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2024 was a year of undeniable change across the fashion and footwear landscape. Trends come and go faster than ever in this modern iteration of street culture. Still, the sartorial differences and cultural differences between the start of the decade and now are nothing short of immense — even for a “here today, gone tomorrow” climate in which trends seem to last mere weeks (if not days) before bubbling up into the ether to be replaced by whatever’s deemed as “hot” for the next three-week stretch. That aside, more than a few landmark shifts influenced and directed the culture Hypebeast has spent almost two decades reporting on in 2024. Lagging innovation at footwear brands gave way to a renewed focus on performance products, which influenced and evolved the lifestyle footwear market. Basketball shoes, for the first time in what feels like forever became interesting again thanks to new signature lines, clever, creative designs and fantastic marketing campaigns. Fashion and entertainment became entwined in an entirely new way, and female athletes finally started to get the flowers they’ve long deserved from the fashion world, among several other goings-on, including Pharrell being literally inescapable. And the soundtrack to it all? A hyperpop album that spawned the year’s most inescapable word and influenced both behavioral and sartorial choices. We could continue, but we’ll head right into the list mentioned in the title. Here are 10 things Hypebeast’s US editorial team loved in 2024. Performance Becoming the New Lifestyle Hoka/Satisfy Fashion enthusiasts stepped through 2024 equipped with breathable fabrics layered atop their bodies and pillow-like cushioning systems underfoot. The year saw brands like HOKA and On thrust into the limelight, and even the likes of Action Bronson entered the performance arena to shake things up. Sportswear brands such as Nike and adidas have long embraced performance gear in a lifestyle context, however, with a greater emphasis on the latter in recent years, its competitors leapt at the opportunity to bring new energy to the functional side of the space. New Balance and ASICS chipped away at the Swoosh and Three Stripes’ lead as the two quickly emerged as new trendsetters in footwear at the turn of the decade, however, this year saw the industry reach further into its metaphorical gym bag, favoring brands that have been fixated on delivering the best performance possible. On, having quickly established a reputation for delivering comfortable kicks with its Cloud-backed silhouettes, continued to blur the lines between fashion and performance by collaborating with LOEWE and later introducing new partners in Zendaya and POST ARCHIVE FACTION (PAF) . Meanwhile, HOKA has kept its game plan simple: make the best gear possible. Style may feel like an afterthought with many of its designs, but that’s the point: performance informs its aesthetics, not the other way around. The brand’s notable co-signs from designers like Nicole McLaughlin , paria /FARZANEH and even Junya Watanabe continue to arrive — and because of that, its reputation in fashion is shifting. Perhaps the brand has shined the brightest this year with Parisian running brand SATISFY. The two brought forth their own collaborative silhouette, the Mafate Speed 4 Lite , back in August, offering a flavorful balance of cutting-edge performance and style. That overarching ethos won Hoka the coveted “Footwear Brand of the Year” awards for the Hypeawards as well. The continuation of partnerships between fashion labels and sportswear brands provided additional opportunities to tap into this. MM6 Maison Margiela and Salomon also dropped new footwear with a pinch of apparel. Jacquemus and Nike explored new themes while Cecilie Bahnsen and ASICS stuck to their tried and true formula of applying flowers across the brand’s popular runners. Whether you’re a marathon runner looking to integrate your favorite gear into everyday life or someone just looking to keep your feet comfortable, there’s never been a better time to bring performance wear into your wardrobe. Female Athletes Getting Fashion’s Flowers Brandon Todd/Getty Images This year, the spotlight on female athletes extended far beyond three-point lines and starting marks in a watershed moment that finally centered today’s most athletic women in fashion’s conversation. While style and athleticism converged at unprecedented levels this year (performance is the new lifestyle, after all), sportswomen earned blockbuster collaborations, starry campaigns, runway appearances, luxe editorials and Met Gala invites that were long overdue. Among them, Caitlin Clark, the cultural phenomenon and No. 1 pick by the Indiana Fever, made history as the first athlete ever to be dressed by Prada for either the WNBA or NBA draft. And later on, the record-breaking player appeared in Louis Vuitton for her first professional press conference before securing a massive deal with Nike that’s reportedly worth $28 million USD. Meanwhile, Angel Reese, this year’s No. 7 pick by the Chicago Sky, declared her entrance into the WNBA draft in a fashion editorial with Vogue , following in the footsteps of Serena Williams, who announced her retirement through the legacy fashion publication two years ago (and also walked the Vogue World runway alongside her sister, Venus, this year, too). Reese’s strategic move positioned her as a style-conscious athlete, a brand image that was bolstered by her Bronx and Banco draft look, and ultimately earned her an invitation to this year’s Met Gala, where she wore a custom 16Arlington dress. World-record-breaking track star Sha’Carri Richardson played a starring role in the viral Nike x Jacquemus campaign , rope-slamming her own braids with her distinctive acrylic nails while sporting the collaboration’s key pieces. US Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles opened Kim Shui’s New York Fashion Week runway show . Yoon Ahn celebrated Naomi Osaka’s return to the tennis court this year with a head-turning Nike collaboration . WNBA stars including Candace Parker, Cameron Brink, and DiJonai Carrington starred in a SKIMS advertorial . Off-WhiteTM became the official style and culture curator for the New York Liberty . Chinese tennis player Qinwen Zheng became the first athlete, male or female, to cover Vogue China . And Dior named 15 female athletes, including Elaine Thompson-Herah, Alex Morgan and Carissa Moore, official brand ambassadors. As female athletes continue to dominate the cultural zeitgeist, fashion brands will only continue to decorate them with their flowers. At long last, the sportswoman is a style star, too. The Power of Pharrell Focus Features Pharrell was one of the most frequently spotted faces across 2024’s cultural zeitgeist. Be it producing a track or parking his CyberTruck in Miami, rarely a week went by without some form of Skateboard P headline. An embodiment of what it means to be a 21st-century Renaissance Man, Pharrell, instead of wasting any time, strategically split it up, pouring his efforts into projects in the music, film, fashion and design spaces. After being appointed to NIGO’s HUMAN MADE as the “Official Advisor,” he kicked off the year with a bang via his third collection as Louis Vuitton’s Creative Director . Marking the first official show of the Paris Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2024 schedule, Pharrell waxed poetic on Americana aesthetics and Western-influenced workwear, outfitting the modern-day LVER: which, under his reign, has expanded to include the younger, more streetwear-tapped consumer. A compilation of cowboy-coded clothing, accessories crafted alongside artists from the Dakota and Lakota nations, and footwear, the latter of which was led by the label’s debut Timberland collaboration, people either really loved it or really didn’t – but either way, they vocalized it. A multi-media spectacle of what Pharrell is capable of – a merging of original music with, fashion, footwear and design – the showcase set the stage for the rest of his monumental 2024. Gaining momentum from the Parisian showcase, P made major waves once again with a Tyler, The Creator-curated LV collection , which landed for purchase in March and was named Hypebeast’s top fashion collaboration of the year in December. Follow-up collections landed in April for Pre-Fall 2024 and another striking Spring/Summer 2025 runway show in June held at La Maison de l’UNESCO and curated in collaboration with Air Afrique. He even got to carry the Olympic tou Departing from the fashion front, Pharrell reminded us where his roots lie, dropping off “Doctor (Work It Out)” with Miley Cyrus from the FW24 runway and quietly revealing his first full-length project in a decade back in April, Black Yacht Rock, Vol. 1: City of Limitless Access . The ten-track album made way for Pharrell’s sonic-heavy summer, with music playing a key part in his animated LEGO Piece by Piece biopic , equipped with cameos from Kendrick Lamar, Timbaland, Snoop Dogg, Daft Punk and more. In the same vein, Pharrell also debuted his first-ever LEGO collaboration, consisting of an “Over The Moon” LEGO space set and an immersive creative experience in Los Angeles. Even after the Piece by Piece press tour wrapped and the year now comes to a close, Pharrell has found himself in two more figurehead positions as Met Gala Co-Chair and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador . Charli xcx’s BRAT , the Year-Defining Green Album Albany Times Union/Hearst Newspapers/Getty Images In a matter of months, British pop star Charli xcx went from relative obscurity to captivating the world with her infectious club-inspired album BRAT . From the now-ubiquitous “Apple” TikTok dance to the ripple effect of her “Kamala is brat” X post, the cultural footprint of BRAT is undeniable. In November, BRAT racked up an impressive seven Grammy nominations including Album of the Year and Record of the Year. Come December, the record became 2024’s most critically acclaimed album (according to Metacritic) and the title itself was declared word-of-the-year by Collins Dictionary. If one examines the broader cultural landscape, it’s easy to see that BRAT’s unapologetically messy and expressive ethos was just what people have been craving. In an era of music dominated by Taylor Swift, it’s worth considering that perhaps Charli xcx offered the perfect counterstatement. In recent years, Swift has come to define the epitome of commercial success, while Charli has been relegated to the hyperpop niche. Swift represents the American ideal with her country roots, while Charli is the English “Party Girl” whose stomping ground was in the London rave scene. As early as 2022, terms like “indie sleaze,” “blog house” and “recession-pop” signaled a nostalgia for the messy and carefree attitude of early ’00s party culture — the exact era where Charli found her feet. These post-pandemic trends showed that young people were beginning to rebel against the neutral minimalism and “clean” aesthetics imposed by fashion brands and social media trends. And what better represents this shift than the album’s slime-green cover and blunt title? One also can’t forget that the world only recently emerged from a pandemic and is still recovering from the subsequent economic fallout. After all, wasn’t it in the aftermath of 2008’s Great Recession that hedonistic club tracks like Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance” and the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Got a Feeling” topped the Billboard Hot 100? In times of economic distress, the dancefloor has become a reliable therapy for the anxious masses. Furthermore, Charli’s simple choice of a solid green background and the isolated sans-serif title, recalls the era-defining album from another iconic English act. Named for its plain white cover decorated with nothing more than the band’s name, the progressive content of the Beatles’ White Album inspired Joan Didion’s famous collection of essays that recounted the turbulent 1960s. Now, in the thick of a decade faced with similar social challenges, Collins Dictionary’s 2024 redefinition of Brat reflects the subversive and fearless pursuits of a new generation: Brat (adjective) – “characterized by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude.” Brick and Mortar Retail Revival Ven.space Though shopping, at its core, is a simple action that involves exchanging money for a product, everything around that action took center stage in 2024. Fashion-conscious consumers tired of the endless, entirely impersonal churn-and-burn of online shopping showed that they’d been craving real, tangible IRL experiences throughout 2024 — and thankfully, brands and retailers big and small alike rose to the occasion. “Online retail is all about convenience, whereas in-store shopping is about the experience,” NN.07’s Justin Berkowitz told the New York Times in October. And that experience was displayed across various mediums, from small neighborhood boutiques to sprawling flagships from some of the world’s biggest and most noteworthy retailers. Brooklyn’s Ven Space has quickly become one of the buzziest names in the world of fashion for both its tasteful assortment (offerings range from The Row and Auralee to Stüssy Archive) and hands-on, personal service that offers customers something online retail simply can’t: the joy of in-person discovery. At the same time, spots like Million Goods combine curated brand offerings with drinks and hi-fi sound systems, serving up retail and lifestyle all under one roof. Several retailers are even doubling down on the power and impact of the in-person shopping experience by refusing to maintain an online storefront (Ven Space is among the IRL-only numbers), and the practice of “showrooming,” or browsing the shelves of a store only to head online and attempt to purchase whatever you discover at a discount from a larger retailer has been firmly established as cultural taboo. It’s not just the indie stores helping reimagine what retail can be in 2024 either. Arc’Teryx flung open the doors to its SoHo, New York flagship store this year, a 14,000 square foot colossus that’s equal parts pinnacle brand statement and indoctrination into the company’s outdoor-focused mindset. Besides every shell jacket and sleek Veilence shirt you can imagine, there’s a theater, cafe, and even a bottom floor largely dedicated to secondhand garments and garment repair, dubbed the “Service Center.” On the high-fashion front, Luisaviaroma opened its own 13,000-square-foot flagship store in New York’s NoLita neighborhood, driven by the belief that the high-end labels it stocks need to be felt and experienced in person. There’s a laundry list of other openings or expansions you’ll find if you dig through news releases, social media blasts and more thorough the year. All that’s to say, the increased desire to get out from behind the screen, get out in the streets and get tangible experiences has led to a boom of retail creativity and expansion. And as great as an Internet community or online shopping can be, there’s no replacing the feeling of an IRL collection, or of coming across the perfect piece in person. Pants Getting Bigger Than Ever Dickes/Neighborhood Pants, and bottoms more broadly, have occupied a central position in the trend cycle for the last century. Modern fashion trends, driven by shifting social conditions, are traditionally understood to swing on a pendulum. As new styles diffuse into mass acceptance, style innovators and early adopters have historically moved in the opposite direction. Mass brands like Levi’s and J.Crew are back to pushing wider styles in a drastic departure from the 2000s when skinny jeans came into favor. By the early 2010s brands like ASOS began marketing men’s skinny jeans as “spray-on,” perhaps marking the final limits of the style. In the 2020s, a decade where wide-legged pants have come back into mass acceptance, the industry innovators continue charging forth with bigger and bigger pants — and in 2024, the pants were bigger, baggier and bolder than ever before. Willy Chavarria, one of the contemporary purveyors of oversized pants, was named as the CFDA’s 2024 Menswear Designer of the Year . However, it’s important to note that Chavarria is not in the business of trends. The Mexican-American designers collections are deeply inspired by his heritage, reflecting on aesthetics pioneered by the Californian Chicano community. As early as the 1940s the “Zoot Suit” characterized by its oversized high waisted pants were a symbol of resistance among Chicano, Black and Asian American communities. Baggy bottoms have also made their way into fashion from the Pacific, as Japanese fashion increasingly influences Western culture. Wide-legged Japanese pant styles go far beyond the industrial fashion cycle, originating in ancient times when styles like ‘Hakama’ pants were worn by Samurai and noblemen. Echoes of these roots can be found in pants from Japanese labels like Yohji Yamamoto, Needles, Jun Takahashi’s Undercover and more. The major return of wide-legged pants represents a world more connected than ever before and also signals a shift towards comfort-centric dressing. One can’t deny that the swift breeze and wide range of motion offered by baggy pants are preferable to the restrictive suffocation of “spray on” skinny jeans. Big pants also take form in many shapes and sizes: cargos, carpenters, sweats, military uniforms, and pleated trousers, to name a few. These diverse styles and details have historically served a certain functionality that skinny silhouettes simply can’t attest to. Ultimately, the pendulum dynamic is not unique to fashion. It seems to be a modern tendency for subcultures and youths to challenge the status quo through processes of negation. As soon as nonconformist ideas are subsumed by the establishment, the disruptors and the rebels push back again in contradiction. Perhaps skinny-fit will find favor again in the future, but if 2024 says anything, bigger pants may have a leg up for a while longer. The Pinnacle of Fashiontainment Jeff Spicer/Getty Images In 2024, fashion, like a good movie, was often best enjoyed with a bucket of popcorn. The fashion world — its runway shows, creative director switch-ups, big-name collaborations and fiery online discourse — is an entertainment enterprise in its own right. But in 2024, the universes of style and blockbuster truly became one, in a blend of Hollywood and catwalk that birthed a flashy new buzzword used fondly by style editors: fashiontainment. Take a look at September’s New York Fashion Week for proof: Ralph Lauren kicked things off by bussing showgoers out to the Hamptons for a one-night-only runway spectacle that included a full-blown hospitality experience with a faithful recreation of the designer’s Polo Bar in Manhattan. Then, the CFDA partnered with Rockefeller Center to put up a 14-by-22-foot screen in the center of its ice rink, where New Yorkers could congregate to watch all of the American fashion week’s antics. In that same location, Raul Lopez staged one of the event’s biggest shows for his brand Luar, which was attended by the likes of Madonna and Ice Spice and concluded with a huge performance from Bad Gyal under 30 Rock. Meanwhile, on Wall Street, bright lights flashed on Latin Grammy-nominated artists Yahritza Y Su Esencia, who performed a heartwarming cover of the 1984 classic “Querida” by Juan Gabriel before Willy Chavarria’s catwalk ; and on the decommissioned Staten Island Ferry, Wu-Tang Clan members Ghostface Killah, Method Man, and Raekwon attracted a sea of iPhones while closing out Tommy Hilfiger’s water-riding Spring 2025 show . That was all before fashion showgoers traveled abroad for spectacles like Coperni’s magical Disneyland Paris runway , where the likes of Kylie Jenner took late-night rides on Space Mountain, or Moncler’s humungous Genius show in Shanghai , which was attended by 8,000 (shrieking) guests and divided into 10 ultra-creative “neighborhoods” designed by Edward Enniful, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Lulu Li, NIGO, Palm Angels, A$AP Rocky, Willow Smith, Donald Glover, Rick Owens and Jil Sander. The point here is that the fashion establishment has largely transcended age-old runway formats and swapped in multi-pronged, big-budget entertainment spectacles in their places — and much of the above was extremely exciting to watch. As we ascend to fashiontainment’s peak, the concept has trickled off the runway and onto Hollywood’s biggest red carpets, too. This year, it practically became a requirement for actors and actresses to promote their films while wearing high-fashion looks connected to their characters in one way or another. For Dune 2 ’s global premieres, Law Roach dressed Zendaya in a bounty of brilliant, film-inspired ensembles, including, most notably, Mugler’s Fall 1996 “Gynoid” suit; and for Wicked ’s box-office arrival, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were never seen out of their respective pink and green uniforms made by the likes of Louis Vuitton, Thom Browne and more. For Beetlejuice , Jenna Ortega’s stylist Enrique Melendez commissioned several custom, shadowy pieces from brands like Vivienne Westwood, and Timothee Chalamet just finished recreating some of Bob Dylan’s most iconic looks while promoting the legendary artist’s new biopic, A Complete Unknown . At all of this year’s cultural touchpoints — be that the fashion-filled opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics or Charli XCX and Troye Sivan’s SWEAT tour — style became a central focal point of the conversation. Adventurous Eyewear Gentle Monster 2024 was the year in which your eyewear of choice became just as important as your footwear of choice. Transcending beyond just a topical accessory, glasses of all kinds took impressive about-face and evolved into a world of their own – one in which the rules are a bit more bendable. Futuristic and functional, defined by their oversized frames and bold lensing, eyewear turned to 3025 for design inspiration, envisioning an entirely new realm of influence for the accessory. Brands debuted, revived and significantly locked in on their eyewear sectors with first-time forays into the field coming from JW Anderson and A.P.C as well as the revival of Tag Heuer’s eyewear line . Though two labels in particular played a key part in pushing the needle on the eyewear space. One of those labels was Oakley, who took things to a whole new level in 2024, establishing a prominent presence in evolving the eyewear space early on in the year. Its January Lunar New Year capsule and follow-up Performance Line hinted at the future-facing design approach that the legacy eyewear imprint would bring to the year, evident in in-line ranges entitled “Inner Spark” and “Future Genesis” as well as the expansion of its “Latch Panel” collection. Oakley furthered its grip on the glasses market with smart collaborations with a lineup of contributors including G DLP , Pas Normal Studios , Piet , Bodega and SATISFY . Its unwavering presence at the Paris Olympics arrived in the form of both eyewear and apparel, ultimately solidifying its cultural relevance. The other was Gentle Monster who, offering up an impressive array of both in-line and collaborative releases. Most notably, the Seoul-based brand linked up with the likes of Maison Margiela , Mugler and Tekken – each one more inventive than the last. Big-name fashion outfitters like Nike , Supreme and Stüssy all sharpened their eyewear visions, each leaning into larger than life frames. District Vision also went big on its eyewear, crafting a pair of $635 USD Yusuke Alpine Blade Ti Performance Sunglasses with 2XU and teaming up with POST ARCHIVE FACTION (PAF) on an entire capsule of athletic eyewear. New Life for Basketball Shoes Adidas Basketball shoes are the backbone of sneaker culture. Everything from the Air Jordan 1 to the original Converse Chuck Taylors have played a key role in shaping the modern-day footwear landscape. However, amidst the staleness in the sneaker scene that has permeated the past few years, it felt as if we were just getting more of the same. Up-and-comers like Luka Dončić and Trae Young had new signature shoe lines but weren’t bringing anything fresh to the table. Meanwhile, the classic Air Jordan line found itself almost entirely reliant on retro silhouettes and tired storytelling that wasn’t connecting with a new generation of consumer. Thankfully, just about every relevant performance brand has brought positive momentum to the table in 2024, and the conversation has shifted. Finally, it’s exciting to wear — and, from our standpoint to write about basketball — shoes again. We investigated this resurgence back in March, unpacking why the scene was poised for a major year , and brands still managed to exceed expectations. Anthony Edwards’ debut of his adidas AE1 was declared a hit early in 2024, but to see him carry this momentum throughout the year, in part thanks to the introduction of its low-top version, was extremely impressive. Devin Booker found similar success, albeit with less swagger, as the Nike BOOK 1 has taken on countless colorways in its first year on the market. Chinese brands like Rigorer and ANTA began to blossom as they saw Austin Reaves introduce his second signature shoe and Kyrie Irving’s new line develop into an emerging empire . As expected, the continued rollout of returning silhouettes from the Nike Kobe line has seen pairs fly off of shelves one after another. What’s more is that there’s even more to be excited about heading into 2025. WNBA athletes made more noise this year with sneakers like the Nike Sabrina 2 being embraced by hoopers as one of the best performing models. But with debut signature shoes from Caitlin Clark , A’ja Wilson and Angel Reese all coming in the next two years, it’s safe to say that this portion of the market will only grow from here. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is another athlete who will be dropping his own signature shoe — with Converse — in 2025 while Tyrese Haliburton and Salehe Bembury are going to bring new energy to the PUMA Hoops squad. The future is bright for basketball sneakers, and when basketball sneakers are good it’s greater for the creativity of the larger market in general. A Championship Year for Football Style C.p. Company “Blokecore” isn’t a 2024 term. It’s a saying with its roots in 2022 — the year when it seemed simply everything needed “core” slapped at the end of it as a descriptor — that loosely encapsulates a look inspired by British football (or soccer, if you’d prefer) fans. Though at the time it meant little more than someone who liked vintage football shirts, baggy pants and football-influenced shoes like adidas Sambas, plus a little Stone Island or C.P. Company to boot, 2024 was the year that it transcended into the mainstream lexicon. Football and fashion have always gone hand in hand. You need look no further than British terrace or Italian ultra culture to understand that. (There’d be no “blokecore” without those movements too). However, that handshake between sartorial subculture and sport became a fusion of two beings into one this year, thanks to direct club-and-brand partnerships, successful tournaments, plenty of high-heat drops and more. From a very literal standpoint, clubs directly acknowledged the brands popular among their supporters in a way that they never had before, and these brands tapped into the clubs’ striking iconography for both tributes and modern reinterpritations. Manchester City and C.P. Company’s FW24 campaign spotlighted some of City’s biggest stars like Phil Foden, Nathan Aké and Jérémy Doku. Y-3 and Real Madrid created both a travel collection and striking matchwear . The longstanding partnership between Off-WhiteTM and AC Milan, arguably the genesis of the current collaborative market, created a capsule for AC Milan’s 125th anniversary . Even the Gunners got in on the fun: with Arsenal linked with LABRUM on kits , inspired one of the brand’s collections and even joined forces with Aries for the club’s first “streetwear” collection. That’s not even mentioning the flat-out great kits that Y-3 created for Japan’s national football federation. And it would be remiss to not mention the impact of Lionel Messi’s year — as his career draws to a close — and therefore, its aesthetic. The Copa America, captured by Messi’s Argentina squad , brought a wealth of eyeballs, as did the UEFA European Championship, and Messi was the face of several projects that included a adidas collaboration with Bad Bunny . It was a banner year for football style, and with the next World Cup right around the corner in 2026 there’s no reason to think that the next few years will be any different."Populism is a rhetorical tool and a double-edged sword," Daniel Horowitz tweets. "It's not an end to itself. Beware of landing in a place where you are incurring all the progressive aspects of populism but not the right-leaning ones." Populism is a rhetorical tool and a double-edge sword. It's not an end to itself. Beware of landing in a place where you are incurring all the progressive aspects of populism but not the right-leaning ones. One thought of how to describe populism is sticking a political finger in the political wind and going where it is blowing. A populist is a standard-bearer of the populous, presumably catering to the highest and most concentrated constituent demands. While some politicians may find populist tendencies to be convenient, populist governance can be dangerous, reckless, and irresponsible. The holdings of a minority can be politically gored to impotence by an out-of-control populist movement. There must be an adherence to lawful standards by elected officeholders, for they are guardrails against tyranny. There must be defined policy positioning by candidates for office, for the measuring of elected officials against their pledges is a way to determine office integrity and competence for possible further officeholding. If a politician is not checked by legal standards and makes no definable policy declarations, that leaves few speedbumps or stop signs between him or her and nearly unlimited power. Governing by whatever polls well on Friday afternoon, or more dangerously, by whatever charms the whim of the one in power, replaces representative republic with unaccountable autocracy. Of such a danger to freedom, there is no mitigation.

WASHINGTON (TNS) — My prediction that President Joe Biden would drop out was a rare bright spot among last year’s not totally serious predictions. Undaunted, I try again by looking ahead to 2025: January — House re-elects Speaker Mike Johnson on third ballot after he agrees to make Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene assistant speaker. Outgoing Biden commutes sentences of 1,250 non-violent drug offenders and pardons Donald Trump for “all past and future offenses.” In his inaugural speech, Trump thanks “my friend, Joe Biden” for his service. Trump issues an executive order to begin deporting illegal immigrants. Boise State wins the college football title. Senate Intelligence Committee rejects Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination as director of national intelligence. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confirmed as Health and Human Services secretary on a 50-50 tie broken by Vice President JD Vance. February — Congress passes previously stalled legislation providing additional funds for immigration enforcement. Trump names Texas Gov. Greg Abbott as director of national intelligence, elevating his close ally Dan Patrick to governorship. Trump launches probe of mystery drone sightings. Detroit Lions defeat Kansas City to win Super Bowl for first championship in 67 years. KC’s Travis Kelce retires and proposes to Taylor Swift. Twelve Democratic state attorneys general file suit in Michigan federal court to block deportations. Democratic National Committee elects Rahm Emanuel as new chair. March — Trump imposes a 20% tariff on all U.S. imports. Stock market drops 20%. President rejects Elon Musk proposal to merge Army and Air Force, potentially saving $500 billion. Trump invites Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet in Budapest to settle the war. Zelenskyy refuses. Trump vetoes congressional resolution extending federal funding, forcing a partial federal shutdown. April — In a stunning upset, Democrats win one of two special elections in heavily Republican Florida districts, cutting GOP House margin to 219-216. Trump signs a resolution to reopen government. Duke defeats Gonzaga to win college basketball title. Congress ends U.S. military aid for Ukraine. Zelenskyy agrees to meet Trump and Putin. Alexander Ovechkin finishes season two goals short of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time National Hockey League record. Zelenskyy agrees to a ceasefire on current battle lines, granting Russia additional land in the eastern part of the country. May — Trump rejects Musk’s proposal to remove the cap on income subject to Social Security taxes, which would have raised taxes on wealthy participants but extended solvency of system. Taylor Swift accepts Travis Kelce proposal. Democrats score upset victory in special election for U.N. Ambassador Elise Stefanik’s Upstate New York House seat, cutting GOP margin to 218-217. Former Vice President Kamala Harris announces she’ll seek California governorship in 2026. June — Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo wins eight-way Democratic primary for mayor of New York City. Washington Capitals upset Dallas Stars to win their second Stanley Cup. Boston Celtics defend their NBA title. Trump rejects Musk proposal to cut veterans health benefits to save $300 billion. Michigan federal court rules Trump deportation order unconstitutional. Administration seeks immediate Supreme Court hearing. July — Israel holds a war-delayed election and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu loses to a centrist coalition. Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, a former journalist, takes over. Trump announces the mysterious drones were launched by billionaire and White House adviser Elon Musk. Congress passes tax bill extending the 2017 Trump tax cuts and removing taxes on tipped income and Social Security benefits. Congressional Budget Office projects $4.2 trillion deficit for next year. Stock market hits new 2025 low. August — Deaths of two House members, one from each party, create vacancies cutting GOP margin to 217-216. Speaker Johnson fires head of Congressional Budget Office for “misleading projections.” The Supreme Court schedules deportation appeal for October. In war-delayed Ukraine election, Zelenskyy is defeated by Gen. Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, his top military leader. Trump’s job approval dips below 50. Trump names Bettina Anderson as U.S. ambassador to Zimbabwe after reported breakup with Donald Trump Jr. September — Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift get married in KC’s Arrowhead Stadium on national television before NFL opener. Trump presents Musk-Ramaswamy report to Congress, calling for $150 billion in budget reductions, well short of their original $2 trillion goal. Targets include the new FBI headquarters, the $16 billion Hudson River Rail Tunnel, and the California high speed rail project. Musk resigns as unpaid presidential adviser and announces he will seek the Texas governorship. Ramaswamy resigns, announces candidacy for Ohio governorship. October — In Washington Capitals’ hockey opener, Alexander Ovechkin scores hat trick to become all-time National Hockey League goals leader. Federal grand jury rejects Justice Department effort to indict former Rep. Liz Cheney for “witness tampering” in Jan. 6 probe. Conservative Pierre Poilievre ousts Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Canadian election. New York Mets upset 2024 champion Los Angeles Dodgers in National League Championship Series but lose World Series to underdog Las Vegas Athletics. November — Democrat Abigail Spanberger elected governor of Virginia, continuing 48-year pattern of victories by the party that lost the prior presidential race. But Republican Jack Ciattarelli, narrow 2021 loser, scores upset in New Jersey. Democrats win both special House elections, overturning GOP’s 218-217 majority. The Supreme Court upholds Trump executive order, and deportations begin. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz resigns to become University of Minnesota football coach. December — Unemployment takes a sudden upward surge. Trump’s job approval drops to 44. New House Democratic majority elects New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries as first Black speaker. Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark becomes first female majority leader. Republicans oust Johnson, make Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan minority leader. Trump names former Speaker Johnson as ambassador to Pacific islands of Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga, Nauru and Tuvalu. (Carl P. Leubsdorf is the former Washington bureau chief of the Dallas Morning News. Readers may write to him via email at carl.p.leubsdorf@gmail.com .)Number of women who are state lawmakers inches up to a record highOrlando Magic forward Franz Wagner will be sidelined indefinitely with a torn right oblique muscle, the NBA team said Saturday, a major blow for a club already missing star Paolo Banchero with the same injury. Wagner was hurt in the Magic's 102-94 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday. Jeff Weltman, Orlando president of basketball operations, said he would be re-evaluated in four weeks. Wagner has played a key role in keeping the Magic competitive since Banchero was injured on October 30. He has scored at least 20 points in nine straight games and is averaging 24.4 points, 5.7 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game for the season. At 16-9 the Magic are in third place in the Eastern Conference. However, they are still without Banchero, who said on Monday he had "finally" been able to take part in some on-court ball-handling and spot shooting practice. "Obviously (there) wasn't any sprinting or cutting or anything," Banchero said. "But hopefully in the next few weeks I can start getting into more of that and just work my way back into playing shape." bb/sev

Syrian Jihadi Rebels Move on to Second Major City, HamaKings back home for double dip with Edmonton, Philadelphia

Nana And Chae Jong Seok’s “Lovestagrams” Were A Little Too On The NoseBy Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times A recent study that recommended toxic chemicals in black plastic products be immediately thrown away included a math error that significantly overstated the risks of contamination, but its authors are standing by their conclusions and warn against using such products. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Chemosphere , experts from the nonprofit Toxic-Free Future said they detected flame retardants and other toxic chemicals in 85% of 203 items made of black plastic including kitchen utensils , take-out containers, children’s toys and hair accessories. The study initially said the potential exposure to chemicals found in one of the kitchen utensils approached the minimum levels the Environmental Protection Agency deemed a health risk. But in an update to the study, the authors say they made an error in their calculations and the real levels were “an order of magnitude lower” than the EPA’s thresholds. The error was discovered by Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society in Canada. In a blog post, Schwarcz explained that the Toxin-Free Future scientists miscalculated the lower end of what the EPA considered a health risk through a multiplication error. Instead of humans being potentially exposed to a dose of toxic chemicals in black plastic utensils near the minimum level that the EPA deems a health risk, it’s actually about one-tenth of that. Though Schwarcz said the risks outlined in the study aren’t enough for him to discard his black plastic kitchen items if he had them, he agreed with the authors that flame retardants shouldn’t be in these products in the first place. “The math error does not impact the study’s findings, conclusions or recommendations,” said Megan Liu, a co-author of the study who is the science and policy manager for Toxic-Free Future . She added that any traces of flame retardants or toxic chemicals in cooking utensils should be concerning for the public. Flame retardants are getting into commonly used items because black-colored products are being made from recycled electronic waste, such as discarded television sets and computers, that frequently contain the additives. When they’re heated, the flame retardants and other toxic chemicals can migrate out. If you’re wondering whether your old black plastic spoon or other utensils are a part of this group, Liu shared some more guidance. It’s nearly impossible to know whether a black plastic product is contaminated. That’s because these products that include recycled e-waste don’t disclose a detailed list of all ingredients and contaminants in the product. Liu said it’s also unclear how many types of flame retardants are in these black plastic products. Some of the products that researchers tested in this recent study “had up to nine different harmful chemicals and harmful flame retardants in them,” she said. Anytime you’re looking for the type of recycled plastic a product is made of you’re going to look for a number within the chasing arrows (that form a triangle) logo. Recycling symbols are numbered 1 to 7 and we commonly associate the numbers with what we can toss in our blue recycling bins. The 1 through 7 numbers stand for, respectively, polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene or Styrofoam, and miscellaneous plastics (including polycarbonate, polylactide, acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene, styrene, fiberglass and nylon). The study found higher levels of toxic flame retardants in polystyrene plastic, which is labeled with the number 6, said Liu. There isn’t a definitively timeline of when recycled electronic-waste started to be incorporated into black plastic products specifically, but e-waste started to get recycled in the early 2000s, Liu said. The way computers, cellphones, stereos, printers and copiers were being disposed of previously was to simply add them to a landfill without reusing salvageable parts. But as the National Conference of State Legislatures notes, electronics production required a significant amount of resources that could be recovered through recycling. Recovering resources such as metals, plastics and glass through recycling used a fraction of the energy needed to mine new materials. However, the study pointed out that flame retardants and other chemical contaminates have been detected in and near e-waste recycling facilities, in indoor air and dust at formal e-waste recycling facilities in Canada, China, Spain and the U.S. It also noted contamination in soil samples surrounding e-waste recycling sites in China and Vietnam. The safest nontoxic material options for kitchen utensil are wood and stainless steel. ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

California’s Central Valley will be left behind no more, its leaders and Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday as the region became the first in the state to meet with the governor to submit its 20-year economic development plan, which aims to boost its agricultural industry and prepare for a key role in the green economy. The event in Fresno builds on the governor’s initiative , which he introduced in March , to invest in economic and workforce development with a focus on 13 regions as the state tries to help create more opportunities outside of its traditional jobs centers, such as the Bay Area and Los Angeles. “A thriving Sierra San Joaquin region is essential to California’s future,” said Ashley Swearengin, chief executive of the Central Valley Community Foundation, which helped bring together the counties in the region to create the 502-page plan, which was funded by the state. She handed a binder with the plan to Newsom during the press conference. Among other things, the counties of Madera, Fresno, Kings and Tulare are asking for $58 billion in public and private investments in the region over the next couple of decades, according to a draft of the plan from August. The region, which produces 25% of the nation’s food supply, has an annual output of $70 billion, the plan says. Despite its agricultural contributions and the major role it’s expected to play in helping generate the state’s renewable energy, 1 in 5 people in the region live below the poverty line, said Swearengin, a former Fresno mayor. “The challenges that confront this region’s families must always be present in our minds.” The governor said he expects to take the other regions’ plans and release a statewide blueprint in January. The state has set aside $182 million so far in grants to follow through on the plans. There’s optimism around the state’s focus on regions. Kate Gordon, CEO of California Forward, a nonprofit organization that focuses on the California economy and a former director of the governor’s Office of Planning and Research under Newsom, said “across California, stakeholders are getting together on a thoughtful approach” to creating high-quality jobs. Gordon added that some people “don’t feel themselves as part of the economy right now,” and that the regions working on their own strategies was “an incredibly inclusive process.” Newsom acknowledged what he called economic uneasiness among the state’s residents despite fairly low unemployment. “This is about people feeling on edge,” the governor said, adding that he is “excited” to support grant applications from the region. “It’s not talking about macro conditions, but about micro lived reality.” A common takeaway from this year’s elections is that voters made their decisions partly because of their economic concerns, at least according to exit polls. Newsom, who is heading into his final two years as governor, says he’s responding to those concerns . Republicans continually criticize him for being out of touch with the daily struggles of many Californians. Even as his national stature has grown , the state’s voters are split on his performance as governor . The governor made today’s announcement in Fresno County, where 51% voted for Donald Trump and 46% voted for Vice President Kamala Harris, with all but 7,100 votes counted. In 2020, Trump lost the county to Democrat Joe Biden 53% to 45%. Fresno County, which has a per-capita income of about $50,000 a year, among the lowest in California, has also consistently had among the highest unemployment claims in the state, according to data from the Employment Development Department. California’s unemployment rate inched up in October, to 5.4% from 5.3% the previous month. That’s the second-highest jobless rate in the nation, behind Nevada, while the U.S. unemployment rate is 4.1%. This week, the state’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s office noted in its fiscal outlook for the next year : “Outside of government and health care, the state has added no jobs in a year and a half.”

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ans declare should sue after a headline uploaded to Snapchat suggests the star is going to quit the WNBA after one year, as fans grow tired of the headlines around her. One of the most popular and controversial players in women's basketball, the 22-year-old is often in the news but now fans believe the boundary of acceptability has been crossed and thus she should make a stand for herself after the latest episode. This time, the headline suggests she will quit the WNBA "again", but the catch is that she never quit it to begin with meaning that this is misinformation at best and disinformation at worst and aims to use her image to collect clicks. The outcome is that fans are left incensed and have taken to X.com, formerly Twitter, to voice their frustrations as they say the problem spans multiple social media platforms and not just Snapchat. One user wrote, "I'm sick of it!! It's time to sue!!" A second added, "It's getting out of hand honestly." Whilst a third said, "Can't even search her name on YouTube it's so bad." And a fourth concluded, "Disgusting, You Tube is bad as well! As a fan I just keep reporting everything that I can!" Reese delivers message to critics despite being so confidently outspoken, is yet to comment on the matter but she did recently take up issue with her critics after she attended an NBA game during her winter break as she watched the Boston Celtics take on the Orlando Magic. The youngster backed the Magic for the win, through their association with who is her mentor, and she wasn't disappointed as the scarcely-manned Floridian side won 1-8-104 at the Kia Center. then took the chance to hit out at some of her haters online by rhetorically and sarcastically asking, "What's my record now???" She will next take to the WNBA court on May 17 when she takes on to kick off the 2025 season. The Sky look to improve on their .325 record (13 wins) from the previous year.Prince Harry talks about the rumors of Meghan Markle's divorce

Vor Biopharma Inc. VOR shares are trading higher on Friday after the company announced it has entered into a securities purchase agreement for a private investment in public equity financing (PIPE). What To Know: The company expects to generate about $55.6 million in gross proceeds from the PIPE. Vor plans to utilize these proceeds in order to fund clinical and preclinical development of its pipeline candidates and for general corporate purposes. As part of the PIPE, Vor will issue a total of 55,871,260 shares of common stock and accompanying warrants to purchase an additional 69,839,075 shares, priced at $0.99425 per share and warrants. If exercised for cash, the warrants would result in additional gross proceeds to Vor of up to approximately $58.5 million. The PIPE was led by Reid Hoffman who believes in the potential of Vor’s trem-cel therapy to treat acute myeloid leukemia. The therapy utilizes CRISPR/cas9 to modify the bone marrow of patients. “Early data released by Vor suggest a potent effect, which now must be confirmed by future trials. I am delighted to support this company that uses a game-changing technology that will hopefully impact the lives of patients with this lethal cancer – but even more the trajectory of cancer therapy in general,” said Hoffman. Related Link: Spotlight on SolarEdge Technologies: Analyzing the Surge in Options Activity VOR Price Action: At the time of writing, Vor stock is trading 40.8% higher at $1.18, according to data from Benzinga Pro . Image: Image: Emilian Danaila from Pixabay © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Cam Carter put LSU ahead for good with a jumper 1:08 into the third overtime and the Tigers came away with a wild 109-102 win over UCF on Sunday in the third-place game of the Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Carter's make sparked a 5-0 spurt for LSU (5-1), which mounted a ferocious second-half rally that began after Darius Johnson drilled a 3-pointer to put the Knights up 52-34 with 12:57 to play in regulation. UCF (4-2) got back within two in the third overtime, but it never found a way to draw even. Vyctorius Miller and Jordan Sears sealed the victory, combining for three buckets down low that gave the Tigers a 106-99 cushion with 17 seconds remaining. Carter was the late-game hero for LSU, scoring the final four points of regulation to forge a 70-70 tie. He also knocked down a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:19 left in the first extra session to give the Tigers a 76-75 advantage. Sears gave LSU a four-point edge with a triple of his own with 2:10 to go, but the Tigers failed to stay in front, and UCF's Keyshawn Hall kept the game going by sinking two free throws with six seconds remaining to make it 82-82. Neither team led by more than three in the second overtime, with Hall again coming to the Knights' rescue. He made two layups in the final 52 seconds of the frame to knot things at 93 and send the teams to a third OT. Few could have predicted 15 minutes of extra basketball after UCF put together a 25-3 first-half run that lifted it to a 38-18 advantage with 2:12 left until the break. LSU responded with seven unanswered points, but the Knights still led comfortably, 40-25, at intermission. Sears finished with a game-high-tying 25 points to go along with nine boards, while Jalen Reed recorded a 21-point, 13-rebound double-double for the Tigers. Carter netted 20 points, Miller had 16 and Dji Bailey chipped in 14. Johnson collected 25 points, six rebounds, eight assists and five steals for UCF. Hall totaled 21 points and 10 boards, and Jordan Ivy-Curry supplied 20 points. LSU outshot UCF 43.2 percent to 40.7 percent and had narrow advantages from behind the arc (12 made shots to 10) and the free-throw line (21-18). --Field Level Media

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