NY Republican compares sanctuary states to Confederacy: ‘We had a Civil War’ over federal lawGiants receiver Malik Nabers could miss Saints game after MRI confirms hip flexor
Congress on Monday alleged that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat 's statement about not raising 'mandir-masjid' disputes was aimed at misleading people and reflected RSS's "dangerous" working as its leaders do just "opposite of what they say" and support those raising such issues. If the RSS chief is honest, he should publicly declare that in future Sangh will never support such netas who endanger social harmony, Congress' Jairam Ramesh said. "But they will not say this because temple-mosque issue is happening at behest of RSS. In many cases, those who incite such divisive issues and cause riots have connections with RSS... RSS helps them from getting a lawyer to filing a case. Bhagwat thinks by saying such things, sins of RSS will be washed away and his image will improve," Ramesh said on X. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword . Spread love this holiday season with these Christmas wishes , messages , and quotes.
Daily Post Nigeria Yan sanda ne suka harbi kanwar gwamnan Taraba bisa kuskure – Zagazola Makama Home News Politics Metro Entertainment Sport Hausa Yan sanda ne suka harbi kanwar gwamnan Taraba bisa kuskure – Zagazola Makama Published on December 6, 2024 By Kabeer Bello Wasu rahotanni na cewa yan sanda e suka harbi Atsi Kefas, ‘yar’uwar Gwamnan Jihar Taraba Agbu Kefas bisa kuskure, yayin wani hari da ‘yan bindiga suka kai musu a ranar Alhamis. A cewar Zagazola Makama, wani kwararre kan sha’anin tsaro a yankin tafkin Chadi, lamarin ya faru a kan titin Kente da ke Karamar Hukumar Wukari a jihar Taraba. Jumai, mahaifiyar gwamnan, da Atsi suna cikin tafiya lokacin da ‘yan bindiga suka yi musu kwanton bauna. Rahoton ya bayyana cewa wani jami’in ‘yan sanda da aka tura don raka iyalin ne ya “harbi Atsi bisa kuskure” yayin da yake kokarin fatattakar ‘yan bindigar. Bayan harin, sojoji sun gaggauta kai dauki, inda suka ceto wadanda abin ya shafa, tare da kwashe Jumai da Atsi Kefas daga wurin da abin ya faru ta hanyar amfani da jirgin sama asibiti. Rahotanni sun ce jami’an tsaro sun gano motar da ‘yan bindigar suka yi amfani da ita, tare da gano ma’ajiyar harsasai d sauran kayayyakin fasinja a cikin motar. Related Topics: Don't Miss Shugaba Tinubu ya nada sabon shugaban NUC You may like Advertise About Us Contact Us Privacy-Policy Terms Copyright © Daily Post Media LtdOregon started signing day behind Ohio State and Michigan in the Big Ten recruiting rankings and was poised to finish Wednesday on top. The Ducks flipped five-star cornerback Na'eem Offord from the Buckeyes and four-star quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele from California — additions that pushed them to No. 4 nationally and No. 1 in the Big Ten in the 247Sports Composite rankings. A Big Ten-high four five-stars signed with the Ducks. Ohio State's class, ranked fifth in the country, is highlighted by a pair of national top-five prospects in quarterback Tavien St. Clair and cornerback Devin Sanchez. Michigan's class was rated third best in the Big Ten and seventh best in the nation. Quarterback Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 national recruit, was scheduled to sign his letter of intent with the Wolverines on Wednesday evening. Two other Big Ten teams were ranked in the top 20, No. 13 Southern California and No. 17 Penn State. Oregon closed with a flourish with Offord and Sagapolutele flipping on signing day and four-star linebacker Gavin Nix switching from Miami on Tuesday. The Ducks signed some of the nation's top prospects at wide receiver and cornerback. Dakorien Moore is the No. 1 receiver and Dallas Wilson is No. 4. Offord is the No. 2 corner, Brandon Finney is No. 5 and Dorian Brew is No. 8. They also signed a second quarterback, the four-star Akili Smith Jr., whose father was the Ducks' quarterback in 1997-98 and an NFL first-round draft pick. Five-star quarterback Husan Longstreet was USC's top signee, and the Trojans beat out Ohio State and Oregon for five-star defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart. Penn State landed the No. 4 offensive lineman in the country in Malachi Goodman. Among eight four-star defensive players to sign was linebacker LaVar Arrington Jr., whose father was a 1998 All-American for the Nittany Lions and No. 2 overall draft pick in 2000. Nebraska signed four-star linebackers in Dawson Merritt and Christian Jones and got a pleasant signing-day surprise when four-star wide receiver Cortez Mills flipped from Oklahoma. Iose Epenesa, the No. 14 national prospect and No. 3 defensive lineman, continues his family's tradition at Iowa. The edge rusher from Edwardsville, Illinois, is the brother of former Iowa star AJ Epenesa. Another brother, Eric, is a walk-on linebacker for the Hawkeyes. Their father, Eppy, played at Iowa in the 1990s. ... Indiana's breakthrough season produced a minimal bump in the recruiting rankings. The Hoosiers, who signed 21 players, went from No. 16 last year to No. 13 in the Big Ten. . ... Maryland signed four four stars, including the nation's No. 5 quarterback prospect in 6-foot-4, 215-pound Malik Washington. ... Michigan State didn't sign a four-star recruit for the first time since at least 2009. ... Purdue, three days after the firing of Ryan Walters and coming off one of the worst seasons in program history, signed just six players. Michigan's NIL collective reportedly offered Underwood an eight-figure financial package and Tom Brady provided a strong nudge to get him to flip from LSU two weeks ago. Underwood is from Belleville, Michigan, less than a half-hour drive from Ann Arbor, and he has said playing close to home also was a factor. Underwood is the first No. 1 national prospect to land at Michigan since defensive end Rashan Gary in 2016. An Ohio State stocking cap sat alongside Auburn and Oregon ballcaps on a table at Offord's signing ceremony at Parker High in Birmingham, Alabama. He picked up the Auburn cap and put it on for a split-second, then flipped it into the crowd and put on the Oregon cap. With three of the top eight cornerback prospects and four-star safety Trey McNutt expected to sign, the Ducks would have the highest-rated group of defensive backs. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballWhat is a biblically accurate angel? And do you need one to top your Christmas tree?
Pakistan's tax chief said on Tuesday that 95% households would not be affected by the proposed legislation to ban economic transactions of "ineligible" people and businesses rather these measures would help increase tax collection by another Rs5 trillion in five years. Pakistan is a poor country and 90 to 95% people do not fall in the tax ambit, said Rashid Langrial, the chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Finance on the new tax bill. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb also admitted that people were not having trust in the FBR. "Restoring credibility and trust of the taxpayers with the tax authority is critical, as people come to me and say that they would pay more money but will not come in the tax net," he said. No treasury member attended the meeting and proceedings were held thanks to the presence of two legislators of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – Senator Shibli Faraz and Senator Mohsin Aziz. The Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) Senator Saleem Mandviwalla chaired the meeting. FBR Chairman Rashid Langrial, while responding to a question raised by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator Shibli Faraz, told the committee that 95% households would not be affected by the new legislation. In four to five years, he added, these enforcement and regulation measures would help the FBR collect additional Rs5 trillion. Langrial said that as against the current level of 10%, the FBR's tax-to-GDP ratio potential was 14%. The government last week introduced the Tax Laws Amendment Bill 2024 in the National Assembly to ban purchase of cars, properties or own bank accounts by ineligible persons. The bill also seeks the powers to freeze bank accounts and confiscate businesses and properties of sales tax unregistered persons. The ineligible persons would also not be allowed to withdraw cash from their bank accounts, beyond a certain limit, according to the proposal. An eligible person, on the other had, could make major purchases up to 130% of value of cash and assets that he declared in his last tax return and the wealth statement. The finance minister could not give a satisfactory reply to the committee when asked about what was different from the past that the government would be able to expand the tax base after the new legislation. "As a country our hands are forced," Aurangzeb said. However, despite these difficult circumstances, the government failed to achieve targets set under the 'Tajir Dost Scheme'. The FBR has already got the authority to disconnect electricity and gas connections of the non-compliant people and ban their foreign travels. These powers, however, have not been yet exercised. There were only 62,000 sales tax registered persons in Pakistan and out of them only 42,000 were active, the FBR chairman said. "Even those who are part of the system do not pay their full taxes." Pakistan's existing sales tax system encourages and facilitates people to remain outside the net, as it is not legally binding for the businesses having Rs10 million sales in a tax year or Rs100 million in a fiscal year to get registered with the FBR. The government has not abolished this clause from the law and instead sought the National Assembly's permission to authorise the FBR to change the limit. The higher the sales tax rate, the higher are the chances for cheating the tax system, said Minister of State for Finance Ali Pervaiz Malik. The current standard GST rate ranges from 18 to 25%, excluding the impact of further sales tax and the extra tax. The FBR chairman said that the technological interventions could help in the issue of corruption in the FBR. After the FBR introduced a face-less appraisal system, within one week, the calls to importers for submitting additional documents decreased from 2,000 to mere 200 in one week, the FBR chairman said. He added that those calls were not made in the past for documents rather for "dacoitting" people. From the point of sale to imposing taxes on electricity bills and introduction of the Tajir Dost Scheme, the government had tried everything but it had failed, said Senator Mohsin Aziz. He added that 5 to 7 million people would be affected by the government's new legislation. The government has not abolished the non-filer category from the law nor did it delete the 10th schedule of the Income Tax Ordinance that carried higher rates for the non-filers. Instead, the government introduced a new category of eligible person, who would be entitled to make big purchases. The eligible person would be the one "who has filed a return of income tax for the tax year immediately preceding the year of transaction and has sufficient resources in wealth statement in case of an individual or financial statement in case of a company or association of persons. The proposal to give authority to the commissioner to determine the input tax claim of a business was a very harsh measure, which would open another avenue for bribes, said Senator Mohsin Aziz of the PTI. But Langrial said that the businesses massively lied about their input tax claims. "Input tax cannot be averaged out due to different kinds of inputs being used by even one specific sector," said Mandviwalla. The government has also proposed hiring private auditors for performing the functions of the audit of the taxpayers. The members were of the view that it would open another shop for setting audit cases through illegal means. The finance minister said that the new legislation would improve compliance and help take due taxes on consumption and income. The committee members objected to bringing the bill as Money Bill despite there was no alternation in the tax rates. Law Secretary Raja Naeem certified that the bill fell in the category of the Money Bill, as it would regulate the existing taxes. In case of Money Bill, the Senate does not have the authority to veto a bill and its legal mandate is only limited to giving recommendation. COMMENTS Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see our
Olivia Lloyd | (TNS) The Charlotte Observer CHARLOTTE, N.C.— A pet food company based in North Carolina is recalling puppy mix sold in seven states after a batch tested positive for salmonella, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said. The contamination came to light when a litter of puppies got sick after consuming Blue Ridge Beef’s Puppy Mix, and the customer reported it to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, according to the FDA. The FDA said it notified the company that the food tested positive for salmonella on Nov. 27, and Blue Ridge Beef issued a voluntary recall on its 2-pound plastic-wrapped logs sold in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York. The recall affects puppy mix sold from Aug. 6 to Aug. 23 with logs labeled with lot numbers 08/06/N25 and 08/16/N25, with UPC 854298001696. It’s not the company’s only recall in the past year. In January, Blue Ridge Beef expanded a December 2023 recall of its puppy mix, as well as some of its kitten food, due to possible salmonella and listeria contamination, FDA records show. “Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting,” according to the FDA. “Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever, and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans.” Related Articles National News | Shooting at a Northern California elementary school and suspect is dead, sheriff’s office says National News | Abandoned mines in the US pose dangers to people and property when land gives way National News | White House says at least 8 US telecom firms, dozens of nations impacted by China hacking campaign National News | Powell: Fed’s independence from politics is vital to its interest rate decisions National News | United Healthcare CEO kept a low public profile. Then he was shot to death in New York Pet owners who notice these symptoms should notify their veterinarian. Humans are also at risk of contracting the food-borne illness if they don’t wash their hands or sanitize surfaces the product has touched. The FDA said customers who believe they purchased the recalled mix should return the product to the place they bought it or destroy the food in a way that ensures no humans or animals will be contaminated. The company declined to comment on the recall to McClatchy News on Dec. 3. Blue Ridge Beef is located in Statesville in Iredell County, about a 40-mile drive north from Charlotte. ©2024 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
WASHINGTON — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide Tuesday due to a technical issu e just as the Christmas travel season kicks into overdrive and winter weather is threatening more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. American flights were cleared to fly by federal regulators about one hour after a national ground stop order was issued by the Federal Aviation Administration. There were 1,447 delays for flights entering or leaving the U.S. early in the day, with 28 cancellations. Snow was falling early in New York and Dallas-Fort Worth International, which is American Airlines' main hub, was getting hit with rain. Dallas-Fort Worth had the most delays, followed by Charlotte, North Carolina, Washington, New York, Chicago and Miami Because the holiday travel period lasts weeks, airports and airlines typically have smaller peak days than they do during the rush around Thanksgiving, but the grind of one hectic day followed by another takes a toll on flight crews. And any hiccups — a winter storm or a computer outage — can snowball into massive disruptions. That is how Southwest Airlines stranded 2 million travelers in December 2022, and Delta Air Lines suffered a smaller but significant meltdown after a worldwide technology outage in July caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations even more disruptive than during slower periods. That is especially true for smaller budget airlines that have fewer flights and fewer options for rebooking passengers. Only the largest airlines, including American, Delta and United, have “interline agreements” that let them put stranded customers on another carrier’s flights. This will be the first holiday season since a Transportation Department rule took effect that requires airlines to give customers an automatic cash refund for a canceled or significantly delayed flight. Most air travelers were already eligible for refunds, but they often had to request them. Passengers still can ask to get rebooked, which is often a better option than a refund during peak travel periods. That’s because finding a last-minute flight on another airline yourself tends to be very expensive. Just before 7 a.m. Eastern time, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered all American Airlines flights grounded in the U.S. at the airline’s request. American had reported a technical issue affecting its entire system with millions traveling for the holiday. American said in an email that the problem Tuesday morning was caused by a vendor technology issue that “impacted systems needed to release flights.” The groundings couldn’t come at a worse time for the millions of travelers expected to fly over the next 10 days. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 40 million passengers over the holidays and through January 2. Airlines expect to have their busiest days on Friday and Sunday, and on Dec. 26, Dec. 27 and Dec. 29. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations more disruptive than during slower periods. Even with just a brief outage, the cancellations have a cascading effect that can take days to clear up. About 90% of Americans traveling far from home over the holidays will be in cars, according to AAA. “Airline travel is just really high right now, but most people do drive to their destinations, and that is true for every holiday,” AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said. Gasoline prices are similar to last year. The nationwide average Thursday was $3.04 a gallon, down from $3.13 a year ago, according to AAA. Charging an electric vehicle averages just under 35 cents per per kilowatt hour, but varies by state. Transportation-data firm INRIX says travel times on the nation’s highways could be up to 30% longer than normal over the holidays, with Sunday expected to see the heaviest traffic. Boston, New York City, Seattle and Washington, D.C., are the metropolitan areas primed for the greatest delays, according to the company.Lopsided loss sinks the reeling Saints further into evaluation mode
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Border measures begin to take effect in response to Trump’s tariff threatA man was shot and killed in Center Point Monday night. Just before midnight, deputies responded to the 200 block of Polly Reed Road on reports of a person down, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. That's just off of Center Point Parkway. Upon arrival, deputies found a man suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. >> WVTM 13 ON-THE-GO: Download our app for free The unidentified victim was picked up by Center Point Fire & Rescue and transported to UAB Hospital where he later died. Deputies say no arrests have been made. >> FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to call the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office at 205-325-1450 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available. Stay updated on the latest stories with the WVTM 13 app. You can download it here .Dana Hull | (TNS) Bloomberg News Jared Birchall, Elon Musk’s money manager and the head of his family office, is listed as the chief executive officer. Jehn Balajadia, a longtime Musk aide who has worked at SpaceX and the Boring Co., is named as an official contact. Related Articles National Politics | Trump’s picks for top health jobs not just team of rivals but ‘team of opponents’ National Politics | Biden will decide on US Steel acquisition after influential panel fails to reach consensus National Politics | Biden vetoes once-bipartisan effort to add 66 federal judgeships, citing ‘hurried’ House action National Politics | A history of the Panama Canal — and why Trump can’t take it back on his own National Politics | President-elect Trump wants to again rename North America’s tallest peak But they’re not connected to Musk’s new technology venture, or the political operation that’s endeared him to Donald Trump. Instead, they’re tied to the billionaire’s new Montessori school outside Bastrop, Texas, called Ad Astra, according to documents filed with state authorities and obtained via a Texas Public Information Act request. The world’s richest person oversees an overlapping empire of six companies — or seven, if you include his political action committee. Alongside rockets, electric cars, brain implants, social media and the next Trump administration, he is increasingly focused on education, spanning preschool to college. One part of his endeavor was revealed last year, when Bloomberg News reported that his foundation had set aside roughly $100 million to create a technology-focused primary and secondary school in Austin, with eventual plans for a university. An additional $137 million in cash and stock was allotted last year, according to the most recent tax filing for the Musk Foundation. Ad Astra is closer to fruition. The state documents show Texas authorities issued an initial permit last month, clearing the way for the center to operate with as many as 21 pupils. Ad Astra’s website says it’s “currently open to all children ages 3 to 9.” The school’s account on X includes job postings for an assistant teacher for preschool and kindergarten and an assistant teacher for students ages 6 to 9. To run the school, Ad Astra is partnering with a company that has experience with billionaires: Xplor Education, which developed Hala Kahiki Montessori school in Lanai, Hawaii, the island 98% owned by Oracle Corp. founder Larry Ellison. Ad Astra sits on a highway outside Bastrop, a bedroom community about 30 miles from Austin and part of a region that’s home to several of Musk’s businesses. On a visit during a recent weekday morning, there was a single Toyota Prius in the parking lot and no one answered the door at the white building with a gray metal roof. The school’s main entrance was blocked by a gate, and there was no sign of any children on the grounds. But what information there is about Ad Astra makes it sound like a fairly typical, if high-end, Montessori preschool. The proposed schedule includes “thematic, STEM-based activities and projects” as well as outdoor play and nap time. A sample snack calendar features carrots and hummus. While Birchall’s and Balajadia’s names appear in the application, it isn’t clear that they’ll have substantive roles at the school once it’s operational. Musk, Birchall and Balajadia didn’t respond to emailed questions. A phone call and email to the school went unanswered. Access to high quality, affordable childcare is a huge issue for working parents across the country, and tends to be an especially vexing problem in rural areas like Bastrop. Many families live in “childcare deserts” where there is either not a facility or there isn’t an available slot. Opening Ad Astra gives Musk a chance to showcase his vision for education, and his support for the hands-on learning and problem solving that are a hallmark of his industrial companies. His public comments about learning frequently overlap with cultural concerns popular among conservatives and the Make America Great Again crowd, often focusing on what he sees as young minds being indoctrinated by teachers spewing left-wing propaganda. He has railed against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and in August posted that “a lot of schools are teaching white boys to hate themselves.” Musk’s educational interests dovetail with his new role as Trump’s “first buddy.” The billionaire has pitched a role for himself that he — and now the incoming Trump administration — call “DOGE,” or the Department of Government Efficiency. Though it’s not an actual department, DOGE now posts on X, the social media platform that Musk owns. “The Department of Education spent over $1 billion promoting DEI in America’s schools,” the account posted Dec. 12. Back in Texas, Bastrop is quickly becoming a key Musk point of interest. The Boring Co., his tunneling venture, is based in an unincorporated area there. Across the road, SpaceX produces Starlink satellites at a 500,000-square-foot (46,000-square-meter) facility. Nearby, X is constructing a building for trust and safety workers. Musk employees, as well as the general public, can grab snacks at the Boring Bodega, a convenience store housed within Musk’s Hyperloop Plaza, which also contains a bar, candy shop and hair salon. Ad Astra is just a five-minute drive away. It seems to have been designed with the children of Musk’s employees — if not Musk’s own offspring — in mind. Musk has fathered at least 12 children, six of them in the last five years. “Ad Astra’s mission is to foster curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking in the next generation of problem solvers and builders,” reads the school’s website. A job posting on the website of the Montessori Institute of North Texas says “While their parents support the breakthroughs that expand the realm of human possibility, their children will grow into the next generation of innovators in a way that only authentic Montessori can provide.” The school has hired an executive director, according to documents Bloomberg obtained from Texas Health and Human Services. Ad Astra is located on 40 acres of land, according to the documents, which said a 4,000-square-foot house would be remodeled for the preschool. It isn’t uncommon for entrepreneurs to take an interest in education, according to Bill Gormley, a professor emeritus at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University who studies early childhood education. Charles Butt, the chairman of the Texas-based H-E-B grocery chain, has made public education a focus of his philanthropy. Along with other business and community leaders, Butt founded “Raise Your Hand Texas,” which advocates on school funding, teacher workforce and retention issues and fully funding pre-kindergarten. “Musk is not the only entrepreneur to recognize the value of preschool for Texas workers,” Gormley said. “A lot of politicians and business people get enthusiastic about education in general — and preschool in particular — because they salivate at the prospect of a better workforce.” Political Moves Musk spent much of October actively campaigning for Trump’s presidential effort, becoming the most prolific donor of the election cycle. He poured at least $274 million into political groups in 2024, including $238 million to America PAC, the political action committee he founded. While the vast majority of money raised by America PAC came from Musk himself, it also had support from other donors. Betsy DeVos, who served as education secretary in Trump’s first term, donated $250,000, federal filings show. The Department of Education is already in the new administration’s cross hairs. Trump campaigned on the idea of disbanding the department and dismantling diversity initiatives, and he has also taken aim at transgender rights. “Rather than indoctrinating young people with inappropriate racial, sexual, and political material, which is what we’re doing now, our schools must be totally refocused to prepare our children to succeed in the world of work,” Trump wrote in Agenda 47, his campaign platform. Musk has three children with the musician Grimes and three with Shivon Zilis, who in the past was actively involved at Neuralink, his brain machine interface company. All are under the age of five. Musk took X, his son with Grimes, with him on a recent trip to Capitol Hill. After his visit, he shared a graphic that showed the growth of administrators in America’s public schools since 2000. Tuition Costs Musk is a fan of hands-on education. During a Tesla earnings call in 2018, he talked about the need for more electricians as the electric-car maker scaled up the energy side of its business. On the Joe Rogan podcast in 2020, Musk said that “too many smart people go into finance and law.” “I have a lot of respect for people who work with their hands and we need electricians and plumbers and carpenters,” Musk said while campaigning for Trump in Pennsylvania in October. “That’s a lot more important than having incremental political science majors.” Ad Astra’s website says the cost of tuition will be initially subsidized, but in future years “tuition will be in line with local private schools that include an extended day program.” “I do think we need significant reform in education,” Musk said at a separate Trump campaign event. “The priority should be to teach kids skills that they will find useful later in life, and to leave any sort of social propaganda out of the classroom.” With assistance from Sophie Alexander and Kara Carlson. ©2024 Bloomberg News. Visit at bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
UTICA — The search for solutions continues for a Utica Com ets squad tr ying to string together positives during the 2024-25 season. Utica is mired in a team-record 13-game winless streak eight weeks into the regular season. It has put Utica in a difficult situation before the Comets have played a quarter of the 72-game American Hockey League season. How does the team get on the other side of the results? “I think we just got to keep sticking with it, keep believing,” said winger Max Willman, who recently surpassed the 200-game mark between the AHL and NHL. “I think our game is trending in the right direction and we’re in a lot of these games that we’re losing. But, I think it’s just sticking to the kind of process that we’ve been working on during the week and going from there.” With a quirk in the schedule, the Comets have played twice over a 12-day stretch. Utica interim head coach Ryan Parent said practice time has had a focus on special teams. The team’s power play unit (17%) is 19th in the 32-team league. The penalty kill, meanwhile, is last at 71.4%. “You’ve got a good idea of what the team does, but an area you can really get a lot tighter is special teams when you’ve got a week to look at them,” Parent said. “It’s an area that we need to improve.” Parent said the players have had “good energy” recently despite at tough time on the ice. Utica is already 13 points behind fifth-place Syracuse and the eventual playoff line for the North Division. The struggles have persisted for Utica following the extremely rare in-season coaching change earlier this month by officials from the parent New Jersey Devils. “It is hard when maybe on an individual basis, guys are disappointed with how they’ve played as a team,” Parent said. “What we’re trying to do is, you can’t look at the past. You can’t have a ‘woe is me’ feeling during a game if they score a goal. It’s how you respond to that goal that’s important. We can’t continue to talk about what’s happened. The only way we’re going to get out of it is to learn from it and move on.” He said the Comets’ focus is “a fresh start regardless of the situation we’re in.” “We can look forward on it and we can get positives from little plays during games. There’s little victories that we can celebrate so we’re not constantly looking at the negative results that we’re having,” Parent said. An unpleasant league winless mark looms in the background three years after the Comets made AHL history with 13 consecutive wins to start the season. The Baltimore Skipjacks started the 1987-88 campaign with a 21-game winless streak, an AHL record. This weekend features road games against North Division rivals Syracuse on Friday and Rochester on Saturday. The contests begin a stretch in which Utica has 10 of the next 13 games on the road. Utica has three home games remaining in 2024, including Wednesday vs. Providence. If the Comets aren’t able to find a level that team officials believe they can play, the situation could quickly get worse. Willman believes the Comets have a good group of players that gets along well. The team, which has had its share of roster change in recent days, has a m ix of experience including captain Ryan Schmelzer, alternate captains Joe Gambardella and Sam Laberge and defensemen Colton White and Andy Welinski. There’s also Max Willman (career-best 12 goals last season) and Brian Halonen (25 goals in his last 48 games) mixed in with top prospects in defensemen Šimon Nemec and Seamus Casey and forward Chase Stillman, who had a solid rookie season with Utica. There’s also goalies Nico Daws and Isaac Poulter, who have had up-and-down seasons so far. “It is sticking with it and not deviating from it, just because a couple of things have not been going our way,” Willman said. Parent said the team is healthy — he knocked on the wooden podium he was standing near when asked Thursday — which would mark the first time this season for the Comets. All 14 forwards and seven defensemen on the roster were present Thursday. One one of the biggest struggles is on offense as the team has been shut out four times in 13 games. That includes the last two games against Cleveland and Syracuse, pushing a goalless streak to more than 132 minutes. The team has scored just 21 goals, fewest in the AHL. Conversely, five teams have already accumulated more standings points. How does the team score more goals? “That’s a good question,” Willman said. “If we increase the (offensive) zone time and possession time, you’d like to think things would start going in for us whether they’re dirty goals or shots from the point or just lucky bounces that start going our way. We’ve definitely had a lot of chances in these games to score and they just haven’t been going in. I think we just kind of stick with it.”The Australian sharemarket is tipped to open weaker despite a rally from some of the world’s largest technology companies that spurred a rebound on Wall Street. ASX 200 futures were down 15 points or 0.2 per cent at 8.183 at 7.15 AEDT, after the S&P/ASX 200 Index gained 1.7 per cent on Monday to post its best session in six months. Overnight, US stocks recovered from a wobble that was fuelled by weaker-than-expected data on US consumer confidence. While most companies in the S&P 500 retreated, Tesla and Nvidia drove a gauge of the “Magnificent Seven” megacaps up over 1 per cent. However, it was a thin trading session at the start of a holiday-shortened week, with volume roughly 20 per cent below the average of the past month. Wall Street recovered from an early wobble as the heavyweight technology stocks spurred a rebound. Credit: Bloomberg “Primary uptrends remain intact for equities despite the recent profit-taking,” Craig Johnson at Piper Sandler said. “Given the short-term oversold conditions, we expect a ‘Santa Claus Rally’ to be a strong possibility this year.” To Morgan Stanley’s Michael Wilson, negative breadth — when falling shares outnumber those that are rising — may not matter as much for high-quality stock indexes with robust price momentum. Earlier, stocks lost steam momentarily after data showed consumer confidence unexpectedly sank for the first time in three months on concerns about the outlook for the US economy. “The economic outlook is deteriorating,” said Neil Dutta at Renaissance Macro Research. “This was true before the Fed’s December confab and remains true. The risk of the Fed flip-flopping is quite high.” The S&P 500 added 0.4 per cent. The Nasdaq 100 climbed 0.7 per cent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average wavered. Qualcomm climbed after prevailing at trial against Arm Holdings’ claim that it breached a license for chip technology. Rumble soared on news that crypto stablecoin firm Tether will buy a stake in the video-sharing platform. Meanwhile, US retail giant Nordstrom is going private after the founding Nordstrom family, which owns a 33 per cent stake in the company, teamed up with Mexican retail investor El Puerto de Liverpool on the deal. Treasury 10-year yields advanced seven basis points to 4.59 per cent. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index rose 0.3 per cent. The S&P 500 is on its way to record a stellar annual return and back-to-back years of more than 20 per cent gains. The index has risen about 25 per cent since the end of 2023, with the top seven biggest technology stocks accounting for more than half of the advance. “Last week’s action should mark the end of the recent pullback and allow a ‘Santa Claus Rally’,” said Jonathan Krinsky at BTIG. “We do think a deeper correction early in ’25 is likely, albeit from a new all-time high.” The prospect or not of a “Santa Claus Rally” during a seven-day period, which includes the last five trading days of the old year and the first two of the new one, continues to be a barometer of investors’ optimism into the new year. Bloomberg L.P. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Markets Live SPDR S&P/ASX 200 Fund Investing Shares Most Viewed in Business Loading
Linda Annis offered a holiday message for shoppers: don’t let Christmastime Grinches steal your Christmas or your Christmas cheer. Annis, executive director of Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers, gave her annual tips for a crime-free Christmas at a home in Cloverdale Dec. 9. “Every year, we ask the Grinch himself to help us remind people to follow some very common-sense precautions,” she said. “Nonetheless, every year we hear stories of people who still take chances with their valuables and their personal safety. That’s why we like to come out as the shopping season heats up with some helpful reminders, and a few things people might not have thought about.” Annis, who is also a Surrey city councillor, said the message is “especially important” as the year draws to a close and concerns with crime and public safety are riding. “Now is not the time to let down our guard when it comes to porch pirates, purse snatchers, home break-ins, parking lot B&Es and online fraudsters,” she said. “If you see a crime in action, call 9-1-1 or the local police right away. And if you have information about what nefarious deeds somebody’s up to, or see a suspicious person in the neighbourhood, but want to remain anonymous, call us at Crime Stoppers.” She added if anyone has information, they can telephone Crime Stoppers, use the P3 smartphone app to report crime anonymously, or visit solvecrime.ca. “Your anonymity is guaranteed by the Supreme Court of Canada. You’ll never be questioned or called to testify.” Annis, the Grinch, and little Cindy Lou Who teamed up to stage safety scenarios. Their efforts helped illustrate the dos and dont’s for the holidays as it pertained to shopping, both at stores and online. Annis ended her remarks with a few red hot, Grinch-thwarting tips to help prevent the onset of some Christmas blues. Ask neighbours to help keep an eye on your front door for deliveries. Some thieves actually follow delivery trucks to people’s homes so they can steal parcels as soon as the truck is gone. Use your video camera feeds to watch for both deliveries and crooks. Maybe you’ll spot someone stealing your Christmas lawn display, or packages from your porch. Where programs exist, register your doorbell and home security cameras to help police quickly find recordings of neighbourhood crimes. Voluntary programs in some cities, like Project Iris in Surrey, could help police solve a break-in or other crime at your house or your neighbour’s. Does the website you’re buying from, and the merch you buying, look legit? Maybe it’s cheaper that it really should be? Organized retail crime costs Canadians almost $5 billion a year, so buy from established businesses, not unknown sources. Shoplifted or stolen goods may be sold online or through flea markets, with the money often going to gangs dealing in drugs or illegal weapons. Think about who might be watching your sunny vacation pics on social media. Remember, your post from the beach tells the whole world you’re not at home – and that includes thieves. Large empty boxes outside your home tell everyone what valuable goodies are inside your house to steal. Boxes from that gaming computer, 65-inch TV, or other expensive gifts should be stored out of sight until the cardboard can be recycled. You can also close blinds to keep people from seeing inside your house. Etch your valuables in case they’re stolen. Ask local police to help etch your property with your driver’s license number. Also photograph valuables showing make, model and serial number. Theft is getting worse, so don’t leave valuables visible in your car. Before you lock up your car to go shopping, leave nothing visible inside. Not even pocket change or empty bottles or cans. And don’t fill your car with gifts and then go back into more stores. Someone may be watching what you’ve bought. Find a busy, well-lit section of the parking lot and lock your gifts out of sight in the trunk. Leave your garage door opener at home or in your pocket. A thief who takes your remote sitting from your console, and finds your address somewhere in the car, considers that an open invitation to come open your garage for a look. Watch your pockets in busy stores. Keep purses and wallets where you can keep track of them and thwart pickpockets who look to take advantage while jostling with holiday crowds. Visit for more info.U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday named Andrew Ferguson as the next chair of the Federal Trade Commission. He will replace Lina Khan, who became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley by blocking billions of dollars' worth of corporate acquisitions and suing Amazon and Meta while alleging anticompetitive behaviour. Ferguson is already one of the FTC's five commissioners, which is currently made up of three Democrats and two Republicans. “Andrew has a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “Andrew will be the most America First, and pro-innovation FTC Chair in our Country’s History.” The replacement of Khan likely means that the FTC will operate with a lighter touch when it comes to antitrust enforcement. The new chair is expected to appoint new directors of the FTC's antitrust and consumer protection divisions. “These changes likely will make the FTC more favorable to business than it has been in recent years, though the extent to which is to be determined,” wrote Anthony DiResta, a consumer protection attorney at Holland & Knight, in a recent analysis. Deals that were blocked by the Biden administration could find new life with Trump in command. For example, the new leadership could be more open to a proposed merger between the country’s two biggest supermarket chains, Kroger and Albertsons, which forged a US$24.6 billion deal to combine in 2022. Two judges halted the merger Tuesday night. The FTC had filed a lawsuit in federal court earlier this year to block the merger, claiming the deal would eliminate competition, leading to higher prices and lower wages for workers. The two companies say a merger would help them lower prices and compete against bigger rivals like Walmart. One of the judges said the FTC had shown it was likely to prevail in the administrative hearing. Yet given the widespread public concern over high grocery prices, the Trump administration may not fully abandon the FTC's efforts to block the deal, some experts have said. And the FTC may continue to scrutinize Big Tech firms for any anticompetitive behaviour. Many Republican politicians have accused firms such as Meta of censoring conservative views, and some officials in Trump's orbit, most notably vice-president-elect JD Vance, have previously expressed support for Khan's scrutiny of Big Tech firms. In addition to Fergson, Trump also announced Tuesday that he had selected Jacob Helberg as the next undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment.
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — This was not the homecoming scenario Kirk Cousins would have scripted. Cousins' return to Minnesota, his NFL home from 2018 through 2023, on Sunday comes as he is hearing speculation about his job security in Atlanta. Cousins has thrown six interceptions with no touchdowns in the Falcons' three-game losing streak. That includes four picks in last week's 17-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, his most in a decade. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a weekFinally, a ThinkPad model that checks all the boxes for me as a working professional