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fortune gems gcash CLEVELAND (AP) — Only the Cleveland Browns. Only a team beset by perpetual problems at quarterback for the better part of two decades can get a record-setting 497-yard, four-touchdown, jaw-dropping, where-did-that-come-from performance on Monday night from Jameis Winston — and still lose. History wrapped in misery. Only the Browns. Winston spoiled a high-level performance in Denver's thin air by throwing a pair of pick-sixes — the second with 1:48 remaining — as the Broncos rode big plays to a 41-32 win over the Browns (3-9), who have to wonder what their disappointing season might look like if Deshaun Watson had been benched before getting hurt. The loss ended any illusions the Browns had of making a late playoff push like they did a year ago. It also clinched the team's 22nd losing season since its expansion rebirth in 1999. In his fifth start this season, Winston provided further evidence that the Browns made a major mistake by not switching QBs long before Watson ruptured his Achilles tendon on Oct. 20 against Cincinnati. Cleveland's offense has come alive behind Winston, who has thrown for over 300 yards three times, something Watson didn't do in 19 starts over his three suspension-shortened, injury-riddled seasons with the Browns. While there were some positives, Winston's turnovers were too costly. "You’re not going to play perfect at the quarterback position. He knows that," coach Kevin Stefanski said Tuesday on a Zoom call. “I know that ultimately he wants to do anything in his power to help this team win and that’s going to be taking care of the ball. But he also had moments there where he was moving that offense and did a nice job.” Winston may not be the long-term answer for the Browns, but he's showing he can at least give them a viable option for 2025 while the club sorts through the tangled Watson situation, which continues to have a stranglehold on the franchise. In all likelihood, and assuming he's fully recovered, Watson will be back next season in some capacity with the Browns, who are still on the hook to pay him $92 million — of his fully guaranteed $230 million contract — over the next two seasons. Releasing Watson would have damaging salary-cap implications, and while that would be a bitter financial pill for owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam to swallow, it could the Browns' safest and easiest exit strategy. And if they needed any proof that such a strategy can work, the Browns only had to look across the field at the Broncos, who got out from under QB Russell Wilson's monster contract by cutting him, taking the financial hit and drafting Bo Nix. After some common early growing pains, Nix has settled in and the rookie has the Broncos in the mix for a postseason berth. It wasn't long ago that the Browns thought their quarterback concerns were behind them. Instead, they lie ahead. Stefanski's decision to hand over the play-calling duties to first-year coordinator Ken Dorsey has been a positive. While the move hasn't led directly to many wins, the Browns have moved the ball much more effectively and scored at least 20 points in three of five games since the switch after not scoring 20 in their first eight. An issue all season, Cleveland's defense was again gashed for long plays and TDs, including a 93-yard scoring pass in the third quarter. The Browns have allowed 48 plays of 20-plus yards and 12 of at least 40 yards. WR Jerry Jeudy. His return to Denver was a personal and professional triumph — except on the scoreboard. Vowing revenge on the Broncos, who traded him to the Browns in March, Jeudy had the best game of his career, catching nine passes for 235 yards and a TD. Since Winston took over as Cleveland's starter, Jeudy leads the league with 614 yards receiving. Jeudy just might be the No. 1 receiver the Browns have needed following Amari Cooper's trade. Jordan Hicks gets an honorable mention after recording 12 tackles. K Dustin Hopkins. He missed a 47-yard field goal to end Cleveland's first drive, setting the tone for a night of missed opportunities. After making 33 of 36 field goal tries in his first season with the Browns, Hopkins is just 16 of 23, with his inaccuracy raising questions why the team signed him to a three-year, $15.9 million contract in July. Stefanski had no updates from the game. ... LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah remains sidelined with a neck injury suffered on Nov. 2. Stefanski ruled him out again for Sunday's game at Pittsburgh. 552 — Yards of total offense for the Browns, just 10 shy of the single-game franchise record set in 1989. A short turnaround before visiting the Steelers (9-3), who will be looking to avenge their 24-19 loss in Cleveland on Nov. 21. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflThe gunman who stalked and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fled New York City by bus, police officials told CNN on Friday. Video of the suspected shooter leaving the scene of the shooting Wednesday showed him riding a bicycle to Central Park and later taking a taxi cab to a bus depot, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CNN. Here's the latest: The gunman who killed the CEO of the largest U.S. health insurer may have fled the city on a bus, New York City police officials told CNN on Friday. Video of the suspected shooter leaving the scene of the shooting Wednesday showed him riding a bicycle to Central Park and later taking a taxi cab to a bus depot, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CNN. “We have reason to believe that the person in question has left New York City,” Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. The gunman who killed the CEO of the largest U.S. health insurer made sure to wear a mask during the shooting yet left a trail of evidence in view of the nation’s biggest city and its network of security cameras that have aided authorities piecing together his movements and his identity. A law enforcement official said Friday that new surveillance footage shows the suspect riding the subway and visiting establishments in Manhattan and provided more clues about his actions in the days before he ambushed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson . The gunman’s whereabouts and identity remain unknown Friday, as did the reason for Wednesday’s killing. New York City police say evidence firmly points to it being a targeted attack . ▶ Read more about the search for the gunman In many companies, investor meetings like the one UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was walking to when he was fatally shot are viewed as very risky because details on the location and who will be speaking are highly publicized. “It gives people an opportunity to arrive well in advance and take a look at the room, take a look at how people would probably come and go out of a location,” said Dave Komendat, president of DSKomendat Risk Management Services, which is based in the greater Seattle area. Some firms respond by beefing up security. For example, tech companies routinely require everyone attending a major event, such as Apple’s annual unveiling of the next iPhone or a shareholder meeting, to go through airport-style security checkpoints before entering. Others forgo in-person meetings with shareholders. ▶ Read more about how companies protect their leaders Those images include New York’s subway system, a law enforcement official said. In establishments where the person was captured on camera, he always appeared to pay with cash, the official said. The official wasn’t authorized to discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. — Mike Balsamo Medica, a Minnesota-based nonprofit health care firm that serves 1.5 million customers in 12 states, said it’s temporarily closing all six locations. The firm has offices in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska and North Dakota, and employs about 3,000 people. Employees will work from home, Medica spokesman Greg Bury said in an email Friday. “The safety of Medica employees is our top priority and we have increased security both for all of our employees,” a statement from Medica said. “Although we have received no specific threats related to our campuses, our office buildings will be temporarily closed out of an abundance of caution.” Bury also said biographical information on the company’s executives was taken down from its website as a precaution. The insurer cited the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in its announcement about the Dec. 12 event. “All of us at Centene are deeply saddened by Brian Thompson’s death and want to express our support for all of those affected. Health insurance is a big industry and a small community; many members of the CenTeam crossed paths with Brian during their careers,” Centene CEO Sarah M. London said in a news release. “He was a person with a deep sense of empathy and clear passion for improving access to care. Our hearts are with his family and his colleagues during this difficult time.” Centene Corp. has grown in recent years to become the largest insurer in Medicaid, the state- and federally funded program that covers care for people with low incomes. Insurers manage Medicaid coverage for states, and Centene has more than 13 million people enrolled in that coverage. The insurance company also said it’s focused on ensuring the safety of employees and assisting investigators. “While our hearts are broken, we have been touched by the huge outpouring of kindness and support in the hours since this horrific crime took place,” the company said. But he said Friday that he’s confident police will arrest the shooter. “We are on the right road to apprehend him and bring him to justice,” Adams said on TV station WPIX. Later, it removed their names and biographies entirely. Police and federal agents have been collecting information from Greyhound in an attempt to identify the suspect and are working to determine whether he purchased the ticket to New York in late November, a law enforcement official said. Investigators were also trying to obtain additional information from a cellphone recovered from a pedestrian plaza through which the shooter fled. The fatal shooting of Brian Thompson while walking alone on a New York City sidewalk has put a spotlight on the widely varied approaches companies take to protect their leaders against threats. Experts say today’s political, economic and technological climate is only going to make the job of evaluating threats against executives and taking action to protect them even more difficult, experts say. Some organizations have a protective intelligence group that uses digital tools such as machine learning or artificial intelligence to comb through online comments to detect threats not only on social media platforms such as X but also on the dark web, says Komendat. They look for what’s being said about the company, its employees and its leadership to uncover risks. ▶ Read more about the steps companies take to protect their leadership Police said Thursday they found a water bottle and protein bar wrapper from a trash can near the scene of the ambush and think the suspect bought them from a Starbucks minutes before the shooting. The items were being tested by the city’s medical examiner.

Buried landforms reveal North Sea's ancient glacial pastRuben Amorim warned “the storm will come” eventually as Manchester United’s head coach tried to temper expectations ahead of the trip to Arsenal. The 39-year-old has been a breath of fresh air since succeeding Erik ten Hag, with his personality and approach, coupled with promising early performances, bringing hope back to Old Trafford. Amorim has been touched by his warm welcome but repeatedly urged fans to avoid jumping the gun, having followed a draw at Ipswich with home wins against Bodo/Glimt and Everton. Wednesday’s trip to Arsenal is comfortably his biggest challenge yet and victory would see United move within three points of the Premier League title contenders. Put to Amorim it will be hard to manage expectations if they won in the capital, the head coach said: “I would like to say different things, but I have to say it again: the storm will come. “I don’t know if you use that expression, but we are going to have difficult moments and we will be found out in some games. “And I know that because I’m knowing my players and I know football and I follow football, so I understand the difference between the teams. “We are in the point in that we are putting simple things in the team, without training, and you feel it in this game against Everton, they change a little bit the way they were building up. “They are very good team, and we were with a lot of problems because we cannot change it by calling one thing to the captain. A midweek trip to the capital awaits 🚆 #MUFC || #PL pic.twitter.com/1e6VrILJW3 — Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 3, 2024 “So, we don’t have this training, so let’s focus on each game, on the performance, what we have to improve, trying to win games. And that is the focus. “I know it’s really hard to be a Manchester United coach and say these things in press conferences. We want to win all the time. No matter what. “We are going to try to win, but we know that we are in a different point if you compare to Arsenal. “So, it is what it is and we will try to win it and we go with confidence to win, but we know that we need to play very well to win the next football match.” The trip to Arsenal is the second of nine December matches for United, who are looking to avoid suffering four straight league defeats to the Gunners for the first time. The Red Devils have not won a Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium since 2017, but Amorim knows a thing or two about frustrating Mikel Arteta’s men. Arsenal thrashed Sporting Lisbon 5-1 in the Champions League last week, but in 2022-23 he led the Portuguese side to a Europa League last-16 penalty triumph after a 1-1 draw in London made it 3-3 on aggregate. “Arsenal this year, they play a little bit different,” Amorim said. “They are more fluid. “For example, two years ago when we faced them with Sporting, you knew how to press because you can understand better the structure. “Now it’s more fluid with (Riccardo) Calafiori and (Jurrien) Timber in different sides. One coming inside, the other going outside. Also (Martin) Odegaard changed the team, and you can feel it during this season. “So, you can take something from that game, especially because I know so well the opponent so you can understand the weakness of that team. “But every game is different, so you take something, but you already know that you are going to face a very good team.” This hectic winter schedule means Amorim sidestepped talk of January transfer business ahead of facing Arsenal, although he was more forthcoming on Amad Diallo’s future. The 22-year-old, who put in a man of the match display in Sunday’s 4-0 win against Everton, is out of contract at the end of the season, although the club holds an option to extend by a year. Diallo has repeatedly spoken of his desire to stay at United and it has been reported an agreement is close. Amorim said: “I think he wants to stay, and we want him to stay. So that is clear and we will find a solution.”

Popular County Durham restaurant to reopen at new locationTORONTO, Nov. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- European Residential Real Estate Investment Trust (“ ERES ” or “ the REIT ”) (TSX:ERE.UN) announced today an update on the expected closing of its previously disclosed strategic dispositions, and timing of its anticipated special distribution and distribution reduction, as announced in its press release dated September 16, 2024. Strategic Dispositions As disclosed on September 16, 2024, ERES Limited Partnership (“ ERES LP ”) and certain other subsidiaries of ERES have entered into an agreement with an entity owned by a consortium of parties that includes TPG Angelo Gordon, Dream Unlimited Corporation, Stadium Capital Partners, and several co-investment partners (the “ Purchaser ”), to sell certain entities owning 2,947 residential suites in the Netherlands for proceeds, net of certain estimated adjustments, of approximately €695 million (the “Disposition I” ). Approval for Disposition I has been received from the Dutch competition authority (ACM), and the Purchaser has notified ERES of an expected closing date of December 16, 2024. Also as previously announced, certain other subsidiaries of ERES have entered into a separate agreement to sell 232 residential suites in the Netherlands for gross proceeds of approximately €44 million (the “Disposition II” , and together with Disposition I, the “Dispositions” ), which ERES expects will close on December 2, 2024. There can be no assurance that all requirements for closing of the Dispositions will be obtained, satisfied or waived, nor that the Dispositions will close on the dates disclosed herein. Special Distribution Subject to the completion of the Dispositions in accordance with the terms and timing described above, ERES intends to declare a special cash distribution of an estimated €0.75 per Unit and ERES LP’s exchangeable Class B LP Unit (equivalent to an estimated C$1.10 based on the foreign exchange rate of 1.47 on November 21, 2024), payable to holders of the REIT’s Units and ERES LP’s Class B LP Units of record at the close of business on December 23, 2024, with payment on December 31, 2024 (the “Special Distribution” ). For Canadian income tax purposes, the Special Distribution is estimated to be comprised of a return of capital in the range of approximately 55-65%. The Special Distribution will not qualify for the REIT’s Distribution Reinvestment Plan. It is expected that the Toronto Stock Exchange will implement its “due bill” trading procedures with respect to the Special Distribution. Further details relating to the Special Distribution, if declared, will be provided at a later date. The Special Distribution has not yet been declared and there can be no assurance as to the timing, quantum or composition for Canadian income tax purposes of any such distribution. Distribution Reduction Furthermore, as previously announced, given the expected completion of the sale of approximately half of the REIT’s residential suites in 2024 and payment of the Special Distribution, the Board of Trustees intends to reduce its monthly distribution by approximately 50% (the “ Distribution Reduction ”) to better align distributions with ERES’s remaining portfolio. Subject to the completion of the Dispositions in accordance with the timing described above, and subsequent to the payment of the Special Distribution, ERES expects the Distribution Reduction to become effective for its January 2025 distribution, payable in February 2025. Further details relating to the Distribution Reduction, if implemented, will be provided at a later date. There can be no assurance as to the timing or magnitude of any future distributions by the REIT. Property Management Update In addition, with the significant decrease in portfolio size upon anticipated closing of the Dispositions and the associated diseconomies of scale, ERES announced that it has entered into an approximately fee-neutral agreement to transfer property management services for the REIT’s remaining portfolio in the Netherlands to a third party, expected to enter into effect on or about January 15, 2025. Canadian Apartment Properties Real Estate Investment Trust will continue to act as the REIT’s asset manager. Proposed Netherlands Tax Amendment Finally, ERES provided an update on the Dutch government’s legislative proposal to amend the earnings stripping rule (by abolishing the €1 million threshold for real estate entities), as published on September 17, 2024. Further to previous disclosure, on November 14, 2024, the Dutch House of Representatives passed an amendment to the legislative proposal pursuant to which the taxable EBITDA threshold would be increased to 24.5% and the €1 million threshold for real estate entities would, however, be retained. Such amendment would maintain the current ability of the REIT’s subsidiaries to deduct net financing expenses for Dutch corporate income tax purposes. The revised legislative proposal is subject to approval by the Dutch Senate, expected by mid-December, and is projected to become effective as of January 1, 2025. There is no assurance that the potential amendment will ultimately be enacted by the Dutch government or enter into force as per the timeline indicated. As such, it is subject to change, and such change (and the impact of such change on the REIT) may be significant. Should the potential amendment be implemented as described above, and after adjusting for the estimated effect of previously disclosed dispositions, the REIT’s forecasted current income tax expense for the year ending December 31, 2025 for the remaining portfolio is approximately €4 million. This assumes ongoing rental operations, however, ERES will continue to explore all available opportunities to drive value, including the possibility for future strategic property sales, which would alter the estimated current income tax expense for the REIT’s residual portfolio. ABOUT ERES ERES is an unincorporated, open-ended real estate investment trust. ERES’s Units are listed on the TSX under the symbol ERE.UN. ERES is Canada’s only European-focused multi-residential REIT, with a current portfolio of high-quality, multi-residential real estate properties in the Netherlands. As at September 30, 2024, ERES owned approximately 6,300 residential suites, including approximately 3,200 suites classified as assets held for sale, and ancillary retail space located in the Netherlands, and owned one commercial property in Germany and one commercial property in Belgium, with a total fair value of approximately €1.6 billion, including approximately €0.7 billion of assets held for sale. For more information about ERES, its business and its investment highlights, please visit our website at www.eresreit.com and our public disclosure which can be found under our profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca . CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information, future-oriented financial information, or financial outlooks (collectively, “forward-looking information”) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, which reflect ERES’s current expectations and projections about future results. Forward-looking information generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “outlook”, “objective”, “may”, “will”, “expect”, “intent”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “consider”, “should”, “plans”, “predict”, “estimate”, “forward”, “potential”, “could”, “likely”, “approximately”, “scheduled”, “forecast”, “variation” or “continue”, or similar expressions suggesting future outcomes or events. The forward-looking information in this press release relates only to events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this press release. Actual results and developments are likely to differ, and may differ materially, from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained in this press release. Any number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from this forward-looking information. Although ERES believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking information are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking information will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions that may prove to be incorrect, including regarding the expected completion and timing of the Dispositions, the satisfaction of closing conditions with respect to the Dispositions, the amount, timing and composition of the Special Distribution, the amount and timing of the Distribution Reduction, the expected externalization of property management services, the expected enactment of the proposed tax amendment, and the timing and details of the potential legislation (including that the amendment to the earnings stripping rule will include only the increase of the maximum interest expense deductibility to 24.5% of the taxpayer’s taxable EBITDA, effective January 1, 2025) . Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward looking information in this press release is subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could result in actual results differing materially from this forward-looking information, including with respect to the expected closing of the Dispositions, the payment of the Special Distribution, and the implementation of the Distribution Reduction. Risks and uncertainties pertaining to ERES are more fully described in regulatory filings that can be obtained on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Except as specifically required by applicable Canadian securities law, ERES does not undertake any obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the information is provided or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. This forward-looking information should not be relied upon as representing ERES’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. 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Unrivaled, the new 3-on-3 women's basketball league launching this winter, signed LSU star guard Flau'jae Johnson to a name, image and likeness deal. Johnson is the second college player to ink an agreement with Unrivaled, following UConn's Paige Bueckers. They won't be participating in the upcoming inaugural season, but Johnson and Bueckers will have equity stakes in the league. Unrivaled dropped a video on social media Thursday showing Johnson -- who also has a burgeoning rap career -- performing a song while wearing a shirt that reads, "The Future is Unrivaled." The deal will see Johnson create additional promotional content for the league. Johnson, 21, was a freshman on the LSU team that won the 2023 national championship. Now in her junior year, Johnson is averaging career highs of 22.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game through 10 games for the No. 5 Tigers (10-0). She ranks eighth in Division I in scoring. Johnson has career averages of 14.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in 82 career appearances (80 starts) for LSU. --Field Level MediaSAN DIEGO, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Robbins LLP reminds investors that a class action was filed on behalf of all persons and entities who purchased or otherwise acquired Marqeta, Inc. (NASDAQ: MQ) securities between August 7, 2024 and November 4, 2024. Marqeta creates digital payment technology for innovation leaders. For more information, submit a form , email attorney Aaron Dumas, Jr., or give us a call at (800) 350-6003. The Allegations: Robbins LLP is Investigating Allegations that Marqeta, Inc. (MQ) Failed to Disclose the Impact of Regulatory Scrutiny on its Business Prospects According to the complaint, during the class period, defendants failed to disclose that Marqeta understated the regulatory challenges affecting its business outlook and therefore, would have to cut its guidance for the fourth quarter of 2024. The complaint alleges that on November 4, 2024, Marqeta announced third quarter 2024 financial results and revised its fourth quarter projections to "reflect[] several changes that became apparent over the last few months with regards to the heightened scrutiny of the banking environment and specific customer program changes." The complaint further alleges that Marqeta's CEO and CFO actually knew of the heightened regulatory scrutiny affecting the Company's business from the beginning of the year, which they revealed in connection with the November 4 announcement. On this news, Marqeta’s stock price fell $2.53 per share, or 42.5%, to close at $3.42 per share on November 5, 2024. What Now : You may be eligible to participate in the class action against Marqeta, Inc. Shareholders who want to serve as lead plaintiff for the class must submit their application to the court by February 7, 2025. A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. You do not have to participate in the case to be eligible for a recovery. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member. For more information, click here . All representation is on a contingency fee basis. Shareholders pay no fees or expenses. About Robbins LLP : A recognized leader in shareholder rights litigation, the attorneys and staff of Robbins LLP have been dedicated to helping shareholders recover losses, improve corporate governance structures, and hold company executives accountable for their wrongdoing since 2002. To be notified if a class action against Marqeta, Inc. settles or to receive free alerts when corporate executives engage in wrongdoing, sign up for Stock Watch today. Attorney Advertising. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/53e69218-456a-4e86-81b7-b14619b1f825

The Louisville Cardinals versus the UConn Huskies is one of four games on the college basketball schedule on Saturday that has a ranked team in play. Watch women’s college basketball, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up. Catch tons of live women’s college basketball , plus original programming, with ESPN+ or the Disney Bundle.NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump wants to turn the lights out on daylight saving time. In a post on his social media site Friday, Trump said his party would try to end the practice when he returns to office. "The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn't! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation," he wrote. Setting clocks forward one hour in the spring and back an hour in the fall is intended to maximize daylight during summer months, but has long been subject to scrutiny. Daylight saving time was first adopted as a wartime measure in 1942. Lawmakers have occasionally proposed getting rid of the time change altogether. The most prominent recent attempt, a now-stalled bipartisan bill named the Sunshine Protection Act, had proposed making daylight saving time permanent. The measure was sponsored by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, whom Trump has tapped to helm the State Department. "Changing the clock twice a year is outdated and unnecessary," Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said as the Senate voted in favor of the measure. Health experts have said that lawmakers have it backward and that standard time should be made permanent. Some health groups, including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have said that it's time to do away with time switches and that sticking with standard time aligns better with the sun — and human biology. Most countries do not observe daylight saving time. For those that do, the date that clocks are changed varies, creating a complicated tapestry of changing time differences. Arizona and Hawaii don't change their clocks at all.

Many auto brands have jumped head-first into completely overhauling their top-sellers and icons, and fallen flat. Volkswagen, for example, has had issues with its latest Mk8 Golf , which lost the number one sales spot in Europe after 14 years in 2022; the current Land Rover Discovery was a big departure from its predecessors and has paid the price for it in terms of sales; and Mercedes-AMG has tuned away V8 lovers by plopping a four-cylinder PHEV powertrain into its C63 and GLC63 . Porsche avoided such blunders by making its first all-electric vehicle, the Taycan, a dedicated EV with no predecessor for loyalists and statisticians to benchmark it against. But now, the hallowed German performance vehicle brand’s top-selling Macan has gone EV-only as key markets around the globe continue to tighten emissions regulations. Since the nameplate debuted 10 years ago, the Macan has cemented itself as the world’s favourite Porsche. Over its decade-long lifespan it offered a range of four-cylinder and six-cylinder (inline and V6 respectively, not boxer) engines, and has long been lauded as the driver’s pick in the mid-sized premium SUV class. Fast forward to 2024, and the second-generation ‘Macan Electric’ has thrown the internal combustion engine out the window and adopted an all-electric platform and powertrains. Like the original, however, it was co-developed with Audi and has strong genetic links to a sister SUV from the Ingolstadt brand – this time in the Q6 e-tron rather than the Q5 . Regardless, the Stuttgart carmaker reckons the battery-powered MkII Macan is better than its ICE forebear in just about every metric. It’s quicker and more tech laden, thanks in part to Porsche’s learnings from the standard-setting Taycan sedan and wagon. This sounds like a sure-fire recipe for success, but is it? To find out, we attended the Australian media launch of the new Macan in Brisbane to see if the new and much more expensive Macan EV is a fitting sequel to the popular original. The move to entirely battery-electric powertrains has bumped up the price of the Macan significantly, with even the entry-level single-motor ‘Macan’ costing over $30,000 more than the outgoing petrol variant it replaces. For reference, the previous Macan petrol range remains on sale while stocks last – see below for MY25 pricing. To see how the Porsche Macan lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool If you’ve sat in the latest Cayenne or the Taycan , you’ll feel at home in the new Macan. A big part of the generational jump here includes an increased level of interior digitalisation, as seen in Porsche’s larger models – think Cayenne and Panamera, as well as the Taycan. But while the cabin tech upgrades are significant, the overall design and execution isn’t all that different to the most recent iteration of the old Macan, with familiar ergonomics and switchgear. Perhaps the biggest change is the new 12.6-inch digital instrument cluster, which is taken straight from those aforementioned models. It’s super sharp with buttery smooth animations, and offers a range of customisable layouts to suit different tastes. You can also option a swish augmented reality (AR) head-up display, but it’ll cost you $4120! The central infotainment system is likewise a sharp unit, based on the Android Automotive operating system. With its 10.9-inch touchscreen cleanly integrated into the dashboard, it offers connected services, third-party app compatibility, and requisite functions like wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and embedded navigation. If you’re the particularly techy type, or have kids (or other passengers) in need of something to distract them while you’re on the road, you can also option an additional 10.9-inch touchscreen ahead of the front passenger, which is like a ‘lite’ version of the central display. Personally, I think it’s a bit naff and not worth the $2700 spend. As you’d expect, the overall ambience and sense of quality is right up there with the best in this segment, even if the piano black surfaces are vulnerable to fingerprint marks and hairline scratches after wiping dust off. The toggle-style climate controls mixed in with touch capacitive buttons is very modern Porsche, and while the latter are fiddly there’s nice clicky feedback from both the physical toggles and the touch buttons. Storage is pretty good but not overwhelmingly so, with a range of nooks and crannies to stow your odds and ends. I like the damped drawer lid over the wireless phone charger, which stops your phone flying around when you’re giving it a squirt up a winding B-road or on the racetrack – unlike the Polestar 4 we drove recently. Up front we sampled a couple of different seat specs in various vehicles, and the standard Comfort seats with 14-way electrical adjustment are fine – though the 18-way adaptive sports seats are even better. The optional ventilated front seats helped quite a bit during a hot and humid Queensland day, though $1710 is a pretty penny. You can even get massaging with ventilation, for a ‘cool’ $2860. In the second row, the Macan has never offered limousine levels of passenger space, but nor have rivals like the Q5, BMW X4 or Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe. Thankfully though, there has been a small but noticeable improvement to most dimensions, which now allow 6’1′′ me to sit behind 6’1′′ me snugly. Standard rear seat amenities include a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders, bottle holders in the doors, and directional air vents. You can option luxe four-zone climate control, but that’ll cost you $810 on all but the Turbo. It’s disappointing that the added 86mm in wheelbase hasn’t resulted in a similar improvement in rear passenger accommodation, given the Macan is often bought by families with multiple children. Further back, the Macan’s boot has grown to 540 litres with all seats in place, which is up around 50 litres on the old model. That grows to 1348 litres with the rear seats folded. There’s additional 84 litres of storage under the bonnet, in lieu of an internal combustion engine. It’s accessed via a touch-capacitive lid that can be opened by swiping your hand across the lower end of the shut line – though my attempt to film it for an Instagram reel required a few takes because it didn’t seem to respond every time. To see how the Porsche Macan lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool Gone is the internal combustion engine, which is replaced by the aforementioned front storage area that’s more in line with the company’s rear-engined sports cars, come to think of it... It’s worth noting that all Macan variants offer an overboost function that raises the maximum power output by about 10 per cent when using launch control. The claimed 0-100km/h times above are using launch control, too. Also worth noting is that Porsche Cars Australia’s range claims are based on the ECE standard, which is more closely based on the older NEDC measurement than the newer, more accurate WLTP protocol. To see how the Porsche Macan lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool Perhaps the most important question here is: “does it still drive like a Porsche Macan?” In short, the answer is “mostly yes”. There’s certainly added urgency from its various electric drivetrain options to go with the welcome boost in interior tech levels, which brings the new Macan into line with the best rivals from premium and luxury brands. Our two-day launch event started with a drive from Brisbane airport down to Norwell Motorplex south of Queensland capital, followed on day two by a picturesque road drive from Brisbane through the hinterlands to the Gold Coast. The launch program centred around the Macan 4 and Turbo, since the base Macan and the 4S are still on the way to Australia despite already being on sale. We’ll bring you reviews of those when we can get behind the wheel. On the freeway, the Macan felt solid, secure and responsive. We started in a Turbo fitted with a number of options including big 22-inch wheels with carbon-fibre inserts, which cost nearly $15,000 (eek!) according to the local configurator. Even with the big rims and liquorice-thin rubber, the air-sprung Macan Turbo was comfortable over road imperfections and maintained great body control at everyday cornering speeds and on the highway. Road noise and wind noise were also impressively hushed. It’s worth calling out here the Macan’s impressive 0.25Cd drag coefficient figure, which no doubt aids the latter. And I continue to marvel at the ability of Porsche engineers to calibrate what I believe to be the perfect steering calibration when it comes to balancing response, weight and feedback, even in an SUV like the Macan. The Macan’s tiller feels incredibly accurate and the quick ratio means you aren’t twirling the wheel to do basic manoeuvres like you might in some other SUVs. It also has a great, weighty feeling about centre. At Norwell Motorplex we were given ample time to test out the Macan’s dynamic capabilities across a variety of exercises including a motorkhana-style handling course, drifting on the wet skid pan, 0-100km/h runs using launch control, and guided laps around the tight and technical circuit. The motorkhana was good fun and a great opportunity to test out the Macan 4’s sweet handling balance, while the launch control tests really demonstrated the Turbo’s monstrous 1130Nm of torque from standstill. We didn’t hook up timing gear, but it feels every bit as quick as the official 3.3-second claim, which based on Porsche tradition is likely a low-ball figure. On the skid pan we got the chance to get the Turbo a little sideways, upsetting the balance of the vehicle by opening the throttle on a rotating plate then getting skiddy on the wet concrete. The final exercise comprised a couple of guided laps around the tight circuit in the 4 and the Turbo, which again revealed the 4 to be the more balanced and sweeter steerer; the Turbo in comparison felt a little too powerful and heavy to be thrown around at pace on a circuit better suited to lightweight sports cars. On the road drive the following day, both variants proved to be lovely tourers, combining superb general comfort and refinement with strong performance, great steering feel, and eager handling. The Macan 4’s circa-75kg weight advantage is due to the smaller and less powerful electric motor on the rear axle relative to the Turbo, and there definitely is a sense that it is the lighter and more agile handler of the two. Keep in mind that even a V8-engined Cayenne is lighter than the Macan Electric... As we experienced on track at Norwell, the Turbo almost feels like too much in the sense that it’s so quick you can’t have much fun with it. Plus, its 2.4-tonne heft can’t defy physics in the kind of tight and technical conditions we drove it on during this event. I’m also not sure that many existing Macan owners will be particularly enamoured by the Porsche Electric Sport Sound, even if the old car’s turbocharged V6s weren’t particularly pleasing to the ear. The synthesised ‘engine’ note is standard in the Turbo and optional in lower grades, and while it works in the Taycan it lacks a bit of soul compared to the new Macan’s petrol forebears. The lack of one-pedal driving might also be irksome for a traditional EV buyer, but I’d imagine Porsche customers prefer the more conventional experience of controlling the brakes themselves. I’m also in the latter camp when it comes to driving an EV in a more dynamic manner. While it has grown in most dimensions, the Macan handles mostly like a smaller car, with the quick steering pointing a nose that’s eager to turn in, and a taut chassis that minimises body roll even during spirited on-road driving. As I noted earlier, it’s a really sweet thing to steer, and you don’t have to be driving at 10-10ths to enjoy it. To be frank, you’d almost never be driving the Macan at the limit anyway – it just isn’t that kind of vehicle. There’s heaps of grip and even in the 4 you can blast out of apexes early than anticipated with immediate, clinical effect, thanks to 650Nm of twist from the moment you prod the throttle. It really gives you the confidence to have a little fun on tight and twisty roads in a way that not a lot of SUVs do. That said, something like a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N delivers a more focused and sports car-like experience that will better suit keen drivers looking to dip their toes into the EV world – yes, Hyundai’s electric SUV is that good. Porsche has never been known for its ‘hands-off’ driving tech, but when the roads straighten out you can make use of the expanded and intuitive suite of driver assistance functions available in the new Macan. The adaptive cruise control does an excellent job of maintaining a set speed while managing the distance between you and a vehicle in front, without jerking the brakes or seesawing the speed. However, there’s no Active Lane Keeping function like in the Cayenne, which basically facilitates semi-autonomous driving on the freeway. There is a more basic lane keep assist system, which will counter-steer and alert you if you start drifting out of your lane, and there are handy blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert sensors that compensate for the Macan’s coupe-like roofline and thick C-pillar. Even better, the surround cameras (standard in Australia) make parking this 4784mm-long, 1938mm-wide electric SUV a much easier process – there are no excuses for dinged bumpers or scraped alloys. To see how the Porsche Macan lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool Porsche is pretty vague about the standard specifications of its vehicles, though Porsche Cars Australia does detail additional equipment for our market compared to the global spec. Macan equipment highlights: Macan 4 adds: Macan 4S adds: Macan Turbo adds: Australian additional equipment – all models: Australian additional equipment – select models: To see how the Porsche Macan lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool The new Macan Electric hasn’t been tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP yet. Its predecessor scored five stars in 2014, though this rating for the outgoing model has expired. Standard safety features include: As noted earlier, some standard safety features in Australian-spec Macans are in addition to the global standard specification. To see how the Porsche Macan lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool Porsche Cars Australia persists with a three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which lags behind its competitors. Also unlike its key rivals, Porsche doesn’t do advertised or capped service pricing, meaning prices can vary between Porsche Centres. Sadly, there’s also no official partnership or charging subscription tied to any public charger providers. To see how the Porsche Macan lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool Porsche has managed to maintain the essence of the Macan in this all-electric sequel, but it didn’t quite wow me like I thought it would, given how much I loved the heavily upgraded Taycan. Make no mistake, it feels unmistakably Macan in flavour, in that it’s a comfortable, refined and punchy mid-size luxury crossover wagon with one of the sweetest steering calibrations in the segment. Despite its weight, that shouldn’t come as a surprise since the old Macan was widely regarded as one of the world’s most dynamic SUVs. So the new all-electric underpinnings have unlocked more performance, but not necessarily better or more engaging handling. It’s quick – bloody quick in Turbo guise – but it’s also quite heavy and you can feel its mass more so than in the Taycan, particularly when you put it on a tight circuit like Norwell. Things get much better and more fun on a winding B-road, even if it’s a lot heavier than the old MLB-based original, making you hesitant to push like you would in one of Porsche’s sports cars, which is to be expected given this is an SUV. I’ve only driven the Macan 4 and the Turbo, but the lower-spec variants could well be my pick given they’re more than quick enough for the target demographic and will save you a big wad of cash for options and anything else you might want to funnel your funds towards. While the rear-drive Macan range-opener is the lightest and should be the most dynamic, the incoming 4S shapes as a potential sweet spot because of its improved performance while still maintaining a big price gap to the Turbo. Keep in mind, the 4S is quicker than even the fastest previous-generation Macan GTS. As you’d expect, the cabin is lovely and the new Macan offers more space than the old one, which has long been a key criticism. There’s also a much improved tech suite that brings the smaller and more attainable SUV in line with the larger Cayenne, as well as the likes of Porsche’s Taycan e-hero. But it’s still not all that big inside compared to some of its German rivals, and the lower grades in particular need a number of option boxes ticked to make the Macan feel properly special – and that can add up to some serious cash, on top of the substantial price increase for the new model, which means you’re pushing into Taycan territory. Then there’s the superficial stuff like the new exterior design, which appears to be polarising if the commentary on our site and socials is any guide, and the fact the departure of the old model’s combustion engines has taken a lot of the Macan’s soul with them. But with a more objective lens, the new Macan does a great job of transitioning into a sporty electric crossover, and continues to offer Porsche hallmarks like strong performance and fulsome handling. It will be interesting to see how warmly the original Macan’s traditional buyer demographic embraces the much more expensive and far quieter replacement for Porsche’s best-seller. Interested in buying a Porsche Macan? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here MORE: Everything Porsche MacanThe mayor of the Canadian township of Emo (pop: 1,204), which borders the US state of Minnesota, has to personally pay an LGBTQ group $5,000 for injury to their self-respect. And that’s on top of the $10,000 that the town has to fork over. According to official documents , the drama started in 2020 when Borderland Pride, a Canadian non-profit group, requested that the town officials officially recognize Pride Month in June of that year. The town had done so in previous years, but reportedly decided to amend their proclamations policy – which had yet to be adopted when this latest request came through. So the group’s request was rejected in a 3-2 council vote that year. It’s not like this particular policy amendment was high priority, particularly at the height of the Covid fiasco, since they barely had any requests anyway. This one group alone represented half of all of the town’s requests for declarations, proclamations, or flag displays from April 2019 to April 2020. Their request for the town to fly the rainbow flag for a week, and to send the group photos of it with the town’s officials for use on social media, reportedly wasn’t considered since the town didn’t even have a flagpole. So here comes a complaint by the group to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal – which was decided on November 20, 2024. The role of such tribunals across Canada is to deal exclusively with complaints about discrimination on the basis of prohibited factors like race, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, and criminal convictions. Because if actual courts had to deal with things like this, they’d be clogged up like a frat house toilet after Frosh Week. If the complainant can prove that there was at least a 50 percent chance of discrimination on one of these bases, then it can order cash awards and other remedies. So step right up! Take a spin! Win cash and prizes! In the case of Borderland Pride against the Township of Emo, the tribunal accepted at face value that the council didn’t consider hanging the flag because of its lack of a flagpole. It did however note that the flag could have been “displayed” somewhere else other than on a flagpole. But it stopped short of ordering the mayor to walk around with it like a Superman cape. The tribunal also accepted that two of the three council votes against issuing the Pride Month proclamation occurred in good faith and were merely the result of not wanting to adopt any proclamations before the new policy governing them was put into place. It was only the mayor’s “no” vote that was problematic. During the council meeting in question, after discussing what they should do with the Pride flag display request in the absence of a flagpole, but before the vote against the Pride Month proclamation, Mayor Harold McQuaker said, “There’s no flag being flown for the other side of the coin...there’s no flags being flown for the straight people.” Uh oh, here’s comes the forbidden-thinking patrol! The tribunal ruled that the mayor’s comment was “dismissive of Borderland Pride’s flag request and demonstrated a lack of understanding of the importance to Borderland Pride and other members of the LGBTQ2 community of the Pride flag” and constitutes discrimination. Suddenly, because of the mayor’s pro-heterosexual comments, it must mean that he hates gays. So it’s decided that “on the preponderance of evidence,” the rejection of the Pride proclamation was, more likely than not, the end-result of the mayor’s homophobia, and couldn’t be because he aligned with the other two Council “no” votes on the need for the policy amendment to deal with it first. “I don’t hate anybody,” he said. “We just don’t have a flagpole at our town hall,” McQuaker recently told the Toronto Sun. But cognitive deviance is cognitive deviance, and like a colon polyp, best to nip it in the bud so there’s zero risk of it ever potentially developing into systemic cancer. So here come the experts to tell the tribunal about how malignant this mayor’s thinking already is. According to Dr. Emily Saewyc, an LGBTQ specialist who testified at the hearing, research suggests that “anti-LGBTQ rhetoric by President Trump, Vice-President Pence, and members of Trump’s cabinet during his presidency visibly increased the amount of hate and violence” towards these minorities. Or, you know, maybe people are just fed up with having special interest agenda shoved down their throats in make-work projects for activists at a time when citizens of all stripes are facing common and federating hardships. She then attempted to draw a parallel with the “homophobic and hateful social media posts about Borderland Pride and the LGBTQ2 community” after the vote – as though people would have been cheering the LGBTQ cause had the mayor not been such a bigot and supported Pride Month. Right, because the key to people embracing wokeism is just to firehose even more of it into the public domain. Guess she hasn’t heard about the impact on brands like Bud Light and Jaguar after going woke. Or the public outcry after the Paris Olympics opening ceremony featuring what many interpreted as being a tranny wreck version of the Last Supper. Borderland Pride wanted the tribunal to allow it to choose a week for the Township to have 2020 Pride Month now, and to force it to hold Pride Month every June going forward. It refused. But it did order Mayor McQuaker to attend a sort of re-education camp. Within 30 days, he has to provide Borderland Pride with proof that he’s completed the province’s human rights training course. McQuaker has basically told the tribunal to shove it, refusing to pay or take the course, calling it “extortion,” according to the Toronto Sun . All of this is the sort of blueprint that demonstrates exactly how special interest agendas end up hijacking the most basic aspects of daily life, through relentless activist browbeating that has a chilling effect on anyone who fails to passionately cater to their sacred cows.

Pep Guardiola denies rumours of a rift with Kevin De BruyneA number of prominent pundits, including former City defender and club ambassador Micah Richards, have questioned why the Belgium international has not been starting games amid the champions’ dramatic slump. City have not won in seven outings in all competitions – their worst run since 2008 – with De Bruyne featuring only as a substitute in the last five of those matches after recovering from a pelvic injury. The latest came with a 12-minute run-out in Sunday’s demoralising 2-0 defeat at Premier League leaders Liverpool, a result which left City 11 points off the pace and fifth in the table. Richards said on The Rest is Football podcast it appeared “there’s some sort of rift going on” between De Bruyne and Guardiola while former England striker Gary Lineker added: “It seems like all’s not well.” Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said he felt “something isn’t right” and fellow Sky Sports analyst Gary Neville, the ex-Manchester United right-back, described the situation as “unusual, bizarre, strange”. Guardiola, speaking at a press conference to preview his side’s clash with Nottingham Forest, responded on Tuesday. The Spaniard said: “People say I’ve got a problem with Kevin. Do you think I like to not play with Kevin? No, I don’t want Kevin to play? “The guy who has the most talent in the final third, I don’t want it? I have a personal problem with him after nine years together? “He’s delivered to me the biggest success to this club, but he’s been five months injured (last season) and two months injured (this year). “He’s 33 years old. He needs time to find his best, like last season, step by step. He’ll try to do it and feel better. I’m desperate to have his best.” De Bruyne has not started since being forced off at half-time of City’s Champions League clash with Inter Milan on September 18, having picked up an injury in the previous game. Both the player and manager have spoken since of the pain he was in and the need to ease back into action, but his spell on the bench has been unexpectedly long. The resulting speculation has then been exacerbated because De Bruyne is in the final year of his contract but Guardiola maintains nothing untoward has occurred. He said: “I’d love to have the Kevin in his prime, 26 or 27. He would love it to – but he is not 26 or 27 any more. “He had injuries in the past, important and long ones. He is a guy who needs to be physically fit for his space and energy. You think I’m complaining? It’s normal, it’s nature. “He’s played in 10 or 11 seasons a lot of games and I know he is desperate to help us. He gives glimpses of brilliance that only he can have. “But, always I said, he himself will not solve our problems, like Erling (Haaland) won’t solve it himself. We attack and defend together. “We want the best players back. Hopefully step by step the confidence will come back and we’ll get the best of all of us.”"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.

Pep Guardiola denies rumours of a rift with Kevin De Bruyne

Staunch Brexit opponent Michel Barnier could become the shortest-serving prime minister in France’s history under the Fifth Republic as his government teeters on the brink of collapse. The European Union ’s former Brexit negotiator made a surprise political comeback in July years after being a thorn in Britain’s side as it sought to leave the bloc after the 2016 referendum. The 73-year-old was appointed by beleaguered Emmanuel Macron to head a minority government after an inconclusive set of parliamentary elections that humiliated the French president. But his administration looks increasingly likely to fall over its budget, which opponents refused to vote through . Without a majority in parliament, Mr Barnier – the fifth French prime minister in seven years – used special powers to force through the budget without a vote. Furious opposition parties have now said they will back a no-confidence motion to oust him. Two motions of no-confidence will be debated in the National Assembly in Paris from 4pm on Wednesday, with a vote at around 7pm. Mr Barnier could be out of power by Thursday – the three-month anniversary of when he was appointed. No French government has been forced out by such a vote since 1962 and it would make Mr Barnier the shortest-serving prime minister in the history of the Fifth Republic. Bernard Cazeneuve spent the least amount of time in the role – just over five months – while Mr Barnier’s predecessor Gabriel Attal held the post for eight months . Mr Macron is also facing calls to resign as a recent poll showed well over half of the French people would be in favour of him quitting if Mr Barnier’s government falls. Mr Barnier’s brief was to rescue the French economy by getting the GDP deficit ratio back below 3%. To do that, his budget included deep cuts to public spending totalling £33billion (€40billion) and steep tax rises amounting to £16billion (€20billion).A number of prominent pundits, including former City defender and club ambassador Micah Richards, have questioned why the Belgium international has not been starting games amid the champions’ dramatic slump. City have not won in seven outings in all competitions – their worst run since 2008 – with De Bruyne featuring only as a substitute in the last five of those matches after recovering from a pelvic injury. The latest came with a 12-minute run-out in Sunday’s demoralising 2-0 defeat at Premier League leaders Liverpool, a result which left City 11 points off the pace and fifth in the table. Richards said on The Rest is Football podcast it appeared “there’s some sort of rift going on” between De Bruyne and Guardiola while former England striker Gary Lineker added: “It seems like all’s not well.” Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said he felt “something isn’t right” and fellow Sky Sports analyst Gary Neville, the ex-Manchester United right-back, described the situation as “unusual, bizarre, strange”. Guardiola, speaking at a press conference to preview his side’s clash with Nottingham Forest, responded on Tuesday. The Spaniard said: “People say I’ve got a problem with Kevin. Do you think I like to not play with Kevin? No, I don’t want Kevin to play? “The guy who has the most talent in the final third, I don’t want it? I have a personal problem with him after nine years together? “He’s delivered to me the biggest success to this club, but he’s been five months injured (last season) and two months injured (this year). “He’s 33 years old. He needs time to find his best, like last season, step by step. He’ll try to do it and feel better. I’m desperate to have his best.” De Bruyne has not started since being forced off at half-time of City’s Champions League clash with Inter Milan on September 18, having picked up an injury in the previous game. Both the player and manager have spoken since of the pain he was in and the need to ease back into action, but his spell on the bench has been unexpectedly long. The resulting speculation has then been exacerbated because De Bruyne is in the final year of his contract but Guardiola maintains nothing untoward has occurred. He said: “I’d love to have the Kevin in his prime, 26 or 27. He would love it to – but he is not 26 or 27 any more. “He had injuries in the past, important and long ones. He is a guy who needs to be physically fit for his space and energy. You think I’m complaining? It’s normal, it’s nature. “He’s played in 10 or 11 seasons a lot of games and I know he is desperate to help us. He gives glimpses of brilliance that only he can have. “But, always I said, he himself will not solve our problems, like Erling (Haaland) won’t solve it himself. We attack and defend together. “We want the best players back. Hopefully step by step the confidence will come back and we’ll get the best of all of us.”

SANTA CLARA — No Brock Purdy. No Nick Bosa. No chance for the 49ers on Sunday in Green Bay? “We’re missing two good players definitely but we’ll have a lot of good players out there,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan countered. “By no means do we not have a chance to win. We’ll fight our tails off. We’ll expect a real good game.” Purdy’s throwing-shoulder soreness will force him to miss his first game due to injury since becoming the 49ers’ starting quarterback nearly two years ago, and that thrusts ninth-year journeyman Brandon Allen into his 10th career start and first since 2021 with Cincinnati. Bosa’s oblique and hip injuries will sideline him for his first game of this wobbly season. Also ruled out were cornerback Charvarius Ward (personal), return specialist Jacob Cowing (concussion), defensive tackle Kevin Givens (groin) and linebacker Tatum Bethune (knee), while left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) is questionable as a game-time decision for a second straight game. Tight end George Kittle (hamstring) and running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) are good to go for an offense that must make do without Purdy at the NFL’s most historic venue. Allen, who last threw a regular-season pass in 2022 as Joe Burrow’s backup in Cincinnati, will guide the 49ers’ offense in a key game as San Francisco aims to make a playoff push. “It’s an opportunity,” Allen said. “The circumstances are what they are. Our team all year long, we’ve been dealing with injuries here or there. It’s been a big next-man-up mentality. It’s definitely an opportunity for me to go out, play well, put our guys in a good position to win the game. “Obviously we want Brock back and healthy and all that,” Allen added. “For the time being, it is an opportunity for me.” Josh Dobbs, who lost out to Allen in training camp and the preseason for the QB2 role, will serve in that capacity Sunday at Lambeau Field, where neither quarterback has played a regular-season game. Rookie Tanner Mordecai likely will be elevated from the practice squad Saturday to serve as the emergency No. 3 quarterback. Purdy wore a resigned, dour expression but offered upbeat words as he walked through the locker room, saying: “We’re all good.” This is not how Shanahan scripted it earlier in the week. “(Purdy) got the MRI on Monday, we thought he just needed some rest and really weren’t concerned about not being there this week,” Shanahan said Friday. “I don’t want to say there’s long-term concern,” Shanahan said Friday. “We got the MRI on Monday. We thought he just needed some rest and really weren’t concerned about him not being good this week.” Purdy rested his arm Wednesday, then left the practice field Thursday after a few light throws. “It surprised him, surprised us how it felt, so we had to shut him down,” Shanahan said. “The MRI doesn’t look like (it’s serious) so it should be alright. But the way it responded this week, it’s really up in the air for next week. We’ll have to see on Monday.” The 49ers follow this week’s trip at Green Bay with a prime-time appearance next Sunday, Dec. 1 in Buffalo. “I know this is like the first time Brock’s missed a game probably in his life,” Allen said. “He’s a tough guy and I’m not too worried about it. I don’t think any of our guys are. He’ll rehab and get back as fast as he can.” No one is saying when Purdy got hurt in Sunday’s 20-17 loss to Seattle, whether it was from diving for the goal line on his first-quarter touchdown scramble or later in the game. Shanahan did note that Purdy struggled to keep his shoulder loose and threw on the sideline, then the pain intensified after the game and into Monday. “It was somewhere during that Seattle game and I’m not sure Brock knows,” general manager John Lynch said on KNBR. “He fought through it through the course of the game. I did see him during the course of the game, anytime there was a pause, he kept throwing. At that point, you’re feeling something but he was so focused on trying to win.” Shanahan lauded Allen as a “really good thrower” who “runs our offense well” and that “guys believe in him.” The feeling is mutual on Allen’s side, as he explained what it was like as Purdy’s stand-in on the starting unit in practice this week: “It’s been a blessing to have them in the huddle with me and the leadership that’s in the huddle, so I can just come in and fill the spot for Brock for now, just try to make some plays and get the ball in their hands.” Added Shanahan: “It’s not a big game-plan adjustment. This is something we didn’t think would happen early in the week. We were fully preparing for Brock to go.” The Packers prepared that way, too. Allen is no total stranger, however. Packers coach Matt LaFleur told reporters Friday in Green Bay, prior to Purdy’s no-show practice: “I know Brandon. I was with him in L.A. (in 2017). He’s been in the league a long time. But I wouldn’t expect their offense to change a whole bunch.” BOSA WILL REMAIN HOME While Purdy traveled with the 49ers to Green Bay, Bosa was staying behind to rehabilitate the upper-body injuries that forced him to miss Sunday’s fourth-quarter collapse against Seattle. It will be the first game Bosa has missed since Oct. 16, 2022 with a groin injury. The 49ers lost a road game that day to Atlanta 28-14 during a season in which Bosa was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year. Sam Okuayinonu figures to make his first career start in place of Bosa while Leonard Floyd makes his 11th start at the other defensive end slot. WILLIAMS QUESTIONABLE Williams, with the help of a pain-killing injection, made it through the Seattle loss at what he said afterwards was 65 percent. Although listed as questionable, Shanahan reiterated Williams’ status could go right up to kickoff. Jaylon Moore likely would start in place of Williams, if needed. WARD BACK NEXT WEEK? Ward, mourning the death of his 23-month-old daughter, was declared out but Shanahan hoped to have the All-Pro cornerback next week when the 49ers visit Buffalo. “He’s taken three full weeks off,” Shanahan said. “It’s not like dealing with all that stuff he’s getting workouts in and all that. We’re just happy to get him back in the building this week. We don’t want to put any pressure on him, hopefully he’ll be good to go next week.” Among those listed as questionable is guard/center Jon Feliciano, whose 21-day window of practicing while on injured reserve is about to expire. If the 49ers don’t put Feliciano on the 53-man roster by Monday, he’ll spend the rest of the season on injured reserve. PACKERS INJURIES Cornerback Jaire Alexander (knee) was ruled out after being unable to practice all week, and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (hamstring) also will not suit up for Green Bay’s defense. Defensive tackle Colby Wooden is questionable as the only other Packers player on their injury report.THIS WEEK’S DOSE Senate Special Committee on Aging Holds Hearing on People with Disabilities. The hearing reviewed the current state of federal disability policy and outgoing Chair Casey’s (D-PA) contributions. House Votes on FY 2025 NDAA. The House passed the fiscal year (FY) 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a key “must pass” bill for the 118th Congress that includes a few healthcare policies. Congress Negotiates Health Extenders. Negotiations continue as lawmakers work to include a broader health package in the pending continuing resolution (CR). Health-Related House Committee Leaders Chosen. Rep. Guthrie (R-KY) will serve as House Energy & Commerce Committee Chair, and other key committee leaders will stay in their roles. ASTP/ONC Releases Slimmed-Down HTI-2 Final Rule. The Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ASTP/ONC) final rule focuses on provisions related to TEFCA and does not include all of the policies originally proposed. CONGRESS Senate Special Committee on Aging Holds Hearing on People with Disabilities. Senators and witnesses acknowledged the significant barriers that exist for Americans with disabilities and discussed current and proposed federal disability policies. During the hearing , Chair Casey, who lost reelection and will not return to the Senate, released a series of issue briefs detailing his record chairing the committee. The briefs focused on government technology accessibility, home care, nursing homes, prescription drug costs, and economic security for older adults, and can be accessed here . House Votes on FY 2025 NDAA. In a vote of 281 – 140, the House approved the FY 2025 NDAA, moving forward a key “must pass” bill for the 118th Congress that includes a few healthcare policies. Although the final bill text removed amendments related to the Pentagon’s abortion travel policy and medical treatment for transgender troops, many Democrats remained opposed to the bill’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors on TRICARE. Also of note, the NDAA did not include the BIOSECURE Act , which would have prohibited federal agencies from procuring, purchasing, or obtaining biotechnology equipment or services from “companies of concern” in adversarial countries, such as China. Congress Negotiates Health Extenders. As Congress moves to enact a CR prior to the December 20, 2024, government funding deadline, lawmakers have continued bipartisan, bicameral negotiations on inclusion of a health package that would go beyond a simple short-term extension of key expiring health provisions, such as community health center funding, funds for safety net hospitals, and Medicare telehealth flexibilities. If negotiations are successful, we will see this package in the coming days. Health-Related House Committee Leaders Chosen. Previous House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee Chair Rep. Guthrie (R-KY) will chair the full committee in the 119th Congress. Rep. Smith (R-MO) will remain the House Ways & Means Committee chair. Reps. Pallone (D-NJ) and Neal (D-MA) will also remain ranking members of the House Energy & Commerce and Ways & Means Committees, respectively. ADMINISTRATION ASTP/ONC Releases Slimmed Down HTI-2 Final Rule. The Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability: Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) (HTI-2) final rule includes policies related to the TEFCA Manner Exception and implements provisions aimed at supporting reliability, privacy, security, and trust within the national exchange network. The rule also includes corrections and updates to current regulatory provisions of the ONC Health IT Certification Program. The final rule omits many of the policies that were included in the July 2024 HTI-2 proposed rule . Those proposals remain under further review and development. The final rule was posted for public inspection in the Federal Register and is scheduled to be published on December 16, 2024. ASTP/ONC’s timeline for review, development, and potential finalization of the policies that were proposed but ultimately omitted from the HTI-2 final rule remains unclear. The incoming Trump Administration will likely be averse to greater regulation of technological innovation. Another final rule addressing the Protecting Care Access proposals is currently awaiting review by the Office of Management and Budget. QUICK HITS CMS Innovation Center Releases Report to Congress. This is the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center’s seventh report to Congress and includes information about strategic accomplishments, outreach initiatives, evaluation, model tests, and supporting activities. CMS Holds Webinar on HCBS Grievance Systems. The grievance system for home- and community-based services (HCBS) provided in fee-for-service Medicare must be implemented by July 9, 2026. CMS’s webinar discussed how the system is being used for beneficiaries to share their complaints. The webinar recording, slides, and transcript will be posted here . MedPAC Holds December Public Meeting. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) meeting sessions assessed payment adequacy and discussed updating payments for physicians, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, rural emergency hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, home health services, hospice services, and outpatient dialysis services. MACPAC Holds December Public Meeting. The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) agenda included sessions about oversight of Medicaid managed care organizations, HCBS, the Medicare Advantage calendar year 2026 proposed rule, and transitions of care for children and youth with special healthcare needs. FTC Sends Warning Letters to Companies Advertising ACA Marketplace Plans. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sent 21 warning letters to companies that market or generate sales leads for Affordable Care Act (ACA) healthcare plans. The letters provide guidance and put the companies on notice about deceptive or unfair claims. GAO Issues Recommendations for VHA Oversight. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report recommended that the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) take steps to increase the capacity of their oversight and audit offices. CBO Releases Report on Impact of Expanded Premium Tax Credit Expiration. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report found that if the premium tax credits expire, the number of uninsured individuals will rise by an average of 3.8 million per year over the 2026 – 2034 period. 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Releases Scientific Report. The report contains the committee’s independent findings and advice to the US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and US Department of Agriculture. OIG Issues Special Fraud Alert. The HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) alert warns Medicare Advantage organizations (MAOs), providers, agents, and brokers about fraud and abuse risks associated with arrangements between MAOs and providers. NEXT WEEK’S DIAGNOSIS Congress will be in session next week, in what is expected to be the final week of the 118th Congress. As the clock ticks down to the December 20, 2024, government funding deadline, we await the outcome of negotiations on the health extenders and potential additional healthcare policies that may be included in the stop-gap CR that is expected to run through March 2025. Several public health research and program authorization bills have also been placed on the House suspension calendar , and more could be added. Inclusion on this list does not guarantee the House will consider a bill, but it is a positive indicator.

James Madison 71, Jacksonville St. 65Unrivaled signs LSU star Flau'jae Johnson to NIL deal

NoneAm I the only one who wonders if our reservoir of talent available for appointment to serve in high public office is so depleted that we are left to pick only from sexual predators and other bottom feeders? People know that we cannot expect our public servants to be without flaws, but we do have an absolute right to expect at least a minimum of basic human decency from our elected officials. Excuse me, but what we see instead is the general thrashing of decent human behavior, including disgusting behavior of lawmakers toward each other—the name-calling, the vulgarity. Society is not immune from the fallout of the behavior of our leaders. Everyone is reduced in one manner or another by negative behavior of those who govern us. Today one must look hard among national lawmakers to find people who stand out as paragons of decency in public behavior. It was not that difficult in past years with names like Howard Baker, Margaret Chase Smith, Frank Church, Gerald Ford, etc. Baker was known as the “Great Conciliator.” Conciliation in today’s Congress? Not likely. The name of the game is personal or party gain, while the nation’s interests languish. Maybe it is too late to turn back from where we are. Or perhaps people will have a kind of “buyer’s remorse” and conclude that we are drifting to a bad place and need make some serious remedial effort. Good luck with that! Dominic Schaff lives in Bismarck.

Conservative Party of B.C. Leader John Rustad faces a test after 13 members of his caucus have asked him to essentially discipline Conservative MLA Elenore Sturko for comments that she made about a former Vancouver Police Board member. The signed letter published by radio host Jas Johal on X Thursday (Dec. 5) calls on Rustad to "invite" Sturko to "offer" Comfort Sakoma-Fadugba a written apology after Sturko had criticized her, following Sakoma-Fadugba's controversial remarks about the nature of Canadian society. Sakoma-Fadugba left her position Nov. 22 after several social media posts linked to her became public. Screenshots of the Instagram stories linked to Sakoma-Fadugba show Reddit posts lamenting the loss of Christian values in the face of immigration and criticized "woke culture" as well gender transitions. The alleged statements cost Sakoma-Fadugba her job on the police board and drew criticism from various corners of the political spectrum, including Sturko, a former RCMP officer and member of the LGBTQ2S+ community. “When we have statements being made that erode the public’s trust, or their comfort with their police service, it makes it that much harder on the front-line officers," Sturko told the CBC in November. But this statement did not sit well with her 13 colleagues, calling on Rustad to ask Sturko for the apology "and to encourage the Vancouver Police Board to advance conciliatory discussions with (Sakoma-Fadugba)." But that is not their only demand. "If Ms. Sturko declines your invitation, we ask that you offer this apology and encouragement on behalf of the Conservative caucus," they write. This double-demand appears to put Rustad in a double-bind. He either follows the demands from his part of his caucus ostensibly aimed at one of their own or he undermines the position of Sturko by issuing an apology on her behalf. "The way he responds will tell us something about where his own loyalties lie," UBC political scientist Stewart Prest said. "We do know that he is quite supportive of articulations of these kinds of more critical views of modernity ... so it may be that he has a certain amount of sympathy with the letter writers and his response will tell us whether that's the case. At the same time, a leader has another responsibility to the larger caucus as well. It may be that there are other members of the caucus who feel (Sturko) was quite correct in offering that assessment, and then has nothing to apologize for." Found within the letter is also a larger expression of sympathy for Sakoma-Fadugba's statements and a request to Rustad to give those views room by reminding him of what the signatories consider Rustad's own views to be. "The posts express views many Conservatives (including Conservative MLAs and staff) hold in support for parental rights, religious faith, and the pursuit of shared Canadian values," it reads. "Under your leadership, the Conservative Party of BC has consistently denounced 'cancel culture' and stood for the Charter rights British Columbians enjoy to free expression and freedom of religion," it reads. "The very first question you raised in the (legislature) as leader was in defence of parental rights." “Will the minister admit this SOGI 123 has been divisive and an assault on parents’ rights and a distraction to student education?” Rustad asked on Oct. 3, 2023. That question drew a rebuke from Premier David Eby, who called the question "outrageous" in accusing Rustad of leveraging children for culture-war purposes. “Shame on him," Eby said. "Choose another question." Prest called the letter a "deliberately provocative approach" that speaks to the ideological divisions within the party now for everyone to see. "It's putting right out in the open something we knew was going to be part of this, this challenging political coalition bringing together more populist-style conservatives with more, if you like, centrist or politically moderate types such (Sturko)." None of the 13 signatories once sat with Sturko when she was part of BC United and all were elected on Oct. 13 as first time Conservative candidates. Of note, is also the geographical representation of the MLAs. Eleven signatories represent ridings outside of Metro Vancouver and Greater Victoria including areas in the Fraser Valley and the Okanagan. Three signatories – Dallas Brodie (Vancouver-Quilchena), Brent Chapman (Surrey-South) and Anna Kindy (North Island) – have also found their names in the news over comments that they had made before or during the election campaign, with Chapman being perhaps the most widely reported one following his comments about Palestinian children made in 2015. "I would suggest that we are seeing to emerge, perhaps the makings of which you could almost call a Freedom Caucus in the (Conservative Party of B.C.), the sense that there's a group within a group that looks at the world quite differently than other members of that caucus," Prest said. This is not the first time that Sturko has been the object of criticism from within the Conservative Party of B.C. While still with B.C. United, Conservative candidate Paul Ratchford had called her a "woke, lesbian, social justice warrior." At the same time, Sturko had also been critical of the Conservatives, while still with B.C. United. In early October 2023, Sturko called on Rustad to apologize after appearing to draw a comparison with harms caused by residential schools and parental concerns about SOGI 123. Rustad denied making such a comparison. Sturko also called on Rustad to apologize after he had referred to being LGBTQ2S+ as a "lifestyle" in a media interview. When asked to comment on the letter from her colleagues, Sturko said deferred to Rustad. "This letter was addressed to John. I'm going to allow him the opportunity to speak to it at this time." Black Press Media has reached out to the Conservative Party of B.C., including Rustad's spokesperson and Rustad himself for comment.Christopher Polvoorde’s 27 miles to heartbreak at the Baja 1000

NoneMarshall also contributed five assists for the Great Danes (4-1). Byron Joshua added 13 points while going 4 of 4 (3 for 3 from 3-point range) while he also had five assists and five steals. Aaron Reddish shot 4 of 7 from the field, including 2 for 3 from 3-point range, and went 2 for 3 from the line to finish with 12 points. Puerto Rico-Mayaguez was led by David Maldonado, who posted 16 points. Jose Alicea scored 10 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Ruben Amorim issues storm warning after smooth start with Manchester UnitedNone