Jim Harbaugh and Chargers focused on accomplishing more after wrapping up playoff berthLOS ANGELES (AP) — Anze Kopitar scored twice, Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist, and the Los Angeles Kings got their seventh straight home win by beating the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 on Sunday night. Kevin Fiala and Warren Foegele also scored for the Kings, who trailed 4-2 midway through the second period before rebounding to sweep a back-to-back after defeating recent playoff nemesis Edmonton in overtime on Saturday. David Rittich made 17 saves. Kopitar was in the right place to redirect Quinton Byfield's rebound in and tie it at 4 early in the third, before following it up by chopping in Kempe's shot during a power play at 8:55 for the 5-4 lead. Matvei Michkov had a goal and an assist for the Flyers after being benched for the third period against Anaheim on Saturday . Tyson Foerster, Scott Laughton and Joel Farabee also scored, and Aleksei Kolosov made 15 saves. Takeaways Flyers: Michkov responded well after some tough coaching from John Tortorella, ending a seven-game point drought. Kings: Kopitar is 19 seasons into his Kings career but shows no signs of slowing down. He is up to 12 goals and 27 assists through 36 games. Key moment Foegele showed good composure in following up his rebound on a breakaway with 4:56 left in the second, getting the Kings back within 4-3 and setting the stage for Kopitar's final-period heroics. Key stat Los Angeles is a resilient bunch, improving to 8-7-1 when allowing the first goal. Up Next The Flyers visit San Jose on Tuesday, and the Kings host New Jersey on Wednesday. ___ AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl Dan Greenspan, The Associated PressAV Ranganath reiterated that Hydraa would crack a whip against encroachers, land grabbers in 2025. Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (Hydraa) chief AV Ranganath released the annual report of the agency at a press conference in the city on Saturday, December 28. Speaking to the media, he said that the public is now aware of Full Tank Level (FTL), Buffer zones and illegal encroachments on lakes due to the actions taken by Hydraa. “Hydra has so far saved 8 lakes and 12 parks. With the help of technology, boundaries and buffer zones have been determined. 5,800 complaints have been submitted to Hydra so far, mostly on building encroachments. Around 200 acres of government land was reclaimed by Hydraa over the last five months.” He also stated that they would prioritise the complaints given by residential welfare associations. ‘Hydraa’s duty to protect govt lands, forests, parks’: “Hydra’s main duty is to protect government lands, forests and parks. Along with land protection, flood prevention. The agency has also has sent a proposal for rejuvenation of 12 lakes. Appealed to the government to provide Doppler Weather Radar to Hydra, which can provide accurate weather forecasts,” he said. He also reiterated that they would act tough against encroachments in 2025 and that a police station would be soon be set up, which would crack a whip on land grabbers. “Apart from rejuvenation of lakes, the agency would also focus on initiating stern action against those dumping wastes into it through remote sensing agencies and operators. Hydraa set up in July: The agency was set up in July this year and ever since, has quickly become a way for government to strike fear especially in real estate developers. However, several working people also lost their shops and other establishments due to hydraa demolitions, attracting criticism from public about over reach. Click for more latest Hyderabad news . Also get top headlines and latest news from India and around the world at News9. Pavitra covers Telangana and Andhra Pradesh politics, civic issues and crime; likes producing and listening to podcasts and is passionate about mental health.
Native American patients are sent to collections for debts the government owes
CPI(M) demands govt immediately start talks with farmer groupsExtended price rises by fuel retailers in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane must be urgently investigated, the National Roads and Motorists’ Association has declared, after its new finding that the three biggest petrol markets are more expensive than the smaller cities of Darwin, Perth and Adelaide. The NRMA is demanding the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission review the fuel-price cycles that trap motorists in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, pointing to their analysis that shows an average family spends at least $250 a year more on fuel in those cities compared with Perth. Motorists in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are being stung as a result of fuel-price cycles. Credit: afr That’s because Perth has a one-week price cycle among its fuel retailers, while service stations in the nation’s biggest capital cities consistently cycle their prices over a six-week period, which is too long for motorists to wait out high price periods before they fill their tanks. “There is no justifiable reason for our biggest cities to be among the most expensive – it just doesn’t pass the pub test,” said NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury. Prices take about two weeks to shift from the lowest point to the peak, but they remain elevated for weeks – taking about a month to cycle back to the budget end of the scale. In Perth, the same cycle only takes seven days. NRMA analysis found the price of unleaded petrol in Sydney was 9.7 cents more per litre compared with Perth in 2024, and 8.9 cents more in Melbourne. In Brisbane, a litre costs 13.6 cents more this year than in Perth, while the most expensive fuel was in the nation’s capital, Canberra, at 14.9 cents more than Perth. For an average family that fills one 55-litre tank with unleaded petrol once a week, the annual fuel bill is $277 more in Sydney compared with Perth, and $255 more in Melbourne. Khoury said petrol is the single largest weekly expense for most households, and NRMA is eyeing the upcoming federal election, due by May, to focus get political leaders to focus on addressing the issue. “It’s growing worse over time, and our expectation is there will be a heightened awareness of it in 2025 because it’s an election year,” Khoury said. “Cost of living is going to play one of the biggest parts in determining the outcome of the election, and we know that fuel has been a major factor which has put upward pressure on inflation. “The status quo isn’t working for Australians any more and the only avenue to do something about it is through the ACCC.” Australia’s major markets have only recently flipped from being among the nation’s cheapest to the most expensive. “Sydney in 2019 was the second-cheapest city in Australia, in 2020 it was the third-cheapest city in Australia. In 2018, Melbourne was the third-cheapest city in Australia. So they’ve gone from being in the top three-cheapest to being in the top three most-expensive,” Khoury said. A spokesperson for the ACCC said the NRMA’s call for an investigation was a matter for the government to consider. A spokesperson for Treasurer Jim Chalmers, whose portfolio includes the ACCC, said it monitored petrol prices to ensure fair pricing. “We don’t want to see service stations take Australian motorists for mugs,” the spokesperson said. “Petrol prices decreased in the last quarter in the five major Australian cities, taking pressure off consumers who are doing it tough.” Queensland Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg welcomed the prospect of an ACCC inquiry, which he acknowledged must be triggered by the federal government. “The appropriate mechanism to consider those measures and the effects of those measures would be an ACCC inquiry, noting that the federal government is responsible for price regulation,” Mickelberg said on Monday. The ACCC monitors fuel prices and its latest quarterly report found that “price cycles only occur at the retail level and are not driven by movements in wholesale prices or underlying costs”. “While petrol price cycles can be frustrating for motorists, and the longer cycles in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane make it more difficult for motorists to time their purchases in these cities, there are opportunities to save throughout the cycle. There is often a range of petrol prices available throughout any given price cycle,” an ACCC spokesperson said. Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter .The Latest: State funeral for Jimmy Carter will be Jan. 9
Crime is rising in the Virgin Islands. Is New Gun Violence Prevention Office enough?WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) — Jalen Rucker's 27 points helped Army defeat UTSA 78-75 on Sunday night. Rucker added six rebounds for the Black Knights (6-6). Ryan Curry scored 15 points while shooting 4 for 9 (3 for 8 from 3-point range) and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line and added five assists. AJ Allenspach shot 4 of 4 from the field and 4 for 5 from the foul line to finish with 12 points, while adding eight rebounds. The Roadrunners (6-6) were led by Amir "Primo" Spears, who recorded 22 points and nine rebounds. Tai'Reon Joseph added 16 points and two steals for UTSA. Raekwon Horton finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Army went into halftime ahead of UTSA 39-35. Rucker scored 11 points in the half. Rucker scored 16 points down the stretch in the second half to help lead Army to a three-point victory. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
Georgia QB Carson Beck declares for 2025 NFL DraftInstitutional and Insider Ownership 82.1% of Datasea shares are held by institutional investors. 41.1% of Datasea shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Volatility and Risk Datasea has a beta of 0.66, meaning that its stock price is 34% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Temenos has a beta of 1.09, meaning that its stock price is 9% more volatile than the S&P 500. Earnings & Valuation This table compares Datasea and Temenos”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Profitability This table compares Datasea and Temenos’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Summary Temenos beats Datasea on 7 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks. About Datasea ( Get Free Report ) Datasea Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides technology and information systems in the People's Republic of China. The company provides smart city solutions and 5G messaging applications. It also offers its smart security solutions primarily to schools, tourist or scenic attractions, and public communities. In addition, the company provides intelligent acoustics products, which include ultrasonic air sterilizer, air purification and deodorization, and other products. The company was formerly known as Rose Rock, Inc. and changed its name to Datasea Inc. in October 2015. Datasea Inc. was incorporated in 2014 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China. About Temenos ( Get Free Report ) Temenos AG develops, markets, and sells integrated banking software systems to banking and other financial institutions worldwide. Its Temenos Banking Cloud helps banks to offer open banking services. The company provides Temenos Infinity, a digital banking platform; Temenos Transact, a core banking software for retail, corporate, treasury, wealth, and payments; Temenos Payments, a software-as-a-service payments technology; Temenos Multifonds, a platform for traditional and alternative funds, as well as offers key asset servicing, position keeping, valuation and accounting functions for various structures of pooled vehicles and funds; Temenos Multifonds Navigator, a net asset value shadow, oversight, and contingency solution; and Temenos Quantum, a multi-experience development platform. It also offers Temenos XAI that enables banks to provide individualized customer experiences, drive customer loyalty and profitability, and automate processes; Temenos Financial Crime Mitigation that allows banks and financial institutions to avoid regulatory fines, detect fraud, and mitigate reputational risks; Temenos Analytics, a reporting, analytics, and business intelligence product; Temenos Regulatory Compliance for addressing fraud, remaining compliant with regulations, and managing risks; Temenos Wealth, an integrated portfolio management and securities trading platform for wealth managers and private bankers; and Temenos DataSource, an enterprise data management solution. In addition, it provides various solutions for retail, business, universal, central, Islamic, corporate, and private banking; life and pension; challenger banks and fintechs; wealth management; credit unions; financial inclusion; and asset managers and asset services. The company was formerly known as Temenos Group AG and changed its name to Temenos AG in May 2018. The company was founded in 1993 and is based in Geneva, Switzerland. Receive News & Ratings for Datasea Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Datasea and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Drake wins 65-46 against Belmont
Hong Kong’s many football fans usually have to cheer on champions and legends of the sport from afar. This serves to whet their appetite when a chance arises to see them in the flesh – so much so that no price is too high for some to pay to be able to meet them. A case in point is a “meet-and-greet” event with former greats of Spanish football giants Real Madrid for which dozens of fans, including members of the team’s local fan club, had bought tickets for HK$6,880 each. Some of the Real stars, including Luis Figo, Roberto Carlos and Fabio Cannavaro, had already left the venue, the Hong Kong Golf and Tennis Academy, by the time the fans arrived, dashing hopes of a photo with the players and having memorabilia signed. It seems they left the “meet-and-greet” early to prepare for an exhibition match against Spanish rivals Barcelona. That reflects lack of planning and coordination. Many fans have complained to the Consumer Council and co-organisers of the Legends Assemble programme, Football Legends, Timewow and ACO Media. But it is not clear how much refund they can expect, given that they did meet some players including those from Barcelona.
4th Test: Jaiswal, Pant keeps India afloat in chase of 340Mashburn scores 18 as Temple beats Buffalo 91-71Gareth Bale agrees with Jude Bellingham on Kylian Mbappe after his Anfield nightmare. The Real Madrid superstar endured a difficult evening during his side’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool . He had little impact on the game and passed up a golden chance to find the net after seeing his penalty saved by Caoimhin Kelleher . It was the latest chapter in what has been a tricky campaign for Mbappe. Despite his nine goals so far this term, it has been claimed he is not totally happy at being played out of position by Carlo Ancelotti . He has also lost his place in the French national team under Didier Deschamps. Despite his bad fortune, former Real Madrid star Bale is sure that Mbappe will rediscover his best form. Speaking on TNT Sports, the Welshman said: “It does happen, I’ve missed penalties, everyone’s missed penalties. It’s just kind of unfortunate at the moment that it’s not quite going Mbappe’s way. I think on his day, he’s the best player in the world, and I think it’s just a matter of time before he becomes good.” Meanwhile, Mbappe’s teammate Bellingham has refused to blame the Frenchman for Los Blancos’ defeat. He said: "Obviously it's a big moment in the game, but it can happen, he's a wonderful player but the pressure he holds is huge. "The penalty is not the reason we lost the game; as a collective, we weren't good enough on the night. Kylian can keep his head high, I know for sure, that he will produce many more moments that are huge for this club." What's gone wrong for Kylian Mbappe? Share your thoughts in the comments below Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti also gave his verdict and issued a simple task to Mbappe in order to rediscover his form. Speaking in his post-match press conference, the Italian said: "It happens a lot with forwards, there are times when it's hard for them to score. "There's a cure, and it's patience. It's a difficult moment for him, above all today, with the missed penalty. Everyone has to support him. It could be a lack of confidence. “Sometimes, when you have a moment when things aren't going well, the idea is to play simply, and you can complicate things a bit. He's scored a lot of penalties. Sometimes you can miss one... He has to work, keep fighting, and the moment will pass." Mbappe will hope to find the net this weekend as Real attempt to cut the gap to La Liga title rivals Barcelona . They take on Getafe at the Bernabeu on Sunday afternoon. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Sky has slashed the price of its Sky Sports, Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £240 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
By JILL COLVIN and STEPHEN GROVES WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working mostly behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role: Helping Donald Trump try to get his most contentious Cabinet picks to confirmation in the Senate, where Vance has served for the last two years. Vance arrived at the Capitol on Wednesday with former Rep. Matt Gaetz and spent the morning sitting in on meetings between Trump’s choice for attorney general and key Republicans, including members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The effort was for naught: Gaetz announced a day later that he was withdrawing his name amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations and the reality that he was unlikely to be confirmed. Thursday morning Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth, the “Fox & Friends Weekend” host whom Trump has tapped to be the next secretary of defense. Hegseth also has faced allegations of sexual assault that he denies. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings in coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., center, and Vice President-elect JD Vance, left, walk out of a meeting with Republican Senate Judiciary Committee members, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, departs the chamber at the Capitol in Washington, March 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, center speaks during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, right, speaks with Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, before testifying at a hearing, March 9, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a classified briefing on China, at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a vote on Capitol Hill, Sept. 12, 2023 in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance R-Ohio speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) The role of introducing nominees around Capitol Hill is an unusual one for a vice president-elect. Usually the job goes to a former senator who has close relationships on the Hill, or a more junior aide. But this time the role fits Vance, said Marc Short, who served as Trump’s first director of legislative affairs as well as chief of staff to Trump’s first vice president, Mike Pence, who spent more than a decade in Congress and led the former president’s transition ahead of his first term. ”JD probably has a lot of current allies in the Senate and so it makes sense to have him utilized in that capacity,” Short said. Unlike the first Trump transition, which played out before cameras at Trump Tower in New York and at the president-elect’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, this one has largely happened behind closed doors in Palm Beach, Florida. There, a small group of officials and aides meet daily at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort to run through possible contenders and interview job candidates. The group includes Elon Musk, the billionaire who has spent so much time at the club that Trump has joked he can’t get rid of him. Vance has been a constant presence, even as he’s kept a lower profile. The Ohio senator has spent much of the last two weeks in Palm Beach, according to people familiar with his plans, playing an active role in the transition, on which he serves as honorary chair. Vance has been staying at a cottage on the property of the gilded club, where rooms are adorned with cherubs, oriental rugs and intricate golden inlays. It’s a world away from the famously hardscrabble upbringing that Vance documented in the memoir that made him famous, “Hillbilly Elegy.” His young children have also joined him at Mar-a-Lago, at times. Vance was photographed in shorts and a polo shirt playing with his kids on the seawall of the property with a large palm frond, a U.S. Secret Service robotic security dog in the distance. Related Articles On the rare days when he is not in Palm Beach, Vance has been joining the sessions remotely via Zoom. Though he has taken a break from TV interviews after months of constant appearances, Vance has been active in the meetings, which began immediately after the election and include interviews and as well as presentations on candidates’ pluses and minuses. Among those interviewed: Contenders to replace FBI Director Christopher Wray , as Vance wrote in a since-deleted social media post. Defending himself from criticism that he’d missed a Senate vote in which one of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees was confirmed, Vance wrote that he was meeting at the time “with President Trump to interview multiple positions for our government, including for FBI Director.” “I tend to think it’s more important to get an FBI director who will dismantle the deep state than it is for Republicans to lose a vote 49-46 rather than 49-45,” Vance added on X. “But that’s just me.” While Vance did not come in to the transition with a list of people he wanted to see in specific roles, he and his friend, Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who is also a member of the transition team, were eager to see former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. find roles in the administration. Trump ended up selecting Gabbard as the next director of national intelligence , a powerful position that sits atop the nation’s spy agencies and acts as the president’s top intelligence adviser. And he chose Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services , a massive agency that oversees everything from drug and food safety to Medicare and Medicaid. Vance was also a big booster of Tom Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who will serve as Trump’s “border czar.” In another sign of Vance’s influence, James Braid, a top aide to the senator, is expected to serve as Trump’s legislative affairs director. Allies say it’s too early to discuss what portfolio Vance might take on in the White House. While he gravitates to issues like trade, immigration and tech policy, Vance sees his role as doing whatever Trump needs. Vance was spotted days after the election giving his son’s Boy Scout troop a tour of the Capitol and was there the day of leadership elections. He returned in earnest this week, first with Gaetz — arguably Trump’s most divisive pick — and then Hegseth, who has was been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017, according to an investigative report made public this week. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing. Vance hosted Hegseth in his Senate office as GOP senators, including those who sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee, filtered in to meet with the nominee for defense secretary. While a president’s nominees usually visit individual senators’ offices, meeting them on their own turf, the freshman senator — who is accompanied everywhere by a large Secret Service detail that makes moving around more unwieldy — instead brought Gaetz to a room in the Capitol on Wednesday and Hegseth to his office on Thursday. Senators came to them. Vance made it to votes Wednesday and Thursday, but missed others on Thursday afternoon. Vance is expected to continue to leverage his relationships in the Senate after Trump takes office. But many Republicans there have longer relationships with Trump himself. Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, said that Trump was often the first person to call him back when he was trying to reach high-level White House officials during Trump’s first term. “He has the most active Rolodex of just about anybody I’ve ever known,” Cramer said, adding that Vance would make a good addition. “They’ll divide names up by who has the most persuasion here,” Cramer said, but added, “Whoever his liaison is will not work as hard at it as he will.” Cramer was complimentary of the Ohio senator, saying he was “pleasant” and ” interesting” to be around. ′′He doesn’t have the long relationships,” he said. “But we all like people that have done what we’ve done. I mean, that’s sort of a natural kinship, just probably not as personally tied.” Under the Constitution, Vance will also have a role presiding over the Senate and breaking tie votes. But he’s not likely to be needed for that as often as was Kamala Harris, who broke a record number of ties for Democrats as vice president, since Republicans will have a bigger cushion in the chamber next year. Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.Arne Slot was pleased to beat a Real Madrid team who have been a “pain in the ass” for Liverpool for several years but played down the significance of the 2-0 victory. After seven defeats and a draw – including losses in the 2018 and 2022 finals – the Reds gained their first success over their European nemesis since 2009 with goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo. Liverpool top the Champions League with five wins from five and are on the verge of securing a place in the last 16 but Slot said the win would mean much more if it came in the knockout stages. “I wouldn’t say it is the same as any other one because you know how special it is to play against a club that won this Champions League so many times and are the reigning champions as well, dominated Europe for the last few years and were a pain in the ass for Liverpool many times as well,” he told TNT Sports. In his post-match press conference Slot added: “I think it is always good to win a game and especially a big game like this, you know you face so many quality players. “This is such a strange and different setup in the Champions League it is difficult to judge how important these wins are. “If we meet them in the last 16 and then we are able to beat them it would be a bigger statement.” Liverpool were well worth their long-awaited victory as they dominated throughout and kept generational talents Kylian Mbappe – who missed a penalty – and Jude Bellingham quite for almost the entire game. They could even afford for Mohamed Salah to miss a spot-kick of his own but it did not affect the outcome as Real were restricted to 37 per cent possession and just three shots on target. Asked whether his side were currently the best in Europe, Slot said: “The ones (players) here for a long time are almost used to playing a final, this team has always been there. “The last two years have maybe been different but it was only a few adjustments and we are only five games in in a new format. “We are happy where we are but not getting carried away by winning a group-stage game. This club wants more.” The only blemish on the night were injuries to Ibrahima Konate and the excellent 21-year-old Conor Bradley , who kept Mbappe quiet and then provided the assist for Mac Allister’s opener. “I know where they have pain but how bad or good it is difficult to judge so close after the game but this happens,” said Slot, who has four days to prepare his Premier League leaders for the visit of Manchester City. “I am really hoping both are available but if not someone else has to step up.” On the performance of Bradley, deputising for Trent Alexander-Arnold who was on the bench after returning from a hamstring injury, the Liverpool boss added: “Conor did very well but I am totally not surprised, he showed it last season and this as well.” Real manager Carlo Ancelotti accepted they were beaten by the better team. “I think that to be totally honest it is a fair result, Liverpool deserved to win,” he said. “I think Mbappe it is a difficult moment. We have to support him and give him our love, he will soon be fine. “It could be a lack of confidence maybe, sometimes maybe when you have moments when things aren’t working out, the idea is to keep things simple, don’t complicate life. “You don’t need to blame him for missing penalties, people miss penalties, it happens a lot.” A third group-stage defeat for the first time in the club’s history leaves them right on the cut line of 24th to progress to at least a play-off for the last 16 – but Ancelotti has no doubts. “This game today wasn’t a decisive game in terms of our league position,” he said. “It was always going to be tough to finish in the top eight, we have to make sure we are in the next 24 as high as we can and we will be there.”Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Recently, I told the Corvallis Planning Commission that I resigned my seat because I needed to focus on an innovative affordable housing preservation model I pioneered up in Portland that I’d like to scale across the state. While this is certainly true, it is not the full truth: I resigned out of frustration. Many of the changes needed to give Corvallis more abundant and diverse housing options (as well as a more robust tax base) are battled at every step of the way by a short-sighted philosophy that permeates the current powers-that-be. Yes, things are changing, but not fast enough. Granted, the Planning Commission can’t change things: It just adjudicates on the rules already on the books. For example, the Planning Commission couldn’t help that the city recently arbitrarily charged $50,000 in system development charges on a start-up medical practice next door to other medical practices that didn’t have to pay these SDC charges. People are also reading... Two Albany residents killed in Linn County crash Oregon State celebrates Murphy's arrival while Washington State loses coach, quarterback Albany shelter faces federal lawsuit as whistleblower faces homelessness Group wants to make Corvallis downtown more sophisticated Group wants to make Corvallis downtown more sophisticated Oregon port contractor praises Hitler, uses slurs — and now officials face a quandary Family of hit-and-run victim seeks closure, clues that will lead to driver As I See It: The people of Benton County deserve leadership that promotes dialogue Oregon State men head to the beaches of Hawaii looking to keep momentum going Corvallis looks to drum up millions for facilities project Albany man indicted in attempted murder case Brownsville swears in new councilors, conservative sweep complete New Corvallis playground welcomes children with disabilities Albany police say sex offender tried enrolling in high school Albany man suspected of stealing flatbed trailer, crashing into minivan The argument was that these recovering cancer patients would increase road traffic, but now this “road traffic” (and revenue and tax base for the city) will travel to other cities. It isn’t the Planning Commission’s fault, for example, that my pilot project to preserve affordable housing had to be abandoned when the city insisted a change of use from apartments to affordable condos would require an innovative developer pay for street improvements that provide questionable benefits to residents, citizens, and taxpayers. (We even lined up down payment assistance from private sources for the tenants to become owners of their affordable condos.) Yet, a buyer who retains the same property as apartments and then doubles rents over the next few years? They are not required to make these costly changes. How is it possible that the 2021 Senate Bill 458, which allows lot divisions for middle housing, was pre-empted by mostly aesthetic street improvements of questionable value? Why did the “progressive” city single out the one buyer who had a vision for affordable housing? There is no “why.” This loss of naturally-occurring affordable housing was preventable, but I was powerless within the Planning Commission. Many great people in the city staff tried to help, but there are still some in the elected leadership of the city who “talk progressive,” but walk regressive by making Corvallis notoriously anti-development, which means working class folks cannot afford to live here. This is an elitist, privileged and regressive worldview. So, I resigned as a planning commissioner because it was easier for me to do my affordable housing pilot project in Portland than in my own hometown. There is a lack of leadership at the local level. But I also resigned from city politics because change will have to come from the top down. For example, the middle housing initiative at the state level forced municipalities across the entire state to abandon low-density residential zoning policies that were inefficient, unfair and not sustainable. What if our local leaders had a real conversation around housing abundance and affordability rather than doing the bare minimum to comply with state law? Sadly I’ve had to take my pioneering housing idea elsewhere, and I’ve had dozens of clients who have abandoned innovative and progressive projects in Corvallis. Everyone I know professionally has clients who have sadly had to take their ideas — and tax dollars — elsewhere, which ironically makes the progressive goals the city leadership claims to advocate harder to achieve. If you want progressive ideas, we must broaden the tax base and ensure diverse, abundant and affordable housing options. And to do that, “business as usual” must change. Bjorn Beer Bjorn Beer is a resident of Corvallis and a vice president at SVN - Imbrie Realty, specializing in affordable housing across the state. Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!
Ryan Seacrest is only on his first season as the new host of Wheel of Fortune , but he is already skating on thin ice with some fans of the game show. Seacrest , 49, is taking some heat after an incident that occurred during the Tuesday, November 26 episode of Wheel . Oleh Voloshyn, a contestant who could have easily won, ended up losing the game, and some fans believe that it's all because of Seacrest's lack of experience. The debacle took place during the "Final Spin" puzzle in which the wheel landed on $5,000. This meant that the three-word "Event" puzzle would likely decide the winner of the game, as each consonant was worth $6,000. After a few guesses from each player, the puzzle read, "TOUR_NG 'A' '_ _ _ N_R_'." Instead of choosing another consonant and adding $6,000 to his $12,000, winning the game with $18,000, Oleh decided to solve the puzzle correctly as "TOURING A WINERY." This left Oleh with $14,000 total, which was $176 short of his opponent's $14,176 total. Fans of the game show took to social media to share their thoughts on Oleh's loss. "If I'm Oleh, I'm upset at myself for not realizing the situation... I'm also angry at Ryan for not doing something that Pat always made a point to do in this exact situation. It's not the host's job to point those types of things out but Pat [Sajak] always tried so now we expect it," wrote one user on Reddit , referring to the show's former host of over 40 years. A second user agreed and noted, "Pat would have reminded him to guess a letter before solving," implying that Seacrest lacks the former host's experience. "Didn't Pat used to say 'do you want to guess a letter first?'," asked a third Redditor while another added, "Ryan needs to start doing this." Despite receiving some grief from fans of late, many have been vocal about their support for the new host , one even praised him for his off-camera hosting abilities. Seacrest started his tenure as host of the beloved game show in September following Sajak's exit.