Richard Parsons, prominent executive who led Time Warner and Citigroup, dies at 76
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump used his image as a successful New York businessman to become a celebrity, a reality television star and eventually the president. Now he will get to revel in one of the most visible symbols of success in the city when he rings the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday as he's also named Time Magazine's Person of the Year. Trump is expected to be on Wall Street to mark the ceremonial start of the day's trading, according to four people with knowledge of his plans. He will also be announced Thursday as Time's 2024 Person of the Year , according to a person familiar with the selection. The people who confirmed the stock exchange appearance and Time award were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. It will be a notable moment of twin recognitions for Trump, a born-and-bred New Yorker who at times has treated the stock market as a measure of public approval and has long-prized signifiers of his success in New York's business world and his appearances on the covers of magazines — especially Time. Trump was named the magazine's Person of the Year in 2016, when he was first elected to the White House. He had already been listed as a finalist for this year's award alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, X owner Elon Musk, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Kate, the Princess of Wales. Time declined to confirm the selection ahead of Thursday morning's announcement. “Time does not comment on its annual choice for Person of the Year prior to publication,” a spokesperson for the magazine said Wednesday. The ringing of the bell is a powerful symbol of U.S. capitalism — and a good New York photo opportunity at that. Despite his decades as a New York businessman, Trump has never done it before. It was unclear whether Trump, a Republican, would meet with New York's embattled mayor, Democrat Eric Adams , who has warmed to Trump and has not ruled out changing his political party. Adams has been charged with federal corruption crimes and accused of selling influence to foreign nationals; he has denied wrongdoing. Trump himself was once a symbol of New York, but he gave up living full-time in his namesake Trump Tower in Manhattan and moved to Florida after leaving the White House. CNN first reported Wednesday Trump’s visit to the stock exchange and Politico reported that Trump was expected to be unveiled as Time's Person of the Year. The stock exchange regularly invites celebrities and business leaders to participate in the ceremonial opening and closing of trading. During Trump’s first term, his wife, Melania Trump, rang the bell to promote her “Be Best” initiative on children’s well-being. Last year, Time CEO Jessica Sibley rang the opening bell to unveil the magazine's 2023 Person of the Year: Taylor Swift . After the Nov. 5 election, the S&P 500 rallied 2.5% for its best day in nearly two years. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 1,508 points, or 3.6%, while the Nasdaq composite jumped 3%. All three indexes topped records they had set in recent weeks. The U.S. stock market has historically tended to rise regardless of which party wins the White House, with Democrats scoring bigger average gains since 1945. But Republican control could mean big shifts in the winning and losing industries underneath the surface, and investors are adding to bets built earlier on what the higher tariffs, lower tax rates and lighter regulation that Trump favors will mean. Trump has long courted the business community based on his own status as a wealthy real estate developer who gained additional fame as the star of the TV show “The Apprentice” in which competitors tried to impress him with their business skills. He won the election in part by tapping into Americans' deep anxieties about an economy that seemed unable to meet the needs of the middle class. The larger business community has applauded his promises to reduce corporate taxes and cut regulations. But there are also concerns about his stated plans to impose broad tariffs and possibly target companies that he sees as not aligning with his own political interests. Trump spends the bulk of his time at his Florida home but was in New York for weeks this spring during his hush money trial there. He was convicted, but his lawyers are pushing for the case to be thrown out in light of his election. While he spent hours in a Manhattan courthouse every day during his criminal trial, Trump took his presidential campaign to the streets of the heavily Democratic city, holding a rally in the Bronx and popping up at settings for working-class New Yorkers: a bodega, a construction site and a firehouse. Trump returned to the city in September to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Manhattan tower and again in the final stretch of the presidential campaign when he held a rally at Madison Square Garden that drew immediate blowback as speakers made rude and racist insults and incendiary remarks . At the stock exchange, the ringing of the bell has been a tradition since the 1800s. The first guest to do it was a 10-year-old boy named Leonard Ross, in 1956, who won a quiz show answering questions about the stock market. Many times, companies listing on the exchange would ring the bell at 9:30 a.m. to commemorate their initial offerings as trading began. But the appearances have become an important marker of culture and politics -- something that Trump hopes to seize as he’s promised historic levels of economic growth. The anti-apartheid advocate and South African President Nelson Mandela rang the bell, as has Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone with his castmates from the film “The Expendables.” So, too, have the actors Robert Downey Jr. and Jeremy Renner for an “Avengers” movie and the Olympians Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin. In 1985, Ronald Reagan became the first sitting U.S. president to ring the bell. “With tax reform and budget control, our economy will be free to expand to its full potential, driving the bears back into permanent hibernation,” Reagan said at the time. “We’re going to turn the bull loose.” The crowd of traders on the floor chanted, “Ronnie! Ronnie! Ronnie!” The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed in 1985 and 1986, but it suffered a decline in October 1987 in an event known as “Black Monday.” Long reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Josh Boak in Washington contributed to this report.
NoneThe A-List Clinic, led by Nurse Practitioner Czarina Enriquez , is changing weight loss accessibility with affordable, personalized programs that consider the whole person—not just diet and exercise. The clinic emphasizes open access to weight loss medications and supportive, guided care, making effective weight loss solutions available to everyone. Holistic Approach to Weight Loss Enriquez has been in nursing for over a decade, working in different settings—medical/surgical floor, hospice, and urgent care. The most common thing she noticed in all of these positions was overweight patients with comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. Because of her experiences in the field, she formed The A-List Clinic . The clinic focuses on a personalized approach, taking into account factors beyond diet and exercise, such as stress, sleep, hormones, and genetics. This holistic view challenges traditional, oversimplified weight-loss methods and strives to improve how we talk about and treat obesity. Affordable Access to Medications: Semaglutide in California One of the greatest struggles that Enriquez has encountered in running the clinic has been facing shortages of medication for her patients. In addition to this, primary prescriptions such as Ozempic and Mounjaro aren’t always covered by insurance and can cost upwards of $1,500 per month out-of-pocket. She recognizes that price isn’t feasible for a lot of people, especially those who need it most. As such, the team at A-List Clinic has found a solution by using compounding pharmacies that have the same active ingredient as in the brand name drugs, making it much more affordable and available. Through such partnerships with compounding pharmacies, the clinic offers affordable options for popular weight loss medications, such as Semaglutide and Tirzepatide, which are often financially inaccessible through standard insurance. Expert-Led Support: Ozempic in California Czarina Enriquez , with over a decade of nursing experience, ensures patients receive careful, informed support, offering monthly follow-ups and detailed guidance on medication management to optimize outcomes. Enriquez feels medical guidance is essential, saying, “Nurse practitioners also play a key role in medical weight loss. It is very important to be monitored by a provider (MD, NP, etc) while on these medications, as there are side effects, and the dosing must be titrated in a specific way. Patients should not be doing this on their own.” Empowering Through Education The clinic is dedicated to demystifying weight loss, combatting stigma, and providing reliable information through various platforms like The Weigh-In Podcast and an active social media presence. To extend this educational mission, The A-List Clinic has partnered with Just Get Known , a New Jersey-based marketing firm that specializes in brand visibility and community engagement. This partnership enhances the clinic’s ability to reach and inform a larger audience about the complexities of obesity and weight management. By creating proper educational resources on the subject of obesity, Enriquez strives to focus on preventative care. “So many patients in the hospital were diagnosed with diabetes or hypertension. It is incredible that we now have access to stop these diseases in their tracks,” she says. This is all in service of ultimately changing the narrative on obesity. It is a chronic disease, but it still has a stigma surrounding it for the general population and even healthcare providers alike. “I always hear, ‘Can’t they just diet and exercise?’ And I’m sure these people have, but there are so many other factors: stress, lack of sleep, other health conditions like PCOS or autoimmune disorders, genetics, and environmental factors. Obesity should be treated like any other disease,” Enriquez elaborates. Future Outlook on Medical Weight Management With plans for expansion and new services like testosterone therapy, The A-List Clinic aims to continue offering accessible, science-backed weight loss solutions across more states, promoting preventative care for long-term health benefits. In Czarina Enriquez’s opinion, weight loss should be personalized to each individual. It’s not as simple as diet and exercise—stress, sleep, hormones, and environmental factors play a big role in weight too. Furthermore, weight loss medication should be accessible to everyone. “You can weigh less for way less than you think,” she says. *The San Francisco Examiner newsroom and editorial were not involved in the creation of this content.U.S. shares mixed at close of trade; Dow Jones Industrial Average down 0.22%
An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump’s political coalitionRape allegation against Jay-Z will not affect NFL relationship, says chief
By MICHELLE L. PRICE WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer , a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer’s comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks , whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar.” Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government , weighed in, defending the tech industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump’s world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift, and his presidential transition team did not respond to a message seeking comment. Musk, the world’s richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect , was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump’s movement but his stance on the tech industry’s hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent,” he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Related Articles National Politics | Should the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers? National Politics | Trump threat to immigrant health care tempered by economic hopes National Politics | In states that ban abortion, social safety net programs often fail families National Politics | Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case National Politics | New 2025 laws hit hot topics from AI in movies to rapid-fire guns Trump’s own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration , including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order , which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump’s businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club , and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country” and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country,” he told the “All-In” podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump’s budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes.They’re feeling a little hot under the collard. Come-hither cultivators vying for the title of North Carolina’s “sexiest collard farmer” are wilting with disappointment because they got down and dirty entering steamy pictures — only to be told they should have put some dressing on that salad. “I’m a little disappointed that this year they did not post my picture,” said farmer and defending champion Lee Berry, referring to the contest organizer’s Facebook page. Berry, 54, submitted a photo of himself wearing what he thought any true sex symbol of collard greenery should wear – nothing but collard greens themselves – and was sure he would clinch the crown again. But the competition’s organizer – who holds voting for the contest on his Facebook page, “The State You’re In” – said he feared Berry’s photo might get flagged by Facebook’s censors and bring the entire contest crashing down. “You don’t want to lose your account for posting nudity or things like that,” said the organizer, who asked to remain unnamed, to the Telegraph . “There’s three photos that I didn’t even want to post on social media,” he added. Though Berry’s photo remains in the running, rather than being featured at the top of the page along with more than 20 other competitors he was asked to post his photo in the comments below the vote. Since the winner is determined by the photo that get the most “likes,” Berry thinks his chances of reclaiming the crown are seriously limited by his photo’s reduced exposure. “I’m not whining and b—hing and griping, but I just, I would have loved to have known beforehand that that wasn’t going to be displayed,” he said. And Berry isn’t the only entrant with a leaf to pick. David Correll, 50, went all out to take down Berry this year and stripped down for a candle-lit photoshoot in a bathtub full of collard greens. But his photo was bumped into the comments section, too, over fears it could be flagged by Facebook — leaving him somewhat baffled by the decision. “My picture showed a lot less skin than a lot of pictures you can find on Facebook, so I’m not really sure why they decided to censor it a little bit, but that’s OK,” he said. Facebook’s community standards bar sexually explicit or suggestive photos and specifically name “visible genitalia” or sex acts as being banned — none of which Berry, Correll or anybody in the running submitted. But the organizer said he didn’t want to run the risk and plans to amend the entry rules for next year’s competition to keep things more deliberately PG. “I think next year we’re going to make it where it’s a little more family friendly,” he said. With voting due to close by Tuesday, the current favorite to take home the 2024 crown is Patrick Brown, of Brown Family Farms, whose photo of himself looking cool-eyed into the camera alongside a green bushel has garnered a commanding lead of more than 3,500 votes. A website — http://www.CollardsOnly.com — has been set up to help organize the competition, which will turn the entrants’ photos into a calendar and raise funds to donate to Hurricane Helene victims. Even though the crown may elude Berry and Correll this year, both know it’s all about fun at the end of the day. “It’s all for fun, you know, just for laughs, and I’ve had a lot of phone calls from friends and some of my customers that got a real kick out of it, so that’s the main reason to do it, just to have a little fun,” Correll said.
Every CES or consumer electronics show is brimming with ambitious ideas that claim to change everything, yet most of them fade away before fulfilling even a fraction of their bold promises. Occasionally, however, a product emerges that reignites excitement and curiosity. Breggz has introduced the Zohn-1, a set of custom-fit earphones that has captured my attention in a meaningful way. Described as a harmonious blend of modern design, advanced materials, and meticulous hand assembly, the Zohn-1 sets high expectations. The brand promises remarkable audio fidelity paired with a personalized experience—a combination few hearables have achieved. Designer: Xander + Breggz Custom fitting does more than provide comfort or stability—it revolutionizes audio performance. When the Zohn-1 is precisely tailored to your ear’s unique contours, acoustic leaks are eliminated, enhancing bass response and delivering crystal-clear sound clarity. Balanced armature drivers, carefully positioned closer to the eardrum, amplify immersion by creating a direct sound path. This design enhances audio richness and allows for lower volume levels to achieve the same perceived loudness, reducing strain on your ears over time. By combining these elements, custom fitting becomes a critical factor in both audio quality and long-term ear health. The ear-scanning technology used in the Zohn-1 enables precise placement of the balanced armature drivers, which is key to achieving superior audio quality. During my chat with Breggz founder Xander, he revealed that they have incorporated a hearing test into the app. This test identifies missing frequencies in the user’s hearing, particularly in the high and low ends, and compensates for them through tailored sound adjustments. This thoughtful addition ensures a richer and more balanced listening experience, making the Zohn-1 highly personalized for each user. The scanning process transmits data to specialized companies that convert the visual information into 3D-printable files. These files are used to create a custom-shaped earphone shell, perfectly aligning with the unique contours of the user’s ears. This precise fit enhances comfort and significantly improves audio isolation and performance, creating a listening experience tailored to individual needs. The product design centers around the innovative combination of custom ear shells and a small, interchangeable module known as the pebble. This module supports modularity and significantly enhances the user experience by housing critical electronics in a compact, replaceable unit. The pebble ensures that components can be easily upgraded or repaired, providing convenience while maintaining seamless integration with the custom-fit ear shells. Its design also allows for personalization, with options for different materials and finishes, enhancing its appeal as a stylish accessory. Beyond aesthetics, the pebble holds most of the electronics and clicks securely into the personalized shells. This thoughtful design creates a handcrafted, ergonomic piece that fits snugly and rests in the ear with minimal pressure. By adopting this approach, Breggz achieves scalable production of the universal core while delivering a bespoke fit for each user. My current setup is the JH Audio 16, which has long been regarded as a gold standard for audiophiles. Its sound quality is undeniably exceptional, with detailed highs, balanced mids, and a dynamic bass range that few products can rival. However, the Bluetooth ear module that pairs with the JH Audio 16 leaves much to be desired. The module is bulky and awkward, making it uncomfortable for extended use. Its design feels like an afterthought, lacking aesthetic appeal and cohesiveness with the rest of the product. Additionally, the module’s high price point detracts from its overall value, despite the stellar sound quality of the JH Audio 16. The Zohn-1 promises to address these shortcomings through its integrated design and advanced features. By offering a modular approach with the pebble and focusing on comfort, aesthetics, and functionality, Breggz aims to deliver a more cohesive and user-friendly experience without compromising on audio fidelity. Breggz has designed the Zohn-1 with an impressive battery life of eight hours, making it suitable for a full day of listening. This functionality is further enhanced by a stylish charging case that adds to its practicality and serves as a piece of functional art. The case extends the total playtime to 40 hours before needing a recharge, making it ideal for long flights or weekend getaways. The charging case itself is a key component of the Zohn-1 experience. Featuring a gull-wing door system—a nod to upscale automotive design—it balances visual appeal with practicality, enhancing its functionality as a premium accessory. Beyond its style, the case can recharge the Zohn-1 up to five times, eliminating the need for frequent access to a power outlet. This functionality is particularly beneficial for users who often find themselves on the move. Additionally, the Zohn-1 supports a rapid charge function, allowing the battery to refill to 50% capacity in just five to ten minutes. This quick boost reduces the stress of forgetting to charge overnight, ensuring the earphones are ready to go with minimal downtime. Together, these features emphasize both convenience and thoughtful design, making the Zohn-1 a reliable companion for any lifestyle. Unboxing the Zohn-1 is an experience that emphasizes both personalization and aesthetic appeal. At the heart of the package are the custom-shaped earphones, designed to attach seamlessly to the balanced armature drivers. These earphones are crafted to fit uniquely to each user, reinforcing the tailored approach Breggz has taken with this product. Surprisingly, the package also includes a set of five silicone ear tips. While this might seem unusual for a custom-fit device, these tips are included to refine the fit further for those who may need subtle adjustments. They help seal small gaps or add extra comfort, ensuring that every user achieves a snug and optimal fit right out of the box. The charging case stands out as a highlight. Featuring a gull-wing door system, it combines design flair with functionality. This case supports both USB-C and induction charging, providing up to 40 hours of additional playtime. Its thoughtful design complements the premium positioning of the Zohn-1. To complete the unboxing, Breggz includes a proprietary cleaning kit and a leather carrying case. These accessories underline the brand’s commitment to quality and practicality, offering users a stylish and protective way to maintain and transport their earphones. The sustainability story is a big part of Breggz’s approach, even though it exists underneath the flashier features. By constructing the earpieces through an on-demand 3D printing pipeline, the company avoids wasting materials on unsold stock. Breggz has pointed out that glue-free assembly makes recycling more straightforward, and the shell and pebble design could theoretically be taken apart for future upgrades. This is meant to reduce the electronic waste that builds up when entire devices are discarded every year. The extended battery life and ability to replace or repair smaller components reinforce that direction. Breggz is pushing the notion that luxury and eco-friendliness can coexist, which could set them apart if they manage to turn these broad claims into everyday reality. The materials used in this design reflect a premium direction, with an emphasis on sustainability and luxury. Breggz has revealed that the Zohn-1 meets CE and FCC standards for safety and performance. The shell is 3D-printed to order, and there is potential for those who want to go all out with metals such as gold. The pebble itself gets a leather covering that can be swapped with other textures or colors, turning the functional electronics into something that can be personalized for style. In my discussion with the Breggz founder, Xander, he highlighted the unique combination of advanced personalization, modular design, and sustainability at the core of this product. The custom ear-scanning process, which eliminates the need for audiologists, and the 3D-printed shells tailored to each individual user are just the beginning. Features like the interchangeable “pebble,” high-quality, balanced armature drivers, and eco-conscious materials reflect the thoughtful design philosophy behind the Zohn-1. I am eagerly waiting to test the Zohn-1 and discover whether it truly lives up to its promise. By maintaining a consistent focus on easy assembly, upgradable electronics, and 3D-printed customization, Breggz has already distinguished itself from the chorus of wireless earbuds at CES. If this product delivers as envisioned, it could redefine what consumers expect from personalized audio technology.'Govt To Allocate Space For Manmohan Singh's Memorial': Shah Informs Kharge, Dr Singh's Family