You know those mystery calls from random numbers that we all get? How often do you find yourself dealing with those annoying scam calls? Daily? Every other day? The problem is that scammers have really upped their game over the years, making it hard to spot the real calls from the fakes. Scammers have become so advanced and they deploy all sorts of tricks to reel us in. Scammers can even change the info that shows up on our phones when they call, making it appear as if they are calling from a legitimate phone number. When this happens, it is called "spoofing," and it is how a lot of people end up falling for their scams. But thankfully, many phone providers now label suspected scam calls with a "Scam Likely" tag to give us a heads-up. Spotting a scam call can be tough, but there are ways to protect yourself. By keeping an eye out for shady area codes and knowing some of the commonly used scam numbers, you can avoid becoming their next target. Go Banking Rates has put together a list of 11 phone numbers that are known to be used by scammers. Take a second to look them over and do your best to never answer calls from these numbers because it is just going to be a scammer on the other end looking to unleash havoc in your world. Don't Answer Calls From These Phone Numbers We all get a lot of calls from numbers that we don't recognize. Most simply don't answer. However, if you receive a call or a text from one of these numbers, you definitely don't want to respond. In fact, just block these numbers. Gallery Credit: Travis Sams 7 Ways To Protect Yourself From Becoming The Victim Of A Vacation Rental Property Scam Before you book a vacation rental property, there are seven steps you should take in order to avoid becoming the victim of a vacation rental property scam. Gallery Credit: Traci Taylor
Former president Jimmy Carter was ahead of his time as climate trailblazerBig Central Conference: Freedom Silver All-Division football teams, 2024
IT’S just days until the end of 2024 and Dollar Tree is offering party essentials at a great price. The foil balloons are ideal for shoppers looking to decorate their homes to celebrate New Year’s and the discount chain is selling them at an incredible $1.25 each. They’re available in festive gold and silver , so will match a wide variety of color themes and décor. “Plus, sturdy foil material holds helium longer than latex balloons and is not easily popped,” according to the retailer’s website. Dollar Tree will inflate the balloons when purchased and if bought online, shoppers simply need to take them to their local store for filling. The website advises customers to speak to the store manager beforehand to ensure enough helium is available. Read more on Dollar Tree A copy of the purchase receipt is also required in order to have the balloons inflated. SHOPPER FEEDBACK Dollar Tree customers are pretty impressed with the gold balloons. “I used the star balloons in a center piece for a red carpet theme. It was much cheaper to buy them from the Dollar Tree than to purchase them through an event supplier,” said one shopper. Meanwhile another wrote: “I had my brother stop purchase some star foil balloons for my daughter’s birthday party on Nov 13th. Most read in Money “Deciding I would throw them away when they lost their float, I kept them in her room. I am amazed because some are STILL floating after 2 months!!” And a third said: “Bought 50 of these brilliant gold star balloons for a Cruise Ship-themed New Year's Eve party. “Ordered online and picked them up at my local store inflated to decorate table centerpieces. Beautiful!” The silver shade is also a favorite among shoppers. “Service was excellent. These are still inflated and flying high almost two weeks later. They were a great addition to our party decorations,” said one. Another wrote: “I purchased 20 of these and 40 of other colors for a graduation party. Despite the name of the store, Dollar Tree recently added items that cost more than $1 to its inventory. Most items at the store cost no more than $1.25, but items in the Dollar Tree Plus section cost up to $5. Dollar Tree introduced Plus aisles to 100 locations in 2019 as part of an effort to diversify its products. By 2022, Dollar Tree had added the items to over 1,500 locations. "We believe testing additional price points above $1 for Dollar Tree products will enable us over time to expand our assortments, introduce new products and meet more of our customers’ everyday needs," president and CEO Michael Witynski said in a statement . "Our brand promise is that customers get great value for what they spend at Dollar Tree. We will continue to be fiercely protective of that promise, regardless of the price point." “Store did an excellent job of having them ready for me. Balloons stayed up for two weeks! Incredible!” FAB FINDS The discounter is known for its low prices, especially on dupes for higher-end items. Shoppers praised a budget breakfast favorite , Toast-em Pop-ups that were selling for just $1.25 over the holidays . This was a big saving on the $2.62 cost of Strawberry Frosted Pop-Tarts from Walmart . Beauty fans have also been raving about Power Stick Body Spray , the Brazilian Mist fragrance in particular. It gets an average rating of 4.9 out of five from reviewers on the retailer’s website and again costs just $1.25. Another beauty buy wowing shoppers is the b-pure lip contour kit , which one fan swears is a dupe for a celebrity must-have that retails for $35. @kimnuzzolo posted a video showing her $1.25 find on TikTok . Read More on The US Sun “It comes with a nude lip liner and a nude matte liquid lipstick,” she said, adding: “This looks so much like the Kylie Jenner lip kit.”WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday that he has chosen Keith Kellogg, a highly decorated retired three-star general, to serve as his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, who is one of the architects of a staunchly conservative policy book that lays out an "America First" national security agenda for the incoming administration, will come into the role as Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its third year in February. Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social account, and said "He was with me right from the beginning! Together, we will secure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, and Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN!" Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump's top adviser on defense issues, served as national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, was chief of staff of the National Security Council and then stepped in as an acting security adviser for Trump after Michael Flynn resigned. As special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Kellogg will have to navigate an increasingly untenable war between the two nations. The Biden administration has begun urging Ukraine to quickly increase the size of its military by drafting more troops and revamping its mobilization laws to allow for the conscription of troops as young as 18. The White House has pushed more than $56 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia's February 2022 invasion and expects to send billions more to Kyiv before Biden leaves office in less than months. Trump has criticized the billions that the Biden administration has poured into Ukraine. Washington has recently stepped up weapons shipments and has forgiven billions in loans provided to Kyiv. The incoming Republican president has said he could end the war in 24 hours, comments that appear to suggest he would press Ukraine to surrender territory that Russia now occupies. As a co-chairman of the American First Policy Institute's Center for American Security, Kellogg wrote several of the chapters in the group's policy book. The book, like the Heritage Foundation's "Project 2025," is a move to lay out a Trump national security agenda and avoid the mistakes of 2016 when he entered the White House largely unprepared. Kellogg in April wrote that "bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties." Kellogg was a character in multiple Trump investigations dating to his first term. He was among the administration officials who listened in on the July 2019 call between Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which Trump prodded his Ukrainian counterpart to pursue investigations into the Bidens. The call, which Kellogg would later say did not raise any concerns on his end, was at the center of the first of two House impeachment cases against Trump, who was acquitted by the Senate both times. On Jan. 6, 2021, hours before pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, Kellogg, who was then Pence's national security adviser, listened in on a heated call in which Trump told his vice president to object or delay the certification in Congress of President Joe Biden 's victory. He later told House investigators that he recalled Trump saying to Pence words to the effect of: "You're not tough enough to make the call." ___ Baldor reported from Washington. AP writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.
ARLINGTON, Texas — There was just something about coach Matt Campbell and his program at Iowa State that intrigued Kenny Dillingham. “His culture and his realness, I think he’s one of the most real people in the sport. You see the passion and emotion on the sideline,” said Dillingham, the second-year coach at Arizona State. “That was the program that I wanted to study from because I thought that they were overachieving at that time early in his career at a high level before he had built it up. Now he’s built it up.” The 34-year-old Dillingham has overseen a program-record improvement of seven wins over last year at his alma mater in its Big 12 debut. The 12th-ranked Sun Devils (10-2, 7-2, No. 15 CFP) now play in the league championship Saturday — against Campbell and the No. 16 Cyclones (10-2, 7-2, No. 16 CFP). After Dillingham became Auburn’s offensive coordinator in 2019, then-Tigers coach Gus Malzahn gave him two days to go study any team. Dillingham went to Iowa State to visit Campbell, who was only 32 when he became a first-time head coach at Toledo late in 2011, and went to his current Big 12 school in 2016. “I’m like, ‘man, this culture that he created, I feel like is sustainable. I feel like this is a winning formula.’ ... I was really trying to get a vibe and a feel for how did he create that culture,” Dillingham recalled this week about that visit. The Cyclones already have their first 10-win season and Campbell is now their winningest coach (63-50). Campbell was once that “young” head coach like Dillingham is now. “Just a lot of respect from my standpoint for him, what he’s been able to accomplish as a young head football coach,” Campbell said. “Being in those same shoes not long ago, you have appreciation for somebody that the spirit his football team plays with, you can tell they believe in their head football coach and their coaching staff.” Big 12 teams in the CFP Arizona State and Iowa State, part of a four-way tie for first place in the Big 12, advanced to the title game on a series of tiebreakers that eliminated BYU and Colorado. The winner at AT&T Stadium will be the league’s only team in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark has publicly expressed his displeasure about the College Football Playoff rankings. Current projections have the league’s champion as the No. 12 seed playing a first-round game on the road. The Big 12 will receive $4 million for each team that makes the CFP and each team that advances to the quarterfinals and $6 million for each team that advances to the semifinals and championship game. In addition, each conference will receive $3 million to cover expenses from each round for a team participating in the CFP. Top WR Tyson out for the Sun Devils Arizona State will be without top receiver Jordyn Tyson, who is out indefinitely after suffering an unspecified injury in the second half against Arizona. Tyson landed hard on his left side while being tackled, and left the stadium last Saturday wearing a sling on his left arm. Tyson has 75 catches for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns, ranking third in the Big 12 with 91.8 yards receiving a game. The Sun Devils will have to lean more on seniors Xavier Guillory and Melquan Stovall, who have combined for 30 catches for 453 yards and three TDs. Cyclones through the air Iowa State’s Rocco Becht has thrown a touchdown in 16 consecutive games. He is the only quarterback in the nation with a pair of 1,000-yard receivers. Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel are the first set of Cyclones receivers with 1,000 yards in the same season. Higgins has 80 catches for 1,068 yards and nine TDs, while Noel has caught 67 passes for 1,013 yards and six scores. Punishing Skattebo Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo can do a little bit of everything – use his quick feet to dart past defenders, catch passes out of the backfield, even pooch punt in a pinch. What Skattebo does best is inflict damage. The senior doesn’t wait to be tackled, instead initiating contact and punishing anyone who would dare try to take him down. Skattebo is third nationally in most missed tackles forced with 93, and is fourth in yards after contact rushing and receiving with 1,141, according to Sportradar. He has rushed for 1,397 yards and 17 touchdowns, ranking third in the Big 12 and eighth nationally with 127.1 yards per game. He is the only 1,000-yard rusher in FBS who also has 400 yards receiving (468). While the Cyclones have one of the league’s best overall defenses, they rank 14th allowing 173.7 yards rushing per game. Trio of Cyclones remain from title-game team The Cyclones have only three players who were on the roster for their only other Big 12 title game, a loss to Oklahoma in 2020. Defensive back Darien Porter was the only one to get in that game. The other remaining players are offensive lineman Jarrod Hufford and defensive lineman J.R. Singleton.
Compassionate Carbon and Catona Climate Join Forces to Scale Nature-Based ProjectsNetApp Joins the Vultr Cloud Alliance to Provide Scalable Data Management for Enterprise AI Workloads
Jimmy Carter, nation's 39th president who became influential human rights advocate, diesVikings blow a late fourth-quarter lead, but beat the Bears in overtime 30-27
Alien: Romulus Xenomorph Hot Toys Figure Unveiled, Available for Preorder NowNoneThe cash-strapped Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC), which was hoping for an immediate financial relief, did not receive any special grant from Punjab governor and UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria during the MC House meeting on Saturday. Mayor Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor had invited the administrator to the meeting in hopes of securing assistance to help the civic body tide over its ongoing financial crisis. However, while addressing the meeting, Kataria only assured that he will take up the matter with the central government to increase the annual grant for MC, in line with its growing expenditures, without announcing any immediate relief. Instead Kataria directed MC officials and councillors to focus on improving the corporation’s own revenue generation by rationalising manpower, recovering pending arrears, detecting leakages, increasing taxes on those who can afford them and ensuring third-party inspections before clearing contractor payments. For months, MC has been grappling with a severe financial crunch, forcing it to halt all development works since May and even putting long-pending road carpeting projects on hold. Such is the crisis that the corporation may not be able to even pay out staff salaries in the coming months. To resume the development works, the mayor has been requesting the administrator for an immediate special grant of ₹ 200 crore. “Chandigarh MC will have to work on improving its own revenue to be self-sustained. But I am making every possible effort and thinking out ways to provide additional financial help to MC. I will take up the matter with the Centre to increase the annual grant-in-aid for MC in line with MC’s increasing expenditure. Since salaries and committed liabilities of MC are increasing every year, we must also increase our grants,” Kataria said. Detect leakages, increase taxes: UT administrator While suggesting ways to improve MC’s financial condition, Kataria said, “MC’s major revenue source is property tax and hence, its arrears should be recovered and taxes should be gradually increased for those who can afford (commercial properties), without putting any burden on the poor.” The administrator also suggested roping in brilliant retired officials and experts to discuss such matters and utilise their expertise in finding solutions. “MC’s own revenue and capital expenditure is decreasing every year due to leakages. To cut down on your expenses, do third party inspection and verification on all MC projects, before clearing out payments of contractors,” Kataria added. Councillors voice their demands During the meeting, AAP councillor Yogesh Dhingra requested the UT administrator to mark an inquiry into MC’s expenditure on solid waste management and allow open hand voting for mayoral polls. BJP councillor Saurabh Joshi also sought an inquiry into MC’s recruitment to check ghost employees and a third-party audit of on all Smart City projects. Congress councillor Gurpreet Singh Gabi said, “We are taking steps to increase revenue but immediate relief is required to resume development works. UT should also transfer revenue-generating departments like RLA to MC.” Nominated councillor Satinder Sidhu advocated forming a land pooling policy to ensure revenue generation. After Guv’s rap, MC to audit all recruitments Following the administrator’s directions to rationalise MC’s manpower and amid city councillors’ objections on increasing recruitments, municipal commissioner Amit Kumar announced a detailed check on total recruitments and its criteria in the previous years. The city councillors raised objections after MC officials, while giving a presentation to the administrator, released figures related to MC’s staff strength over the past five years. As per official figures, MC’s total staff strength increased from 8,587 employees in 2023-24 to 9,748 in 2024-25, reflecting that MC hired 1,161 employees (mostly on contractual basis) in just seven months. The figures came as a surprise for councillors from all parties and mayor Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor, who said, “Who are these employees and where are they working?” AAP councillor Ram Chander Yadav said, “In my ward, I have listed out over 15 employees who were recently recruited, even when no such posts have been sanctioned by MC. I have already submitted a written complaint against a junior engineer for hiring his own brother as a supervisor. A detailed inquiry should be marked on recruitments done in MC.” Even the administrator noted, “In 2019-20, only 3,072 outsourced employees were working in MC and now, the number has increased to 6,965. Why is contractual recruitment increasing when regular posts are lying vacant? MC should do department-wise analysis of manpower and gradually shunt out excessive employees.” To this, MC commissioner Amit Kumar said, “Not just for this fiscal, but now a detailed check will be done on recruitments done in all previous years. Also, we will rationalise manpower by checking their eligibility criteria. It is learnt that even employees above the age of 60 are also working with MC.” House suspended amid BJP’s uproar over vendor issues Mayor Dhalor suspended the MC House following heated arguments by BJP councillors over Town Vending Committee’s proposal to convert the licences of 385 non-essential service providers vendors into essential service providers. Though the House had rejected this proposal in October, BJP councillors demanded voting to approve it on Saturday. Amid the melee, leader of Opposition Kanwarjeet Singh Rana reportedly removed MC secretary Gurinder Sodhi’s microphone and agenda copy to restrict him from moving on to the next agenda. The pandemonium escalated when the BJP councillors questioned how could the mayor, who held no power to withdraw an MC agenda, revoke MC’s proposal of increasing electricity cess. As arguments flew thick and fast, the mayor suspected the House. MP Tewari skips meeting Resident bodies noted MP Manish Tewari’s absence from the meeting. Some took to social media, questioning, “If the administrator can attend the MC House, the MP should have also been present to take up city’s crucial issues.”Former US President Jimmy Carter passed away at the age of 100 on Sunday (US local time) at his home in Plains, Georgia, as reported by the Washington Post, citing his son James E Carter III. Carter's son confirmed his death but did not provide an immediate cause. According to the Carter Center’s statement from February 2023, after a series of hospital stays, the former US President decided to stop further medical treatment and spend his remaining time at home under hospice care. In recent years, he had been treated for an aggressive form of melanoma skin cancer, with tumors that spread to his liver and brain. The Washington Post also noted that Carter was last photographed outside his home with family and friends on October 1, as he watched a flyover held to mark his 100th birthday. Throughout his lifetime, Jimmy Carter wore many hats. He was a small-town peanut farmer, a US Navy veteran, and the governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975. He became the first president from the Deep South since 1837 and the only Democrat elected president between Lyndon B Johnson and Bill Clinton's terms in the White House. As the 39th President of the US, Carter is remembered for achieving the signing of the Camp David Accords, which led to the first significant Israeli withdrawal from territory captured in the Six-Day War of 1967 and a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt that has endured. In recognition of his efforts, Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for "his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development," according to the Nobel Prize statement. The Washington Post report also highlighted Carter's role in pushing through the Panama Canal treaties, which placed the critical waterway under Panamanian control, improving US relations with Latin American neighbors. Taking advantage of the opening made by US President Richard Nixon, Carter granted full diplomatic recognition to China and made human rights a central theme of American foreign policy, the report added. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI)
NoneEuropean Residential: Liquidation Mode Offers 28% UpsideThe Zimbabwe Stock Exchange listed group, has released its voluntary operating update for the period ended 30 September 2024, showcasing resilient top-line growth despite challenging conditions. The company’s sales momentum continued into the third quarter, with double-digit growth in gross flows, supporting the ongoing improvement in net client cash flow. “In South Africa, the formation of the Government of National Unity and the 25-basis point interest rate cut had a positive impact on investor and customer sentiment, though tangible improvements in capital investments and disposable income remain constrained,” the company said. “In our Africa regions, excluding South Africa, the economic climate continued to be affected by elevated inflation and currency depreciation in some markets.” Following the recent elections in South Africa, a historic coalition was established as 10 political parties, representing a broad range of ideologies, united to form the GNU. Although tangible improvements in capital investments and disposable income remain constrained, Old Mutual’s diversified distribution strategy and strong performance in certain segments, such as life assurance and wealth management, helped drive sales. The has also highlighted that Old Mutual’s life assurance sales increased by 6% from the prior period, driven by good risk sales in the Mass and Foundation Cluster across all distribution channels. Personal Finance delivered higher guaranteed annuity sales, better savings, and funeral sales, while Wealth Management reported good sales growth in tax-free savings, wealth life, and investment funds. The company’s gross flows increased by 19% from the prior period, mainly driven by excellent inflows in Wealth Management, which saw a significant uplift across all platforms. Net client cash flow improved materially, benefiting from robust inflows and reduced levels of outflows in Wealth Management. Old Mutual’s regulatory solvency ratio for Old Mutual Life Assurance Company (South Africa) Limited (OMLACSA) marginally reduced to 198% and remains within the target range of 175%-210%. The Group’s discretionary capital balance increased to R1.6 billion from the R1.4 billion reported at 30 June 2024. The implementation of the two-pot retirement regime, effective 1 September, is expected to have an impact on Old Mutual’s operations. However, the company said it remains well-positioned to manage the increase in claims volumes, having paid 93% of the 240,000 claims submitted, amounting to R2.4 billion, as of the end of October 2024. Old Mutual operates in 13 African countries: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and eSwatini. The Group has a niche business in China.Saudi Arabia to foray into cricket with IPL auction
Mark Few likes No. 3 Gonzaga's toughness after win over future Pac-12 'partner' SDSUEditorial: Still waters run deep
TAICHUNG , Dec. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In today's competitive workplace, an organization's ability to retain talent has become a critical measure of its success and sustainable development. YANNIGO, a nutrition and wellness company headquartered in Taichung, was recently awarded the "2024 Best Employee Retention Award" by 104 Job Bank, recognizing it as a role model for employee happiness among small and medium-sized enterprises. This award not only highlights YANNIGO's exceptional performance in retaining talent but also underscores its strengths in employee care, benefits, and career development, reflecting its people-centered corporate culture. Comprehensive Benefits Program: Holistic Care for Employee Well-being Since its founding in 2003, founder and General Manager Hsiao Ching-Ju has held a steadfast belief in treating employees with sincerity. She believes that a successful enterprise relies not only on its business achievements but also on genuine care for each employee. This commitment is evident in YANNIGO's daily operations. The company offers salaries above the local average, ensuring employees feel financially secure. Additionally, YANNIGO has developed a diverse and thoughtful benefits program that addresses all aspects of employees' lives. From education subsidies, health check-ups, childcare allowances, egg-freezing subsidies, and fitness subsidies, to special birthday leave and annual company trips, these benefits enhance employees' quality of life on a practical level while addressing each individual's personal needs. YANNIGO pays particular attention to supporting working mothers by offering flexible work arrangements. Depending on their need at different stages, working mothers are given options such as flexible working hours and remote work, helping them achieve a better balance between family and work. This arrangement not only relieves the stress on working mothers but also strengthens their desire to remain with the company long-term. Progressive Professional Development: Nurturing Intrapreneurs YANNIGO demonstrates great flexibility and innovation in career development. The company offers a comprehensive training program, beginning with the nurturing "Mentorship" system for new hires and advanced training courses for managers, covering employees' needs at various stages. With the company's support, many employees have completed advanced education. For example, Alice, a customer service manager who joined as a part-time student, went on to earn an EMBA degree, further enhancing her professional expertise and management skills. YANNIGO also encourages intrapreneurship by providing resources and platforms that allow employees to develop personal ventures within the company and explore growth opportunities and challenges in new ways. Grace, the current manager of the Linkou branch, achieved a major career transformation through this intrapreneurial system. She transitioned from internal product marketing to retail management and successfully established a branch in northern Taiwan with the company's support. This path not only extended her career at YANNIGO but also gave her renewed motivation and challenges. YANNIGO's corporate culture emphasizes "sincerity," extending beyond its approach to employees to include social responsibility initiatives. The company promotes multiple ESG initiatives, with employees actively participating in environmental protection and waste reduction activities, showcasing the company's commitment to social responsibility alongside business success. YANNIGO's high retention rate is no accident. Statistics show that over 30% of employees have been with the company for more than five years, and more than 20% have stayed for over ten years. These numbers reflect the company's long-term dedication to employee care and investment. As General Manager Hsiao stated, "An organization's success is inseparable from the hard work and dedication of its employees, so every bit of effort we put into our employees is well worth it." YANNIGO's success proves that building a happy company is not the exclusive domain of large corporations. Through thoughtful benefits, diverse growth opportunities, and a culture of sincerity, YANNIGO has created a workplace where employees are eager to commit for the long term. This has made it a role model among small and medium-sized businesses, offering valuable insights for other organizations.None
NoneUnisys Corporation Announcement: If You Have Suffered Losses In Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS), You Are Encouraged To Contact The Rosen Law Firm About Your Rights4x major champion Rory McIlroy attends Las Vegas Grand Prix, showers support to Alpine F1 team
ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP) — Gaston Martirena and Adrian Martinez scored first-half goals as Argentina's Racing won its first Copa Sudamericana championship by beating Brazil's Cruzeiro 3-1 in the final on Saturday. Martirena opened the scoring in the 15th minute and Martinez added a goal five minutes later to give “La Academia” its first international title since 1988 when it won the now defunct Supercopa Sudamericana. “Maravilla” Martinez scored 10 goals in 13 matches and finished as the top scorer in the competition. “We suffered until the last minute, but to be able to win a cup after so many years is a blessing,” Martinez said. “It's historic, it was a long time without being able to raise an international cup, we have a poor year in the league, but we were able to give the fans this satisfaction.” Roger Martinez sealed the victory with a goal in the 90th. Kaio Jorge scored in the 52nd for Cruzeiro. Racing, a team based in the city of Avellaneda, took the lead when Martirena, a Uruguayan right-back, sent in what appeared to be a cross from the right but the looping ball went over Cruzeiro goalkeeper Cassio and into the far corner of the net. Martinez doubled the lead with a shot from five meters. The game was played in Estadio General Pablo Rojas in Asuncion, Paraguay, where most of the 45,000 fans were supporting Racing. Copa Sudamericana is the second most prestigious club competition in South America behind the Copa Libertadores, and its first edition was in 2002. Racing is the first Argentinian team to win the competition since 2020 when Defensa y Justicia beat Lanus. The last two competitions were won by Ecuadorian teams. Brazilian teams Atletico Mineiro and Botafogo will play next weekend in the Copa Libertadores final in Buenos Aires, Argentina. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerHeidi Klum Hints Wearing Red Lingerie in Snow Is Her New Year's Tradition
A Kingston neurologist is adding her voice to a national group of physicians, patients and advocates who are asking the Ontario government to cover an anti-seizure medication that is improving patient lives. Dr. Lysa Lomax is the president-elect of the Canadian League Against Epilepsy (CLAE), an associate professor at Queen’s University and the director of the Kingston Health Sciences Centre’s Comprehensive Epilepsy Program. She and others with CLAE and at the Canadian Epilepsy Alliance, and the Ontario NDP Party, the provincial government’s official opposition, are calling for the province to continue their discussions about public coverage for cenobamate, or Xcopri, an anti-seizure medication that was approved by Health Canada in June 2023. The drug has been in use in the United States and Europe for five to 10 years, Lomax said. According to a media release from the Canadian Epilepsy Alliance, in June 2023 the Canadian Drug Agency, which Ontario funds to review new drugs, recommended that the drug be publicly funded by all provincial government drug plans, “based on compelling clinical evidence.” In October of this year, those negotiations petered out. Advocates would like to see Ontario leaders bring the issue back to the table so that a provincial drug plan could include cenobamate. “My experience, and the clinical trials and real-world studies, have shown that it’s a very effective medication,” Lomax told the Whig-Standard on Monday. “It works in patients who previously couldn’t get seizure control on multiple seizure medications.” The release from the Canadian Epilepsy Alliance points out that cenobamate could help a significant portion of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy become seizure-free. Lomax said that while most clinical trials show that most anti-seizure medications can decrease seizure frequency by about 30 per cent, cenobamate is decreasing seizures at a rate of about 50 per cent. “Most seizure meds have a rate of seizure freedom of about two to five per cent, and this one is 10 to 20 per cent,” Lomax said. “That’s a huge difference. And the cost is very similar to other ones. Why would we not advocate for this medication, that costs similarly to others but seems to be more effective? No medication is perfect, but I think we just need more options. And this is a really good one.” Kingston resident Krista Wells Pearce was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2017, when she had a grand mal seizure for the first time. “They’re terrifying (and) they’re incredibly disruptive,” Wells Pearce said, saying that she wasn’t allowed to drive for six months following seizure causing loss of consciousness, something that really disrupted her life. “It’s a scary thing to live with, when you don’t know when it’s going to happen.” One medication helped Wells Pearce control her seizures until 2023, when she had her second grand mal seizure. The second drug she was then prescribed came with unsettling side effects and added cost for medications that aren’t fully covered by public or private insurance. Lomax prescribed Wells Pearce cenobamate, a drug that helps her to be seizure-free with no side effects, and that both doctor and patient hope will become Wells Pearce’s only anti-seizure prescription in the near future. However, as someone who will be on medication for the rest of her life, to pay for it out of pocket indefinitely would be difficult. She hopes that the Ontario government will see a benefit for patients to have access to cover a drug that doesn’t cost more than others already covered, and that offers more hope to patients to live longer, more normal lives. “If there’s a medication that could potentially eliminate seizures, or certainly prolong the period between having seizures, and see significant improvement, the expense that you’re eliminating from the province’s books and from the operation of a really busy health-care system right now...it’s just logical,” Wells Pearce said. “And it’s going to improve the lives of the people who live with epilepsy.” According to Lomax, one in 100 people in Canada live with epilepsy, which she described as the most common neurological condition after migraines. She has patients from all walks of life. “It’s a hidden disease. You can’t look at someone and go, oh, clearly, they have epilepsy. There’s an assumption and a lot of stigma, more than most conditions.” Lomax says that she currently has 45 patients on cenobamate, but only two will be able to afford the drug without any sort of coverage. Currently, most people are receiving the drug through a patient access program through the manufacturer, a format through which most new epilepsy drugs become available to patients in Canada who are candidates. Those programs don’t continue forever, and once it becomes an out-of-pocket expense it will be cost prohibitive for many, Lomax believes, but affordable for a health-care system looking to prevent downstream expenses. “The cost of most seizure meds are about $3,000 per year for the ministry,” Lomax said. “Some of them are more.” But weighed against the cost of an emergency room visit or a hospital stay for patients who are experiencing seizures, or the added costs of tests and imaging, covering a drug that has been proven to work should be considered a way to save costs within Ontario’s health-care system. “The assumption, ‘What difference will it make?’ That really troubles me,” Lomax said. In an email response to the Whig-Standard, a representative from the office of Sylvia Jones, Ontario’s deputy premier and Minister of Health, said that the province “did not halt negotiations.” “Negotiations undertaken by the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA) require agreement across all provinces and territories in order to proceed,” Hannah Jensen said in an email. “In fact, our government is taking action to improve access to new publicly funded drug therapies, actions the NDP continues to vote against.” Jensen shared a draft recommendation report and said that the Canada’s Drug and Health Technology Agency (CADTH) stated that there was “a lack of evidence that Xcopri is a better treatment than the other similar treatments already on the market, and publicly funded.” That report recommended that cenobamate be “reimbursed with conditions,” including that eligibility should be “based on the criteria used by each of the public drug plans for initiation, renewal, and prescribing of other third generation ASMs currently reimbursed for the management of partial-onset seizures in adults with epilepsy who are not satisfactorily controlled with conventional therapy.” In response to the comments from the minister’s office, Lomax said that while decisions for drug additions do come straight from individual provinces who decide as a group, Ontario should be a leader. “Someone needs to step forward and take a leadership role in directing the pCPA to resume negotiations,” she said. Lomax said that she met with the Health Minister’s office on March 21 to advocate for the drug and its benefits to Ontario patients. “It is frustrating that patients are missing out on the opportunity to benefit from such an effective medication,” she said. “It is also frustrating that taxpayers are not benefitting from a decrease in emergency room visits and additional prescriptions for epilepsy patients, and the resulting cost savings.” mbalogh@postmedia.comCHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Reniya Kelly had 18 points and six assists, Maria Gakdeng added 16 points and nine rebounds, and No. 16 North Carolina beat 14th-ranked Kentucky 72-53 on Thursday night in the SEC/ACC Challenge. North Carolina opened the game on a 14-4 run, capped by Alyssa Ustby’s fifth 3-pointer of the season. The Tar Heels led 36-25 at halftime after holding the Wildcats to 36% shooting. North Carolina only made one field goal in the opening five minutes of the third quarter as Kentucky got as close as seven points. But The Tar Heels made five field goals in the final five minutes to take a 50-39 lead into the fourth. Kentucky’s opening four baskets of the fourth were from 3-point range to get within 60-51 with 5:52 left on Dazia Lawrence’s basket off a nice assist from Georgia Amoore on an inbounds play. North Carlina sealed it by scoring the next six points — all from the free-throw line. Ustby scored 13 points with eight rebounds for North Carolina (8-1). The Tar Heels outscored Kentucky 42-10 in the paint. Lawrence scored 17 points and Amelia Hassett had 13 points and 13 rebounds for Kentucky (7-1). Amoore added 10 points and eight assists and Clara Strack, averaging a team-high 18.3 points per game, was held to four points on 2-of-10 shooting. North Carolina stays at home to play Coppin State on Sunday. Kentucky returns home to face Queens University on Monday. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketballMore Scots business owners anticipate higher turnover in 2025, poll suggests
FERGUS – Residents are concerned a battery energy storage system facility planned for just south of the Fergus will have a lasting negative impact on the community. Several residents and community groups attended a public meeting at Centre Wellington council Monday evening to share their concerns about an application from Aypa Power which is seeking a zoning amendment to 15 acres at 6235 Guelph St. at the intersection of 2 Line and Guelph Road for a battery energy storage system facility (BESS), which was supported by council last November. BESSes are rechargeable batteries that can store energy from different sources during off-peak hours and onto the electricity grid when needed while reducing the province’s reliance on fossil-fuel generation. Construction is currently planned for Fall 2025, with the lands planned for decommissioning and restoration in 2052. A final report will return to council at a future date. Anticipated to generate up to 211 MW of energy storage, the proposed facility would house approximately 200 batteries and 64 inverters, an interconnection substation, a water reservoir and a stormwater management facility. It would be remotely monitored. According to the township’s current zoning bylaw, the amendment is required because while BESSes are permitted as an on-farm diversified use on up to two per cent of a prime agriculture lot, the use cannot take up more than one hectare. The proposed amendment is a problem for former Wellington Federation of Agriculture (WFA) president Janet Harrop, who said the idea behind permitting BESS on prime agriculture lands as a secondary use was intended to give farmers a way to generate additional income. Opposing the application on behalf of the WFA, Harrop said it’s hard because she knows the decision to lease the land was a “financial one” for the current property owners but the group is concerned about how the proposed use will impact soil long-term. “Operating a farm is an asset-rich, cash flow-poor business with long hours, uncertainty and tight margins. We do recognize that but the WFA does not speak globally on behalf of individual producers, we speak on behalf of agriculture as a whole, ” said Harrop. “We appreciate the opportunity to provide an agriculture perspective ... soil is and has always been more than mere earth, it’s the lifeblood of our community’s growth, sustenance and prosperity. Continued loss of prime ag land risks our industry by death by 1000 cuts.” Using a fire at Aypa’s Brantford facility in September as an example, longtime Fergus resident Anthea Millikin said she’s concerned about the facility’s fire risk and the potential impact on existing and future residents living nearby. “This isn’t a question of supporting green technology ... I think that when you examine this closely and consider all elements, you will see that the potential short-term and long-term, serious and considerable harms outweigh any of the suggested benefits,” said Milikin. “This zone change is the best opportunity to stop this from going ahead.” Submitting a letter against the application, resident Paul Roberts agreed, saying he lives two kilometres away from the proposed site and believes it’s “far too close for his liking or safety.” “In watching all the expense and hard work that has been put into the South Fergus development over the many years, it would be totally unforgivable for an American company to torpedo all the many year’s efforts by installing an environmentally and dangerous 20-year possible disaster in this location,” said Roberts in his letter. “Tell them no and not in our township ever.” Save Our Water’s Donna McCaw also opposed the application due to safety concerns, requesting the township consider “significantly reducing” the facility’s size or saying no to the whole thing to reduce the development’s potential impact on the surrounding community, air, ground and surface water quality. Do your due diligence, do your research, bring in experts, if you need to. This is a very, very serious decision. Think of the scale. Think of the dangers. Think of the options before you make any kind of decision here, please.” McCaw said. Many residents concerns were mirrored in the councillor’s questions during the meeting, with several saying the proposed facility’s “close proximity” to Fergus secondary plan lands is a “big problem.” Director of Business Development at Aypa, Ondrej Benjik said Aypa has accounted for the secondary lands in the facility’s design and one way they’re working with it is by including a “significant” 600 ft setback from 2 Line. Coun. Jennifer Adams asked why Aypa has proposed 211 MW, which would provide six per cent of Ontario’s IESO goal in Centre Wellington when the township represents 0.002 per cent of the province’s population. Benjik said there are only so many transmission lines across Ontario that can accept the project size and it happens that the transmission lines running to Centre Wellington have that available capacity. When asked what makes Aypa so confident they won’t experience a Brantford situation here, vice president of policy and regulatory affairs for Aypa, Pabst said the company while it “cannot say with certainty our areas won’t experience a fire,” the project is designed with “comprehensive safety measures” to ensure public, life, and environmental safety, supported by ongoing collaboration with Centre Wellington Fire & Rescue. The township’s fire chief Tom Mulvey said they’ve been in contact with the Brantford department to compare strategies. He also clarified the township has a “robust mutual aid system” which can help if necessary. Aypa is also proposing comprehensive fire safety code compliance, developing a project-specific emergency response plan with local fire and 3rd party organizations, a layered fire safety plan and 24/7 remote monitoring system. More information on their fire safety plans can be found on their web site here. Commenting on the soil concerns, Pierre Chauvin from MHBC planning, who was retained by Aypa, said rehabilitating the soil on the site is possible and would be similar to the process aggregate sites undertake. Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.Huawei cuts prices of a variety of high-end devicesMore Scots business owners anticipate higher turnover in 2025, poll suggests