Congressman Pete Stauber hopes Trump, GOP trifecta open northern Minnesota to mining
Marine Construction Ship Market Outlook and Future Projections for 2030The New Orleans Saints (5-10) are at home against the Las Vegas Raiders (3-12) at Caesars Superdome on Sunday, December 29, 2024. If you are in the market for Raiders vs. Saints tickets, information is available below. Las Vegas Raiders vs. New Orleans Saints game info NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more. How to buy Raiders vs. Saints tickets for NFL Week 17 You can buy tickets to see the Raiders square off against the Saints from multiple sources. Las Vegas Raiders vs. New Orleans Saints betting odds, lines, spreads Odds courtesy of BetMGM Las Vegas Raiders schedule Las Vegas Raiders stats New Orleans Saints schedule New Orleans Saints stats This content was created for Gannett using technology provided by Data Skrive.
US tech blind spot risks harming the country’s competitivenessGeorgia's rights ombudsman on Tuesday accused police of torturing pro-European Union protesters rallying for six consecutive days against the government's decision to shelve EU accession talks amid a post-election crisis. The country of some 3.7 million has been rocked by demonstrations since the ruling Georgian Dream party announced last week it would halt EU accession talks. Police on Tuesday evening used water cannon and tear gas on the sixth night of pro-EU protests in Tbilisi after the prime minister threatened demonstrators with reprisals amid a deepening crisis in the Black Sea nation. Georgia's Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has refused to back down and threatened Tuesday to punish political opponents, accusing them of being behind violence at mass protests. Protesters gathered outside parliament for a sixth straight night but the crowd appeared slightly smaller than on recent nights, an AFP journalist saw. Draped in EU and Georgian flags, protesters booed riot police officers and threw fireworks. Police responded by directing hoses at the protesters, with some dancing in the jets and others sheltering under umbrellas. The police ordered demonstrators to leave through loud hailers and used water cannon to push the crowd away from the parliament. Then they deployed tear gas against the crowd in a nearby street, causing protesters to cough, with some using saline solution to wash out their eyes. Police roughly detained some demonstrators, Georgian independent television showed. Ombudsman Levan Ioseliani said in a statement that most injuries sustained by detained protesters "are concentrated on the face, eyes, and head", adding that "the location, nature, and severity of these injuries strongly suggest that police are using violence against citizens as a punitive measure", which "constitutes an act of torture." Tensions were already high after October parliamentary elections that saw Georgian Dream return to power amid accusations that it rigged the vote. But Kobakhidze's decision that Georgia would not hold EU membership talks until 2028 triggered uproar, although he insisted the country is still heading towards membership. The mostly young protesters accuse Georgian Dream of acting on Russian orders and fear the ex-Soviet country will end up back under Russian influence. Demonstrators projected a message Tuesday that read "thank you for not being tired" onto the parliament building, an AFP reporter saw. During the latest wave of protests, 293 people have been detained, the interior ministry said Tuesday evening, while 143 police have been injured. The health ministry said that on Monday evening 23 protesters were injured. "We want freedom and we do not want to find ourselves in Russia," 21-year-old protester Nika Maghradze told AFP. Demonstrators accuse the government of betraying Georgia's bid for EU membership, which is enshrined in its constitution and supported by around 80 percent of the population. Nugo Chigvinadze, 41, who works in logistics, told AFP at Tuesday's protest that he did not believe the prime minister's claim that the country is still aiming for EU membership. "Whatever our government is saying is a lie. No one believed it. No one," he said. "They are not intending to enter the European Union." Pro-EU President Salome Zurabishvili -- at loggerheads with the government -- has backed the protest and demanded a re-run of the disputed parliamentary vote. But Tbilisi's top court on Tuesday rejected a lawsuit filed by Zurabishvili and opposition parties to overturn the election result. That announcement came shortly after Kobakhidze -- who has ruled out talks with the opposition -- vowed to punish his opponents. "Opposition politicians who have orchestrated the violence in recent days while hiding in their offices will not escape responsibility," he told a press conference. International criticism of Georgia's handling of the protests has grown, with several Western countries saying Tbilisi had used excessive force. Kobakhidze threatened to punish civil servants who join the protests, after several ambassadors and a deputy foreign minister resigned. "We are closely monitoring everyone's actions, and they will not go without a response," he said. Using Kremlin-style language, Kobakhidze alleged the protest movement was "funded from abroad". He also accused non-government groups -- attacked in a repressive pre-election campaign by authorities -- of being behind the protests. At Tuesday's demonstration, Tsotne, 28, who works in IT, defied the threats of reprisals, saying: "It's a peaceful protest, of course but I guess as an individual, I'm ready to defend my country here." Georgia this year adopted Russian-style legislation designed to restrict the activity of NGOs as well measures that the EU says curb LGBTQ rights. The laws prompted the United States to slap sanctions on Georgian officials. But Kobakhidze said his government hoped that the "US attitudes towards us will change after January 20" -- when Donald Trump takes office. Meanwhile, NATO chief Mark Rutte on Tuesday slammed the situation as "deeply concerning", condemning "unequivocally" the reports of violence. led-jc-am-im/giv
The camera I recommend to most new photographers is $80 off after Cyber MondayWith Ghana’s 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections fast approaching, political campaigns are reaching a fever pitch in the Western Region, as candidates from various parties make a final push to win over voters. Key political figures from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are leaving no stone unturned, staging rallies, commissioning projects, and making bold promises in a last-ditch effort to sway the electorate. In Essikadu-Ketan, NPP Parliamentary candidate Charles Cromwell Nanabanyin Onuawonto has announced a “final rally” scheduled for Wednesday, December 4, with the participation of incumbent Member of Parliament Joe Ghartey. The NDC’s contender, Dr. Grace Ayensu Danquah, recently led a massive walk, with reports of “thousands pouring onto the streets” in a jubilant demonstration of support, declaring, “Essikadu-Ketan is in the bag.” Meanwhile, in the Evalue Gwira Ajomoro Constituency, incumbent NDC MP Kofi Arko Nokoe is set to commission a new maternity ward at Ewoku on Tuesday, December 3, further solidifying his standing. Former MP Catherine Afeku, now seeking a return to Parliament, is taking a more discreet approach, with close associates describing their strategy as “submarine-like,” focusing solely on the ultimate prize. In Sekondi Constituency, political campaigns have intensified like never before, with simultaneous health walks and music festivals adding to the charged atmosphere. NPP’s incumbent MP Andrew Egyapa Mercer has been active, overseeing road rehabilitation in Sekondi Zongo and commissioning a new health facility at Adiembra. He also broke ground for a new Astroturf at Ekuase and promised another one in Nkotompo. His challenger, NDC’s Lawyer Blay Armah, has taken an interactive approach, regularly engaging with constituents and offering interest-free loans to traders, a move that could be pivotal in the race. Several radio stations in Sekondi-Takoradi are also gearing up for interviews with key political figures, including some who rarely grant media appearances, highlighting the high stakes of the upcoming elections. The crown jewel of these last-minute political activities may well be the commissioning of one of the Agenda 111 Hospitals in Bokro, Ahanta West District, by President Akufo-Addo, marking a significant milestone in the region’s development ahead of the polls.Meta platforms COO Javier Olivan sells stock worth $238,503
Sundry Photography Coupang, Inc. ( NYSE: CPNG ) stock, termed “the Amazon of South Korea,” dropped today along with most South Korean stocks. The declaration of martial law (now in doubt ) by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, even Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of CPNG either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.NoneHow RFK Jr.’s health proposals could affect Illinois
The European Space Agency is preparing to launch two missions on Wednesday, half a world and half a day apart: Proba-3 from India and Sentinel-1C from French Guiana. Because ESA and the European aerospace industry are still working towards restoring home-grown launch capability and rebuilding the continent’s position in the commercial launch market, it will rely upon the Indian Space Research Organization for the first mission: Proba-3. Meanwhile the Sentinel-1C Earth-observing satellite will launch on the first European-made Vega-C rocket since a failure in December 2022. The pair of spacecraft making up the Proba-3 mission are scheduled to launch onboard a PSLV-XL (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 4:08 p.m. IST (5:38 a.m. EST, 1038 UTC). ISRO will host a launch broadcast beginning roughly 30 minutes prior to liftoff. With a total payload weight of 550 kg (1213 lb), ESA said the mission’s highly elliptical orbit would be “above the Vega-C capacity and Ariane 6 would be too costly.” The Proba-3 mission consists of a 340 kg (750 lb) coronagraph spacecraft and a 200 kg (441 lb) occulter spacecraft. The pair will separate from the rocket’s fourth stage, still linked together, about 18 minutes into the mission. Ground controllers expect to establish a signal with the two spacecraft about 25 minutes later. The two spacecraft will separate from each another in early 2025 to begin the commissioning phase of the mission. Researchers expect to acquire the first images of the Sun’s corona around March 2025, but it could take longer. The roughly 200 million euro mission is designed to last about two years in duration after which the craft will burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere to prevent the spacecraft from becoming orbital debris. Despite the name, Proba-3 is actually the fourth in the Proba series of in-orbit demonstration (IOD) missions from ESA. The agency said these missions are designed “for demonstrating and validating new technologies and concepts in orbit” designed by using “small satellites, embarking payload and instruments to deliver actual data to users to demonstrate a new capability.” Proba-1 and Proba-V (V for vegetation) launched in 2001 and 2012 respectively and were designed for Earth observation, while Proba-2 launched in 2009 to study the Sun. Proba-3 picks up the work of solar observations by using a binary spacecraft system to study the Sun’s corona by creating a localized total solar eclipse. Normally, a total solar eclipse observed on Earth creates at most about 10 minutes of quality observation time and happens only about an average of 1.5 times per year. But the pair of spacecraft, working in tandem, will be able to establish eclipse conditions that create about six hours of observational time, 50 times per year. In order to accomplish this, the two spacecraft will need to fly about 150 m (492 ft) apart. The occulter spacecraft needs to line up with the coronagraph spacecraft with an accuracy of about one millimeter, which is roughly the thickness of a human fingernail, according to ESA. During a prelaunch media briefing on Nov. 28, Proba Project Manager Damien Galano, who joined the project back in 2014, said ESA never attempted precision flying at this level before. “The occulter spacecraft accommodates a circular occulting disk of 1.4 meters in diameter. This disk will cast a shadow and the other spacecraft, the coronagraph spacecraft, embarks (the) telescope, and this spacecraft must be positioned precisely such that the telescope is in the center of the shadow cast by the occulter,” Galano said. “In a nutshell, it’s an experiment in space to demonstrate a new concept, a new technology that is technically challenging... and to achieve this, we had to develop many special technologies and equipment specifically for the mission.” The Proba-3 spacecraft will fly in a high elliptical Earth orbit with an orbital period of 19.7 hours. Mission managers decided to not fly in formation the full time in order to maximize the amount of fuel on board the spacecraft. During the majority of the orbit, the satellites will follow a natural orbital path, but going into their apogee, which is around 60,000 km (37,282 mi), they will spend six hours in formation. More than 40 companies contributed to the Proba-3 mission, with Sener acting as the system prime. The Belgium office of Redwire Space, headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, provided avionics; satellite assembly and testing; and satellite operations. In a video interview recorded at Redwire’s satellite assembly clean room, Marie Beekman, ESA’s Proba-3 Operations Engineer, described some of the challenges of testing the pair of spacecraft. “The satellites will be flying at 150 meters from each other in space and obviously in this room we cannot do that. We can never really test what is going to happen out there because we have this distance between the two of them,” Beekman said. “So in order for the laser, for the one laser that’s coming from one spacecraft to reach the other one, we had to use mirrors to reflect the laser beam and make it look like, it was actually 150 meters distance. Then we see if the sensors are correctly seeing the movement of the satellites. In a separate interview, Ruwan Ernst, the Proba-3 Satellite System Engineer from Redwire, said that experience developing Proba-3 will enable important capabilities for future missions. “This mission will enable a ton of other missions. For example, you have to think that this coronagraphy can be done for discovering exoplanets. Now we have a situation where suns in other solar systems are obscuring planets orbiting them because they have too bright of light that cannot be blocked out by the cameras we have here on Earth. So, we simply cannot see the planets orbiting them,” Ernst said. “So, imaging you have an [occulter] blocking that far away star’s light and a coronagraph filming in that direction, suddenly these planets become visible.” He said another potential application could be creating a collection of small spacecraft that communicate using radio waves to form a virtual telescope. “This is called astronomical interferometry, where you combine several radio signals into an artificial mix radio signal, which allows for high-resolution imaging,” Ernst said. He argued that this would not only be more cost-effective than launching a large spacecraft that would need to deploy a large array, but it would also cut down on mission risk, since the loss of one satellite wouldn’t necessarily result in the mission being compromised.