Brandon Sklenar finally picks side amid Blake Lively’s Lawsuit Brandon Sklenar shows support for his co-star during a legal battle Brandon Sklenar showed support for his co-star amid Blake Lively’s lawsuit. On December 23, the Midway actor finally shared his stance in support of his It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively. In an Instagram story, the 34-year-old actor posted a link to a New York Times article detailing the 37-year-old actress' legal complaint against Justin Baldoni, and added, "For the love of God, read this." To further show his support for his co-star, he tagged her social media account and added a heart emoji next to it. Among many stars standing by the Gossip Girl star and showing their support, Brandon is joined by - the author of the book herself - Colleen Hoover, Amber Heard, Jenny Slate, Paul Feig, and her Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants castmates. On December 21, Colleen took to her Instagram and expressed, "You have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met." "Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt." Justin has denied all the allegations made against him through his lawyer Bryan Freedman in a December 21 statement to The New York Times. His lawyers called the claims "categorically false" and "yet another desperate attempt to 'fix' her negative reputation which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film." Buckingham Palace begins planning Prince William’s ascension to throne? Prince Harry's Polo flop labelled 'Laughingstock' Hasan Minhaj praises Justin Baldoni as women’s ally one week prior to lawsuit 'Sonic 3' ending questions Jim Carrey's fate in next sequel
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced Wednesday she's suing a Saudi Arabian agribusiness for allegedly violating a public nuisance law, contending that its groundwater pumping threatens the public health, safety and infrastructure of local communities in a rural western county. The complaint filed in Maricopa County Superior Court alleges that the pumping at a Fondomonte Arizona, LLC. alfalfa farm has had widespread effects in the Ranegras Plain Basin of La Paz County, harming everyone who depends on basin water by drawing down supplies, drying up wells and causing the ground to crack and sink in some areas. The lawsuit is the latest action by Arizona against foreign companies that use huge amounts of groundwater to grow thirsty forage crops for export because of climate challenges in other countries. Rural Arizona is especially attractive to international businesses because it has no groundwater pumping regulations. The lawsuit alleges that since 2014, Fondomonte has extracted huge amounts of water that accelerated depletion of the basin’s aquifer. The company is a subsidiary of Saudi dairy giant Almarai Co. “We find the allegations of the Attorney General totally unfounded, and we will defend any potential action against Fondomonte and our rights vigorously before the competent authorities,” Fondomonte said in a statement Wednesday. “The company has invested significantly to bring the latest conservation technology and applies environmentally sustainable practices on these long-established farms,” it said. “Fondomonte has continued to develop responsibly during its time farming in the state and the company complies with all state regulations. ” Years of drought have increased pressure on water users across the West, particularly in states like Arizona, which relies heavily on the dwindling Colorado River. The drought has also made groundwater — long used by farmers and rural residents without restriction — even more important for users across the state. Mayes told reporters Wednesday that the Arizona Legislature has done nothing to fix the groundwater problem despite knowing about the problem for years. “While laws regulating groundwater pumping could have prevented this situation, the legislature’s inaction has allowed the crisis to grow,” Mayes said. “When the legislature fails to protect our most basic resources, the attorney general must step in.” La Paz County Supervisor Holly Irwin, a Republican, commended Mayes, a Democrat, for attempting to address what she described as her community’s “most challenging” concern. “I know that my constituents will be thrilled over this, that somebody is actually paying attention to the real problems here,” Irwin said during Wednesday’s news briefing via a video conference call. Mayes' lawsuit alleges that Fondomonte's actions are a public nuisance under a state statute that prohibits activity that injures health, obstructs property use, or interferes with the comfortable enjoyment of life or property by a community. Mayes called the company’s groundwater pumping “unsustainable” and said it caused “devastating consequences” for people in the area. “Arizona law is clear: no company has the right to endanger an entire community’s health and safety for its own gain,” she said. The lawsuit seeks to enjoin the company from further groundwater pumping it says is “excessive” and require that an abatement fund be established. Arizona officials have been targeting Fondomonte for more than a year over its use of groundwater to grow forage crops, by not renewing or canceling the company's leases in Butler Valley in western Arizona. Some residents there had complained that the company’s pumping was threatening their wells. ___ By GABRIEL SANDOVAL and ANITA SNOW (Associated Press/Report for America). Gabriel Sandoval is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.EMMITSBURG, Md. (AP) — Dola Adebayo's 16 points helped Mount St. Mary's defeat Delaware State 76-66 on Saturday night. Adebayo added seven rebounds for the Mountaineers (4-2). Jedy Cordilia scored 14 points while shooting 7 of 10 from the field and added seven rebounds. Terrell Ard Jr. shot 5 of 7 from the field and 4 for 4 from the line to finish with 14 points. Carmello Pacheco shot 4 of 5 from 3-point range and had 14 points. The Hornets (2-4) were led in scoring by Kaseem Watson, who finished with 16 points and six rebounds. Delaware State also got 16 points and two steals from Martez Robinson. Robert Smith had 14 points and six rebounds. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
Jason Kelce’s fate over phone smashing incident confirmedSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean officials are struggling to determine what caused a deadly plane crash that killed 179 people, with the nation saddened, shocked and ashamed over the country's worst aviation disaster in decades. Many observers also worry how effectively the South Korean government will handle the aftermath of Sunday's crash as it grapples with a leadership vacuum following the recent successive impeachments of President Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minster Han Duck-soo, the country’s top two officials, amid political tumult caused by Yoon’s brief martial law introduction earlier this month. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
Hub Group Declares Quarterly DividendInformation and Broadcasting Adviser Md Nahid Islam today said the role of journalists in the current time is very significant, expressing hope that newsmen would play a responsible role by providing actual facts to the people of the country. Stressing the importance of objective news dissemination through media, the adviser said, "The fact of information must be checked before disseminating the news." "Preventing rumors and propaganda is a big challenge in the era of information technology, and the role of sub-editors is very crucial in facing this challenge," said Nahid while exchanging views with the representatives of the Dhaka Sub-Editors Council at the meeting room of the Post and Telecommunication Division. He called upon the sub-editors to be more responsible while editing news. Mentioning that the government has already formed the Media Reform Commission to strengthen the media, the adviser urged the sub-editors to submit specific reform proposals to the commission. He said the government will take necessary initiatives to implement the wage board. Sub-Editor Council president Muktadir Anik, general secretary Jawhar Iqbal Khan and other executive committee members were present. Information and Broadcasting Adviser Md Nahid Islam today said the role of journalists in the current time is very significant, expressing hope that newsmen would play a responsible role by providing actual facts to the people of the country. Stressing the importance of objective news dissemination through media, the adviser said, "The fact of information must be checked before disseminating the news." "Preventing rumors and propaganda is a big challenge in the era of information technology, and the role of sub-editors is very crucial in facing this challenge," said Nahid while exchanging views with the representatives of the Dhaka Sub-Editors Council at the meeting room of the Post and Telecommunication Division. He called upon the sub-editors to be more responsible while editing news. Mentioning that the government has already formed the Media Reform Commission to strengthen the media, the adviser urged the sub-editors to submit specific reform proposals to the commission. He said the government will take necessary initiatives to implement the wage board. Sub-Editor Council president Muktadir Anik, general secretary Jawhar Iqbal Khan and other executive committee members were present.Opponents of plans to legalise assisted dying “mustn’t be hearing” the stories of the terminally ill, the MP pushing for a change in the law has said. At a meeting in Parliament on Monday evening, a panel of terminally ill and bereaved people urged parliamentarians to back the Bill proposed by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater when it comes before the Commons on Friday, describing the current situation as “inhumane”. Josh Cook, whose mother took her own life while in the advanced stages of Huntington’s disease and has the gene for the condition himself, said the status quo meant palliative care eventually “turns from care to torture”. He said: “We reach a point every single time where that care is forced on to a person, their choices are taken away and they are kept alive. “For me, if I go through Huntington’s, my end will be... stuck in the house, twitching and wearing a hole through the carpet, a peg line to keep me alive while my throat muscles give out and I choke to death. That’s what the current law says I have to endure.” Other panellists discussed their fear that their terminal illness would lead to a loss of control and significant pain. Tracey Iles, who has stage four breast cancer, said: “I love living and make the best of every day, but there is always that fear niggling away at the forefront of my mind and that is how I will die. “I really don’t want to suffer in my last days or months, I don’t want my family to watch me in pain. If assisted dying becomes law in this country, I will be able to stop worrying about having a bad death.” Another panellist, Laura Perkins, described her mother being diagnosed with two forms of cancer and offered the choice of which she wanted to die from as they could not be treated at the same time. She said: “The medical team solemnly informed us that it was more humane to die of liver cancer than mouth cancer, so in her fragile state she was advised to start a course of radiotherapy on her throat to keep those tumours at bay to allow the liver cancer to grow back as this was the better death.” With just four days remaining before Parliament’s first vote on her legislation, Ms Leadbeater called for the debate to focus on “the problem we have to fix” rather than “who in the Cabinet has fallen out with who else in the Cabinet”. She said: “Please tell these stories, because this is what I think some MPs mustn’t be hearing, because how can you hear these stories and tell me there’s not a problem? “How can you tell me these families should have not had a choice other than what we’ve heard tonight? I just refuse to accept that.” Ms Leadbeater’s Bill enjoys cross-party backing, and supporters of her proposals have expressed cautious optimism that it could have enough votes to pass its first hurdle on Friday. But the MP herself said there was still a “reasonable cohort of MPs who haven’t made their minds up”. She said: “That’s why over the next four days, let’s use this as an opportunity to tell your stories and to make sure MPs do realise the unacceptable situation that we’ve got for so many families.” Friday’s vote is just the first stage in the legislative process for Ms Leadbeater’s Bill, which if approved will then face further parliamentary scrutiny over the coming months.
4 easy, comforting bean dishes for fallHENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Ashlon Jackson scored a career-high 30 points and No. 14 Duke defeated No. 10 Kansas State, 73-62 on Monday, in the semifinals of the Ball Dawgs Classic. The Blue Devils (6-1) overcame an early 11-point deficit behind Jackon’s shooting hand to advance to Wednesday’s championship game against the winner of the game between No. 9 Oklahoma and DePaul. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . SAINT PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kendall Blue and Nolan Minessale had 22 points each in St. Thomas’ 88-81 victory over Montana on Saturday. Miles Barnstable had 17 points for the Tommies (7-4). Malik Moore led the Grizzlies (6-4) with 30 points. Money Williams added 14 points, six rebounds and four assists for Montana. Jensen Bradtke had 11 points. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — Google, already facing a possible breakup of the company over its ubiquitous search engine , is fighting to beat back another attack by the U.S. Department of Justice alleging monopolistic conduct, this time over technology that puts online advertising in front of consumers. The Justice Department and Google made closing arguments Monday in a trial alleging Google's advertising technology constitutes an illegal monopoly. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria, Virginia, will decide the case and is expected to issue a written ruling by the end of the year. If Brinkema finds Google has engaged in illegal, monopolistic conduct, she will then hold further hearings to explore what remedies should be imposed. The Justice Department, along with a coalition of states, has already said it believes Google should be forced to sell off parts of its ad tech business, which generates tens of billions of dollars annually for the Mountain View, California-based company. After roughly a month of trial testimony earlier this year, the arguments in the case remain the same. During three hours of arguments Monday, Brinkema, who sometimes tips her hand during legal arguments, did little to indicate how she might rule. She did, though, question the applicability of a key antitrust case Google cites in its defense. The Justice Department contends Google built and maintained a monopoly in “open-web display advertising,” essentially the rectangular ads that appear on the top and right-hand side of the page when one browses websites. Google dominates all facets of the market. A technology called DoubleClick is used pervasively by news sites and other online publishers, while Google Ads maintains a cache of advertisers large and small looking to place their ads on the right webpage in front of the right consumer. In between is another Google product, AdExchange, that conducts nearly instantaneous auctions matching advertisers to publishers. In court papers, Justice Department lawyers say Google “is more concerned with acquiring and preserving its trifecta of monopolies than serving its own publisher and advertiser customers or winning on the merits.” As a result, content providers and news organizations have never been able to generate the online revenue they should due to Google’s excessive fees for brokering transactions between advertisers and publishers, the government says. Google argues the government's case improperly focuses on a narrow niche of online advertising. If one looks more broadly at online advertising to include social media, streaming TV services, and app-based advertising, Google says it controls as little as 10% of the market, a share that is dwindling as it faces increased and evolving competition. Google alleges in court papers that the government’s lawsuit “boil(s) down to the persistent complaints of a handful of Google’s rivals and several mammoth publishers.” Google also says it has invested billions in technology that facilitates the efficient match of advertisers to interested consumers and it should not be forced to share its technology and success with competitors. “Requiring a company to do further engineering work to make its technology and customers accessible by all of its competitors on their preferred terms has never been compelled by U.S. antitrust law,” the company wrote. Brinkema, during Monday's arguments, also sought clarity on Google’s market share, a number the two sides dispute, depending on how broadly the market is defined. Historically, courts have been unwilling to declare an illegal monopoly in markets in which a company holds less than a 70% market share. Google says that when online display advertising is viewed as a whole, it holds only a 10% market share, and dwindling. The Justice Department contends, though, that when focusing on open-web display advertising, Google controls 91% of the market for publisher ad servers and 87% of the market for advertiser ad networks. Google says that the “open web display advertising” market is gerrymandered by the Justice Department to make Google look bad, and that nobody in the industry looks at that category of ads without considering the ability of advertisers to switch to other forms of advertising, like in mobile apps. The Justice Department also contends that the public is harmed by the excessive rates Google charges to facilitate ad purchases, saying the company takes 36 cents on the dollar when it facilitates the transaction end to end. Google says its “take rate” has dropped to 31% and continues to decrease, and it says that rate is lower than that of its competitors. “When you have an integrated system, one of the benefits is lower prices," Google lawyer Karen Dunn said Monday. The Virginia case is separate from an ongoing lawsuit brought against Google in the District of Columbia over its namesake search engine. In that case, the judge determined it constitutes an illegal monopoly but has not decided what remedy to impose. The Justice Department said last week it will seek to force Google to sell its Chrome web browser , among a host of other penalties. Google has said the department's request is overkill and unhinged from legitimate regulation. In Monday's arguments, Justice Department lawyer Aaron Teitelbaum cited the search engine case when he highlighted an email from a Google executive, David Rosenblatt, who said in a 2009 email that Google’s goal was to “do to display what Google did to search," which Teitelbaum said showed the company's intent to achieve market dominance. “Google did not achieve its trifecta of monopolies by accident,” Teitelbaum said.
Stock market today: Wall Street holds near breakeven ahead of ChristmasMiddle East latest: UN General Assembly demands a ceasefire in Gaza
Sri Lanka is witnessing a significant shift towards sustainable finance with Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) introducing the listing and trading of Green Bonds in 2023. DFCC Bank led the way among financial institutions to issue the first green bond in the country, aimed at funding renewable energy projects particularly in the solar energy sector. This has been followed by Alliance Finance announcing the plans to issue redeemable green bonds to raise Rs. 1 billion. The issuance of green bonds by these institutions is an encouraging sign, especially in the context of global and local climate change concerns. As the world grapples with the impacts of climate change, these initiatives are crucial for driving the transition to a low-emission economy. With Sri Lanka’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon status by 2050, the adoption of green finance instruments is a positive step towards mitigating environmental risks and fostering sustainable development. While Green Bonds are promising, the current focus remains largely on the aspects of issuance and uptake. It should be noted that the success of green bonds depends not only on their issuance but also on their effective deployment towards projects that genuinely contribute to environmental sustainability. MTI recently completed the Green Finance Taxonomy for the Maldives and was appointed as an Observer Organization of the Green Climate Fund Thus, a critical question arises: Does Sri Lanka have the necessary green finance ecosystem, infrastructure, and impact measurement mechanisms to ensure that the funds raised through green bonds are effectively deployed to mitigate climate change? A robust green finance ecosystem is essential to provide clear guidelines, regulatory frameworks, and impact measurement tools to track the environmental benefits of the projects funded by green bonds. A national green finance taxonomy plays a crucial role in this context. A well-defined taxonomy provides a framework for classifying and evaluating green projects, ensuring that the funds are directed towards genuinely sustainable initiatives to prevent greenwashing. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) launched Sri Lanka’s national green taxonomy in 2022 to classify economic activities that can be considered as ‘Green’. The directions issued by CBSL require financial institutions to follow; Yet, providing specific and comparable impact reporting guidelines remains unaddressed. Public accountability is another vital aspect. Linking green bond issuance to measurable impact ensures transparency and accountability. It is essential for financial institutions to regularly report on the environmental outcomes of the projects funded by green bonds. This not only builds trust among investors but also ensures that the funds are making a tangible difference in addressing climate change. In conclusion, the issuance of green bonds by Sri Lankan financial institutions marks a significant advancement towards sustainable finance. However, to fully realize the potential of these green bonds, it is crucial to establish a robust green finance ecosystem with comprehensive impact measurement mechanisms to achieve a greener and more sustainable future. Image Caption : MTI Consulting CEO – Hilmy Cader and MTI’s Senior Business Analyst - Ms. Samiddhi WanigasekaraJamiya Neal finished with 19 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and four blocks to lead host Creighton over UNLV 83-65 on Saturday in Omaha, Neb. Creighton was without star Pop Isaacs, who was ruled out for the season on Saturday morning after undergoing surprise hip surgery. It was a startling turn, considering Isaacs led Creighton with 27 points in Wednesday's win over No. 1 Kansas. Neal and Steven Ashworth (17 points) anchored the backcourt in Isaacs' absence, combining to make 13-of-20 shots from the field. Neal made 7 of his 10 and Ashworth 6 of 10. Isaac Traudt also stepped up, making five 3-pointers off the bench to account for all 15 of his points. Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 12 points, making 4-of-5 attempts from the field, and added six rebounds. Creighton opened the second half on a 10-0 run, extending its lead to 49-27 before UNLV mustered an answer. Creighton made 10 consecutive shots early in the second half, extending its lead to a 62-41 with 12:20 remaining. Dedan Thomas Jr. paced UNLV with 18 points on 7-of-16 shooting, making 1 of 4 attempts from 3-point range. Jailen Bedford added a team-high 20 points for the Rebels on 8-of-15 shooting, scoring 17 points in the second half. Julian Rishwain added 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting, but UNLV's second leading scorer for the season, Jeremiah Cherry, was limited to just four points in 16 minutes after early foul trouble. Creighton shot a resounding 63.3 percent from the field for the game, including going 10-of-20 from beyond the arc. Creighton outscored UNLV 38-34 in the paint and outrebounded them 34-21. UNLV finished the game shooting 42.2 percent field, making 7-of-21 attempts from distance. --Field Level MediaJamiya Neal finished with 19 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and four blocks to lead host Creighton over UNLV 83-65 on Saturday in Omaha, Neb. Creighton was without star Pop Isaacs, who was ruled out for the season on Saturday morning after undergoing surprise hip surgery. It was a startling turn, considering Isaacs led Creighton with 27 points in Wednesday's win over No. 1 Kansas. Neal and Steven Ashworth (17 points) anchored the backcourt in Isaacs' absence, combining to make 13-of-20 shots from the field. Neal made 7 of his 10 and Ashworth 6 of 10. Isaac Traudt also stepped up, making five 3-pointers off the bench to account for all 15 of his points. Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 12 points, making 4-of-5 attempts from the field, and added six rebounds. Creighton opened the second half on a 10-0 run, extending its lead to 49-27 before UNLV mustered an answer. Creighton made 10 consecutive shots early in the second half, extending its lead to a 62-41 with 12:20 remaining. Dedan Thomas Jr. paced UNLV with 18 points on 7-of-16 shooting, making 1 of 4 attempts from 3-point range. Jailen Bedford added a team-high 20 points for the Rebels on 8-of-15 shooting, scoring 17 points in the second half. Julian Rishwain added 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting, but UNLV's second leading scorer for the season, Jeremiah Cherry, was limited to just four points in 16 minutes after early foul trouble. Creighton shot a resounding 63.3 percent from the field for the game, including going 10-of-20 from beyond the arc. Creighton outscored UNLV 38-34 in the paint and outrebounded them 34-21. UNLV finished the game shooting 42.2 percent field, making 7-of-21 attempts from distance. --Field Level Media
So much for diversity: Companies kowtow to conservatives and ditch DEINew high-tech cameras on Perth roads ‘not revenue-raisers’, safety tsar saysChiefs head to Pittsburgh on Christmas hoping to lock up the top seed in the AFC
Beyond evangelicals, Trump and his allies courted smaller faith groups, from the Amish to ChabadWeekly Horoscope Libra, December 8 to 14, 2024 predicts good news for students