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Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders was taken to a hospital for a neck injury after landing on his head while making a catch late in the first half of Sunday's 30-27 home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. As Sanders was brought down near the sideline after a 10-yard reception, he was flipped upside down and landed directly on the top of his helmet as he went out of bounds on the tackle by cornerback Trent McDuffie. After receiving attention from the team's medical staff, Sanders was strapped to a backboard and taken off the field on a cart with 40 seconds remaining in the half. He was taken to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte for observation and later released Sunday afternoon, according to the team. On the CBS broadcast following halftime, Panthers head coach Dave Canales said Sanders had movement in all his extremities, while extreme precaution was taken because of back tightness. CBS reported he was being examined for a concussion before later amending that to a neck injury. The 21-year-old rookie out of Texas had a team-leading three receptions for the Panthers at the half for 49 yards. In 11 games this season, Sanders has 29 receptions for 302 yards and a touchdown. Sanders was a fourth-round selection in the NFL draft in April. --Field Level Media
10 events that made the headlines in SingaporePresident-elect Donald Trump announced Friday he would work to end the "inconvenient" custom of moving clocks forward one hour every spring, which he said was imposing an unnecessary financial burden on the United States. "The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn't! Daylight Saving Time (DST) is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation," Trump posted on his website, Truth Social. DST was adopted by the federal government during World War I but was unpopular with farmers rushing to get produce to morning markets, and was quickly abolished. Many states experimented with their own versions but it wasn't reintroduced nationwide until 1967. The Democratic-controlled US Senate advanced a bill in 2022 that, like Trump's plan, would bring an end to the twice-yearly changing of clocks, in favor of a "new, permanent standard time." But The Sunshine Protection Act called for the opposite switch -- moving permanently to DST rather than eliminating it -- to usher in brighter evenings, and fewer journeys home in the dark for school children and office workers. The bill never made it to President Joe Biden's desk, as it was not taken up in the Republican-led House. It had been introduced in 2021 by a Republican, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who is about to join the incoming Trump administration as secretary of state. He said studies had shown a permanent DST could benefit the economy. Either way, changing to one permanent time would put an end to Americans pushing their clocks forward in the spring, then setting them back an hour in the fall. Colloquially the practice is referred to as "springing" forward and "falling" back. The clamor has increased in recent years to make DST permanent especially among politicians and lobbyists from the Northeast, where frigid conditions are normal in the early winter mornings. "It's really straightforward. Cutting back on the sun during the fall and winter is a drain on the American people and does little to nothing to help them," Rubio said in a statement ahead of the vote. "It's time we retire this tired tradition." Rubio said the United States sees an increase in heart attacks and road accidents in the week that follows the changing of the clocks. Any changes would be unlikely to affect Hawaii and most of Arizona, the Navajo Nation, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, which do not spring forward in summer. ft/nro
(TNS) — A self-driving vehicle corridor on I-94 could connect Ann Arbor and Detroit, and the Michigan Department of Transportation wants feedback. The agency completed an environmental assessment, . Interested Washtenaw and Wayne county community members can provide comments about the assessment at an upcoming public hearing. The public participation sessions are scheduled for 10 to 11:30 a.m., 1 to 2:30 p.m. and 5 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 2, in Van Buren Township Hall, 46425 Tyler Road. The proposed corridor would stretch 40 miles from Ann Arbor Saline Road in Ann Arbor to M-10, the Lodge Freeway, in Detroit, repurposing one travel lane in each direction on the highway with equipment meant to interact with connected and automated vehicle technology, . The new environmental report examines such topics as socioeconomic conditions and environmental justice, traffic, indirect impacts — such as traffic diversion — and natural resources like wetlands. The proposed project could come with lower greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, according to the assessment. The lanes would lower congestion, improve flow, and raise average speeds. The report also asserts the lane could encourage the use of newer, more fuel-efficient or zero-emissions vehicles. The project would take place along many areas where 40% or more of the population are considered disadvantaged under Environmental Protection Agency standards, which consider variables including low income, high or persistent poverty, high unemployment and underemployment, racial and ethnic residential segregation, linguistic isolation, high housing cost burden and substandard housing. An assistance program will be developed to provide discounts for low-income drivers to use the lane in the future, after a user fee is put in place. User fees would not go into effect until they receive both state and federal approvals. While the project isn’t expected to have a significant impact on the surrounding communities, potential traffic diversion from I-94 into low-income and minority neighborhoods will be reviewed two, five and 10 years after the user fees are in place, the report says. Compensatory mitigation is required for unavoidable wetland impacts on a potential 50.2 acre area. However, it’s expected that most of these areas will be deemed man-made, roadside ditches that aren’t regulated by state and federal standards. The absence of those areas could reduce the total amount of wetland impacts to less than five acres. Compensatory mitigation measures can involve the restoration, establishment or enhancement of wetlands, streams and other aquatic resources, according to the EPA. The proposed project will be completed in segments starting from Wiard Road to Wayne Road, according to the report. The lanes will likely be physically separated from the rest of the highway and accessible only at certain points. At the start of the project, all vehicles will be able to use them, but as self-driving vehicles become more common and their usage exceeds a certain threshold, the lanes may be restricted to only the high-tech vehicles, according to . Construction of the project is expected to be fully funded by Cavnue, a private company. A pilot project covering a three mile stretch of I-94 has been underway since May. Evenly spaced metal poles rising from the median and a row of white delineators line the leftmost lane of I-94 West between Belleville and Rawsonville roads. The pilot project involved placing the dividers separating the express lane traffic, installing improved pavement markings and guardrails, completing a high-friction surface treatment and positioning new lighting, officials said. The poles erected in the median are outfitted with cameras, radar sensors and wireless radio equipment meant to communicate with technology-enabled vehicles. Officials say no personal data is being collected, and all the testing is meant to evaluate safety and mobility technologies. The pilot is anticipated to operate through December 2025 , according to MDOT. Comments on the environmental assessment can be emailed to or . Feedback can also be mailed to Monica Monsma at Van Wagoner Transportation Building B245, 425 W. Ottawa St., Lansing, MI , 48933. ©Cadiz Inc. Declares Quarterly Dividend for Q4 2024 on Series A Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock
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Cadiz Inc. Declares Quarterly Dividend for Q4 2024 on Series A Cumulative Perpetual Preferred StockDavid Jiříček Traded by Columbus
Looking for Tuesday’s Connections hints and answers instead? You can find them here: Hey, everyone! Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy holidays! If I knew how (and was also allowed to edit stock images that I can use here), I would have photoshopped little Santa hats onto the pins on the top image. I’m raising a glass to you, your family and friends today. Here’s to good health and great times with the people who mean the most to us. Before we get started, I’ve started a discussion group for Connections and this column on Discord . You can chat about each game (and other topics) with me and other folks. I’m always interested to find out how other people approach the game, so join us! It’s fun. It’s also the best way to give me any feedback about the column, especially on the rare(!) occasions that I mess something up. Today’s NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, December 25, are coming right up. How To Play Connections Connections is a free, popular New York Times daily word game. You get a new puzzle at midnight every day. You can play on the NYT website or Games app. You’re presented with a grid of 16 words. Your task is to arrange them into four groups of four by figuring out the links between them. The groups could be things like items you can click, names for research study participants or words preceded by a body part. There’s only one solution for each puzzle, and you’ll need to be careful when it comes to words that might fit into more than one category. You can shuffle the words to perhaps help you see links between them. Each group is color coded. The yellow group is usually the easiest to figure out, blue and green fall in the middle, and the purple group is usually the most difficult one. The purple group often involves wordplay. Select four words you think go together and press Submit. If you make a guess and you’re incorrect, you’ll lose a life. If you’re close to having a correct group, you might see a message telling you that you’re one word away from getting it right, but you’ll still need to figure out which one to swap. If you make four mistakes, it’s game over. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen with the help of some hints, and, if you’re really struggling, today’s Connections answers. As with Wordle and other similar games, it’s easy to share results with your friends on social media and group chats. If you have an NYT All Access or Games subscription, you can access the publication’s Connections archive. This includes every previous game of Connections , so you can go back and play any of those that you have missed. Aside from the first 60 games or so, you should be able to find my hints for each grid via Google if you need them! Just click here and add the date of the game for which you need clues or the answers to the search query. What Are Today’s Connections Hints? Scroll slowly! Just after the hints for each of today’s Connections groups, I’ll reveal what the groups are without immediately telling you which words go into them. Today’s 16 words are... And the hints for today’s Connections groups are: What Are Today’s Connections Groups? Need some extra help? Be warned: we’re starting to get into spoiler territory. Today’s Connections groups are... What Are Today’s Connections Answers? Spoiler alert! Don’t scroll any further down the page until you’re ready to find out today’s Connections answers. This is your final warning! Today’s Connections answers are... Neato, I got a perfect game. That brings me up to three straight wins. Here's how I fared: 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟨🟨🟨🟨 There was a timely red herring here of the names of Santa’s reindeer: CUPID, RUDOLPH, COMET and VIXEN. But as soon as I saw ROBIN HOOD and HAWKEYE, it was clear that there would be a group of archers. (Tina) FEY and (Maya) RUDOLPH suggested to me that there would be a group of Saturday Night Live alumni, but other than (Molly) SHANNON, I wasn’t quite sure what else would fit. It took me a moment to realize that the missing piece of the puzzle was Cecily STRONG. I could make out the celestial bodies clearly enough and I assumed those were the yellows, so I submitted the blues first. I didn’t make that connection, however. A JENNY is a female donkey, a NANNY is a female goat, a QUEEN is a female cat (or a QUEEN bee) and a VIXEN is a female fox. That’s all there is to it for today’s Connections clues and answers. Be sure to check my blog tomorrow for hints and the solution for Thursday’s game if you need them. P.S. Since it’s Christmas Day, let’s go with the very best Christmas movie: Die Hard. It’s very much not one for kids, but it’s a fantastic thriller that has plenty of holiday spirit. Yippee ki-yay, indeed: Have a great day! Make sure to drink enough water! Call someone you love! If you’re so inclined, please do follow my blog for more coverage of Connections and other word games and even some video game news, insights and analysis. It helps me out a lot! Also, follow me on Bluesky ! It’s fun there.ATLANTA (AP) — The judge overseeing the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump and others on Friday rejected an attempt by former Trump campaign lawyer Kenneth Chesebro to invalidate his guilty plea . Chesebro, Trump and 17 others were charged in August 2023 in a sprawling indictment that accused them of participating in a sweeping scheme to try to illegally overturn Trump’s loss in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Chesebro pleaded guilty to a single conspiracy count a few months later after reaching a deal with prosecutors just before he was to go to trial. His lawyer t his month asked Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee to invalidate the plea after McAfee in September tossed out the charge to which he had pleaded guilty. Defense attorney Manny Arora wrote that a failure to invalidate the plea would violate Chesebro's constitutional right to due process. McAfee's order denying that request said the motion was procedurally defective "in more ways than one.” He ultimately said he lacks jurisdiction to grant the request and therefore dismissed it. He noted that while Chesebro's filing challenges the validity of the indictment, he “already submitted a plea in response to this indictment — one of guilt.” While Chesebro did raise a pretrial challenge prior to his plea, he did not make the argument that ultimately caused the judge to throw out that charge. Arora had also argued in his filing that his request could be considered a “motion in arrest of judgment." But McAfee said that, technically, no judgment has been rendered against Chesebro because he was sentenced under Georgia's First Offender Act, which “defers further proceedings while the charge remains pending for the duration of the sentence.” Under that law, if Chesebro completes his probation without violating the terms or committing another crime, his record will be wiped clean. The request is also too late, McAfee wrote, because a motion in arrest of judgment must be filed during the term when a judgment is entered. Arora said that he had addressed McAfee's concerns in his motion but that the judge still found that he could not grant the request. He said he will file a habeas corpus motion, a civil proceeding used to challenge a conviction, and expects to get Chesebro's plea invalidated that way. Prosecutors have said Chesebro was part of a plot to have a group of 16 Georgia Republicans sign a certificate falsely saying that Trump had won Georgia and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors. He pleaded guilty in October 2023 to one felony charge of conspiracy to commit filing false documents related to the the filing of that document with the federal court in Atlanta. Chesebro was one of four people to plead guilty in the case in the months following the indictment. The rest have pleaded not guilty. The case against Trump and the remaining defendants is mostly on hold pending a pretrial appeal of an order allowing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to remain on the case despite what defense attorneys say is a conflict of interest. Even if the appeals court rules in Willis’ favor, the fate of the case against Trump is unclear since he is set to be sworn in again as president next month.
Canadian airline executives in the hot seat over carry-on bag fees say the federal government needs to reform this country's aviation system if it wants travel to become more affordable. The CEOs of Air Canada and WestJet are appearing before a parliamentary committee Friday to answer questions about their recent decisions to introduce carry-on bag fees for travellers. Air Transat and Porter Airlines also testified Friday before the standing committee on transport, infrastructure and communities. The executives faced tough questions from parliamentarians, who summoned them to testify following Air Canada's announcement earlier this month that customers paying a basic fare can only bring on a personal item and will have to check carry-on bags for a fee. Air Canada's move follows an earlier decision by WestJet to introduce an "UltraBasic" fare class that allows passengers to carry no more than a laptop bag or small backpack on board. The developments are part of an ongoing trend in the aviation sector, which has seen airlines rely increasingly on ancillary fees for formerly bundled services that range from checked bags to on-board snacks and Wi-Fi access. Committee members on Friday challenged the airline CEOs about the layers of add-on fees, arguing they are making air travel increasingly unaffordable for Canadians. "Do you truly believe this is acceptable at a time when Canadians' pocketbooks are hurting?" said Liberal MP Angelo Iacono. Another Liberal MP, Vance Badawey, challenged WestJet — a private company that does not publicly release its financial information — to open up its books and disclose its profit margins. "Because at the end of the day, that's why we're here right now," Badawey said. "We're here for affordability for the passengers." But the airline executives said by offering passengers a choice of fare categories with different service levels, they are actually making travel cheaper for Canadians. WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said 1.2 million Canadians have chosen the airline's UltraBasic fare since it was introduced in June, resulting in lowered travel costs as that fare is on average 14 per cent lower than WestJet's next-cheapest option. "This is savings that are important in a time where there's an affordability crisis," von Hoensbroech said in an interview Friday morning. "So I think we actually do something that's good ... And I do understand the perception that is out there, but I think it's also important to share the facts." Von Hoensbroech said it's easy for politicians to be "bashing airlines" because the affordability crisis is real. But he said if the federal government really wants to lower the costs of air travel, significant reforms to the system are needed. He said air travel in Canada is among the most expensive globally, due in part to government policies and third-party fees. Navigation fees, security charges, airport improvement fees and other taxes and fees can add up to $100 to the price of a ticket, von Hoensbroech said. He said the government needs to freeze hikes in third-party fees and charges to allow Canada's aviation sector to compete globally. He also said the federal government should cease charging rent to airports for the land they sit on, allowing airports to reinvest these funds into infrastructure and services instead. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 13, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX:AC) Amanda Stephenson, The Canadian Press
live Updated 1m ago Longhorns-Aggies rivalry returns Texas and Texas A&M are facing off for the first time since 2011. And the winner will head to the SEC Championship Game. Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Where to watch: ABC. Streaming: Try Fubo for free. Latest odds: Texas, -6 . Subscribe to The Athletic on an exclusive offer here . Watch today’s game on Fubo and find the best ticket deals on StubHub . Find some consistency Texas' defense has been strong all season. It's second nationally in total defense and third in scoring defense. That's not the problem. The offense, however, has been inconsistent and sloppy. It's time for that to stop. The Longhorns need to find their rhythm on offense at the most important time of the season, especially on the road against their biggest rivals. Advertisement Run the ball, A&M The Aggies have to be able to run the ball. In all three of their losses against Notre Dame, South Carolina and Auburn, the Aggies had less than 170 yards rushing, including 146 against the Irish and 144 against the Gamecocks. Establish the run, limit the turnovers and let the rest of the offense open up from there. Ticket prices are as high as the stakes COLLEGE STATION, Texas — In the third quarter of Texas A&M’s blowout win against New Mexico State on Nov. 16, senior mechanical engineering student Ronaldo Resendiz left Kyle Field. Resendiz, a San Antonio native who will graduate in December, has attended most A&M home games in his four years on campus. With the Aggies’ eighth win of the season well in hand, he and a few friends ventured out for a quick meal so they could get back to the stadium as soon as possible — not for the end of the game, but to camp out for tickets to the home finale against hated rival Texas. Continue reading here. GO FURTHER The Texas-Texas A&M football rivalry is back, and the ticket prices are as high as the stakes By the numbers Passing offense: Texas 279.7 yards per game (17th nationally), Texas A&M 208.7 (86) Rushing offense: Texas 169.6 (58), Texas A&M 208.4 (17) Total offense: Texas 449.4 (18), Texas A&M 417.1 (44) Passing defense: Texas 143.5 (2), Texas A&M 227.7 (81) Rushing defense: Texas 104.0 (13), Texas A&M 128.4 (41) Total defense: Texas 247.5 (2), Texas A&M 356.1 (56) Scoring offense: Texas 36.5 points per game (15), Texas A&M 32.5 (36) Scoring defense: Texas 12.09 (3), Texas A&M 21.55 (T38) The coaches Steve Sarkisian is 35-15 in his fourth season as Texas' coach. He's 81-50 overall as a coach with stops at Washington and USC. Mike Elko is 8-3 in his first season as Texas A&M's coach. He is 24-12 overall as a coach with a stop at Duke. The series Texas leads 76-37-5 First meeting: Texas won 38-0 in 1894. Last meeting: Texas won 27-25 in 2011. Of note: The two programs faced off every year from 1915 to 2011.Shares of Viking Therapeutics, Inc. ( NASDAQ:VKTX – Get Free Report ) were up 2% on Thursday . The company traded as high as $54.73 and last traded at $54.51. Approximately 2,571,782 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 43% from the average daily volume of 4,522,554 shares. The stock had previously closed at $53.42. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. StockNews.com raised Viking Therapeutics to a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $138.00 price objective on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, September 25th. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $102.00 target price on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a report on Tuesday. William Blair restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $105.00 price objective on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $109.73. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on VKTX Viking Therapeutics Stock Performance Viking Therapeutics ( NASDAQ:VKTX – Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The biotechnology company reported ($0.22) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.24) by $0.02. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.23) earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Viking Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Activity at Viking Therapeutics In related news, Director Lawson Macartney sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.67, for a total value of $137,340.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 47,965 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,293,756.55. The trade was a 4.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink . Also, Director J Matthew Singleton sold 10,300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.50, for a total value of $715,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 9,500 shares in the company, valued at $660,250. This trade represents a 52.02 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold a total of 371,117 shares of company stock valued at $27,140,009 over the last quarter. 4.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Institutional Trading of Viking Therapeutics Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Blue Trust Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Viking Therapeutics in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new position in Viking Therapeutics in the second quarter worth $27,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 124.6% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 438 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 243 shares during the last quarter. Gilliland Jeter Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Viking Therapeutics in the third quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Stone House Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 66.7% in the third quarter. Stone House Investment Management LLC now owns 500 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. 76.03% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. About Viking Therapeutics ( Get Free Report ) Viking Therapeutics, Inc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the development of novel therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders. The company's lead drug candidate is VK2809, an orally available tissue and receptor-subtype selective agonist of the thyroid hormone receptor beta (TRß), which is in Phase IIb clinical trials to treat patients with biopsy-confirmed non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, as well as NAFLD. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Viking Therapeutics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Viking Therapeutics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Workers pushing for an end to smoking in Atlantic City casinos say the main employee union has been won over by tobacco companies seeking allies in the fight against smoking restrictions. An official of a union involved in the anti-smoking push on Monday called for the head of the Atlantic City casino workers' union, Donna DeCaprio, to resign for failing to protect her members from the dangers of secondhand smoke. DeCaprio is president of Local 54 of the Unite Here union, which opposes a smoking ban on the grounds that so much business would be lost by smokers taking their money elsewhere that it could cause one or more casinos to shut down, costing thousands of workers their jobs. “She should be ashamed of herself,” said Ray Jensen, assistant director of United Auto Workers Region 9, which represents dealers at three Atlantic City casinos and is part of a lawsuit seeking to have the courts force an end to smoking in the gambling halls. “She should hand in her union card.” DeCaprio said her union supports the health and safety of its members, adding improvements to the workplace environment need to be made. “A balance needs to be reached that will both protect worker health and preserve good jobs,” she said. “We are protecting our members against multiple casino closures and job losses. The UAW is eager to sacrifice the entire casino industry and put 25,000 good jobs with benefits at risk.” DeCaprio said between 50% and 72% of all in-person casino revenue in Atlantic City comes from smoking sections, which occupy only 25% of the casino floor. She said her union “and the vast majority of the labor movement” support a proposal that would improve ventilation in casinos and prevent any employee from being assigned to work in a smoking section against their will. Whether to ban smoking is one of the most controversial issues not only in Atlantic City casinos but in other states where workers have expressed concern about secondhand smoke. They are waging similar campaigns in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Kansas and Virginia. Workers have been pushing for four years to end an exemption in New Jersey’s clean air law that allows smoking inside the nine casinos. They say they or their co-workers are becoming ill with cancer, heart disease and other conditions related to exposure to second-hand smoke. Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, has said he will sign a bill to end casino smoking if it reaches his desk. The casinos, joined by Local 54, oppose that effort, saying it will cost Atlantic City thousands of jobs and lead to decreased tax revenue for state programs for senior citizens and the disabled. On Monday, the workers group that calls itself CEASE (Casino Employees Against Smoking’s Effects) filed an appeal of a court ruling in August that allowed smoking to continue in the nine casinos. The Casino Association of New Jersey declined to comment Monday. Attorney Nancy Erika Smith said as far back as 1993, tobacco companies targeted labor unions in the hospitality industry as potential allies to work against smoking bans in the restaurant and hospitality industries. That effort included the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union, a precursor of the Unite Here union. “HERE and the related AFL-CIO affiliates are critical allies which should be cultivated as supporters of the effort to prevent smoking bans,” a public relations firm wrote in a memo to Philip Morris Companies that was made public during several states' litigation against tobacco companies. The memo said having HERE “as an ally in this effort would be a very powerful voice.” As far back as 2001, HERE was part of a 12-member coalition including labor unions advocating for improved indoor ventilation instead of government-imposed smoking bans, according to another document cited in Monday's appeal. The anti-smoking campaigners cite a 2022 report by Las Vegas-based C3 Gaming, a consulting firm, showing that casinos that went smoke-free "appear to be performing better than their counterparts that continue to allow smoking.” ___ Follow Wayne Parry on X at www.twitter.com/WayneParryAC Wayne Parry, The Associated Press
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'Think-tanks must bridge gap between research and actionable solutions'