Top leaders of the House of Representatives didn't hold back in admonishing Vice President Sara Duterte in the aftermath of the latter's unauthorized two-day stay at Batasan complex wherein she tried to have her way with security and employees. From left to right: Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr. (3rd district, Pampanga), Majority Leader Rep. Manuel Jose "Mannix" Dalipe (2nd district, Zamboanga City), Deputy Speaker David "Jay-jay" Suarez (2nd district, Quezon) (Facebook) Top leaders of the House of Representatives didn't hold back in admonishing Vice President Sara Duterte in the aftermath of the latter's unauthorized two-day stay at Batasan complex wherein she tried to have her way with security and employees. That she did all of these while avoiding to attend the House hearings on her alleged confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) misuse wasn't lost on Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr. (3rd district, Pampanga), Deputy Speaker David "Jay-jay" Suarez (2nd district, Quezon), and Majority Leader Rep. Manuel Jose "Mannix" Dalipe (2nd district, Zamboanga City). “Malinis ang report ng Commission on Audit (COA) sa paggamit ng pera ng taong bayan ng House of Representatives under Speaker Romualdez, ‘di gaya ng Office of the Vice President (OVP) under VP Duterte,” Gonzales said in a joint statement Sunday, Nov. 24. (COA's report on the House of Representatives' usage of funds under Speaker Romualdez is clean, unlike the OVP under VP Duterte.) Suarez said the lady official continues to resort to "diversionary tactics" in order to avoid giving actual explanations to the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability on her usage of P612.5 million CIFs. The figure covers P500 million under the OVP and P112.5 under the Department of Education (DepEd), which Duterte led as the secretary for two years. “‘Yung mga paratang ni Vice President Duterte, istorya, drama, at budol-budol lang ‘yan. Sanay sila diyan, eksperto sila diyan sa budol-budol,” Suarez said. (Vice President Duterte's allegations are mere stories, dramatics, and deception. They're used to that, they're experts of deception.) The ranking congressmen likewise slammed the Vice President for claiming to have contacted an assassin to target President Marcos, Speaker Martin Romualdez, and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos. This was in the event that she gets killed herself. “The gravity of these statements cannot be overstated. A kill-order on the President is not only a heinous crime but also a betrayal of the highest order—one that shakes the very foundation of our democratic institutions,” Gonzales said. “The Vice President, as the next in line to the Presidency, is entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding the Constitution, not undermining it,” added the Cabalen. Dalipe--despite casting doubts on Duterte’s remarks--thought it was still prudent to ask authorities to conduct an exhaustive and impartial investigation to uncover the truth behind the assassination plot against the Chief Executive. “The people deserve to know the full extent of this plot, including any potential abuse of power or betrayal of public trust. The integrity of our democracy demands nothing less,” Dalipe said. ALSO READ: https://mb.com.ph/2024/11/23/house-leader-describes-vp-sara-s-latest-meltdown “The Vice President’s role as a constitutional successor makes this case extraordinarily sensitive. It is essential that we send a clear message that no one, regardless of position, is above the law,” added the Mindanaoan. Suarez warned of the broader implications of such an alleged plot. “This situation transcends politics—it is about the survival of our democracy, the preservation of public trust, and the safety and stability of our nation. Any individual, no matter how high their rank, must be held accountable for actions that threaten the integrity of our government,” Suarez said. “Conspiring with an assassin to target the President is a serious crime,” he underscored.Mid Minnesota Federal Credit Union (MMFCU) recently promoted Rhonda Wickham to Mortgage Operations Manager to support the growth and development of our team. Rhonda has supported hundreds of members through their home buying process during her 18-year career at the credit union. “During this time, she has demonstrated exceptional leadership, dedication, and the skills necessary to take on greater responsibilities,” said Michelle Kuklok, Director of Mortgage Services. “Rhonda’s contributions and commitment to our success are invaluable. This transition will position the Mortgage team for future growth.” “I am grateful for the opportunity to use my experience and research skills to help both our members and team members,” said Wickham. “The work we do behind the scenes helps people achieve the dream of owning a home.” Mid Minnesota Federal Credit Union is a member owned financial cooperative serving central Minnesota. What sets MMFCU apart from other financial institutions is that our members are owners and have a vested interest in our success. Any profits are returned to our membership in the form of higher dividend rates, lower interest rates on loans, additional technology, and growth in services. MMFCU has 13 locations and participates in CO-OP Shared Branching offering an additional 5,900 locations nationwide. Deposits are federally insured by NCUA and we are an Equal Housing Lender. Learn more at mmfcu.org.

Australians are so exhausted they've become less productive at work, chucking sickies or having a surreptitious nap on the job, according to new sleep data. or signup to continue reading Fifteen per cent of workers have admitted to taking a sneaky nap at work, while 30 per cent of shift workers say they have fallen asleep on the job, according to . More than half of the 1003 people surveyed reported turning up for work exhausted this past year with the vast majority of 90 per cent saying it had effected their productivity by up to 15 per cent. Three in 10 admitted to faking being sick and taking the day off because they were tired, while eight in 10 fly-in-fly-out workers said they were turning up to their long shifts exhausted. As well as being a less-than-desirable situation for Australian employees, the exhaustion levels are having an impact on businesses and the economy too, sleep expert Amanda Slinger says. "Poor sleep is a critical workplace issue, affecting both employee and organisational health and performance through higher absenteeism, reduced productivity, and weakened innovation," said Ms Slinger, founder of SleepSpot. "When employees are underslept, they're at greater risk of errors, poor decisions, and stress-related illnesses, which directly impact an organisation's bottom line." HIF's CEO Justin James concurred said it was concerning how exhausted Australia was as a nation, describing sleep as "one of the three pillars of health". "Not getting enough of it is clearly costing the economy dearly - but the health impacts are so significant, and often underestimated," he said. "Not enough importance is placed on sleep in Australia... There are no medals for 'powering through'; sleep is a health issue, and we need to treat it as such. No one needs to 'fake a sickie' if they're tired." The results of the survey complement the findings of the , conducted by Real Insurance, which found while most Australians considered eight hours to constitute a "good sleep", on average people averaged seven. Nearly four in 10 people had frequent or consistent struggles with sleep difficulties with stress and anxiety, financial worries or family concerns most likely to keep people up at night, the survey of 1202 people found. The sleep issues contributed to or made worse several other health issues facing Australians, including mental health, high blood pressure, a weakened immune system and obesity, it said. Research by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has found nearly half of all Australian adults report at least two sleep-related problems including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and stroke. People are aware of the importance of sleep and are making moves to address the issue, the Real Sleep Report found, with nearly half adopting a sleeping schedule, avoiding caffeine, alcohol and nicotine or maintaining a balanced diet in a bid to improve their sleep quality. Three in 10 are using health supplements designed to promote better sleep and a quarter of Australians have sought medical advice for their problem in the bedroom. Sex has a role to play in better sleep, according to the Real Sleep Report, with 68 per cent of respondents reporting better sleep if they have frequent sex and, conversely, a lack of sleep negatively affecting the libido of 63 per cent. However, nearly half of respondent prioritised a better sleep over sex. But the impact of a bad night's sleep on workplace activity is pronounced in this report too, with more than 40 per cent saying they had called in sick in the past year due to tiredness and 12 per cent admitting to doing so four times or more. Ms Slinger says there are steps that can be taken in the workplace, through targeted education and smart work design, to enhance employee sleep health. HIF is practising what they preach with their staff encouraged to "nap openly" in a dedicated sleep space in their head office, Mr James said. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. 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Saint Bonaventure wins 65-55 over BuffaloBid to improve bus lanes across Portsmouth as residents are asked their viewsHow ‘World of Warcraft’ Reinvented the Global Gaming Community

KBC Group NV Purchases 315 Shares of U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc. (NYSE:USPH)Qualcomm's central processors are properly licensed under an agreement with Arm Holdings, a jury found in a trial in U.S. federal court that removed some, but not all, uncertainty around the mobile chipmaker's expansion into the laptop market. A week of courtroom arguments and deliberations ended in a mistrial after the jury failed to resolve one of three questions put before it in the trial between the two chip giants. Qualcomm said the result affirmed its right to innovate, but Arm vowed to seek a new trial. Arm's shares were down 1.8 percent in extended trading after the news, and Qualcomm's shares were up 1.8 percent. The outcome means the case could be tried again in the future – something Arm vowed to pursue in a statement following the verdict. Judge Maryellen Noreika, who presided over the case in U.S. federal court in Delaware, encouraged Arm and Qualcomm to mediate their dispute. "I don't think either side had a clear victory or would have had a clear victory if this case is tried again," Noreika said. Partial verdict and lingering uncertainty After more than nine hours of deliberations over two days, the eight-person jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on the question of whether startup Nuvia breached the terms of its license with Arm. But the jury found that Qualcomm – which purchased Nuvia for $1.4 billion in 2021 – did not breach that license. The jury also found that Qualcomm's chips, created using Nuvia technology and central to Qualcomm's push into the personal computer (PC) market, are properly licensed under its own agreement with Arm, clearing the way for Qualcomm to continue selling them. "The jury has vindicated Qualcomm's right to innovate and affirmed that all the Qualcomm products at issue in the case are protected by Qualcomm's contract with Arm," Qualcomm said in a statement. An Arm spokesperson said the company was "disappointed" that the jury was unable to "reach consensus" about the company's claims and said from the outset the goal has been to protect the company's intellectual property. For now, the outcome paves the way for Qualcomm to continue to push what it calls the "AI PC" in laptop chips that are aimed at handling tasks such as chatbots and image generators. That is a market where Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices and MediaTek are also planning to make Arm-based processors. "My biggest worry was what happens to the future roadmap if they (Qualcomm) no longer have access to Nuvia (computing) cores," Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon said. "At this point, that risk is a lot closer to being off the table." Implications for industry The dispute between Arm and Qualcomm is centered on what royalty rate Qualcomm should pay for each chip. Nuvia was set to pay higher rates than Qualcomm before Qualcomm bought the startup firm and wove its technology into chips under its own license with Arm at lower royalty rates. Ben Bajarin, chief executive of tech consulting firm Creative Strategies, said that Arm's current growth projections have not depended on reaping higher rates from Qualcomm as Arm chips enter the PC market. "They haven't factored in, via their quarterly (earnings) calls, a win," Bajarin said. "So none of this changes their economic upside. It's really just a matter of contractual argument." However, the trial's outcome leaves open the question of where Arm's technology begins and ends. Arm licenses its computing architecture to firms but also sells designs for computing cores as off-the-shelf products. Some of Arm's more sophisticated customers, such as Apple, Qualcomm and Nuvia, license Arm's architectures but develop their own custom cores. During the trial this week, Arm's attorneys insisted its architecture license terms with Nuvia gave it rights to demand the destruction of Nuvia's custom core designs. "This does have ramifications for the entire industry," Jim McGregor of Tirias Research said in an interview. "Whether you're using a standard Arm core or developing your own Arm core, it has been the rock of everything from electric toothbrushes to satellites." (With input from Reuters)

Now that he’s stepped back into the role of being a starter, Dalton Risner is working tirelessly to make sure he’s at his best for the Vikings. That could be easier said than done in the short term. After starting exclusively at left guard since entering the NFL, Risner got the start at right guard for the first time last weekend with the Vikings playing the Tennessee Titans. Though he said he was extremely grateful for the opportunity, Risner also admitted there’s a learning curve now playing a new position. Not that he’s complaining about his place on the offensive line. “It was awesome,” Risner said. “I’m really happy with how I played. A few things to clean up. I think I’ll only continue to get better.” After rewatching the game, head coach Kevin O’Connell praised Risner for the way he competed in the trenches. “He showed some of that veteran moxie to win some downs that were some hard downs,” O’Connell said. “There are some things he’ll continue to improve with the speed and physicality of it as he finds his groove.” The biggest hurdle for Risner is getting his mind to think in reverse. He has spent so much time at left guard throughout his career that switching over to right guard has forced him out of his comfort zone. “All of it is flip-flopped,” Risner said. “It’s not an easy process.” It was made even more difficult last weekend with Risner going up against the combination of star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and rookie defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat. “That’s about as good of a pair as we’re going to find in the NFL,” offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said. “We knew it was going to be a challenge up front with those guys. There are some things we could’ve done better from a technique perspective. We expect these guys to respond.” That includes Risner as the Vikings prepare for the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field. As he gains more experience at his new position, his hope is that it becomes second nature to him at some point soon. “I don’t know how many reps it’ll be or how many games it’ll be,” Risner said. I know I’ll consistently get more and more comfortable there.” The only player listed as a non-participant on the injury report was tight end Josh Oliver (wrist/ankle). He hasn’t practiced at all this week, so his availability for this weekend is very much up in the air.

WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — Jordan Jones scored 20 points as Cent. Conn. St. beat Holy Cross 69-56 on Saturday. Jones added six steals for the Blue Devils (6-3). Abdul Momoh scored 12 points and added three steals. Devin Haid had 12 points and shot 4 for 8, including 3 for 5 from beyond the arc. Max Green led the Crusaders (5-5) in scoring, finishing with 15 points and seven rebounds. Tyler Boston added 13 points and five assists for Holy Cross. Caleb Kenney finished with 12 points, nine rebounds, two steals and three blocks. Cent. Conn. St. took the lead with 6:53 remaining in the first half and did not give it up. The score was 38-25 at halftime, with Haid racking up 12 points. Cent. Conn. St. pulled away with an 11-3 run in the second half to extend a six-point lead to 14 points. They closed out the victory over Holy Cross from there, as Jones led the way with a team-high 14 second-half points. NEXT UP Cent. Conn. St.'s next game is Sunday against Rhode Island on the road, and Holy Cross visits Quinnipiac on Tuesday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic scored in the first half, and the LA Galaxy won their record sixth MLS Cup championship with a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic scored in the first half, and the LA Galaxy won their record sixth MLS Cup championship with a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic scored in the first half, and the LA Galaxy won their record sixth MLS Cup championship with a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday. After striking twice in the first 13 minutes of the final with goals from their star forwards, the Galaxy nursed their lead through a scoreless second half to raise their league’s biggest trophy for the first time since 2014. MLS’ most successful franchise struggled through most of the ensuing decade, even finishing 26th in the 29-team league last year. But the Galaxy turned everything around this season with a high-scoring new lineup that finished second in the Western Conference and then streaked through the playoffs with a whopping 18 goals in five games to win another crown. Sean Nealis scored for the seventh-seeded Red Bulls, whose improbable charge through the playoffs ended one win shy of its first Cup championship. With the league’s youngest roster, New York fell just short of becoming the lowest-seeded team to win MLS’ playoff tournament under first-year German coach Sandro Schwarz. Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy made four saves to win his second MLS title in three seasons. He was the MVP of the 2022 MLS Cup Final for the Galaxy’s crosstown rival, Los Angeles FC. The Galaxy won this title without perhaps their most important player. Riqui Puig, the playmaking midfielder from Barcelona who ran their offence impressively all season long, tore a ligament in his knee last week in the Western Conference final. Puig watched the game in a suit, but his teammates hadn’t forgotten him: After his replacement, Gastón Brugman, set up LA’s opening goal with a superb pass, Paintsil held up Puig’s jersey to their fans during the celebration. Paintsil put the Galaxy ahead in the ninth minute when he ran onto that sublime pass from Brugman and pounded home his 14th MLS goal — including four in the playoffs — in the Ghanaian forward’s outstanding first season. Just four minutes later, Joveljic sprinted past four New York defenders and chipped home the 21st goal of his outstanding year as the Galaxy’s striker. Nealis got New York on the scoreboard in the 28th minute when he volleyed home a ball that got loose in LA’s penalty area after a corner. The Galaxy’s usually shaky defence gave up another handful of good chances before reaching halftime with a tenuous lead. The second half was lively, but scoreless. Red Bulls captain Emil Forsberg hit the outside of the post in the 72nd minute, while Gabriel Pec and Galaxy substitute Marco Reus nearly converted chances a few moments later. The ball got loose again in the Galaxy’s penalty area in the third minute of extra time, but two Red Bulls couldn’t finish. The Galaxy bench rushed onto the field and prematurely celebrated a victory in the seventh minute of injury time, only to be herded back off for another 30 seconds of play. The Galaxy finished 17-0-3 this season at their frequently renamed suburban stadium, where the sellout crowd of 26,812 for the final included several robust cheering sections of travelling Red Bulls supporters hoping to see their New Jersey-based club’s breakthrough on MLS’ biggest stage. The Galaxy’s Greg Vanney became the fourth coach to win an MLS title with two clubs. The former Galaxy player coached Toronto FC to the championship in 2017 and to runner-up finishes in both 2016 and 2019. Vanney’s coaching and technical staff in L.A. was full of former Toronto employees. Dan Calichman, Nick Theslof, former Canadian international Jason Bent, Michael Rabasca and Galaxy academy director Mike Munoz all spent time in Toronto. Jim Liston and Tom Williams, in the Galaxy sports performance department, also worked under Vanney in Toronto, as did midfielder Mark Delgado, who started Saturday, and defender Eriq Zavalaeta, who started on the Galaxy bench. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The club famous for employing global stars from David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Robbie Keane and Javier “Chicharito” Hernández rebuilt itself this season with lesser-known young talents from around the world. The Galaxy signed Pec from Brazil and the Ghanaian Paintsil out of Belgium, and the duo combined with incumbent Serbian striker Joveljic to form a potent attack that could outscore almost any MLS opponent. But the Galaxy also relied heavily on Puig, their Catalan catalyst and one of MLS’ best players. Puig stayed in last week’s game after injuring his knee, and he even delivered the decisive pass to Joveljic for the game’s only goal. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer Advertisement Advertisement

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