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NYT photo The rebels who are now Syria's de facto rulers have started to make their mark on the country's govt. They took control of Aleppo just two weeks ago, but already police officers are in the streets sporting new uniforms, administrators are busy in the halls of govt and there are posters on lampposts with QR codes directing people to updates on govt policy. Gone are the ubiquitous photos of ousted president Bashar al-Assad , whose visage, like that of his father before him, had dominated the city. The Assad regime controlled the country for decades, then crumbled in days. It has been replaced by rebel factions led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham . With all eyes on the rebels' plans for the future, Aleppo offers early hints on how the group might approach governance - at least in the immediate future. The group is vowing to maintain security and continuity, aiming to avoid the kind of power vacuum that has followed other Arab revolutions or regime changes. Over the past week, there have been flashes of normalcy in the city, residents said, expressing some hope for the future. The rebels took over much of the city on Nov 27. After capturing Aleppo, the fighters moved on, leaving the city in the hands of its bureaucrats to preserve govt institutions, said HTS chief Abu Mohammad al-Jolani. In Aleppo, new billboards have quickly appeared. On one, the new justice minister, Shadi Muhammad al-Waisi, proclaimed the era of oppression was over. Once Syria's commercial hub, Aleppo's factories and businesses were largely destroyed during the civil war. "Justice and equality are the rulers after today," the billboard read. Another billboard featured the finance minister: "Be assured people of Aleppo," the banner reads, "your property and your money are protected." On Monday in Aleppo, an administrator with the rebel group asked members of the city council if they were ready to continue to do their work. They all appeared willing. In the immediate days after the rebels captured Aleppo, the city remained stunned and quiet. But within days, prices at shops, on public transportation and at the gas pump skyrocketed. The price of a minibus ride quadrupled from 1,000 Syrian pounds to 4,000, or about $1.60. But residents said some costs have levelled off, and though there were reports of theft, many said they were starting to feel more secure. A resident of Sulaymaniyah, a Christian neighbourhood, said owners of liquor stores feared their stocks would be destroyed. But the rebels didn't comes near the shops, he said. Christians account for about 5% of Syria's population. On the day rebels captured Aleppo, some rebels reportedly went to homes in Christian neighbourhoods to reassure them of their safety, residents said. Analysts say rebels' treatment of minorities could be a harbinger of how they will expand from their corner of the country to the rest of Syria.Netflix will have one of its biggest days Wednesday since the site launched in 1998 when it airs two NFL games for the first time. "NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix" begins with a two-hour pregame show at 11 a.m., before Pittsburgh hosts Kansas City. Baltimore faces Houston in the second game. The streaming giant agreed to a three-year contract in May to carry Christmas Day games. Netflix's 282.3 million subscribers in over 190 countries will be able to stream the games, marking the first time one outlet has distributed an NFL game globally. Netflix will have the games available in five languages — English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German. The games will also air on CBS affiliates in Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Houston. NFL policy dictates that games on cable or being exclusively streamed must also be on an over-the-air station in the competing teams' markets. It will also be available on mobile devices in the U.S. for those who have NFL+. The biggest reason is money. The league is getting $150 million from Netflix for the two games this season. It also continues the NFL's moves into streaming — Thursday night games are in their third season on Amazon Prime Video and the "Sunday Ticket" package moved to YouTube TV last year. But Christmas is on a Wednesday when games usually aren't played. That's true, but the league wasn't about to give up Christmas after seeing the ratings. Last year's three games averaged 28.68 million viewers. The early afternoon contest between the Las Vegas Raiders and Chiefs led the way, averaging 29.48 million. The Chiefs, Steelers, Ravens and Texans played on Saturday, giving them the same turnaround they would have if they played on Sunday and then Thursday. All four have clinched playoff spots in the AFC, but seeding remains up for grabs. Kansas City (14-1) can clinch the top seed — which would mean a first-round bye and home field throughout the playoffs — with a win over the Steelers. Pittsburgh and Baltimore are tied atop the AFC North at 10-5, with the Steelers holding the tiebreaker due to a better conference record. Houston (9-6) has wrapped up the AFC South and holds the fourth seed. Netflix hopes so. Brandon Riegg, Netflix's vice president of nonfiction series and sports, said the system was stress tested, and then some, during the Nov. 14 bout, along with internet service providers reporting they were also overwhelmed by the surge that occurred before and during the fight. The bout peaked at 65 million concurrent streams, including 38 million concurrent streams in the United States. According to the website Down Detector, nearly 85,000 viewers logged problems with outages or streaming leading up to and during the fight. Possible? Yes. Likely? No. The largest audience for a streamed-exclusive NFL game was 23 million on Peacock for last season's AFC wild-card game between the Miami Dolphins and Chiefs. Nielsen will measure the ratings for the Christmas Day games, with early numbers expected late afternoon on Thursday. It will probably be at kickoff for both games, but especially around 5:45 p.m. EST. That would be near halftime of the Ravens-Texans game, and when Beyoncé will be performing. Mariah Carey will kick off the day with a taped performance of "All I Want for Christmas is You." There is no word if Taylor Swift will make the trip to Pittsburgh to watch her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Swift has been spending time in Kansas City since she wrapped up her Eras Tour two weeks ago. How many Christmas games will Netflix carry in the next two seasons? The NFL will have at least two games on Dec. 25 in 2025 and '26, with Netflix slated to have at least one each year. Amazon Prime Video will have a night game with Christmas on a Thursday next year. Netflix's worldwide partnership with World Wrestling Entertainment will begin on Jan. 6 when "Monday Night Raw" moves to the streaming service. On Friday, Netflix secured the U.S. rights for the 2027 and 2031 FIFA Women's World Cup. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!
AP Business SummaryBrief at 1:42 p.m. EST
Staten Island HS football: Tottenville loses another heart-breaker to Erasmus on controversial endingAmber Heard has claimed social media spreads lies more quickly than it does the truth, in the wake of Blake Lively’s complaint against her It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni. US actress Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment, hostile work environment and embarking on a “multi-tiered plan” to damage her reputation with claims of a targeted social media campaign. The legal complaint states that Baldoni, 40, hired crisis communications specialist Melissa Nathan, the same publicist who actor Johnny Depp is said to have hired during his high-profile defamation trial against Heard in 2022. In a statement given to NBC News, Aquaman star Heard said: “Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying, a lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on. “I saw this first-hand and up close. “It’s as horrifying as it is destructive.” Depp successfully sued ex-wife Heard over a 2018 article she wrote for The Washington Post about her experiences as a survivor of domestic abuse, which his lawyers said falsely accused him of being an abuser. At the time, Heard said the jury’s verdict “sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated”. Bryan Freedman, a lawyer representing Baldoni and the other named defendants, said Lively’s claims were “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious”, adding that the studio “made the decision to proactively hire a crisis manager prior to the marketing campaign of the film”. It Ends With Us, based on Colleen Hoover’s novel of the same name, is about a woman’s pursuit of a loving and healthy relationship, with Lively playing lead character Lily Bloom and Baldoni as her love interest Ryle Kincaid amid a backdrop of domestic violence. After the legal action was filed, Hoover appeared to voice support for 37-year-old Lively, writing on her Instagram stories: “@blakelively you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met. “Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. “Never change. Never wilt.” Hoover posted a link to a New York Times article titled We Can Bury Anyone: Inside A Hollywood Smear Machine. Lively’s former cast members from the 2005 film The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants, America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel, also released a joint social media statement to defend their long-time friend. “As Blake’s friends and sisters for over 20 years, we stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation,” the statement said. “Throughout the filming of It Ends With Us, we saw her summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and colleagues on set, and we are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that ensued to discredit her voice.” They added: “We are struck by the reality that even if a woman is as strong, celebrated, and resourced as our friend Blake, she can face forceful retaliation for daring to ask for a safe working environment,” the statement continues. “We are inspired by our sister’s courage to stand up for herself and others.”