
Titans S Julius Wood suspended 6 games for PEDsda-kuk/E+ via Getty Images Co-authored by Treading Softly. "The night is darkest just before the dawn" – Harvey Dent. Have you ever noticed that when navigating at night—perhaps with no light source apart from the natural glow of High Dividend Opportunities, #1 On Seeking Alpha HDO is the largest and most exciting community of income investors and retirees with over +8000 members. We are looking for more members to join our lively group! Our Income Method generates strong returns, regardless of market volatility, making retirement investing less stressful, simple and straightforward . Invest with the Best! Join us to get access to our Model Portfolio targeting 9-10% yield . Don't miss out on the Power of Dividends ! We're offering a limited-time 17% discount on our annual price of $599.99 via this link only: Sign Me Up!! Rida Morwa is a former investment and commercial Banker, with over 35 years of experience. He has been advising individual and institutional clients on high-yield investment strategies since 1991. Rida Morwa leads the Investing Group High Dividend Opportunities where he teams up with some of Seeking Alpha's top income investing analysts. The service focuses on sustainable income through a variety of high yield investments with a targeted safe +9% yield. Features include: model portfolio with buy/sell alerts, preferred and baby bond portfolios for more conservative investors, vibrant and active chat with access to the service’s leaders, dividend and portfolio trackers, and regular market updates. The service philosophy focuses on community, education, and the belief that nobody should invest alone. Learn More. Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of ARI either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Treading Softly, Beyond Saving, Philip Mause, and Hidden Opportunities, all are supporting contributors for High Dividend Opportunities. Any recommendation posted in this article is not indefinite. We closely monitor all of our positions. We issue Buy and Sell alerts on our recommendations, which are exclusive to our members. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
Who Was Ted Kaczynski? Luigi Mangione Liked 'Unabomber' Quotes On Goodreads
Israeli drone strikes hit Kamal Adwan Hospital on Tuesday, wounding three medical staff at one of the few hospitals still partially operating in the northernmost part of Gaza , the facility’s director said. Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya said the drones were dropping bombs, spraying shrapnel at the hospital. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. In Lebanon, a tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has held despite Israeli forces carrying out several new drone and artillery strikes on Tuesday, killing a shepherd in the country's south. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed keep striking “with an iron fist” against perceived Hezbollah violations of the ceasefire. Hezbollah began launching rockets, drones and missiles into Israel last year in solidarity with Hamas militants who are fighting in the Gaza Strip. The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 people hostage . Israel’s blistering retaliatory offensive has killed at least 44,500 Palestinians , more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were combatants. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The war in Gaza has destroyed vast areas of the coastal enclave and displaced 90% of the population of 2.3 million, often multiple times . Here's the Latest: US forces in eastern Syria conduct a self-defense strike, Pentagon says WASHINGTON — U.S. forces conducted a self-defense strike Tuesday in the vicinity of Mission Support Site Euphrates, a U.S. base in eastern Syria, against three truck-mounted multiple rocket launchers, a T-64 tank and mortars that Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said presented “a clear and imminent threat” to U.S. troops. The self-defense strike occurred after rockets and mortars were fired that landed in the vicinity of the base, Ryder said. The Pentagon is still assessing who was responsible for the attacks — that there are both Iranian-backed militias and Syrian military forces that operate in the area. Ryder said the attack was not connected to the offensive that is ongoing in Aleppo, where Syrian jihadi-led rebels taken over the country’s largest city. The U.S. has about 900 troops in Syria to conduct missions to counter the Islamic Stage group. Israeli drone strikes hit a hospital in northern Gaza, wounding 3 medical staff CAIRO — Israeli drone strikes hit the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza on Tuesday, wounding three medical personnel, the facility’s director said. Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya said the drones were dropping bombs, spraying shrapnel at the hospital, located in the town of Beit Lahiya. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. In comments released by Gaza’s Health Ministry, Abu Safiya said one of the injured was in critical condition and was undergoing a complex surgery. “The situation has become extremely dangerous,” he said. “We are exhausted by the ongoing violence and atrocities.” Kamal Adwan Hospital has been struck multiple times over the past two months as Israeli forces have waged a fierce offensive in the area, saying they are rooting out Hamas militants who regrouped there. In October, Israeli forces raided the hospital, saying that militants were sheltering inside and arrested a number of people, including some staff. Hospital officials denied the claim. Abu Safiya was wounded in his thigh and back by an Israeli drone strike on the hospital last month. Israeli court orders Netanyahu to take the stand in his long-running corruption trial TEL AVIV, Israel — An Israeli court has ordered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take the stand next week in his long-running corruption trial, ending a long series of delays. Netanyahu’s lawyers had filed multiple requests to put off the testimony, arguing first that the war in Gaza prevented him from properly preparing for his testimony, and later that his security could not be guaranteed in the court chamber. In Tuesday’s decision, judges in the Jerusalem district court said that following a security assessment, his testimony will be moved to the Tel Aviv district court. Israeli media said the session would take place in an underground chamber. His testimony in the trial, which began in 2020, is expected to begin on Dec. 10 and to last at least several weeks. Netanyahu is charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate scandals involving powerful media moguls and wealthy associates. He denies wrongdoing. Lebanese civilians who came back to war-damaged towns are skeptical that Israel will abide by the ceasefire NABATIYEH, Lebanon — In destroyed areas of southern Lebanon, residents clearing away rubble on Tuesday said they didn’t trust Israel to abide by the week-old ceasefire with Hezbollah. “The Israelis are breaching the ceasefire whenever they can because they are not committed,” said Hussein Badreddin, a vegetable seller in the southern city of Nabatiyeh, which was pummeled by Israeli airstrikes over several weeks. “This means that they (can) breach any resolution at any time.” Since it began last Wednesday, the U.S.- and French-brokered 60-day ceasefire has been rattled by near daily Israeli strikes, although Israel has been vague about the purported Hezbollah violations that prompted them. Imad Yassin, a trader who owns a clothing shop in Nabatiyeh, said Israel was constantly breaching the ceasefire because Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to continue the displacement of residents of southern Lebanon. “The Israeli enemy was defeated and the truth is that he is trying to get revenge. Netanyahu is trying to displace us as citizens of southern Lebanon,” Yassin said. They spoke as bulldozers cleared streets strewn with rubble and debris from destroyed buildings. Electricians worked to fix power lines in an effort to restore electricity to the city. Both men were displaced by the war and returned to Nabatiyeh on Wednesday, the day the ceasefire went into effect. Yassin found his clothing shop had been destroyed. He said he would wait to see if the state will dispense compensation funds so that he can repair and reopen his business. Israeli strikes kill at least 9 people in Gaza City GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Two separate Israeli airstrikes killed at least nine people in Gaza City on Tuesday, Palestinian medical authorities said. Six people, including two children, who were killed when an Israeli strike hit a school sheltering displaced people Tuesday afternoon in the Zaytoun neighborhood, according to the Health Ministry’s emergency services. A second strike hit a residential building in the Sabra neighborhood, killing at least three people, the services said. Israeli forces have almost completely isolated northernmost Gaza since early October, saying they’re fighting regrouped Hamas militants there. That has pushed some families south to Gaza City, while hundreds of thousands more live in the territory's center and south in squalid tent camps, where they rely on international aid. Israel says it killed a Hezbollah representative to the Syrian military JERUSALEM — Israel's military confirmed it killed a senior member of Hezbollah responsible for coordinating with Syria's army on rearming and resupplying the Lebanese militant group. Syrian state media said a drone strike on Tuesday hit a car in a suburb of the capital Damascus, killing one person, without saying who was killed. Israel's military said he was Salman Nemer Jomaa, describing him as “Hezbollah’s representative to the Syrian military,” and that killing him “degrades both Hezbollah’s presence in Syria and Hezbollah’s ongoing force-building efforts.” Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of war-torn Syria in recent years. Israel rarely acknowledges its actions in Syria, but it has said that it targets bases of Iran-allied militant groups. Iran supports both Hezbollah and the Syrian government of President Bashar Assad, which is currently fighting to push back jihadi-led insurgents who seized the country’s largest city of Aleppo . Israeli soldiers open fire inside a West Bank hospital while searching for militants' bodies, doctor says TUBAS, West Bank — Israeli soldiers opened fire inside a hospital in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday during a raid to seize the bodies of alleged militants targeted in earlier airstrikes, a Palestinian doctor working at the hospital told The Associated Press. Soldiers entered the Turkish Hospital complex in Tubas after the bodies of two Palestinians killed and one wounded in airstrikes in the northern West Bank on Tuesday were brought there, said Dr. Mahmoud Ghanam, who works in the hospital’s emergency department. The troops briefly handcuffed and arrested Ghanam and another doctor. “The army entered in a brutal way, and they were shooting inside the emergency department,” said Ghanam. “They handcuffed us and took me and my colleague.” The military confirmed that its troops were operating around the hospital searching for those targeted in the airstrikes, which they said had hit a militant cell near the Palestinian town of Al-Aqaba in the Jordan Valley. It denied that troops had entered the hospital building or fired gunshots inside. The soldiers left after learning that the wounded man had been transferred to another hospital, Ghanam said. The soldiers wanted to take the bodies of the two men killed in the strike, but the hospital’s manager refused to hand over the bodies, Ghanam said. Israeli raids on hospitals in the West Bank are rare but have grown more common since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. In Gaza, Israeli troops have systematically besieged, raided and damaged many hospitals. About 800 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza ignited the war there. Israel has carried out near-daily military raids in the West Bank that it says are aimed at preventing attacks on Israelis — attacks which have also been on the rise. Israel captured the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek all three territories for an independent state. Hamas and Fatah are near an agreement on who will oversee postwar Gaza CAIRO — Palestinian officials say Fatah and Hamas are closing in on an agreement to appoint a committee of politically independent technocrats to administer the Gaza Strip after the war . It would effectively end Hamas’ rule and could help advance ceasefire talks with Israel. The rival factions have made several failed attempts to reconcile since Hamas seized power in Gaza in 2007. Israel has meanwhile ruled out any postwar role in Gaza for either Hamas or Fatah, which dominates the Western-backed Palestinian Authority . A Palestinian Authority official on Tuesday confirmed that a preliminary agreement had been reached following weeks of negotiations in Cairo. The official said the committee would have 12-15 members, most of them from Gaza. It would report to the Palestinian Authority, which is headquartered in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and work with local and international parties to facilitate humanitarian assistance and reconstruction. A Hamas official said that Hamas and Fatah had agreed on the general terms but were still negotiating over some details and the individuals who would serve on the committee. The official said an agreement would be announced after a meeting of all Palestinian factions in Cairo, without providing a timeline. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media on the talks. There was no immediate comment from Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until Hamas is dismantled and scores of hostages are returned. He says Israel will maintain open-ended security control over Gaza , with civilian affairs administered by local Palestinians unaffiliated with the Palestinian Authority or Hamas. No Palestinians have publicly volunteered for such a role, and Hamas has threatened anyone who cooperates with the Israeli military. The United States has called for a revitalized Palestinian Authority to govern both the West Bank and Gaza ahead of eventual statehood. The Israeli government is opposed to Palestinian statehood. Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed. Palestinians get food aid in central Gaza, some for the first time in months NUSEIRAT REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip — Palestinians lined up for bags of flour distributed by the U.N. in central Gaza on Tuesday morning, some of them for the first time in months amid a drop in food aid entering the territory. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, gave out one 25-kilogram flour bag (55 pounds) to each family of 10 at a warehouse in the Nuseirat refugee camp, as well as further south in the city of Khan Younis. Jalal al-Shaer, among the dozens receiving flour at the Nuseirat warehouse, said the bag would last his family of 12 for only two or three days. “The situation for us is very difficult,” said another man in line, Hammad Moawad. “There is no flour, there is no food, prices are high ... We eat bread crumbs.” He said his family hadn’t received a flour allotment in five or six months. COGAT, the Israeli army body in charge of humanitarian affairs, said it facilitated entry of a shipment of 600 tons of flour on Sunday for the World Food Program. Still, the amount of aid Israel has allowed into Gaza since the beginning of October has been at nearly the lowest levels of the 15-month-old war. UNRWA’s senior emergency officer Louise Wateridge told The Associated Press that the flour bags being distributed Tuesday were not enough. “People are getting one bag of flour between an entire family and there is no certainty when they’ll receive the next food,” she said. Wateridge added that UNRWA has been struggling like other humanitarian agencies to provide much needed supplies across the Gaza Strip. The agency this week announced it was stopping delivering aid entering through the main crossing from Israel, Kerem Shalom, because its convoys were being robbed by gangs. UNRWA has blamed Israel in large part for the spread of lawlessness in Gaza. The International Criminal Court is seeking to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister over accusations of using “starvation as a method of warfare” by restricting humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israel rejects the allegations and says it has been working hard to improve entry of aid. Netanyahu vows an ‘iron fist’ against Hezbollah if they break the ceasefire, and thanks Trump for tough talk on Gaza hostages JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the war isn't over against Hezbollah and vowed to use "an iron fist" against the Lebanese militant group for any perceived violations of a week-old ceasefire. “At the moment we are in a ceasefire, I note — a ceasefire, not the end of the war," Netanyahu said at the start of the government meeting Tuesday. He said the military would retaliate for “any violation — minor or major.” Netanyahu also thanked U.S. President-elect Donald Trump for his recent demands for Hamas to release the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza. Trump posted on social media Monday that if the hostages are not freed before he takes office in January there would be “HELL TO PAY.” Netanyahu convened Tuesday's meeting in northern Israel, where around 45,000 Israelis had been displaced by the war as of last week, according to the prime minister’s office. Netanyahu said the government was focused on getting them back in their homes and rehabilitating the area. Germany arrests a Lebanese man accused of being a member of Hezbollah BERLIN — German authorities have arrested a Lebanese man accused of being a member of Hezbollah and working for groups controlled by the militant organization in Germany. Federal prosecutors said the suspect, identified only as Fadel R. in line with German privacy rules, was arrested in the Hannover region on Tuesday. The man is suspected of membership in a foreign terrorist organization and is not accused of direct involvement in any violence. Prosecutors said he joined Hezbollah in the summer of 2008 or earlier and took part in leadership training courses in Lebanon. From 2009, he allegedly had leadership duties in two groups controlled by Hezbollah in the Hannover area, organizing appearances by preachers close to the militants. According to prosecutors, he was briefly a correspondent for a Hezbollah media outlet in 2017 and was tasked with coordinating building work at a mosque. Germany is a staunch ally of Israel. It is also home to a Lebanese immigrant community of more than 100,000. Lebanese army launches recruitment drive to bolster presence in the south BEIRUT — The Lebanese army is looking for more recruits as it beefs up its presence in southern Lebanon after the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire. Lebanon’s army is a respected national institution that kept to the sidelines during the nearly 14-month conflict. During an initial 60-day truce, thousands of Lebanese troops are supposed to deploy in southern Lebanon, where U.N. peacekeepers also have a presence. Hezbollah militants are to pull back from areas near the border as Israel withdraws its ground forces. The army said those interested in joining up have a one-month period to apply, starting Tuesday. The Lebanese army has about 80,000 troops, with around 5,000 of them deployed in the south. Drone strike hits car in Damascus, Syrian news agency says DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria’s state news agency says a drone strike hit a car in a suburb of the capital, Damascus, killing one person. The agency did not give further details or say who was killed. It said the attack occurred Tuesday on the road leading to the Damascus International Airport south of the city. The area is known to be home to members of Iran-backed militant groups. Israel is believed to have carried out a number of strikes in the area in recent months as it has battled Iran-backed Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon. Israeli officials rarely acknowledge such strikes. Israel warns the Lebanese state over ceasefire JERUSALEM — Israel’s defense minister warned that if the shaky ceasefire with Hezbollah collapses, Israel will widen its strikes and target the Lebanese state itself. He spoke the day after Israel carried out a wave of airstrikes that killed nearly a dozen people. Those strikes came after the Lebanese militant group fired a volley of projectiles as a warning over what it said were previous Israeli violations. Speaking to troops on the northern border Tuesday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said any violations of the agreement would be met with “a maximum response and zero tolerance.” He said if the war resumes, Israel will widen its strikes beyond the areas where Hezbollah’s activities are concentrated, and “there will no longer be an exemption for the state of Lebanon.” During the 14-month conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which came to an end last week with a ceasefire brokered by the United States and France, Israel largely refrained from striking critical infrastructure or the Lebanese armed forces, who kept to the sidelines . When Israeli strikes killed or wounded Lebanese soldiers, the Israeli military said it was accidental . The ceasefire agreement that took effect last week gives 60 days for Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanon and for Hezbollah militants to relocate north of the Litani River. The buffer zone is to be patrolled by Lebanese armed forces and U.N. peacekeepers. Israel has carried out multiple strikes in recent days in response to what it says are violations by Hezbollah. Lebanon’s parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, accused Israel of violating the truce more than 50 times in recent days by launching airstrikes, demolishing homes near the border and violating Lebanon’s airspace. Berri, a Hezbollah ally, had helped mediate the ceasefire. Israeli airstrike in northern West Bank kills two Palestinians JERUSALEM — Palestinian officials say an Israeli airstrike in the northern West Bank has killed two Palestinians. Israel’s military said it struck a militant cell near the town of Al-Aqaba, in the Jordan Valley. It did not immediately give more details. The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed the two deaths and said a third person was moderately wounded. About 800 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza ignited the war there. Israel has carried out near-daily military raids in the West Bank that it says are aimed at preventing attacks on Israelis, which have also been on the rise. Israel captured the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians want all three territories for an independent state. Iran's ambassador to Lebanon reappears after pager attack BEIRUT — Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon made his first public appearance in Beirut since he was wounded in an attack involving exploding pagers in mid-September. Mojtaba Amani, who returned to Lebanon over the weekend after undergoing treatment in Iran, visited on Tuesday the scene south of Beirut where Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Sept. 27. Speaking about the airstrike that destroyed six buildings and killed Nasrallah and others, Amani said Israel should get for its act “the highest medal for sabotage, terrorism, blood and killing civilians.” Amani suffered serious injuries in his face and hands when a pager he was holding exploded in mid-September. The device was one of about 3,000 pagers that exploded simultaneously, killing and wounding many Hezbollah members. A day after the pager attack, a similar attack struck walkie-talkies. In total, the explosions killed at least 37 people and wounded more than 3,000, many of them civilians. Last month, a spokesperson for the office of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the pager attack was approved by Netanyahu.By Lizette Chapman | Bloomberg Software company Palantir Technologies and Costa Mesa-based weapons maker Anduril Industries plan to accelerate the use of artificial intelligence in the US military and are inviting other companies to join the effort. Under an agreement announced Friday, battlefield information created by sensors, vehicles, robots and weapons will be collected by Anduril’s Lattice software and then pulled into a secure Palantir platform that will prepare the data for use in AI training and development. The data gathered would include information classified at the highest levels of secrecy. The move is the latest in a series of partnerships announced by defense tech companies this week seeking to put AI technology to greater use in military applications. On Wednesday, Anduril unveiled plans to work with OpenAI on anti-drone systems, and Palantir on Thursday signed an accord with Shield AI to collaborate on autonomous flight systems. The agreements highlight the growing importance of artificial intelligence to the US military as it seeks to maintain an edge over China and other adversaries, creating an opening for contractors to deliver new technology. Palantir’s partnership with Anduril builds on years of coordination between the two companies backed by billionaire venture investor Peter Thiel and signals an expansion of Silicon Valley’s role in reshaping the US defense industry. Earlier this year, Palantir won the US Army’s Titan contract, making it the first software company to win a prime contract and propelling its government business past analyst estimates. The Denver-based company, co-founded by Thiel in 2003, has seen huge demand for its AI products from both commercial and government customers, sending its shares soaring. At more than $173 billion, its market capitalization now surpasses that of Lockheed Martin Corp. Co-founded by early Palantir employee and Founders Fund General Partner Trae Stephens, Anduril sells its reusable rockets, drones and submarines and related software platform Lattice to the US and allied countries. Investors last valued it at $14 billion on expectations of continued growth in those sectors as it builds a factory to increase production while exploring new growth areas. Last month, it won a contract with the US Space Command. Despite progress by startups like Anduril in winning defense dollars, venture-backed startups are far from replacing legacy defense contractors. Elon Musk’s SpaceX won more than 80% of all government spending awarded to startups tracked by the Silicon Valley Defense Group, according to a report earlier this year that doesn’t include Palantir because it is public. Executives from companies including Palantir and Anduril along with Musk have called for changes in how the Defense Department purchases weapons and other technology to be faster, cheaper and more streamlined. Musk, the world’s richest man, was asked by President-elect Donald Trump to co-chair an advisory panel to make the US government more efficient. In announcing their new AI effort Friday, Palantir and Anduril described it as a consortium they intend to eventually expand to other industry partners. “No single company is capable of delivering on the promise of AI for national security,” they said in their announcement. “It takes a team of companies that are willing and able to ensure that the U.S. government remains the world leader in fielding advanced technologies that keep our citizens safe.” Related Articles Business | Can AI chatbots make your holiday shopping easier? Business | OpenAI Sam Altman ‘not that worried’ about rival Elon Musk’s influence in the Trump administration Business | Apple readies more conversational Siri in bid to catch up in AI Business | Siri gets smarter as Apple adds AI to iPhone Business | How Big Tech won big against regulation in California this yearUS crude stock rises, defying forecasts and indicating weaker demand
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — Two people were rescued and a third swam to safety after a California pier under construction partially collapsed and fell into the ocean Monday as the state’s central coast was pounded by heavy surf from a major storm expected to bring hurricane-force winds to the seas off the Pacific Northwest, authorities said. Residents were warned to stay away from low-lying areas near the beaches around the Santa Cruz Wharf, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of San Francisco, as the storm rapidly gained strength. The storm’s high surf likely pulled a man into the Pacific Ocean around noon Monday at Marina State Beach along the Monterey Bay, authorities said. Strong currents and high waves forced searchers to abandon their efforts roughly two hours later as conditions worsened. The man remained missing Monday evening. In the city of Capitola, police ordered guests at a waterfront hotel to evacuate if they had ocean-facing units. The county sheriff’s office ordered beachfront residents in nearby Rio Del Mar to evacuate as well. In Santa Cruz, lifeguards rescued two people from the water after a section of the Santa Cruz Wharf collapsed, officials said. No one had serious injuries, Mayor Fred Keeley said. The mayor said that section of the wharf had been damaged over time. The structure was in the middle of a $4 million renovation following destructive storms last winter. “It’s a catastrophe for those down at the end of the wharf,” said David Johnston, owner of Venture Quest Kayaking, who was allowed onto the pier to check on his business. Tony Elliot, the head of the Santa Cruz Parks & Recreation Department, estimated that about 150 feet (45 meters) of the end of the wharf fell into the water around 12:45 p.m. It was immediately evacuated and will remain closed indefinitely. Some of the wharf’s pilings are still in the ocean and remain “serious, serious hazards” to boats, the mayor said. Each piling weighs hundreds of pounds and is being pushed by powerful waves. “You are risking your life, and those of the people that would need to try and save you by getting in or too close to the water,” the National Weather Service’s Bay Area office said on the social platform X. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s has been briefed and the state’s Office of Emergency Services is coordinating with local officials, his office said. Forecasters warned that storm swells will continue to increase throughout the day. “We are anticipating that what is coming toward us is more serious than what was there this morning,” the mayor said. Ocean swells along California’s central coast could reach 60 feet (18 meters) as the Pacific storm gains strength through Monday, the weather service said. “A rapidly developing storm will bring hurricane force winds to the areas well offshore of the Pacific Northwest tonight,” the weather service’s Ocean Prediction Center said on X. The end of the pier that broke off had been shut down during renovations. The portion, which included public restrooms and the closed Dolphin restaurant, floated about half a mile (0.8 kilometers) down the coast and wedged itself at the bottom of the San Lorenzo River. Those who fell into the water were two engineers and a project manager who were inspecting the end of the wharf, officials said. No members of the public were in the area. Building inspectors were now looking at the rest of the Santa Cruz Wharf’s structural integrity. Monday’s collapse came about a year after the Seacliff State Beach pier just down the coast was battered beyond repair by a heavy winter storm. Further up the West Coast, dangerous surf conditions and waves up to 30 feet (9.1 meters) were expected from the central Oregon coast up through southwestern Washington. Winds could peak near 80 mph (130 kph) and a high surf warning in effect until 10 p.m. Monday night, forecasters said. In a post on X, the National Weather Service office in Portland, Oregon, said “it will likely go down as some of the highest surf this winter.” ___ Dazio reported from Los Angeles. Martha Mendoza And Stefanie Dazio, The Associated PressRomania far-right candidate urges voters to turn up for scrapped election
The NFL suspended Tennessee Titans safety Julius Wood six games on Tuesday for violating the policy on performing-enhancing substances. There are five games remaining this season for the Titans (3-9), so Wood's suspension will bleed into Week 1 of 2025. Wood, 23, went undrafted this spring and signed with the Dallas Cowboys as a free agent. They waived him in August, and he caught on with the Titans, who claimed him off waivers. Wood appeared in nine games, almost exclusively on special teams, and has recorded two tackles. --Field Level MediaManchester United are reportedly lining up a £33m move for Crystal Palace 's Marc Guehi , with the Red Devils said to be keen to sign the central defender during the January transfer window. The 20-time English champions are well-stocked in the middle of their defence, but Jonny Evans , Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire could all leave Old Trafford on free transfers at the end of the campaign. Evans and Lindelof are both expected to move on, but a 12-month extension could be activated in Maguire's deal depending on how the Englishman performs in the second half of the 2024-25 season. Another centre-back is expected to move to Old Trafford next year, and according to Fichajes , Guehi is a leading target for Man United, with a deal potentially being explored during the January transfer window. The report claims that Man United could make a £33m offer during the winter market, with the Red Devils looking to take advantage of the fact that Guehi's contract is due to expire in June 2026. Guehi has again been a vital player for Palace during the 2024-25 campaign, making 17 appearances in all competitions, including 14 outings in the Premier League, scoring twice and registering one assist. Palace beat Ipswich Town 1-0 in the Premier League on Tuesday night, but a difficult season to date has left the Eagles in 17th spot in the table , with the club in a relegation battle at this stage of the campaign. Guehi is highly unlikely to sign a new deal at Selhurst Park, with Newcastle United also said to be admirers; the Magpies are thought to have made at least four offers for his services over the summer but were ultimately left frustrated. Newcastle's highest bid is believed to have been in the region of £60m, but Palace co-owner and chairman Steve Parish said that "superstar money" would be required to sign the England international. "We'd like to keep hold of him. There's a price and a situation where we might consider it," Parish told BBC Sport . "Somebody [in another interview] said he's a superstar, so somebody has got to pay superstar money. "Realistically, homegrown, 24 years old, sensational talent, somebody has to make it difficult for us. At the moment it isn't. He'll still be at Crystal Palace at the moment, but it's not impossible. "He is certainly not making anybody's life difficult, his agents are decent people. It's a very good situation. Whether he is here or not will make no difference to how he performs." For £33m, it is incredibly difficult to imagine Palace allowing Guehi to leave in January, with the Eagles set to be involved in a relegation battle this season. Having rejected an offer of almost double that over the summer, it does appear that Man United would have to significantly increase their planned bid in order to stand a chance of securing the Englishman's services in the middle of the campaign. A transfer next summer is much more likely, and it would be fascinating to see where Guehi would fit into Ruben Amorim 's back three, especially with Leny Yoro now back to fitness, while Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez are also considered to be a part of the new manager's strongest side at Old Trafford.
Why rebelling public presents tough times for Ruto, Raila
Q: What is the Impact of Alzheimer’s on Nevada? (Wint) Did you know that Nevada is the third fastest aging state in the country? With age being the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, Nevada is poised to be hit hard by the Alzheimer’s crisis. Nevada was declared a “Neurology Desert” by the Alzheimer’s Association, and, by 2025, our state will have fewer than 10 neurologists per 10,000 dementia patients. We estimate that there are currently more than 55,000 Nevadans living with Alzheimer's or another type of dementia and 84,000 serving as their unpaid family caregivers. These dedicated caregivers provide more than 142 million hours of support and assistance to their loved ones. Q: Who is most at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease? (Caldwell) Alzheimer’s disease may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to women’s health, but women make up two-thirds of those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and are also more likely to be caregivers to someone with Alzheimer’s disease. Research also suggests that gender-diverse people have added burden when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease. That’s why the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement (WAM) Prevention and Research Center at Cleveland Clinic, located at Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, focuses on Alzheimer’s disease prevention and research for women and gender-diverse people. Founded by leading Alzheimer’s advocate and journalist Maria Shriver, the WAM Prevention and Research Center is the first-of-its-kind in the U.S. While we don’t yet fully understand why women may be at an increased risk, we do know that they have some unique risk factors or can be more affected by: • Conditions such as menopause, diabetes, or depression • Being less physically active • Having a copy of the APOE-4 allele (genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease) • Life stressors including finances, grief, substance dependence or discrimination Although Alzheimer’s disease affects all races and ethnicities, people who are Black or Hispanic have an increased risk. Black Americans aged 65 and older are roughly twice as likely as Caucasians in that same age group to develop Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia; and Hispanic women have a 1.5 times bigger risk factor than Caucasian women. Courtesy of Cleveland Clinic Dylan Wint Q: How can I take preventative action with my own brain health? (Caldwell) While there currently is no cure for the disease, there are proactive steps a person can take to reduce their risk or delay its onset. Four recommendations for Alzheimer’s prevention, risk reduction and keeping a healthy brain as you age include: • Exercise. Aim for 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic exercise. Think swimming, biking, dancing, or hiking. • Sleep. Strive to get a full and complete seven to eight to hours of quality sleep each night • Eat right. A Mediterranean style diet that includes whole grains, leafy vegetables, fresh fruit, and healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil and salmon. Following this diet is also good for heart health. • Remain active. Not only physically, but socially and mentally. Join a book club or monthly cooking class, learn new skills and maintain healthy relationships. Q: What’s the latest in Alzheimer’s prevention, treatment and research? (Wint) The Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention and care estimates that up to 45% of dementia cases could be prevented or significantly delayed through healthy lifestyle modifications, including managing comorbidities such as vision and hearing loss, high blood pressure, depression, and diabetes. Complementing advancements in Alzheimer’s prevention is treatment. Last year marked a historic moment in Alzheimer’s drug development when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted traditional approval for the anti-amyloid drug, lecanemab for the treatment of mild Alzheimer’s disease. A turning point for patients and researchers alike, lecanemab and another drug donanemab slow progression of a component of the underlying disease, not just treat its symptoms. These medications work by enabling the immune system to identify and remove the toxic buildup of amyloid beta protein in the brain, which is linked to the plaques in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s and may cause the disease. Lecanemab and donanemab are only effective and approved for those in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s, which is a small subset of the more than 6.5 million Americans living dementia. More research is needed to develop additional treatments that are even more effective and can be used for those living with later stages of Alzheimer’s, as well as other dementias. Courtesy of Cleveland Clinic Jessica Caldwell The WAM Prevention and Research Center, is the nation’s first women-specific center for Alzheimer’s prevention, research and caregiving support. We work with patients to determine individualized risk factors and map out a plan to start preventive measures through tailored lifestyle recommendations. We also have optional diet and exercise resources that are designed to help you keep up with important lifestyle changes in the real world. The center located in Las Vegas is not only a clinic, but also a site of several cutting-edge research studies open to patients. Our website, ClevelandClinic.Org/WAMPrevention, has an abundance of information from risk reduction to reading the latest research, even FAQs and appointments. Plus, you can explore virtual “Lunch and Learn” programs and educational opportunities to connect with fellow Nevadans who may be navigating similar experiences. Q: What are helpful tips for those living or caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or related dementias? (Wint) According to a recent study by Parade Magazine and Cleveland Clinic, at least a third of caregivers suffer from depression and anxiety, twice as many as non-caregivers. These caregivers bear the burden of a 24/7/365 role and often do not know how to ask for help. Nevada-based caregivers of patients at the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health brainstormed the best ways to support the caregiver and help reduce burn out, based on their own personal journeys. They created a custom guide focused on three areas: • Self-care for the caregiver and care recipient • Respite • Helping out at home Each category has tangible ideas on how to use the gift of time, skills or purchasing power to support these important components to mental and emotional health and well-being and is a great resource that can be used year-round to care for a caregiver in your life. To download the Caregiver Gift Guide, visit ClevelandClinic.org/caregiverguideWASHINGTON — Ex-Rep. Matt Gaetz allegedly paid for sex with a 17-year-old girl and bought and used illegal drugs during more than 20 parties with female escorts, a congressional report said Monday. A final report from the House Ethics Committee accuses the former Florida lawmaker, who was briefly nominated to be President-elect Trump’s attorney general, of illegally paying thousands of dollars for sex with paid escorts, including the underage girl. He also bought and used illegal drugs including ecstasy and cocaine at parties with the women in Florida and on vacation jaunts, the report said. “There is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress,” the 37-page report said. The final report, which says Gaetz likely broke numerous state laws, was released after the House Ethics Committee voted to publicly release it in a reversal of its usual policy. Gaetz sued the committee in federal court on Monday, in a failed effort to block release of the report. “There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses,” Gaetz tweeted. Gaetz, 42, an outspoken conservative Republican, has denied breaking any laws and says he is being smeared by political enemies, although he admits partying too hard in his younger years. Federal prosecutors investigated Gaetz for violating sex trafficking laws in relation to much of the same conduct but declined to charge him. The report details nearly $100,000 in payments from Gaetz to a dozen women for either sex or drugs during about 20 encounters, all of which took place after he was elected to represent a deep-red congressional district in the Florida Panhandle in 2016. “From 2017 to 2020, Representative Gaetz made tens of thousands of dollars in payments to women that the Committee determined were likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use,” noted the report, which lists payments totaling more than $90,000 to 12 different women. All of the encounters were consensual, although one of the women told the committee the escorts were too impaired to consent to sex at times. “When I look back on certain moments, I feel violated,” one woman told the panel, the report said. A Florida woman told the committee she was just 17 and had recently finished her junior year in high school when Gaetz had sex with her twice at a 2017 house party. He paid her $400 cash after the encounters, the report said. The woman said she didn’t tell Gaetz she was underage and he didn’t ask. He has emphatically denied ever having sex with any underage girl. One the report’s most lurid findings surrounded allegations of a drug-fueled 2018 jaunt to the Bahamas, bankrolled by marijuana lobbyists, during which witnesses said Gaetz took ecstasy and had sex with at least four paid escorts. The trip skirted rules limiting gifts to lawmakers, the report said. Gaetz won reelection in November to what would have been a fourth term in Congress. But he resigned on the day Trump nominated him for attorney general in an apparent ploy to prevent release of the damning report. His bid to become the nation’s top law enforcement officer imploded within a matter of days. Not long after that, Gaetz inked a deal with One America News. He plans to join the right-ring network’s primetime lineup in January. The Republican-led panel initially voted against releasing the report because Gaetz was no longer in Congress. But it made a surprising U-turn at a closed-door meeting and voted to release the final version.