MetLife Inc. stock rises Thursday, outperforms marketNone
ISRO Achieves Significant Milestone For Gaganyaan MissionPublished 3:09 pm Thursday, December 5, 2024 By Sabrina Simms Robertson NATCHEZ — Speedy Eats, a new approach to fast food, should be open Natchez by late January and probably much sooner than that, entrepreneur Tance Hughes said. The first ever Speedy Eats machine, which operates like a self-serve vending machine that contains whole meals instead of just snacks and drinks, is now getting hooked up at its new home outside of Total Storage on John R. Junkin Drive. In initially announcing the new business venture, Hughes predicted it would be operational by September. “The unit has been tested and run and it’s ready,” he said. “We’re just getting electric hooked up, getting the sign on it, and getting all our permits approved. I suspect that within two weeks, it would technically be ready but I don’t know if it will be open by then — late January, but possibly before the new year.” Hughes said now would be a good time for future customers to download and get acquainted with the Speedy Eats phone app, which will be the avenue for ordering food from the machine when the time comes. Hughes also said to follow “Speedy Eats – Natchez, MS – 280 John R Junkin Drive” on social media to receive updates and leave feedback. People may also send messages to make suggestions of things they would like to see added, he said. Unlike restaurants or convenience stores, there is no person full-time running this new food service. Instead, customers order on the app and drive up to collect their food either ready to eat cold or heat up at home or at work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, he said. Three to six months after the initial opening, a heating mechanism will be added so that hot meals will come out ready to eat, he said. “We’ll have between eight and 10 meals to start out with,” he said. “Chicken Alfredo, General TSO chicken with rice and broccoli, Cajun chicken salad, chef’s salad, red beans and rice, chicken teriyaki noodles and a few different wraps.” These meals can be made complete with fresh juices by chef Cheryl Bowman and other bottled drinks and chips. Added to that will be a few seasonal options, such as loaded potato soup and gumbo, Hughes said. All of these are kept in a refrigerated container until ordered and are intended to be consumed the same day, he said. Each meal will be kept in the container for up to seven to 10 days. The food that expires is automatically purged and discarded into a trash compartment, Hughes said. “It’s smart in that way,” he said. “There will be a sticker with the expiration date on each meal, so when you get it, you’ll know.” Other options are being explored like sushi, health-conscious meals and gluten-free options, he said. “The plan is to start simple and see what people purchase first. We’ll let the people tell us what they want.” In the initial feedback, Hughes said people are excited about the variety of options they will soon have ready to order at their fingertips. “People are interested in having different meal options. The Chinese food people are excited about,” he said, adding since the closing of South China there are fewer options for Chinese food available in the area. “Everyone is looking for fresh food that is not fried fast food. For some cooking for two or just one person is not something they want to do, whether they are in a time crunch or they make too much because it’s hard to cook for two people. Women have contacted me saying this would be great for their husbands to take to a deer camp or to grab when the wives are out of town.” Hughes said the machine is the first of its kind created by owner Speed Bancroft and his company based in Baton Rouge. “I reached out to the founder and told him that I liked what he was doing,” Hughes said, adding he explained how Natchez had a “gap in the market” for fresh, quality meals delivered on demand. Hughes will be the one to be hands-on overseeing the machine’s operation, he said. Natchez is the guinea pig for this new technology, he said. “We’ll be learning about it and how to properly operate and will be tweaking as we go and as we learn,” he said. “That said, we’re looking for feedback from people using it because it is such a new concept. That will allow us to refine and tweak as we go. There is a lot of interest in this technology and there will be a lot of people watching this one.”
The Vanderbilt Commodores , led by quarterback Diego Pavia , face the LSU Tigers , led by quarterback Garrett Nussmeier on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 (11/23/24) at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. How to watch: Fans can watch the game for free via a trial of DirecTV Stream or fuboTV . You can also watch via a subscription to Sling TV , which is offering half off your first month. Here’s what you need to know: What: NCAA Football, Week 13 Who: Vanderbilt vs. LSU When: Saturday, Nov. 23 (11/23/24) Where: Tiger Stadium Time: 7:45 p.m. ET TV: SEC Network Live stream: fuboTV (free trial) , DirecTV Stream (free trial) *** Here are the best streaming options for college football this season: Fubo TV (free trial): fuboTV carries ESPN, FOX, ABC, NBC and CBS. DirecTV Stream (free trial) : DirecTV Stream carries ESPN, FOX, NBC and CBS. Sling TV ( $25 off the first month) - Sling TV carries ESPN, FOX, ABC and NBC. ESPN+ ($9.99 a month): ESPN+ carries college football games each weekend for only $9.99 a month. These games are exclusive to the platform. Peacock TV ($5.99 a month): Peacock will simulstream all of NBC Sports’ college football games airing on the NBC broadcast network this season, including Big Ten Saturday Night. Peacock will also stream Notre Dame home games. Certain games will be streamed exclusively on Peacock this year as well. Paramount+ (free trial): Paramount Plus will live stream college football games airing on CBS this year. *** Here’s a preview capsule via the Associated Press: Vanderbilt (6-4, 3-3 SEC) at LSU (6-4, 3-3), Saturday, 7:45 p.m. EST (SECN) BetMGM College Football Odds: LSU by 7 1/2. Series History: LSU leads 24-7-1 Both teams are bowl eligible and now are seeking the most attractive bids they can get. The winner will have an opportunity to get to eight regular-season victories. LSU is also trying to snap a three-game losing streak that knocked the Tigers out of the AP Top 25 , while Vanderbilt aims to avoid losing for the third time in four games. Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia, who is a threat to run, or throw on the run, against an LSU defense that has been shaky against mobile QBs this season such as Alabama’s Jalen Milroe and Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed. Vanderbilt: Pavia has figured in 124 points scored this season, the sixth-most in the SEC. He ranks eighth in the SEC with 628 yards rushing and has been named one of 16 semifinalists for the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards. LSU: RB Caden Durham leads all freshman running backs in the SEC with 551 yards rushing. He’s scored six TDs and rushed for 91 yards at Florida last week. RECOMMENDED • nj .com What channel is Vanderbilt vs. LSU game tonight (11/23/24)? FREE LIVE STREAM, Time, TV, Channel for college f Nov. 23, 2024, 1:45 p.m. What channel is Texas A&M vs. Auburn game tonight (11/23/24)? FREE LIVE STREAM, Time, TV, Channel for college Nov. 23, 2024, 1:30 p.m. Vanderbilt last played in Tiger Stadium in 2009 and has not won in Baton Rouge since 1951. ... The Commodores last defeated LSU in 1990 in Nashville. ... Vandy’s visit to LSU comes during what is also the first season since 1955 in which the Commodores have defeated both Alabama and Auburn . ... Vanderbilt is bowl eligible for the first time since 2018. ... Commodores WR Junior Sherrill has caught a pass in 21 straight games. ... Brock Taylor has made five field goals from 50 or more yards this season, making him the first Vanderbilt kicker to do so. ... Defensive back and returner Martel Hight is the first Vanderbilt player with 100-plus return yards since 2019 and his punt return average of 17.3 yards leads the SEC. ... LSU has won nine straight meetings with Vanderbilt and 13 of the past 14. ... After its loss last week at Florida , LSU is unable to reach 10 victories for the first time since coach Brian Kelly’s hiring before the 2022 season. ... Kelly is 15-7 in SEC regular-season games at LSU, including 8-2 in Tiger Stadium. ... LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier’s 22 TDs passing is tied for the SEC lead. He’s second in total offense (309.4 yards per game), passing yards per game (312.6) and TDs accounted for (25). ... Four LSU player have 35 or more receptions. (The Associated Press contributed to this report) Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.
As surveillance images of the then-unidentified suspect in the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson circulated across the U.S., a San Francisco police officer recognized his face. The officer had been investigating a missing persons report filed by 26-year-old Luigi Mangione’s mother weeks before, and contacted the FBI on Dec. 5, the San Francisco Chronicle reported . The FBI confirmed the agency had received the information from San Francisco police in a statement to HuffPost on Friday. But Mangione was not named as a person of interest or suspect until he was recognized by an employee of a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 9. “Has this name come up in your investigation at all?” NBC’s Savannah Guthrie asked NYPD officials on Dec. 10, pointing to the widely circulating surveillance photos. “This was not a name that was called in to us,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch replied. The FBI’s statement on Friday seemed to contradict that. “FBI New York conducted routine investigative activity and referred this and other leads to the New York City Police Department as part of our assistance to them in their investigation,” the statement said. The NYPD did not immediately respond to questions from HuffPost, and the FBI did not say when it passed on Mangione’s name to detectives. Mangione’s arrest shocked his friends , several of whom told news outlets or have written on social media that they hadn’t heard from him in months . Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone. Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you. Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages. In her missing persons report, filed in November, Mangione’s mother said she’d last spoken to him in July, the San Francisco Standard reported . An attorney for Mangione has said he has yet to see evidence that his client is the shooter. His family said in a statement that they were devastated by the news of his arrest and didn’t address whether they believed the man in the surveillance footage was Mangione. “We only know what we have read in the media,” the family’s statement said . “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.” Related From Our PartnerThe Bears look for an interim coach bump when they visit the struggling 49ers
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro was fully aware of and actively participated in a coup plot to remain in office after his defeat in the 2022 election , according to a Federal Police report unsealed Tuesday. Federal Police last Thursday formally accused Bolsonaro and 36 other people of attempting a coup. They sent their 884-page report to the Supreme Court, which lifted the seal. The unsealed document provides a first glimpse of several testimonies that describe the former president as one of the key leaders of the plot, and not a mere observer. “The evidence collected throughout the investigation shows unequivocally that then-President Jair Messias Bolsonaro planned, acted and was directly and effectively aware of the actions of the criminal organization aiming to launch a coup d’etat and eliminate the democratic rule of law, which did not take place due to reasons unrelated to his desire,” the document said. At another point, it says: “Bolsonaro had full awareness and active participation.” Bolsonaro, who had repeatedly alleged without evidence that the country's electronic voting system was prone to fraud, called a meeting in December 2022, during which he presented a draft decree to the commanders of the three divisions of the armed forces, according to the police report, signed by four investigators. The decree would have launched an investigation into suspicions of fraud and crimes related to the October 2022 vote, and suspended the powers of the nation's electoral court. The navy’s commander stood ready to comply, but those from the army and air force objected to any plan that prevented Lula’s inauguration, the report said. Those refusals are why the plan did not go ahead, according to witnesses who spoke to investigators. Bolsonaro never signed the decree to set the final stage of the alleged plan into action. Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing or awareness of any plot to keep him in power or oust his leftist rival and successor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. “No one is going to do a coup with a reserve general and half a dozen other officers. What is being said is absurd. For my part, there has never been any discussion of a coup,” Bolsonaro told journalists in Brazil’s capital Brasilia on Monday. “If someone came to discuss a coup with me, I’d say, that’s fine, but the day after, how does the world view us?” he added. “The word ‘coup’ has never been in my dictionary.” The top court has passed the report on to Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet. He will decide whether to formally charge Bolsonaro and put him on trial, or toss the investigation. The former president was formally accused of three crimes: violent elimination of the rule of law, staging a coup d'etat and forming a criminal organization. Rodrigo Rios, a law professor at the PUC university in the city of Curitiba, said Bolsonaro could face up to a minimum of 11 years in prison if convicted on all charges. “A woman involved in the Jan. 8 attack on the Supreme Court received a 17-year prison sentence,” Rios told The Associated Press, noting that the former president is more likely to receive 15 years or more if convicted. “Bolsonaro’s future looks dark.” Ahead of the 2022 election, Bolsonaro repeatedly alleged that the election system, which does not use paper ballots, could be tampered with. The top electoral court later ruled that he had abused his power to cast unfounded doubt on the voting system, and ruled him ineligible for office until 2030 . Still, he has maintained that he will stand as a candidate in the 2026 race. Since Bolsonaro left office, he has been targeted by several investigations, all of which he has chalked up to political persecution. Federal Police have accused him of smuggling diamond jewelry into Brazil without properly declaring them and directing a subordinate to falsify his and others’ COVID-19 vaccination statuses . Authorities are also investigating whether he incited the Jan. 8, 2022 riot in which his followers ransacked the Supreme Court and presidential palace in Brasilia, seeking to prompt intervention by the army that would oust Lula from power. Bolsonaro had left for the United States days before Lula’s inauguration on Jan. 1, 2023 and stayed there three months, keeping a low profile. The police report unsealed Tuesday alleges he was seeking to avoid possible imprisonment related to the coup plot, and also await the uprising that took place a week later. Hughes reported from Rio de JaneiroHidalgo leads No. 6 Notre Dame over JuJu Watkins and third-ranked USC 74-61 in big matchup out West
Boys soccer: Wolf Pack up to 2-1, Bulldogs extend unbeaten start, Falcons win two straightTens of thousands of Spaniards protest housing crunch and high rents in Barcelona
SCOTT McTOMINAY has been hogging the Serie A headlines for some outstanding performances for Napoli this season. Some brilliant goals too. 3 Scott McTominay has settled in quickly to Serie A life - and even scored against his Soctland team-mate's Torino side this month Credit: Getty 3 But Che Adams scored a goal against Empoli that will take some beating Credit: Getty 3 He found the net from the halfway line six minutes after coming on as a substitute Credit: x.com/seriea_en But Scotland team-mate Che Adams might just have eclipsed the former Manchester United man this weekend. While Napoli swooped for McTominay and Billy Gilmour this summer , Che Adams made the same move to Italy , but stayed in the northern city of Turin - and joined Torino. Early in the season they had a bright start, and established a spot at the top of the Serie A table, but since then have slowly fallen down the pecking order as Antonio Conte and his Scottish double-act lead the way instead. The growing Scottish contingent in the Italian top flight began with ex-Hibs midfielder Liam Henderson , and he came face to face with his fellow countryman when Empoli met Torino this evening - but Adams came out on top. Read More Serie A stories LOVE LANGUAGE McTominay's new skill has fans saying 'I'll love you till my heart breaks' STAR COMPARISON Billy Gilmour paid ultimate compliment by Napoli fans With an absolute screamer of a strike . The forward was only on the park six minutes as a substitute but launched what turned out to be the match winner from around 45 yards. It was a sensational goal and an important one too - Torino have only won ONCE since September 20 before this evening. And after four goals in 14 games Adams is also beginning to find his feet and show signs he's settled in. Most read in Football GAME ON Scotland's World Cup qualifying fixture dates and kick-off times in full LEVEL HEAD Clement shrugs off Celtic record as Rangers boss warns against Hoops' mind games BOOKIE BASHER Jim Delahunt's Celtic v Rangers League Cup Final verdict & 12/1 weekend acca LEAVE IT OUT Rodgers makes something clear about Clement 'financially out our league' claim The effort was lauded as a 'crazy idea' by relieved fans of his new club, but it's not the first time he's tried it. Rangers can't drop Tavernier vs Celtic after Spurs heroics, insists Kris Boyd And it's not the first time it's come off either. At Southampton he scored from the halfway line against Manchester City in one of the most memorable goals of the Covid season. This time though there were fans to witness and applaud it. And more filed praise on social media after it. One wrote: "Sorry if I ever doubted you Che". Another added: "Beautiful goal, the rest was a cry. But winning mattered." A third said: "Fabulous idea from Che, splendid goal, which gives us 3 points, for a crazy idea. Goal not from open play, but that's okay." And the strike made it's way to Southampton fans too. But fans from his former side were blase about it all. One replied: "What again! (Anyone remember the city game during lockdown)" Another added: "Nothing special he basically did it against Man City ." A third Saint said: "And how many tap ins did he miss for us?" Read more on the Scottish Sun BATTY WEATHER Record-breaking snow & temps on the way for Scotland as expert issues warning GER KIDDING Tottenham fans blast ex-Spurs star as he's spotted wildly celebrating Gers goal Adams' confidence and a return to goalscoring form would be a boost for Steve Clarke who will have him in his thoughts ahead of Scotland's crucial Nations League play-off double-header with Greece in March. The boss has struggled for firepower lately with neither Adams, Lawrence Shankland nor Lyndon Dykes finding form in front of goal. Keep up to date with ALL t h e latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football pageNASA has discovered a military base within an ice sheet in Greenland, which dates back to 1959 and is known as the "City under the Ice." The base was known as Camp Century, a testing site for nuclear missiles during the Cold War era. NASA is regularly at the forefront of discovery, studying space with hyper-advanced technology and trying to predict potential human disasters. Climate change experts warn of 'silent ticking time bomb' ahead of Black Friday Earth's axis tilts 31.5 inches - and scientists pinpoint what is to blame While flying above Greenland, scientists were monitoring the radar, and they noticed something hidden under the ice about 150 miles east of Pituffik Space Base. “We didn’t know what it was at first,” cryospheric scientist Alex Gardner with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory said in a statement. “We were looking for the bed of the ice,” Gardner said, “and out pops Camp Century.” The US Army Corps of Engineers built the base, but it was decommissioned after only eight years, and since it was abandoned, the structure was frozen and lost in time. There have been slight hints the base was lying under levels of tice, with specific radars picking up traces of such a base, but there was never a significant follow to the blips on the radar. Bomb cyclone to unleash eight trillion gallons of rainfall on California McDonald's to reduce environmental impact of gassy cattle with new seed tech Harry and Meghan ‘living in a much more hostile environment’ It wasn't until NASA used their Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar and found robust data that showed the structure remained. “In the new data, individual structures in the secret city are visible in a way that they’ve never been seen before," Greene said in a statement. The radar is meant to provide data for any effects of future global warming, and the discovery of Camp Century was unexpected to the scientists.PICC lines, Sepsis and Septic Shock
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro was fully aware of and actively participated in a coup plot to remain in office after his defeat in the 2022 election , according to a Federal Police report unsealed Tuesday. Federal Police last Thursday formally accused Bolsonaro and 36 other people of attempting a coup. They sent their 884-page report to the Supreme Court, which lifted the seal. The unsealed document provides a first glimpse of several testimonies that describe the former president as one of the key leaders of the plot, and not a mere observer. “The evidence collected throughout the investigation shows unequivocally that then-President Jair Messias Bolsonaro planned, acted and was directly and effectively aware of the actions of the criminal organization aiming to launch a coup d’etat and eliminate the democratic rule of law, which did not take place due to reasons unrelated to his desire,” the document said. At another point, it says: “Bolsonaro had full awareness and active participation.” Bolsonaro, who had repeatedly alleged without evidence that the country's electronic voting system was prone to fraud, called a meeting in December 2022, during which he presented a draft decree to the commanders of the three divisions of the armed forces, according to the police report, signed by four investigators. The decree would have launched an investigation into suspicions of fraud and crimes related to the October 2022 vote, and suspended the powers of the nation's electoral court. The navy’s commander stood ready to comply, but those from the army and air force objected to any plan that prevented Lula’s inauguration, the report said. Those refusals are why the plan did not go ahead, according to witnesses who spoke to investigators. Bolsonaro never signed the decree to set the final stage of the alleged plan into action. Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing or awareness of any plot to keep him in power or oust his leftist rival and successor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. “No one is going to do a coup with a reserve general and half a dozen other officers. What is being said is absurd. For my part, there has never been any discussion of a coup,” Bolsonaro told journalists in Brazil’s capital Brasilia on Monday. “If someone came to discuss a coup with me, I’d say, that’s fine, but the day after, how does the world view us?” he added. “The word ‘coup’ has never been in my dictionary.” The top court has passed the report on to Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet. He will decide whether to formally charge Bolsonaro and put him on trial, or toss the investigation. The former president was formally accused of three crimes: violent elimination of the rule of law, staging a coup d'etat and forming a criminal organization. Rodrigo Rios, a law professor at the PUC university in the city of Curitiba, said Bolsonaro could face up to a minimum of 11 years in prison if convicted on all charges. “A woman involved in the Jan. 8 attack on the Supreme Court received a 17-year prison sentence,” Rios told The Associated Press, noting that the former president is more likely to receive 15 years or more if convicted. “Bolsonaro’s future looks dark.” Ahead of the 2022 election, Bolsonaro repeatedly alleged that the election system, which does not use paper ballots, could be tampered with. The top electoral court later ruled that he had abused his power to cast unfounded doubt on the voting system, and ruled him ineligible for office until 2030 . Still, he has maintained that he will stand as a candidate in the 2026 race. Since Bolsonaro left office, he has been targeted by several investigations, all of which he has chalked up to political persecution. Federal Police have accused him of smuggling diamond jewelry into Brazil without properly declaring them and directing a subordinate to falsify his and others’ COVID-19 vaccination statuses . Authorities are also investigating whether he incited the Jan. 8, 2022 riot in which his followers ransacked the Supreme Court and presidential palace in Brasilia, seeking to prompt intervention by the army that would oust Lula from power. Bolsonaro had left for the United States days before Lula’s inauguration on Jan. 1, 2023 and stayed there three months, keeping a low profile. The police report unsealed Tuesday alleges he was seeking to avoid possible imprisonment related to the coup plot, and also await the uprising that took place a week later. Hughes reported from Rio de JaneiroBy DAVID BAUDER Time magazine gave Donald Trump something it has never done for a Person of the Year designee: a lengthy fact-check of claims he made in an accompanying interview. Related Articles National Politics | Trump’s lawyers rebuff DA’s idea for upholding his hush money conviction, calling it ‘absurd’ National Politics | Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time National Politics | Ruling by a conservative Supreme Court could help blue states resist Trump policies National Politics | A nonprofit leader, a social worker: Here are the stories of the people on Biden’s clemency list National Politics | Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after she ‘sustained an injury’ on official trip to Luxembourg The fact-check accompanies a transcript of what the president-elect told the newsmagazine’s journalists. Described as a “12 minute read,” it calls into question 15 separate statements that Trump made. It was the second time Trump earned the Time accolade; he also won in 2016, the first year he was elected president. Time editors said it wasn’t a particularly hard choice over other finalists Kamala Harris, Elon Musk, Benjamin Netanyahu and Kate Middleton. Time said Friday that no other Person of the Year has been fact-checked in the near-century that the magazine has annually written about the figure that has had the greatest impact on the news. But it has done the same for past interviews with the likes of Joe Biden, Netanyahu and Trump. Such corrections have been a sticking point for Trump and his team in the past, most notably when ABC News did it during his only debate with Democrat Kamala Harris this fall. There was no immediate response to a request for comment on Friday. In the piece, Time called into question statements Trump made about border security, autism and the size of a crowd at one of his rallies. When the president-elect talked about the “massive” mandate he had received from voters, Time pointed out that former President Barack Obama won more electoral votes the two times he had run for president. The magazine also questioned Trump’s claim that he would do interviews with anyone who asked during the campaign, if he had the time. The candidate rejected a request to speak to CBS’ “60 Minutes,” the magazine said. “In the final months of his campaign, Trump prioritized interviews with podcasts over mainstream media,” reporters Simmone Shah and Leslie Dickstein wrote. David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.When dockworkers walked the picket line in October, the strike lasted for 3 days. And if a new contract between their 45,000 member union and the U.S. Maritime Alliance isn't signed by mid-January — a longer strike could send inflation going in the wrong direction. Just months after a strike at Gulf and East Coast ports ended, operators and union members are now at an impasse — once again — over automation. Port operators say they need more technology to increase port efficiency, improve safety and to control costs. But union members say no, because some workers will lose their jobs. A new strike could come if an agreement isn't reached by January 15. And if that happens inflation could increase, when goods aren't flowing in an out of ports as quickly. Thursday union leaders met with President-elect Donald trump at Mar-a-Lago and walked away with his support. Writing about automation on Truth social, Trump said "the amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American workers," and that foreign countries "...shouldn't be looking for every last penny knowing how many families are hurt." RELATED STORY | Billions of dollars of U.S. economic activity halted as port workers enter day two of their strike Professor Todd Belt of George Washington University called it Trump striking a different path than he did during his first term. "During the first Trump term you had Donald Trump, surrounded by a lot of people who were suggested to him by incumbent Republicans who had really a Republican orthodoxy on free trade. Donald trump now is going to be surrounded by a lot of people who support his ideas of interventionism and tariffs, as well as other trade policies that will protect working people at the expense of, of course, inflation," Belt said. The International Longshoremen's Association has until Jan. 15 to negotiate a new contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies. At the heart of the dispute is whether ports can install automated gates, cranes and container-moving trucks that could make it faster to unload and load ships. The union argues that automation would lead to fewer jobs, even though higher levels of productivity could do more to boost the salaries of remaining workers. The Maritime Alliance said in a statement that the contract goes beyond ports to "supporting American consumers and giving American businesses access to the global marketplace — from farmers, to manufacturers, to small businesses, and innovative start-ups looking for new markets to sell their products." "To achieve this, we need modern technology that is proven to improve worker safety, boost port efficiency, increase port capacity, and strengthen our supply chains," said the alliance, adding that it looks forward to working with Trump. In October, the union representing 45,000 dockworkers went on strike for three days, raising the risk that a prolonged shutdown could push up inflation by making it difficult to unload container ships and export American products overseas. The issue pits an incoming president who won November's election on the promise of bringing down prices against commitments to support blue-collar workers along with the kinds of advanced technology that drew him support from Silicon Valley elite such as billionaire Elon Musk. Trump sought to portray the dispute as being between U.S. workers and foreign companies, but advanced ports are also key for staying globally competitive. China is opening a $1.3 billion port in Peru that could accommodate ships too large for the Panama Canal. There is a risk that shippers could move to other ports, which could also lead to job losses. Mexico is constructing a port that is highly automated, while Dubai, Singapore and Rotterdam already have more advanced ports. "For the great privilege of accessing our markets, these foreign companies should hire our incredible American Workers, instead of laying them off, and sending those profits back to foreign countries," Trump posted. "It is time to put AMERICA FIRST!" The Associated Press contributed to this report.LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hannah Hidalgo scored 24 points and No. 6 Notre Dame defeated JuJu Watkins and third-ranked Southern California 74-61 on Saturday in a marquee matchup on the West Coast. Watkins and the Trojans (4-1) fell behind early and were down 21 points in the fourth quarter. She had 24 points, six rebounds and five assists. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.