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Explore Beyond What You Can See! Distant Horizons Setting Revolutionizes GamingIsrael and Lebanon's Hezbollah agree to a ceasefire to end nearly 14 months of fighting JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel has approved a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement with Lebanon’s Hezbollah, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting linked to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. Israeli warplanes meanwhile carried out the most intense wave of strikes in Beirut and its southern suburbs since the start of the conflict and issued a record number of evacuation warnings. At least 24 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities, as Israel signaled it aims to keep pummeling Hezbollah before the ceasefire is set to take hold at 4 a.m. local time on Wednesday. President Joe Biden, speaking in Washington, called the agreement “good news” and said his administration would make a renewed push for a ceasefire in Gaza. AP finds that a Pentagon-funded study on extremism in the military relied on old data Early this year, Pete Hegseth told a Fox News audience a new, Pentagon-funded study proved that the number of military service members and veterans involved in the Jan. 6 insurrection did not indicate a wider problem in the armed forces. Hegseth, Donald Trump's pick to head the Department of Defense, wasn’t alone. The Wall Street Journal’s opinion page highlighted the same report as evidence that extremists in military communities were “phantoms” created by a “false media narrative.” The X account for Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee posted that the study showed the focus on extremism in the military was a “witch hunt.” But The Associated Press has found that the study relied on old data, misleading analyses and ignored evidence that pointed to the opposite conclusion. Trump's threat to impose tariffs could raise prices for consumers, colliding with promise for relief DETROIT (AP) — If Donald Trump makes good on his threat to slap 25% tariffs on everything imported from Mexico and Canada, the price increases that could follow will collide with his campaign promise to give American families a break from inflation. Economists and industry officials say companies would have little choice but to pass along the added costs, dramatically raising prices for food, clothing, automobiles, booze and other goods. The president-elect floated the tariff idea and an additional 10% tax on goods from China, as a way to force the countries to halt the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the U.S. But his posts Monday threatening tariffs on his first day in office could be a negotiating ploy to get the countries to change behavior. Mexico suggests it would impose its own tariffs to retaliate against any Trump tariffs MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has suggested Mexico could retaliate with tariffs of its own, after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump threatened to impose 25% tariffs on Mexican goods if the country doesn’t stop the flow of drugs and migrants across the border. Sheinbaum says she is willing to engage in talks on the issues, but said drugs were a U.S. problem. She says "one tariff would be followed by another in response, and so on until we put at risk common businesses,” referring to U.S. automakers that have plants on both sides of the border. After delay, Trump signs agreement with Biden White House to begin formal transition handoff WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a required agreement with President Joe Biden’s White House to allow his transition team to coordinate with the existing federal workforce ahead of taking office on Jan. 20. The overdue agreement was supposed to have been signed by Oct. 1, according to the Presidential Transition Act, and the Biden White House has issued appeals in both public and private for Trump’s team to sign on. The agreement is a critical step in the process meant to ensure an orderly transfer of power at noon on Jan. 20 and limits the risk that the Trump team could find itself taking control of the massive federal government without being aware of ongoing programs and operations. Brazil’s Bolsonaro participated in a 2022 coup plot, unsealed police report says SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro was fully aware of and actively participated in a coup plot to remain in office after his defeat in the 2022 election, according to a Federal Police report that has been unsealed. Brazil’s Federal Police last Thursday formally accused Bolsonaro and 36 other people of attempting a coup. They sent their nearly 900-page report to the Supreme Court, which lifted the seal. Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing or awareness of any plot to keep him in power or oust his leftist rival and successor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Biden proposes Medicare and Medicaid cover costly weight-loss drugs for millions of obese Americans WASHINGTON (AP) — Millions of obese Americans would be eligible to have popular weight-loss drugs like Wegovy or Zepbound covered by Medicare or Medicaid under a new rule the Biden administration proposed Tuesday morning. The proposal, which would not be finalized until after President-elect Donald Trump takes office, could cost taxpayers as much as $35 billion over the next decade. It would give millions of people access to weekly injectables that have helped people shed pounds so quickly that some people have labeled them miracle drugs. New rule allows HIV-positive organ transplants People with HIV who need a kidney or liver transplant will be able to receive an organ from a donor with HIV. That's according to a new rule announced Tuesday by U.S. health officials. Previously, such transplants could be done only as part of research studies. The new rule takes effect Wednesday. It's expected to shorten the wait for organs for all, regardless of HIV status, by increasing the pool of available organs. The practice is supported by a decade of research, during which 500 transplants of kidneys and livers from HIV-positive donors have been done in the U.S. Surveillance tech advances by Biden could aid in Trump's promised crackdown on immigration President-elect Donald Trump will return to power next year with a raft of technological tools at his disposal that would help deliver his campaign promise of cracking down on immigration — among them, surveillance and artificial intelligence technology that the Biden administration already uses to help make crucial decisions in tracking, detaining and ultimately deporting immigrants lacking permanent legal status. One algorithm, for example, ranks immigrants with a “Hurricane Score,” ranging from 1-5, to assess whether someone will “abscond” from the agency’s supervision. Ukraine says Russian attack sets a new record for the number of drones used KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Ukrainian air force says Russia launched 188 drones against most regions of Ukraine in a nighttime blitz, describing it as a record number of drones deployed in a single attack. It said Tuesday that most of the drones were intercepted, but apartment buildings and critical infrastructure such as the national power grid were damaged. No casualties were immediately reported in the 17 targeted regions. Russia has been hammering civilian areas of Ukraine with increasingly heavy drone, missile and glide bomb attacks since the middle of the year. The Russian Defense Ministry, meanwhile, issued a rare official acknowledgement of its assets being hit on its own soil by U.S.-made longer-range missiles that the U.S. recently authorized Ukraine to use.The deal, announced on Tuesday night, will see hostilities between Israel and Iran-backed militants Hezbollah suspended for 60 days, with both sides withdrawing from southern Lebanon. Brokered by the US and France, the agreement is designed to provide a permanent end to the conflict, US President Joe Biden said following the announcement. But Israeli ministers insisted it would resume strikes on Lebanon if Hezbollah breached the terms of the ceasefire, while the deal does not affect Israel’s continuing war with Hamas in Gaza. In a statement, Sir Keir Starmer described the deal as “long overdue”, saying it would “provide some measure of relief to the civilian populations of Lebanon and northern Israel, who have suffered unimaginable consequences during the last few months of devastating conflict and bloodshed”. He said: “Now, this deal must be turned into a lasting political solution in Lebanon, based on Security Council Resolution 1701, that will allow civilians to return permanently to their homes and for communities on both sides of the border to rebuild. “The UK and its allies will continue to be at the forefront of efforts to break the ongoing cycle of violence in pursuit of a long-term, sustainable peace in the Middle East. “We must see immediate progress towards a ceasefire deal in Gaza, the release of all hostages and the removal of restrictions on desperately needed humanitarian aid.” The announcement of the deal follows a day of intense Israeli air strikes in Beirut, with local authorities saying at least 24 people were killed in the bombardment while Hezbollah continued to fire rockets into northern Israel. Recommending the ceasefire to his cabinet, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the deal would isolate Hamas in Gaza and allow Israel to focus more on Iran, which supports both Hamas and Hezbollah and has staged attacks on Israel in recent months. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the announcement offered “hope” and must become “a turning point that builds momentum towards a lasting peace across the Middle East”. He said: “The UK was the first G7 country to call for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah in September and we have worked relentlessly since with our allies and partners to apply pressure to end this conflict since. “We strongly urge all parties to use this agreement to open a pathway to a lasting peace.” While aid organisations have welcomed the ceasefire, they have also called for it to be made permanent and extended to the conflict in Gaza. Amelia Whitworth, head of policy, campaigns and youth at the children’s charity Plan International UK, welcomed news of the deal. She said: “It is essential that all parties respect this ceasefire so that vital humanitarian aid can be delivered to the children and families that desperately need it.” Ms Whitworth added: “Today’s agreement must act as a vital step towards a sustained, permanent ceasefire – both in Lebanon and across Gaza and the wider Middle East region. “The horror must stop immediately, all children deserve to enjoy their childhood free from the threat of violence.” Paras Tamang, global humanitarian director at ActionAid, echoed her comments, saying the ceasefire would provide “temporary relief” for civilians but was “not an acceptable long-term solution to the crisis”. Mr Tamang said: “Whilst air strikes may stop for a while, the fallout from these attacks will continue to be felt for years to come. “More humanitarian aid is needed to help the hundreds of thousands of people who have lost everything.” According to the UN, more than 3,700 people, including 240 children, have been killed in Lebanon since the latest round of fighting began in October 2023, while around 900,000 have been displaced.
Life-sized nutcrackers clad in red, blue and golden yellow diligently standing watch. A cardboard cutout of wide-eyed Hermey the Elf from the 1964 classic, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Blow-up molds of “Despicable Me” minions. Naperville lawns are as festive as ever this holiday season, boasting displays that give the North Pole a run for its candy canes. Don’t want to miss a moment of yuletide? One Naperville household has a list — yes, they’ve checked it twice — of the must-see merriment around town. Thanks to Deborah Nilles, Kevin Knoth and their daughter Megan, Naperville homes dressed up for the holidays are easy to find through a holly jolly-tailored Google map. A tool of local tidings years in the making, the map is now more than 100 addresses strong. Given that the 2024 iteration has only a few days left before it’s relegated to holiday history books, grab your gloves and your hot cocoa because there’s no time like the present for a winter wonderland stroll. “(There are) dozens and dozens of spectacular, beautiful properties,” Deborah Nilles said. “People with these big hearts that share their love for Christmas and the holidays with the community.” Map-registered displays are, aptly, delineated by way of little gingerbread men symbols. Clicking the sugary icons takes visitors to a small blurb about the menu of local decor, including addresses and pictures. For years, Deborah Nilles, Kevin Knoth and their daughter Megan Knoth have decked out their house at 630 Vicksburg Court for the holidays. Their display is known as “The Believe House.” (Deborah Nilles) This year’s holiday map is an ode to both longstanding inclusions and those that are just starting to move into the spotlight, Nilles said. One burgeoning display, for instance, is the Dog House of Naperville, which says happy howlidays with decorations paying homage to man’s best friend. Located at 408 E. 11th Ave., the Dog House made the Nilles’ holiday map for the first time last year. It was small to start, composed of just a few puppy dog pieces, she said. But for 2024, the Dog House upped the ante and returned with twice the number of canine furnishings. “I’m a sucker for a theme,” Nilles said. There’s also the Scott family’s acclaimed “Swiftmas” house at 1228 Atlas Lane, which for the second year in a row decked their Naperville home in a Taylor Swift-inspired lights display. For the second year in a row, longtime Naperville residents Amy and Brian Scott have decorated their house near Atlas Lane and Tupelo Avenue with a Taylor Swift-inspired holiday lights display. (Tess Kenny/Naperville Sun) And there are the oldies but goodies. Those displays, the ones that have lit up Naperville neighborhoods for decades, are Nilles’ favorites, she said. “My heart belongs to the people that have been doing this for 20, 30, 40 years,” she said. Nilles pointed to the Hennessy family, who convert their lawn at 326 S. Sleight St. into a vintage Christmas display every year. Or the Zavoral family at 2320 Remington Drive, who have a longtime practice of handing out free candy canes to light display viewers. The tradition of it all is something that resonates with Nilles and her family. It’s what inspired them to start compiling a holiday Google map for their neighbors in the first place. In fact, the whole endeavor began with the family establishing a decorating tradition of their own. Nilles, who is originally from Chicago’s North Side but moved to Naperville in the late 1980s, caught the Christmas bug about 15 years ago when the holidays got her family through a difficult time, she said. As they faced “personal struggles,” diving head first into decorating for the season became a way to “cheer us up,” she said. They started with a few key pieces. Chief among them was a large red sign that read, “Believe,” a mainstay adornment that still stands today and earned the family’s display the name, “The Believe House.” Over the years, their display, located at 630 Vicksburg Court, has blossomed into a full-lawn spectacle. The Believe House, pictured here, is a Naperville holiday lights display located at 630 Vicksburg Court. Those behind the display — Deborah Nilles, her husband Kevin Knoth and their daughter Megan Knoth — compile a list of houses across Naperville that also go all-out for the holidays. (Deborah Nilles) Meanwhile, along the way, the family’s decoration fervor started to stretch beyond their own porch with the creation of their local holiday lights map. Born about a decade ago, it was inspired by a similar catalog of local displays that the Naperville Sun used to publish annually, Nilles said. Like their own display, the family’s map — both in breadth and notoriety — has grown in time. Today, a Facebook page for the Believe House is up to 29,000 followers. And by the end of this season, Nilles expects their 2024 online directory to hit about four million views. As for compiling the map, it’s a mutlistep process that ramps up around Thanksgiving each year, she said. It involves Nilles doing a drive-by of previously listed displays as well as putting out a call over social media for new additions. When Nilles’ daughter, now 20 and attending Purdue University, was younger, they used to compose the map together. This year though, with Megan only back from college for a short winter break, Nilles assembled the map with the help of a special guest: her mother-in-law. “That was a treat,” she said. “With my (daughter) and my husband, they’ve seen all this, you know? ... But my mother-in-law was seeing most of (the displays) for the very first time. It was just dynamite. It was almost like seeing it through a child’s eyes. It was fabulous. She loved it. I loved it.” This holiday lights display is located at 357 S. Sleight St. in Naperville. (Deborah Nilles) Other moments that have made this year one for the books are new baubles added to their lawn, Nilles said. Namely, a blow mold of Santa Claus that traveled miles — and state borders — to find a home at the Believe House. That’s right, the display now boasts a Kris Kringle hailing from none other than Florida. The family drove out to the Sunshine state to retrieve the vintage figurine earlier this fall. “We had to go get Santa. We needed to rescue him from Florida,” Nilles quipped. “He was melting.” What hasn’t changed this year is the family’s commitment to imbuing fun with philanthropy. The Believe House is an official Salvation Army Red Kettle location. Since she was little, donating to the Salvation Army around the holidays has been as much a part of her family Christmases as stockings and presents, Nilles said. It was a no-brainer to continue the tradition with the Believe House, she said. Just as it was a no-brainer to draw up a holiday map for her community. “I think it’s worth sharing the love,” she said. “The effort that so many of these homeowners put into creating just these really magical displays around town that help bring a feeling of joy to the community. I know there’s a certain kind of peace that goes with Christmas and for me, going to see Christmas lights really epitomizes that.” tkenny@chicagotribune.com
Noodles and wine are the secret ingredients for a strange new twist in China's doping sagaSen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, has claimed, without offering details, that Gabbard is in Russian President Vladimir “Putin's pocket”. Fort Lauderdale: Republican senators pushed back on Sunday against criticism from Democrats that Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump 's pick to lead US intelligence services, is “compromised” by her comments supportive of Russia and secret meetings, as a congresswoman, with Syria's president, a close ally of the Kremlin and Iran. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, a veteran of combat missions in Iraq, said she had concerns about Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's choice to be director of national intelligence. “I think she's compromised," Duckworth said on CNN's “State of the Union," citing Gabbard's 2017 trip to Syria, where she held talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad. Gabbard was a Democratic House member from Hawaii at the time. “The US intelligence community has identified her as having troubling relationships with America's foes. And so my worry is that she couldn't pass a background check,” Duckworth said. Gabbard, who said last month she is joining the Republican party, has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades. She was deployed to Iraq and Kuwait and, according to the Hawaii National Guard, received a Combat Medical Badge in 2005 for “participation in combat operations under enemy hostile fire in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III". Duckworth's comments drew immediate backlash from Republicans. “For her to say ridiculous and outright dangerous words like that is wrong," Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, said on CNN, challenging Duckworth to retract her words. “That's the most dangerous thing she could say — is that a United States lieutenant colonel in the United States Army is compromised and is an asset of Russia.” In recent days, other Democrats have accused Gabbard without evidence of being a “Russian asset”. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, has claimed, without offering details, that Gabbard is in Russian President Vladimir “Putin's pocket”. Mullin and others say the criticism from Democrats is rooted in the fact that Gabbard left their party and has become a Trump ally. Democrats say they worry that Gabbard's selection as national intelligence chief endangers ties with allies and gives Russia a win. Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat just elected to the Senate, said he would not describe Gabbard as a Russian asset, but said she had “very questionable judgment”. “The problem is if our foreign allies don't trust the head of our intelligence agencies, they'll stop sharing information with us,” Schiff said on NBC's “Meet the Press”. Gabbard in 2022 endorsed one of Russia's justifications for invading Ukraine: the existence of dozens of US-funded biolabs working on some of the world's nastiest pathogens. The labs are part of an international effort to control outbreaks and stop bioweapons, but Moscow claimed Ukraine was using them to create deadly bioweapons. Gabbard said she just voiced concerns about protecting the labs. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri, said he thought it was “totally ridiculous” that Gabbard was being cast as a Russian asset for having different political views. “It's insulting. It's a slur, quite frankly. There's no evidence that she's a asset of another country,” he said on NBC. Sen. James Lankford, another Oklahoma Republican, acknowledged having “lots of questions” for Gabbard as the Senate considers her nomination to lead the intelligence services. Lankford said on NBC that he wants to ask Gabbard about her meeting with Assad and some of her past comments about Russia. “We want to know what the purpose was and what the direction for that was. As a member of Congress , we want to get a chance to talk about past comments that she's made and get them into full context,” Lankford said. Published 01:23 IST, November 25th 2024
Healey: Proscription status of Syria’s new rulers is not a matter for now
( MENAFN - GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) NEW YORK, Dec. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C., a nationally recognized stockholder rights law firm, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Zeta Global Holdings Corp. (“Zeta” or the“Company”) (NYSE: ZETA) in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of all persons and entities who purchased or otherwise acquired Zeta securities between February 27, 2024 and November 13, 2024, both dates inclusive (the“Class Period”). Investors have until January 21, 2025 to apply to the Court to be appointed as lead plaintiff in the lawsuit. Click here to participate in the action. On November 13, 2024, Culper Research published a report alleging that the“integrity of the Company's data collection and reported financials” is severely undermined by two factors. First, the report alleged that“Zeta has formed 'two-way' contracts with third party consent farms wherein the Company simultaneously acts as both a supplier and a buyer of consumer data,” allowing the Company to“flatter reported revenue growth” and indicating possible“round-tripping” of revenue. Second, the report alleged that Zeta collects the majority of its customer data from a network of“sham websites that hoodwink millions of consumers each month into handing their data over to Zeta under false pretenses.” For example, the report alleged the Company and its subsidiaries operate a number of fake job boards which are designed to trick individuals into submitting personal data under the pretense of job applications. The report further alleged that the Company's“most valuable data” comes from these predatory websites, dubbed consent farms, which are“responsible for almost the entirety of the Company's growth.” On this news, the Company's stock price fell $10.46, or 37.07%, to close at $17.76 per share on November 13, 2024, on unusually heavy trading volume. The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants allegedly failed to disclose to investors: (1) that Zeta used two-way contracts to artificially inflate financial results; (2) that Zeta engaged in round trip transactions to artificially inflate financial results; (3) that Zeta utilized predatory consent farms to collect user data; (4) that these consent farms have driven almost the entirety of Zeta's growth; and (5) that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. If you purchased or otherwise acquired Zeta shares and suffered a loss, are a long-term stockholder, have information, would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Brandon Walker or Marion Passmore by email at ... , telephone at (212) 355-4648, or by filling out this contact form . There is no cost or obligation to you. About Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.: Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is a nationally recognized law firm with offices in New York, California, and South Carolina. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in commercial, securities, derivative, and other complex litigation in state and federal courts across the country. For more information about the firm, please visit . Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Contact Information: Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. Brandon Walker, Esq. Marion Passmore, Esq. (212) 355-4648 ... MENAFN26122024004107003653ID1109033711 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
And manager Ruben Amorin has no problem with it. “For me, it’s a very, very good sign,” Amorin said after his team beat Viktoria Plzen to stay unbeaten in the Europa League. Hojlund scored two goals and hoped for a centering pass from Diallo to go for a hat trick in the final minutes. The Denmark striker didn't get the pass, though. Viktoria had been pushing forward looking for an equalizer, which created space for United counters. On another break shortly afterward, Hojlund opted to keep the ball. The pair then had a heated post-game exchange. “We need to feel something,” Amorin said. “If we need to fight each other, it's like a family. When you don't care, you don't do nothing. When you care — you fight with your brother, with your mother, your father.” AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Carbon Revolution Secures New $25 Million Financing Agreement with OIC and Existing Lenders
As in his first term, Donald Trump has selected two executives with both deep pockets and deep ties to Wall Street to lead the United States’ most important Cabinet posts for the economy – a top concern for American voters. Markets roared their apparent approval Monday of the Nov. 22 nomination of billionaire hedge fund CEO Scott Bessent for U.S. treasury secretary. Days earlier, the president-elect selected billionaire Howard Lutnick, head of a brokerage and investment bank, as commerce secretary. “These are more consensus-oriented, market-friendly, business-friendly Cabinet appointments,” says Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. That said, the economic team – and it is not filled out yet – is looking at plenty of fiscal and economic challenges. On Monday, after U.S. markets closed, Mr. Trump announced that on the first day of his administration, he will impose a 25% tariff on Canadian and Mexican goods and add a 10% tax to Chinese goods – many of which are already taxed. Economists say China has already accounted for coming tariffs. “At the end of the day, it’s about jobs,” says Mr. Zandi. “That’s going to be how President Trump’s economic policies are ultimately going to be judged.” As in his first term, Donald Trump has selected two executives with both deep pockets and deep ties to Wall Street to lead the United States’ most important Cabinet posts for the economy – a top concern for American voters. U.S. stock markets rose in apparent approval Monday following the Nov. 22 nomination of billionaire hedge fund CEO Scott Bessent for U.S. treasury secretary. Days earlier, the president-elect selected billionaire Howard Lutnick, head of a brokerage and investment bank, as commerce secretary. “These are more consensus-oriented, market-friendly, business-friendly Cabinet appointments,” says Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. “Investors are OK with these choices, and that’s because they are mainstream.” That said, the economic team – and it is not filled out yet – faces plenty of fiscal and economic challenges, with no clarity as to how American workers will fare. The incoming president promised in a statement Friday that under Mr. Bessent’s leadership, “No Americans will be left behind in the next and Greatest Economic Boom.” But of Mr. Trump’s promised tax cuts, some economists wonder: Will they explode government borrowing – and interest rates? Likewise, of Mr. Trump’s promised tariffs, or taxes on imports: Will they trigger higher prices for imported goods? Will they start a trade war? On Monday, after U.S. markets closed, the incoming president announced that on the first day of his administration, he will impose across-the-board tariffs on America’s biggest trading partners: a 25% tariff on all Canadian and Mexican goods, and a 10% tax on all Chinese goods. Many Chinese goods are already taxed under tariffs imposed in President Trump’s first term and continued in the Biden administration. The new Chinese tariff would be on top of that. It could just be an opening salvo, given that Mr. Trump has talked about a 60% tariff on China. Mr. Trump said in Truth Social posts that the tariffs are meant to force these countries to crack down on border security, including fentanyl exports. The tariff announcement was met with disquiet from abroad. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo warned the incoming president that “Neither threats nor tariffs will solve the issue of migration or drug consumption” and said in a letter that Mexico would retaliate in kind if the U.S. follows through. She pointedly reminded him that 70% of illegal weapons seized from criminals in Mexico are from the U.S. “Tragically, it is in our country that lives are lost to the violence resulting from meeting the drug demand in yours.” In Canada, Ontario Premier Doug Ford called the plan “devastating.” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau phoned Mr. Trump in a brief call focused on border security and trade. His remarks to his Cabinet were measured: “This is a relationship that we know takes a certain amount of working on, and that’s what we’ll do.” Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said that “no one will win a trade war” and flatly denied that China “knowingly” allows fentanyl precursors into the U.S. Mr. Trump’s use of tariffs to get what America wants jives with Mr. Bessent’s comments that they are negotiating tools to achieve America’s economic and foreign policy aims. He rejects the claim that they are inflationary, saying there was “no discernible rise in inflation” after the first round of tariffs in Trump 1.0. “Whether it is getting allies to spend more on their own defense, opening foreign markets to U.S. exports, securing cooperation on ending illegal immigration and interdicting fentanyl trafficking, or deterring military aggression, tariffs can play a central role,” Mr. Bessent wrote in a Nov. 15 opinion piece for Fox News. America is the world’s largest importer, bringing in $3 trillion worth of goods from other countries. It needs to use that leverage to raise revenue, protect strategic industries, and work out deals with America’s trading partners, he wrote. Mr. Lutnik sees things similarly. As he puts it, tariffs are “a bargaining chip” to force other countries to lower their import taxes and create a freer market. Some economists see a solid rationale behind a more assertive U.S. trade policy, given that the current chronic imbalances suggest that “free trade” isn’t the status quo. “Bessent is right. ... The global trading system is badly broken and needs to be fixed,” Michael Pettis, an economist at the Carnegie Endowment, wrote in a series of posts on the social media platform X Monday. But many economists and other observers are skeptical. Jack Zhang, the director of the Trade War Lab at the University of Kansas, says China has already accounted for coming tariffs. During his first trip back to China since the pandemic, he encountered a collective shrug as he traveled through that nation’s rust belt this summer. To be sure, targeted tariffs can be effective, says the political scientist, but global supply chains have grown even more complex since the pandemic, meaning that tariffs have lost political potency while their impacts on consumers and producers remain steady. “Trench economic warfare is where we are with tariffs and have been there for the last eight years, and the costs have mounted on businesses and consumers,” says Dr. Zhang. Indeed, “China is a different animal” compared with Mexico and Canada, says Scott Lincicome, vice president of General Economics and Stiefel Trade Policy Center at the libertarian Cato Institute. “The Canada-Mexico thing is totally different. A 25% tariff on everything from Canada and Mexico would have substantial economic ramifications, including on produce. It defies belief that Trump, on the first day, would impose a guacamole tax right before the Super Bowl.” At the same time, he says, “We should all step away from the ledge on this.” He says the once-and-future president tends to post tariff threats on social media fairly regularly, and then companies and governments “scramble around to find some sort of chit to give him that isn’t substantively important” but allows him to declare victory. Nonetheless, he warns, “This kind of uncertainty is bad for investment, and it’s bad for the economy.” There’s an inherent tension in a tariff strategy, explains Kyle Pomerleau, an economist at the American Enterprise Institute. While Mr. Trump promises to lower consumer costs, he says that tariffs will increase prices. If that fuels inflation and triggers the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates to tamp it down, Americans might find it harder to afford mortgages and car loans. Similarly, he sees problems with the president-elect’s promise to make permanent his first-term tax cuts – which expire at the end of 2025 – and to lower them further by eliminating taxes on tips, overtime pay, and Social Security. This would lead to more government borrowing, putting upward pressure on prices and higher interest rates – at a time when borrowing is more expensive, warns Mr. Pomerleau. Meanwhile, the nation is set to hit its national debt ceiling next year, with a new ceiling needed to be negotiated with Congress. “Trump, his administration, and Congress need to tread lightly here,” says Mr. Pomerleau. Because of the incoming president’s campaign promises, “There’s going to be immense pressure to extend the individual tax cuts. There may be additional pressure to cut taxes even further. ... But the fiscal challenges currently make that quite difficult.” Again, Mr. Bessent sees things differently. In interviews and writings, he argues that cutting taxes and deregulation lead to economic growth, which throws more revenue into government coffers. But he also wants to cut government spending, including subsidies for electric vehicle manufacturers. He touts a “3-3-3” policy – cutting the budget deficit to 3% of gross domestic product, spurring economic growth to 3%, and producing an additional 3 million barrels of oil a day. He has said that boosting energy output would decrease oil prices, which are the lead driver of inflation expectations. The three-pronged plan is based on a similar one by the late Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. The agency he would lead is the most powerful of the federal government’s economic policymaking agencies. The Department of the Treasury carries out tax policy, handles the national debt, leads financial regulators, and controls sanctions – though not directly tariffs, though it has influence (those are handled by the U.S. trade representative, a position not yet filled). Other members of the president-elect’s named economic team want to drastically reduce the size of the federal government. Russell Vought was nominated to once again lead the Office of Management and Budget. A key figure in The Heritage Foundation’s conservative blueprint, Project 2025, Mr. Vought supports greatly expanded presidential powers, including the ability to withhold monies that Congress has allocated – an idea that Bobby Kogan, of the progressive Center for American Progress, described as “illegal.” When impoundments like that were adjudicated in the 1970s, “Nixon lost every case that was decided on the merits,” he said in a statement. Then there are Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, leaders of the Department of Government Efficiency. The DOGE, as Mr. Musk likes to call it for its allusion to cryptocurrency dogecoin, has no actual authority, though Mr. Musk has big ideas – like cutting about 30% of the federal budget of $6.75 trillion. Medicare and Social Security alone account for about a third of the budget, defense 13%, and 10% on interest for the federal debt. Whatever cuts the administration might propose would need to be worked out with Congress, as they control the nation’s purse strings. Economist Mr. Zandi says it’s too soon to tell whether all of this will add up to better lives for working Americans. Mr. Trump’s nominee for labor secretary, Oregon Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, is staunchly pro-union. Her father was a Teamster, and Teamster President Sean O’Brien welcomes the nomination – even as he writes that it “remains to be seen what she will be permitted to do.” How tariffs will work out for workers is “way too early” to call, says Mr. Zandi. Equally uncertain is the extent of mass deportations and how deeply they may impact migrant workers in the agriculture sector – and food prices. “At the end of the day, it’s about jobs,” says Mr. Zandi. “That’s going to be how President Trump’s economic policies are ultimately going to be judged – whether he created more jobs, good paying jobs, union jobs.” He’s skeptical that the administration’s policies will add up to that. But America is about to find out.10 notable books of 2024, from Sarah J. Maas to Melania Trump
California GOP flip second state legislative seat, 3 weeks after electionThe Canadian cannabis industry has been on a wild ride heading into legalization in 2018, and in the years following. Companies in this sector saw their valuations surge to multi-billion dollar market capitalizations (in many cases) as expectations of sky-high growth in a fully legalized market created a euphoria around this sector, which isn’t typically seen within the Canadian stock market. Companies like ( ) and ( ) saw absolutely remarkable valuations as investors looked to pinpoint which companies would see the greatest upside from legalization. However, as the stock charts below show, it’s been a rough past five years for these former high-flying in particular, and most in the sector. Now, the question is whether it’s possible the cannabis bubble could re-inflate, and what would drive outsized interest once again in these two stocks, and this sector as a whole. Canopy and Aurora I think Canopy Growth and Aurora Cannabis are two of the best companies to look at when assessing previous hype around the cannabis sector. These two companies produce both medical and recreational cannabis, under some of the most renowned brands in the market. Additionally, both companies have exported to other markets where medicinal marijuana is legal. They are companies many investors were betting could be beneficiaries of eventual legalization in the U.S. market. Unfortunately, despite some bullish rhetoric during the Biden administration, the legalization discussion in the U.S. never really took off as many industry experts were hoping. And with another Trump administration set to take hold, odds of legalization materializing appear to be getting lower by the day. Additionally, underlying fundamentals for both companies have taken a hit, in large part due to the accounting practices that allowed these companies to see their net income and revenue surge in the early days before and immediately following legalization (essentially, revenue was a function of plants grown but not yet sold), so when demand didn’t materialize as many expected, these companies’ valuations took a hit. In order for there to be a broad-based rebound among cannabis stocks, I think we’d need to see a resurgence of demand for legal weed in Canada. Right now, the black market appears to remain very strong, with too much activity taking place behind the scenes (to avoid very high taxes on legal product sold at retail stores). Additionally, it’s unclear that the cost-cutting measures Canopy, Aurora, and most companies in this space are putting forward will ultimately be good for growth. From both a supply and demand standpoint, cash flow projections for this sector remain muted, and that’s the underlying story here. So, a rebound can’t ever happen? In my view, there are some exogenous events that could re-inflate the hype bubble around the Canadian cannabis sector. For one, if a 180-degree turn is seen in the U.S. market and the incoming tariff war doesn’t happen, and cananbis is legalized or rescheduled on a federal level, maybe there’s something to the narrative that Canadian cannabis producers can benefit. That said, both Biden and Trump have taken an “America first” stance on trade. Trump has been even more antithetical to the idea that trade with Canada will boom anytime soon. So, there’s that. I think that a recovery in Canadian cannabis stocks will have to come from domestic demand picking up. Right now, I’m not seeing that in the data. So, until things change, this is a sector that could remain cheap on a valuation basis for a long time.Vancouver Islander becomes first Canadian student to fly an electric plane solo
By HILLEL ITALIE NEW YORK (AP) — Even through a year of nonstop news about elections, climate change, protests and the price of eggs, there was still time to read books. Related Articles The Five Minute Read Hundreds of bookstore staffers receive holiday bonuses from author James Patterson Nikki Giovanni, poet and literary celebrity, has died at 81 Percival Everett, 2024 National Book Award winner, rereads one book often Gift books for 2024: What to give, and what to receive, for all kinds of readers U.S. sales held steady according to Circana, which tracks around 85% of the print market, with many choosing the relief of romance, fantasy and romantasy. Some picked up Taylor Swift’s tie-in book to her blockbuster tour, while others sought out literary fiction, celebrity memoirs, political exposes and a close and painful look at a generation hooked on smartphones. Here are 10 notable books published in 2024, in no particular order. Asking about the year’s hottest reads would basically yield a list of the biggest hits in romantasy, the blend of fantasy and romance that has proved so irresistible fans were snapping up expensive “special editions” with decorative covers and sprayed edges. Of the 25 top sellers of 2024, as compiled by Circana, six were by romantasy favorite Sarah J. Maas, including “House of Flame and Shadow,” the third of her “Crescent City” series. Millions read her latest installment about Bryce Quinlan and Hunter Athalar and traced the ever-growing ties of “Maasverse,” the overlapping worlds of “Crescent City” and her other series, “Throne of Glass” and “A Court of Thorns and Roses.” If romantasy is for escape, other books demand we confront. In the bestselling “The Anxious Generation,” social psychologist Jonathan Haidt looks into studies finding that the mental health of young people began to deteriorate in the 2010s, after decades of progress. According to Haidt, the main culprit is right before us: digital screens that have drawn kids away from “play-based” to “phone-based” childhoods. Although some critics challenged his findings, “The Anxious Generation” became a talking point and a catchphrase. Admirers ranged from Oprah Winfrey to Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee, who in a letter to state legislators advocated such “commonsense recommendations” from the book as banning phones in schools and keeping kids off social media until age 16. Bob Woodward books have been an election tradition for decades. “War,” the latest of his highly sourced Washington insider accounts, made news with its allegations that Donald Trump had been in frequent contact with Russian leader Vladimir Putin even while out of office and, while president, had sent Putin sophisticated COVID-19 test machines. Among Woodward’s other scoops: Putin seriously considered using nuclear weapons against Ukraine, and President Joe Biden blamed former President Barack Obama, under whom he served as vice president, for some of the problems with Russia. “Barack never took Putin seriously,” Woodward quoted Biden as saying. Former (and future) first lady Melania Trump, who gives few interviews and rarely discusses her private life, unexpectedly announced she was publishing a memoir: “Melania.” The publisher was unlikely for a former first lady — not one of the major New York houses, but Skyhorse, where authors include such controversial public figures as Woody Allen and Trump cabinet nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. And its success was at least a minor surprise. Melania Trump did little publicity for the book, and offered few revelations beyond posting a video expressing support for abortion rights — a break from one of the cornerstones of GOP policy. But “Melania” still sold hundreds of thousands of copies, many in the days following her husband’s election. Taylor Swift was more than a music story in 2024. Like “Melania,” the news about Taylor Swift’s self-published tie-in to her global tour isn’t so much the book itself, but that it exists. And how well it sold. As she did with the “Eras” concert film, Swift bypassed the established industry and worked directly with a distributor: Target offered “The Eras Tour Book” exclusively. According to Circana, the “Eras” book sold more than 800,000 copies just in its opening week, an astonishing number for a publication unavailable through Amazon.com and other traditional retailers. No new book in 2024 had a better debut. Midnight book parties are supposed to be for “Harry Potter” and other fantasy series, but this fall, more than 100 stores stayed open late to welcome one of the year’s literary events: Sally Rooney’s “Intermezzo.” The Irish author’s fourth novel centers on two brothers, their grief over the death of their father, their very different career paths and their very unsettled love lives. “Intermezzo” was also a book about chess: “You have to read a lot of opening theory — that’s the beginning of a game, the first moves,” one of the brothers explains. “And you’re learning all this for what? Just to get an okay position in the middle game and try to play some decent chess. Which most of the time I can’t do anyway.” Lisa Marie Presley had been working on a memoir at the time of her death , in 2023, and daughter Riley Keough had agreed to help her complete it. “From Here to the Great Unknown” is Lisa Marie’s account of her father, Elvis Presley, and the sagas of of her adult life, notably her marriage to Michael Jackson and the death of son Benjamin Keough. To the end, she was haunted by the loss of Elvis, just 42 when he collapsed and died at his Graceland home while young Lisa Marie was asleep. “She would listen to his music alone, if she was drunk, and cry,” Keough, during an interview with Winfrey, said of her mother. Meanwhile, Cher released the first of two planned memoirs titled “Cher” — no further introduction required. Covering her life from birth to the end of the 1970s, she focuses on her ill-fated marriage to Sonny Bono, remembering him as a gifted entertainer and businessman who helped her believe in herself while turning out to be unfaithful, erratic, controlling and so greedy that he kept all the couple’s earnings for himself. Unsure of whether to leave or stay, she consulted a very famous divorcee, Lucille Ball, who reportedly encouraged her: “F— him, you’re the one with the talent.” A trend in recent years is to take famous novels from the past, and remove words or passages that might offend modern readers; an edition of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” cuts the racist language from Mark Twain’s original text. In the most celebrated literary work of 2024, Percival Everett found a different way to take on Twain’s classic — write it from the perspective of the enslaved Jim. “James,” winner of the National Book Award, is a recasting in many ways. Everett suggests to us that the real Jim was nothing like the deferential figure known to millions of readers, but a savvy and learned man who concealed his intelligence from the whites around him, and even from Twain himself. Salman Rushdie’s first National Book Award nomination was for a memoir he wished he had no reason to write. In “Knife,” he recounts in full detail the horrifying attempt on his life in 2022, when an attendee rushed the stage during a literary event in western New York and stabbed him repeatedly, leaving with him a blinded eye and lasting nerve damage, but with a spirit surprisingly intact. “If you had told me that this was going to happen and how would I deal with it, I would not have been very optimistic about my chances,” he told The Associated Press last spring. “I’m still myself, you know, and I don’t feel other than myself. But there’s a little iron in the soul, I think.”
Luke Clanton, win or lose, won't be taking any money home this week. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images With the final event of 2024, a familiar storyline is emerging. An amateur is in contention to win on the PGA Tour once again. This year has been the “Year of the Amateur” of sorts on golf’s highest circuit, with Nick Dunlap becoming the first amateur in 33 years to win on the PGA Tour at the American Express in January . Dunlap turned pro and ultimately won again in July, but by that time, Luke Clanton was already making a name for himself. The Florida State junior finished in the top 10 in back-to-back starts in July, the first amateur to do that in 66 years . With non-professionals contending so often this season, it leads to one very interesting conundrum: they are unable to take any prize money. When Dunlap won again, he had turned professional, so he was able to cash the winner’s check, but Clanton, who is contending once again this week at the RSM Classic in Georgia, is still competing for the Seminoles and thus is playing for free. “I played great, just made some really dumb mistakes coming down the stretch,” Clanton said after his third-round 68 that left him just three off the lead. “I think that’s just kind of from experience and kind of feeling that pressure again. I think to get myself another opportunity out here to win again is amazing.” No matter where he finishes Sunday, he’ll take home the same pay share as he did for all of his previous starts: $0. With that, below is the complete payout breakdown for this week’s RSM Classic . The total purse is $7.2 million. How much every player made at the 2024 RSM Classic (Final payouts will be updated upon the conclusion of the final round) 1. $1,368,000 2. $828,400 3. $524,400 4. $372,400 5. $311,600 6. $275,500 7. $256,500 8. $237,500 9. $222,300 10. $207,100 11. $191,900 12. $176,700 13. $161,500 14. $146,300 15. $138,700 16. $131,100 17. $123,500 18. $115,900 19. $108,300 20. $100,700 21. $93,100 22. $85,500 23. $79,420 24. $73,340 25. $67,260 26. $61,180 27. $58,900 28. $56,620 29. $54,340 30. $52,060 31. $49,780 32. $47,500 33. $45,220 34. $43,320 35. $41,420 36. $39,520 37. $37,620 38. $36,100 39. $34,580 40. $33,060 41. $31,540 42. $30,020 43. $28,500 44. $26,980 45. $25,460 46. $23,940 47. $22,420 48. $21,204 49. $20,140 50. $19,532 51. $19,076 52. $18,620 53. $18,316 54. $18,012 55. $17,860 56. $17,708 57. $17,556 58. $17,404 59. $17,252 60. $17,100 61. $16,948 62. $16,796 63. $16,644 64. $16,492 65. $16,340 66. $16,188 67. $16,036 68. $15,884 69. $15,732 Latest In News Golf.com Editor Jack Hirsh is the Associate Equipment Editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his high school golf team and recently returned to the program to serve as head coach. Jack also still *tries* to remain competitive in local amateurs. Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. He can be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com .LEMONT, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 21, 2024-- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded $50 million over the next five years to establish the Low-cost Earth-abundant Na-ion Storage (LENS) Consortium. Led by DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory, the consortium includes Brookhaven National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. The LENS Consortium aims to develop high-energy, long-lasting sodium-ion batteries using safe, abundant and inexpensive materials. This initiative addresses a critical need to reduce U.S. dependence on the limited and strategically important elements used in lithium-ion batteries , paving the way for a more sustainable future in electric-vehicle technology. At present, lithium-ion batteries dominate the global energy storage market for both vehicles and stationary storage. They power devices ranging from smartphones to electric vehicles and can store energy from renewable sources like solar and wind. Relying on any single battery chemistry, however, creates vulnerabilities, and the dominant batteries today include the critical elements of lithium, cobalt and nickel. Sodium, as an abundant element, can reduce risk and increase supply chain resilience by providing a wider variety of cost-effective options. The U.S. is particularly well-suited to supply both the raw materials and innovation for sodium-ion technology because the country produces a substantial amount of the world’s sodium chloride (table salt) and sodium. Sodium-ion batteries have the potential to eliminate not just lithium in some applications, but also cobalt and nickel, providing a more affordable and sustainable solution. However, sodium-ion batteries store less energy per unit weight and volume, which results in a lower driving range — a stumbling block to such batteries competing with lithium-ion batteries. To achieve this goal, Argonne has convened a world-class team of researchers from national laboratories and universities. Each participant brings deep experience studying sodium-ion batteries. Collectively, they will work to discover and develop high-energy electrode materials, improve electrolytes, and design, integrate and benchmark battery cells. An advisory board comprising well-established and emerging companies will provide the consortium with valuable industry perspectives, with a goal of nurturing a U.S. ecosystem for sodium-ion batteries. LENS will be part of a growing portfolio within DOE on sodium-ion batteries, which includes research into the use of this emerging chemistry in electric vehicle and grid storage applications. The consortium includes eight university partners: Florida State University, University of California San Diego, University of Houston, University of Illinois Chicago, University of Maryland, University of Rhode Island, University of Wisconsin–Madison and Virginia Tech. With the involvement of all 14 partners, LENS will play a key role in training a new generation of battery scientists and researchers. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241121357177/en/ CONTACT: Christopher J. Kramer Head of Media Relations Argonne National Laboratory Office: 630.252.5580 Email:media@anl.gov KEYWORD: ILLINOIS UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ALTERNATIVE VEHICLES/FUELS LOGISTICS/SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT MINING/MINERALS SUSTAINABILITY OTHER AUTOMOTIVE GREEN TECHNOLOGY NATURAL RESOURCES PERFORMANCE & SPECIAL INTEREST OTHER SCIENCE RESEARCH CHEMICALS/PLASTICS OTHER ENERGY EV/ELECTRIC VEHICLES SCIENCE AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING ALTERNATIVE ENERGY ENERGY UNIVERSITY TRANSPORT EDUCATION OTHER TECHNOLOGY GENERAL AUTOMOTIVE TRAINING ENVIRONMENT TECHNOLOGY BATTERIES VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY SOURCE: Argonne National Laboratory Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/21/2024 03:40 PM/DISC: 11/21/2024 03:40 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241121357177/enBjork is 'absolutely' confident that Day will return next year at Ohio State