
By JESSICA DAMIANO Finding the perfect gift can be daunting. The only way to truly ensure you get it right would be to ask the recipient what they want, but that wouldn’t be much fun for either of you. Luckily, there’s another tactic to help you earn a “gift whisperer” reputation: seeking out unique, practical, game-changing gifts that will truly surprise and delight. But that’s about as easy as it sounds, which is to say it’s not easy at all. So, we’ve done the legwork for you. Start making your list with this compilation of some of the most innovative, functional and fun gifts of 2024. There’s something for every budget. A pepper grinder, really? Bear with me: The new FinaMill Ultimate Spice Grinder set elevates the pedestrian pepper and spice mill in both function and style. Available in three colors (Sangria Red, Midnight Black and Soft Cream), the rechargeable-battery unit grinds with a light touch rather than hand-tiring twists. That’s easier for everyone and especially helpful for those experiencing hand or wrist issues such as arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome or tendinitis. And it’s fun to use. The set includes a stackable storage tray and four pods that can be easily swapped as needed: The GT microplane grater for hard spices, nuts and chocolate; the MAX for large spices and dried herbs; the ProPlus for smaller and oily spices; and the Pepper Pod for, well, pepper. $110. To build a fire Campers and backyard firepit lovers who have experienced the heartbreak of wet wood will appreciate having a three-pack of Pull Start Fire on hand. Made of 89% recycled materials, including sanding dust, wax and flint, the food-safe, eco-friendly, 3-by-2-by-1-inch fire starters will light a fire quickly without matches, lighters or kindling. Just loop the attached green string around a log, incorporate it into a wood stack, and pull the attached red string to ignite. Each windproof, rainproof block burns for 30 minutes. $29.99. The place for a ladle is on the pot The No Mess Utensil Set from Souper Cubes , a company known for its portioned, silicone freezer trays, lives up to its name. The utensils — a serving spoon and a ladle — have innovative, S-shaped handles designed to rest on the edge of a pot, keeping them upright so they won’t slip in. The design also eliminates the need for a spoon rest or, worse, placing dirty utensils on the kitchen counter or stovetop between stirs. A silicone coating in a choice of Aqua, Charcoal, Cranberry or Blueberry keeps handles cool to the touch. $24.99. Up your birdwatching with this feeder The FeatherSnap Wi-Fi smart bird feeder could turn anyone into an avid birdwatcher. Equipped with an HD camera, the dual-chamber feeder enables up-close livestreaming of avian visitors, as well as species-logging via the free mobile app. An optional premium subscription ($59.99 annually or $6.99 monthly) includes unlimited photo and video storage, AI identification with species-specific details, and the opportunity to earn badges for logging new visitors. Turn on notifications to get alerts sent to your phone whenever there’s activity at the feeder. $179.99. Printing old-fashioned photos via Bluetooth Fujifilm’s Instax Mini Link 3 smartphone printer offers a touch of nostalgia without sacrificing technology. Just load the 4.9-by-3.5-by-1.3-inch printer with Instax Mini instant film and connect it to your Android or iOS device via Bluetooth to print wallet-size photos. If you want to get fancy, you can adjust brightness, contrast and saturation, or apply filters, including 3D augmented-reality effects, via the free Instax Mini Link app. It can also make collages of up to six images, or animate photos to share on social media. Available in Rose Pink, Clay White and Sage Green. $99.95. Houseplants don’t get much easier than this The appropriately named easyplant is one of the best gifts you can give your houseplant-loving friends, regardless of their experience level. Select a pot color, size and plant (or get recommendations based on sunlight requirements, pet friendliness and other attributes) and fill the self-watering container’s built-in reservoir roughly once a month. Moisture will permeate the soil from the bottom as needed, eliminating the often-fatal consequences of over- or under-watering. It’s also a literal lifesaver come vacation time. $49-$259. Making your own (plant-based) milk Related Articles Things To Do | US airports with worst weather delays during holiday season Things To Do | The right book can inspire the young readers in your life, from picture books to YA novels Things To Do | Holiday gift ideas for the movie lover, from bios and books to a status tote Things To Do | ‘Gladiator II’ review: Are you not moderately entertained? Things To Do | Beer pairings for your holiday feasts If you’ve got a no-dairy friend on your list, a plant-based milk maker could save them money while allowing them to avoid sugar, stabilizers, thickeners and preservatives. The Nama M1 appliance both blends and strains ingredients, converting nuts, seeds, grains or oats into velvety-smooth milk in just one minute, with zero grit. And for zero waste, the pasty leftover pulp can be used in other recipes for added nutrients. The device also makes infused oils, flavored waters and soups. And, importantly, cleanup is easy. Available in white and black. $400. The perfect temperature for 350,000-plus wines For friends who prefer stronger beverages, the QelviQ personal sommelier uses “smart” technology to ensure wine is served at its ideal temperature. Unlike traditional wine refrigerators, this device doesn’t take up any floor space. It also doesn’t chill wine to just one or two temperatures based on its color. Instead — paired with the free QelviQ app — the tabletop chiller relies on a database of more than 350,000 wines to bring a bottle to its specific recommended serving temperature in as little as 20 minutes. It also suggests food-wine and wine-food pairings. Plus, the appliance serves as a great icebreaker to inspire dinnertime conversation. Available in Exciting Red, Dashing Black and Dreamy White. $495. Casting light on the grill after dark Grilling food after dark — and ascertaining its doneness — can prove challenging without outdoor lighting, and it’s nearly impossible to cook while holding a flashlight. But as is often the case, the simplest of solutions can make the biggest of impacts: Uncommon Good’s 2-piece LED Grilling Tool Set puts illumination into the handles of its stainless-steel spatula and tongs. After use, the lights can be removed and the utensils run through the dishwasher. $40.Helena Capital football, , stands atop Class AA for the 13th time in program history. Wednesday at noon, Bruins players will ride atop a Helena fire truck to commemorate that victory. Departing from Capital High School, the route takes the team along N. Benton Ave. past Carroll College and into downtown Helena on N. Park Ave. and N. Last Chance Gulch. The return journey toward Capital will be along Hauser Blvd. past C.R. Anderson Middle School and down Henderson St. The date and time was chosen as to not conflict with winter sports practices and to take advantage of no school that day. Capital has now won two state football titles in three seasons and eight dating back to 2000.
A 95-YEAR-OLD woman was left lying on the pavement with a broken hip in freezing weather for five hours waiting for an ambulance. Winifred Soanes fell over in Christchurch High Street, Dorset, in the early afternoon while out her 92-year-old husband Andrew. She was unable to move due to the sheer pain she was in. Despite multiple concerned members of the public making repeated 999 calls for an ambulance and explaining Winifred was elderly and vulnerable, they were told she "was not a priority". People managed to prop her head up with shoe boxes from market stallholders and a pillow from a nearby pub. Staff at Mountain Warehouse provided her with sleeping bags and charity shops gave blankets and hot water bottles to keep Winifred warm. Others provided coffee and food to help Andrew, who is an army veteran and diabetic and who refused to leave his wife's side. An ambulance eventually arrived at 7.45pm on Monday and took Winifred to hospital where she remains today. To add insult to injury, Andrew has developed a chest infection as a result of being out in the cold so long and cannot visit his wife in hospital. People who helped the couple have slammed the "broken system". Jennifer Baylis, who was working in a charity shop, said: "I can't tell you how upsetting it was, she actually said 'I'm going to die here tonight'. "She was in a phenomenal amount of pain and in such a vulnerable position, on a cold floor, totally reliant on complete strangers. "She fell at 2.30pm and the ambulance finally showed up at 7.45pm. "We were all distressed that there was no first responder available, no police officer, literally no one available to help for over five hours. "You feel so helpless, I was so angry that they were in this position. It shouldn't be happening in this day and age. "The NHS are fantastic once help is there. We know how hard they work. "But something went very very wrong to leave a 95-year-old lady on the pavement of a high street at night." David Lovell, who saw her fall and was the first to call for an ambulance, said: "I can't describe how cold it was, and as it got dark, the temperature dropped really quickly. "She was lying on the cold pavement and we couldn't move her because she was in huge amounts of pain." When others called again to chase up the ambulance, they were given no time frame for how long the wait would be. Winifred was eventually taken to Poole Hospital and is waiting for a specialist operation for her injuries. Andrew said: "The situation was dire, but it's great to know that when they need to, the community all pull together to help." A spokesperson for the South Western Ambulance Service, said: "We are sorry that we were not able to provide a timely response to this patient. "Any occasion where the care we provide falls below the high standards our patients deserve and rightly expect is unacceptable. "Handover delays at emergency departments remain one of our biggest challenges. "To ensure our ambulances are available to attend the next emergency call within the community, we need to be able to hand patients over within the 15-minute national target . "We continue to work hard with our partners in the NHS and social care, to do all we can to improve the service that patients receive." THE NHS waiting list in England has become a political flashpoint as it has ballooned in recent years, more than doubling in a decade. The statistics for England count the number of procedures, such as operations and non-surgical treatments, that are due to patients. The procedures are known as elective treatment because they are planned and not emergencies. Many are routine ops such as for hip or knee replacements, cataracts or kidney stones, but the numbers also include some cancer treatments. This is how the wait list has changed over time: August 2007: 4.19million – The first entry in current records. December 2009: 2.32million – The smallest waiting list on modern record. April 2013: 2.75million – The Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition restructures the NHS. Current chancellor Jeremy Hunt was Health Secretary. April 2016: 3.79million – Junior doctors go on strike for the first time in 40 years. Theresa May is elected Prime Minister. February 2020: 4.57million – The final month before the UK's first Covid lockdown in March 2020. July 2021: 5.61million – The end of all legal Covid restrictions in the UK. January 2023: 7.21million – New Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledges to reduce waiting lists within a year, effectively April 2024. September 2023: 7.77million – The highest figure on record comes during a year hit with strikes by junior doctors, consultants, nurses and ambulance workers. February 2024: 7.54million – Ministers admit the pledge to cut the backlog has failed. August 2024: 7.64million – List continues to rise under Keir Starmer's new Labour Government.'There are 900 U.S. troops stationed there': Experts outraged after Trump's latest comment
Rams in search of offensive consistency in New Orleans
NoneCARSON, Calif. — The LA Galaxy finished 26th in the 29-team Major League Soccer standings just one season ago, and their biggest supporters boycotted certain matches to protest a decade of poor performance. The most successful club in league history seemed light years away from its luminous prime. When the Galaxy raised the MLS Cup again Saturday amid confetti and fireworks, their spectacular transformation was complete. In only one year, a team that was profoundly lost had rediscovered its peerless championship pedigree. "We won this trophy, and it's finally back where it belongs," striker Dejan Joveljic said. Joseph Paintsil and Joveljic scored in the first half, and the Galaxy won their record sixth MLS Cup championship with a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls. After striking twice in the first 13 minutes of the final, the Galaxy nursed their lead through a scoreless second half to raise their league's biggest trophy for the first time since 2014. MLS' most successful franchise struggled through most of the ensuing years, but everything changed after LA spent smartly in the offseason to build a high-scoring new lineup topped by Paintsil, Joveljic and Gabriel Pec. The Galaxy finished second in the Western Conference and streaked through the postseason with an MLS playoff-record 18 goals in five games to win another crown. "I'm just so proud of this group after the challenges that we (had) and the way they bounced back and competed as a group," Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. "We spent a lot of energy at the start, but I'm just so proud of these guys. They've cemented themselves as legends in this club." The Galaxy even won this title without perhaps their most important player. Riqui Puig, the playmaking midfielder from Barcelona who ran their offense impressively all season long, tore a ligament in his knee last week in the conference final. Puig watched this game in a suit, but the Catalan catalyst's teammates hadn't forgotten him: After his replacement, Gastón Brugman, set up LA's opening goal with a superb pass in the ninth minute, Paintsil held up Puig's jersey to their roaring fans during the celebration. "I was really waiting for this moment," said Paintsil, who scored his 14th goal of an impressive season. "I'm much more, 10 times faster than them, and Gaston saw the space. ... It was really a good thing. We did it for Riqui, and we did it for our family that came, and our supporters." Just four minutes later, Joveljic sprinted past four New York defenders and chipped home his 21st goal. Brugman was named the MLS Cup MVP after a commanding performance in midfield. The Uruguayan hadn't started a match for the Galaxy since Oct. 5 after an injury-slowed season, playing only as a postseason substitute before the final. "I dreamed of that yesterday, of something I could give to the team," Brugman said of his pass to Paintsil. "Today, it happened." Sean Nealis scored for the seventh-seeded Red Bulls, whose improbable postseason charge ended one win shy of their first Cup championship. With the league's youngest roster, New York fell just short of becoming the lowest-seeded team to win the tournament under first-year German coach Sandro Schwarz. "I love these guys," Schwarz said. "Some guys, they are crying. In the big picture, that's a start. Sometimes when you lose the final, it's tough, but you use this experience to create the next energy, the next intensity." Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy made four saves to win his second MLS title in three seasons, but Nealis beat the 2022 MLS Cup MVP in the 28th minute when he volleyed from the penalty area. The second half was lively: Red Bulls captain Emil Forsberg hit the outside of the post in the 72nd minute, while Pec and Galaxy substitute Marco Reus nearly converted chances a few moments later. The ball got loose in the Galaxy's penalty area in the third minute of extra time, but two Red Bulls couldn't finish. After Galaxy owner Phil Anschutz received the MLS Cup that bears his name because of his steady financial support of the league during its shaky years, Galaxy captain Maya Yoshida carried the trophy to his teammates for the celebration. The Galaxy extended their lead over DC United (4) for the most MLS Cup championships in league history. The Red Bulls remain one of three original MLS franchises never to win the title, along with FC Dallas and the New England Revolution. The Galaxy finished 17-0-3 this season at their frequently renamed suburban stadium, where the sellout crowd of 26,812 for the final included several robust cheering sections of Red Bulls supporters hoping to see their New Jersey-based club's breakthrough. But this season was about the Galaxy's rebirth. The club famous for employing global stars from David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Robbie Keane and Javier "Chicharito" Hernández swiftly turned itself into a contender again by acquiring young talents without international fame. The Galaxy signed Pec from Brazil and grabbed Paintsil, a Ghanaian playing in Belgium. The duo combined with Joveljic to form a potent attack with orchestration from Puig, one of MLS' best players. "Losing a guy like Riqui after the performance he put in all season was devastating," McCarthy said. "Even if he wasn't on the field, we did it for him." Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Memphis beats No. 2 UConn 99-97 in overtime to tip off Maui Invitational
Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Dominique Brown, an influencer known as a Disney theme park enthusiast and collector, died after reportedly experiencing an allergic reaction at a holiday food event hosted by BoxLunch on Thursday, Dec. 5. She was 34. At the event at Vibiana in Los Angeles, Brown reportedly consumed something after event staff told her that it did not contain an ingredient she was allergic to, according to reports on and . One person claiming to know her on wrote that Brown “instantly felt bad” and asked to be taken to a hospital. “She was my mom’s best friend of 10 years. She asked if there was peanuts in the food and everyone told her no. When she instantly felt bad she asked someone to take her to the hospital,” X user @hideyagrannies wrote. A PEOPLE reporter at the event witnessed Brown receiving CPR. Brown’s brother Patrick Ramos reacted to her death in a comment posted on , thanking her fans for their support. “Hi everyone, this is @pramos313 – Dominique’s brother,” Ramos commented on Friday, Dec. 6. “I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to her social media fam for showing her so much love and light. Disney did bring her joy, but it was unparalleled that she found a community who loved her and Disney as much as she did. I will miss my sister and best friend and that infectious smile she always had. Thank you, truly, from the bottom of my heart. ❤️🥺.” BoxLunch did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment. According to Brown’s Instagram account (her screenname is ), Brown was a resident of Long Beach, Calif., and a Disney enthusiast who was fond of theme parks and collectibles. On Nov. 27, she posted a photo of herself attending a screening. She is also known for co-creating with Mia Von after noticing a lack of representation in the Disney-influencer space. Their mission was to create a welcoming community for women of color who love the brand’s films and theme parks. “Thank you Dominique for bringing the Black Girl Disney community together. You are such a light, that anyone can feel through the screen or in person,” a follower commented on her last Instagram post. Another commented, “I’ve just been sitting here thinking of what to say because I can’t process that you aren’t here. Thank you for creating and holding space for all of Black Disney girls. I hope you know you that you are so deeply loved and will be profoundly missed. Love you so so much.” Read the original article onGraney: Raiders could be AFC West patsies for a long timeThe Pittsburgh Penguins announced today that they have acquired F Philip Tomasino from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick. Tomasino, 23, is a former first-round pick of the Preds, being selected 24th overall in 2019. Tomasino has one assist in 11 games so far this season, and 23 goals and 71 points in 159 career NHL games, all with the Predators. Tomasino is a versatile forward who can play all three forward positions. He is talented, but lacking the speed that most young players have. The Mississauga, Ontario native played in 190 OHL games with the Niagara Ice Dogs and Oshawa Generals, putting up 79 goals and 196 points. He has also played 89 AHL games with the Chicago Wolves and Milwaukee Admirals, putting up 36 goals and 82 points. This article first appeared on Inside The Rink and was syndicated with permission.
Glastonbury gets 'everything we could wish for' as Rod Stewart gets 'cult' stage timeNCAA rule change already affecting junior hockey in Canada and U.S.
Despite a close 26-25 win over Minnesota — and the crazy rankings discourse that’s sure to follow it — Penn State is still in great standing in the Associated Press Top 25. The Nittany Lions came in at No. 4 in Sunday’s poll update, marking their third straight week at the spot and sixth inside the top five this season. With losses from Indiana, Alabama and Ole Miss inside last week’s top 10, the playoff picture moving forward has seen a major shakeup. The top 10 now goes as follows: Oregon, Ohio State, Texas, Penn State, Notre Dame, Georgia, Tennessee, Miami, SMU and Indiana. The Big Ten took a slight dip with Ohio State’s blowout win over Indiana, but the conference is still poised to get three teams into the playoff. Illinois' miraculous late win over Rutgers — on a 40-yard touchdown with four seconds left — also helped boost Penn State’s resume. The Illini came in at No. 22 on Sunday. It will be interesting, too, to see if the CFP rankings update on Tuesday aligns with the AP Poll. If they do, Penn State would be the hypothetical No. 6 seed and would host Indiana at Beaver Stadium. To close the regular season, Penn State plays Maryland at home for Senior Day. The Terrapins have struggled this season, going 4-7 overall and 1-7 in Big Ten play. Saturday’s game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network . •Sign up for the PennLive’s Penn State newsletters, the daily Penn State Today and the subscriber-exclusive Penn State Insider ©2024 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit pennlive.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Lil Wayne, GloRilla, Camila Cabello to perform at College Football National Championship
Memphis beats No. 2 UConn 99-97 in overtime to tip off Maui Invitational
VANCOUVER — A family of killer whales has made a rare trip into waters off downtown Vancouver for what an expert says was likely a "grocery shopping" hunt for harbour seals. Video shared on social media by False Creek Ferries shows the whales cruising past highrise towers at the entrance to False Creek on Sunday. Andrew Trites, director of the University of British Columbia's marine mammal research unit, has identified the whales as a family group of transient orcas consisting of a mother and her three offspring. Trites said the video shows the whales moving quietly like "ghosts" to avoid alerting their prey. The larger orcas appear bigger than the diminutive ferry, which measures about 20 feet long. "They're on the hunt, and so they don't want to make a big splash about it. They want to come in very stealthy-like, as though they weren't even there," said Trites. "I'm sure there were hundreds of people walking along the seawall that day and they didn't even notice and these people aboard the boat, they had a very special moment they will remember for the rest of their lives." He said it's the first time the 26-year-old mother orca, known as T35A, has shown up in downtown Vancouver with her children aged six, 11 and 14. Trites said the well documented family has previously been seen by marine researchers from Alaska to the Strait of Juan de Fuca south of Vancouver Island. He attributes the pod's surprising downtown appearance to seals also changing their habits as they hide from orcas, forcing killer whales to hunt in backwater areas like False Creek. Killer whales have previously been spotted in False Creek, including in 2019, and in 2010 a grey whale swam all the way to the end of the inlet, near Science World. Trites said researchers are hearing more reports of killer whales being seen in places where they've never been seen before. He said the behaviour captured on the video suggests the whales didn't catch anything. Trites said the sighting was an indication of the recovered health of the Salish Sea, saying it was "in a state that we haven’t seen it for over a century." He likened it to living next to Tanzania's Serengeti National Park. “It's a very healthy, vibrant system ... we've seen humpback whales come back. We've seen our seal numbers recover and stabilize," he said. "We see killer whales here every single day now and when I first came to B.C., I hardly ever saw a seal, never saw killer whales in here and it's all changed." In 2021, the B.C. government estimated there were 206 "mature" transient orcas in the province's coastal waters, while U.S. authorities have put the total population at about 350. The species is designated as threatened, meaning they are likely to become endangered without interventions. But Trites said the population was growing, in association with the recovery of prey species, such as the Steller sea lion. As a marine researcher who has been through many encounters with killer whales, Trites said those aboard the ferry should feel privileged. "They are magical experiences," he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2024. Nono Shen, The Canadian PressScandar Copti ’s “ Happy Holidays ” won top honors at the Marrakech Film Festival on Saturday, capping an emotional and politically resonant ceremony while adding Marrakech’s Étoile d’Or to a list of accolades that also includes best screenplay from Venice’s Orizzonti and best in show from the Thessaloniki Film Festival. The acclaimed title also claimed a shared best actress prize for leads Manar Shehab and Wafaa Aoun. Split into four chapters, the Palestinian film follows an ensemble of characters – Arab and Jewish alike – living in contemporary Haifa. Family secrets and domestic tensions underscore scenes from everyday life as the film traces out an expansive social circle with a novelistic attention to cultural and interpersonal dynamics. This year’s jury – led by Luca Guadagnino alongside Andrew Garfield, Jacob Elordi, Virginie Efira, Patricia Arquette, Zoya Akhtar, Ali Abbasi, Nadia Kounda and Santiago Mitre – together awarded the winning title with a unanimous vote. As she accepted the award on behalf of her filmmaking partner, screenwriter Mona Copti cast her joy for the accolades against the harsher reality of the ongoing war in Gaza. “How did we get here,” she asked. “How did dehumanization become normalized? How have killing, destruction, and martyrdom become almost acceptable? How did we lose our moral compass and reach this point of ethical collapse?” “We hope this film offers some answers to these questions by shedding light on the repercussions of indoctrination in societies and its impact on individual behavior—particularly in communities where women remain constrained by customs and traditions that deny them personal freedom above all else. Our struggle is interconnected, and true liberation cannot be achieved in isolation. None of us is truly free until all of us are.” Indeed, nearly all the night’s speeches carried a political charge. As director Silvina Schnicer accepted the jury prize for her film “The Cottage” – an honor the film shared with Mo Harawe’s “The Village Next to Paradise” – the Argentine auteur decried the heavy hand of her country’s Javier Milei government, specifically when it comes to cutting cinema funding. Finally, Polish drama “Under the Volcano” was the night’s other big winner, claiming the director prize for filmmaker Damian Kocur and the best actor trophy for star Roman Lutskyi. In another riveting speech — this time delivered via video — the actor dedicated his award to the armed forces of Ukraine. For its 21st edition, the Marrakech Film Festival exceeded 40,000 attendees, marking a 5000-admission increase from the previous year’s record, with young adults and students from Moroccan film schools in large parts accounting for the surge. Alongside its wider outreach programs, Marrakech also introduced an expanded festival hub that spread out over a half-mile, incorporating new venues while fostering a more vibrant and encompassing atmosphere. Awards season hopefuls like Walter Salles’ “I’m Still Here” and Gints Zilbalodis’ “Flow” screened for rapturous crowds, while Jean-Claude Barny’s political biopic “Fanon” made its world premiere – bolstering the festival’s reputation as a continental showcase for African cinema. Pursuant to those goals, the festival will double down on its Atlas Distribution Award – a recent initiative meant to fuel wider domestic and international distribution for the Moroccan, Arab and Pan-African films presented in Marrakech. 22 titles from this year’s selection will be eligible for Atlas support, including the night’s big winner. “We realized that these projects, outside of their time in festivals, were often not distributed in the Arab world or in Africa,” says festival coordinator Ali Hajji. “To ensure the viability and longevity — both culturally and economically — we saw the need to create a distribution system to better reach those audiences. Quite simply, we want Arab and African audiences to see these films.”NORTH EAST, MD — On Wednesday, December 18, 2024, Cecil College ’s Visual Communications Program (VCP) will host its Fall Student Exhibition and Open House from 5 to 7 p.m. The event will take place in the Technology Center Building on the North East Campus, with tours of the VCP studios offered in the Arts & Science Building. The exhibition will feature a variety of student-created works, including photography, graphic design, video, gaming and simulation, and web design. Displays will be arranged across the first and second floors of the Technology Center Building. “We have an amazing group of students this year who were able to maintain their focus on their art. Their work is fantastic, and I look forward to the exhibit so everyone can see the great portfolio of works this group of students has created,” said Dan Krukosky, Assistant Professor and Visual Communications Program Director. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet faculty and staff, learn about VCP courses such as Graphic Design, Photography, and Game Design, and watch demonstrations by students and faculty. Admissions representatives will also be available to discuss enrollment, scholarships, and other programs. Guests can visit a special portrait booth where photographers will capture their photos. Family and friends are welcome to attend. Don’t miss this celebration of artistic talent and creativity at Cecil College. Learn more about the arts at Cecil College by visiting arts.cecil.edu . For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN .
1A girls soccer: Seton Catholic falls 1-0 to Bellevue Christian in state semifinalsThe USS Zumwalt is at a Mississippi shipyard where workers have installed missile tubes that replace twin turrets from a gun system that was never activated because it was too expensive. Once the system is complete, the Zumwalt will provide a platform for conducting fast, precision strikes from greater distances, adding to the usefulness of the warship. “It was a costly blunder. But the Navy could take victory from the jaws of defeat here, and get some utility out of (the ships) by making them into a hypersonic platform,” said Bryan Clark, a defence analyst at the Hudson Institute. The US has had several types of hypersonic weapons in development for the past two decades, but recent tests by both Russia and China have added pressure to the US military to hasten their production. Hypersonic weapons travel beyond Mach 5, five times the speed of sound, with added manoeuvrability making them harder to shoot down. Last year, The Washington Post newspaper reported that among the documents leaked by former Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira was a defence department briefing that confirmed China had recently tested an intermediate-range hypersonic weapon called the DF-27. While the Pentagon had previously acknowledged the weapon’s development, it had not recognised its testing. One of the US programmes in development and planned for the Zumwalt is the Conventional Prompt Strike. It would launch like a ballistic missile and then release a hypersonic glide vehicle that would travel at speeds seven to eight times faster than the speed of sound before hitting the target. The weapon system is being developed jointly by the Navy and Army. Each of the three Zumwalt-class destroyers would be equipped with four missile tubes, each with three of the missiles for a total of 12 hypersonic weapons per ship. In choosing the Zumwalt, the Navy is attempting to add to the usefulness of a 7.5 billion US dollars (£5.9 billion) warship that is considered by critics to be an expensive mistake despite serving as a test platform for multiple innovations. The Zumwalt was envisioned as providing land-attack capability with an advanced gun system with rocket-assisted projectiles to open the way for Marines to charge ashore. But the system featuring 155mm guns hidden in stealthy turrets was cancelled because each of the rocket-assisted projectiles cost up to one million dollars (£790,000). Despite the stain on their reputation, the three Zumwalt-class destroyers: Zumwalt, Michael Monsoor and Lyndon B Johnson; remain the Navy’s most advanced surface warships in terms of new technologies. Those innovations include electric propulsion, an angular shape to minimise radar signature, an unconventional wave-piercing hull, automated fire and damage control and a composite deckhouse that hides radar and other sensors. The US is accelerating development because hypersonics have been identified as vital to US national security with “survivable and lethal capabilities”, said James Weber, principal director for hypersonics in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Critical Technologies. “Fielding new capabilities that are based on hypersonic technologies is a priority for the defence department to sustain and strengthen our integrated deterrence, and to build enduring advantages,” he said.
Menendez brothers’ fate hinges on the incoming Los Angeles district attorney