Sean Kirst: In Buffalo and Syracuse, two architects gave gift of light and wonder to generations

Did PV Sindhu Lie To Ranveer Allahbadia About Being SINGLE? Here’s How The Ace Shuttler Kept Her Relationship SecretRuud van Nistelrooy 'hurt' and lifts lid on 'man-to-man' chat with Man Utd boss Amorim

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump's supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump's movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump's Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer , a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer's comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks , whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar." Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government , weighed in, defending the tech industry's need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump's world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift, and his presidential transition team did not respond to a message seeking comment. Musk, the world's richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect , was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump's movement but his stance on the tech industry's hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry's need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent," he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Trump's own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration , including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order , which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump's businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club , and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country" and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country," he told the “All-In" podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump's budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes.Citigroup Inc. grew its holdings in Portland General Electric ( NYSE:POR – Free Report ) by 43.5% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 183,044 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 55,529 shares during the quarter. Citigroup Inc.’s holdings in Portland General Electric were worth $8,768,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of POR. Jane Street Group LLC raised its stake in Portland General Electric by 274.5% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 197,687 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $8,303,000 after purchasing an additional 144,900 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers raised its position in shares of Portland General Electric by 228.4% during the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 52,833 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $2,219,000 after buying an additional 36,744 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Portland General Electric by 231.6% in the first quarter. Cetera Advisors LLC now owns 19,499 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $819,000 after buying an additional 13,618 shares during the period. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. acquired a new stake in Portland General Electric during the second quarter worth about $31,557,000. Finally, Qsemble Capital Management LP bought a new position in Portland General Electric during the second quarter valued at about $678,000. Portland General Electric Trading Down 0.3 % Shares of Portland General Electric stock opened at $47.93 on Friday. Portland General Electric has a 12-month low of $39.13 and a 12-month high of $49.85. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $47.40 and a 200 day simple moving average of $46.17. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. Portland General Electric Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 24th will be paid a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.17%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 24th. Portland General Electric’s dividend payout ratio is currently 59.70%. Insider Transactions at Portland General Electric In other news, SVP Maria Angelica Espinosa sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.30, for a total transaction of $120,750.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 14,263 shares in the company, valued at approximately $688,902.90. This represents a 14.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link . Company insiders own 0.54% of the company’s stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of analysts have commented on the company. StockNews.com upgraded Portland General Electric from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 24th. Barclays reduced their target price on Portland General Electric from $49.00 to $48.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. Evercore ISI began coverage on shares of Portland General Electric in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $54.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Portland General Electric from $54.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Portland General Electric in a report on Friday, September 20th. They set a “hold” rating and a $48.00 price objective for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $48.86. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on POR Portland General Electric Profile ( Free Report ) Portland General Electric Company, an integrated electric utility company, engages in the generation, wholesale purchase, transmission, distribution, and retail sale of electricity in the state of Oregon. It operates six thermal plants, three wind farms, and seven hydroelectric facilities. As of December 31, 2023, the company owned an electric transmission system consisting of 1,254 circuit miles, including 287 circuit miles of 500 kilovolt line, 413 circuit miles of 230 kilovolt line, and 554 miles of 115 kilovolt line; and served 934 thousand retail customers in 51 cities. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding POR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Portland General Electric ( NYSE:POR – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Portland General Electric Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Portland General Electric and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .None

The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% from the all-time high it had set the day before, its 56th of the year so far, to shave a bit off what's set to be one of its best years of the millennium. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 248 points, or 0.6%, while the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.2% from its own record set the day before. Bitcoin powered above $100,000 for the first time the night before, after President-elect Donald Trump chose Paul Atkins, who's seen as a crypto advocate, as his nominee to head the Securities and Exchange Commission. The cryptocurrency has climbed dramatically from less than $70,000 on Election Day, but it fell back as Thursday progressed toward $99,000, according to CoinDesk. Sharp swings for bitcoin are nothing new, and they took stocks of companies enmeshed in the crypto world on a similar ride. After rising as much as 9% in early trading, MicroStrategy, a company that's been raising cash just to buy bitcoin, swung to a loss of 4.8%. Crypto exchange Coinbase Global fell 3.1% after likewise erasing a big early gain. Elsewhere on Wall Street, stocks of airlines helped lead the way following the latest bumps up to financial forecasts from carriers. American Airlines Group soared 16.8% after saying it's making more in revenue during the last three months of 2024 than it expected, and it will likely make a bigger profit than it had earlier forecast. The airline also chose Citi to be its exclusive partner for credit cards that give miles in its loyalty program. That should help its cash coming in from co-branded credit card and other partners grow by about 10% annually. Southwest Airlines climbed 2% after saying it's seeing stronger demand from leisure travelers than it expected. It also raised its forecast for revenue for the holiday traveling season. On the losing end of Wall Street was Synopsys, which tumbled 12.4%. The supplier for the semiconductor industry reported better profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected, but it also warned of "continued macro uncertainties" and gave a forecast for revenue in the current quarter that fell short of some analysts' estimates. American Eagle Outfitters fell even more, 14.3%, after the retailer said it's preparing for "potential choppiness" outside of peak selling periods. It was reminiscent of a warning from Foot Locker earlier in the week and raised more concerns about how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain. Solid spending by U.S. consumers has been one of the main reasons the U.S. economy has avoided a recession that earlier seemed inevitable after the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates to crush inflation. But shoppers are now contending with still-high prices and a slowing job market. This week's highlight for Wall Street will be Friday's jobs report from the U.S. government, which will show how many people employers hired and fired last month. A report on Thursday said the number of U.S. workers applying for unemployment benefits rose last week but remains at historically healthy levels. Expectations are high that the Fed will cut its main interest rate again when it meets in two weeks. The Fed began easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high in September, hoping to offer more support for the job market. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury edged down to 4.17% from 4.18% late Wednesday. The S&P 500 fell 11.38 points to 6,075.11. The Dow sank 248.33 to 44,765.71, and the Nasdaq composite lost 34.86 to 19,700.26. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mostly calm in Europe after far-right and left-wing lawmakers in France joined together to vote on a no-confidence motion that will force Prime Minister Michel Barnier and his Cabinet to resign. The CAC 40 index in Paris added 0.4%. In South Korea, the Kospi fell 0.9% to compound its 1.4% decline from the day before. President Yoon Suk Yeol was facing possible impeachment after he suddenly declared martial law on Tuesday night. He revoked the martial law declaration six hours later. Crude oil prices slipped after eight members of the OPEC+ alliance of oil exporting countries decided to put off increasing oil production.Monogram Technologies Announces Management and Related Parties Complete Open Market Purchases of MGRM Common Stock Totaling $1 Million

Some tech industry leaders are pushing the incoming Trump administration to increase visas for highly skilled workers from other nations. Related Articles National Politics | Trump threat to immigrant health care tempered by economic hopes National Politics | In states that ban abortion, social safety net programs often fail families National Politics | Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case National Politics | New 2025 laws hit hot topics from AI in movies to rapid-fire guns National Politics | Trump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happen The heart of the argument is, for America to remain competitive, the country needs to expand the number of skilled visas it gives out. The previous Trump administration did not increase the skilled visa program, instead clamping down on visas for students and educated workers, increasing denial rates. Not everyone in corporate America thinks the skilled worker program is great. Former workers at IT company Cognizant recently won a federal class-action lawsuit that said the company favored Indian employees over Americans from 2013 to 2022. A Bloomberg investigation found Cognizant, and other similar outsourcing companies, mainly used its skilled work visas for lower-level positions. Workers alleged Cognizant preferred Indian workers because they could be paid less and were more willing to accept inconvenient or less-favorable assignments. Question: Should the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers? Caroline Freund, UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy YES: Innovation is our superpower and it relies on people. Sourcing talent from 8 billion people in the world instead of 330 million here makes sense. Nearly half our Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children. Growing them also relies on expanding our skilled workforce. The cap on skilled-worker visas has hardly changed since the computer age started. With AI on the horizon, attracting and building talent is more important than ever. Kelly Cunningham, San Diego Institute for Economic Research YES: After years of openly allowing millions of undocumented entrants into the country, why is there controversy over legally increasing somewhat the number having desirable skills? Undocumented immigration significantly impacts lower skill level jobs and wages competing with domestic workers at every skill level. Why should special cases be made against those having higher skills? Could they just not walk across the border anyway, why make it more inconvenient to those with desirable skills? James Hamilton, UC San Diego YES: Knowledge and technology are key drivers of the U.S. economy. Students come from all over the world to learn at U.S. universities, and their spending contributed $50 billion to U.S. exports last year. Technological advantage is what keeps us ahead of the rest of the world. Highly skilled immigrants contribute much more in taxes than they receive in public benefits. The skills immigrants bring to America can make us all better off. Norm Miller, University of San Diego YES: According to Forbes, the majority of billion-dollar startups were founded by foreigners. I’ve interviewed dozens of data analysts and programmers from Berkeley, UCSD, USD and a few other schools and 75% of them are foreign. There simply are not enough American graduates to fill the AI and data mining related jobs now exploding in the U.S. If we wish to remain a competitive economy, we need highly skilled and bright immigrants to come here and stay. David Ely, San Diego State University YES: Being able to employ highly skilled workers from a larger pool of candidates would strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. companies by increasing their capacity to perform research and innovate. This would boost the country’s economic output. Skilled workers from other nations that cannot remain in the U.S. will find jobs working for foreign rivals. The demand for H-1B visas far exceeds the current cap of 85,000, demonstrating a need to modify this program. Phil Blair, Manpower YES: Every country needs skilled workers, at all levels, to grow its economy. We should take advantage of the opportunity these workers provide our employers who need these skills. It should be blended into our immigration policies allowing for both short and long term visas. Gary London, London Moeder Advisors YES: San Diego is a premiere example of how highly skilled workers from around the globe enrich a community and its regional economy. Of course Visa levels need to be increased. But let’s go further. Tie visas and immigration with a provision that those who are admitted and educated at a U.S. university be incentivized, or even required, to be employed in the U.S. in exchange for their admittance. Bob Rauch, R.A. Rauch & Associates NO: While attracting high-skilled immigrants can fill critical gaps in sectors like technology, health care and advanced manufacturing, increasing high-skilled immigration could displace American workers and drive down wages in certain industries. There are already many qualified American workers available for some of these jobs. We should balance the need for specialized skills with the impact on the domestic workforce. I believe we can begin to increase the number of visas after a careful review of abuse. Austin Neudecker, Weave Growth YES: We should expand skilled visas to drive innovation and economic growth. Individuals who perform high-skilled work in labor-restricted industries or graduate from respected colleges with relevant degrees should be prioritized for naturalization. We depend on immigration for GDP growth, tax revenue, research, and so much more. Despite the abhorrent rhetoric and curtailing of visas in the first term, I hope the incoming administration can be persuaded to enact positive changes to a clearly flawed system. Chris Van Gorder, Scripps Health YES: But it should be based upon need, not politics. There are several industries that have or could have skilled workforce shortages, especially if the next administration tightens immigration as promised and expected. Over the years, there have been nursing shortages that have been met partially by trained and skilled nurses from other countries. The physician shortage is expected to get worse in the years to come. So, this visa program may very well be needed. Jamie Moraga, Franklin Revere NO: While skilled immigration could boost our economy and competitiveness, the U.S. should prioritize developing our domestic workforce. Hiring foreign nationals in sensitive industries or government-related work, especially in advanced technology or defense, raises security concerns. A balanced approach could involve targeted increases in non-sensitive high-demand fields coupled with investment in domestic STEM education and training programs. This could address immediate needs while strengthening the long-term STEM capabilities of the American workforce. Not participating this week: Alan Gin, University of San DiegoHaney Hong, San Diego County Taxpayers AssociationRay Major, economist Have an idea for an Econometer question? Email me at phillip.molnar@sduniontribune.com . Follow me on Threads: @phillip020

It's unusual for a new social media service to get a foothold in a marketplace entrenched by the likes of X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and TikTok which, dominate people's phones. But Bluesky , a nearly 2-year-old app, is now grabbing attention amid a recent surge of new users, which the company says is likely due to growing frustrations with X. While the platform has grown since it opened as an invite-only service in February 2023, its membership snowballed following the November 5 presidential election. Bluesky currently has more than 22 million users, up from about 12 million people in mid-October, according to the company's data. Bluesky believes its recent growth is partly due to changes at X under billionaire owner Elon Musk, according to Bluesky Chief Operating Officer Rose Wang, who recently spoke to CBS MoneyWatch. Musk, who bought Twitter in 2022 for $44 billion, has overhauled the service, changing its name to X and prioritizing accounts from people who pay for a blue checkmark — although accounts with more than 2,500 "verified subscriber followers" get access to Premium features for free . Ad sales almost immediately softened after Musk took over the platform, with companies including Apple, Coca-Cola and Disney removing paid ads from X last year . Most recently, The Guardian said it would no longer be posting its content under its official account on X. In its announcement, the British newspaper described X as "toxic," adding that the platform has been used by Musk to shape political discourse. Musk became one of the most viral voices on elections during the 2024 campaign, frequently sharing conspiratorial narratives while promoting President-elect Donald Trump, a CBS News investigation found. When Twitter became X, "it was no longer a public town square, and now it's more of a partisan microphone," Wang said, adding, "that is a big reason why we think people are coming over." X didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. What is the difference between X and Bluesky? Bluesky resembles the "old Twitter" in terms of layout and content, wrote PCWorld tech writer Dave Parrack in a recent column. He added, "Bluesky feels like a safe haven. There's very little trolling , and when it does happen, people aren't biting." Bluesky users can find people to follow through so-called " starter packs ," or curated lists of people to follow by interest or fields, such as this group of garden writers . That enables users to quickly build a feed of posts from people that they pick, rather than being fed content by a corporate algorithm, the company says. Because people can tailor their interests and connect with other like-minded users, there's more interaction on the service than on X, according to Wang. Some companies are also reporting more engagement with their posts on the Bluesky app versus rival platforms. An executive for The Boston Globe, for instance noted that the newspaper's posts on Bluesky receive three times the traffic as on Meta's Threads. "Thirty percent of users Bluesky are posters versus 1% on Twitter," Wang said. Even so, it's questionable whether Bluesky's jump in new users is making much of a dent in X's consumer base. The presidential election delivered a surge in traffic to Musk's social media service, according to tracking service Similarweb. It found that more than 46 million U.S. users visited X on November 6, the day after President-elect Donald Trump's win — more than any day in the prior year. About 115,000 people in the U.S. deactivated their accounts on X that same day, its data shows. How Bluesky makes money While Bluesky's user base is growing quickly, the company remains small in terms of its funding and staff, which Wang describes as "a tiny team of 20" employees, including herself and CEO Jay Graber. The service was created by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, although the business has been independent since 2021. In October, the company raised $15 million in venture funding, which followed a seed round of $8 million in 2023. Wang noted that Bluesky is focused on figuring out how to sustain its business, which will soon include new revenue streams from subscriptions and financial transactions. "We are launching subscriptions at the end of this year," Wang noted. "It'll be custom aesthetics, custom avatar frames, maybe more video uploads." The company is also planning to enable financial transactions between users, such as if a game designer wants to sell his or her products to Bluesky users. The service would take a portion of the payment, Wang noted. Bluesky doesn't accept advertising, nor has it marketed itself in the wake of Musk's takeover of Twitter, she added. To be sure, Bluesky may never achieve the size of bigger social media networks, which advertisers flock to in order to reach much larger groups of users. For instance, Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, had more than 3 billion daily users across its apps in the most recent quarter, and booked almost $40 billion in revenue during that time. How do you sign up for Bluesky? Bluesky opened as an invitation-only platform in February 2023, but anyone can now sign up for the service. User handles on the service are a little bit different than X or other social media networks because they end with the site's domain, .bsky.social. Posts are limited to 300 characters, 20 more than on X. Photos and videos can also uploaded, though videos can't be longer than 60 seconds. GIFs and emojis are available, too. As with other platforms, you can tag people on Bluesky by typing "@" before their username, you can like posts by tapping a heart icon, and use hashtags to highlight a theme. Bluesky has added a menu to hashtags, so that when users click on one they'll get different options for seeing, or muting, posts on a particular topic. "It's more of a community space — it's more of a Reddit model, where you land in those cosy corners," Wang added. "At the end of the day it's all about the people, and what I encourage people to do is just come to Bluesky, give it a chance and see for yourself what the experience is like." The Associated Press contributed to this report. Elon Musk Social Media Twitter Aimee Picchi is the associate managing editor for CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and personal finance. She previously worked at Bloomberg News and has written for national news outlets including USA Today and Consumer Reports.Thousands of dolphins put on an incredible show off the coast of Dana Point in Southern California and video footage of the scene has people in awe. Entranced visitors and marine enthusiasts saw a pod of about 5,000 dolphins swimming together, USA Today reported on Thursday, noting the phenomenon is called a “dolphin stampede.” The clip shows the dolphins gracefully leaping out of the choppy water along the coastline and diving back in: Social media users were quick to share their thoughts on the amazing video, one person writing , “Every time I’m on a boat off Dana Point we see big schools, lots of dolphins of various species. It’s pretty cool!” “Went through one of these on Catalina ferry. Wonderful!” another user said . Capt. Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari said Dana Point has been known as the dolphin and whale watching capital of the world since 2019. “When they explained the criteria, I said we’re the perfect location,” the company’s Gisele Anderson said. “We have history, education, saving of animals. We’re really excited because now Dana Point has set the bar.” In 2021, a similar instance happened at Newport Beach when people on a whale watching boat got to see a “dolphin stampede,” ABC 7 reported at the time. Video footage shows the pod, which consisted of about 400 dolphins, swimming alongside the boat as those on board watched with fascination: According to the Visit Laguna Beach website , dolphins are friendly, social creatures that travel in pods and frequently get close to boats. “Perhaps one of the most breathtaking scenes to experience on the water is a dolphin stampede,” the website says. “This occurs when hundreds, even thousands of dolphins suddenly begin leaping in and out of the water at an astonishing speed in one direction, as if they are sprinting towards or away from something.” The site says that why dolphins stampede is still a mystery, adding, “The leaping behavior is referred to as ‘porpoising’ and it allows the dolphins to travel at their fastest speed, as there is less resistance through air than through water.”Chiranjeevi makes a stylish entrance at PV Sindhu and Venkata Datta Sai's wedding reception in Hyderabad

Have I told you this before? Long ago, my closest friend said this about me: “Ranjona is not prejudiced. She just hates everybody”. I have learnt over the years to disguise my lack of prejudice and ahem, that other thing, but it can be a struggle for me. In the workplace, I could never suffer fools gladly. Socially I have to swallow my annoyance to even look at bigots and conservatives with a semblance of politeness. I think I have a fake smile down pat, but who knows? How many of my secrets have I given away just now? It was intriguing, therefore, to hear a fascinating talk the other day by Satish Kumar, founder of Schumacher College, environmentalist, ecologist, and thinker. Sat by a lily pond, under the trees, he talked about the ever-growing barriers between Humans and Nature, our erroneous belief that we are in fact outside nature and the need for the world’s economic system to include ecology in its practice and theory. As we watch the destruction around us, thanks to greed and often stupidity, Kumar’s words resonated. In inspirational but also very sad ways. One of Kumar’s pet subjects is a tough idea, which he wrote a book about in 2023. Radical Love, where you try and love beyond yourself, your likes and dislikes, your ideas and your core. Love for those who you do not agree with, who you find it difficult to accept, whom you just cannot abide. This is not of course a new idea. Kumar quotes Jesus Christ’s “love thine enemy as thyself”. But as we all know all too well, this notion finds no takers. Whether in the religion formed in Christ’s name or really in any other. As we know to our everyday misfortune, religions love division but let’s not wander into that black hole. It might seem like an extremely simplistic idea — to love unconditionally. And most people will associate this sort of love in a cliched manner with a mother and child. The sad reality is that parents can do awful things to children and children to parents. Unconditional love is not our reality. Look around you. “Cow is our Mother”, says the politician. But looks away when cows wander around eating plastic bags. Wilful disassociation. Or do I mean hypocrisy? Now that’s a more realistic Mother for humankind. Kumar is looking at our larger perspective — of the planet, the cosmos and the larger role we play in the world aside from our petty everyday wants and needs. Anyone who has any understanding of the environment and ecology knows that we stand on a precipice. Intelligence and awareness have not convinced us to step back. Who knows, maybe love can. We can but try. And for us today at this point in time, we exist not just in the physical world, but also one that’s up in a metaphorical cloud, fed by cables under the sea and connected by satellites orbiting the earth. It’s a lot of work to look at cure cats and dogs or abuse each other’s politics, but it appears to be integral part of life. In this cyber social media world, there’s been a bit of a churn after Donald Trump won the US presidential election again. Many social media users, including thinkers, academics, activists, writers, mainstream media, felt that a certain toxicity had controlled the discourse around the election. Part of the blame for this pervasive misinformation and hatred was thanks to Elon Musk, owner of the site X, formerly Twitter. Musk supported Trump, undoubtedly his right. But also used the platform to push Trump’s extreme right-wing and often illogical agenda. Thus, there has been an exodus or "Xodus", if you want to use the "in" word, to another platform. Bluesky is a little different in the way it is run, not that I understand it fully. Whatever its shortcomings, as of now, there is no central dictatorship that runs it. There is optimism on this platform, and joy that the people of X have not made it here. But like so much of human behaviour, this euphoria is all too ephemeral. At some point, the worst of us will most likely emerge. Can we manage our social media, our other presence, using the principles of radical love? I foresee a certain amount of nostalgia will consume us at first, together with the excitement of something new. These are not at odds; far from it. We love as humans to dream of some golden age. Regardless of the reality of those times, and the horrors they presented. We are like that in the most superficial way. Hence the generational conflict, which is based largely on nostalgia playing tricks on all of us. In the meanwhile, though, as I too make this shift to Bluesky, I feel I must work on myself. Mixing Kumar’s ideas with my own shortcomings. To not get angry with every idiot I meet. To try and love the idiot for being an idiot, because it can’t help being an idiot and whatever other reason I can come up with at the time. When I say “idiot”, I don’t mean to offend anyone in particular, especially in these over-sensitive times in which we live. I mean people that I find it difficult to stomach and those who fill me with horror. I know, tall ask. I shall just try and apply my friend’s definition of my character and be equal in my feelings to all humanity. Tough it will be, and not just for me. So, if you meet me in either world, physical and cyber, when I smile sweetly at you, you might think “what a sweet person with a sweet smile”. Or I might remind you of Louis Armstrong singing Mack the Knife: “O the shark has pretty teeth dear, and he shows them a pearly white...” And you might never know which is the correct thought.

Javier Masías admits to being fed up with Christmas and users praise him: “The most sincere greeting I have ever seen” | ShowsThe 10 best albums from the last 25 yearsNEW YORK , Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of common stock of Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENPH) between April 25, 2023 and October 22, 2024 , both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important February 11, 2025 lead plaintiff deadline. So what: If you purchased Enphase securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. What to do next: To join the Enphase class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=25593 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than February 11, 2025 . A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Why Rosen Law: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. Details of the case: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts, about Enphase's business and operations. Specifically, defendants systematically overstated Enphase's ability to maintain its pricing levels and market share for microinverter products in Europe in the face of competition from low-cost, Chinese alternatives. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the Enphase class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=25593 https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=28116 call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm . Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/enph-investors-have-opportunity-to-lead-enphase-energy-inc-securities-fraud-lawsuit-302338939.html SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A.

Bianca Bustamante to make GB3 championship debut for 2025

'Refuse to be that player': Kyrgios bullish on eve of his comeback tournamentAn online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump's political coalition

Did PV Sindhu Lie To Ranveer Allahbadia About Being SINGLE? Here’s How The Ace Shuttler Kept Her Relationship Secret

A musician who spent the last three Christmas periods in hospital on her own due to Crohn’s disease is hoping to “re-write the story” to avoid a fourth December admission this year. Kirsten Parry, 29, an assistant director of music at a secondary school who lives in Ash, Surrey, was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease – an autoimmune, lifelong condition where parts of the gut become swollen, inflamed and ulcerated – in June 2021. She noticed a change in bowel habits and her symptoms included abdominal pain, nausea, a loss of appetite and weight loss – and at her worst, she said she was having “accidents” and going to the toilet more than 20 times a day. Read more: Mum whose son was born premature praises support from the “incredible” staff in the neonatal unit Read more: ‘This might be my last Christmas – the thought my baby son might not remember me is heartbreaking’ She has spent the last three Christmas periods in hospital due to picking up infections which have “triggered Crohn’s flares” – and she said each admission has been “lonely” and “scary”. This year, although Kirsten has a “fear of sickness” during the winter period, she is hoping to avoid a fourth hospital admission over the festive period and wants to create “positive stories of Christmas”. Kirsten told PA Real Life: “Everyone seems to have so much energy and excitement at this time of year and I just don’t have that anymore. “I just keep getting these memories and intrusive thoughts of this time a year ago, and whenever I go into the bathroom, I think, this is where I was lying on the floor, screaming. “What I’m trying to do this Christmas is almost re-write it and think, well, I’m going to change the narrative this year and hope that I don’t have to go into hospital. “But also, I’m going to create so many positive memories, so that next year I’ve got positive stories of Christmas.” According to the charity Crohn’s & Colitis UK, Crohn’s disease is a type of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) where parts of the gut become swollen, inflamed and ulcerated. Crohn’s is a lifelong condition and, currently, there is no cure – but medicines, surgery, or a combination of both can help keep symptoms under control. For Kirsten, she explained that she had “never had a medical condition in (her) life” up until her Crohn’s disease diagnosis in June 2021. Although she said there is not yet “solid evidence to connect the two”, she believes her symptoms started after she contracted Covid-19 in December 2020. “I started teaching in school again – this is January 2021 – but the children weren’t in school, I was teaching from my computer,” she said. “I remember having to set them off on a task, turn my camera and microphone off, run to the toilet, come back, set them on another task, run to the toilet, come back.” Kirsten said her symptoms included sharp abdominal pain, nausea, a loss of appetite, weight loss and diarrhoea, and she was going to the toilet with “urgency” around 10 times a day at this point. However, she believed these “distressing tummy symptoms” were related to the “stress and anxiety” of her job during the Covid-19 pandemic – and she did not book a GP appointment until her friend encouraged her to do so. After a blood test and two stool samples, it was revealed Kirsten’s faecal calprotectin levels – an inflammatory marker – were “abnormal” and she was referred to the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford. Following her referral appointment in April, Kirsten said she had a colonoscopy and an MRI scan, which led to her official Crohn’s disease diagnosis on June 24 2021. “Doctors and nurses said, ‘Don’t worry, it’s showing up as mild, so we should be able to sort this out with minimal medication’,” she said. “Apart from being a bit anaemic, I’ve never had anything wrong with me, so I was upset and confused.” Kirsten was prescribed the first of several medications, including Pentasa, followed by steroids such as Budesonide, but her faecal calprotectin levels continued to rise. She said she started having “accidents” and her symptoms worsened in “a debilitating way”. During an appointment with her consultant in August 2021, aged 25, she said she broke down in tears, feeling “mortified”, and thought: “I shouldn’t be having to change my underwear halfway through the day.” Although Kirsten’s scans showed her Crohn’s disease as being mild, she said her faecal calprotectin levels were still “through the roof” during follow-up appointments. She then developed “an unknown infection”, which led to sepsis, followed by Clostridioides difficile – a highly contagious bacterial infection – and she was hospitalised in December 2021. She said she was not allowed any visitors and, due to the condition being contagious, she could not leave her hospital room unless she needed to have an X-ray and she could only wash herself at the sink. “I started getting these new gastro symptoms, so I started passing blood,” she said. “I was bleeding and passing things that I’ve never seen before, including the lining of my colon.” Kirsten was discharged on Christmas Eve but, due to being “very thin and very weak” and living away from her family, she spent Christmas Day sleeping on the sofa at her friend’s house. During the following week, she said she started having “accidents during the night” and her inflammatory markers were “sky-high”, leading her to have a capsule endoscopy – a small capsule that takes pictures as it travels along your gut. She said this revealed her Crohn’s was, in fact, severe, not mild, and she had “ulceration everywhere” in her small bowel. Kirsten was then given a nasogastric (NG) tube to feed herself with a liquid diet for three months and she was prescribed the medication Infliximab, which has been a “game-changer”. Although this medication has helped alleviate her symptoms, she said she constantly thinks about three things: toilets, food and germs; during her day-to-day life, which is “exhausting”. “I would say I have an intrusive, anxious thought relating to either immunosuppression or Crohn’s probably every minute,” she said. “My head feels like it’s exploding sometimes.” Kirsten said her Crohn’s has led to six hospital admissions in total since her diagnosis – including during the Christmas periods in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, she was admitted due to an infection, which then triggered a Crohn’s flare and, in 2023, she was admitted with acute gastroenteritis – a condition that causes diarrhoea and vomiting. She said she has been able to manage her Crohn’s with regular check-ups and medications, and she is learning to base her thoughts and actions on “evidence”, rather than anxiety, as this can exacerbate her symptoms. She wants to encourage others to advocate for themselves and “trust (their) own instincts” when it comes to their health – and to enjoy Christmas this year, she is planning to “do something nice each day”, such as going for walks and meeting up with friends. Speaking about her advice to others, Kirsten said: “It’s only embarrassing if you let it be embarrassing.2024 in pop culture: In a bruising year, we sought out fantasy, escapism — and cute little animals

Should the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers?None

MOL Switch to Invest in Heirloom, a U.S. DAC Technology Developer- Contributing to Spread and Expansion of Negative EmissionsDNV: Roadmap for Nordic Shipping’s fuel transition delivered to Nordic ministersSeason 5 Part 2 episode 12 of “ Yellowstone ” aired Sunday, Dec. 1, and shocked fans with another death just a few episodes out from the rumored series finale. Warning: This article contains spoilers. We’ve recapped the key moments each character faced in episode 12 below. Continue reading to catch up before episode 13 airs on Sunday, Dec. 8, at 8 p.m. ET on Paramount Network . Warning: Spoilers begin now. These are the major plot points for the following characters from episode 12. The episode began with a sweet phone call between Teeter and Colby in which the ranch hand let his emotions get the best of him. He told Teeter he loved her. But their love was short-lived. Later in the episode, Colby found Carter cornered in a stall by an agitated stallion and tried to help. By the time Carter got out and grabbed a rifle to put the animal down, the horse had already stomped and kicked Colby to his untimely death. After episode 11 ended with Jamie’s lover Sarah Atwood being killed while the pair were on the phone, we saw him calling 911 to report the incident. This week, we learned more about her murder. Detective Dillard told Jamie that Atwood had been targeted. But he refused to let the detective see Sarah’s possessions and garnered suspicion in the process. Dillard left with the promise to treat him like a suspect now, and a panicked Jamie was seen shredding papers. Once Detective Dillard looped him in, someone from Kayce’s army past notified him about Grant, who led the team that killed John at the beginning of the season. Before he left to track Grant down, Kayce called up Mo for backup and told his wife Monica that he was doing what was best for the family. When we got eyes on Grant, we didn’t see a twisted killer arranging deaths but rather a supportive father at his daughter Allie’s soccer game. As the father and daughter got in the car to leave the field, Kayce hopped in the back seat, pointing the gun at Allie. He told her to be scared and asked if she knows what her dad does for a living. Then, Kayce turned his attention to Grant and threatened to leave the Duttons alone, otherwise, he would be back for Grant’s family. After Grant agreed, Kayce hit him on the head with the gun. Mo picked Kayce up. Concerned that Jamie may reveal family secrets if he is in hot water, Beth reassured Kayce that she would take care of their brother and started to plan exactly how. She also had a touching moment with Carter, who was guilt-ridden over Colby’s death. She encouraged him to spend the night with them, a surrogate family, rather than mourning in the barn. In preparation for what is to come with the ranch, Rip told Lloyd to start prepping the cattle for sale. Then, he asked Travis to sell the show horses. Later in the episode, Rip was seen blaming himself over Colby’s death. His wife Beth started a fire and encouraged him not to bottle those feelings up. With that, she poured him a whiskey and said when he poured it into the fire, he could let those emotions out with the fireball that would appear. There are only two episodes left of this series, and no one knows how it will end for the ranch or the main characters. The next new episode of “ Yellowstone ” airs Sunday, Dec. 8, at 8/7c on Paramount Network . In episode 13, “ Give the World Away ,” Jamie begins to spiral and seeks advice. Beth and Travis make a deal, meanwhile Kayce has an idea about the future of the ranch. Find a complete recap of “Yellowstone” in its entirety in our MLive “Yellowstone” guide .