m.jilibet
The Legend of Hei is the perfect animated companion for Flow
Adobe Inc. stock rises Monday, still underperforms market
WASHINGTON, Dec 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. Postal Service said on Monday it delivered at least 99.2 million ballots to and from voters in the November presidential election. USPS said at least 99.88% of ballots were delivered to election officials within a week. In September, a group of about three dozen election officials had raised serious concerns about USPS's ability to deliver millions of ballots for the 2024 presidential election . The officials had cited questions "about processing facility operations, lost or delayed election mail, and front-line training deficiencies impacting USPS’s ability to deliver election mail in a timely and accurate manner." The performance is similar to 2020, when USPS said it delivered 99.89% of ballots from voters to election officials within seven days. "In 2024, the Postal Service once again admirably performed our role of efficiently and effectively delivering the nation’s ballots,” said Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. The inspector general's office said 46% of votes were cast by mail in the November 2020 presidential election, compared with 21% in the 2016 election. In total, USPS delivered 3.37 billion pieces of political and election mail in 2024. USPS said some states let voters request mail ballots too close to Election Day on Nov. 5 to guarantee adequate time to return votes and added "consistent policies are needed nationwide to ensure that operations run smoothly." USPS said 150,630 outbound ballots from election offices entered the mail between Oct. 31 and Election Day -- too late to ensure timely deliveries. Starting Oct. 1, USPS deployed ballot monitors and others in processing, retail and delivery units "to reinforce and amplify our policies and procedures on the ground" Last month, USPS warned it must continue to cut costs and boost revenue or risks requiring a government bailout to help the organization avoid financial collapse. It reported a net loss of $9.5 billion for its fiscal year ending Sept. 30, a $3 billion bigger loss than last year. Sign up here. Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Leslie Adler and Jonathan Oatis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tabUS prosecutors have indicted billionaire Gautam Adani and his nephew, Sagar Adani , among others, for their alleged role in a $265 million (Rs 2,000 crore) bribery case to secure solar power supply contracts in India, plunging the edible oil-to-ports giant into a second major controversy in 22 months, after the allegations by short-seller Hindenburg Research. Arrest warrants have been issued in the US for Gautam and Sagar Adani and US prosecutors plan to hand those warrants to foreign law enforcement, according to court records, Reuters reported. Early Wednesday, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) charged the two Adanis, former Adani Green CEO Vneet Jaain and former executives of Azure Power and Canadian pension fund CDPQ for alleged bribery to secure power purchase contracts from five states - Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu and J&K - between 2020 and 2024. They have also been charged under the stringent Foreign Corruption Prevention Act (FCPA) as Adani had raised money through bonds from US investors and Azure Power was earlier listed on NYSE. Separately, the US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Gautam and Sagar Adani and Cyril Cabanes, a former director on the Azure board, with FCPA violations. It also accused them of raising money from US investors on "false and misleading statements" that they were not involved in bribery. "The opposite was true. Defendants (Gautam and Sagar Adani) had been personally and intimately involved in paying or promising bribes worth hundreds of millions of dollars to secure undue influence with Indian state govt officials and procure contracts between Indian state govts and SECI that benefitted Adani Green," SEC said in a complaint to the court, demanding jury trial. DoJ's charges are criminal; SEC's are civil. The indictment filed in US District Court, Eastern District of New York, says most of the bribe - Rs 1,750 crore - was allegedly paid for contracts in Andhra. In a separate complaint, SEC said the money was paid after Gautam Adani met the then chief minister in Aug 2021. (Jagan Mohan Reddy was CM at the time). At or in connection with that meeting, Gautam Adani paid or promised a bribe to AP govt officials to cause the relevant AP govt entities to enter into power supply agreements with SECI for the purchase of 7,000 MW of power capacity," SEC said, adding that within weeks, the state cabinet cleared the proposal. "In other words, the bribes paid or promised worked," the regulator said. While making clear that the charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proved guilty, US attorney's office of eastern district of New York levelled charges on five counts 1) alleged conspiracy to violate FCPA by offering or paying bribes; 2) alleged securities fraud conspiracy for making false or misleading statements while raising money; wire fraud conspiracy while raising a syndicate loan of $1.4 billion in 2021; 4) alleged securities fraud during a 2021 bond issue and 5) conspiracy to obstruct justice by destroying and concealing records. The bribery case relates to contracts initiated in 2020 where Adani Green Energy (8 gigawatts) and Azure Power (4 giga watts) bagged PLI-linked projects to supply solar power to GoI-owned Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), in what was billed as one of the largest such projects at that time. But with SECI unable to find buyers for expensive power, the two companies allegedly devised a plan to sweeten the deal for state power distribution companies in exchange for bribes. According to court documents, Gautam and Sagar Adani along with Jaain were themselves part of the alleged bribery scheme. The documents also alleged that Adani sought to recover alleged payments of over Rs 600 crore made on behalf of Azure Power, for which the Azure management sought to devise multiple schemes. Subsequently, they decided to surrender 2.3 GW capacity with the understanding that Adanis would get it - something that eventually happened. Ready to Master Stock Valuation? ET's Workshop is just around the corner!
If you’re looking for Cyber Monday deals and want to zoom directly in on one of the best Cyber Monday OLED TV deals , Amazon has you covered. Today, you can get any size (from 42 to 83 inches) of the Samsung S90D OLED on sale for between 28% and 38% off. That makes the 42-inch version just $898 after a 36% discount from $1,398 and the gigantic 83-inch version a more tolerable $3,298 after a 34% discount from $4,998. Savings can range from $500 to $1,700, and no matter which size of TV you want, you get a good discount. (For a fun look back, note that when the S90D lineup went on sale in August, the 48-inch version was still $1,200. Now it’s just $998.) Just tap the button below and select your size (check our guide to choosing the right size TV if you don’t know what you want) to see its final price, or keep reading for more info on one of the more exciting Cyber Monday TV deals we’ve spotted today. Why you should buy a Samsung S90D OLED 4K TV for Cyber Monday This is an advanced TV with advanced processing power that makes what you see different than what you’d get from a typical TV. For starters, it is Pantone validated, which means it has the color range to accurately show all skin colors. Then, it has powerful 4K upscaling to make old content look great and a sort of “3D reasoning.” When we look at things, we look at them in the real world with triangulation and eyes that are used to 3D space. TVs are, to put it bluntly, flat digital objects (unless you get a curved TV , of course). The S90D’s processor, however, recognizes the foreground and the background of the displayed image, tightening focus on the foreground while letting the background lose focus like a natural object. This, combined with features like Dolby Atmos and auditory object tracking, creates a sense of the TV’s imagery being a part of your real environment. Plus, it’s a Samsung TV, so you get Samsung Gaming Hub access for non-movie time joys. If this TV sounds right for you, go ahead and tap the button below, where you’ll be transported to Amazon’s S90D page. You can select the specific size you want via the buttons in the product description, but they’re all between 28% and 38% off. This means that you can save anywhere from $500 on the smallest one to $1,700 on the big 83-inch model. No matter which size you choose, you’re in for big savings, so be sure to check out our favorite Black Friday stocking stuffers , and Cyber Monday deals under $100 if you find that you have extra money burning a hole through your debit card after this purchase.Michigan upsets No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 for Wolverines' 4th straight win over bitter rival COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Dominic Zvada kicked a 21-yard field goal with 45 seconds left and Michigan stunned No. 2 Ohio State 13-10, likely ending the Buckeyes’ hopes of returning to the Big Ten title game next week. Late in the game, Kalel Mullings broke away for a 27-yard run, setting up the Wolverines at Ohio State’s 17-yard line with two minutes remaining. The drive stalled at the 3, and Zvada came on for the chip shot. Ohio State got the ball back but couldn’t move it, with Will Howard throwing incomplete on fourth down to seal the Wolverines’ fourth straight win over their bitter rival. Sellers' 20-yard TD run with 1:08 to go lifts No. 16 South Carolina to 17-14 win over No. 12 Clemson CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — LaNorris Sellers' 20-yard TD run with 1:08 to play lifted No. 16 South Carolina to a 17-14 victory over No. 12 Clemson. The Gamecocks won their sixth straight game, including four over ranked opponents, and may have played themselves into the College Football Playoff's 12-team field. They wouldn't have done it without Sellers, who spun away from a defender in the backfield, broke through the line and cut left on his way to the winning score. Sellers rushed for 166 yards and threw for 164 in South Carolina's second straight win at Clemson. Mikaela Shiffrin is alert and being evaluated after crashing in final run of World Cup giant slalom KILLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — American ski racer Mikaela Shiffrin is alert and being evaluated for injuries after crashing in her second run of a World Cup giant slalom race. Shiffrin was going for her 100th World Cup win when she crashed, did a flip and slid into the protective fencing. She stayed down on the course for quite some time as the ski patrol attended to her. The 29-year-old was taken off the hill on a sled and waved to the cheering crowd. The U.S. Ski Team said she was taken to a medical clinic for evaluation. Shiffrin was leading after the first run of the GS. Reigning Olympic champion Sara Hector of Sweden won. Andrew Luck returns to Stanford as the GM of the football program STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Andrew Luck is returning to Stanford in hopes of turning around a struggling football program that he once helped become a national power. Athletic director Bernard Muir announced that Luck has been hired as the general manager of the Stanford football team and tasked with overseeing all aspects of the program that just finished its fourth straight 3-9 season. Luck will work with coach Troy Taylor on recruiting and roster management, and with athletic department and university leadership on fundraising, alumni relations, sponsorships, student-athlete support and stadium experience. Luck has kept a low profile since his surprise retirement from the NFL at age 29 in 2019. Saka stars in Arsenal rout at West Ham as Van Nistelrooy watches new team Leicester lose Arsenal was inspired by Bukayo Saka in scoring five goals in a wild first half before settling for a 5-2 win over West Ham that lifted the team into second place in the Premier League. Arsenal is attempting to chase down Liverpool and is now six points behind the leader. Saka was one of five different scorers for Arsenal at the Olympic Stadium and also had a hand in three goals, by Gabriel, Leandro Trossard and Martin Odegaard. Ruud van Nistelrooy witnessed at first hand the scale of his task to keep Leicester in the league. Leicester was beaten at Brentford 4-1 in front of Van Nistelrooy, who watched from the stands after being hired on Friday. US and England women draw 0-0 in Emma Hayes' homecoming LONDON (AP) — Emma Hayes witnessed a dominant display from her players at a packed Wembley stadium, but the U.S. coach could not taste victory on her return to England. Hayes, who led the U.S. women team to the Olympic gold medal this summer after winning 14 major trophies at Chelsea, came back to her home country on Saturday for a friendly against England. The U.S had the best chances but the game ended in a goalless draw. Jared Porter acknowledges he sent inappropriate text message to reporter, leading Mets to fire him Jared Porter acknowledged he sent an inappropriate text message to a reporter while he was a Chicago Cubs executive in 2016, which led to the New York Mets firing him as general manager in 2021 after just 38 days. Porter made his first public comments on his firing during an episode of the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast released Friday. Porter was hired by the Mets on Dec. 13, 2020, and fired on Jan. 19, 2021, about nine hours after an ESPN report detailing that he sent sexually explicit, uninvited text messages and images to a female reporter. Norris defies orders and gives Piastri the Qatar sprint while Verstappen takes pole LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Lando Norris ignored team orders as he handed his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri the win the sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix in a one-two finish for the team. Norris started on pole position and kept the lead at the start as Piastri squeezed past the Mercedes of George Russell for second. Norris gave the lead to Piastri with the finish line in sight, paying back Piastri for gifting him a win in a sprint race in Brazil when Norris was still fighting Max Verstappen for the drivers’ title. Champion Max Verstappen secured pole position for Sunday’s Grand Prix. Face facts: Statues of stars like Kane and Ronaldo don't always deliver. Sculptors offer advice LONDON (AP) — One art critic compared the new Harry Kane bronze statue to a bulging-jawed comic strip character. The infamous Cristiano Ronaldo bust in 2017 gave the chiseled soccer star a chubby face and goofy smile. Sculptors are offering tips to avoid pitfalls. London-based Hywel Pratley says sculptors must first get the subject's profile correct “and then you can go forward with more confidence.” Probably best to avoid smiles, Pratley adds because it's “really difficult to do teeth looking good in sculpture." London-based sculptural conservator Lucy Branch suggests an open vote because the public tends "to know whether the artist has hit the nail on the head.” Colorado State advances to MW volleyball final and will take the court against San Jose State LAS VEGAS (AP) — Colorado State coach Emily Kohan said her team will take the floor against San Jose State in the Mountain West volleyball championship rather than become the latest team to forfeit to the Spartans. The top-seeded Rams advanced to the tournament final on Friday by beating San Diego State 20-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-23. An automatic bid to the 64-team NCAA Tournament is on the line in Saturday’s final. Several schools have forfeited to San Jose State this season. In a lawsuit recently filed by players from various schools against the conference and San Jose State officials, plaintiffs cited unspecified reports asserting there was a transgender player on the San Jose State team.AP Business SummaryBrief at 4:49 p.m. EST
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Brock Purdy threw one short pass in the open portion of practice for the San Francisco 49ers as he remains slowed by an injury to his throwing shoulder that has already forced him to miss a game. Purdy spent the bulk of the session of Wednesday's practice open to reporters as either a spectator or executing handoffs outside of one short pass to Jordan Mason. Purdy hurt his shoulder during a loss to Seattle on Nov. 17. He tried to throw at practice last Thursday but had soreness in his right shoulder and shut it down. He missed a loss to Green Bay but was able to do some light throwing on Monday. His status for this week remains in doubt as the Niners (5-6) prepare to visit Buffalo on Sunday night. Purdy isn't the only key player for San Francisco dealing with injuries. Left tackle Trent Williams and defensive end Nick Bosa remain sidelined at practice Wednesday after missing last week's game. Williams was using a scooter to get around the locker room as he deals with a left ankle injury. Bosa has been out with injuries to his left hip and oblique. Bosa said the week off helped him make progress and that he hopes to be able to take part in individual drills later in the week. Bosa wouldn't rule out being able to play on Sunday. "It’s feeling a lot better,” Bosa said. “Still need to get better before I’m ready to go. This week will be big and I’ll know a lot more in the next couple of days.” Running back Christian McCaffrey has been able to play, but isn't back to the form that helped him win AP Offensive Player of the Year in 2023 after missing the first eight games this season with Achilles tendinitis. McCaffrey has 149 yards rushing in three games back with his 3.5 yards per carry down significantly from last season's mark of 5.4. But he is confident he will be able to get back to his usual level of play. “When you lose and maybe you don’t jump out on the stat sheet, your failures are highlighted,” he said. “I’m happy I’m out here playing football and I just know with time it will come.” Coach Kyle Shanahan said he has liked what he has seen from McCaffrey, adding that there hasn't been much room to run in recent weeks. But Shanahan said it takes time to get back to speed after McCaffrey had almost no practice time for nine months. “Guys who miss offseasons and miss training camp, usually it takes them a little bit of time at the beginning of the year to get back into how they were the year before, let alone missing half the season also on top of that,” Shanahan said. “I think Christian’s doing a hell of a job. But to just think him coming back in Week 8 with not being able to do anything for the last nine months or whatever it is, and to think he’s just going to be in MVP form is a very unrealistic expectation.” NOTES: LB Dre Greenlaw took part in his first practice since tearing his Achilles tendon in the Super Bowl. Greenlaw will likely need a couple of weeks of practice before being able to play. ... LB Fred Warner said he has been dealing with a fracture in his ankle since Week 4 and is doing his best to manage the pain as he plays through it. ... CB Deommodore Lenoir didn't practice after banging knees on Sunday. His status for this week remains in question. ... DT Jordan Elliott (concussion), OL Aaron Banks (concussion) and LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (knee) also didn't practice. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLGoogle is ramping up its push into smart glasses and augmented reality headgear, taking on rivals Apple and Meta with help from its sophisticated Gemini artificial intelligence. The internet titan on Thursday unveiled an Android XR operating system created in a collaboration with Samsung, which will use it in a device being built in what is called internally "Project Moohan," according to Google. The software is designed to power augmented and virtual reality experiences enhanced with artificial intelligence, XR vice president Shahram Izadi said in a blog post. "With headsets, you can effortlessly switch between being fully immersed in a virtual environment and staying present in the real world," Izadi said. "You can fill the space around you with apps and content, and with Gemini, our AI assistant, you can even have conversations about what you're seeing or control your device." Google this week announced the launch of Gemini 2.0, its most advanced artificial intelligence model to date, as the world's tech giants race to take the lead in the fast-developing technology. CEO Sundar Pichai said the new model would mark what the company calls "a new agentic era" in AI development, with AI models designed to understand and make decisions about the world around you. Android XR infused with Gemini promises to put digital assistants into eyewear, tapping into what users are seeing and hearing. An AI "agent," the latest Silicon Valley trend, is a digital helper that is supposed to sense surroundings, make decisions, and take actions to achieve specific goals. "Gemini can understand your intent, helping you plan, research topics and guide you through tasks," Izadi said. "Android XR will first launch on headsets that transform how you watch, work and explore." The Android XR release was a preview for developers so they can start building games and other apps for headgear, ideally fun or useful enough to get people to buy the hardware. This is not Google's first foray into smart eyewear. Its first offering, Google Glass, debuted in 2013 only to be treated as an unflattering tech status symbol and met with privacy concerns due to camera capabilities. The market has evolved since then, with Meta investing heavily in a Quest virtual reality headgear line priced for mainstream adoption and Apple hitting the market with pricey Vision Pro "spacial reality" gear. Google plans to soon begin testing prototype Android XR-powered glasses with a small group of users. Google will also adapt popular apps such as YouTube, Photos, Maps, and Google TV for immersive experiences using Android XR, according to Izadi. Gemini AI in glasses will enable tasks like directions and language translations, he added. "It's all within your line of sight, or directly in your ear," Izadi said. gc/dw
Panic among spectators at soccer game kills at least 56 in the West African nation of Guinea
A timeline of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the search for his killer NEW YORK (AP) — The search for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer has stretched into a fifth day — and beyond New York City. Police say it appears the man left the city on a bus soon after Wednesday's shooting outside the New York Hilton Midtown. The suspect is seen on video at an uptown bus station about 45 minutes later. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Police believe that words found written on ammunition at the shooting scene, including “deny," “defend” and "depose,” suggest a motive driven by anger toward the healthcare company. The words mimic a phrase used by insurance industry critics. Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise US prices and won't rule out revenge prosecutions WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump says he can’t guarantee his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won’t raise prices for American consumers. And he's suggesting once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect made the comments in a wide-ranging interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday. He also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning “things do change.” Europe's economy needs help. Political chaos in France and Germany means it may be slower in coming BRUSSELS (AP) — Europe's economy has enough difficulties, from tepid growth to trade tensions with the U.S. Dealing with those woes is only getting harder due to the political chaos in the two biggest European countries, France and Germany. Neither has a government backed by a functioning majority, and France could take a while yet to sort things out. But some problems aren't going to wait, such as what to do about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's America First stance on trade and how to fund stronger defense against Putin's Russia. ‘Moana 2’ cruises to another record weekend and $600 million globally “Moana 2” remains at the top of the box office in its second weekend in theaters as it pulled in another record haul. According to studio estimates Sunday, the animated Disney film added $52 million, bringing its domestic total to $300 million. That surpasses the take for the original “Moana” and brings the sequel's global tally to a staggering $600 million. It also puts the film in this year's top five at the box office. “Wicked” came in second place for the weekend with $34.9 million and “Gladiator II” was third with $12.5 million. The 10th anniversary re-release of Christopher Nolan's “Interstellar” also earned an impressive $4.4 million even though it played in only 165 theaters. Federal appeals court upholds law requiring sale or ban of TikTok in the US A federal appeals court panel on Friday unanimously upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok as soon as next month, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for its survival in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the law - which requires TikTok to break ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance or be banned by mid-January — is constitutional, rebuffing TikTok’s challenge that the statute ran afoul of the First Amendment and unfairly targeted the platform. TikTok and ByteDance — another plaintiff in the lawsuit — are expected to appeal to the Supreme Court. Executive of Tyler Perry Studios dies when plane he was piloting crashes in Florida ATLANTA (AP) — The president of Atlanta-based Tyler Perry Studios has died when the small plane he was piloting crashed on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The studio confirmed on Saturday that Steve Mensch, its 62-year-old president and general manager, had died Friday. The crash happened in Homosassa, about 60 miles north of Tampa. Photos from the scene show the plane having come to rest upside down on a road. Mensch helped advocate for Georgia’s film tax credit of more than $1 billion a year. Perry hired Mensch to run his namesake studio in 2016. Mensch died as Perry released his war drama, “The Six Triple Eight." The film was shot at the Atlanta studio. US added a strong 227,000 jobs in November in bounce-back from October slowdown WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s job market rebounded in November, adding 227,000 workers in a solid recovery from the previous month, when the effects of strikes and hurricanes had sharply diminished employers’ payrolls. Last month’s hiring growth was up considerably from a meager gain of 36,000 jobs in October. The government also revised up its estimate of job growth in September and October by a combined 56,000. Friday’s report also showed that the unemployment rate ticked up from 4.1% in October to a still-low 4.2%. The November data provided the latest evidence that the U.S. job market remains durable even though it has lost significant momentum from the 2021-2023 hiring boom, when the economy was rebounding from the pandemic recession. Stock market today: Wall Street hits more records following a just-right jobs report NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to records after data suggested the job market remains solid enough to keep the economy going, but not so strong that it raises immediate worries about inflation. The S&P 500 climbed 0.2%, just enough top the all-time high set on Wednesday, as it closed a third straight winning week in what looks to be one of its best years since the 2000 dot-com bust. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.8% to set its own record. Treasury yields eased after the jobs report showed stronger hiring than expected but also an uptick in the unemployment rate. Killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO spotlights complex challenge companies face in protecting top brass NEW YORK (AP) — In an era when online anger and social tensions are increasingly directed at the businesses consumers count on, Meta last year spent $24.4 million to surround CEO Mark Zuckerberg with security. But the fatal shooting this week of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson while walking alone on a New York City sidewalk has put a spotlight on the widely varied approaches companies take to protect their leaders against threats. And experts say the task of evaluating threats against executives and taking action to protect them is getting more difficult. One of the primary worries are loners whose rantings online are fed by others who are like-minded. It’s up to corporate security analysts to decide what represents a real threat. Days after gunman killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO, police push to ID him and FBI offers reward NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly four days after the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, police still do not know the gunman’s name or whereabouts or have a motive for the killing. But they have made some progress in their investigation into Wednesday's killing of the leader of the largest U.S. health insurer, including that the gunman likely left New York City on a bus soon after fleeing the scene. The also found that the gunman left something behind: a backpack that was discovered in Central Park. Police are working with the FBI, which on Friday night announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Colombia stocks higher at close of trade; COLCAP up 0.47%Subscribe to our newsletter Privacy Policy Success! Your account was created and you’re signed in. Please visit My Account to verify and manage your account. An account was already registered with this email. Please check your inbox for an authentication link. Support Independent Arts Journalism As an independent publication, we rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. If you value our coverage and want to support more of it, consider becoming a member today . Already a member? Sign in here. We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. If you value our coverage and want to support more of it, please join us as a member . No matter how much you love your family, everyone needs a little downtime during the holidays. Add these video essays to your queue. Pull them out when you need a little break — pop in your earbuds and escape. We’re rounding out the year with videos about interest rates, online gambling, slipping on banana peels, and more. Thanks as always for coming along on this ride, and happy holidays. “Making a Mess: a History of Megalopolis” by Be Kind Rewind Legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola (the Godfather trilogy, 1979’s Apocalypse Now , etc.) released his long-gestating epic passion project Megalopolis this year, to... indifferent audiences and a generally derisive critical reception. How did we get here? How did decades of planning and more than $100 million in wine sales bring us the supremely odd, singular film that is Megalopolis ? Be Kind Rewind, one of the best film history channels on YouTube, lays it all out. Get the latest art news, reviews and opinions from Hyperallergic. Daily Weekly Opportunities “Oh baby, we’re talking interest rates” by Good Work Dan Toomey assumes the persona of a serious man-on-the-street reporter for his very lighthearted videos about developments in the business world. Have you ever read about the Federal Reserve adjusting interest rates and wondered “Is this good?” or “How does this affect me?” or “What the fuck does that even mean?” Good Work has you covered. In less than 10 minutes, this parody newsmagazine segment is more informative than most real ones. “The Online Gambling Epidemic” by Drew Gooden The continual loosening of legislative restrictions around online gambling is one of the most alarming contemporary trends in American society. This video demonstrates how predatory gambling apps are, and how easy they can make it for an unwary user to hurl themselves into debt over the outcome of a football game without ever leaving their couch. Gooden does this by testing out an app himself, bringing the viewer along. As in many of his videos, his goofy sense of humor belies a sharp social critique. “Do Grand Theft Auto V’s Power Lines Connect To Anything?” by Any Austin Any Austin is a channel dedicated to scrutinizing the easily overlooked minor details of video game environmental design. Where do the rivers in a Zelda game flow to? How does the economy in a Mario town work? Here, as the title suggests, he follows the power lines in the expansive simulacrum city of Grand Theft Auto V to see where they lead. It’s a bit of background flavor to help the game feel more realistic, but how far does that realism go? This isn’t mere nitpicking; Austin is demonstrating the tricky balance games strike when building convincing worlds, how verisimilitude bumps up against technical limitations. “The history of slipping on banana peels | Pretty Good, episode 14” by Secret Base Do you think that slipping on a banana peel only happens in cartoons, hacky old comedies, and Mario Kart (1992–ongoing)? If so, not only are you wrong, but you’re more wrong than you can possibly imagine. Jon Bois, YouTube’s documentarian wizard of data, surveys every recorded instance of this pratfall occurring in real life. People have died. This video might become my new go-to example of how there’s no subject so mundane that it can’t make for interesting exploration. We hope you enjoyed this article! Before you keep reading, please consider supporting Hyperallergic ’s journalism during a time when independent, critical reporting is increasingly scarce. Unlike many in the art world, we are not beholden to large corporations or billionaires. Our journalism is funded by readers like you , ensuring integrity and independence in our coverage. We strive to offer trustworthy perspectives on everything from art history to contemporary art. We spotlight artist-led social movements, uncover overlooked stories, and challenge established norms to make art more inclusive and accessible. With your support, we can continue to provide global coverage without the elitism often found in art journalism. If you can, please join us as a member today . Millions rely on Hyperallergic for free, reliable information. By becoming a member, you help keep our journalism free, independent, and accessible to all. Thank you for reading. Share Copied to clipboard Mail Bluesky Threads LinkedIn FacebookRetailers coax Black Friday shoppers into stores with big discounts and giveaways NEW YORK (AP) — Retailers in the U.S. have used giveaways and bigger-than expected discounts to reward shoppers who ventured out on Black Friday. The day after Thanksgiving still reigns for now as the unofficial kickoff of the holiday shopping season even if it’s lost some luster. Analysts reported seeing the biggest crowds at stores that offered real savings. They say many shoppers are being cautious with their discretionary spending despite the easing of inflation. Stores are even more under the gun to get shoppers in to buy early and in bulk since there are five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. Online sales figures from Thanksgiving Day gave retailers a reason to remain hopeful for a lucrative end to the year. Southwest Airlines says it is ending cabin service earlier to reduce chance of injury Southwest Airlines is ending its cabin service earlier starting next month. Beginning on Dec. 4, a company spokesperson says flight attendants will begin preparing the cabin for landing at an altitude of 18,000 feet instead of 10,000 feet. The company says it's making the changes to reduce the risk of in-flight turbulence injuries. For passengers, that means they will need to return their seats to an upright position or do other pre-landing procedures earlier than before. While turbulence-related fatalities are quite rare, injuries have piled up over the years. Why your favorite catalogs are smaller this holiday season PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — While retailers hope to go big this holiday season, customers may notice that the catalogs arriving in their mailboxes are smaller. Many of the millions of catalogs getting sent to U.S. homes were scaled down to save on postage and paper. Some gift purveyors are sending out postcards. In a sign of the times, the American Catalog Mailers Association rebranded itself in May as the American Commerce Marketing Association. Despite no longer carrying an extended inventory of goods, industry experts say catalogs help retailers cut through the noise and still hold their own in value because of growing digital advertising costs. Canada's Trudeau says he had an 'excellent conversation' with Trump in Florida after tariffs threat WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he had an “excellent conversation” with Donald Trump in Florida after the president-elect’s threat to impose significant tariffs on two of America’s leading trade partners raised alarms in Ottawa and Mexico City. It's unclear, as Trudeau headed back to Canada on Saturday, whether the conversation had alleviated Trump’s concerns. Trump’s transition team hasn't responded to questions about what the leaders had discussed at their dinner Friday night at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club. The Republican president-elect has threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico if the countries don’t stop what he said was the flow of drugs and migrants across their borders. Trump and Republicans in Congress eye an ambitious 100-day agenda, starting with tax cuts WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans swept to power on Election Day and now control the House, the Senate and the White House, with plans for an ambitious 100-day agenda come January. Their to-do list includes extending tax breaks, cutting social programs, building the border wall to stop immigration and rolling back President Joe Biden's green energy policies. Atop that list is a plan to renew some $4 trillion in expiring tax cuts that were a signature domestic achievement of Republican Donald Trump’s first term as president. It's an issue that may define his return to the White House. The ruble's in a slump. For the Kremlin, that's a two-edged sword Russia’s ruble is sagging against other currencies, complicating the Kremlin’s efforts to keep consumer inflation under control with one hand even as it overheats the economy with spending on the war against Ukraine with the other. Over time a weaker ruble could mean higher prices for imports from China, Russia's main trade partner these days. President Vladimir Putin says things are under control. One wild card is sanctions against a key Russian bank that have disrupted foreign trade payments. If Russia finds a workaround for that, the ruble could regain some of its recent losses. Iceland votes for a new parliament after political disagreements force an early election REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) — Icelanders are electing a new parliament after disagreements over immigration, energy policy and the economy forced Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson to pull the plug on his coalition government and call early elections. This will be Iceland’s sixth general election since the 2008 financial crisis devastated the economy of the North Atlantic island nation and ushered in a new era of political instability. Opinion polls suggest the country may be in for another upheaval, with support for the three governing parties plunging. Benediktsson, who was named prime minister in April following the resignation of his predecessor, struggled to hold together the unlikely coalition of his conservative Independence Party with the centrist Progressive Party and the Left-Green Movement. Massachusetts lawmakers push for an effort to ban all tobacco sales over time BOSTON (AP) — A handful of Massachusetts lawmakers are hoping to persuade their colleagues to support a proposal that would make the state the first to adopt a ban meant to eliminate the use of tobacco products over time. Other locations have weighed similar “generational tobacco bans.” The bans phase out the use of tobacco products based not just on a person's age but on birth year. Lawmakers plan to file the proposal next year. If approved, the bill would set a date and ban the sale of tobacco to anyone born after that date forever, eventually banning all sales. Vietnam approves $67 billion high-speed railway project between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam has approved the construction of a high-speed railway connecting the capital Hanoi in the north with the financial capital of Ho Chi Minh in the south. It is expected to cost $67 billion and will stretch 1,541 kilometers (957 miles). The new train is expected to travel at speeds of up to 350 kph (217 mph), reducing the journey from the current 30 hours to just five hours. The decision was taken by Vietnam’s National Assembly on Saturday. Construction is expected to begin in 2027 and Vietnam hopes that the first trains will start operating by 2035. But the country has been beleaguered by delays to its previous infrastructure projects. Inflation rose to 2.3% in Europe. That won't stop the central bank from cutting interest rates FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Inflation in the 20 countries that use the euro currency rose in November — but that likely won’t stop the European Central Bank from cutting interest rates as the prospect of new U.S. tariffs from the incoming Trump administration adds to the gloom over weak growth. The European Union’s harmonized index of consumer prices rose 2.3 percent, up from 2.0% in October, according to EU statistics agency Eurostat. However, worries about growth mean the Dec. 12 ECB meeting is not about whether to cut rates, but by how much. Market buzz says there could be a larger than usual half-point cut in the benchmark rate, currently 3.25%.NHRA ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF LANDMARK 75TH ANNIVERSARY CAMPAIGN FOR 2026 SEASON
The opposition has boasted “massive savings” it can give families struggling with power bills, as the costings are revealed for its nuclear energy policy it will take to the election. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton will on Friday detail the pricing of nuclear reactors, which is set to be $264 billion cheaper than Labor's renewables approach. According to analysis by Frontier Economics, the cost of the Coalition's nuclear will be $331 billion versus $595 billion for Labor's green push between now and 2050 as Australia continues to track toward net zero in its climate change fight. The price is significantly cheaper because the Coalition’s policy is due to the lesser need of new transmission infrastructure compared to what the government is chasing. It is also assuming coal-fired power stations can continue to run while contracts are decided and that electricity demands will not rise as quick as what Labor is predicting. The opposition’s forecast showed renewables would provide 54 per cent of electricity generation, with 38 per cent of that coming from nuclear in 2050. The remaining eight per cent is from the storage of gas. It would mean coal-fired power stations will continue to operate longer under the Coalition plan, before the first of seven sites are replaced by nuclear in the mid-2030s. Mr Dutton insisted a Liberal government would deliver “massive savings”. “The Coalition’s approach integrates zero-emissions nuclear energy alongside renewables and has, delivering a total system cost significantly lower than Labor’s,” he said. “This means reduced power bills for households, lower operating costs for small businesses, and a stronger, more resilient economy.” Under the nuclear plan, seven nuclear reactors will be built across the country. In June he revealed the proposed sites of the reactors will be at existing sites of aging coal-fired power stations, which are heading into retirement, in regional Australia. They include Tarong and Callide in Queensland, Liddell and Mount Piper in New South Wales, Port Augusta in South Australia, Loy Yang in Victoria and Muja in WA. The first two reactors are set to be built between 2035 and 2037 if they win the election. Mr Dutton told Sky News Australia earlier this week that his nuclear policy is “credible” and will make the country a “modern economy” to compete with other nations. Political Editor Andrew Clennell pressed the Opposition Leader on how he can bring down power bills, which the Albanese government has so far failed to do despite its election pledge, given it could take 10 years to build nuclear reactors. “We need to bring a significant amount of gas into the system. Coal is going to be in the system for longer than Labor’s admitting at the moment,” he said. “The damage the Labor Party is going to the Australian economy is staggering and particularly through their energy policy, manufacturers are fleeing our shores.” Coalition MPs will be briefed on the nuclear policy on Friday at 10am. Mr Dutton is then set to hold a press conference to reveal the costings. It will set up a heated debate between the opposition and the government on energy and climate change ahead of the federal election which must be held by May.CBC resurrects plans for live New Year's Eve broadcast specials
CME Group Tour Championship Scores
US Postal Service delivered at least 99.2 million ballots for 2024 electionTORONTO - CBC is restoring its live New Year’s Eve celebration. A year after the national broadcaster cancelled the 2024 countdown due to “financial pressures,” it says the special event is back on the TV schedule to mark the dawn of 2025. Festivities begin Dec. 31 with the one-hour “22 Minutes New Year’s Eve Pregame Special,” a satirical reflection on the events of 2024 with the cast of the political comedy series “This Hour Has 22 Minutes.” It will be followed by “Canada Live! Countdown 2025,” a special hosted by news anchor Adrienne Arsenault and singer Jann Arden broadcasting live from Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre, and anchor Ian Hanomansing and comedian Ali Hassan at Vancouver’s VanDusen Botanical Garden. A representative for the CBC says the coast-to-coast show will feature reporters at more than a dozen community events across the country while a countdown to the new year will take place in each of the six time zones. Throughout the seven-and-a-half-hour program, “many Canadian celebrity guests” will appear in live and pre-taped messages. “Canada Live! Countdown 2025” begins at 8 p.m. ET on CBC News Network and CBC Gem with CBC-TV and CBC Radio picking up the feed at 9 p.m. in local markets. Last year, the CBC replaced its live New Year’s Eve programming with a taped Just For Laughs special hosted by comedian Mae Martin. That left Canadians without a homegrown countdown on any of the major networks, which sparked blowback on social media from some viewers. The CBC began its annual specials in 2017 to mark Canada’s sesquicentennial year. Some of the more recent broadcasts were hosted by comedian Rick Mercer and featured fireworks and musical performances in key cities. But when CBC paused those plans last year, it said the show had become “increasingly expensive to produce.” The decision to sideline the program was made shortly after members of Parliament summoned outgoing CBC president Catherine Tait to testify about job cuts and her refusal to rule out bonuses for CBC executives. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2024.
Colman Domingo Details Why ‘The Madness’ Is a Drama for Today’s Era of Media Feeding Frenzies
How to Watch WWE Survivor Series WarGames 2024 Free Live Streaming Online in India? Get Live TV Telecast and Other Details of Wrestling PLE in IST