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BILLINGS, Mont. -- A senior official in President Joe Biden's administration who oversaw its contentious efforts to address climate change by curbing oil drilling on federal lands while expanding renewable power was named Tuesday as the next president of a prominent environmental group. U.S. Bureau of Land Management Director Tracy Stone-Manning will become president of The Wilderness Society effective next February, the Washington, D.C.-based group announced. Stone-Manning's 2021 nomination by Biden was bitterly opposed by Republicans who labeled her an “eco-terrorist” over her past ties with environmental extremists. Senate Democrats pushed through her confirmation on a party-line vote. The land bureau has jurisdiction over almost a quarter-billion acres (100 million hectares) of land, primarily in western states, that is used for oil exploration, mining, livestock grazing, recreation and other purposes. Under Stone-Manning, it sharply reduced oil and gas lease sales and raised royalty rates that companies must pay to extract the fuel. It also issued a rule elevating the importance of conservation , by making it a “use” of public lands on par with drilling or grazing. That marked a sharp departure from the land bureau's longstanding reputation for favoring commercial development over environmental preservation. The moves drew pushback from the energy, mining and ranching industries and their Republican allies in Congress. They have vowed to undo actions taken by Stone-Manning when the GOP assumes control in Washington next year as a result of its 2024 election wins. The land bureau also approved new solar and wind power projects and opened more public lands to renewable energy development under Biden. Before joining the administration, Stone-Manning worked as a senior aide to Montana Democrats U.S. Sen. Jon Tester and Gov. Steve Bullock. Her nomination by Biden sparked intense Republican opposition because of Stone-Manning's involvement in a 1989 environmental sabotage case. As a 23-year-old graduate student at the University of Montana, Stone-Manning sent a letter to federal officials in 1989 saying spikes had been inserted into trees in Idaho’s Clearwater National Forest. Spiking trees involves inserting metal or ceramic rods into trunks so they can’t be safely cut down, and the tactic has sometimes been used to halt timber sales. Two men were charged in the case, and Stone-Manning later testified against them, saying she mailed the letter at the request of one of the men and to prevent people from getting hurt. She was given immunity to testify and was never charged with any crimes, although an investigator later said she had stonewalled the criminal probe . During the debate over her nomination, GOP lawmakers called her a dangerous choice. She was confirmed with backing from moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. President-elect Donald Trump nominated Republican North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to be secretary of the Interior, which includes the Bureau of Land Management. His selection for the land bureau director has not yet been announced. During Trump's first-term, the bureau went without a Senate-confirmed director. The Republican instead used acting directors who did not have to go before the Senate to advance his agenda to increase U.S. energy production. The bureau's headquarters were relocated to Colorado under Trump, leading to the resignation or retirement of hundreds of employees before it was returned to Washington, D.C., under Biden.New Delhi, Dec 26 (PTI) Hailed as the architect of India’s economic reforms, former prime minister Manmohan Singh in one his last interviews had said in 2019 that the country’s economy was “over-regulated”, the government exerted control and interferences were aplenty with even regulators having “morphed into controllers”. Speaking to PTI in an exclusive interview on May 5, 2019, days before his successor Narendra Modi returned as the prime minister for the second consecutive term, Singh cited the then economic growth figures to suggest an impending slowdown. He had also rued the “growing interference” of courts in the economic policies, and said the Congress would have handled the economy differently. Singh, who served as prime minister for two terms from 2004 to 2014, has been credited with spearheading India’s economic reform process. He had alleged that the lack of any vision or understanding of the country’s dynamics of economy by the Narendra Modi-led government led to “disruptive” decisions like demonetisation, which he had earlier dubbed as “organised loot and legalised plunder”. Singh had also said that people were “fed up” with the daily rhetoric and cosmetic change by the current dispensation and there was an undercurrent against this “illusion and boastful self aggrandizement”. He noted that he had always welcomed scrutiny and accountability of government, as the same is intrinsic to democracy. Claiming that he had initiated action against his own people even when allegations were made, Singh had said that the Modi government considered itself inscrutable and unaccountable to a litany of corruption allegations and preferred to brazen it out by often shooting the messenger. The former prime minister claimed that this government came to power on the promise to usher in transparency and fight against corruption. However, he said, in the last five years, “we have only witnessed the stench of corruption peaking to unimaginable proportions”. Demonetisation was perhaps the biggest scam of independent India, he had noted. Singh, the architect of India’s economic reforms and a consensus builder in the rough world of politics, died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, on Thursday night. He was 92. 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The Associated Press has come under fire for handing out its third-place slot for female athlete of the year to Imane Khelif, the controversial Olympic boxer who failed gender tests. The AP announced its award rankings, noting that its Female Athlete of the Year was WNBA star rookie Caitlin Clark. The next two runners-up were U.S. Olympic gymnast Simone Biles in second place and Algerian Olympic boxer Imane Khelif, who took third place with four votes. Khelif, of course, stirred controversy for failing gender tests and being disqualified from the women’s category in boxing competitions throughout 2023 but was nonetheless allowed to box as a woman in the Paris Olympics this year. Unsurprisingly, the Algerian destroyed every woman faced in the ring and won the gold medal in boxing in August. “The IBA disqualified Khelif, fighting in the 66-kilogram division, and Taiwanese fighter Lin Yu-ting, fighting in the 57-kilogram division, from fighting in its women’s tournaments in March 2023 on the grounds that they failed unspecified tests to confirm that they fit the governing body’s definition of a woman,” Breitbart’s Frances Martel reports . “IBA President Umar Kremlev told the Russian news agency Tass at the time that Lin and Khelif ‘have XY chromosomes,’ the genetic makeup of a human male. “The International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed Lin and Khelif to compete because it does not use the IBA testing standards, requiring athletes only to present their passports and qualifying them to compete as men or women, depending on how their countries classify them.” But with the revelation that the boxer, who was determined to have male XY chromosomes, landed in third place in AP’s female athlete of the year voting, many took to social media to blast the wire service for its inclusion of Khelif. One of the most notable detractors of AP’s choice is tennis legend Martina Navratilova, who jumped to her X account to proclaim “Wtaf???” But Navratilova was far from the only person to express outrage over the award standings. Women’s sports advocate Riley Gaines also blasted the AP’s move, calling it “absurd” and alleging that the AP “knows” Khelif “is a man.” Many other social media users were equally sickened by the AP’s actions: Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston , or Truth Social @WarnerToddHustonTrump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happen
Netanyahu says he supports proposed ceasefire with Lebanon's Hezbollah
Marilyn Manson drops lawsuit against Evan Rachel WoodFoundations Physical Therapy Highlights Specialized Men’s Pelvic Health ProgramThe European benchmark gas contract remained near its highest level in 13 months on Tuesday amid colder weather, the decline of storage inventories and as Asian liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices continue to rise. The benchmark front-month contract at the Dutch TTF hub inched up by 0.25 euro to 48.72 euros per megawatt hour (MWh), or $15.43/mmBtu, by 0917 GMT. It was still at its highest intraday level since Nov. 6, 2023. In Britain, the day-ahead contract gained 0.50 pence to 121.25 pence/therm. Temperatures in north-west Europe are forecast to drop from this weekend onward, LSEG data shows. Gas demand for power is accordingly forecast to rise by 297 gigawatt hour per day (GWh/d) to 3,604 GWh/d with wind speeds also expected to weaken on Wednesday. Demand over the weekend and the working days next week is also expected to be up by 26-27 GWh/d each, said LSEG analyst Yuriy Onyshkiv. Meanwhile, the price spread between European and Asian markets starts to widen, consultancy Auxilione said in a morning note. “For some time now, European prices have been attractive for LNG cargoes, but Asian demand has started to increase – as has the market price – which may start to attract some cargoes initially intended for Europe to divert,” Auxilione said. Russian gas producer Gazprom said it would send 41.3 million cubic metres (mcm) of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Tuesday, up from 40.8 mcm on Monday but still down from more than 42 mcm/day seen in recent months. Europe’s gas inventories have been depleting at the fastest rate for eight years, as the region has experienced repeated bouts of colder-than-normal temperatures and low wind speeds since the start of the winter heating season, energy analyst John Kemp said in a LinkedIn post. “Stocks have fallen more than four times faster than the average over the last ten years, and by the most for any year since 2016, according to data from operators compiled by Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE),” Kemp said. Storage facilities across the region were 87% full on average, sharply lower than 97% on the same date in 2023 and 94% in 2022, he added. In the European carbon market CFI2Zc1, the benchmark contract was down by 0.58 euro at 68.28 euros a metric ton. Source: Reuters (Reporting by Marwa Rashad; editing by Nina Chestney)
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People's National Party (PNP) President, Mark Golding, says he is disappointed that the leadership of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has not denounced the racist rhetoric that has been directed at him by some of its members. “I am very disappointed in the leadership of the Jamaican Labour party that they tacitly encourage this kind of behaviour because to me it indicates a lack of principle on their part,” he said. Government Members of Parliament Juliet Cuthbert Flynn and Everald Warmington have been at the forefront of a racially charged attack on the opposition leader, targeting him because of his skin colour and ethnicity. At a recent political meeting, Warmington asserted that a white man should never become Prime Minister of Jamaica. “We are descendants of the slaves. We nuh want nuh descendant of slave master come rule us again. “It's better my dog bite me, than the white man dog bite me,” he said. Using the her platform at the JLP's 81st annual conference on Sunday, Cuthbert Flynn referred to Golding as “Markie British”, stating that he is “a man who believes in holding chains around the around the neck of black people,” and that “him a tek picture a hold chain round man neck, the Rastaman neck.” She was referring to a photo of Golding from a brief skit at a PNP political meeting, in which Golding is shown holding a chain around a Rastafarian's neck, a symbolic gesture intended to represent the Opposition leader freeing him from bondage. However, Cuthbert Flynn provided no context for the image. But speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Golding reiterated that he is a proud Jamaican. “I am a born Jamaican, I didn't choose my skin colour - I am loyal Jamaican, a patriotic Jamaican and I am giving of myself to serve the people of Jamaica,” he said. He described the racial attacks by members of the JLP as desperate. “In a sense, I am flattered that all they can really attack me on is the colour of my skin,” he said. “I don't think any political leader has faced what I have been facing in this regard and it is because they see that the tide is turned against them, and the people of Jamaica are fed up with them - the dishonesty, the lack of integrity, and a government that pursues policies that don't benefit people in a direct way, so people have loss hope, people want change,” he added. Golding is also concerned about how these racist remarks from government members may impact Jamaica's image globally. “Jamaica is part of the family of nations, we live in a world that is very connected and other countries, other races of people are looking on and saying how it is that the Government of Jamaica is allowing a junior minister or a former minister, two MPs, to be using racial taunts and slurs as a source of attacking a political opponent - it's very bad form and it's unfortunate for Jamaica and it really needs to stop,” he said. - Sashana Small Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com .None
How Labour plans to win back Auckland - and the next electionWINDHOEK, Namibia (AP) — Namibia elected its first female leader as Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was declared the winner Tuesday of a presidential election last week that was tarnished by technical glitches that caused a three-day extension to allow votes to be cast, and rejected as illegal by opposition parties. The 72-year-old Nandi-Ndaitwah won with 57% of the vote, defying predictions that she might be forced into a runoff. Her ruling SWAPO party also retained its parliamentary majority, although by a very thin margin, and extended its 34-year hold on power since the southern African country gained independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990. Namibia, a sparsely populated country of around 3 million on the southwestern coast of Africa, has a reputation for being one of the continent's more stable democracies and the problems around the election have caused consternation. Last Wednesday's vote was marred by shortages of ballot papers and other problems that led election officials to extend voting until Saturday. Opposition parties have said the extension is unconstitutional, and some have pledged to join together in a legal appeal to have the election invalidated. The Electoral Commission of Namibia, which ran the election, rejected opposition calls for a redo of the vote. It has undermined Nandi-Ndaitwah's place in history. She is set to become her country's fifth president since independence and a rare female leader in Africa. She was a member of Namibia's underground independence movement in the 1970s and received part of her higher education in the then-Soviet Union. She was promoted to vice president in February after President Hage Geingob died while in office . Nangolo Mbumba, who became president after Geingob's death, didn't run in the election. The ruling SWAPO party won 51 seats in the parliamentary vote, only just passing the 49 it needed to keep its majority and narrowly avoiding becoming another long-ruling party to be rejected in southern Africa this year. It was SWAPO's worst parliamentary election result. A mood of change has swept across the region, with parties that led their countries out of white minority or colonial rule in neighboring South Africa and Botswana both losing their long-held political dominance. South Africa's African National Congress, which freed the country from the racist system of apartheid, lost its 30-year majority in an election in May and had to form a coalition. Botswana's ruling party was stunningly removed in a landslide in October after governing for 58 years since independence from Britain. Mozambique's long-ruling Frelimo has been accused of rigging an October election and has faced weeks of violent protests against its rule. SWAPO faced similar challenges as those countries, with frustration at high unemployment and economic hardship, especially among young people, driving a desire for era-ending change. In a brief speech after the results were announced late Tuesday night, Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibians had voted for peace, stability and youth empowerment. “We are going to do what we promised you during the campaigns. Thank you for your confidence and trust in us," she said. Nandi-Ndaitwah was also due to address the nation on Wednesday morning. “SWAPO Wins. Netumbo Wins. Namibia Wins. Now Hard Work,” the ruling party posted on its official account on social media site X. Some opposition parties boycotted the announcement by the Electoral Commission of Namibia at its results center in the capital, Windhoek. The commission has been roundly criticized for its running of the vote, with many angry Namibians complaining they had to wait hours and sometimes over multiple days for the chance to vote. Just over 1 million votes were cast out of 1.4 million registered voters, according to the electoral commission. Panduleni Itula, the leading opposition candidate from the Independent Patriots for Change party, was second in the presidential election with 25% of the vote. His party won the second-largest number of seats in Parliament behind SWAPO. Itula and his party have led the criticism of the vote and said they will lodge their appeal against the election this week. Other opposition parties said they will join that legal challenge. Itula has said that thousands of voters may have been prevented from voting as only some polling stations allowed an extension. "This election has violated the very tenets of our Electoral Act. Namibians deserve the right to choose their leaders freely and fairly, not through a rigged process,” he said. Namibia is a former German colony that came under South African control after World War I and its Black majority was later subjected to some of South Africa’s apartheid policies. SWAPO was at the forefront of the battle for independence from South Africa. While the country has swaths of desert running through it, it has diamond and uranium resources and untapped oil and gas off its coast that is being explored by international companies and could make it a major producer of both. AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
Jose Raul Mulino rejects prospect of talks with Donald Trump, who threatened US could retake control of Panama Canal. The Panamanian president has rejected threats by US President-elect Donald Trump that the United States could reassert control over the Panama Canal, saying “there’s nothing to talk about.” President Jose Raul Mulino on Thursday also rejected the possibility of reducing canal tolls for US vessels and denied that China had any influence over the vital waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. “If there is an intention to talk, then there’s nothing to talk about,” Mulino said during a weekly news conference. “The canal is Panamanian and belongs to Panamanians. There’s no possibility of opening any kind of conversation around this reality, which has cost the country blood, sweat and tears.” The president’s comments come days after Trump, who takes office next month, threatened to take back control of the Panama Canal over what he said were “ridiculous” fees being charged by the Panamanian authorities. The US exerted administrative control of the canal for decades before handing it to Panama in 1999. In a series of social media posts over the past week, Trump accused the Central American country, with whom Washington has had diplomatic relations since 1903, of “ripping off” the US on the Panama Canal. “Our Navy and Commerce have been treated in a very unfair and injudicious way,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Saturday. “The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the US. This complete ‘rip-off’ of our Country will immediately stop.” Trump also claimed that Chinese soldiers were “lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal”. That claim was rejected on Thursday by the Panamanian president, who said China has no role in the administration of the canal. “There are no Chinese soldiers in the canal for the love of God, the world is free to visit the canal,” Mulino told reporters. China does not control or administer the canal, but a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings has long managed two ports located on the canal’s Caribbean and Pacific entrances. Meanwhile, Trump on Wednesday named Miami-Dade County Commissioner Kevin Marino Cabrera as his envoy to Panama. Describing Cabrera as “a fierce fighter for America First principles”, Trump said in a social media post that he “will do a FANTASTIC job representing our Nation’s interests in Panama!” Earlier this week, dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the US embassy in Panama City in anger over Trump’s Panama Canal comments. The protesters chanted “Trump, animal, leave the canal alone!” and burned a picture of the incoming US president.Romualdez calls out VP Sara Duterte: Explain fund use yourselfCHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — KyKy Tandy scored 21 points and Florida Atlantic pulled away late in the second half to beat Oklahoma State 86-78 on Thursday in the Charleston Classic. It was the second straight loss by a Power Four team in the tournament after Miami fell to Drake in the opener. Florida Atlantic (4-2) plays the Bulldogs in the semifinals on Friday, while Oklahoma State (3-1) battles the Hurricanes in a consolation game. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get the latest sports news delivered right to your inbox six days a week.None
Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. grew its position in First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF ( NYSEARCA:FPX – Free Report ) by 5.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,413 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 131 shares during the period. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.’s holdings in First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF were worth $266,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC bought a new position in First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF during the third quarter valued at $5,178,000. Cetera Advisors LLC increased its holdings in First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF by 94.9% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Advisors LLC now owns 58,906 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,232,000 after acquiring an additional 28,679 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers raised its stake in First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF by 23.2% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 130,004 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,754,000 after acquiring an additional 24,514 shares during the period. Proactive Wealth Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF during the third quarter valued at about $2,112,000. Finally, Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. bought a new position in First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF during the third quarter worth about $1,789,000. First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF Trading Up 1.8 % First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF stock opened at $128.47 on Friday. First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF has a 1-year low of $86.65 and a 1-year high of $128.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $937.86 million, a PE ratio of 20.57 and a beta of 1.56. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $114.08 and its 200 day simple moving average is $105.21. About First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF First Trust US IPO Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield of an equity index called the IPOX-100 U.S. Index (the Index). The Fund will normally invest at least 90% of its assets in common stocks that comprise the Index. The Index is a modified value-weighted price index measuring the performance of the top 100 United States companies ranked quarterly by market capitalization in the IPOX Global Composite Index. See Also Receive News & Ratings for First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
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The Denver Broncos had a bit of drama going on this offseason between them and their best offensive player, Courtland Sutton. If you remember correctly, Sutton wanted a new deal with a bit more money, and in a way, he got that. He wanted more guaranteed money, and they gave him that, along with some incentives. In other words, the Broncos set out some target goals of stats that, if he reached them, would grant him more money. Well, after a great start to the season for Sutton, who is looking elite in 2024, it's safe to say he will need the help of his rookie quarterback Bo Nix even more. He's just six yards from securing an additional $250 thousand and 321 yards from claiming the entire $1.5 million bonus that he initially signed on for with the extension the Denver Broncos gave him. Sutton already unlocked $500 thousand by eclipsing 500 receiving yards. The Broncos have a tough schedule coming up against some decent pass defenses. But, it seems like they are going to be very capable of getting the passing game going, especially when it comes to getting Sutton the ball. The Broncos are one of the hottest teams on offense the last few weeks. They dominated the Atlanta Falcons and really were in control the whole time against the Las Vegas Raiders. With a game against the Cleveland Browns next, the Broncos should be in good shape. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.Cam Newton reveals how he knew Travis Hunter was the Heisman winner before the announcementIn a press conference, the young Montreal Canadiens forward, Juraj Slafkovsky, publicly responded to his head coach, Martin St-Louis. And frankly, the young Slovak had exactly the right attitude. As you probably know, things stirred up within the team yesterday. First, Juraj Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach were demoted to the fourth line during the morning practice. Then, Martin St-Louis clearly sent a message to both players during his press conference.. (especially to Slafkovsky). In short, when Slafkovsky was questioned about it, the young forward wearing number 20 responded very well. Juraj Slafkovsky responds to Martin St-Louis after yesterday's events and his demotion to the fourth line with Kirby Dach Here's what Stu Cowan reported: "He saw how I was playing and it's well-deserved." That's exactly the kind of response you want from your young player, but now he needs to act and correct course quickly. Juraj Slafkovsky, the first overall pick in 2022, is now 20 years old. The 6 foot 3, 225-pound forward has accumulated 11 points in 17 games this season after tallying 50 points, including 20 goals, in 82 games last season. Let's not forget he's under contract with the team until 2033. Do you believe Slafkovsky will bounce back and surpass 50 points this season for the Canadiens? This article first appeared on Habs Fanatics and was syndicated with permission.
NoneBy Steve Benen Soon after taking office in 2021, Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado quickly became one of Congress’ most controversial members. Six months into her first term, The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank wrote a column describing the far-right congresswoman as being “lost in a cacophony of crazy.” In the years that followed, Boebert’s reputation managed to get worse, culminating in an incident last year when the Colorado Republican attended a family-friendly “Beetlejuice” musical production in Denver, only to get kicked out of the venue for “ causing a disturbance ” at the show. The lawmaker denied any wrongdoing, right up until surveillance footage from within the theater proved that she’d obviously acted inappropriately . A year later, Boebert managed to switch congressional districts and win another term, at which point she managed to fall into yet another mess of her own making. The Hill reported : Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) briefly offered videos on Cameo, a website on which public figures sell personalized videos to fans, before the page went offline amid questions about whether it would have violated House ethics rules. An introductory video from Boebert was visible on Cameo as of Monday morning, and a screenshot posted by a Semafor reporter showed her charging $250 per video. “Hey, Cameo, it’s your girl from Colorado, Lauren Boebert. I am so excited to be joining another platform where I can connect directly with supporters from all over the world,” she said in the video. “Whether you or someone you know needs an America First pep talk, if you want to surprise friends or family with a message for a special day, or if you just want to know my thoughts on whatever’s on your mind, Cameo is the place to connect with me. You can book a video now on my Cameo profile, and I will be seeing you and talking with you soon.” A spokesperson for Cameo confirmed to The Denver Post not only that Boebert’s account was authentic, but also that she was the first sitting federal lawmaker to use the platform. A Cameo spokesperson confirmed the authenticity of the Boebert account to The Denver Post , noting that she was the first sitting member of Congress to join the platform. But it’s not because the other 534 members on Capitol Hill are shy. The New Republic explained that Boebert’s Cameo account appeared to violate House rules. First, there’s an outside income limit of $31,815, so she’d have to watch how much money she makes, and second, under House rules, members are prohibited from receiving honoraria, defined as a “payment of money or thing of value for an appearance, speech, or article.” Now, if Boebert was having her Cameo proceeds go to her campaign account, that would probably be in line with House rules, but that is prohibited by the video platform. Or put another way, the existence of Boebert’s Cameo account was likely to result in a House Ethics Committee investigation, which probably helps explain why the account disappeared after one day. Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MSNBC political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
A teenager’s worst nightmare came true on Christmas after he admitted to his “chaotic” family that he had a girlfriend. Young love inevitably leads to heartbreak, but for one teenage boy, it led to utter embarrassment when his family found out he had a new girlfriend . Fortunately, for the amusement of social media, the boy’s older cousin Addison captured the moment when his family found out the exciting news. As the family opened Christmas gifts around the tree, they erupted in laughter and applauded the teen. But that wasn’t all, his family then devised a plan to embarrass him the best way they could. In moments, a crew of about 20 people from his family tracked down his girlfriend so they could sing Christmas carols outside of her house. “POV: Your family just found out your little cousin has a girlfriend and decided to show up to her house and Christmas carol,” Addison wrote on her viral TikTok , which boasted over 8M views. “This is extreme,” the teenager said to his family, who were prepared with not only a variety of songs but instruments as well. Teen’s family sings ‘Jingle Bells’ to his girlfriend and her family As several cars pulled up to his girlfriend’s home, his family hopped out and began to walk towards her doorstep. “Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh, hey!” the family sang as the teen’s girlfriend and her family stood on their porch. The group even took a selfie together to remember the embarrassing moment. Related: Viewers of the viral encounter found the prank hilarious, with some agreeing that it was the “funniest thing” they had ever seen. Others said that the boy’s embarrassment was exactly why they would never tell their family members private information about themselves. “This is cute but this would be grounds for me never telling my family anything personal ever again,” commented one. Some viewers even agreed that the teen’s family was the perfect family to marry into. “Now this is a cool family to marry into,” wrote one. In another Christmas prank that went viral this season, three employees wrapped their boss’ office in wrapping paper . When he came back from a long vacation, he was fairly upset that everything, including his mini fridge and beverages, was covered in festive wrapping paper.Three of these images are fake. Can you spot the real image? Some images generated by artificial intelligence have become so convincingly real that there is no surefire way to spot the fakes. But experts say there are still things we can try to detect fakes. "Media literacy is super awesome," said Matt Groh, assistant professor at Northwestern University. "But it needs to extend to AI literacy. Like the classic kind of things that you want to teach in media literacy, we still need to teach those same things. We just need to add the AI portion to it now." RELATED STORY | Nobel Prize in physics awarded to 2 scientists for discoveries that enabled artificial intelligence Groh's team at Northwestern released a guide on how to spot AI generated images. The full preprint paper was released in June. "So what we've done is we've articulated 5 different categories of artifacts, implausibilities," Groh said. "Ways to tell AI-generated image apart from a real photograph." The academic preprint guide offers detailed tips, tricks and examples on spotting AI-generated images. It also teaches important questions to consider when consuming media. Anatomical implausibilities The first and easiest telltale signs: anatomical implausibilities. Ask yourself: Are the fingers, eyes, and bodies off? Are there extra limbs or do they bend strangely? Are there too many teeth? Stylistic implausibilities Ask yourself: Do images seem plastic, glossy, shiny or cartoonish? Are there overly dramatic or cinematic? Functional implausibilities Ask yourself: Is text garbled? Is clothing strange? Are objects not physically correct, like how this backpack strap merges into clothing? Violation of physics Ask yourself: Are light and shadows off? Are there impossible reflections? Sociocultural implausibilities Ask yourself: Are there images that are just too unbelievable or historically inaccurate? RELATED STORY | AI voice cloning: How programs are learning to pick up on pitch and tone "What we're trying to do is give you a snapshot of what it looks like in 2024 and how we can help people move their attention as effectively as possible," Groh said. "Education is really the biggest thing. There's education on the tools," said Cole Whitecotton, senior professional research associate at the National Center for Media Forensics. Whitecotton encourages the public to educate themselves and try AI tools to know their capabilities and limits. "I think everybody should go out and use it. And look at how these things do what they do and understand a bit of it," he said. "Everyone should interact with ChatGPT. In some way. Everyone should interact with Midjourney. And look at how these things do what they do and understand a bit of it." Whitecotton suggests being inquisitive and curious when scrolling through social media. "If you interacted with every piece of content in that way, then there you would be a lot less likely to be duped and to be sort of sucked into that sort of stuff, right?" he said. "How do you interact with Facebook and with Twitter and all these things? How do you consume the media?" Whitecotton added. RELATED STORY | Biden's AI advisor speaks on AI policy, deepfakes, and the use of AI in war While AI-generated images and videos continue to evolve, Groh and his team offer a realistic approach to a changing technological landscape where tips and tricks may become outdated quickly. "I think a real, good, useful thing is we build this. We update this every year. Okay, some of these things work. Some of these things don't. And I think once we have a base, we're able to update it," Groh said. "I think one of the problems is we didn't have a base. And so one of the things we're really excited about is even sharing our framework, because I think our framework is going to help people just navigate that conversation." So were you able to guess which image is real? If you guessed the image of the girl in the bottom left corner, you are correct! "It sucks that there's this misinformation in the world. But it's also possible to navigate this new problem," Groh said. If you want to test yourself even more, the Northwestern University research team has released this site that gives you a series of real and AI-generated images to differentiate.
VANCOUVER - A Federal Court judge has dismissed an appeal by a “deeply religious” British Columbia health executive who said he was wrongfully denied employment insurance after being fired three years ago for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Darold Sturgeon was fired as executive director of medical affairs for Interior Health in November 2021 after refusing to get the vaccine based on his Christian beliefs. He applied for employment insurance benefits but was denied due to being fired for “misconduct,” with appeals to two levels of the Social Security Tribunal also failing, leading him to seek a judicial review in Federal Court in August 2023. The ruling says Sturgeon believed the tribunal should have examined his assertion under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that the term “misconduct” did not apply to his case “because he was exercising his freedom of religion.” Justice William Pentney says “recent, abundant and unanimous case law” defined a specific and narrow role for the tribunal’s appeal divisions, focusing on an employee’s conduct, and not justification for and employer’s policies or compliance with the Charter. The ruling says Sturgeon’s appeal fell “outside the mandate” of the tribunal and he could have challenged Interior Health’s mandatory vaccine police “through other avenues.” These included advancing a Charter claim, lodging a wrongful dismissal suit or labour grievance, or complaining to the British Columbia Human Rights Commission. “The point is, there were other avenues available to pursue the Charter question; this decision does not cut off the only avenue of relief,” the ruling says. It added of Sturgeon, who represented himself, that “no one has doubted that he acted based on his understanding of his religious obligations,” and that he had “ably advanced his arguments.” “However, despite his sincere and thoughtful arguments, the binding jurisprudence requires that I find against him,” the ruling says. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024.
The Red Sox made their first big signing of the offseason Tuesday, inking veteran reliever Aroldis Chapman to a one-year, $10.75 million contract. The deal, which is pending a physical, also includes $250,000 in potential bonuses. Chapman confirmed the deal, posting a photo of himself in a Red Sox cap on social media. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
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BILLINGS, Mont. -- A senior official in President Joe Biden's administration who oversaw its contentious efforts to address climate change by curbing oil drilling on federal lands while expanding renewable power was named Tuesday as the next president of a prominent environmental group. U.S. Bureau of Land Management Director Tracy Stone-Manning will become president of The Wilderness Society effective next February, the Washington, D.C.-based group announced. Stone-Manning's 2021 nomination by Biden was bitterly opposed by Republicans who labeled her an “eco-terrorist” over her past ties with environmental extremists. Senate Democrats pushed through her confirmation on a party-line vote. The land bureau has jurisdiction over almost a quarter-billion acres (100 million hectares) of land, primarily in western states, that is used for oil exploration, mining, livestock grazing, recreation and other purposes. Under Stone-Manning, it sharply reduced oil and gas lease sales and raised royalty rates that companies must pay to extract the fuel. It also issued a rule elevating the importance of conservation , by making it a “use” of public lands on par with drilling or grazing. That marked a sharp departure from the land bureau's longstanding reputation for favoring commercial development over environmental preservation. The moves drew pushback from the energy, mining and ranching industries and their Republican allies in Congress. They have vowed to undo actions taken by Stone-Manning when the GOP assumes control in Washington next year as a result of its 2024 election wins. The land bureau also approved new solar and wind power projects and opened more public lands to renewable energy development under Biden. Before joining the administration, Stone-Manning worked as a senior aide to Montana Democrats U.S. Sen. Jon Tester and Gov. Steve Bullock. Her nomination by Biden sparked intense Republican opposition because of Stone-Manning's involvement in a 1989 environmental sabotage case. As a 23-year-old graduate student at the University of Montana, Stone-Manning sent a letter to federal officials in 1989 saying spikes had been inserted into trees in Idaho’s Clearwater National Forest. Spiking trees involves inserting metal or ceramic rods into trunks so they can’t be safely cut down, and the tactic has sometimes been used to halt timber sales. Two men were charged in the case, and Stone-Manning later testified against them, saying she mailed the letter at the request of one of the men and to prevent people from getting hurt. She was given immunity to testify and was never charged with any crimes, although an investigator later said she had stonewalled the criminal probe . During the debate over her nomination, GOP lawmakers called her a dangerous choice. She was confirmed with backing from moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. President-elect Donald Trump nominated Republican North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to be secretary of the Interior, which includes the Bureau of Land Management. His selection for the land bureau director has not yet been announced. During Trump's first-term, the bureau went without a Senate-confirmed director. The Republican instead used acting directors who did not have to go before the Senate to advance his agenda to increase U.S. energy production. The bureau's headquarters were relocated to Colorado under Trump, leading to the resignation or retirement of hundreds of employees before it was returned to Washington, D.C., under Biden.New Delhi, Dec 26 (PTI) Hailed as the architect of India’s economic reforms, former prime minister Manmohan Singh in one his last interviews had said in 2019 that the country’s economy was “over-regulated”, the government exerted control and interferences were aplenty with even regulators having “morphed into controllers”. Speaking to PTI in an exclusive interview on May 5, 2019, days before his successor Narendra Modi returned as the prime minister for the second consecutive term, Singh cited the then economic growth figures to suggest an impending slowdown. He had also rued the “growing interference” of courts in the economic policies, and said the Congress would have handled the economy differently. Singh, who served as prime minister for two terms from 2004 to 2014, has been credited with spearheading India’s economic reform process. He had alleged that the lack of any vision or understanding of the country’s dynamics of economy by the Narendra Modi-led government led to “disruptive” decisions like demonetisation, which he had earlier dubbed as “organised loot and legalised plunder”. Singh had also said that people were “fed up” with the daily rhetoric and cosmetic change by the current dispensation and there was an undercurrent against this “illusion and boastful self aggrandizement”. He noted that he had always welcomed scrutiny and accountability of government, as the same is intrinsic to democracy. Claiming that he had initiated action against his own people even when allegations were made, Singh had said that the Modi government considered itself inscrutable and unaccountable to a litany of corruption allegations and preferred to brazen it out by often shooting the messenger. The former prime minister claimed that this government came to power on the promise to usher in transparency and fight against corruption. However, he said, in the last five years, “we have only witnessed the stench of corruption peaking to unimaginable proportions”. Demonetisation was perhaps the biggest scam of independent India, he had noted. Singh, the architect of India’s economic reforms and a consensus builder in the rough world of politics, died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, on Thursday night. He was 92. 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The Associated Press has come under fire for handing out its third-place slot for female athlete of the year to Imane Khelif, the controversial Olympic boxer who failed gender tests. The AP announced its award rankings, noting that its Female Athlete of the Year was WNBA star rookie Caitlin Clark. The next two runners-up were U.S. Olympic gymnast Simone Biles in second place and Algerian Olympic boxer Imane Khelif, who took third place with four votes. Khelif, of course, stirred controversy for failing gender tests and being disqualified from the women’s category in boxing competitions throughout 2023 but was nonetheless allowed to box as a woman in the Paris Olympics this year. Unsurprisingly, the Algerian destroyed every woman faced in the ring and won the gold medal in boxing in August. “The IBA disqualified Khelif, fighting in the 66-kilogram division, and Taiwanese fighter Lin Yu-ting, fighting in the 57-kilogram division, from fighting in its women’s tournaments in March 2023 on the grounds that they failed unspecified tests to confirm that they fit the governing body’s definition of a woman,” Breitbart’s Frances Martel reports . “IBA President Umar Kremlev told the Russian news agency Tass at the time that Lin and Khelif ‘have XY chromosomes,’ the genetic makeup of a human male. “The International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed Lin and Khelif to compete because it does not use the IBA testing standards, requiring athletes only to present their passports and qualifying them to compete as men or women, depending on how their countries classify them.” But with the revelation that the boxer, who was determined to have male XY chromosomes, landed in third place in AP’s female athlete of the year voting, many took to social media to blast the wire service for its inclusion of Khelif. One of the most notable detractors of AP’s choice is tennis legend Martina Navratilova, who jumped to her X account to proclaim “Wtaf???” But Navratilova was far from the only person to express outrage over the award standings. Women’s sports advocate Riley Gaines also blasted the AP’s move, calling it “absurd” and alleging that the AP “knows” Khelif “is a man.” Many other social media users were equally sickened by the AP’s actions: Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston , or Truth Social @WarnerToddHustonTrump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happen
Netanyahu says he supports proposed ceasefire with Lebanon's Hezbollah
Marilyn Manson drops lawsuit against Evan Rachel WoodFoundations Physical Therapy Highlights Specialized Men’s Pelvic Health ProgramThe European benchmark gas contract remained near its highest level in 13 months on Tuesday amid colder weather, the decline of storage inventories and as Asian liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices continue to rise. The benchmark front-month contract at the Dutch TTF hub inched up by 0.25 euro to 48.72 euros per megawatt hour (MWh), or $15.43/mmBtu, by 0917 GMT. It was still at its highest intraday level since Nov. 6, 2023. In Britain, the day-ahead contract gained 0.50 pence to 121.25 pence/therm. Temperatures in north-west Europe are forecast to drop from this weekend onward, LSEG data shows. Gas demand for power is accordingly forecast to rise by 297 gigawatt hour per day (GWh/d) to 3,604 GWh/d with wind speeds also expected to weaken on Wednesday. Demand over the weekend and the working days next week is also expected to be up by 26-27 GWh/d each, said LSEG analyst Yuriy Onyshkiv. Meanwhile, the price spread between European and Asian markets starts to widen, consultancy Auxilione said in a morning note. “For some time now, European prices have been attractive for LNG cargoes, but Asian demand has started to increase – as has the market price – which may start to attract some cargoes initially intended for Europe to divert,” Auxilione said. Russian gas producer Gazprom said it would send 41.3 million cubic metres (mcm) of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Tuesday, up from 40.8 mcm on Monday but still down from more than 42 mcm/day seen in recent months. Europe’s gas inventories have been depleting at the fastest rate for eight years, as the region has experienced repeated bouts of colder-than-normal temperatures and low wind speeds since the start of the winter heating season, energy analyst John Kemp said in a LinkedIn post. “Stocks have fallen more than four times faster than the average over the last ten years, and by the most for any year since 2016, according to data from operators compiled by Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE),” Kemp said. Storage facilities across the region were 87% full on average, sharply lower than 97% on the same date in 2023 and 94% in 2022, he added. In the European carbon market CFI2Zc1, the benchmark contract was down by 0.58 euro at 68.28 euros a metric ton. Source: Reuters (Reporting by Marwa Rashad; editing by Nina Chestney)
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People's National Party (PNP) President, Mark Golding, says he is disappointed that the leadership of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has not denounced the racist rhetoric that has been directed at him by some of its members. “I am very disappointed in the leadership of the Jamaican Labour party that they tacitly encourage this kind of behaviour because to me it indicates a lack of principle on their part,” he said. Government Members of Parliament Juliet Cuthbert Flynn and Everald Warmington have been at the forefront of a racially charged attack on the opposition leader, targeting him because of his skin colour and ethnicity. At a recent political meeting, Warmington asserted that a white man should never become Prime Minister of Jamaica. “We are descendants of the slaves. We nuh want nuh descendant of slave master come rule us again. “It's better my dog bite me, than the white man dog bite me,” he said. Using the her platform at the JLP's 81st annual conference on Sunday, Cuthbert Flynn referred to Golding as “Markie British”, stating that he is “a man who believes in holding chains around the around the neck of black people,” and that “him a tek picture a hold chain round man neck, the Rastaman neck.” She was referring to a photo of Golding from a brief skit at a PNP political meeting, in which Golding is shown holding a chain around a Rastafarian's neck, a symbolic gesture intended to represent the Opposition leader freeing him from bondage. However, Cuthbert Flynn provided no context for the image. But speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Golding reiterated that he is a proud Jamaican. “I am a born Jamaican, I didn't choose my skin colour - I am loyal Jamaican, a patriotic Jamaican and I am giving of myself to serve the people of Jamaica,” he said. He described the racial attacks by members of the JLP as desperate. “In a sense, I am flattered that all they can really attack me on is the colour of my skin,” he said. “I don't think any political leader has faced what I have been facing in this regard and it is because they see that the tide is turned against them, and the people of Jamaica are fed up with them - the dishonesty, the lack of integrity, and a government that pursues policies that don't benefit people in a direct way, so people have loss hope, people want change,” he added. Golding is also concerned about how these racist remarks from government members may impact Jamaica's image globally. “Jamaica is part of the family of nations, we live in a world that is very connected and other countries, other races of people are looking on and saying how it is that the Government of Jamaica is allowing a junior minister or a former minister, two MPs, to be using racial taunts and slurs as a source of attacking a political opponent - it's very bad form and it's unfortunate for Jamaica and it really needs to stop,” he said. - Sashana Small Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com .None
How Labour plans to win back Auckland - and the next electionWINDHOEK, Namibia (AP) — Namibia elected its first female leader as Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was declared the winner Tuesday of a presidential election last week that was tarnished by technical glitches that caused a three-day extension to allow votes to be cast, and rejected as illegal by opposition parties. The 72-year-old Nandi-Ndaitwah won with 57% of the vote, defying predictions that she might be forced into a runoff. Her ruling SWAPO party also retained its parliamentary majority, although by a very thin margin, and extended its 34-year hold on power since the southern African country gained independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990. Namibia, a sparsely populated country of around 3 million on the southwestern coast of Africa, has a reputation for being one of the continent's more stable democracies and the problems around the election have caused consternation. Last Wednesday's vote was marred by shortages of ballot papers and other problems that led election officials to extend voting until Saturday. Opposition parties have said the extension is unconstitutional, and some have pledged to join together in a legal appeal to have the election invalidated. The Electoral Commission of Namibia, which ran the election, rejected opposition calls for a redo of the vote. It has undermined Nandi-Ndaitwah's place in history. She is set to become her country's fifth president since independence and a rare female leader in Africa. She was a member of Namibia's underground independence movement in the 1970s and received part of her higher education in the then-Soviet Union. She was promoted to vice president in February after President Hage Geingob died while in office . Nangolo Mbumba, who became president after Geingob's death, didn't run in the election. The ruling SWAPO party won 51 seats in the parliamentary vote, only just passing the 49 it needed to keep its majority and narrowly avoiding becoming another long-ruling party to be rejected in southern Africa this year. It was SWAPO's worst parliamentary election result. A mood of change has swept across the region, with parties that led their countries out of white minority or colonial rule in neighboring South Africa and Botswana both losing their long-held political dominance. South Africa's African National Congress, which freed the country from the racist system of apartheid, lost its 30-year majority in an election in May and had to form a coalition. Botswana's ruling party was stunningly removed in a landslide in October after governing for 58 years since independence from Britain. Mozambique's long-ruling Frelimo has been accused of rigging an October election and has faced weeks of violent protests against its rule. SWAPO faced similar challenges as those countries, with frustration at high unemployment and economic hardship, especially among young people, driving a desire for era-ending change. In a brief speech after the results were announced late Tuesday night, Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibians had voted for peace, stability and youth empowerment. “We are going to do what we promised you during the campaigns. Thank you for your confidence and trust in us," she said. Nandi-Ndaitwah was also due to address the nation on Wednesday morning. “SWAPO Wins. Netumbo Wins. Namibia Wins. Now Hard Work,” the ruling party posted on its official account on social media site X. Some opposition parties boycotted the announcement by the Electoral Commission of Namibia at its results center in the capital, Windhoek. The commission has been roundly criticized for its running of the vote, with many angry Namibians complaining they had to wait hours and sometimes over multiple days for the chance to vote. Just over 1 million votes were cast out of 1.4 million registered voters, according to the electoral commission. Panduleni Itula, the leading opposition candidate from the Independent Patriots for Change party, was second in the presidential election with 25% of the vote. His party won the second-largest number of seats in Parliament behind SWAPO. Itula and his party have led the criticism of the vote and said they will lodge their appeal against the election this week. Other opposition parties said they will join that legal challenge. Itula has said that thousands of voters may have been prevented from voting as only some polling stations allowed an extension. "This election has violated the very tenets of our Electoral Act. Namibians deserve the right to choose their leaders freely and fairly, not through a rigged process,” he said. Namibia is a former German colony that came under South African control after World War I and its Black majority was later subjected to some of South Africa’s apartheid policies. SWAPO was at the forefront of the battle for independence from South Africa. While the country has swaths of desert running through it, it has diamond and uranium resources and untapped oil and gas off its coast that is being explored by international companies and could make it a major producer of both. AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
Jose Raul Mulino rejects prospect of talks with Donald Trump, who threatened US could retake control of Panama Canal. The Panamanian president has rejected threats by US President-elect Donald Trump that the United States could reassert control over the Panama Canal, saying “there’s nothing to talk about.” President Jose Raul Mulino on Thursday also rejected the possibility of reducing canal tolls for US vessels and denied that China had any influence over the vital waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. “If there is an intention to talk, then there’s nothing to talk about,” Mulino said during a weekly news conference. “The canal is Panamanian and belongs to Panamanians. There’s no possibility of opening any kind of conversation around this reality, which has cost the country blood, sweat and tears.” The president’s comments come days after Trump, who takes office next month, threatened to take back control of the Panama Canal over what he said were “ridiculous” fees being charged by the Panamanian authorities. The US exerted administrative control of the canal for decades before handing it to Panama in 1999. In a series of social media posts over the past week, Trump accused the Central American country, with whom Washington has had diplomatic relations since 1903, of “ripping off” the US on the Panama Canal. “Our Navy and Commerce have been treated in a very unfair and injudicious way,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Saturday. “The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the US. This complete ‘rip-off’ of our Country will immediately stop.” Trump also claimed that Chinese soldiers were “lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal”. That claim was rejected on Thursday by the Panamanian president, who said China has no role in the administration of the canal. “There are no Chinese soldiers in the canal for the love of God, the world is free to visit the canal,” Mulino told reporters. China does not control or administer the canal, but a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings has long managed two ports located on the canal’s Caribbean and Pacific entrances. Meanwhile, Trump on Wednesday named Miami-Dade County Commissioner Kevin Marino Cabrera as his envoy to Panama. Describing Cabrera as “a fierce fighter for America First principles”, Trump said in a social media post that he “will do a FANTASTIC job representing our Nation’s interests in Panama!” Earlier this week, dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the US embassy in Panama City in anger over Trump’s Panama Canal comments. The protesters chanted “Trump, animal, leave the canal alone!” and burned a picture of the incoming US president.Romualdez calls out VP Sara Duterte: Explain fund use yourselfCHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — KyKy Tandy scored 21 points and Florida Atlantic pulled away late in the second half to beat Oklahoma State 86-78 on Thursday in the Charleston Classic. It was the second straight loss by a Power Four team in the tournament after Miami fell to Drake in the opener. Florida Atlantic (4-2) plays the Bulldogs in the semifinals on Friday, while Oklahoma State (3-1) battles the Hurricanes in a consolation game. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get the latest sports news delivered right to your inbox six days a week.None
Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. grew its position in First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF ( NYSEARCA:FPX – Free Report ) by 5.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,413 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 131 shares during the period. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.’s holdings in First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF were worth $266,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC bought a new position in First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF during the third quarter valued at $5,178,000. Cetera Advisors LLC increased its holdings in First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF by 94.9% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Advisors LLC now owns 58,906 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,232,000 after acquiring an additional 28,679 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers raised its stake in First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF by 23.2% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 130,004 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,754,000 after acquiring an additional 24,514 shares during the period. Proactive Wealth Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF during the third quarter valued at about $2,112,000. Finally, Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. bought a new position in First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF during the third quarter worth about $1,789,000. First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF Trading Up 1.8 % First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF stock opened at $128.47 on Friday. First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF has a 1-year low of $86.65 and a 1-year high of $128.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $937.86 million, a PE ratio of 20.57 and a beta of 1.56. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $114.08 and its 200 day simple moving average is $105.21. About First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF First Trust US IPO Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield of an equity index called the IPOX-100 U.S. Index (the Index). The Fund will normally invest at least 90% of its assets in common stocks that comprise the Index. The Index is a modified value-weighted price index measuring the performance of the top 100 United States companies ranked quarterly by market capitalization in the IPOX Global Composite Index. See Also Receive News & Ratings for First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
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The Denver Broncos had a bit of drama going on this offseason between them and their best offensive player, Courtland Sutton. If you remember correctly, Sutton wanted a new deal with a bit more money, and in a way, he got that. He wanted more guaranteed money, and they gave him that, along with some incentives. In other words, the Broncos set out some target goals of stats that, if he reached them, would grant him more money. Well, after a great start to the season for Sutton, who is looking elite in 2024, it's safe to say he will need the help of his rookie quarterback Bo Nix even more. He's just six yards from securing an additional $250 thousand and 321 yards from claiming the entire $1.5 million bonus that he initially signed on for with the extension the Denver Broncos gave him. Sutton already unlocked $500 thousand by eclipsing 500 receiving yards. The Broncos have a tough schedule coming up against some decent pass defenses. But, it seems like they are going to be very capable of getting the passing game going, especially when it comes to getting Sutton the ball. The Broncos are one of the hottest teams on offense the last few weeks. They dominated the Atlanta Falcons and really were in control the whole time against the Las Vegas Raiders. With a game against the Cleveland Browns next, the Broncos should be in good shape. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.Cam Newton reveals how he knew Travis Hunter was the Heisman winner before the announcementIn a press conference, the young Montreal Canadiens forward, Juraj Slafkovsky, publicly responded to his head coach, Martin St-Louis. And frankly, the young Slovak had exactly the right attitude. As you probably know, things stirred up within the team yesterday. First, Juraj Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach were demoted to the fourth line during the morning practice. Then, Martin St-Louis clearly sent a message to both players during his press conference.. (especially to Slafkovsky). In short, when Slafkovsky was questioned about it, the young forward wearing number 20 responded very well. Juraj Slafkovsky responds to Martin St-Louis after yesterday's events and his demotion to the fourth line with Kirby Dach Here's what Stu Cowan reported: "He saw how I was playing and it's well-deserved." That's exactly the kind of response you want from your young player, but now he needs to act and correct course quickly. Juraj Slafkovsky, the first overall pick in 2022, is now 20 years old. The 6 foot 3, 225-pound forward has accumulated 11 points in 17 games this season after tallying 50 points, including 20 goals, in 82 games last season. Let's not forget he's under contract with the team until 2033. Do you believe Slafkovsky will bounce back and surpass 50 points this season for the Canadiens? This article first appeared on Habs Fanatics and was syndicated with permission.
NoneBy Steve Benen Soon after taking office in 2021, Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado quickly became one of Congress’ most controversial members. Six months into her first term, The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank wrote a column describing the far-right congresswoman as being “lost in a cacophony of crazy.” In the years that followed, Boebert’s reputation managed to get worse, culminating in an incident last year when the Colorado Republican attended a family-friendly “Beetlejuice” musical production in Denver, only to get kicked out of the venue for “ causing a disturbance ” at the show. The lawmaker denied any wrongdoing, right up until surveillance footage from within the theater proved that she’d obviously acted inappropriately . A year later, Boebert managed to switch congressional districts and win another term, at which point she managed to fall into yet another mess of her own making. The Hill reported : Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) briefly offered videos on Cameo, a website on which public figures sell personalized videos to fans, before the page went offline amid questions about whether it would have violated House ethics rules. An introductory video from Boebert was visible on Cameo as of Monday morning, and a screenshot posted by a Semafor reporter showed her charging $250 per video. “Hey, Cameo, it’s your girl from Colorado, Lauren Boebert. I am so excited to be joining another platform where I can connect directly with supporters from all over the world,” she said in the video. “Whether you or someone you know needs an America First pep talk, if you want to surprise friends or family with a message for a special day, or if you just want to know my thoughts on whatever’s on your mind, Cameo is the place to connect with me. You can book a video now on my Cameo profile, and I will be seeing you and talking with you soon.” A spokesperson for Cameo confirmed to The Denver Post not only that Boebert’s account was authentic, but also that she was the first sitting federal lawmaker to use the platform. A Cameo spokesperson confirmed the authenticity of the Boebert account to The Denver Post , noting that she was the first sitting member of Congress to join the platform. But it’s not because the other 534 members on Capitol Hill are shy. The New Republic explained that Boebert’s Cameo account appeared to violate House rules. First, there’s an outside income limit of $31,815, so she’d have to watch how much money she makes, and second, under House rules, members are prohibited from receiving honoraria, defined as a “payment of money or thing of value for an appearance, speech, or article.” Now, if Boebert was having her Cameo proceeds go to her campaign account, that would probably be in line with House rules, but that is prohibited by the video platform. Or put another way, the existence of Boebert’s Cameo account was likely to result in a House Ethics Committee investigation, which probably helps explain why the account disappeared after one day. Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MSNBC political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
A teenager’s worst nightmare came true on Christmas after he admitted to his “chaotic” family that he had a girlfriend. Young love inevitably leads to heartbreak, but for one teenage boy, it led to utter embarrassment when his family found out he had a new girlfriend . Fortunately, for the amusement of social media, the boy’s older cousin Addison captured the moment when his family found out the exciting news. As the family opened Christmas gifts around the tree, they erupted in laughter and applauded the teen. But that wasn’t all, his family then devised a plan to embarrass him the best way they could. In moments, a crew of about 20 people from his family tracked down his girlfriend so they could sing Christmas carols outside of her house. “POV: Your family just found out your little cousin has a girlfriend and decided to show up to her house and Christmas carol,” Addison wrote on her viral TikTok , which boasted over 8M views. “This is extreme,” the teenager said to his family, who were prepared with not only a variety of songs but instruments as well. Teen’s family sings ‘Jingle Bells’ to his girlfriend and her family As several cars pulled up to his girlfriend’s home, his family hopped out and began to walk towards her doorstep. “Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh, hey!” the family sang as the teen’s girlfriend and her family stood on their porch. The group even took a selfie together to remember the embarrassing moment. Related: Viewers of the viral encounter found the prank hilarious, with some agreeing that it was the “funniest thing” they had ever seen. Others said that the boy’s embarrassment was exactly why they would never tell their family members private information about themselves. “This is cute but this would be grounds for me never telling my family anything personal ever again,” commented one. Some viewers even agreed that the teen’s family was the perfect family to marry into. “Now this is a cool family to marry into,” wrote one. In another Christmas prank that went viral this season, three employees wrapped their boss’ office in wrapping paper . When he came back from a long vacation, he was fairly upset that everything, including his mini fridge and beverages, was covered in festive wrapping paper.Three of these images are fake. Can you spot the real image? Some images generated by artificial intelligence have become so convincingly real that there is no surefire way to spot the fakes. But experts say there are still things we can try to detect fakes. "Media literacy is super awesome," said Matt Groh, assistant professor at Northwestern University. "But it needs to extend to AI literacy. Like the classic kind of things that you want to teach in media literacy, we still need to teach those same things. We just need to add the AI portion to it now." RELATED STORY | Nobel Prize in physics awarded to 2 scientists for discoveries that enabled artificial intelligence Groh's team at Northwestern released a guide on how to spot AI generated images. The full preprint paper was released in June. "So what we've done is we've articulated 5 different categories of artifacts, implausibilities," Groh said. "Ways to tell AI-generated image apart from a real photograph." The academic preprint guide offers detailed tips, tricks and examples on spotting AI-generated images. It also teaches important questions to consider when consuming media. Anatomical implausibilities The first and easiest telltale signs: anatomical implausibilities. Ask yourself: Are the fingers, eyes, and bodies off? Are there extra limbs or do they bend strangely? Are there too many teeth? Stylistic implausibilities Ask yourself: Do images seem plastic, glossy, shiny or cartoonish? Are there overly dramatic or cinematic? Functional implausibilities Ask yourself: Is text garbled? Is clothing strange? Are objects not physically correct, like how this backpack strap merges into clothing? Violation of physics Ask yourself: Are light and shadows off? Are there impossible reflections? Sociocultural implausibilities Ask yourself: Are there images that are just too unbelievable or historically inaccurate? RELATED STORY | AI voice cloning: How programs are learning to pick up on pitch and tone "What we're trying to do is give you a snapshot of what it looks like in 2024 and how we can help people move their attention as effectively as possible," Groh said. "Education is really the biggest thing. There's education on the tools," said Cole Whitecotton, senior professional research associate at the National Center for Media Forensics. Whitecotton encourages the public to educate themselves and try AI tools to know their capabilities and limits. "I think everybody should go out and use it. And look at how these things do what they do and understand a bit of it," he said. "Everyone should interact with ChatGPT. In some way. Everyone should interact with Midjourney. And look at how these things do what they do and understand a bit of it." Whitecotton suggests being inquisitive and curious when scrolling through social media. "If you interacted with every piece of content in that way, then there you would be a lot less likely to be duped and to be sort of sucked into that sort of stuff, right?" he said. "How do you interact with Facebook and with Twitter and all these things? How do you consume the media?" Whitecotton added. RELATED STORY | Biden's AI advisor speaks on AI policy, deepfakes, and the use of AI in war While AI-generated images and videos continue to evolve, Groh and his team offer a realistic approach to a changing technological landscape where tips and tricks may become outdated quickly. "I think a real, good, useful thing is we build this. We update this every year. Okay, some of these things work. Some of these things don't. And I think once we have a base, we're able to update it," Groh said. "I think one of the problems is we didn't have a base. And so one of the things we're really excited about is even sharing our framework, because I think our framework is going to help people just navigate that conversation." So were you able to guess which image is real? If you guessed the image of the girl in the bottom left corner, you are correct! "It sucks that there's this misinformation in the world. But it's also possible to navigate this new problem," Groh said. If you want to test yourself even more, the Northwestern University research team has released this site that gives you a series of real and AI-generated images to differentiate.
VANCOUVER - A Federal Court judge has dismissed an appeal by a “deeply religious” British Columbia health executive who said he was wrongfully denied employment insurance after being fired three years ago for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Darold Sturgeon was fired as executive director of medical affairs for Interior Health in November 2021 after refusing to get the vaccine based on his Christian beliefs. He applied for employment insurance benefits but was denied due to being fired for “misconduct,” with appeals to two levels of the Social Security Tribunal also failing, leading him to seek a judicial review in Federal Court in August 2023. The ruling says Sturgeon believed the tribunal should have examined his assertion under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that the term “misconduct” did not apply to his case “because he was exercising his freedom of religion.” Justice William Pentney says “recent, abundant and unanimous case law” defined a specific and narrow role for the tribunal’s appeal divisions, focusing on an employee’s conduct, and not justification for and employer’s policies or compliance with the Charter. The ruling says Sturgeon’s appeal fell “outside the mandate” of the tribunal and he could have challenged Interior Health’s mandatory vaccine police “through other avenues.” These included advancing a Charter claim, lodging a wrongful dismissal suit or labour grievance, or complaining to the British Columbia Human Rights Commission. “The point is, there were other avenues available to pursue the Charter question; this decision does not cut off the only avenue of relief,” the ruling says. It added of Sturgeon, who represented himself, that “no one has doubted that he acted based on his understanding of his religious obligations,” and that he had “ably advanced his arguments.” “However, despite his sincere and thoughtful arguments, the binding jurisprudence requires that I find against him,” the ruling says. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024.
The Red Sox made their first big signing of the offseason Tuesday, inking veteran reliever Aroldis Chapman to a one-year, $10.75 million contract. The deal, which is pending a physical, also includes $250,000 in potential bonuses. Chapman confirmed the deal, posting a photo of himself in a Red Sox cap on social media. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
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