go 4 by 4

go 4 by 4 Oprah’s chic and comfy ankle boots are water-repellent — and under $150Beth Dooley | (TNS) The Minnesota Star Tribune The holidays loom large. Parties, gift-shopping, school programs, recitals, family gatherings — there’s really no time to cook. But there is! Here are three quick and easy recipes you can hustle to the table in 30 minutes or less. Relax, take a deep breath and know that dinner is served. Serves 4. Making grilled cheese for more than one can be tricky. Here, the sheet pan does the work; the sandwiches are ready all at once. Try our suggested fillings or just enjoy them plain in all their gooey deliciousness. From Beth Dooley. Directions Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Spread the butter to the edge of 4 slices of bread. Place the slices butter-side down on the sheet pan. Top with the sliced cheese and add a layer of the filling, then top with the remaining slices of bread. Put the pan in the oven and cook until the butter is thoroughly melted and bottom slices are turning golden and the cheese is melting, about 8 to 10 to minutes. Flip the sandwiches. Continue cooking until the top layer of bread begins to turn golden and the cheese is melted. Turn the oven to broil and toast the top layer, watching closely, this goes quickly, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Flip the bread and toast the other side, about 15 to 20 seconds or so. Remove, cut and serve. Quick Skillet Chicken with Lemon, Tahini and Warm Spices will come together quickly and can be served on a bed of greens or pasta. (Ashley Moyna Schwickert/For the Minnesota Star Tribune) Serves 4 to 6. A simple marinade of pantry staples — lemon, tahini, olive oil and a little honey — keeps the chicken moist and becomes the sauce for finishing the dish. Serve on a bed of dark greens or cooked rice. From Beth Dooley. Directions In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon, tahini, honey and olive oil. Measure out 1⁄2 of the mixture into a separate bowl. This is to sauce the chicken after it’s cooked. If it seems too thick, whisk in a little water. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and pound with the flat edge of a knife to even out the width a bit. Put the chicken into the bowl of marinade and turn to coat. Film a heavy skillet with more oil and set over high heat. When the oil begins to ripple, add the chicken, reduce the heat to medium and cook, flipping after about 5 to 7 minutes, and continuing, until cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes. (The chicken should reach 165 on an instant-read thermometer when done.) Remove the chicken from the skillet, set on a cutting board to rest for about 10 minutes. Slice the meat in long strokes against the grain. Serve on a bed of greens or rice, garnished with a drizzle of sauce, chopped herbs and a few thinly sliced lemons. Pass additional sauce on the side. One-Pot Pasta with Sausage, Tomato and Spinach is a quick but hearty meal for busy, chilly nights. (Ashley Moyna Schwickert/For the Minnesota Star Tribune) Serves 4 to 6. You only need one pot for this simple pasta. The sausage adds the seasoning, the onions turn sweetly golden, cherry tomatoes burst into a luscious sauce. A squeeze of lemon at the end livens things up. From Beth Dooley. Directions Film a large heavy pot or Dutch oven with the oil and set over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until it turns limp and golden, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the sausage, breaking apart with a spatula until it crumbles, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and the stock, scraping up the bottom of the pan to release browned bits that stick to the bottom. Bring to a boil. Add the pasta, stirring well and continue boiling for about 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to a brisk simmer, stirring to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot. If the sauce becomes too thick and the pasta begins to stick, stir in water, about 1⁄4 cup at a time. Simmer until the sauce is mostly absorbed and the pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the spinach, then stir in the cheese. Add lemon juice to taste. Serve garnished with the chopped parsley. Beth Dooley is the author of “The Perennial Kitchen.” Find her at bethdooleyskitchen.com. ©2024 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Visit at startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.The MLB Draft Lottery has generated some incredible results for the league. The completely unpredictable process allowed teams like the Cleveland Guardians and Cincinnati Reds to enter the lottery in 2024 despite relatively respectable seasons. Nonetheless, the anti-tanking process has made for some interesting results. Thanks to the St. Louis Cardinals and Seattle Mariners jumping up into the lottery, the Chicago Cubs fell from their original spot. Beginning the evening with the highest likelihood of remaining at their 14th pick, the Cubs fell back three spots with teams like the Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox also jumping up into the top 12 following horrific seasons. The results for the top 18 picks are as follows: MLB Draft Lottery 2025 Results 18 Arizona Diamondbacks (16, 0.27%) 17 Chicago Cubs (14, 0.68%) 16 Minnesota Twins (12, 1.09%) 15 Boston Red Sox (11, 1.22%) 14 Tampa Bay Rays (10, 1.50%) 13 San Francisco Giants (9, 1.90%) 12 Texas Rangers (8, 2.45%) 11 Oakland Athletics (ineligible) 10 Chicago White Sox (ineligible) 9 Cincinnati Reds (7, 3.67%) 8 Toronto Blue Jays (5, 7.48%) 7 Miami Marlins (1-T, 22.45%) 6 Pittsburgh Pirates (6, 5.31%) 5 St. Louis Cardinals (13, 0.82%) 4 Colorado Rockies (1-T, 22.45%) 3 Seattle Mariners (15, 0.53%) 2 Los Angeles Angels (3, 17.96%) 1 Washington Nationals (4, 10.20%) Although the Cubs fell, they're still in position to add another impact player. In 2023, the Cubs landed top prospect Matt Shaw at the 13th spot and in 2024 landed Cam Smith, another top-10 prospect, with the 14th overall selection . Perhaps the Cubs' front office can channel some of that luck again and find another impact player at the 17th spot. The 2025 MLB Draft will take place July 13-15 from Atlanta, home of the 2025 MLB All-Star Game. This article first appeared on On Tap Sports Net and was syndicated with permission.

US to transform white elephant destroyers by fitting hypersonic weaponsNotre Dame will have its hands full tonight defending Army's No. 1 ranked rushing attack, and the Irish will be without All-American defensive tackle . Notre Dame announced before the game that Cross was ruled out for the game, as was sophomore wide receiver . Cross was injured in the 52-3 victory over Florida State and he missed last week's 35-14 win over Virginia. Head coach said Cross was questionable early in the week, but the team has made the decision that the standout defensive tackle would not play in the game. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.

Liverpool's Premier League lead was cut to seven points by Arsenal and Chelsea after the Reds conceded a 90th-minute equaliser in a thrilling 3-3 draw at Newcastle on Wednesday. Chelsea thrashed 10-man Southampton 5-1 to go second on goal difference ahead of Arsenal, who beat Manchester United 2-0. Mohamed Salah's second-half double was not enough to extend Liverpool's seven-game winning run in all competitions as they failed to win for just the third time in 21 games under Arne Slot. The league leaders were forced to come from behind at St James' Park twice, as Alexander Isak blasted Newcastle into a 1-0 half-time lead. Curtis Jones levelled before Anthony Gordon restored Newcastle's lead. Salah twice converted Trent Alexander-Arnold assists to turn the game around, taking his tally for the season to 15 goals. However, there was a late sting in the tale as a rare error from Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher allowed Fabian Schar to squeeze in a late equaliser for the Magpies. "He has done remarkably well for us and even today he was good. Unfortunately, he misjudged the situation," Liverpool boss Slot said of Kelleher's blunder. Meanwhile, Arsenal took full advantage by inflicting Ruben Amorim's first defeat as Manchester United boss. Once again, the Gunners were able to rely on their prowess from set-pieces to get the job done. Jurrien Timber broke the deadlock, heading in Declan Rice's corner nine minutes into the second half. William Saliba did not know much about the second, as he diverted in Thomas Partey's header from Bukayo Saka's corner, but the Frenchman did not care as Arsenal had the breathing space they craved. A fourth consecutive win in all competitions confirmed Arsenal's return to form and applied a little pressure on Liverpool. "A special day – it's a joy to play in this stadium with that energy, it's something incredible," Arteta said. "We scored two set-pieces, but we could've scored from open play many more." Amorim, meanwhile, said those set-pieces are what ultimately killed the game for United. "They can put a lot of players near the goalkeeper, and it's almost impossible to fight for the ball," he said. "We already know we have to be better." (AFP)

Scientists seek miracle pill to stop methane cow burpsAdopted Ballarat local and new Giant Ollie Hannaford felt the regional city’s pain this year during a devastating two-month period when three women were killed. The deaths of Samantha Murphy, Rebecca Young and Hannah McGuire sparked grief and anger, but also unity against gender-based violence within the close-knit Ballarat community. The three women died violently , allegedly at the hands of men. Bendigo-raised Hannaford – who the Giants used a top-20 pick on at last week’s AFL draft – was boarding at St Patrick’s College in Ballarat, and wanted to make a stand, too. Giants draftee Ollie Hannaford. Credit: Nick Moir The horrific Bondi Junction stabbings in NSW were also around this time, with five women among the victims. Hannaford’s conversation with the school’s boarding master, Tam Westwood, led to the creation of the “Break the cycle” event, designed to raise funds and awareness about violence against women. Students and staff took turns riding four exercise bikes non-stop for 24 hours, helping raise more than $8000 for the cause. Hannaford hopes it will become an annual event on the St Pat’s calendar. “It was so awful, and some people [at school] knew the victims and even knew the people who were a part of it,” Hannaford told this masthead. “It was very eye-opening, especially when you have such important women in your life, like mothers, sisters, girlfriends – everything. It was very confronting, almost, just thinking how hard it would be if it happened to your family, so it was a no-brainer for us to try and do something. “Being an all-boys school, I think it was very significant for our school to show that we are respectful young men, and we were trying to get rid of the stigma of toxic masculinity.” This was not an isolated case of Hannaford’s leadership, with the 18-year-old captaining the school’s football side and his boarding house. He plans to use his new status as an AFL footballer, alongside close friend and fellow St Pat’s graduate-turned-Giant Jack Ough, to continue making a difference beyond sport. Hannaford is making his mark on and off the football field. Credit: AFL Photos “Being on an AFL list now, it’s really important to be able to use that platform for a good cause, so doing more things like this is something that I can work towards in the future,” Hannaford said. “I’ve built my leadership and definitely benefited from going to [St Patrick’s College] as well, so it’s something I’m trying to display when I can.” “It was very eye-opening, especially when you have such important women in your life, like mothers, sisters, girlfriends – everything. It was very confronting, almost, just thinking how hard it would be if it happened to your family, so it was a no-brainer for us to try and do something.” However, the Giants did not select Hannaford just because he is a model citizen. His surprise mid-season switch to the forward line – after starting the season as a midfielder, then shifting to defence – saw him transform from a fringe draftee into a certain first-round selection, with GWS swooping with their No.18 pick. Hannaford’s blistering second half of the season for GWV Rebels was integral in the David Loader-coached team reaching the Talent League under-18 grand final, as well as his own stocks rising. Recruiters became enamoured with his goalkicking nous, speed, agility, power, aggression and ultra-competitiveness, all of which should fit in wonderfully in Giants coach Adam Kingsley’s system. “It was a bit of a rollercoaster for me. I came into the year expecting to be a midfielder who gets 30 touches a game,” Hannaford said. “That’s what every kid dreams of, but I couldn’t live up to that, and I wasn’t playing good footy, so I went to the backline, went back to what I was good at, and what I was used to, but it wasn’t really giving me the exposure I needed and wanted. “I was lucky enough to make the Vic Country team, and I got told I was playing forward in the first champs games – and I had barely played there at all my whole career.” Hannaford (left) with fellow Giants draftee Harry Oliver. Credit: AFL Photos Even then, it was not all smooth sailing. Hannaford was dropped for Country’s championships finale against Metro, which lit a fire within him that remained throughout the rest of the season. Now, he could be about to share a forward line with the likes of Toby Greene and Jesse Hogan. “I’m over the moon, and can’t wait to get stuck into it,” Hannaford said. “It’s obviously a very competitive team, so it’s going to take a lot of work to try and get a game, but if I do, it will be unbelievable.” If you or anyone you know needs support, you can contact the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732), Lifeline 131 114, or Beyond Blue 1300 224 636. Or, in Ballarat, call Orange Door on 1800 219 819

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Final regular-season games loom large in determining conference championship matchupsJust Eat (OTCMKTS:JSTTY) Stock Price Up 5.7% – Here’s WhyStakeholders in the public and private sectors have stressed the need for innovative solutions to Nigeria’s fiscal challenges for sustainable economic growth. This was agreed at a summit organised by Modo Ante in collaboration with the Lagos State government, which brought together policymakers and thought leaders to explore cutting-edge strategies for revenue generation and public service enhancement. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, Lagos State governor, in his keynote address, emphasised the need for a diversified revenue strategy, beyond traditional taxation. He outlined key areas like optimising state-owned assets and creating new economic opportunities, particularly in real estate, waste management, and technology, which have yet to be fully tapped for revenue generation. Sanwo-Olu also highlighted the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to create sustainable and innovative revenue solutions. According to him, technology was a critical tool in modern governance, underscoring Lagos State’s commitment to staying ahead of the curve by leveraging digital solutions to manage its rapidly growing urban population and economy. He pointed to initiatives like the Lagos State Unified Revenue Portal, a digital platform that simplifies tax collection and enhances transparency, as prime examples of the state’s tech-driven approach to revenue optimization. Read also: Nigeria’s fiscal strategy: Bridging the gap between optimism and reality Abdul-Kabir Opeyemi Ogungbo, the special adviser to the governor on taxation and revenue, in his presentation on Lagos State’s roadmap for sustainable revenue growth, explained how the state has expanded its tax net and implemented data-driven policies to improve compliance. He also emphasized the importance of innovation and technology in streamlining revenue collection processes and ensuring accountability. “The Lagos model is a template for other states to follow,” he noted, advocating for increased investment in technology and capacity building across Nigeria. Bamijoko Okupe, CEO of Modo Ante and co-convener of the summit, shared the consultancy’s vision for transforming governance and public sector performance. He commended the Lagos State government for its leadership in embracing technology and innovation, stressing that the summit proved the immense potential of public-private collaborations in fostering sustainable development and revenue growth. Okupe outlined Modo Ante’s three-pronged approach to revenue optimisation, which includes harnessing technology for efficiency, developing tailored digital solutions to enhance tax compliance, and fostering transparency through strategic communication campaigns. He emphasised the critical role of data analytics and economic modeling in guiding decision-making and addressing governance challenges. “Data is key to creating actionable insights that drive growth and value for all stakeholders,” he stated.