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Former Barcelona and Uruguay striker Luis Suarez has signed a one-year contract extension with the Major League Soccer club and will line up under new coach Javier Mascherano next season, the club said. The 37-year-old striker has scored 25 goals in all competitions since joining the club before the start of this season including 20 in Miami's record-breaking regular season campaign. After winning the Supporters' Shield for the best record in the regular season, with a new points tally record, Miami were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round by Atlanta United. Since then Argentina head coach Gerardo Martino has left the club with his compatriot and Suarez's former team-mate at Barca, Mascherano appointed on Tuesday. "I'm very happy, very excited to continue for another year and to be able to enjoy being here with this fan base, which for us is like family. We feel very, very connected with them, and hopefully, next year, we can bring them even more joy," said Suarez. Miami's president of football operations Raul Sanllehi said Suarez had shown he remains an elite level forward but was also a key component in the dressing room. "Luis was not only our leading scorer this season, but also a leader for the group. His impact cannot be understated," he said. Suarez announced in September he was retiring from international duty with the Uruguay national team after scoring 69 goals in 143 games. The forward played in Europe for Ajax, Liverpool and Atletico Madrid and had a season in Brazil with Gremio before joining Miami. sev/mw
Valladolid beats fellow struggler Valencia to move off the bottom of La LigaTottenham return to Southampton on Sunday for the first time since Antonio Conte’s explosive post-match rant, but current boss Ange Postecoglou has not lost any of his determination to succeed at the club. Conte’s last public act as Spurs head coach after a 3-3 draw at St Mary’s in 2023 was to launch a furious tirade against his own “selfish” players who he claimed “don’t want to play under pressure” before he seemed to turn on the board as he questioned the club’s ongoing trophy drought. Eight days later Conte had left Tottenham by mutual consent after a whirlwind 16-month period, with Postecoglou his eventual permanent successor. A post shared by Antonio Conte (@antonioconte) Postecoglou has been in charge of the Premier League club for two months longer than the Italian, but managed 12 fewer matches and is currently in the middle of an injury crisis which has resulted in a drop in form, with Spurs only able to claim one victory from their last eight fixtures. However, when Postecoglou was asked if he would jump ship in the wake of making remarks like Conte did in March, 2023, he said: “Look, I don’t think it’s fair to comment. “Antonio is a world-class manager and has his own way of doing things, his own reasons for doing that. “I am here, I am in for the fight. I am in a fight, for sure. For better or worse I am not going anywhere at the moment because everything is still in my power and my responsibility. “I still have a real desire to get us through this stage so that people see what is on the other side. My resolve and determination hasn’t wavered one little bit. “I love a fight, I love a scrap, I love being in the middle of a storm when everyone doubts because I know what it is on the other side if you get through it. My job is to get through it.” Postecoglou was Celtic boss when Conte’s extraordinary 10-minute press conference made waves around the world, but acknowledged being aware of his predecessors’ comments and attempted to explain the psyche behind why a manager would make such a move. “I was on Planet Earth at that time, and yes I was well aware of it,” Postecoglou smiled. “I think you know when a manager gets to that point that there’s obviously some underlying issues. “I think most of the time when managers do that they’re trying to get a reaction, trying to get some sort of impact on the team. “In difficult moments, what you want from your leaders is action rather than inaction of just letting things drift along. He did it to try and get a positive impact on the group, one way or another. We’ve all been in that situation as a manager where you feel this is time to send a message.” Postecoglou sent out his own message on Thursday after a 1-1 draw away to Rangers when he insisted Timo Werner’s display “wasn’t acceptable” at Ibrox. Werner was replaced at half-time following an error-strewn performance, but was not alone in being below-par in Glasgow. A day later Postecoglou explained how with Spurs missing several key first-teamers, the onus is on their fit senior players to deliver a level of application and commitment – and admitted Werner will be required at St Mary’s on Sunday. “I’ve got no choice. Who else am I going to play? I’m pulling kids out of school, I literally am,” Postecoglou mentioned in reference to 16-year-old duo Malachi Hardy and Luca Williams-Barnett, who have recently made the bench. “That was the reasoning for me pointing it out last night. We need Timo. We need all of them. “In normal times if you have a poor game, there’s a price to pay. It doesn’t exist right now. We need everybody we’ve got.”
Trump’s lawyers rebuff DA’s idea for upholding his hush money conviction, calling it ‘absurd’School district defends decision to punish parents for wearing pink 'XX' wristbands
NoneAXS Stock Soars to All-Time High, Reaching $94.41
NoneNigerian striker David Okereke scored for Gaziantep in their 3-1 loss to Fenerbahce at the Ulker Stadium Sukru Saracoglu on Monday, Soccernet.ng reports . Fresh off a goal in Gaziantep’s 3-0 win over Basaksehir in their last game, Okereke led the line again for his side in their big Super Lig game at Fenerbahce. Super Eagles right-back Osayi-Samuel was on the starting lineup for Fenerbahce, as coach Jose Mourinho gave him a third consecutive start. The game got off to an exciting start, as Oguz Aydin scored after just three minutes of play. However, the game balanced up eventually, as Gaziantep were pushing for the equalizer. They got it just before the break, as Okereke showed his killer instinct in the box. The Nigerian striker controlled a cross into the box and fired a shot on goal which was saved. But he got to the rebound and poked to ball into the net to make it 1-1 just before the break. https://twitter.com/FootyinTurkiye/status/1863640492426010939 The second half was one way traffic, as Fenerbahce dominated the proceedings and created the better chances. However, they failed to scored until the 78th minute, and this was after Jose Mourinho had introduced four substitutes. Rodrigo Becao scored the second for Fenerbahce in the 78th minute before Edin Dzeko put the final nail in Gaziantep’s coffin with a brilliant strike in the 83rd minute. After 90 minutes, Fenerbahce ran out victorious with a 3-1 win. Meanwhile, Okereke now has three goals in eight Super Lig games.
By MICHAEL R. SISAK and JENNIFER PELTZ NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers urged a judge again Friday to throw out his hush money conviction, balking at the prosecution’s suggestion of preserving the verdict by treating the case the way some courts do when a defendant dies. They called the idea “absurd.” Related Articles National Politics | Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time National Politics | Ruling by a conservative Supreme Court could help blue states resist Trump policies National Politics | A nonprofit leader, a social worker: Here are the stories of the people on Biden’s clemency list National Politics | Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after she ‘sustained an injury’ on official trip to Luxembourg National Politics | Veteran Daniel Penny, acquitted in NYC subway chokehold, will join Trump’s suite at football game The Manhattan district attorney’s office is asking Judge Juan M. Merchan to “pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful,” Trump’s lawyers wrote in a blistering 23-page response. In court papers made public Tuesday, District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books after Trump’s lawyers filed paperwork earlier this month asking for the case to be dismissed. They include freezing the case until Trump leaves office in 2029, agreeing that any future sentence won’t include jail time, or closing the case by noting he was convicted but that he wasn’t sentenced and his appeal wasn’t resolved because of presidential immunity. Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove reiterated Friday their position that the only acceptable option is overturning his conviction and dismissing his indictment, writing that anything less will interfere with the transition process and his ability to lead the country. The Manhattan district attorney’s office declined comment. It’s unclear how soon Merchan will decide. He could grant Trump’s request for dismissal, go with one of the prosecution’s suggestions, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court, or choose some other option. In their response Friday, Blanche and Bove ripped each of the prosecution’s suggestions. Halting the case until Trump leaves office would force the incoming president to govern while facing the “ongoing threat” that he’ll be sentenced to imprisonment, fines or other punishment as soon as his term ends, Blanche and Bove wrote. Trump, a Republican, takes office Jan. 20. “To be clear, President Trump will never deviate from the public interest in response to these thuggish tactics,” the defense lawyers wrote. “However, the threat itself is unconstitutional.” The prosecution’s suggestion that Merchan could mitigate those concerns by promising not to sentence Trump to jail time on presidential immunity grounds is also a non-starter, Blanche and Bove wrote. The immunity statute requires dropping the case, not merely limiting sentencing options, they argued. Blanche and Bove, both of whom Trump has tabbed for high-ranking Justice Department positions, expressed outrage at the prosecution’s novel suggestion that Merchan borrow from Alabama and other states and treat the case as if Trump had died. Blanche and Bove accused prosecutors of ignoring New York precedent and attempting to “fabricate” a solution “based on an extremely troubling and irresponsible analogy between President Trump” who survived assassination attempts in Pennsylvania in July and Florida in September “and a hypothetical dead defendant.” Such an option normally comes into play when a defendant dies after being convicted but before appeals are exhausted. It is unclear whether it is viable under New York law, but prosecutors suggested that Merchan could innovate in what’s already a unique case. “This remedy would prevent defendant from being burdened during his presidency by an ongoing criminal proceeding,” prosecutors wrote in their filing this week. But at the same time, it wouldn’t “precipitously discard” the “meaningful fact that defendant was indicted and found guilty by a jury of his peers.” Prosecutors acknowledged that “presidential immunity requires accommodation” during Trump’s impending return to the White House but argued that his election to a second term should not upend the jury’s verdict, which came when he was out of office. Longstanding Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution . Other world leaders don’t enjoy the same protection. For example, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on trial on corruption charges even as he leads that nation’s wars in Lebanon and Gaza . Trump has been fighting for months to reverse his May 30 conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records . Prosecutors said he fudged the documents to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier, which Trump denies. In their filing Friday, Trump’s lawyers citing a social media post in which Sen. John Fetterman used profane language to criticize Trump’s hush money prosecution. The Pennsylvania Democrat suggested that Trump deserved a pardon, comparing his case to that of President Joe Biden’s pardoned son Hunter Biden, who had been convicted of tax and gun charges . “Weaponizing the judiciary for blatant, partisan gain diminishes the collective faith in our institutions and sows further division,” Fetterman wrote Wednesday on Truth Social. Trump’s hush money conviction was in state court, meaning a presidential pardon — issued by Biden or himself when he takes office — would not apply to the case. Presidential pardons only apply to federal crimes. Since the election, special counsel Jack Smith has ended his two federal cases , which pertained to Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and allegations that he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A separate state election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, is largely on hold. Trump denies wrongdoing in all. Trump had been scheduled for sentencing in the hush money case in late November. But following Trump’s Nov. 5 election victory, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed the former and future president’s sentencing so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case. Merchan also delayed a decision on Trump’s prior bid to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. A dismissal would erase Trump’s conviction, sparing him the cloud of a criminal record and possible prison sentence. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office.
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Workers pushing for an end to smoking in Atlantic City casinos say the main employee union has been won over by tobacco companies seeking allies in the fight against smoking restrictions. An official of a union involved in the anti-smoking push on Monday called for the head of the Atlantic City casino workers' union, Donna DeCaprio, to resign for failing to protect her members from the dangers of secondhand smoke. DeCaprio is president of Local 54 of the Unite Here union, which opposes a smoking ban on the grounds that so much business would be lost by smokers taking their money elsewhere that it could cause one or more casinos to shut down, costing thousands of workers their jobs. “She should be ashamed of herself,” said Ray Jensen, assistant director of United Auto Workers Region 9, which represents dealers at three Atlantic City casinos and is part of a lawsuit seeking to have the courts force an end to smoking in the gambling halls. “She should hand in her union card.” DeCaprio said her union supports the health and safety of its members, adding improvements to the workplace environment need to be made. “A balance needs to be reached that will both protect worker health and preserve good jobs,” she said. “We are protecting our members against multiple casino closures and job losses. The UAW is eager to sacrifice the entire casino industry and put 25,000 good jobs with benefits at risk.” DeCaprio said between 50% and 72% of all in-person casino revenue in Atlantic City comes from smoking sections, which occupy only 25% of the casino floor. She said her union “and the vast majority of the labor movement” support a proposal that would improve ventilation in casinos and prevent any employee from being assigned to work in a smoking section against their will. Whether to ban smoking is one of the most controversial issues not only in Atlantic City casinos but in other states where workers have expressed concern about secondhand smoke. They are waging similar campaigns in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Kansas and Virginia. Workers have been pushing for four years to end an exemption in New Jersey’s clean air law that allows smoking inside the nine casinos. They say they or their co-workers are becoming ill with cancer, heart disease and other conditions related to exposure to second-hand smoke. Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, has said he will sign a bill to end casino smoking if it reaches his desk. The casinos, joined by Local 54, oppose that effort, saying it will cost Atlantic City thousands of jobs and lead to decreased tax revenue for state programs for senior citizens and the disabled. On Monday, the workers group that calls itself CEASE (Casino Employees Against Smoking’s Effects) filed an appeal of a court ruling in August that allowed smoking to continue in the nine casinos. The Casino Association of New Jersey declined to comment Monday. Attorney Nancy Erika Smith said as far back as 1993, tobacco companies targeted labor unions in the hospitality industry as potential allies to work against smoking bans in the restaurant and hospitality industries. That effort included the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union, a precursor of the Unite Here union. “HERE and the related AFL-CIO affiliates are critical allies which should be cultivated as supporters of the effort to prevent smoking bans,” a public relations firm wrote in a memo to Philip Morris Companies that was made public during several states' litigation against tobacco companies. The memo said having HERE “as an ally in this effort would be a very powerful voice.” As far back as 2001, HERE was part of a 12-member coalition including labor unions advocating for improved indoor ventilation instead of government-imposed smoking bans, according to another document cited in Monday's appeal. The anti-smoking campaigners cite a 2022 report by Las Vegas-based C3 Gaming, a consulting firm, showing that casinos that went smoke-free "appear to be performing better than their counterparts that continue to allow smoking.” ___ Follow Wayne Parry on X at www.twitter.com/WayneParryAC Wayne Parry, The Associated PressTexas AG sues NCAA to block transgender athletes in women’s sports
OpenAI’s legal battle with Elon Musk reveals internal turmoil over avoiding AI ‘dictatorship’AP Sports SummaryBrief at 5:14 p.m. ESTTrump’s lawyers rebuff DA’s idea for upholding his hush money conviction, calling it ‘absurd’
The New York Knicks’ bench-scoring woes could come to an abrupt end based on their current trade pursuits. Knicks chasing trade for Jazz star Jordan Clarkson Forbes’ Evan Sidery reported on Monday morning that the Knicks are among four teams seriously pursuing a trade for Utah Jazz star sixth-man Jordan Clarkson: “The Clippers, Knicks, Lakers and Nuggets are among contending teams who have inquired about Jordan Clarkson on the trade market,” Sidery published on X. “The Jazz are seeking a promising prospect and/or draft capital in exchange for Clarkson.” Clarkson won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 2021. He’s a dynamic scorer who can bring shot creation, outside shooting, and tempo to a Knicks bench that desperately needs it. The 11-year veteran is currently averaging 15.1 points, 4.1 assists, and 1.9 three-pointers made per game off the Jazz’s bench. Knicks can meet Jazz’s demands for elite bench scorer His scoring is in line with his reduced 12.8 shot attempts per game. Clarkson is well capable of reaching or nearing 20 points per game when he flirts with 15-plus field goal attempts a night. That would service New York’s second unit. They are scoring the fewest points among all benches in the Association by a mile at 20.4 PPG. The Knicks’ reserve unit is currently led by point guard Cam Payne and combo guard Miles McBride. Albeit, their chronic scoring problem needs to be addressed if they want to truly make a push for the NBA Finals next spring. New York has the pieces to appease Utah’s demands. The Knicks have three first-round picks and four second-rounders in the next two drafts alone. Any one of those picks, coupled with a prospect like their promising rookie star Tyler Kolek, who, per the NBA G League, just won the 2024 G League Winter Showcase Finals MVP award, could entice the Jazz to deal Clarkson ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline. This article first appeared on Empire Sports Media and was syndicated with permission.WILLIAMSPORT — Failures by a Lancaster engineering consulting firm significantly contributed to its decision to scuttle plans for a $1.1 billion plastic recycling facility in Northumberland County, a Texas company says. Encina Development Group in a filing Thursday in U.S. Middle District Court accused Rettew Associates Inc. of failing to competently manage projects for which it was retained. Encina, located in Springs, Texas, announced in April 2022 it would build a state-of-the-art facility on a 105-acre, industrially zoned, rail-served site along Route 11 adjacent to the North Branch of the Susquehanna River in Point Twp., seven miles outside Northumberland. The Point Township Circular Manufacturing Facility was expected to create 300 jobs with an average annual salary of $75,000, according to the company. The facility was planning to use proven technologies to process 450,000 tons of recycled plastic materials annually that otherwise would go to landfills or incinerators, it said. The court filing Thursday was in response to Rettew’s suit that claims Encina owes it more than $225,000 plus interest for unpaid invoices for four months in 2023. Encina claims services provided by Rettew were so inadequately performed it would be unreasonable to expect further payment. It cites letters from the state Department of Environmental Protection stating Rettew’s proposals lacked required details and that design requirements remained unsatisfied. It accuses Rettew of not properly advising Encina to anticipate the permitting challenges specific to that site. Rettew’s failure to provide services in a manner consistent with the contractual standard of care resulted in excessive billing and unnecessary and exorbitant delays, Encina contends. It cites as an example the sophisticated level of civil engineering work it did on a floodplain plan until Rettew agreed to the proposal of the Point Twp. engineer that it initially rejected. Encina also claims Rettew failed to provide: * The number and nature of the permits required for the project or the timeline and costs of obtaining them. * An accurate timeline for approvals required by the state Historic Preservation Office. * Notice a third-party environmental consultant would be needed. Encina contends it has paid Rettew more than $520,000 for work that remains incomplete or for which it did not get full value. Rettew contends it completed the work as required but Encina has breached the two agreements by not paying eight invoices submitted in 2023. The project had met opposition from the Save Our Susquehanna citizens group that voiced concerns about potential health and environmental impacts. Northumberland Borough Council went on record opposing it. Last April through a news release Encina announced it had scrapped plans for the project and would be pursuing other projects in the U.S., Saudi Arabia and Southeast Asia. The decision to relocate the project resulted in significant losses of investments that are not transferrable, Encina claims. Rettew and Encina in February 2022 entered into a professional services agreement for a range of services related to the planned recycling project. They included reviewing applications for various permits and a post-construction storm water management plan, conducting archaeological and river surveys, doing a traffic impact study and delineating wetlands. That April the parties entered into a consulting agreement that provided Rettew would pay an hourly rate for additional time needed by the engineering firm to complete work under the earlier agreement. RECOMMENDED • pennlive .com Victim of ID theft wrongly charged by Pa. state police wants to revive lawsuit Dec. 6, 2024, 3:37 p.m. Pa. man pleads guilty to federal drug charge, is facing 10-year prison sentence Dec. 2, 2024, 4:13 p.m. Encina through a subsidiary continues to lease the property from DRIVE, an economic development entity that covers Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and Union counties. There have been discussions about ending the lease because DRIVE wants to market the property, said Jennifer Wakeman, its executive director. Encina remains committed to work with DRIVE, a spokesperson said.ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Six Alaska House seats currently held by men are set to be held by women next year, bringing the overall number of women in the chamber to 21. This will be the first time in the state’s history that one of the legislative chambers is majority women. The women elected to the Alaska House bring a variety of experiences and perspectives to the chamber. Ten of them are Republicans, including four newly elected this year. Nine are Democrats — including three who are newly elected. Two are independents who caucus with Democrats. There are also five women in the state Senate, a number that remained unchanged in this year’s election, bringing the total number of women in the Alaska Legislature to 26 out of 60, a new record for the state. The previous record of 23 was set in 2019. Nationally, around a third of legislative seats were held by women this year, according to researchers at Rutgers University. Nearly two-thirds of women legislators are Democrats. In Alaska, women serving in the Legislature are largely evenly split between the major political parties. Before this year’s election, only seven states had ever seen gender parity in one of their legislative chambers. They include Arizona, Nevada, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Colorado, New Mexico and Oregon. California is set to join the list after this year’s election. Three of the women slated to serve in the Alaska House next year are Alaska Native — also a record. Two of them were elected for the first time: Robyn Burke of Utqiagvik , who is of Iñupiaq descent, and Nellie Jimmie of Toksook Bay, who is of Yup’ik descent. They join Rep. Maxine Dibert of Fairbanks, of Koyukon Athabascan descent, who was elected in 2022. The historic increase in representation of women came in Alaska even as voters did not reelect U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, the first woman and first Alaska Native person to represent the state in the U.S. House. Peltola was voted out in favor of Republican Nick Begich III. Women come to the Alaska Legislature from diverse professional backgrounds, but a disproportionate number of them will arrive with some experience in public education. Three of the newly elected lawmakers — Burke, Jubilee Underwood of Wasilla and Rebecca Schwanke of Glennallen — have served on their local school boards, helping oversee the North Slope Borough, Matanuska-Susitna Borough and Copper River school districts, respectively. The three bring different perspectives on public education. Burke said she is looking forward to working with a bipartisan caucus that is set to have a majority in the Alaska House this year, with a focus on increasing education funding and improving the retirement options for Alaska’s public employees, including teachers. Schwanke and Underwood, on the other hand, have indicated they will join the Republican minority caucus, which has shown an interest in conservative social causes such as barring the participation of transgender girls in girls’ school sports teams. The increase in the number of women serving in the Alaska Legislature comes as public education funding is set to be a key issue when lawmakers convene in January. Burke said she and the other newly elected women bring different policy perspectives to the topic of education, but their shared experience in serving on school boards reflects a commitment to their children’s education. “With so many parents and so many moms, I hope that there will be really good legislation that supports working families and children and education,” Burke said. ©2024 Anchorage Daily News. Visit at adn.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.