from the British. Begin explained his strategy in these terms: “‘The very existence of an underground must, in the end, undermine the prestige of a colonial regime that lives by the legend of its omnipotence. Every attack which it fails to prevent is a blow at its standing. Even if the attack does not succeed, it makes a dent in that prestige, and that dent widens into a crack which is extended with every succeeding attack.’ Thus, even though the British forces outnumbered the terrorists by twenty to one – so that there was, according to one account, ‘one armed soldier to each adult male Jew in Palestine’ – despite this overwhelming numerical superiority, the British were still unable to destroy the Irgun and maintain order in Palestine.” (Hoffman 2011:265) Invisible Armies In July 1947, in response to the execution of three convicted Irgun terrorists the group publicly hung two captured British Army sergeants. According to the British Colonial Secretary Arthur Creech-Jones this outrage was the most significant factor that determined London’s withdrawal from Palestine. “For both the British public and the press, the murders seemed to demonstrate the futility of the situation in Palestine and the pointlessness of remaining there any longer than was absolutely necessary.” (Hoffman 2011:266) Britain had deployed 100,000 troops in Palestine, saturated Jerusalem and turned it into a fortified camp controlled by barbed wire and curfews. Finally, unable to cope Britain handed the Palestine issue over to the United Nations. “In 1947 the British Cabinet decided to abandon Palestine after three years of attacks by Jewish terrorists, most belonging to the right-wing Irgun and Lehi (Stern Gang)...This was one of the most successful terrorist campaigns ever waged.” (BOOT, Max Invisible Armies (New York: Liveright Publishing 2013) p325) Both in Palestine and globally, many Jews were critical of this terror campaign. In 1948, The New York Times published a letter signed by a number of prominent Jewish figures including Hannah Arendt, Albert Einstein, Sidney Hook, and Rabbi Jessurun Cardozo, which described Irgun as “a terrorist, right-wing, chauvinist organization in Palestine.” Hoffman concludes that “it is indisputable that, at the very least, the successes won through violence by the Irgun clearly demonstrated that, notwithstanding the repeated denials of governments, terrorism can, in the right conditions and with the appropriate strategy and tactics, indeed ‘work’. Even if the Irgun’s success did not manifest itself in terms of the actual acquisition of power in government (Begin and his Herut Party remained in opposition for some 30 years)...their success in attracting attention to themselves and their cause, and most significantly both hastening and affecting government decision-making, cannot be disregarded... Thus the foundations were laid for the transformation of terrorism in the late 1960s from a primarily localized phenomenon into the security problem of global proportions that it is today. Indeed, when US military forces invaded Afghanistan in 2001, they found a copy of Begin’s seminal work, The Revolt, in the well-stocked library that al Qaeda maintained.” (Hoffman 2011:268).

Ruud van Nistelrooy enjoys winning start with LeicesterMAC defensive lineman commits to Iowa out of transfer portal

NORTHAMPTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 20, 2024-- High-speed internet provider Gateway Fiber connected its first Northampton home internet customers this week, marking a significant step forward in expanding reliable, high-speed internet access across underserved communities in western MA and beyond. “We are thrilled to bring Northampton into the Gateway Fiber family and light our first home internet customer in the area, so they can experience the revolution of truly high-speed internet,” said Gateway Fiber CEO Chris Surdo. “In today’s internet-dependent world, having reliable high-speed internet is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity. And we’re proud to bring that level of connection to Northampton.” With symmetrical internet speeds up to 2 gigabits per second (Gbps), Gateway Fiber’s fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) service is designed for seamless video streaming, online gaming, remote work, and quick upload and download for cloud services. This new fiber service offers residents and businesses in Northampton a welcome alternative to traditional cable. Gateway Fiber’s fast and reliable network enhances productivity, supports smart home technology, and ensures a smooth online experience for multiple users and devices. “Gateway Fiber is a revelation,” said Northampton resident and new Gateway Fiber customer Will A. “Their customer support is great, and their technicians were skilled, thorough, and conscientious during installation. They brought their own disposable shoe covers to avoid tracking mud into the house, and that alone says a lot about the kind of company they are. Oh, and the internet is blazing fast! Our previous internet was marketed as the same speed (300mbps), but in reality, Gateway Fiber got us way faster speeds for a cheaper price. There's no comparison. Gateway Fiber is the best internet and the best internet company in Northampton.” Gateway Fiber not only provides incredible high-speed internet to both homes and businesses, but the company is also investing heavily in the Northampton community and surrounding area by hiring local team members and opening an office in nearby Chicopee. “Our commitment to the area goes much deeper than just providing fast internet,” said Sarah Lang, Gateway Fiber’s GM of Massachusetts. “By building a robust fiber optic network starting in Northampton, we not only support the local economy but also empower residents and businesses to achieve more with a service that is built to meet their needs, today and moving forward.” For more information about Gateway Fiber internet, visit gatewayfiber.com or @gatewayfiber on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Looking for a career in fiber? Check out the Gateway Fiber career page: gatewayfiber.com/careers About Gateway Fiber Gateway Fiber is on a mission to positively impact communities through a better internet. As data requirements for residences and businesses continue to expand, Gateway is creating a leading, national fiber-to-the-home platform to serve this critical unmet need. Gateway provides faster, more reliable internet with a simple pricing model and industry-leading customer service. For more information, visit gatewayfiber.com . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241220667267/en/ CONTACT: For more information, press only: David Workman PR & Communications Manager 314-265-8974 David.Workman@gatewayfiber.com KEYWORD: MASSACHUSETTS UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: NETWORKS INTERNET TECHNOLOGY CARRIERS AND SERVICES TELECOMMUNICATIONS SOURCE: Gateway Fiber Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/20/2024 01:25 PM/DISC: 12/20/2024 01:26 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241220667267/en

BRAINERD — CJK Group, the parent company of Sheridan and Kodi Collective headquartered in Brainerd, announced the realization of its strategic vision for its February 2024 acquisition of Kodi: bringing Kodi’s three offset print facilities into the Sheridan family. This tactical move marks a significant milestone in the evolution of Sheridan, industry leader in print and publishing services for book, journal, and magazine publishers, as well as catalogers. The addition of Kodi's three high-performing print facilities to Sheridan's nine state-of-the-art production sites positions the company to redefine excellence in the print industry. ADVERTISEMENT Sheridan continues to expand its footprint through this powerful integration, the company strengthens its reputation in its marketplaces, enhancing the breadth and scope of its service offerings and extending its services to current and future clients. “By integrating Kodi’s high-efficiency facilities with Sheridan’s industry-leading capabilities, we’re not just increasing production capacity — we’re enriching the client journey,” Sheridan President, Paula Montgomery, stated in a news release. “From personalized support to streamlined processes, we aim to exceed expectations at every turn, empowering our partners to bring their creative visions to life with confidence and ease. Sheridan is not just about print; it's about creating lasting relationships and delivering an unparalleled experience that truly sets the standard in the industry.” “Today marks an exciting new chapter for Sheridan and CJK Group,” said Rob Nawfel, Chief Operations Officer-Print of CJK Group. “By integrating the many capabilities and talents of these three Kodi sites, we are not just merging two companies together; we are emerging as an industry powerhouse. By combining the skills of our highly talented employees with our technology and digital offerings, Sheridan will continue to build a print dynasty that sets a new standard for service excellence and product quality in the industry. This merger is just the beginning of what promises to be an inspiring journey to innovation and growth. Together, we will achieve greater heights and create unparalleled value for our customers.” Chris Kurtzman, Owner and CEO of CJK Group, Inc. shared insight on his original vision for the acquisition of Kodi Collective in February, and its fruition with the integration of the Kodi offset sites to Sheridan. “When we acquired Kodi Collective, we knew we had something very special. Kodi’s offset print facilities aligned perfectly with Sheridan’s existing publications print plants — both serving the same markets and providing industry-leading levels of quality and service. We knew then that we wanted to unite them. Kodi’s digital print facilities, on the other hand, served a distinctive and wide-ranging commercial audience. We were happy to rebrand those facilities under the well-loved Digital Lizard name in September of this year. And Kodi’s Marketing Execution Services also stood out as the embodiment of ingenuity and creative custom-tailored solutions in many exciting industries. Just recently, they re-introduced themselves to the market as Continuum — another highly-regarded brand. As the offset facilities now unite with Sheridan, that original vision upon acquiring the wealth of services and capabilities Kodi offered, is realized.” • Expanded Capabilities: The addition of Kodi's three facilities to Sheridan’s nine enhances Sheridan’s production capacity and diversifies service offerings, allowing for more customized solutions tailored to clients' needs. It also ensures that each job finds the right fit and the right home among the twelve locations. • Unified Quality Standards: Sheridan is committed to maintaining the highest quality across all operations. Regardless of print site location, clients can expect consistent, exceptional results from coast to coast. ADVERTISEMENT • Cost Efficiency, Dependability of Resources: Leveraging the purchasing power of CJK Group and the company’s outstanding vendor relationships, Sheridan clients are always assured of the best value and the most consistent supply of material – minimizing disruptions and maximizing productivity and value. “This unification under the Sheridan brand is a game-changer,” said Drew Roach, Sheridan Group Vice President – Publications. “We are not only enhancing our production capabilities but also deepening our commitment to delivering high-quality products that meet the evolving demands of our clients. Our vision is clear: to be the leading partner for publishers and retailers across the nation.” CJK Group is the parent company of not only Sheridan, but of newly rebranded Digital Lizard (commercial digital print), newly rebranded Continuum (creative marketing services), KnowledgeWorks Global, Ltd. (comprehensive content services, online hosting), and Tweddle Group (OEM solutions). As industry-leading companies in their own right, each offers valuable service extensions that clients of Sheridan – whether magazine publishers, catalogers, scholarly journal publishers, educational and best-selling book publishers – prize. About CJK Group Inc. CJK Group, Inc. is an international portfolio of printing, publishing services, and technology/information solutions companies, comprising Continuum, Digital Lizard, KnowledgeWorks Global, Ltd., Sheridan, and Tweddle Group.BELLINGHAM, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 3, 2024-- Seven early-stage startup companies have been selected to compete for a top prize of $10,000 at the 15th annual SPIE Startup Challenge at Photonics West on 28 January. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241203549499/en/ Jenoptik’s Ralf Kuschnereit, TRAQC's Benjamin Dringoli, and 2024 SPIE President Jennifer Barton at the 2024 SPIE Startup Challenge. (Photo: Business Wire) The SPIE Startup Challenge is a competitive entrepreneurial platform for new businesses that utilize optics and photonics for innovative products or applications. Participating teams are competing for sponsored prizes, in addition to gaining increased visibility with potential investors and exposure to potential collaborators or partners. Cash prizes of $10,000, $5,000, and $2,500, provided by Startup Challenge Founding Partner Jenoptik, will be awarded to the top three finalists. The SPIE Startup Challenge is also supported by Lead Sponsor Hamamatsu and Supporting Sponsor Luminate. “This is a completely focused crowd that we wouldn't have access to anywhere else,” said 2024 SPIE Challenge Startup winner TRAQC Co-Founder and COO Benjamin Dringoli during that event. “The opportunity to pitch in front of these industry leaders and get their feedback live, the mentorship session prior to the finals, and having people coming up to me and say, ‘Hey, if you need help, let me know.’ This is great!” Competition judges include venture capitalists and business-development experts from the photonics industry who will vet applicants for their business case, financial case, and competitive advantages. Teams competing in the Startup Challenge will get feedback on their business and pitch from business-development experts and investors. This year's products encompass innovations in medical applications, photovoltaic technology, and manufacturing. The seven 2025 SPIE Startup Challenge finalists and their technologies are: More information about the SPIE Startup Challenge can be found here . Light-based technologies enable developments in a proliferating number of areas, from healthcare and high-speed communications to quantum computing, AR/VR/MR, and self-driving vehicles. The annual SPIE Startup Challenge provides a distinctive and vibrant platform for optics and photonics startups that are creating novel products, applications, and technologies. Startup Challenge winners that have gone on to wider commercial success include Cellino Biotech , Double Helix Optics , PhotoniCare , C. Light Technologies , Circle Optics , and In A Blink . For more information and to register for SPIE Photonics West, please visit: https://spie.org/pw About SPIE SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, brings engineers, scientists, students, and business professionals together to advance light-based science and technology. The Society, founded in 1955, connects and engages with our global constituency through industry-leading conferences and exhibitions; publications of conference proceedings, books, and journals in the SPIE Digital Library; and career-building opportunities. Over the past five years, we have invested more than $25 million in the international optics community through our advocacy and support, including scholarships, educational resources, travel grants, endowed gifts, and public-policy development. www.spie.org . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241203549499/en/ CONTACT: Daneet Steffens Public Relations Manager daneets@spie.org +1 360 685 5478 @SPIEtweets KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA WASHINGTON INDUSTRY KEYWORD: START-UP TECHNOLOGY MANUFACTURING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OTHER SCIENCE OTHER TECHNOLOGY PHOTOGRAPHY SOFTWARE ENGINEERING SCIENCE HARDWARE SOURCE: SPIE Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/03/2024 03:17 PM/DISC: 12/03/2024 03:17 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241203549499/enWade Taylor IV helps No. 13 Texas A&M rout Abilene Christian

- In its continued support of those experiencing food insecurity, the Church of Scientology Los Angeles helps launch the holidays with its 4th Annual Turkey Drive - LOS ANGELES, Calif., Dec. 3, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The bright yellow tents of the Volunteer Ministers of the Church of Scientology Los Angeles had something special at their weekly food drive on the Saturday before Thanksgiving: 300 turkeys for local families. The economic impact of the pandemic in 2020 marked the beginning of widespread unemployment and financial hardship. Although lockdowns have been over for several years, and many people have regained or found new employment, food insecurity remains a growing concern. A 2023 study by USC Dornsife Public Exchange revealed that nearly one-third of Los Angeles County residents experience food insecurity. According to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank , more than half of the parents surveyed in May 2024 reported difficulty accessing food, particularly as pandemic-era benefits phased out. It also reported that L.A. County has more food-insecure children than any other county in the U.S. In response to this urgent need, the Church of Scientology Los Angeles began providing a weekly food drive in 2020 and has continued to offer this service, helping hundreds of families each week. The Church of Scientology Volunteer Ministers program is a religious social service created in the mid-1970s by L. Ron Hubbard. It constitutes one of the world’s largest independent relief forces. A Volunteer Minister’s mandate is to be “a person who helps his fellow man on a volunteer basis by restoring purpose, truth and spiritual values to the lives of others.” Their creed: “A Volunteer Minister does not shut his eyes to the pain, evil and injustice of existence. Rather, he is trained to handle these things and help others achieve relief from them and new personal strength as well.” Their motto is no matter the circumstances, “Something can be done about it.” For more information on the technology used by the Volunteer Minister, watch Scientology Tools for Life and the documentary Operation: Do Something About It on the Scientology Network on DIRECTV 320 or at www.Scientology.tv . LEARN MORE: https://www.scientologynews.org/press-releases/ https://www.scientology-losangeles.org VIDEO: https://youtu.be/B0xMnowNCYo?si=DDYMrYdRbb-XAG-1 https://www.scientology.tv/watch/series/inside-scientology/inside-a-church.html PHOTO link for media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/24-1203-s2p-COS-TurkeyDrive-300dpi.jpg PHOTO CAPTION: Cars line up at the Church of Scientology Los Angeles for a special addition to its weekly food drive. TAGS: #ChurchOfScientologyLosAngeles #TurkeyDrive #FoodDrive #Thanksgiving #ScientologyVolunteerMinisters NEWS SOURCE: Church of Scientology International Keywords: Religion and Churches, Church Of Scientology Los Angeles, Turkey Drive, Food Drive, Thanksgiving, LOS ANGELES, Calif. This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Church of Scientology International) who is solely responsibile for its accuracy, by Send2Press® Newswire . Information is believed accurate but not guaranteed. Story ID: S2P122625 APDF15TBLLI To view the original version, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/church-of-scientology-food-drive-makes-thanksgiving-special-for-300-local-families/ © 2024 Send2Press® Newswire, a press release distribution service, Calif., USA. Disclaimer: This press release content was not created by nor issued by the Associated Press (AP). Content below is unrelated to this news story.

Oliver Glasner: Crystal Palace are heading in right direction after Ipswich win

Sixth-year player Dane Olson continues to make the most of his opportunities for CSU RamsWASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump is telling the Supreme Court that he can make a deal that will resolve the national security dispute over TikTok and preserve the video site for 170 million Americans. All the justices need to do, he says, is to stand aside and suspend a pending law that could shut down TikTok on Jan. 19, the day before Trump takes office again. "President Trump alone possesses the consummate deal-making expertise, the electoral mandate, and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform," his attorney said in a friend-of-the court brief filed Friday night. His plan might work, at least to buy more time. The justices had agreed to make a fast-track decision on the potentially momentous issue involving social media and free speech. "I think the court is likely to see great benefit in issuing a stay and little downside," said University of California, Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky. "The case poses a novel and very difficult First Amendment issue. Never before has the government tried to ban a medium of communication, but there also is a history of judicial deference to national security claims." Before Trump's intervention, TikTok appeared to face a difficult fight in the court. The House and Senate had passed legislation by large bipartisan majorities requiring the platform to separate itself from its Chinese owner or to shut down in this country. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law in April. And by its terms, it was scheduled to take effect in 270 days. Although the justices are not shy about striking down federal regulations, they are wary of overturning an act of Congress, particularly one that is based on threats to national security. The U.S. appeals court in Washington cited national security when it upheld the law earlier this month. In a 3-0 decision, the judges said the law did not target speech or expression. Rather, lawmakers were convinced the Chinese parent company could gather personal data on millions of Americans, the judges said. If the law took effect on Jan. 19, Apple, Oracle and other U.S. companies could have faced large civil fines if they continued to work with TikTok. Trump's attorney D. John Sauer filed a friend-of-the-court brief that differed in tone and substance from all the others. Rather than weigh in on the First Amendment question the justices had agreed to decide , he explained why Trump was better-suited to decide it. "Through his historic victory on November 5, 2024, President Trump received a powerful electoral mandate from American voters to protect the free-speech rights of all Americans — including the 170 million Americans who use TikTok," he wrote. "Moreover, President Trump is one of the most powerful, prolific, and influential users of social media in history." Noting that Trump has 14.7 million followers on TikTok, Sauer argued that the president-elect is well-positioned "to evaluate TikTok's importance as a unique medium for freedom of expression, including core political speech." He also wrote that as the founder of another social-media platform, Truth Social, Trump has "an in-depth perspective on the extraordinary government power attempted to be exercised in this case — the power of the federal government to effectively shut down a social-media platform favored by tens of millions of Americans." "In light of these interests — including, most importantly, his overarching responsibility for the United States' national security and foreign policy — President Trump opposes banning TikTok in the United States at this juncture, and seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office." In 2020, Trump had voiced alarm over TikTok because of its Chinese ownership. Lawmakers later heard classified briefings that convinced them the foreign ownership posed a danger. But by the time the law won approval, Trump had switched sides. He said he believed TikTok helped him win the support of young voters. "TikTok had an impact, so we're taking a look at it," he told reporters two weeks ago. "I have a little warm spot in my heart." A year ago, his attorney Sauer drew criticism from some legal experts for boldly asserting that Trump as a former president had an absolute immunity from criminal charges for his official acts while in office. But in July, he won a 6-3 ruling from the Supreme Court that gave him and Trump what he had sought. Sauer is now set to represent Trump and his administration before the Supreme Court as U.S. solicitor general. He did not say precisely what the court should do now, only that it "should consider staying the statutory deadline to grant more breathing space" to the incoming administration and that one provision in the law allowed for a 90-day extension before it took effect. The court asked for responses to the competing briefs by next Friday. It scheduled two hours of argument for Jan. 10. It's not certain the justices will readily comply with Trump's request. Two weeks ago, former Trump attorney Noel Francisco filed an appeal on TikTok's behalf urging the justices to put the law on hold for a brief period. But the justices brushed aside that suggestion and said they would decide whether divestiture law violated the First Amendment. "I am skeptical Trump's intervention will make a difference," said Alan Rozenshtein, a University of Minnesota law professor who has written about the pending law. He noted that the Supreme Court denied TikTok's request to stay the law because it did not think TikTok could meet the requirements for a stay: a reasonable chance of winning on the merits. "Trump's argument does not change that," he said. "It may be bad luck for TikTok (and Trump) that the law goes into effect the day before inauguration, but such is life." ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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