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bet365 download NoneA federal appeals court panel on Friday unanimously upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok in a few short months, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for its survival in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied TikTok's petition to overturn the law — which requires TikTok to break ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance or be banned by mid-January — and rebuffed the company's challenge of the statute, which it argued had ran afoul of the First Amendment. “The First Amendment exists to protect free speech in the United States,” said the court's opinion, which was written by Judge Douglas Ginsburg. “Here the Government acted solely to protect that freedom from a foreign adversary nation and to limit that adversary’s ability to gather data on people in the United States.” TikTok and ByteDance — another plaintiff in the lawsuit — are expected to appeal to the Supreme Court, though its unclear whether the court will take up the case. “The Supreme Court has an established historical record of protecting Americans’ right to free speech, and we expect they will do just that on this important constitutional issue," TikTok spokesperson Michael Hughes said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the TikTok ban was conceived and pushed through based upon inaccurate, flawed and hypothetical information, resulting in outright censorship of the American people,” Hughes said. Unless stopped, he argued the statute “will silence the voices of over 170 million Americans here in the US and around the world on January 19th, 2025.” Though the case is squarely in the court system, its also possible the two companies might be thrown some sort of a lifeline by President-elect Donald Trump, who tried to ban TikTok during his first term but said during the presidential campaign that he is now against such action . The law, signed by President Joe Biden in April, was the culmination of a years-long saga in Washington over the short-form video-sharing app, which the government sees as a national security threat due to its connections to China. The U.S. has said it’s concerned about TikTok collecting vast swaths of user data, including sensitive information on viewing habits , that could fall into the hands of the Chinese government through coercion. Officials have also warned the proprietary algorithm that fuels what users see on the app is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who can use it to shape content on the platform in a way that’s difficult to detect — a concern mirrored by the European Union on Friday as it scrutinizes the video-sharing app’s role in the Romanian elections. TikTok, which sued the government over the law in May, has long denied it could be used by Beijing to spy on or manipulate Americans. Its attorneys have accurately pointed out that the U.S. hasn’t provided evidence to show that the company handed over user data to the Chinese government, or manipulated content for Beijing’s benefit in the U.S. They have also argued the law is predicated on future risks, which the Department of Justice has emphasized pointing in part to unspecified action it claims the two companies have taken in the past due to demands from the Chinese government. Friday’s ruling came after the appeals court panel, composed of two Republican and one Democrat appointed judges, heard oral arguments in September. In the hearing, which lasted more than two hours, the panel appeared to grapple with how TikTok’s foreign ownership affects its rights under the Constitution and how far the government could go to curtail potential influence from abroad on a foreign-owned platform. On Friday, all three of them denied TikTok’s petition. In the court's ruling, Ginsburg, a Republican appointee, rejected TikTok's main legal arguments against the law, including that the statute was an unlawful bill of attainder or a taking of property in violation of the Fifth Amendment. He also said the law did not violate the First Amendment because the government is not looking to "suppress content or require a certain mix of content” on TikTok. “Content on the platform could in principle remain unchanged after divestiture, and people in the United States would remain free to read and share as much PRC propaganda (or any other content) as they desire on TikTok or any other platform of their choosing,” Ginsburg wrote, using the abbreviation for the People’s Republic of China. Judge Sri Srinivasan, the chief judge on the court, issued a concurring opinion. TikTok’s lawsuit was consolidated with a second legal challenge brought by several content creators - for which the company is covering legal costs - as well as a third one filed on behalf of conservative creators who work with a nonprofit called BASED Politics Inc. Other organizations, including the Knight First Amendment Institute, had also filed amicus briefs supporting TikTok. “This is a deeply misguided ruling that reads important First Amendment precedents too narrowly and gives the government sweeping power to restrict Americans’ access to information, ideas, and media from abroad,” said Jameel Jaffer, the executive director of the organization. “We hope that the appeals court’s ruling won’t be the last word.” Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, lawmakers who had pushed for the legislation celebrated the court's ruling. "I am optimistic that President Trump will facilitate an American takeover of TikTok to allow its continued use in the United States and I look forward to welcoming the app in America under new ownership,” said Republican Rep. John Moolenaar of Michigan, chairman of the House Select Committee on China. Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who co-authored the law, said “it's time for ByteDance to accept” the law. To assuage concerns about the company’s owners, TikTok says it has invested more than $2 billion to bolster protections around U.S. user data. The company has also argued the government’s broader concerns could have been resolved in a draft agreement it provided the Biden administration more than two years ago during talks between the two sides. It has blamed the government for walking away from further negotiations on the agreement, which the Justice Department argues is insufficient. Attorneys for the two companies have claimed it’s impossible to divest the platform commercially and technologically. They also say any sale of TikTok without the coveted algorithm - the platform’s secret sauce that Chinese authorities would likely block under any divesture plan - would turn the U.S. version of TikTok into an island disconnected from other global content. Still, some investors, including Trump’s former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and billionaire Frank McCourt, have expressed interest in purchasing the platform. Both men said earlier this year that they were launching a consortium to purchase TikTok’s U.S. business. This week, a spokesperson for McCourt’s Project Liberty initiative, which aims to protect online privacy, said unnamed participants in their bid have made informal commitments of more than $20 billion in capital.

Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon will forgo his senior year and enter the 2025 NFL Draft , he announced Friday. The 2023 Doak Walker Award winner is considered one of the top running back prospects in the upcoming draft. "From day one, I knew I was in the right place," Gordon wrote on social media. "The love, support, and family I've gained here will always be a part of me. ... Now, it's time to take the next step in living out my dream. I'm excited to announce that 1 am officially declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft. Thank you, OSU, for everything." Gordon started the year as CBS Sports Preseason All-American after rushing for 1,732 yards (6.1 yards per carry) and 21 touchdowns during his sophomore season. However, both Gordon and Oklahoma State suffered disappointing seasons in 2024. The junior managed just 880 yards on 4.6 yards per attempt as the Cowboys finished with a disappointing 3-9 record. Gordon finished his college career with 2,920 yards and 36 touchdowns on the ground. He also caught 80 passes for 585 yards and four touchdowns. Gordon ranks as the No. 59 overall draft prospect and the No. 5 running back in his class, according to CBS Sports. He sits behind Boise State's Ashton Jeanty , Ohio State's Quinshon Judkins , North Carolina's Omarion Hampton and Michigan's Kalel Mullings . Gordon was not listed as a first-round pick in any of CBS Sports' recent mock drafts. What it means for Oklahoma State Gordon declaring for the draft is a huge loss for Oklahoma State. The upcoming running back class is loaded with future talent, and it seemed like a possibility that Gordon could return to school for a chance to repair his draft stock. The program faces uncertainty after missing out on a bowl game for the first time since 2005. The school fired its offensive and defensive coordinators earlier this week and coach Mike Gundy is reportedly in a standoff with the school over a potential contract restructure and pay cut. The next couple of weeks may determine whether the Cowboys are looking to merely bounce back or enter a total rebuild.As an Asian and Jewish woman working in the hospital system, Serena Lee-Segal says antisemitism at work is a bigger problem now than her own experience of anti-Asian racism during COVID-19. “What I now experience as a Jewish health-care worker, the rise in this form of hate, has made me feel deeply uncomfortable and unsafe,” the occupational therapist told a news conference held by the Jewish Medical Association of Ontario (JMAO). “It’s scary and it’s something that urgently needs to be addressed.” The JMAO brought Lee-Segal and several doctors to the Ontario legislature this week to flag a “disturbing rise in antisemitism” experienced by some Jewish medical practitioners in the wake of the . “Many of our members have been doxxed and subjected to targeted harassment simply for being Jewish,” association president Dr. Lisa Salamon told a news conference Wednesday. “These attacks have profound mental health impacts and send a chilling message to all Jewish professionals in health care.” The association said its members have experienced antisemitism in comments or remarks by colleagues in conversation or at organized events, in clinical settings, at medical schools on university campuses, and in social media. A Toronto surgeon, who asked the Star to withhold her name for fear of further harassment, said she was recently the target of an “intense, hateful email campaign.” She received messages calling her a “Nazi” and a “white supremacist” among other insults after her email address was widely distributed by unknown doxxers. The JMAO’s concerns, which follow with a sharp rise in complaints about antisemitism, come amid a doctor shortage across the country. According to the Ontario Medical Association, the shortage has left 2.5 million people in this province without a family physician. The association used the news conference to present results of a survey of members of Jewish medical associations across the country. About 2,000 surveys were sent and 944 medical practitioners filled them out, including 476 in Ontario. Not all answered every question. The survey said just seven of the 944 — fewer than one per cent — felt antisemitism was severe in community, hospital or academic medical settings such as university medical schools before Oct. 7, 2023. A smaller number, 364, answered a question on whether they have experienced antisemitism on the job since then, with 294 saying “yes.” Asked if they are considering whether to leave North America in search of a better work environment, 236 of the 944 said “yes.” And asked if antisemitism since the Israel-Hamas war began has been the most professionally/personally challenging time of their life, 192 of 786 who responded to that question said “yes.” Of those 786 respondents, 43 said antisemitism has not changed their life significantly. Dr. Barry Pakes, who teaches at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health and organized the survey to take the pulse of the profession, said the results point to a level of distress. “When Jewish health-care professionals are afraid and harassed, it sends a dangerous message that discrimination is tolerated in our institutions,” added Pakes, a former York Region medical officer of health. “It weakens our health-care system at a time when it is already under tremendous strain,” added Pakes, who noted he has swapped his kippa, a Jewish skullcap, for a baseball hat in some situations after experiencing “catcalls.” Dr. Samuel Silver, an associate professor of medicine at Queen’s University, warned that in a “toxic environment,” Canada risks losing Jewish medical students to other jurisdictions when they graduate. “It’s unacceptable for whatever happens in the international sphere, however people feel about anything going on in the world, to affect their ability to care for patients, to work with their colleagues, to teach,” said Dr. Ayelet Kuper, chair of the JMAO and an associate medical professor at U of T. “We are now feeling at the very pointy end, and it’s something we have to address in our institutions,” she added. Lee-Segal blamed her union, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), for “visibly targeting Jews with hatred” as fellow members have flown the union flag at “protests condoning terrorism.” Many Jews consider some statements at pro-Palestinian protests, such as “from the river to the sea, Palestine shall be free” as a call for the eradication of Israel. Palestinian advocates dispute this interpretation. OPSEU, whose president JP Hornick appeared at rallies in support of the U of T pro-Palestinian encampment, did not reply to requests for comment on Lee-Segal’s allegations or on complaints filed against the union by Jewish members before the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal two months ago. The encampment at U of T, established by students and activists outraged by Israel’s military campaign in Gaza to pressure the university into restructuring its finances and academic relationships in order to sanction Israel, became a magnet for controversy. Before it was in early July, there were frequent rallies expressing support for protesters living in tents and solidarity with the people of Gaza. U of T president that there were incidents of offensive signs and language during the encampment and agreed antisemitism was a serious problem on campus. On social media and emails, these doctors are being harassed and professionally compromised. Lee-Segal said she was treating two patients in their eighties in hospital late last month — one of them a Holocaust survivor — who was “relieved” to see her wearing a Star of David necklace. “They expressed to me how nervous they were about the care they would receive due to the rise in antisemitism that they were seeing in our streets.” Antisemitic acts accounted for one-third of all reported hate crimes in Toronto in 2023, the last full year for which statistics are available, and were double the level of the previous year, Toronto police report. Seven per cent of reported hate crimes that year were anti-Muslim. In recent weeks, Toronto police charged two males with shooting at the Bais Chaya Mushka Elementary School for Jewish girls on Oct. 12, which was Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. It was the second time this year the North York School was targeted with gunfire. The Oct. 7, 2023 surprise attack by Hamas was the largest mass killing of Jews since the Holocaust. Some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and about 250 taken hostage by Hamas, with roughly 100 remaining in Gaza. One-third are believed to be dead, the Israel’s subsequent offensive against Hamas, considered a terrorist group by Canada and other countries, has killed over 44,500 Palestinians in Gaza, mainly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many are combatants.

US stocks experience mixed fortunes on quiet day of tradingW hen Islamist militants swept into her home town of Aleppo little over a week ago, Rama Alhalabi sheltered indoors as fear engulfed her. Forces loyal to president Bashar al-Assad , who had sought to reassure residents that nothing was happening, suddenly deserted the city. But as the insurgency pushed south, rapidly seizing control of the city of Hama on the road to Damascus, Alhalabi’s fears about life under militia rule have slowly ebbed. Instead they have been replaced by fears that her friends in the army will be abandoned by their commanding officers as Assad’s regime loses its grip. “People in Aleppo are feeling more comfortable now we’re further from the areas under the regime’s control,” said the 29-year-old, while still using a pseudonym in fear Assad could retake the city. “At the same time, I have many friends serving in the army and I don’t want them to get hurt. People with power inside the regime will protect themselves, and they will leave the poor fighters who were forced to join the army to face their awful fate alone. “Things changed insanely fast,” she added. “We can barely believe what’s happening.” As militants spearheaded by the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) massed outside the city of Homs and rebel forces said they had entered the vast southern suburbs of the capital, rapid change swept across Syria . The Syrian army declared it had “redeployed,” its forces in two restive provinces south of Damascus in the latest thinly-veiled message of retreat, days after they withdrew from Hama. In under a week, five provincial capitals across the country were suddenly no longer under Assad’s control. “We can hear the bombing nearby, and we are praying, hoping – and waiting,” said Um Ahmad, an elderly native of Homs, sheltering with her husband at home as the fighting drew close enough to be audible. Assad loyalists fled the city, while people who stayed only have a couple of hours’ electricity each day and what goods are left in the shops are unaffordable. Those remaining in Homs waited to see if this might be the end of Assad’s rule, while an insurgent commander told his regime’s forces inside the city that this was their “last chance to defect before it’s too late”. Um Ahmad was consumed by a single thought, that she might finally be able to see her sons again after a decade of separation and exile. “Most people are frightened but they fear the regime’s revenge more than anything else,” she said, as Russian and Syrian airstrikes pummelled the countryside around Homs and Hama. When a popular uprising swept cities across Syria in 2011 calling for Assad to go, it initially looked as if demonstrations could topple another regional autocrat. But the Syrian leader swiftly turned the state’s weapons on his own people to crush dissent. As the uprising slowly morphed into a civil war, Assad freed jihadist prisoners from his fearsome detention system to alter the forces rising up against him, before relying heavily on his allies in Russia and Iran to provide the military muscle he used to reclaim control. The civil war killed over 300,000 people in 10 years of fighting, with some estimates putting the true toll at twice that number. Tens of thousands remain in detention, including 100,000 believed missing or forcibly disappeared in Assad’s prisons since 2011, and subject to what United Nations monitors have described as systematic torture. Over 12 million people have been displaced. Assad kept control of Syria’s major cities for years, as battle lines from the country’s years-long proxy war hardened. HTS ruled over a mountainous pocket in the northwest, cut off from the outside world. The group appeared a dim threat to Assad until they suddenly launched an offensive that saw them take control of Aleppo within days. A few days after insurgents first entered Syria’s second city, the HTS leader known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani strode down the steps of its ancient citadel flanked by fighters among excited crowds. Jolani still retains a $10m bounty on his head from Washington due to the group’s former connections to al-Qaida, but his public appearances and direct communication with his followers have made him the figurehead of the insurgency. Meanwhile Assad has been largely absent, save for images of the Syrian president smiling while seated next to the Iranian foreign minister in Damascus. A statement from the Syrian presidency denied that Assad had fled the country or was making any sudden visit abroad, claiming that he was fulfilling “his national and constitutional duties” in Damascus. “Assad is facing a moment of reckoning... yet he is missing in action at this crucial moment with the future of his regime on the line,” said Fawaz Gerges, professor of international relations at the London School of Economics. “What we have seen is not only a military earthquake but a political one, for Syria and its regional allies. This was unthinkable a year ago. Regardless of what happens in the coming days, weeks and months, I doubt whether Assad could remain at the helm of the Syrian state. “Even though these events are surprising, I don’t think we appreciate just how much the Syrian state capacity has been degraded,” he said. “The army is demoralised, and starving.” Assad appeared to be awaiting salvation as diplomats from Turkey, Russia and Iran convened in Doha to discuss a last-ditch political solution. While both Moscow and Tehran have pledged to support Assad as he attempts to muster a counter-attack, there were few signs that their backing has reached the levels that Syrian forces previously relied on to regain control. Gerges pointed out that the Syrian president who has ruled for almost 25 years is yet to address his forces or his citizens amid the largest challenge to his control of the country for years. “He doesn’t appreciate the gravity of this moment,” he said. “Not only for the lives and wellbeing of his supporters who are putting their lives on the line and are terrified, but his soldiers who have been left alone.” In Daraa and Suwayda to the south of the capital, residents set fire to portraits of Assad that towered over the streets. In Hama, the city where Assad’s father Hafez violently crushed an Islamist rebellion against him in 1982, a group of men decapitated a statue of the former president and dragged the head through the streets behind a truck, the hollow face riddled with bullet holes. Sign up to Observed Analysis and opinion on the week's news and culture brought to you by the best Observer writers after newsletter promotion “No one in Hama can think about the future right now, but they are determined that whatever happens, it will undoubtedly be better than living under the Syrian regime they’ve experienced for decades,” said Mohamad Alskaf of the Syrian network for human rights, exiled from Hama. He was watching with joy, he said, as opposition media showed insurgents flinging open the doors of prisons in each city they entered, allowing detainees held in the darkness of state detention facilities to walk free for the first time in years. “These special scenes from Hama, it’s like something from a film,” he said. Adam, a former protest organiser exiled from Damascus who requested to withhold his family name, said he was also overjoyed to see images of political prisoners being liberated, but he feared what Assad might do to hold on to power as insurgents move towards the capital. When the Syrian president deployed the deadly nerve agent sarin against rebel forces in the Damascus suburbs in 2013, Adam recalled that the attack took place six miles away from the balconies of his presidential palace. “This is a regime like no other,” he said. “They would rather burn the country to the ground than leave. It’s an all-or-nothing regime. I expect that they will barricade themselves in Damascus and try to stay, to wait it out, for years, as civilians pay the price.” Those in Aleppo and Hama have been thrust into the newfound uncertainty of life without Assad but under HTS rule. Alhalabi, a member of Aleppo’s Christian community, said she was initially terrified that she would be the target of attacks by the militia. Instead, she said, the past week had surprised her, and local church leaders had sought to reassure their congregations that they would remain unharmed. Ubayda Arnaout, a spokesperson for the political arm of HTS’ nominal authority the Salvation Government said fighters were withdrawing from Aleppo and ceding to civil authorities, who are focused on providing basic security and services. It remains too early, he said, to discuss how they might govern Aleppo with the fighting continuing elsewhere. However, he added, their authority “in its current form won’t govern the newly liberated areas. Aleppo will be governed by its own residents.” Alhalabi felt confident enough to leave her house the day after the insurgents seized control, although she feared airstrikes that targeted the city. But when she drove her relatives to visit another family member at work in a nearby hospital, a band of fighters were gathered outside as she approached, locking eyes with Alhalabi and her passengers. She waved – and they waved back. “They were very kind. They asked me if I wanted to park my car in the hospital garage,” she said. Her fear began to dissipate, and she wanted desperately to believe their rule would remain benign. Shops had begun to reopen, although prices had spiked, and Alhalabi had returned to her routine at a local coffee shop. The militants looked scary enough, she said. “But now I see that they’re not hurting anyone, and they are respectful when you approach them. We imagined that they’d treat us badly,” she added. “But they haven’t terrorised us at all. They were actually very nice– they gave people bread for free.”

How the stock market defied expectations again this year, by the numbers NEW YORK (AP) — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The benchmark index posted its first back-to-back annual gains of more than 20% since 1998. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing. But it wasn’t just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin and gold surged and “Roaring Kitty” reappeared to briefly reignite the meme stock craze. Stock market today: Wall Street drifts to a mixed close in thin trading following a holiday pause Stock indexes drifted to a mixed finish on Wall Street as some heavyweight technology and communications sector stocks offset gains elsewhere in the market. The S&P 500 slipped less than 0.1% Thursday, its first loss after three straight gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.1%. Gains by retailers and health care stocks helped temper the losses. Trading volume was lighter than usual as U.S. markets reopened following the Christmas holiday. The Labor Department reported that U.S. applications for unemployment benefits held steady last week, though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years. Treasury yields fell in the bond market. Israel strikes Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital while the WHO chief says he was meters away JERUSALEM (AP) — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen have targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and multiple ports. The World Health Organization’s director-general said the bombardment on Thursday took place just “meters away” as he was about to board a flight in Sanaa. He says a crew member was hurt. The strikes followed several days of Houthi attacks and launches setting off sirens in Israel. Israel's military says it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa, power stations and ports. The Israeli military later said it wasn’t aware that the WHO chief was at the location in Yemen. Holiday shoppers increased spending by 3.8% despite higher prices New data shows holiday sales rose this year even as Americans wrestled with still high prices in many grocery necessities and other financial worries. According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, holiday sales from the beginning of November through Christmas Eve climbed 3.8%, a faster pace than the 3.1% increase from a year earlier. The measure tracks all kinds of payments including cash and debit cards. This year, retailers were even more under the gun to get shoppers in to buy early and in bulk since there were five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Mastercard SpendingPulse says the last five days of the season accounted for 10% of the spending. Sales of clothing, electronics and Jewelry rose. Finland stops Russia-linked vessel over damaged undersea power cable in Baltic Sea FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Finnish police say authorities detained a ship linked to neighboring Russia as they investigate whether it damaged a Baltic Sea power cable and several data cables. It was the latest incident involving disruption of key infrastructure. Police and border guards boarded the Eagle S and took control as they investigate damage to the Estlink-2 undersea power cable. The cable brings electricity from Finland to Estonia across the Baltic Sea. The cable went down on Wednesday. The incident follows damage to two data cables and the Nord Stream gas pipelines. Both have been termed sabotage. Russian ship that sank in the Mediterranean was attacked, owner says MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian operator of a cargo ship that sank in the Mediterranean Sea between Spain and Algeria says it has been hit by a series of explosions in an act of sabotage. Oboronlogistica is a state-controlled company that operated the Ursa Major freighter. The company said the vessel was wrecked by three powerful explosions just above the water line in what it described as a “terrorist attack” that caused it to sink on Monday. The company said in a statement carried by Russia’s state RIA Novosti news agency on Thursday that the explosions left a hole in the ship’s starboard and filled the engine room with acrid smoke. That hampered the crew’s attempts to access it. Undersea power cable linking Finland and Estonia hit by outage, prompting investigation FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Finland’s prime minister says authorities are investigating an interruption in a power cable under the Baltic Sea between his country and Estonia. Petteri Orpo said on X that power transmission through the Estlink-2 cable suffered an outage Wednesday. Authorities have been on edge about undersea infrastructure in the Baltic after two international data cables were severed in November and the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Germany were blown up in September 2022. Japan to maximize nuclear power in clean-energy push as electricity demand grows TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese government panel has largely supported a draft energy policy calling for bolstering renewables up to half of Japanese electricity needs by 2040. It also recommends maximizing the use of nuclear power to accommodate the growing demand for power in the era of AI while meeting decarbonization targets. Cabinet is expected to formally approve the plan by March following a period of public consultation. The policy says nuclear energy should account for 20% of Japan’s energy supply in 2040, with renewables expanded to 40-50% and coal-fired power reduced to 30-40%. Working Well: Returning to the office can disrupt life. Here are some tips to navigate the changes NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of workers are facing an unsettling reality heading into 2025. After years of working from the comfort of home, they're being told it’s time to return to the office full-time for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic. That can bring a host of challenges, including losing time with family. Workers at Amazon, AT&T and other companies have been called back to the office five days a week. Experts have advice to share about how to navigate the changes when an employer calls you back to the office. Workers can convey what they need, seek flexibility and if all else fails, consider other options. US applications for unemployment benefits hold steady, but continuing claims rise to 3-year high WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits held steady last week, though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years. The US Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claim applications ticked down by 1,000 to 219,000 for the week of Dec. 21. That’s fewer than the 223,000 analysts forecast. Continuing claims, the total number of Americans collecting jobless benefits, climbed by 46,000 to 1.91 million for the week of Dec. 14. That’s more than analysts projected and the most since the week of Nov. 13, 2021. Weekly applications for jobless benefits are considered representative of U.S. layoffs.Colts need help for playoff shot, while Giants seek end to record skidAmanda Serrano shows off battle wounds one week after Katie Taylor bloodbath

Why Giants’ nightmarish mistakes in 2024 might just save their futureMembership of UK's anti-immigration Reform party surpasses ConservativesVANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Brayden Point scored twice and added two assists, and the Tampa Bay Lightning edged the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 on Sunday. Nikita Kucherov had a goal and two helpers for the Lightning, while Jake Guentzel scored on a power play late in the third period. Captain Quinn Hughes and Kiefer Sherwood found the back of the net for the Canucks. Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 22 of the 24 shots he faced and Kevin Lankinen made 28 saves for Vancouver. Lightning: Kucherov, who returned to the lineup Sunday after missing two games with a lower-body injury, added another potent piece to Tampa’s red-hot power play. The Lightning were 2 for 4 with the man advantage and scored a power-play goal for the sixth straight game. Canucks: Hughes took a stick to the face 55 seconds into the game, missed more than 11 minutes, then returned to open the scoring 16:08 into the first period. It was the 50th goal of the defenseman’s career and extended his points streak to seven games with three goals and 10 assists across the stretch. Tampa took the lead 6:29 into the second when Kucherov sliced a pass to Point at the bottom of the faceoff circle and the Lightning winger blasted it in past Lankinen for his 17th of the season. Kucherov put the visitors on the board just a minute and 49 seconds earlier. Point scored his league-leading 10th power-play goal of the season. He’s one away from becoming the third player to score 100 power-play goals for the Lightning. The Canucks continue a six-game homestand Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues. The Lightning visit the Oilers on Tuesday. AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

Lenovo owned Motorola, one of the fastest growing Android smartphone brands in Australia is facing a ban following a ruling by a US Judge. The U.S. International Trade Commission is set to take action against the Lenovo owned Motorola Mobility following claims that the Chinese owned Company infringed patents owned by Ericsson. Paris Hilton models Motorola Razr 50 Ultra 5G. The decision which does not affect Australia could lead to a ban on U.S. imports of the phones if the decision is upheld. An ITC judge said in an initial ruling, that the smartphones violate Ericsson’s patent rights in 5G wireless technology, handing Sweden-based Ericsson a preliminary victory in its international patent licensing dispute with China-based Lenovo. The Company who are now selling affordable AI-capable manufacture the Motorola Edge 50 Pro, a relatively cheap phone. The issue, which involves 5G wireless technology, could impact Motorola’s Moto G, Edge and Razr lines of devices which Ericsson claim infringes on their patented technology. The U.S. isn’t the only country where the two companies are in legal conflict. Motorola Edge 50 Neo According to Reuters, Motorola and Sony Ericsson are embroiled in patent lawsuits in South America, the United Kingdom and North Carolina. So far, Sony Ericsson has scored initial victories in Brazil and Columbia. Similar to the Apple iPhone ban the International Trade Commission will only be able to implement the ban if the issue is upheld by a commission, which is set to happen in April 2025.

David Bonderman, who managed money for one of the richest families in Texas, helped create one of the giants of the private-equity business and pushed to bring professional hockey to Seattle , died Wednesday. He was 82. Bonderman's death was announced by TPG, the asset-management firm he co-founded, his Wildcat Capital Management investment company, the Seattle Kraken hockey team, and his family. They said he was surrounded by his family, but did not say where he died. A spokesperson for the Kraken said they would not disclose the cause of death. For much of his career, Bonderman kept a low profile in public, rarely granting interviews with news organizations. He concentrated on corporate takeovers and other investments, many of which were highly profitable. Forbes magazine estimated his wealth at $6.4 billion in April. "Rarely the loudest person in the room, but often the smartest, David remained humble, once saying that his personal strength was ‘Not knowing a lot about something but knowing enough to make a decent decision,’” his family and companies said in a statement. Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke said Bonderman played a role in creating the team's logo and brand. “David was a visionary; unafraid to take on challenges and make bold decisions. He was smart, witty, curious, and humble,” Leiweke said. As an investor, Bonderman had a contrarian streak, and he was not afraid of offending others, even those in the White House. Over the Obama administration's objections, he attended Russian President Vladimir Putin's annual economic forums in 2014 and 2015 — after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine and was slapped with U.S. sanctions. Bonderman also was known for throwing lavish birthday parties. The Rolling Stones played at his 60th birthday bash, and former Beatle Paul McCartney headlined his 70th birthday soiree. Both events were in Las Vegas. Born in Los Angeles on Nov. 27, 1942, Bonderman attended the University of Washington and Harvard Law School, from which he graduated in 1966. After a stint teaching law at Tulane University, he joined the U.S. Justice Department in the late 1960s, then in 1971 became a partner and expert in corporate and securities law at Arnold & Porter, a high-powered Washington, D.C., law firm. In 1983, he went to work for the Robert M. Bass Group investment company in Fort Worth, Texas. With money from the Bass family , which traced its wealth to the exploits of Texas oil wildcatter Sid Richardson, Bonderman and partner Jim Coulter made several leveraged buyouts in the 1980s, including a hugely profitable investment in Continental Airlines. Bonderman, Coulter and Bill Price started Texas Pacific Group in 1992. According to its website, the private-equity firm now known as TPG manages $239 billion in assets and has invested in industries that include health care, technology and business services. The firm was a major early investor in short-term rental site Airbnb and music-streaming service Spotify. Bonderman served on several corporate and philanthropic boards. In 2017, he resigned from the Uber board hours after making an insensitive comment during a meeting on sexism at the ride-hailing company. When fellow director Arianna Huffington said data showed that having one woman on the board made it more likely a second would be added, Bonderman interjected, “Actually, what it shows is that it’s much more likely to be more talking.” He later apologized. In politics, Bonderman was a longtime backer of former Texas governor and Republican President George W. Bush but flipped to support Bush's challenger, Democrat John Kerry, in the 2004 election. He famously told The Wall Street Journal that Bush was “a really good guy” but had divided the country. “He’s turning out to be the worst president since Millard Fillmore — and that’s probably an insult to Millard Fillmore,” Bonderman said. With his wealth from TPG, Bonderman purchased a minority stake in the Boston Celtics and was a member of the group holding a majority interest in the Seattle Kraken , an expansion team in the National Hockey League. Survivors include five children and three grandchildren.

Cayuga County has committed $7 million toward a $36.2 million broadband project that won a longshot bid for a state grant. The county Legislature voted Tuesday to submit a commitment letter to the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board, which is overseeing the project. The county will pursue short-term financing for its share of the project. The board will reimburse the county, plus interest, over a two-year period. A "longshot" application for millions in broadband funding has succeeded, and Cayuga County will be one of the beneficiaries. David Bottar, executive director of the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board, detailed the project at the special county Legislature meeting. It will extend from Cortland County into Cayuga County. A portion of the project — called the trunk line — will stretch east to Syracuse. When the broadband network is built, it will cover approximately 275 miles — 200 of which will be in Cayuga County. The Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board applied for a $26.1 million grant through the state's ConnectALL Municipal Infrastructure Grant Program. At the time, the proposed project included Cayuga, Cortland and Oswego counties. Bottar said they were close to being awarded the grant in the first round, but didn't get it. In the second round, Oswego County opted to submit its own application. The board submitted a revised application for Cayuga and Cortland counties in the third round. In November, the state announced the grant was awarded to the regional planning board for the broadband project. Bottar expects the board will get the final incentive proposal from the state in the next week or two. A key component to finance the project is commitments from the counties. In June, Bottar asked Cayuga County for $7 million — he confirmed the state will allow counties to be reimbursed with interest. Cortland County has already committed to the project. Bottar clarified that the board isn't expecting the money by the end of the year, but it will be needed to expedite the project. Because the state program is funded by the federal government, there is a December 2026 deadline to complete the project. "The only way to meet that deadline is to get this project underway immediately," Bottar said. The regional planning board will establish a nonprofit corporation for the network, which will be open to internet service providers. Bottar explained that the project is viewed as "the backbone" that will allow internet service providers to extend service to businesses and homes in the area. Among legislators, there was bipartisan support to help fund the project. Cayuga County Legislature Chairwoman Aileen McNabb-Coleman acknowledged the county is facing budget pressures, which is why it will seek short-term financing. The resolution to submit the commitment letter passed 8-1, with Legislator Hans Pecher, C-Genoa, casting the lone no vote. Legislators Stephanie DeVito and Brian Muldrow, both Auburn Democrats, were absent. "It's a huge step forward for our county," McNabb-Coleman said after the vote. Government reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 664-4631 or robert.harding@lee.net . Follow him on X @RobertHarding. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Online producer/politics reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

Townsquare Capital LLC Invests $231,000 in First Horizon Co. (NYSE:FHN)The S&P 500 fell less than 0.1% after spending the day wavering between small gains and losses. The tiny loss ended the benchmark index’s three-day winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.1% and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.1%. Trading volume was lighter than usual as US markets reopened following the Christmas holiday. Semiconductor giant Nvidia, whose enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes, slipped 0.2%. Meta Platforms fell 0.7%, and Amazon and Netflix each fell 0.9%. Tesla was among the biggest decliners in the S&P 500, finishing 1.8% lower. Some tech companies fared better. Chip company Broadcom rose 2.4%, Micron Technology added 0.6% and Adobe gained 0.5%. Health care stocks were a bright spot. CVS Health rose 1.5% and Walgreens Boots Alliance added 5.3% for the biggest gain among S&P 500 stocks. Several retailers also gained ground. Target rose 3%, Ross Stores added 2.3%, Best Buy rose 2.9% and Dollar Tree gained 3.8%. Traders are watching to see whether retailers have a strong holiday season. The day after Christmas traditionally ranks among the top 10 biggest shopping days of the year, as consumers go online or rush to stores to cash in gift cards and raid bargain bins. US-listed shares in Honda and Nissan rose 4.1% and 16.4% respectively. The Japanese car makers announced earlier this week that the two companies are in talks to combine. All told, the S&P 500 fell 2.45 points to 6,037.59. The Dow added 28.77 points to 43,325.80. The Nasdaq fell 10.77 points to close at 20,020.36. Wall Street also got a labour market update. US applications for unemployment benefits held steady last week, though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years, the Labour Department reported. Treasury yields mostly fell in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 4.58% from 4.59% late on Tuesday. Major European markets were closed, as well as Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. Trading was expected to be subdued this week with a thin slate of economic data on the calendar.WASHINGTON — Only about 2 in 10 Americans approve of President Joe Biden's decision to pardon his son Hunter after earlier promising he would do no such thing, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That displeasure tracks with the bipartisan uproar in Washington that ignited over the president's about-face. The survey found that a relatively small share of Americans "strongly" or "somewhat" approve of the pardon, which came after the younger Biden was convicted on gun and tax charges. About half said they "strongly" or "somewhat" disapprove, and about 2 in 10 neither approve nor disapprove. The Democratic president said repeatedly that he would not use his pardon power for the benefit of his family, and the White House continued to insist, even after Republican Donald Trump's election win in November, that Biden's position had not changed — until it suddenly did. Hunter Biden leaves federal court Sept. 5 in Los Angeles after pleading guilty to federal tax charges. "I know it's not right to believe politicians as far as what they say compared to what they do, but he did explicitly say, 'I will not pardon my son,'" said Peter Prestia, a 59-year-old Republican from Woodland Park, New Jersey, just west of New York City, who said he strongly disagreed with the move. "So, it's just the fact that he went back on his word." In issuing a pardon Dec. 1, Biden argued that the Justice Department had presided over a "miscarriage of justice" in prosecuting his son. The president used some of the same kind of language that Trump does to describe the criminal cases against him and his other legal predicaments. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said it was a decision that Biden struggled with but came to shortly before he made the announcement, "because of how politically infected these cases were" as well as "what his political opponents were trying to do." The poll found that about 4 in 10 Democrats approve of the pardon, while about 3 in 10 disapprove and about one-quarter did not have an opinion or did not know enough to say. The vast majority of Republicans and about half of independents had a negative opinion. President Joe Biden and son Hunter Biden walk Nov. 29 in downtown Nantucket Mass. For some, it was easy to see family taking priority over politics. "Do you have kids?" asked Robert Jenkins, a 63-year-old Democrat who runs a lumber yard and gas station in Gallipolis, Ohio. "You're gonna leave office and not pardon your kid? I mean, it's a no-brainer to me." But Prestia, who is semiretired from working for a digital marketing conglomerate, said Biden would have been better off not making promises. "He does have that right to pardon anybody he wants. But he just should have kept his mouth shut, and he did it because it was before the election, so it's just a bold-faced lie," Prestia said. Despite the unpopularity of his decision, the president's approval rating has not shifted meaningfully since before his party lost the White House to Trump. About 4 in 10 Americans "somewhat" or "strongly" approve of the way Biden is handling his job as president, which is about where his approval rating stood in AP-NORC polls since January 2022. Still, the pardon keeps creating political shock waves, with Republicans, and even some top Democrats, decrying it. Older adults are more likely than younger ones to approve of Biden's pardoning his son, according to the poll, though their support is not especially strong. About one-third of those ages 60 and older approve, compared with about 2 in 10 adults under 60. The age divide is driven partially by the fact that younger adults are more likely than older ones to say they neither approve nor disapprove of the pardon or that they do not know enough to say. President Joe Biden walks with his son Hunter Biden on July 26 as he heads toward Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. About 6 in 10 white adults disapprove of the pardon, compared with slightly less than half of Hispanic adults and about 3 in 10 Black adults. Relatively large shares of Black and Hispanic Americans — about 3 in 10 — were neutral, the poll found. "Don't say you're gonna do something and then fall back," said Trinell Champ, 43, a Democrat from Nederland, Texas, who works in the home health industry and said she disapproved of the pardon. "At the end of the day, all you have is your word." Champ, who is Black, voted for Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris over Trump. "I just had my hopes up for her, but I wasn't 100% positive," she said. Champ also said she does not approve of Biden's handling of the presidency and thinks the country is on the wrong track. "While he was in office, I felt like I really didn't see a lot of changes," she said. "I just felt like everything just kind of stayed the same," Champ said. Overall, though, the pardon did not appear to be a driving factor in many Americans' assessment of Biden's job performance. The share of Black Americans who approve of the way he is handling his job as president did fall slightly since October, but it is hard to assess what role the pardon may have played. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) carries both of his sons, Joseph R. III, left, and Robert H., during an appearance at the Democratic state convention last summer, 1972. At center is his wife Neilia Biden, who was killed in an auto crash, Dec. 20, 1972. With them are Governor-elect Sherman W. Tribbitt and his wife, Jeanne. (AP Photo) Joseph Biden, the newly-elected Democratic Senator from Delaware, is shown in Washington, Dec. 12, 1972. (AP Photo/Henry Griffin) 1972 - Is first elected to the Senate at age 29, defeating Republican Senator J. Caleb Boggs. Wins re-election in 1978, 1984, 1990, 1996 and 2002. The newly-elected Democratic senator from Delaware, Joe Biden, is shown, Dec. 13, 1972. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) kisses the cheek of an unidentified friend who offered consoling words after a memorial service in Wilmington, Del., Dec. 22, 1972, for Biden's wife Neilia, their 13-month-old daughter Naomi Christina, who perished in a car-truck crash. Biden's two sons were hospitalized with serious injuries. (AP Photo/Bill Ingraham) December 18, 1972 - While Christmas shopping, Biden's first wife, Neilia Hunter Biden, and daughter, Naomi Biden, are killed in a car accident. His sons are badly injured, but survive. January 5, 1973 - Is sworn in as US senator of Delaware at son Beau Biden's bedside in the hospital. In this Jan. 5, 1973 file photo, four-year-old Beau Biden, foreground, plays near his father, Joe Biden, center, being sworn in as the U.S. senator from Delaware, by Senate Secretary Frank Valeo, left, in ceremonies in a Wilmington hospital. Beau was injured in an accident that killed his mother and sister in December 1972. Biden's father, Robert Hunter, holds the Bible. (AP Photo/File) 1987-1995 - Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, rubs his temples while speaking during confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Robert H. Bork, Sept. 17, 1987, on Capitol Hill. (AP Photo/John Duricka) June 9, 1987 - Enters the 1988 presidential race, but drops out three months later following reports of plagiarism and false claims about his academic record. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) waves from his train as he leaves Wilmington, Del., after announcing his candidacy for president, June 9, 1987. At right, son Beau carries daughter; to Biden's right is his wife Jill and son Hunter. (AP Photo/George Widman) February 1988 - Undergoes surgery to repair an aneurysm in an artery that supplies blood to the brain. Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.), wearing a University of Delaware baseball cap, leaves Walter Reed Army Hospital accompanied by his son Hunter Biden, Thursday, March 24, 1988, Washington, D.C. Biden had been in the hospital for 11 days so that surgeons could implant a small umbrella-like filter in a vein to prevent blood clots from reaching his lungs. (AP Photo/Adele Starr) In this Oct. 12, 1991 file photo Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Joe Biden, D-Del., points angrily at Clarence Thomas during comments at the end of hearings on Thomas' nomination to the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. looks on at right. (AP Photo/Greg Gibson, File) January 20, 1990 - Introduces a bill that becomes the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The act addresses sexual assault and domestic violence. It is signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), left, stands behind a flag as Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), second from right, along with other congresswomen meet reporters on Capitol Hill, Feb. 24, 1993, to discuss the Violence Against Women Act. From left are: Sen. Biden; Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.); Rep. Pat Schroeder (D-Colo); Sen. Boxer; and Rep. Constance Morella of Maryland. (AP Photo/Barry Thumma) In this April 9, 1993, file photo Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del. stands in front of a Danish armored personnel carrier at the UN-controlled Sarajevo Airport, making a statement about his trip to the besieged Bosnian capital. (AP Photo/Michael Stravato, File) Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, meets reporters on Capitol Hill Thursday, Oct. 16, 2003 to discuss the United Nations-Iraq vote. (AP Photo/Terry Ashe) Democratic presidential hopeful, and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., presides over a hearing of the committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007 to discuss the remaining options in Iraq. (AP Photo/Dennis Cook) Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Joseph Biden D-Del., smiles during the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO Presidential Forum Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2007, in Waterloo, Iowa. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green) January 31, 2007 - Files a statement of candidacy with the Federal Elections Commission to run for president. August 1, 2007 - His memoir, "Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics," is published. Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., left, listens as Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., responds to a question during the first Democratic presidential primary debate of the 2008 election hosted by the South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, SC., Thursday, April 26, 2007. At right is Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-NY. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., speaks at a Caucus night rally in Des Moines, Iowa, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008. Biden abandoned his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday after a poor showing in the state's caucuses. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) In this Jan. 3, 2008, file photo, Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., rests his head on the shoulder of his wife, Jill, as they stand in a hallway awaiting his introductions for a rally at the UAW Hall in Dubuque, Iowa on the day of the Iowa caucus in Dubuque, Iowa. (AP Photo/Mark Hirsch, File) August 23, 2008 - Is named the vice-presidential running mate of Barack Obama. In this Aug. 23, 2008 file photo, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., and his vice presidential running mate Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., appear together in Springfield, Ill. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, file) In this Sept. 16, 2008 file photo, then Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del. arrives by Amtrak in Wilmington, Del., (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File) In this Oct. 2,2008 file photo, Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., left, and Republican vice presidential candidate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin face off during the vice presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam, File) November 4, 2008 - Is elected vice president of the United States. President-elect Barack Obama, left, and Vice President-elect Joe Biden wave to the crowd after Obama's acceptance speech at his election night party at Grant Park in Chicago before giving his acceptance speech Tuesday night, Nov. 4, 2008. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) January 20, 2009 - Is sworn in as vice president of the United States. Vice President Joe Biden, left, with his wife Jill at his side, taking the oath of office from Justice John Paul Stevens at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) February 7, 2009 - Delivers his first major speech as vice president at a security conference in Germany. US Vice President Joe Biden addresses the participants of the International Conference on Security Policy, Sicherheitskonferenz, at the hotel "Bayerischer Hof" in Munich, southern Germany, on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009. September 1, 2010 - Presides over a ceremony in Iraq to formally mark the end of the US combat mission in Iraq. US Vice President Joe Biden, left, US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, center, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mullen, right, stand while the US National Anthem is played during the United States Forces-Iraq change of command ceremony in Baghdad on Wednesday Sept. 1, 2010, as a new US military mission in Iraq was launched ending seven years of combat. (AP Photo/Jim Watson Pool) November 6, 2012 - Obama and Biden are reelected, defeating Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. Vice President Joe Biden exits with his wife Jill Biden after voting at Alexis I. duPont High School, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Greenville, Del. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Vice President Joe Biden, with his wife Jill Biden, center, holding the Biden Family Bible, shakes hands with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor after taking the oath of office during an official ceremony at the Naval Observatory, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013, in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) October 2, 2014 - Speaking at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Biden tells attendees that ISIS has been inadvertently strengthened by actions taken by Turkey, the UAE and other Middle Eastern allies to help opposition groups fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In this Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014 file photo, Vice President Joe Biden speaks to students, faculty and staff at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. Biden is due to headline a Democratic campaign rally in Las Vegas, with a downtown appearance Monday, Oct. 6, 2014, to talk about raising the minimum wage. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson,File) May 30, 2015 - Biden's eldest son, Beau Biden, passes away from brain cancer at age 46. In this June 6, 2015 file photo, Vice President Joe Biden, accompanied by his family, holds his hand over his heart as he watches an honor guard carry a casket containing the remains of his son, former Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, into St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church in Wilmington, Del. for funeral services. Beau Biden died of brain cancer May 30 at age 46. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) October 21, 2015 - Says he will not seek the presidency, announcing that the window for a successful campaign "has closed." December 6, 2016 - Doesn't rule out running for president in 2020, saying "I'm not committing not to run. I'm not committing to anything. I learned a long time ago fate has a strange way of intervening." President Barack Obama hugs Vice President Joe Biden as Biden waves at the end Biden's announcement in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015, that he will not run for the presidential nomination. Jill Biden is at right. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Vice President Joe Biden pauses between mock swearing in ceremonies in the Old Senate Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017, as the 115th Congress begins. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) January 12, 2017 - Obama surprises Biden by presenting him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, during a White House ceremony. President Barack Obama presents Vice President Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a ceremony in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) February 1, 2017 - Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, launch the Biden Foundation, an organization that will work on seven issues: foreign policy; Biden's cancer initiative; community colleges and military families; protecting children; equality; ending violence against women; and strengthening the middle class. February 7, 2017 - Is named the Benjamin Franklin presidential practice professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where he will lead the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement. He will also serve as the founding chair of the University of Delaware's Biden Institute, the university announces. March 1, 2017 - Biden receives the Congressional Patriot Award from the Bipartisan Policy Center. He receives the honor in recognition of his work crafting bipartisan legislation with Republicans and Democrats. Former Vice President Joe Biden tucks notes into his jacket after speaking at an event to formally launch the Biden Institute, a research and policy center focused on domestic issues at the University of Delaware, in Newark, Del., Monday, March 13, 2017. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) In this March 26, 2019, file photo, former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at the Biden Courage Awards in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File) April 25, 2019 - Announces he is running for president in a campaign video posted to social media. Hours later, the Biden Foundation board chair, Ted Kaufman, announces the immediate suspension of all the organization's operations. Former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden arrives at the Wilmington train station Thursday April 25, 2019 in Wilmington, Delaware. Biden announced his candidacy for president via video on Thursday morning. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) In this June 6, 2019, file photo, Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during the "I Will Vote" fundraising gala in Atlanta. Biden shifted to oppose longstanding restrictions on federal funding of abortion during his remarks. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File) Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden signs a copy of his book "Promise Me, Dad" at a campaign rally at Modern Woodmen Park, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020, in Davenport, Iowa. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a primary night election rally in Columbia, S.C., Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 after winning the South Carolina primary. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a primary night election rally in Columbia, S.C., Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, after winning the South Carolina primary. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a primary election night campaign rally Tuesday, March 3, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) August 20, 2020: Joe Biden accepts the Democratic nomination for president Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, with Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., raise their arms up as fireworks go off in the background during the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Del. Looking on are Jill Biden, far left, and Harris' husband Doug Emhoff, far right. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) President Donald Trump, left, and Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, right, with moderator Chris Wallace, center, of Fox News during the first presidential debate Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, at Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, right, and former President Barack Obama greet each other with an air elbow bump, at the conclusion of rally at Northwestern High School in Flint, Mich., Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden arrives to speak at a rally at Belle Isle Casino in Detroit, Mich., Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020, which former President Barack Obama also attended. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) President-elect Joe Biden gestures on stage after speaking, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool) FILE - In this Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, file photo, from left, Doug Emhoff, husband of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Harris, President-elect Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, stand on stage together, in Wilmington, Del. The theme for Biden’s inauguration will be “America United." Unity is an issue that’s long been a central focus for Biden but one that’s taken on added weight in the wake of the violence at the U.S. Capitol. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool, File) President-elect Joe Biden announces his climate and energy team nominees and appointees at The Queen Theater in Wilmington Del., Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) President Joe Biden speaks about his domestic agenda from the East Room of the White House in Washington on Oct. 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) U.S. President Joe Biden, left, shakes hands with Pope Francis as they meet at the Vatican on Oct. 29, 2021. (Vatican Media via AP) President Joe Biden removes his face mask as he arrives in the East Room of the White House to speak about the evacuation of American citizens, their families, special immigrant visa applicants and vulnerable Afghans on Aug. 20, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) Cherelle Griner, wife of WNBA star Brittney Griner, speaks after President Joe Biden announced Brittney Griner's release in a prisoner swap with Russia on Dec. 8, 2022, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. Also attending are Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Vice President Kamala Harris. President Joe Biden holds the microphone to Chocolate, the national Thanksgiving turkey, during a pardoning ceremony Nov. 21, 2022, at the White House in Washington. President Joe Biden holds an Atlanta Braves jersey during an event celebrating the Major League Baseball 2021 World Series champion Atlanta Braves in the East Room of the White House on Sept. 26, 2022, in Washington. President Joe Biden receives his COVID-19 booster from a member of the White House medical unit during an event in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus on Oct. 25, 2022, in Washington. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrive to give treats to trick-or-treaters on the South Lawn of the White House, on Halloween on Oct. 31, 2022, in Washington. U.S. President Joe Biden, left, talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo during their bilateral meeting ahead of the G20 Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, on Nov. 14, 2022. U.S. President Joe Biden, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands before a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit meeting Nov. 14, 2022, in Bali, Indonesia. President Joe Biden is greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after arriving at Ben Gurion International Airport on Oct. 18, 2023, in Tel Aviv. President Joe Biden speaks from the Oval Office of the White House on Oct. 19, 2023, in Washington, about the war in Israel and Ukraine. President Joe Biden, accompanied by Office of Management and Budget director Shalanda Young, left, and Women's Alzheimer's Movement founder Maria Shriver, right, gives first lady Jill Biden a kiss after giving her the pen he used to sign a presidential memorandum that will establish the first-ever White House Initiative on Women's Health Research in the Oval Office of the White House on Nov. 13, 2023, in Washington. President Joe Biden pauses as he speaks to reporters in Nantucket, Mass. on Nov. 26, 2023, about hostages freed by Hamas in a third set of releases under a four-day cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas. President Joe Biden shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as they meet in the Oval Office of the White House on Dec. 12, 2023, in Washington. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy depart a news conference in the Indian Treaty Room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House Campus on Dec. 12, 2023, in Washington. President Joe Biden speaks during a funeral service for retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor at the Washington National Cathedral on Dec. 19, 2023, in Washington. O'Connor, an Arizona native and the first woman to serve on the nation's highest court, died Dec. 1, 2023, at age 93. President Joe Biden arrives to deliver remarks on the economy on June 28, 2023, at the Old Post Office in Chicago. President Joe Biden, right, stands as an Army carry team moves the transfer case containing the remains of U.S. Army Sgt. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Ga., at Dover Air Force Base, Del., on Feb. 2, 2024. Sanders was killed in a drone attack in Jordan on Jan. 28, 2024. President Joe Biden speaks during the State of the Union address on Capitol Hill on March 7, 2024, in Washington, as Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Mike Johnson listen. Vice President Kamala Harris embraces President Joe Biden after a speech on health care in Raleigh, N.C., on March. 26, 2024. President Joe Biden greets Zion Schrode, 8 months, of Marin County, Calif., as he is held by his mother Erin Schrode during a Jewish American Heritage Month event, on May 20, 2024, in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington. Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid, left, and CEO Clark Hunt, right, watch as President Joe Biden, center, puts on a Chiefs helmet during an event with the Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs on the South Lawn of the White House, on May 31, 2024, to celebrate their championship season and victory in Super Bowl LVIII. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden walk in the Normandy American Cemetery following a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, on June 6, 2024, in Normandy. President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event with former President Barack Obama moderated by Jimmy Kimmel at the Peacock Theater on June 15, 2024, in Los Angeles. President Joe Biden, right, and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, left, participate in a presidential debate hosted by CNN on June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. First lady Jill Biden, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff view the Independence Day firework display over the National Mall from the balcony of the White House, on July 4, 2024, in Washington. President Joe Biden, right, and the Rev. Dr. J. Louis Felton pray at a church service at Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ on July 7, 2024, in Philadelphia. President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on July 14, 2024, about the assassination attempt of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. President Joe Biden pauses as he speaks at the Biden campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Del., on Feb. 3, 2024. President Joe Biden walks on stage to speak during the NAACP national convention July 16, 2024, in Las Vegas. President Joe Biden walks between tombstones as he arrives to attend a mass at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Catholic Church in Wilmington, Del., on July 6, 2024. President Joe Biden arrives to speak at the Amtrak Bear Maintenance Facility on Nov. 6, 2023, in Bear, Del. U.S. President Joe Biden, right, greets Pope Francis ahead of a working session on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Energy, Africa-Mediterranean, on day two of the 50th G7 summit at Borgo Egnazia, southern Italy, on June 14, 2024. The poll of 1,251 adults was conducted Dec. 5-9, 2024, using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

Everyone Is Suddenly Venting Over Insurance Claim Denials. Here’s Why.

ATLANTA, Dec. 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Tuesday, Dec. 10, Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman , head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice in President Biden’s Cabinet for America’s more than 34 million small businesses, traveled to Atlanta to host the inaugural SBA AI Small Business Summit and officially launch SBA’s AI for Small Businesses Resource Hub . SBA’s first AI Small Business Summit, held in conjunction with Georgia Tech and in collaboration with leading technology companies, innovators, and investors, highlighted the launch of SBA’s AI for Small Businesses Resource Hub – a space for small business owners to learn about AI and AI innovators to learn about the resources available to them at the SBA and across the federal government. “Artificial intelligence has the capacity to drive exponential growth for the United States economy and for small businesses across the country,” said Administrator Guzman. “From Main Street shops to manufacturers, staying up to date with the latest technology is essential for business growth and resilience. And it is our nation’s innovative startups that will help deliver AI for the future. So, whether you are creating the next tech solution or leveraging it, SBA’s AI for Small Businesses Resource Hub can provide you with a launch point to access partners, tools and resources for a seamless integration of AI.” In addition to SBA Administrator Guzman, the AI Small Business Summit’s speakers included Microsoft, Google, Mailchimp, and OpenAI, as well as small businesses and experts from co-host Georgia Tech. The summit discussions were an opportunity for small business owners to hear from experts and gain a greater understanding of the possibilities AI has within the daily operations of their businesses. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the country has seen more than 20 million new business applications filed nationwide – including over one million in Georgia alone. The SBA just released new data showing significant spikes in SBA lending including a continued upward trend doubling small dollar loans under $150,000 and increased lending to underserved communities: Black-, Latino-, minority, rural and women-owned small businesses, as well as lending in rural communities. ### About the U.S. Small Business Administration The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov . SBA HQ Press Team U.S. Small Business Administration press_office@sba.gov

Adam McKay is sharing an un-popular opinion. The director, 56, praised “ Wicked ” earlier this week on social media but said that its “radical” subject matter could lead the movie musical to get banned. “On a pure storytelling level ‘Wicked Part 1’ is right up there as one of the most radical big studio Hollywood movies ever made,” McKay wrote on X . “I know ‘Part 2’ swings back to the center a bit but ‘Part 1 ‘ is nakedly about radicalization in the face of careerism, fascism, propaganda.” He went on to compare the project, which stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, to a slew of self-described “radical” films, including “Bridge on the River Kwai,” “The Sound of Music,” “The Hunger Games,” and “Citizen Kane.” “What’s really striking about ‘Wicked Part 1’ is that it’s coming out NOW when America has never been more right wing and propagandized,” continued McKay. “And yes, I know the theatrical production and the book are much older so part of the timing is a coincidence but still...” “Wicked” is based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel and the Tony award-winning musical, which starred Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel. The movie follows a witch named Elphaba (Erivo) as she attends Shiz University and befriends her roommate Glinda (Grande). Elphaba also becomes a supporter of animal rights after witnessing the creatures being stripped of their jobs and speech capabilities. One X user commented that their interest was peaked after learning the movie’s subject matter, to which McKay wrote back , “I think you’ll be shocked. If America keeps going on the track it is I wouldn’t be surprised to see the movie banned in 3-5 years.” After a second follower asked how far McKay believed a potential ban on the film would go, the former “SNL” writer refused to back down. “Jesus dude. You really think I’m 100% saying the movie will for sure be banned to the point where no one can ever see it?” McKay quipped. “The idea of shutting down non profits at the President’s discretion is in motion. Things r changing fast.” The Hollywood director hasn’t been afraid to vocalize his thoughts over the years, most recently slamming Vice President Kamala Harris last month after she lost the presidential election to Donald Trump. McKay called for others to “abandon” the Democratic Party with him. He said in part, “Who would have guessed lying about Biden’s cognitive health for 2 yrs, refusing to do an open convention for a new nominee, never mentioning public healthcare & embracing fracking, the Cheneys & a yr long slaughter of children in Gaza wouldn’t be a winning strategy?” Meanwhile, “Wicked” has continued to garner buzz since its release last month, with over-the-top interviews from Erivo, 37, and Grande, 31, circulating during their press tour. One bizarre statement made by Out magazine reporter Tracy Gilchrist went viral on social media, with the journalist telling the duo she had seen posts online that people were “holding space” for “Defying Gravity.” Erivo and Grande appeared to have a strong emotional reaction to the phrase, and a clip of the encounter had tens of millions of views, which led some viewers to ask if they were having a “fever dream.” In an interview with Variety, the actresses explained their reactions . Erivo said she was so emotional because she didn’t know people were “holding space” with her character’s breakout song and “really feeling power in that,” but chalked it up to the fact that she “hasn’t been looking” for documented instances. “I mean, it’s been happening on some platforms. I mean, I guess. I had no idea that this thing was going on,” the actress said. Grande admitted she was baffled by Gilchrist’s comment. “So I didn’t know what any part of it meant,” the Grammy winner bluntly revealed. “I didn’t understand the first sentence. And then I definitely didn’t understand what was happening — how you [Erivo] responded. I was like, ‘Oh, what did she say? What did you hear?’ And I just wanted to be there ’cause I knew something big was happening, and I didn’t know how to be there,” Grande added. Erivo teased, “After a while I didn’t know how to be there.”After opening the week with a perfectly clean injury report, Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Rob Havenstein is dealing with a shoulder injury that occurred in practice, putting his status up in the air in advance of Saturday's home game against the Arizona Cardinals. The Rams (9-6), who are on a four-game winning streak that moved them into the lead in the NFC West, have rebounded from a 1-4 start. That poor early stretch was due, in part, to injuries on the offensive line. Havenstein missed the season opener against the Detroit Lions with an ankle injury, then missed a three-game stretch in November with more ankle issues. Havenstein did not practice Thursday because of the shoulder injury, although he typically does not participate in the final practice of the week for rest purposes. The 32-year-old is in his 10th NFL season, all with the Rams going back to the team's 2015 season in St. Louis. Joe Noteboom would likely start if Havenstein is not available Saturday. The Rams can clinch the NFC West this weekend with a victory over the Cardinals (7-8), combined with a loss or tie by the Seattle Seahawks (8-7) against the Chicago Bears (4-11). --Field Level Media