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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Cole Anthony drove for a layup with 1.3 seconds left to complete the Orlando Magic’s 17-point fourth-quarter comeback Sunday in a 102-101 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Cam Thomas missed a jumper from the corner at the final horn. Anthony scored 10, and Tristan da Silva scored 13 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter for Orlando, which was down 71-50 midway through the third quarter. Goga Bitadze added 19 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. The Magic’s comeback was their second in eight days after Orlando rallied from 25 points down to beat Miami 121-114 on Dec. 21. Thomas came off the bench with 25 points to lead the Nets in his first game since Nov. 25. Jalen Wilson added 16 points including two free throws with 6.2 seconds left. Thomas, Brooklyn’s leading scorer with 24.7 points per game, played 25 minutes after missing 13 games with a strained left hamstring. Takeaways Nets: Losing for the seventh time in nine games, the Nets played for the first time without Dorian Finney-Smith, who was traded early Sunday to the Los Angeles Lakers. In their four games against the Magic this season, the Nets used 11 different starters. Only Cam Johnson started all four games. Magic: The Magic completed a four-game season series sweep of the Nets and concluded a 3-4 holiday home stretch. They overcame double-digit second-half deficits in all three of their wins against Miami, Boston and Brooklyn. Key moment A 3-pointer by Anthony, who did not play in the first half, launched a 13-0 Orlando run after they had fallen behind by 20 points. Key stat The Nets shot 13 for 30 from 3-point range. Up next The Nets are at Toronto and the Magic are at Detroit on Wednesday night. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba[Lim Woong] The allure of the past vs. AI anxiety
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Online predators are becoming increasingly resourceful in trolling media platforms where children gravitate, prompting an explosion in police case loads, said an officer who works for the RCMP Integrated Child Exploitation Unit in British Columbia. Data show the problem spiked during COVID-19 when children began spending more time online — but rates did not wane as police anticipated after lockdowns ended. In B.C., they soared, almost quadrupling from 2021 to 2023. Const. Solana Pare is now warning exploitation of children is likely here to stay, as a technological race between police and predators gains momentum. "Technology is becoming more and more available, and online platforms and social media sites are being used by children younger and younger, which provides an opportunity for predators to connect with them," Pare said in an interview. Police say child exploitation cases in B.C. went from about 4,600 in 2021 to 9,600 in 2022 to 15,920 reports last year. The upwards trend is seen nationally, too. Statistics Canada says the rate of online child sexual exploitation reported to police rose by 58 per cent from 2019 to 2022, and police data show cases have continued to rise. The RCMP's National Child Exploitation Crime Centre reported that from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, it received 118,162 reports of suspected online child sexual exploitation offences — a 15 per cent increase compared with the previous year. Online child sexual exploitation, Pare explained, includes offences such as sextortion, child luring and the creation or distribution of sexually explicit images of a minor. "We don't see these types of reports going away," Pare said. "We only see them increasing because the use of electronic devices and social media, and kids being online earlier and earlier is becoming more common. There's going to be more opportunity for predators to target children online." Monique St. Germain, general counsel for the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, said the most common type of child luring is communicating with a youth online in order get them to produce sexual abuse material. She said "the pandemic accelerated those types of cases, and it hasn't slowed down." "The tools (Canadian authorities) have to deal with this type of behaviour are inadequate for the scope and the scale of what's going on," she said. The rise of 'sextortion' Online exploitation gained international attention in 2015 in the case of Port Coquitlam, B.C., teenager, Amanda Todd, who died by suicide after being blackmailed and harassed online by a man for years, starting when she was 12. The month before the 15-year-old died, she uploaded a nine-minute video using a series of flash cards detailing the abuse she experienced by the stranger and how it had affected her life. It's been viewed millions of times. Dutch national Aydin Coban was extradited to Canada for trial and, in October 2022, he was convicted of charges including the extortion and harassment of Todd. Since then, the term "sextortion" has made its way into the vernacular as more cases come to light. Among them was Carson Cleland, a 12-year-old Prince George, B.C., boy who died by suicide in October 2023 after falling victim to the crime. In New Brunswick that same month, 16-year-old William Doiron took his own life after falling victim to a global sextortion scheme. Mounties across Canada have issued news releases warning of increased cases in their communities, noting that the consequences for the victims can include self-harm and suicide. St. Germain said technology, such as artificial intelligence, is also becoming more user-friendly. "The existence of that technology and its ease of use and ready accessibility is a problem, and it is going to be an increasingly large problem as we move forward," she said. Pare said police are also adapting to technological advancements in order to keep up with the ever-changing online landscape. "Police are constantly obtaining training on digital technologies to increase our knowledge and understanding of all the intricacies involving their use and how to capture any digital evidence," she said. Pare said the true rates of the crime are impossible to determine, but pointed to increased social awareness and legislation across North America around mandatory reporting of child abuse material from social media companies as a potential reason for the increase. It's not going undetected any longer, she said. "Additionally, there's been a lot of use in artificial intelligence to detect child exploitation materials within those platforms." Pare said "it's up to each individual platform" to ensure there is no child sexual abuse material on their sites or apps. "With mandatory reporting, it's putting the onus back on the electronic service providers to ensure they have measures in place to prevent this from happening, and if it is happening that it is being reported," she said. "That being said, there are times when things don't get located." That is why the Canadian Centre for Child Protection has been advocating for the adoption of the Online Harms Bill that the federal government introduced in February, St. Germain said. "It's shocking that up until now, we've relied on companies to self regulate, meaning we've just relied on them to do the right thing," she said. "What we are seeing in terms of the number of offences and in terms of all the harm that is happening in society as a result of online platforms is completely tied to the decision not to regulate. We need to have rules in any sector, and this sector is no different." 'Canada is realy behind' The Online Harms Bill covers seven types of harms, from non-consensual sharing of intimate images to content that can be used to bully a child. Earlier this month, Justice Minister Arif Virani announced the Liberal government will split the bill into two parts: dealing with keeping children safe online, and combating predators and issues related to revenge pornography. “We are putting our emphasis and prioritization and our time and efforts on the first portion of the bill,” Virani told reporters on Dec. 5. Such measures would include a new Digital Safety Commission of Canada, which would compel social media companies to outline how they plan to reduce the risks their platforms pose to users, particularly minors. It would have the power to levy fines and evaluate companies’ digital safety plans. St. Germain said such a split "makes sense," noting that most objections to the bill are related to changes to the Criminal Code and not measures around curbing harms to children. "There obviously are differences of opinion in terms of what is the best way forward, and what kind of regulatory approach makes sense, and who should the regulator be, but there does seem to be consensus on the idea that we need to do more in terms of protecting children online," she said, adding that the organization is still in support of the second half of the bill. She said the United Kingdom previously passed its own Online Safety Act that will come into effect in 2025, which includes requiring social media firms to protect children from content such as self-harm material, pornography and violent content. Failure to do so will result in fines. "Canada is really behind," she said. "The amount of information that has come out of the U.K., the amount of time and care and attention that their legislatures have paid to this issue is really quite remarkable, and we really hope that Canada steps up and does something for Canadian children soon." In the absence of national legislation, province's have filled the void. In January, B.C. enacted the Intimate Images Protection Act, providing a path for victims to have online photos, videos or deep fakes expeditiously removed. Individuals are fined up to $500 per day and websites up to $5,000 a day if they don't comply with orders to stop distributing images that are posted without consent. B.C.'s Ministry of the Attorney General said that as of Dec. 11, the Civil Resolution Tribunal had received a total of 199 disputes under the Intimate Images Protection Act. It said the Intimate Images Protection Service had served more than 240 clients impacted by the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, adding that four awards of $5,000 each and one for $3,000 had been supplied as of mid-December. Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Alberta and Saskatchewan have also enacted legislation targeting unauthorized distribution of intimate images. St. Germain said the use of provincial powers is also necessary, but it's not enough. "A piece of provincial legislation is going to be very difficult to be effective against multiple actors in multiple countries," she said, noting that the online crime is borderless. "We need something bigger — more comprehensive. We need to use all tools in the tool box." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 29, 2024.
Gap CFO Katrina O'Connell sells $2.23 million in stockSpreading joy online: Holiday kindness challengesIt turns out the magic potion needed to end Aston Villa’s miserable run came in a bottle of peroxide applied to Morgan Rogers’s hair. The England midfielder went bright blond after a trip to the barbers and could not have been happier with the results – his opening goal giving Villa lift-off as they finally won a match after going eight games without victory. Rogers also provided an assist for Matty Cash after Ollie Watkins had scored from the penalty spot, with only Mikkel Damsgaard’s second-half goal making it slightly nervy after the interval. “They can do whatever they like with that but, on the field, I want them committed, working tactically and with the attitude we need to play serious and compact and disciplined,” said Unai Emery, the Villa manager. “Then he can be the protagonist, not for his hair and more for his football. Scoring like he did was fantastic, because this is the way to get confidence again.” The first 45 minutes was an emphatic answer to whether this was a mini-blip for Emery, or a more deep-rooted problem for the team who shook up the natural order in the Premier League last season by finishing in the Champions League places. Rogers has enjoyed a stunning few weeks, making his England debut last month and backing it up with a match-winning performance just when there were suggestions of Villa heading towards crisis. Such is the competitiveness of this season, victory takes Villa within sight of the European places, despite their recent run. “The message is to try and focus on each match and forget the table and how we were then and how we are now,” Emery added. “I don’t want to speak about what it does for the table. I spoke before about the top five, but now we have to keep calm and recover.” Rogers’s hair was the highlight of an opening period short on quality and desperate for somebody to stamp their mark on the game, which the Villa midfielder did by running from his own half into enemy territory and then swapping passes with Watkins before curling into the top corner. Watkins scored his seventh goal of the season with a penalty after winning the spot kick himself, getting knocked off balance by Ethan Pinnock as he ran through on goal. Young referee Lewis Smith, who made his Premier League debut last season, was backed by VAR, but it was a tight call. Rogers provided the assist for the third goal, floated to the far post, where Cash volleyed in. Emery had made a huge call dropping Pau Torres to give Tyrone Mings his first Premier League start of the season, and first since conceding a penalty against Club Brugge with a bizarre handball when he thought the ball was dead. Denmark midfielder Damsgaard pulled one back for Brentford but their run of failing to win away this season continued. All the final scores from an action-packed evening. Goal-happy Chelsea and Arsenal have cut Liverpool’s lead to seven points. Manchester City’s seven-game winless run ended without drama at the Etihad and they’re back up to fourth, nine behind Arne Slot’s men. At the bottom, Everton scored four to move up to 15th place. Wolves and Southampton, mired in the relegation zone, were on the receiving end of thrashings. Arsenal 2 Manchester United 0 Aston Villa 3 Brentford 1 Everton 4 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 Manchester City 3 Nottingham Forest 0 Newcastle United 3 Liverpool 3 Southampton 1 Chelsea 5 Villa ran riot in the opening 35 minutes and that fierce start was more than enough to ensure all three points. They move up to seventh, passing ninth-placed Brentford. Morgan Rogers will be good for dozens more England caps, based on his influential display. Home is where the happiness is for both Villa and Brentford. They will seek to improve their away form in coming months. Arsenal reduce the deficit to leaders Liverpool to seven points. Once again, their set-pieces made the difference. Some lessons for Ruben Amorim. He never said it would be easy. United frustrated the home side in the first half, but Arsenal’s quality showed after the hour mark and the away side offered little of substance in attack. Declan Rice swings in a corner and it hits a few heads at the front post, nearly going in for another goal. No team seems able to handle Arsenal’s set-piece threat. Four minutes of stoppage time. Sharp set-piece work from Manchester United, but no cigar. That was one straight off the training pitch. Fernandes plays it to Antony on the left after shaping to shoot from a free kick. He shot hard and straight at Raya, who collected it after Kiwior chested it down to him. A few minutes left here and at Villa Park. Looks like both home teams will hold on. Every time Arsenal have a corner - and they’ve had 12 - they look capable of scoring. Tyrone Mings heads just over from a corner. Encouraging performance from the 31-year-old after a lengthy lay-out due to a knee injury. The home side look a bit less nervy. Yet another Arsenal goal from a set-piece. A Saka corner to the back post and Thomas Partey cannons a header in. It comes off Saliba’s derriere, with several United defenders crammed together on the goal-line. Thoughtless defending there, just when United had enjoyed a positive spell. A Var check briefly appears to be checking for handball, but it’s over quickly. David Raya seemed to hang in the air for seconds, diving to his left to keep out a Matthijs De Ligt header from a free kick. We’ve had some goalkeeper howlers tonight, but that is top-draw from the Spaniard. Manchester United are looking more confident and fluent as they chase an equaliser. This is an important spell in the match. Villa were cruising at 3-0 but that Damsgaard goals has made it quiet around Villa Park. Brentford could make this a very nervous second half with another goal, given the run Unai Emery’s team have been on. Twinkle-toed Rasmus Damsgaard jinks and jives around a few Villa defenders and hammers the ball into the net. The ball had been poorly headed away by Cash - well, more like headed into the Dane’s path, but he had a lot to do. Arsenal have a chance to reduce Liverpool’s advantage after the leaders’ all-action draw on Tyneside. Chelsea are now seven points down on Arne Slot’s players and are the top scorers in the Premier League, with 31 goals in 14 games. At the other end, it’s a priceless three points for Everton. The manner in which they did it will restore a lot of confidence and belief too. Few positives to take for Southampton, mind, who played most of the match with ten players. Everton 4 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 Manchester City 3 Nottingham Forest 0 Newcastle United 3 Liverpool 3 Southampton 1 Chelsea 5 As it ends honours even in Newcastle, Liverpool’s title rivals Arsenal are a goal to the good. Declan Rice swung in a corner and Jurrien Timber comes through a crowded six-yard box and glances the ball home, with Onana rooted to the spot. A few suggestions of a push lead to no action from the referee. Big penalty shout in the dying embers as the ball strikes Dan Burn as he turns away. Nothing doing from the ref - good call. Meanwhile, Manchester City and Chelsea are minutes away from comfortable victories. Kelleher will be up all night thinking about that mistake. He saw a deep free kick sailing over his head and took his hands away, thinking it would go out. Big mistake. Fabian Schar slides in at the back post and converts it from an acute angle. Fine finish, but the Liverpool goalkeeper should have claimed that. They were queuing up, with five against three on the break. Jadon Sancho smashes home a rare goal, lashing in the ball. He seems to be enjoying his football again in a Chelsea shirt. Sheer quality from Mo Salah. Time seems to slow down when he takes the ball. Alexander-Arnold crosses, Salah controls it with his right leg, turns in an instant and fires the ball home with his left. No wonder Slot is pumping his fists. Salah comes very close to a winner, weaving in on the right and slamming the stanchion with his shot. Nick Pope was beaten. Alexander-Arnold and Szoboslai have revitalised Slot’s men, coming off the bench. Cole Palmer taps in from a yard out, helping on a trickling Nkunku shot which was part-blocked. It was coming. Chelsea could have had eight. After the famine comes the goal feast for Sean Dyche’s players. Dominic Calvert-Lewin marks his return to the starting XI with a goal, diving in with a header from a free-kick. More woe for Wolves and their leaky defence. Well, in fact, it was a second Craig Dawson own goal. Little quality to report from Arsenal v Manchester United so far. A very different story at Villa Park. Arsenal 0 Manchester United 0 Aston Villa 3 Brentford 0 Wolves fans are taunting Gary O’Neil and calling for his sacking. It has been like shooting practice at St Mary’s. Joao Felix miscued a headed sitter and Lumley saves well with his feet from Madueke. A dispiriting evening for the ten men of Southampton. What a response from Arne Slot’s side. Trent Alexander-Arnold, so often the assister, fired it into the near post from the byline and Mo Salah helped it into the far corner. Cute finish, passing it through Newcastle. The away side are showing their fighting spirit. Anthony Gordon gives Newcastle the lead again. Isak drew Quansah in and that was all the space the England international needed. He cut inside Gomez sharply, then hit it low past Kelleher. The keeper got a hand to it, but it was not enough. Matty Cash bags his first goal in 20 months, hitting home from a deflected Morgan Rogers cross at the back post. He got it on target from an acute angle and it had too much heat for Flekken. Villa are purring here. A Jeremy Doku special. Running from the halfway line, he bamboozles a back-tracking defender and curls the ball past Sels into the corner. Fine individual goal. It’s looking good for City and Guardiola. Ship a little steadier? That ought to be three precious points in the bag. Calvert-Lewin rises highest at the back post to head in from a corner. However, it transpires that it came off Dawson’s hands. Maybe that explains the sheepish celebration from the striker. Ollie Watkins was bundled over in the box by Ethan Pinnock and he pops up to roll the penalty into the back of the net - just. Flekken guessed right, but his hand wasn’t strong enough. On the right flank, Salah spots Curtis Jones haring into the box and picks him out perfectly. He steers it in off the crossbar on the half-volley. Pope was caught a bit flat-footed, but there was too much pace on it. New haircut, same quality from bleach-blond Morgan Rogers. He made that chance too. He drove forward, got the ball back from Watkins, opened up his body and curled the ball into the top-right corner from the edge of the 18-yard box. Classy finish. Everton deservedly ahead. Wolves will be doomed if they keep setting themselves the challenge of needing to score three a game to win. They have the capacity to create chances and might prey on home nerves as the game progresses if they can one back, but if Everton stay positive they will score more in the second half. Andre Onana nearly gave a goal away early doors by passing out to the Arsenal attack. United have barely got out of first gear, it’s all Arsenal at the moment. Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers has made an eye-catching start to the game - with his new hairstyle. The England midfielder has bleached blonde hair, which is a very different look to earlier in the season when he earned his international call-up. Chelsea could have had five or six goals and they trot off a man to the good against hapless Southampton. Everton are halfway to a precious three points and Manchester City’s seven-match winless run could be over in an hour’s time. Work to do for Arne Slot and Liverpool after Alexander Isak’s sublime finish. Everton 2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 Manchester City 2 Nottingham Forest 0 Newcastle United 1 Liverpool 0 Southampton 1 Chelsea 3 Wolves’ vulnerabilities exposed again as Everton finally double their lead. The visitors just aren’t tough enough defensively. This is turning into the perfect game for Dyche to relieve pressure. The two 8.15pm kick-offs are underway. You can follow Arsenal v Manchester United here - Maguire and Mount are starting, interesting - and Villa v Brentford has just started. Chelsea don’t look comfortable defensively but Southampton have gifted them two goals. The first the result of a simple failure to defend from a corner and the second, one of the unfortunate hallmarks of their season, a calamitous attempt to play out from the back. Christopher Nkunku won’t score an easier goal than that. It’s been an eventful half for Gvardiol, who is notionally a left back but spending most of this game popping up in positions you’d expect of a No. 10. He has three league goals this season and probably should have had another two tonight, heading an inviting chance wide in the 15th minute and then dragging a shot wide when one on one after being released by Haaland. In between times, he was knocked off the ball by Jota Silva, who teed up Morgan Gibbs-White for a chance Ortega pushed wide. Attacking wise Gvardiol has been a real threat, defensively he has looked less sure. It goes from bad to worse for Russell Martin and bottom-of-the-table Southampton. Jack Stephens pulls Marc Cucurella’s hair and he’s sent off. Clear as day. A silly, petulant foul. No way back for the home side now, surely. Alexander Isak with the best goal of the evening so far. He blasts an unstoppable shot from 25 yards out after wrongfooting Virgil van Dijk, which takes some doing. Impressive power and accuracy. Orel Mangala gives Everton a buffer. The ball came back to him on the edge of the box and he made no mistake, helped by a slight deflection to make it past Jose Sa. They had not scored in the Premier League since the end of October, now two goals have come along in the first 33 minutes. Noni Madueka has room on the right, cuts inside Manning and shoots past Lumley into the fast corner. His star continues to rise. And there are more goals coming... Kevin De Bruyne lashes home Manchester City’s second. Doku jinked inside and his compatriot was afforded far too much space to fire high into the corner of the net past Sels. A neatly-worked goal, it is like he has never been out of the team. Bodes well for ending the winless run, but City have thrown away bigger leads in recent weeks... Chris Wood misses when through on goal. Sloppy play from De Bruyne passing back gifted it to the prolific New Zealander who charged through. Ortega dived to his left but the ball rolled wide of the right post. That’s a big let-off for Guardiola’s men. After a prolonged VAR check, Tarkowski’s goal is disallowed for Mangala blocking Lemina during the free-kick. It’s highly contentious. It’s an escape for Wolves, but their biggest problem right now is they can’t defend. Wolves will feel a few dodgy decisions in their favour are overdue, but not even the staunchest away fan would have complained had Tarkowski’s goal stood. It looks like the kind of unnecessary intervention Howard Webb promised would stop. Lumley redeems himself a little with a smart save from Cole Palmer, palming it onto the post after the on-form Englishman was put through. From the corner, Tosin heads onto the crossbar. Southampton need to be careful or this game will quickly get away from them. It will be interesting to see how Brentford get on without their engine room. Mathias Jensen and Christian Norgaard are out injured and the central midfielders are replaced by Yehor Yarmolyuk and Vitaly Janelt from the team that defeated Leicester 4-1. City have started with a bang and that man Kevin De Bruyne’s return to the starting XI seems to have given them added impetus. He picked out Erling Haaland with a pinpoint pull back that the Norway striker lashed at Matz Sels and has just played his part in City taking the lead, firing a header goalwards from Ilkay Gundogan’s cross that Bernardo poked in on the line. James Tarkowski rises, heading a Dwight McNeil free-kick into the bottom corner to give Everton a buffer... but Var rules it out. Orel Mangala was deemed to be offside. Nevertheless, Dyche’s men have started strongly. That is an early Christmas gift. No danger at all for Southampton as the defence looks to build from the back. The goalkeeper Lumley plays it slowly towards a defender, the watchful Madueke pounces and passes it to Nkunku who taps the ball into an empty net. Joe Lumley was more like Joanna Lumley there. The home side are in front and Everton have their first goal in four Premier League matches. Ashley Young bends in a low free-kick from 25 yards out round the outside of the Wolves wall. That is his 50th Premier League and his first for 26 months. Game on at the South Coast. Walker-Peters waltzes into the area and plays a ball across and Joe Aribo makes amends, tapping it past Jorgenson. That’s just desserts for the dynamic way the relegation strugglers have started. Bernardo Silva pinches the opener. Gundogan made a late run and sent a well-judged dink to the back post where Kevin De Bruyne threw himself at it. His effort was goalbound, but Bernardo Silva got the final touch about 50 centimetres from the goal line. He’s nabbed that one. Just the start Pep Guardiola wanted. Axel Disasi nods home Enzo Fernandez’s corner at the front post. The Southampton defence were like statues. Having had a gilt-edged chance of their own, the home side are already a goal down. Guardiola has taken a leaf out of Lee Carsley’s book by starting Jack Grealish in midfield alongside De Bruyne and Gundogan. Grealish hasn’t scored in the league this season and City could really do with the England midfielder finding some form. Joe Aribo has missed an absolute sitter from ten yards out. Well-stopped by Jorgenson but it should have been tucked well out of his reach. Goals have been hard to come by for Russell Martin’s basement dwellers and they might be made to rue that. Here are the 7.30pm kick-offs about to get underway. Christmas anthems are pumping at stadiums around the country and opponents’ hands are being limply shaken: Everton v Wolverhampton Wanderers Manchester City v Nottingham Forest Newcastle United v Liverpool Southampton v Chelsea The great Beto renaissance lasted just one game, sadly for the Everton striker. Dominic Calvert-Lewin returns with Sean Dyche demanding more from him. Calvert-Lewin might be entitled to demand more service to oblige the request. Everton desperately need a win given their schedule. Wolves will sense a chance to prove they are in a false position. Joao Felix, Nkunku and Madueke are up top among seven changes made by Enzo Maresca. Only Cucurella is retained at the back, while Filip Jorgensen makes his first Premier League start in goal. Well, Chelsea do have the strength-in-depth to make these kind of wholesale changes and still come out on top. For the home side, Harwood-Bellis, Downes and Dibling are all suspended, in come Bree, Wood, Aribo and Ryan Fraser. Southampton: Lumley; Walker-Peters, Bree, Stephens, Wood, Manning; Fernandes, Aribo; Armstrong, Archer, Fraser. Substitutes: McCarthy, Edwards. Sugawara, Taylor, Cornet, O’Brien-Whitmarsh, Amo-Ameyaw, Brereton Diaz, Kamaldeen. Chelsea: Jorgensen; Gusto, Disasi, Tosin, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Joao Felix; Nkunku. Substitutes: Sanchez, Badiashile, Colwill, Veiga, Dewsbury-Hall, Lavia, Neto, Sancho, Jackson. Tyrone Mings and Leon Bailey start in place of Pau Torres and Jaden Philogene for the home side. A pair of tweaks for Brentford too, as Yehor Yarmoliuk and Vitaly Janelt slot in for Christian Norsgaard and Mathias Jensen. Kick off is at 8.15pm. Gabriel is out injured, alongside defensive partner Riccardo Calafiori. Zinchenko and Kiwior come in at the back, while Thomas Partey gets the call ahead of Leandro Trossard on the wing. Mikel Arteta’s fourth change to their five-goal shellacking of West Ham is opting for Thomas Partey ahead of Jorginho. Ruben Amorim said he would rotate the squad and he has made six amendments to the starting team who won with similar comfort against Everton at the weekend. Maguire and Ugarte are in for the suspended Martinez and Mainoo. Amad makes way for Malacia. Mount, Garnacho and Hojlund come in, with weekend scorers Rashford and Zirkzee on the bench. Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Martinelli, Saka, Havertz. Substitutes: Neto, Tierney, Heaven, Jorginho, Merino, Nwaneri, Trossard, Sterling, Jesus. Manchester United: Onana; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Maguire; Dalot, Ugarte, Fernandes, Malacia, Mount, Garnacho, Hojlund. Substitutes: Bayindir, Kukonki, Yoro, Casemiro, Eriksen, Amad, Antony, Rashford, Zirkzee. Here it is in good old black-and-white. One change for Eddie Howe’s side, as Jacob Murphy replaces Joe Willock. Alexander Isak is fit and starts. Three for Liverpool, as Jarrell Quansah, Curtis Jones and Darwin Nunez come into the line-up. Luis Diaz, Dominik Szoboszlai and Trent Alexander-Arnold start on the bench. Newcastle United: Pope, Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall, Tonali, Guimaraes, Murphy, Joelinton, Isak, Gordon. Subs: Dubravka, Wilson, Barnes, Targett, Osula, Almiron, Kelly, Willock, Longstaff. Liverpool: Kelleher, Gomez, Van Dijk, Quansah, Robertson, Mac Allister, Jones, Gravenberch, Salah, Gakpo, Nunez. Substitutes: Jaros, Endo, Diaz, Szoboszlai, Elliott, Nallo, Alexander-Arnold, Morton, Nyoni. Kevin De Bruyne is back and pulling on the captain’s (rainbow, I expect) armband today for his first start in nearly three months. The experienced Belgian midfield magician is one of four changes to City’s starting XI in their 2-0 defeat against Liverpool. Josko Gvardiol, Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish are also starting. Doku gave them a little more energy and penetration when he came on in the second-half at Anfield. Anthony Elanga is one of three changes made by Nuno Espirito Santo for Forest, alongside Dominguez and Moreno. Manchester City: Ortega; Gvardiol, Dias, Akanji, Ake; Grealish, Doku, De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Gundogan, Haaland. Substitutes: Ederson, Carson, Walker, Savinho, Nunes, Wright, O’Reilly, Lewis, McAtee. Nottingham Forest: Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Moreno; Yates, Dominguez, Jota Silva, Gibbs-White, Elanga, Wood. Substitutes: Carlos Miguel, Morato, Williams, Anderson, Awoniyi, Hudson-Odoi, Da Silva Moreira, Ward-Prowse, Sosa. Good evening and welcome to Telegraph Sport ’s live, minute-by-minute Premier League clockwatch. There are six matches to get stuck into on a busy Wednesday night of action, four kicking off at 7.30pm and a brace at 8.15pm. League leaders Liverpool are away to Newcastle United. It’s an opportune time to be visiting, as Eddie Howe’s side are experiencing an inconsistent patch of form. Can they show their best and slow down Slot and company’s saunter to the title? In stark contrast, defending champions Manchester City have not won in seven matches, which has never happened under Pep Guardiola’s guardianship. The aura has gone, their defence has looked nervy and leaky, but surely the free-fall will end - and there will not be a seven-finger salute from their manager to away fans tonight. “We don’t have a squad [due to injuries],” Guardiola said. Rodri and John Stones are still crocked; Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake were previously out for a significant period of time. They go up against a very game Nottingham Forest outfit who will move ahead of them if they win at the Etihad. Who would have thought that possible four months ago? Unbeaten in five, Enzo Maresca’s free-scoring Chelsea have an opportunity to move into second place tonight, as the Londoners travel to bottom side Southampton. Wesley Fofana is out, nursing a hamstring injury sustained in Sunday’s win over Villa, but Southampton have a swathe of players banned or on the treatment table. They’ll be missing Tyler Dibling and Taylor Harwood-Bellis, whose bookings in their last match mean they are suspended tonight. In a match between fellow relegation fighters, Everton play Wolves. The home team hasn’t won in five and pressure is building on Sean Dyche. If the visitors take three points, they will move above their opponents and out of the relegation zone. The pick of the lot is 8.15pm kick-off, as Arsenal go up against rivals Manchester United. After Ipswich, Bodo/Glimt and Everton, this is Ruben Amorim’s first big test. Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo are suspended, though the side are unbeaten in seven games. Nevertheless, coming away from London with anything will be a big ask. Mikel Arteta’s men will be brimming with confidence after putting five past their last two opponents and United have lost seven of their last nine at the Emirates. “I have to say it again: the storm will come,” said Amorim yesterday, who warned after the match against Ipswich that United are “going to suffer for a long period”. “We know that we are in a different point, if you compare to Arsenal. We will try to win it and we go with confidence to win but we know that we need to play very well to win the next football match.” Rounding out the night’s action, in a mid-table clash, eighth-placed Brentford travel to Aston Villa (12th) in the other 8.15pm GMT kick-off. Team news coming imminently.
ST. LOUIS, Dec. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Marketing Alliance, Inc. MAAL ("TMA" or the "Company"), announced its financial results today for its fiscal 2025 second quarter ended September 30, 2024. Fiscal Q2 2025 Financial Key Items (all comparisons to the prior year period) Revenues were $4,928,950 compared to $4,891,830. The increase was primarily due to 10% revenue growth in the insurance distribution business that was offset by a decline in construction revenue Operating income from continuing operations of $486,639 compared to $591,187 in the prior year period Net income was $401,511 or $0.05 per share compared to $236,599 or $.03 per share in the prior year period Subsequent to the end of the quarter, on October 28, the Company announced its Board of Directors had authorized a share repurchase program to repurchase up to 800,000 shares of issued and outstanding common stock and decided to discontinue paying dividends effective immediately Management Comments Timothy M. Klusas, TMA's Chief Executive Officer, commented, "While our bottom-line results were similar to the second fiscal quarter last year, this quarter showed a 10% revenue increase in the insurance distribution business. The investments in the business we made, and continue to make, appeared to begin to result in growth. During this quarter the Company filled two key open leadership roles, introduced a new logo to reflect a more modern customer-centric company, and integrated new tools and technologies on to our insurance distribution platform for customers to save time, save expense, and in turn drive better outcomes for their customers. In the construction business we completed a large job that was initiated in the prior fiscal year. We continued to maintain a very disciplined approach to only undertaking jobs that were economically profitable with respect to our capabilities. We continued to believe this approach positions us to perform better and have capacity to undertake more suitable jobs." Mr. Klusas added, "Our general and administrative operating expenses increased this quarter due to a one-time $147,720 non-cash compensation expense. While we have worked very hard to reduce our expenses, we recognized that we may have to adjust these expenses to continue to perform at a high level. We continued to reduce debt and further strengthened our balance sheet by changing our position on dividends." On October 28 the Company announced its approval of a share repurchase authorization and its decision to discontinue the dividend. At the time, Timothy Klusas, the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "The share repurchase authorization represents our financial strength and commitment to enhance shareholder value, and the Board's willingness to change tactics to do so. The Board recognized, nor did it take lightly, that this action would be a significant change in our shareholder distribution strategy of paying dividends, which the Company has paid consistently since its founding in 1996. The Board arrived at this decision after monitoring the stock price while paying dividends and has concluded in its judgement that its dividend policy was not adequately reflected in the stock price." As of November 27, the Company has repurchased approximately 62,000 shares under this authorization. Fiscal Second Quarter 2025 Financial Review Revenues were $4,928,950 compared to $4,891,830, due to 10% growth in the insurance distribution business that was offset by a decrease in the construction business. Net operating revenue (gross profit) for the quarter was $1,367,731, compared to net operating revenue of $1,427,796 in the prior year fiscal period. While Net operating revenue was greater this quarter in the insurance business, it was offset by a decrease in the construction business versus the prior year quarter. Operating expenses increased to $881,092 compared to $836,609 for the prior year. The increase was due to a one-time non-cash expense of $147,720. The Company reported operating income from continuing operations of $486,639 compared to $591,187 in the prior year period, with differences due to factors discussed above. Operating EBITDA (excluding investment portfolio income) of $553,396 was less than the prior year quarterly EBITDA of $669,709. A note reconciling operating EBITDA to operating income can be found at the end of this release. Investment gain (loss), net (from non-operating investment portfolio) for the quarter was $61,203 as compared with ($129,263) during the same period the previous year. The Company has reduced its holdings of equity securities by 32% at the end of the quarter versus the prior year. Net income was $401,511, or $0.05 per share, compared to $236,599 or $0.03 per share. Common shares outstanding increased 100,000 pursuant to Director retention plans. Balance Sheet Information TMA's balance sheet on September 30, 2024, reflected cash and cash equivalents of $1.4 million; working capital of $6.1 million; and shareholders' equity of $6.4 million; compared to cash and cash equivalents of $1.8 million, working capital of $6.1 million, and shareholders' equity of $6.5 million as of September 30, 2023. About The Marketing Alliance, Inc. Headquartered in St. Louis, MO, TMA provides support to independent insurance brokerage agencies, with a goal of integrating insurance and "insuretech" engagement platforms to provide members value-added services on a more efficient basis than they can achieve individually. Investor information can be accessed through the shareholder section of TMA's website at: http://www.themarketingalliance.com/shareholder-information . TMA's common stock is quoted on the OTC Markets ( http://www.otcmarkets.com ) under the symbol "MAAL". Forward Looking Statement Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may affect TMA's business and prospects. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding our expectations of growth based upon our investments in our business, our recently announced stock repurchase program, our plans to reduce expenses, and our ability to undertake more suitable jobs and generate earnings from our construction business. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release represent our estimates, expectations or intentions only as of the date hereof, or as of such earlier dates as are indicated, and should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date. These statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, expectations of the economic environment, material adverse changes in economic conditions in the markets we serve and in the general economy; the ways that insurance carriers may react in their underwriting policies and procedures to the continuing risks they perceive from public health matters; the ability of our construction business to be engaged for projects and for those projects to commence on the anticipated timetable and with the anticipated profitability; our reliance on a limited number of insurance carriers and any potential termination of those relationships or failure to develop new relationships; privacy and cyber security matters and our ability to protect confidential information; future state and federal regulatory actions and conditions in the states in which we conduct our business; our ability to work with carriers on marketing, distribution and product development; pricing and other payment decisions and policies of the carriers in our insurance distribution business, changes in the public securities markets that affect the value of our investment portfolio; and weather and environmental conditions in the areas served by our construction business. While we may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so. . Contact: The Marketing Alliance, Inc. -OR- The Equity Group Inc. Timothy M. Klusas, President Jeremy Hellman, Vice President (314) 275-8713 (212) 836-9626 tklusas@themarketingalliance.com www.TheMarketingAlliance.com jhellman@equityny.com CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS Three Months Ended Six Months Ended September 30, September 30, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Insurance commission and fee revenue $ 4,315,325 $ 3,915,691 $ 8,582,736 $ 7,814,835 Construction revenue 592,270 944,139 689,722 1,124,941 Other insurance revenue 21,355 32,000 42,035 61,800 Total revenues 4,928,950 4,891,830 9,314,493 9,001,576 Insurance distributor related expenses: Distributor bonuses and commissions 2,852,956 2,598,684 5,874,359 5,158,737 Business processing and distributor costs 446,389 339,392 837,784 633,267 Depreciation 1,913 2,859 4,834 5,751 3,301,258 2,940,935 6,716,977 5,797,755 Costs of construction: Direct and indirect costs of construction 197,034 461,617 328,465 615,160 Depreciation 62,927 61,482 125,189 118,494 259,961 523,099 453,654 733,654 Total costs of revenues 3,561,219 3,464,034 7,170,631 6,531,409 Net operating revenue 1,367,731 1,427,796 2,143,862 2,470,167 Total general and administrative expenses 881,092 836,609 1,608,367 1,826,789 Operating income from continuing operations 486,639 591,187 535,495 643,378 Other income (expense): Investment gain, net 61,203 (129,263) 23,983 22,949 Interest expense (31,331 ) (50,625) (74,658 ) (97,320) Other income - - 4,938 - Income from continuing operations before provision 516,511 411,299 489.758 569,007 for income taxes Income tax expense 115,000 174,700 138,100 192,900 Net Income $ 401,511 $ 236,599 $ 351,658 376,107 Average Shares Outstanding 8,210,266 8,081,266 8,210,266 8,081,266 Operating Income from continuing operations per Share $ 0.06 $ 0.07 $ 0.07 $ 0.08 Net Income per Share $ 0.05 $ 0.03 $ 0.04 $ 0.05 CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS Sept 30, Sept 30, 2024 2023 ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,373,965 $ 1,764,444 Equity securities 2,768,917 4,054,377 Restricted cash 2,098,557 613,932 Accounts receivable 6,937,248 7,091,640 Current portion of notes receivable 541,860 120,921 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 172,557 130,159 Total current assets 13,893,104 13,775,473 PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT , net 762,452 965,129 OTHER ASSETS receivable, net due to the allowance 63,614 565,186 Restricted cash - 1,893,097 Operating lease right-of-use assets 115,183 250,735 Total other assets 178,797 2,709,018 $ 14,834,353 $ 17,449,620 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY CURRENT LIABILITIES Accounts payable and accrued expenses 4,980,015 5,537,353 Dividends payable - 404,663 Line of credit payable - 675,000 Current portion of notes payable 2,604,804 920,898 Current portion of finance lease liability 119,946 35,509 Current portion of operating lease liability 76,956 130,285 Liabilities related to discontinued operations 677 677 Total current liabilities 7,782,398 7,704,385 LONG-TERM LIABILITIES Notes payable, net of current portion and debt issuance costs 291,174 2,831,359 Finance lease liability, net of current portion - 123,084 Operating lease liability, net of current portion 35,951 112,907 Deferred taxes 313,000 216,000 Other liabilities related to discontinued operations - - Total long-term liabilities 640,125 3,283,350 Total liabilities 8,422,523 10,987,735 SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Preferred stock, no par value, 10,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding - - Common stock, no par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized, 8,081,266 shares issued and outstanding September 30, 2023 8,210,266 shares issued and outstanding September 30, 2024 1,173,061 1,025,341 Retained earnings 5,238,769 5,436,544 Total shareholders' equity 6,411,830 6,461,885 $ 14,834,353 $ 17,449,620 Note – Operating EBITDA (excluding investment portfolio income) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended EBITDA Calculation September 30, September 30, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Operating Income from Continuing Operations $ 486,639 $ 591,187 $ 535,495 $ 643,378 Add: Depreciation/Amortization Expense $ 66,757 $ 78,522 $ 141,508 $ 151,283 EBITDA (Excluding Investment Portfolio Income) $ 553,396 $ 669,709 $ 677,003 $ 794,661 The Company elects not to include investment portfolio income because the Company believes it is non-operating in nature. The Company uses Operating EBITDA as a measure of operating performance. However, Operating EBITDA is not a recognized measurement under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, and when analyzing its operating performance, investors should use Operating EBITDA in addition to, and not as an alternative for, income as determined in accordance with GAAP. Because not all companies use identical calculations, its presentation of Operating EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies and is therefore limited as a comparative measure. Furthermore, as an analytical tool, Operating EBITDA has additional limitations, including that (a) it is not intended to be a measure of free cash flow, as it does not consider certain cash requirements such as tax payments; (b) it does not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, its working capital needs; and (c) although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized often will have to be replaced in the future, and Operating EBITDA does not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements, or future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments. To compensate for these limitations, the Company evaluates its profitability by considering the economic effect of the excluded expense items independently as well as in connection with its analysis of cash flows from operations and through the use of other financial measures. The Company believes Operating EBITDA is useful to an investor in evaluating its operating performance because it is widely used to measure a company's operating performance without regard to certain non-cash or unrealized expenses (such as depreciation and amortization) and expenses that are not reflective of its core operating results over time. The Company believes Operating EBITDA presents a meaningful measure of corporate performance exclusive of its capital structure, the method by which assets were acquired, and non-cash charges and provides additional useful information to measure performance on a consistent basis, particularly with respect to changes in performance from period to period. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Total Energy Services Inc. (OTCMKTS:TOTZF) Short Interest Update
Year-Ender 2024: Rolling Out New Criminal Laws, CAA Major Tasks Of MHADune: Prophecy ‘s fourth episode was full of political and familial intrigue, moves and countermoves, and Desmond Hart murdering people with his mind once more. But the episode’s most shocking moment came at the end, after an angry Valya Harkonnen let her uncle die. She turned to find her long-dead brother Griffin standing in the room. Only it was no vision or ghost she embraced. It was a real person: Sister Theodosia. How did Theo physically transform into a totally different person? For these Dune: Prophecy answers, we need to look at the Known Universe’s shape-shifters, also known as Face Dancers...even though they won’t make their presence felt in Dune for another 10,000 years. Are There Shape-Shifters in Dune ? The Face Dancer, Explained Frank Herbert introduced shape-shifters to Dune in his second novel Dune Messiah . Known as Face Dancers, they are a “ sterile race of metamorphic transhumans ” created by the Bene Tleilax, an elitist race of people who specialize in bioengineering. The Tleilax make their genetically-enhanced Face Dancers in their secret Axlotl tanks. Those are the same machines that can also make a type of clone ( gholas ) from the cells of a human cadaver, another important technology in Dune lore that could be explored in future adaptations. Dune: Prophecy showed where Dune ‘s Face Dancers get their name. When they physically change into another human their face appears to be “dancing.” They can do that thanks to additional muscles and nerves normal humans don’t have. These Dune shapeshifters also rely on advanced training that gives them control over their body. Face Dancers can also perfectly mimic voices as well. The transformation of the Face Dancers is far more than just physical, though. They’re also highly skilled at understanding human psyches and can accurately capture and portray the personality of those they copy. That ability to totally inhibit another makes them highly valuable for spying, infiltration, and killing. Only Reverend Mothers of the Bene Gesserit could identify Face Dancers via their highly attuned observational skills. Who Are the Bene Tleilaxu of Dune ? The devoutly religious isolationists who lived on the planet Tleilax were a secretive group. For thousands of years no one ever encountered a female member of the race. The Tleilax had been around for many years, existing on the fringes of the Imperium outside the Empire. They became major figures in the Known Universe starting with the reign of Emperor Paul Atreides. (For those hoping to avoid spoilers for a potential Dune Messiah adaptation from Denis Villeneuve , we won’t go into their future story.) In many ways, the chauvinistic, spiritual Bene Tleilaxu stand as the opposite side of the same coin as the science-based women of the Bene Gesserit. Unlike the Sisterhood, though, the rest of the universe found the Tleilaxu repulsive for their manipulation of the human body. Only, none of that should matter until 10,000 years after the setting of HBO’s series . Did Face Dancers Exist During the Time of Dune: Prophecy ? There’s nothing from official Dune lore, either Frank Herbert’s own works or his son’s expansion of the franchise, that indicates the shapeshifting Face Dancers existed ten thousand years before the birth of Paul Atreides. But people did live on the planet Tleilax, then called Tlulaxa, during the Butlerian Jihad that freed humanity from the Thinking Machines . And during that battle one of the things the “flesh merchants” of Tlulaxa did was grow and sell body parts to doctors, a forerunner to the technology the Bene Tleilax would employ millennia later. Is it possible the highly secretive civilization was also covertly creating early versions of shape-shifters that long ago? Yes, it is possible, even if it might seem improbable. A ten thousand-year gap between the first Face Dancers and the ones who emerge in Dune Messiah isn’t that hard to accept. The Known Universe won’t change much over all that time thanks to spice and the covert work of the Bene Gesserit, a group who measures its own plans in centuries and longer. It’s not impossible another group with strong convictions also made plans designed to unfold over a large swath of time. With Dune: Prophecy exploring/creating its own lore, we can only speculate over Theo’s story, but the show did give us some insight into her past. Why Did Theo Shape-Shift Into Griffin Harkonnen on Dune: Prophecy ? Theo has never wanted to talk about her past or where she comes from. In episode four, she also said she had one rule for joining the Sisterhood. No one was ever supposed to ask her to use her secret ability. We now know that Theo’s secret Dune: Prophecy power is shape-shifting. A desperate Reverend Mother Superior Valya brought Theo with her to Salusa Secundus to ask Theo to do the only thing Theodosia said she wouldn’t. After learning who Griffin is and how Valya still holds on to her late brother’s memory, Sister Theodosia transformed into the dead Harkonnen. Valya, who, more than anyone alive, would know what was happening in that moment, still succumbed to Thea’s transformation. Valya’s emotional, raw reaction captured the true power of Face Dancers, even a seemingly early version of the group like Theo. Seeing the Mother Superior’s reaction helped Theo understand the kind of sacrifice Valya had made in returning to the family that ostracized her. By becoming Griffin, she was able to recognize Valya isn’t asking anything of her that Valya isn’t willing to do it herself. Now Theo, secret Face Dancer, is seemingly willing to put “Sisterhood above all.” She knows what she must do now, even though that means doing the one thing she never wanted to. What will that mean for Valya and Theo? The Sisterhood and the Imperium? Desmond Hart and the Emperor? Those are just questions for Dune: Prophecy . Considering what we know will happen 10,000 years later we also are left to wonder how Theo’s emergence will influence the Bene Tleilax for generations to come. Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist and definitely not a Face Dancer, no need to check. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike . And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings. This article first appeared on Nerdist and was syndicated with permission.
Unrest Erupts in Techiman South as NDC Supporters Protest Parliamentary Election ResultsTechnology entrepreneur Elon Musk has caused uproar after backing Germany’s far-right party in a major newspaper ahead of key parliamentary elections in the Western European country, leading to the resignation of the paper’s opinion editor in protest. Germany is to vote in an early election on February 23 after Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party governing coalition collapsed last month in a dispute over how to revitalise the country’s stagnant economy. Mr Musk’s guest opinion piece for Welt am Sonntag – a sister publication of Politico owned by the Axel Springer Group – published in German over the weekend, was the second time this month that he has supported the Alternative for Germany, or AfD. “The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is the last spark of hope for this country,” he wrote in his translated commentary. He went on to say that the far-right party “can lead the country into a future where economic prosperity, cultural integrity and technological innovation are not just wishes, but reality”. The Tesla Motors chief executive also wrote that his investment in Germany gives him the right to comment on the country’s condition. The AfD is polling strongly, but its candidate for the top job, Alice Weidel, has no realistic chance of becoming chancellor because other parties refuse to work with the far-right party. Billionaire Mr Musk, an ally of US President-elect Donald Trump, challenged in his opinion piece the party’s public image. “The portrayal of the AfD as right-wing extremist is clearly false, considering that Alice Weidel, the party’s leader, has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka! Does that sound like Hitler to you? Please!” Mr Musk’s commentary has led to a debate in German media over the boundaries of free speech, with the paper’s own opinion editor announcing her resignation, pointedly on Mr Musk’s social media platform, X. Eva Marie Kogel wrote: “I always enjoyed leading the opinion section of WELT and WAMS. Today an article by Elon Musk appeared in Welt am Sonntag. I handed in my resignation yesterday after it went to print.” A critical article by the future editor-in-chief of the Welt group, Jan Philipp Burgard, accompanied Mr Musk’s opinion piece. “Musk’s diagnosis is correct, but his therapeutic approach, that only the AfD can save Germany, is fatally wrong,” he wrote. Responding to a request for comment from the German Press Agency, dpa, the current editor-in-chief of the Welt group, Ulf Poschardt, and Mr Burgard – who is due to take over on January 1 – said in a joint statement that the discussion over Mr Musk’s piece was “very insightful. Democracy and journalism thrive on freedom of expression.” “This will continue to determine the compass of the ‘world’ in the future. We will develop ‘Die Welt’ even more decisively as a forum for such debates,” they wrote to dpa. We do not moderate comments, but we expect readers to adhere to certain rules in the interests of open and accountable debate. Last Updated: Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
This is as close to feeling pure schadenfreude as this writer has ever come. For years, the Left has argued that gender is fluid. That was the basis in which they sought unlimited power and control over the language. Because gender was fluid, they argued, they couldn't be held to any gender norms and could be perpetually offended by, well, everything. So to see that argument come back and bite them on the butt warms the cockles of this writer's heart. Take a gander at this: Justice Alito asking if trans status is immutable is one of the greatest legal questions I've ever seen. Civil Rights exist solely based upon immutable human traits. Gender fluidity, by definition, is not immutable. Pure brilliance by Alito today. CHEF'S. KISS. This is correct: civil rights are based on immutable human traits. If gender is fluid and changing, it's not immutable. Game. Over. It truly was brilliant. I’m losing brain cells listening to Sotomayor and KBJ, though. Comparing “GAC” to interracial marriage? Seriously? They're not too bright. I could save them the time, I could give them several names of people who I know to have gone back and forth on whether they are trans, some as far back as ten years ago. They want to have their metaphorical cake and eat it, too. Merriam-Webster to alter the definition of, “immutable,” in the near future. Would anyone be surprised? Nope. Its even more apparent than gender fluidity. By definition "trans" is transition ergo not immutable. Rice destroyed the claim care was sex based when it isn't based upon sex at all but reason/purpose based. It really doesn't sound like thing are going well for the trans activist crowd. can't believe the mentally ill lady is having a hard time going up against Alito https://t.co/rNtv69qfOI Totally (not) shocking. Interesting. https://t.co/dL38HsrQps It is interesting. We'll see what the Supreme Court does when they issue their ruling on the case.
Jewish community leaders have vowed to rebuild a firebombed synagogue “bigger and better” as senior federal and state police meet to determine a motive for the anti-Semitic attack. “We’ll come back bigger and better,” Adass Israel Synagogue of Melbourne board member Benjamin Klein said. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: State and federal police in urgent talks over Melbourne synagogue firebombing. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today “The building will be a beautiful jewel in the crown once again. “There’ll be a huge rebuilding campaign, which we’re running at the moment.” Two of the synagogue’s three buildings were gutted in a fire during the early hours of Friday and the premises remain closed to the public. Police have confirmed they are also investigating reports of a bullet found on a footpath near the synagogue on Saturday afternoon. Klein praised police for their “phenomenal and helpful” work while speaking to reporters at a rally for the synagogue on Sunday. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Victorian and federal police would meet on Monday to discuss what motivated the attack and whether or not it could be classified as a terrorism incident. “If you want my personal view, quite clearly, terrorism is something that is aimed at creating fear in the community,” Albanese told reporters in Perth on Sunday. “And the atrocities that occurred at the synagogue in Melbourne clearly were designed to create fear in the community, and therefore, from my personal perspective, certainly fulfil that definition of terrorism.” Victoria Police says it has been working with Australian Federal Police since the investigation began, with the organisations to make further assessments on Monday. Hundreds of people gathered in solidarity in Ripponlea on Sunday following the firebombing. They included the granddaughter of one of the architects of the synagogue — modelled on a Budapest synagogue before it was destroyed in the Holocaust — who said the community would come together in its time of need. “This is a community of survivors, so we’re going to survive regardless, and we have the moral strength to keep going and to stand for what we believe in,” she said. The firebombing has fuelled political division, with cabinet minister Murray Watt accusing Opposition Leader Peter Dutton of politicising the incident. Senator Watt rejected Dutton’s claims Albanese had not done enough to address anti-Semitism and that the government had made Australia less safe for Jewish people. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu linked the synagogue attack to Australia’s decision to support a non-binding United Nations General Assembly resolution.Addressing a separate rally in central Melbourne later on Sunday afternoon, Australian Palestine Advocacy Network President Nasser Mashni decried the synagogue attack. Branding the culprits responsible as racists and fascists, his remarks echoed those issued earlier via a statement from the organisation. “Such acts of violence not only target Jewish communities but also fuel broader hate,” the statement said. “Racist attacks on religious institutions — whether a synagogue, mosque, church or any place of worship — are unacceptable whether in our local communities or anywhere in the world.” However, Mashni said Netanyahu’s attempt to cast Australia as anti-Semitic was a shameless distraction from his government’s crimes against humanity.TricorBraun to Acquire Veritiv's Rigid Containers Business, Further Expanding Its North American Footprint
President-elect Donald Trump said in an interview that aired on Sunday that he would act on his first day in office to pardon rioters involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, further building expectations for a broad granting of clemency. "I'm going to be acting very quickly, first day," Trump said on NBC News' "Meet the Press with Kristen Welker" when asked when he planned to pardon his supporters who were charged in the attack aimed at overturning his 2020 election defeat. Trump told Welker that there could be "some exceptions" to his pardons if the individuals had acted "radical" or "crazy" during the assault, which left more than 140 police officers injured and led to several deaths. READ | Trump declares Russia and Iran in ‘weakened state’, says Putin ‘not interested in protecting’ Syria's Assad But Trump described the prosecutions of his supporters as inherently corrupt and did not rule out pardoning the more than 900 defendants who had already pleaded guilty, including those accused of acting violently in the attack. "I'm going to look at everything. We're going to look at individual cases," Trump said. The comments - Trump's most detailed on the issue of pardons since he defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov. 5 election - will likely add to already high expectations for broad action once Trump is sworn into office on Jan. 20. "He continues to put out the public message closer and closer to what the J6 community is asking for, which is clemency for all of the January 6ers," Suzzanne Monk, a longtime advocate for defendants charged in the riot, told Reuters. Hopes among Jan. 6 defendants and their supporters for broad-based clemency have been growing over the past week after President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, marking a reversal from his pledge not to interfere with his son's criminal cases. Biden said Hunter deserved a pardon because he was the victim of political persecution, an argument Trump will likely use to justify mass pardons. Some Biden critics said his decision would lessen the political cost for Trump. Kimberly Wehle, a professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law, said she was worried broad amnesty for Jan. 6 defendants would serve to wrongly incentivize the fomenting of unrest or even violence on behalf of a president. "The idea that he's going to reward people for violating the law on his behalf in connection with an attempt to overthrow legitimate election results... that's not precedented," said Wehle, author of a recent book on presidential pardon power. 'NASTY SYSTEM' In what has been billed as America's largest-ever criminal investigation, at least 1,572 defendants have been charged in the Jan. 6 attack, with crimes ranging from unlawfully entering restricted grounds to seditious conspiracy and violent assault. Of that total, more than 1,251 have been convicted or pleaded guilty and 645 have been sentenced to prison, with punishments ranging from a few days to 22 years, according to the latest data from the Justice Department. John Pierce, a lawyer who has represented dozens of Jan. 6 defendants, urged Trump to issue a blanket pardon for all who were charged with participating in the riot. "I just don't know how you do it otherwise," he said, noting that it would be difficult to parse which conduct out of the scores of cases that have already worked their way through the legal system would merit a pardon. "I think you would see a lot of unhappy people in the January 6 community" if pardons were granted on a case-by-case basis, he said. In the NBC interview, Trump lamented those held for long periods of detention, saying they were being kept in "a filthy, disgusting place that shouldn't even be allowed to be open." He described them as being victims of a "very nasty system." READ | Donald Trump says 'can't guarantee tariffs won't impact US prices', keeps door open for revenge prosecutions Attorney Norm Pattis believes pardons should cover his clients, Zachary Rehl and Joseph Biggs, two former leaders of the Proud Boys militant group sentenced to 15 and 17 years in prison after a jury convicted them of seditious conspiracy. Pattis said Trump, in promoting the idea that the 2020 election had been stolen from him through widespread fraud - an assertion for which there is no evidence - prompted his clients to believe that they had to take drastic action. "He needs to own the fact that he created a tremendous sense of expectations with his claims about a stolen election, and people responded to him as President of the United States," Pattis said. "I would hope that he would pardon broadly." Pattis said it was unclear how Trump might draw a line excluding some defendants from clemency due to acts of violence. Jake Lang, a New York man who was charged with assaulting police officers and has been held in jail before trial, said he was hopeful he would be swept up in a blanket pardon. "I think on January 20, 2025, we are going to see a similar situation to Hunter Biden," Lang said in a phone interview. “Everybody's pardoned, full exoneration. Get them all out of prison and get this thing over with, so that we can start the national healing process.”Blue Owl Capital Co. III ( NYSE:OBDE – Get Free Report ) saw an uptick in trading volume on Friday . 625,167 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 311% from the previous session’s volume of 152,000 shares.The stock last traded at $15.24 and had previously closed at $15.19. Blue Owl Capital Co. III Trading Up 0.4 % The business has a 50-day moving average of $14.77 and a 200-day moving average of $14.66. The company has a quick ratio of 1.76, a current ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The stock has a market cap of $1.88 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.66. Blue Owl Capital Co. III Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a — dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.06 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 30th. This represents a dividend yield of 9.4%. Blue Owl Capital Co. III’s dividend payout ratio is 79.55%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Blue Owl Capital Co. III Blue Owl Capital Co. III Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Blue Owl Capital Corporation is a specialty finance company focused on lending to U.S. middle-market companies. Blue Owl Capital Corporation is based in NEW YORK. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Blue Owl Capital Co. III Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Blue Owl Capital Co. III and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
The U.S. Department of Education this week advised that all schools should work with students, teachers and parents on crafting policies to manage cellphone use. In a 37-page released Tuesday, the department outlined how to form a “co-design” team of youth and adults, and how that team can set policy goals, build understanding, implement the policy, collect feedback and data, and make changes as needed. “Co-design is based on the theory that if a policy works better for those who are ultimately affected, there will be more support for and fidelity to the policy,” the document states. It also presents evidence that smartphones and social media hurt student academic performance and . How schools respond to that evidence must be decided at the state and local level, according to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “Different school communities have different needs, and the nuances of this issue demand that local voices — parents, educators and students — inform local decisions around the use of personal devices in school,” Cardona said in a . The guidance comes as a wave of cellphone restriction policies sweep through U.S. schools. Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest school district in the nation, will implement a bell-to-bell next year, and countless others have issued their own bans and restrictions. Statewide school cellphone bans have been passed in , , and , and a handful of other states have adopted restrictions that fall short of a ban. At least nine other state departments of education have issued policy recommendations or pilot programs, and 11 more states have introduced legislation to restrict cellphone use, according to the independent policy research company . All told, 29 states have taken political action on the issue. In California, the requires all state public schools to limit or ban smartphones by July 2026. “In this digital age, every elementary, middle and high school should have a clear, consistent, and research-informed policy to guide the use of phones and personal devices in school,” Cardona said in a public statement. “That is why we are issuing a new guide to help support education officials and local communities in developing policies that are understandable and enforceable, and prioritize learning while ensuring student safety.”
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