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Titans coach says WR Treylon Burks recently had surgery to fix partially torn ACLWASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Christopher Wray told bureau workers Wednesday he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden's term in January, an announcement that came a week and a half after President-elect Donald Trump said he would nominate loyalist Kash Patel for the job. Wray said at a town hall meeting that he would be stepping down “after weeks of careful thought,” roughly three years short of the completion of a 10-year term during which he tried to keep the FBI out of politics even as the bureau found itself entangled in a string of explosive investigations, including two that led to separate indictments of Trump last year. Wray’s intended resignation was not unexpected considering that Trump had settled on Patel to be director and had repeatedly aired his ire at Wray, including in a television interview broadcast Sunday. But his departure is nonetheless a reflection of how Trump's norm-breaking style has reshaped Washington, with the president-elect yet again flouting tradition by moving to replace an FBI director before his term was up and Wray — by resigning before he could be fired — opting to avert a collision with the incoming Trump administration that he said would have plunged the FBI into political fighting. “My goal is to keep the focus on our mission — the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day,” Wray told agency employees. "In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work.” The resignation would clear the way for Patel's ascension, assuming he is confirmed by the Senate. A White House staffer during Trump's first term, Patel has insisted that the federal government should be rid of “conspirators” against Trump. The comments have stirred alarm that he could seek to use the FBI for retribution against perceived enemies despite longstanding guardrails meant to ensure investigations have a proper basis. It's extremely rare for FBI directors to be ousted from their jobs before the completion of their 10-year terms, a length meant to insulate the agency from the political influence of changing administrations. But Trump has done it twice, placing Wray in the job in 2017 after firing Director James Comey amid an investigation into ties between Russia and the Republican president’s campaign. Despite having appointed Wray, Trump had telegraphed his anger with the FBI director on multiple occasions. Trump said in the recent interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that “I can’t say I’m thrilled with him. He invaded my home,” a reference to the FBI search of his Florida property , Mar-a-Lago, two years ago for classified documents from Trump’s first term as president. That search, and the recovery of boxes of sensitive government records, paved the way for one of two federal indictments against Trump. The case, and another one charging him with plotting to overturn the 2020 election, have both been dismissed. Trump applauded the resignation news on social media, calling it “a great day for America as it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice.” and complaining anew about the Mar-a-Lago search. Attorney General Merrick Garland, meanwhile, praised Wray for having “served our country honorably and with integrity for decades.” He said: “Under Director Wray’s principled leadership, the FBI has worked to fulfill the Justice Department’s mission to keep our country safe, protect civil rights, and uphold the rule of law.” Natalie Bara, the president of the FBI Agents Association. said in a statement Wray had led the FBI “through challenging times with a steady focus on doing the work that keeps our country safe. ” Throughout his seven years on the job, Wray brought a workmanlike approach to the job, repeatedly preaching a “keep calm and tackle hard” mantra to bureau personnel despite a steady drumbeat of attacks from Trump and his supporters. In fact, Wray was quick to distance himself and his leadership team from the FBI’s Russia investigation that was well underway when he took office. On the same day of a harshly critical inspector general report on that inquiry, Wray announced more than 40 corrective actions to the FBI’s process for applying for warrants for secret national security surveillance. He said mistakes made during the Russia inquiry were unacceptable and he helped tighten controls for investigations into candidates for federal office. FBI officials actively trumpeted those changes to make clear that Wray’s leadership had ushered in a different era at the bureau. Even then, though, Wray’s criticism of the investigation was occasionally measured — he did not agree, for instance, with Trump’s characterization of it as a “witch hunt” — and there were other instances, particularly in response to specific questions, when he memorably broke with the White House. In 2020, he said that there was “no indication” that Ukraine had interfered in the 2016 election, countering a frequent talking point at the time from Trump. When the Trump White House blessed the declassification of materials related to the surveillance of a former Trump campaign aide, Wray made known his displeasure. Wray also angered Trump for saying that antifa was a movement and an ideology but not an organization. Trump had said he would like to designate the group as a terrorist organization. Then came the FBI's Mar-a-Lago search, which officials defended as necessary given the boxes of documents that were being concealed at the Palm Beach property and the evidence of obstruction that the Justice Department said had been gathered. Trump railed against the FBI over that action and has kept up his criticism ever since, including after Wray said at a congressional hearing last summer that there was “some question about whether or not it’s a bullet or shrapnel” that struck Trump's ear during an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania in July. The FBI later stated unequivocally that it was indeed a bullet. Before being named FBI director, Wray worked at a prestigious law firm, King & Spalding, where he represented former Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., during the “Bridgegate” affair. He also led the Justice Department’s criminal division for a period during President George W. Bush’s administration.

Mediolanum International Funds Ltd Buys 176,127 Shares of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)The Arlington Entertainment District is expected to have new areas where rideshare pick-up and drop-off won’t be allowed. The City Council voted unanimously to give initial approval to updates adding areas around Globe Life Field to the list of areas where rideshare can’t make stops for passengers. Get Arlington news that matters. Sign up for local stories in your inbox every Thursday. Arlington police told KERA in an emailed statement that the updates are more housekeeping than anything. Rules for rideshare and other for-hire drivers in the entertainment district were last updated before the opening of Globe Life Field. The changes also addressed some street name changes that have happened since the last update, such as Legends Way being renamed to AT&T Way. Many of these areas are already marked as no stopping or no pick-up and drop-off locations. Police said in the statement that the goal is to keep people safe, keep traffic flowing and make trips through to the Arlington Entertainment District or to events smoother. “Whenever we host a Cowboys game, Rangers game, or other major event, one of our primary goals is to get the thousands of visitors who attend those events in and out of the Entertainment District as safely and efficiently as possible,” police wrote in the statement. Having rules that prohibit drivers from stopping in the road to drop-off or load passengers means fewer people being let out at unsafe places and less chance a stopping car will disrupt traffic, police said. The stadiums in the entertainment district do have dedicated areas for rideshare pick-up and drop-off, though. Uber, Lyft, Via and other rideshare services can stop at Lot C for Globe Life Field events and Lot 15 for trips to and from AT&T Stadium. Police said those designated spots are clearly marked with signs directing both passengers and drivers to those areas. “Following events, we often have traffic control measures in place such as lane closures and one-way roadways to help facilitate the mass exit of fans from the Entertainment District,” police told KERA. “As a result, a rideshare driver may not be able to navigate to where their rider is if that rider is at a non-designated location around the stadiums.” That can be confusing and cause delays for rideshare drivers and frustrating for passengers, police said. Having pick-up and drop-off in designated areas also makes it easier for authorities to keep an eye on things, increasing safety in the area. Restrictions on rideshare drop-off and pick-up locations aren’t new or uncommon. Cities across Dallas-Fort Worth have adopted similar rules in high-traffic areas in recent years, such as rules about where rideshare drivers can stop in Fort Worth’s West 7th entertainment district. Arlington City Council voted Tuesday to give initial approval to the changes. Council members are expected to vote again for final approval at the Dec. 17 evening meeting. James Hartley is KERA’s Arlington accountability reporter. Email him at jhartley@kera.org . Related Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative for adhering to standards for ethical journalism . Republish This Story Republishing is free for noncommercial entities. Commercial entities are prohibited without a licensing agreement. Contact us for details. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License . Look for the "Republish This Story" button underneath each story. To republish online, simply click the button, copy the html code and paste into your Content Management System (CMS). Do not copy stories straight from the front-end of our web-site. You are required to follow the guidelines and use the republication tool when you share our content. The republication tool generates the appropriate html code. You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. You can’t sell or syndicate our stories. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. If you use our stories in any other medium — for example, newsletters or other email campaigns — you must make it clear that the stories are from the Fort Worth Report. In all emails, link directly to the story at fortworthreport.org and not to your website. If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @FortWorthReport on Facebook and @FortWorthReport on Twitter. You have to credit Fort Worth Report. Please use “Author Name, Fort Worth Report” in the byline. If you’re not able to add the byline, please include a line at the top of the story that reads: “This story was originally published by Fort Worth Report” and include our website, fortworthreport.org . You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. Our stories may appear on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories. You can’t sell or syndicate our stories. You can only publish select stories individually — not as a collection. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @FortWorthReport on Facebook and @FortWorthReport on Twitter. by James Hartley, Fort Worth Report December 11, 2024

Guessing game over Trump's Treasury pick adds to US bond market's negative moodUN climate negotiations were a major bummer

Proposed changes to Massachusetts shelter system include phasing out hotels, 6-month stay limit

Washington, Dec 12 (AP) The House has passed a USD895 billion measure that authorizes a 1 per cent increase in defence spending this fiscal year and would give a double-digit pay raise to about half of the enlisted service members in the military. The bill is traditionally strongly bipartisan, but some Democratic lawmakers opposed the inclusion of a ban on transgender medical treatments for children of military members if such treatment could result in sterilisation. Also Read | Syria News Update: Militants Lift Curfew in Damascus, Urge Residents To Return to Work. The bill passed the House by a vote of 281-140 and will next move to the Senate, where lawmakers had sought a bigger boost in defence spending than the current measure allows. Lawmakers are touting the bill's 14.5 per cent pay raise for junior enlisted service members and a 4.5 per cent increase for others as key to improving the quality of life for those serving in the US military. Those serving as junior enlisted personnel are in pay grades that generally track with their first enlistment term. Also Read | US President Joe Biden Approves National Security Memo on China, Iran, North Korea and Russia Ahead of President-Elect Donald Trump's Return. Lawmakers said service member pay has failed to remain competitive with the private sector, forcing many military families to rely on food banks and government assistance programs to put food on the table. The bill also provides significant new resources for child care and housing. “No service member should have to live in squalid conditions and no military family should have to rely on food stamps to feed their children, but that's exactly what many of our service members are experiencing, especially the junior enlisted,” said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. “This bill goes a long way to fixing that.” The bill sets key Pentagon policy that lawmakers will attempt to fund through a follow-up appropriations bill. The overall spending tracks the numbers established in a 2023 agreement that then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached with President Joe Biden to increase the nation's borrowing authority and avoid a federal default in exchange for spending restraints. Many senators had wanted to increase defence spending some USD25 billion above what was called for in that agreement, but those efforts failed. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who is expected to serve as the next chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the overall spending level was a “tremendous loss for our national defence," though he agreed with many provisions within the bill. “We need to make a generational investment to deter the Axis of Aggressors. I will not cease work with my congressional colleagues, the Trump administration, and others until we achieve it,” Wicker said. House Republicans don't want to go above the McCarthy-Biden agreement for defence spending and are looking to go way below it for many non-defence programs. They are also focused on cultural issues. The bill prohibits funding for teaching critical race theory in the military and prohibits TRICARE health plans from covering gender dysphoria treatment for children under 18 if that treatment could result in sterilization. Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state, the ranking Democratic member of the House Armed Services Committee, said minors dealing with gender dysphoria is a "very real problem." He said the treatments available, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy, have proven effective at helping young people dealing with suicidal thoughts, anxiety and depression. “These treatments changed their lives and in many cases saved their lives,” Smith said. “And in this bill, we decided we're going to bar servicemembers' children from having access to that.” Smith said the number of minors in service member families receiving transgender medical care extends into the thousands. He could have supported a study asking medical experts to determine whether such treatments are too often used, but a ban on health insurance coverage went too far. He said Speaker Mike Johnson's office insisted upon the ban and said the provision “taints an otherwise excellent piece of legislation.” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, called the ban a step in the right direction, saying, “I think these questions need to be pulled out of the debate of defence, so we can get back to the business of defending the United States of America without having to deal with social engineering debates.” Smith said he agrees with Roy that lawmakers should be focused on the military and not on cultural conflicts, “and yet, here it is in this bill.” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, said his team was not telling Democrats how to vote on the bill. “There's a lot of positive things in the National Defense Authorization Act that were negotiated in a bipartisan way, and there are some troubling provisions in a few areas as well,” Jeffries said. The defence policy bill also looks to strengthen deterrence against China. It calls for investing USD15.6 billion to build military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region. The Biden administration had requested about USD10 billion. On Israel, the bill, among other things, includes an expansion of US joint military exercises with Israel and a prohibition on the Pentagon citing casualty data from Hamas. The defence policy bill is one of the final measures that lawmakers view as a must-pass before making way for a new Congress in January. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)AGNC Investment Corp. Declares Fourth Quarter Dividends on Preferred StockNone

49ers’ Isaac Guerendo gets his shot at lead runner in decimated backfield

Dune: Prophecy , the prequel series to the Dune movies, continues with Episode 3 on December 1, 2024. Release Date, Time and Where to Watch Dune: Prophecy Episode 3 premieres on Sunday, December 1, 2024, at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT on HBO and Max. In the U.S., it will be available on HBO's TV channel and streaming service simultaneously. In the U.K., the episode will be available on Sky Atlantic or Now TV at 2 AM on Monday, December 2. In Canada, watch on Crave at 9 PM local time. In other regions: Brazil: 10 PM Portugal/Western Europe: 2 AM (Monday, December 2) Finance AI and Generative AI for Finance By - Hariom Tatsat, Vice President- Quantitative Analytics at Barclays View Program Web Development Advanced C++ Mastery: OOPs and Template Techniques By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Performance Marketing for eCommerce Brands By - Zafer Mukeri, Founder- Inara Marketers View Program Web Development Intermediate Java Mastery: Method, Collections, and Beyond By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI for Everyone: Understanding and Applying the Basics on Artificial Intelligence By - Ritesh Vajariya, Generative AI Expert View Program Office Productivity Mastering Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and 365 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development C++ Fundamentals for Absolute Beginners By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Future of Marketing & Branding Masterclass By - Dr. David Aaker, Professor Emeritus at the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley, Author | Speaker | Thought Leader | Branding Consultant View Program Astrology Vastu Shastra Course By - Sachenkumar Rai, Vastu Shashtri View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Generative AI for Dynamic Java Web Applications with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Advanced Excel Course - Financial Calculations & Excel Made Easy By - Anirudh Saraf, Founder- Saraf A & Associates, Chartered Accountant View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Basics of Generative AI: Unveiling Tomorrow's Innovations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Leadership Business Storytelling Masterclass By - Ameen Haque, Founder of Storywallahs View Program Web Development Mastering Full Stack Development: From Frontend to Backend Excellence By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Strategy ESG and Business Sustainability Strategy By - Vipul Arora, Partner, ESG & Climate Solutions at Sattva Consulting Author I Speaker I Thought Leader View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI and Analytics based Business Strategy By - Tanusree De, Managing Director- Accenture Technology Lead, Trustworthy AI Center of Excellence: ATCI View Program Leadership Crafting a Powerful Startup Value Proposition By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Data Science SQL for Data Science along with Data Analytics and Data Visualization By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Java 21 Essentials for Beginners: Build Strong Programming Foundations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Mastering C++ Fundamentals with Generative AI: A Hands-On By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance Crypto & NFT Mastery: From Basics to Advanced By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Leadership From Idea to Product: A Startup Development Guide By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Leadership Building Your Winning Startup Team: Key Strategies for Success By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Finance Tally Prime & GST Accounting: Complete Guide By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Spain/Central Europe: 3 AM (Monday, December 2) Bulgaria/Eastern Europe: 4 AM (Monday, December 2) India: 6:30 AM (Monday, December 2) Australia: 11 AM (Monday, December 2) via Binge New Zealand: 1 PM (Monday, December 2) via Sky SoHo Also Read: Trump's payback time? LinkedIn co-founder who financed private lawsuits against the President-elect is planning to flee the U.S Upcoming Episode Schedule The series has six episodes. New episodes are released weekly on Sundays in the U.S. and Mondays in other regions. Episode 3: Sisterhood Above All - December 1 Episode 4: December 8 Episode 5: December 15 Episode 6: December 22 Plot Set 10,000 years before the Dune films, Dune: Prophecy explores the rise of the Bene Gesserit . It follows Valya and Tula Harkonnen, sisters navigating political and personal challenges while shaping humanity’s future. Also Read : 9-1-1 Season 8: When will the series return with new episodes and what’s next for Athena, Bobby, Buck and Maddie? Cast Emily Watson stars as Valya Harkonnen. Supporting cast includes Olivia Williams as Tula and Mark Strong as Javicco Corrino. Other notable names include Travis Fimmel, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina and Shalom Brune-Franklin. FAQs How can I watch Dune: Prophecy if I’m outside the U.S.? Use regional platforms like Crave (Canada), Sky (U.K.), or Binge (Australia). What is the series about? It explores the Bene Gesserit’s origins, focusing on political intrigue and human survival 10,000 years before the Dune films. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )S&P/TSX composite down more than 100 points Tuesday, U.S. stock markets also lowerWhy your favorite catalogs are smaller this holiday seasonWalmart’s mega “Black Friday Deals” sale is coming to a close, but there’s still time to score major savings on those holiday gifts online now. The Walmart “Black Friday Deals” sale will end early on Sunday, Dec. 1 , giving you a few more hours to snag markdowns up to 70% off in some of the best deals of the year from Walmart. This includes big discounts on those hot-ticket electronic devices , essential kitchen appliances , stylish fashion and top toys . Walmart rolled out this big “Black Friday Deals” sale on Nov. 11, splitting the event into two sales that were featured online and in stores. It also gave exclusive online access to Walmart+ members five hours before the general public for a first chance at the best deals. As the second of Walmart’s “Black Friday Deals” sale , this holiday shopping event kicked off on Nov. 25 and will come to a close just before Walmart rolls out online-only deals for Cyber Monday on Dec. 1 at 8 p.m. ET with exclusive online access for Walmart+ members at 8 p.m. ET. The Cyber Monday deals will run until midnight ET on Dec. 2. But before this Cyber Monday sale arrives, you can shop the mega discounts Walmart is still offering now on TVs , wireless headphones , smartwatches , vacuums , cookware , grills and griddles , gaming consoles and more. Shop Walmart’s Black Friday sale To help you find the best deals, here’s a roundup of some of our favorites that you can still grab from Walmart’s “Black Friday Deals” sale before it ends today. TCL 65” Class S4 4K UHD HDR LED Roku TV for $228, instead of $378 Hisense 55′′ Class R6 Series 4K UHD Roku Smart TV for $178, instead of $278 Hisense 85′′ Class R6 Series 4K UHD Roku Smart TV for $548, instead of $798 VIZIO 75” Class 4K UHD LED HDR Smart TV for $478, instead of $598 Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) for $149, instead of $249 Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $154, instead of $249 Apple iPad (10th Gen) for $259, instead of $349 Beats Studio3 Wireless Headphones for $89, instead of $159 Samsung Galaxy Watch4 40mm Smart Watch for $99, instead of $144 HP Stream 14-inch Windows Laptop for $129, instead of $249 Dyson V7 Advanced Cordless Vacuum Cleaner for $220, instead of $400 iRobot Roomba Combo j5 Robot Vacuum & Mop for $299, instead of $599 Shark IQ Robot Vacuum for $248, instead of $500 Carote 11-Piece Nonstick Cookware Set for $54, instead of $200 Gourmia All-in-One 14-Quart Air Fryer for $50, instead of $99 Chefman CraftBrew 15-Bar Espresso Machine for $50 Ninja Sizzle 14-inch Indoor Griddle for $60, instead of $99 KitchenAid 5.5 Quart Bowl Lift Stand Mixer for $279, instead of $450 Blackstone Adventure Ready 2-Burner 22′′ Propane Omnivore Griddle for $197, instead of $247 Blackstone 25-Piece Griddle Accessory Set for $40, instead of $80 Blackstone Outdoor Tabletop Propane Pizza Oven for $147, instead of $274 Muskoka 19.5′′ Stainless Steel Smokeless Fire Pit for $97, instead of $148 Michael Kors Women’s Jet Set Travel Tote for $89, instead of $339 Cate & Chloe Bianca 18k White Gold Drop Dangle Hoop Earrings for $15, instead of $115 PlayStation 5 Disc Edition – Fortnite Cobalt Star Bundle for $424, instead of $500 Xbox Series S, 512GB SSD, All Digital Gaming Console for $248, instead of $300 Shop for more markdowns during Walmart’s Black Friday sale here. The Best Cyber Monday & Leftover Black Friday Deals Amazon has the Peloton Bike+ for $500 off in a huge Cyber Monday deal, plus up to 77% off other Peloton products UGG’s Black Friday sale ends soon. Here’s how to get up to 70% off boots and slippers, including Bailey and Tasman styles Walmart’s Cyber Monday sale has massive markdowns — and these 20 online deals have already been revealed Amazon has this 10-piece DEWALT 20V power tool kit back on sale for $450 off in a massive Black Friday deal Amazon has the Oura Ring Gen3 in Horizon and Heritage models for up to 30% off, but not for long Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com . Dawn Magyar can be reached at dmagyar@njadvancemedia.com . Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips/ .

Mitch Marner to wear red and white Maple Leaf as Canada rounds out 4 Nations roster

It was a long and mostly miserable season for Toronto’s veteran reliever Jordan Romano in 2024. He was coming off two All-Star seasons as the Blue Jays closer, had accumulated 95 saves over the previous three seasons, but but as the season trickled through the late spring it became obvious this season wasn’t going to turn out like those other two. He first encountered elbow inflammation issues during spring training, delaying his season start until mid-April. He seemed to pick up where he’d left off in 2023, accumulating four saves in a couple of weeks, but his velocity dropped significantly during a stretch in May and his ERA ballooned to 6.59 before he was finally pulled from action at the end of the month. But before his injury troubles really began to set in on him, there was the memory of the day that he managed his fifth save of the season, coming on May 8 on the road in a day game at Citizens Bank Park. “The place was absolutely sold out,” Romano said Tuesday, recalling the surprise of what even a workday baseball game in South Philadelphia was like. “The atmosphere was electric, and kind of coming off that series, I thought that if I get a chance to play here, I think I’d really enjoy it.” Romano will indeed get that chance, after he was signed Monday to a one-year, $8.5 million contract by Phillies president Dave Dombrowski. While some critics thought the signing was a bit of a gamble with what today is almost like a pocket-change free agent contract, Dombrowski sees in Romano a 31-year-old premier reliever almost back to full health and still in the prime of his career. Before departing the Winter Meetings in Dallas, Dombrowski praised Romano, calling him “one of the best back-end, high-leverage guys in baseball. Our medicals on him have been very good.” On a Zoom call with media members Tuesday, Romano said he was excited to keep progressing in his efforts to recapture his form from a couple of seasons ago. “Last Friday I got off the mound, felt great, mid-90s, for the first bullpen, which i was really excited about,” said Romano. He added that after another few weeks of “deloading” and strength training, he’ll get back to throwing bullpens in January. But he thinks he’s well on his way to full recovery before spring training starts. It was a long road. Romano, 31, would go on IL on June 1, and after another setback during rehab finally underwent elbow surgery in July. His rehab after that didn’t go well, either, and after initial optimism that he’d be returning sometime in August, the call was made to let him continue to rehab while the Blue Jays were quickly playing themselves out of contention. “The whole plan last year was never really to come back at the end of the year. We were just going to take it a little bit ... not even slower, just follow the timeline with that,” said Romano, a native of Markham, Ontario. “I want to get back on track, I’m feeling healthy and good now so I just want to have the one year to get back out there and prove my worth.” Before meeting any of his teammates, Romano can feel comfortable knowing that his manager, Rob Thomson, is a fellow Ontarian. But Thomson isn’t being provincial in his thinking about Romano’s role here – there were no fast promises of giving a closer role to Romano. Thomson doesn’t like to use that “closer” term anyway. Instead, the plan for Romano is to help in “high-leverage” situations, especially since both Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez are currently on the free agency market themselves. The Phillies now have Romano to go with fellow right-hander Orion Kerkering and left-handers Matt Strahm and Jose Alvarado as back-end bullpen weapons. “I’m just kind of going in and wherever I can, help,” Romano said. “If they want me to throw the ninth, you know, I do love closing. I have experience there and I’m happy to do it. But if they need me in other spots, too, I’m happy to do that. “I’m kind of just there to help get big outs wherever they need them.”Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States Highlights: The Private Placement is undertaken in the context of a broader strategic review process the Company is conducting with the authorization of its Board of Directors, to explore and evaluate a range of potential alternatives for the Company to maximize shareholder value, with the assistance of ECM Capital Advisors, Eight Capital and Haywood Securities Inc. The potential initiatives may include, but are not limited to financings, corporate reorganization, strategic partnerships, acquisitions, divestitures and/or farm-outs, sale, and other forms of business combination. Pablo Navarro, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of LNG Energy Group commented, "It has been a challenging year. Many issues have arisen with which we are dealing. Changes are being made and solutions are being implemented. Bottom line, the asset base is exceptional, and the future is bright. The turnaround is working, and we will work relentlessly to catapult the trajectory of the Company through a series of strategic initiatives that should ultimately contribute to meeting Colombia's need for natural gas.” Strategic Initiatives Drilling Campaign Upon a successful Private Placement, farm-out and/or JV Contribution (as defined herein), the Company will commence a drilling and recompletion campaign in Colombia. Chemical Stimulations The Company completed successfully the workover of the BN-1 well consisting of a chemical stimulation that increased the well's production by approximately 3x, offsetting losses caused by the presence of asphaltenes, fines and residues from drilling fluids. Prior to the stimulation, the well was producing at an average production of approximately 112 Mcf/d with a WHP of 72 psi on a 36/64” choke. Initial results of the stimulation showed an immediate production increase to 822 Mcf/d with a WHP of 328 psi on a 26/64” choke. The well is currently producing 350 Mcf/d with 114 psi in WHP and on a 22/64” choke. The Company intends to apply this technology to several other wells that also experienced a production decline due to the same root causes. Costs Optimization In order to reduce costs, the Company has implemented a corporate reorganization initiative which is expected to result in savings of approximately $1.5 to $2.0 million per annum. The Company continues to review ways to optimize its business and operations, including strategic partnerships with vendors, and rationalization of suppliers, inventory optimization, and adjusting the organizational structure of the Company to the current production context. Capital Strengthening The Company is in the process of farming out a part of its participating interest in the VIM-41 Block located onshore Colombia and pursuing a well development financing (the " JV Contribution ”) to raise capital to initiate the drilling of the B5 well located onshore Colombia. Furthermore, the Company intends to review options to optimize cash flow available for drilling vis a vis its financial obligations. Secured Convertible Debenture Financing In conjunction with its near-term development plans, the Company is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Eight Capital, as lead agent and bookrunner, on behalf of a syndicate of agents including Eight Capital, Haywood Securities Inc. and ECM Capital Advisors, (together, the " Agents ”) pursuant to which the Company has launched a proposed Private Placement on a "best efforts” agency basis in the aggregate principal amount of up to U.S.$15 million (the " Offering ”) senior secured convertible debentures (the " Convertible Debentures ”) to eligible investors. The terms and any applicable conditions precedent for the Convertible Debentures will be defined within the context of the market and should present a competitive opportunity for investors while unlocking shareholder value. Upon closing of the Offering, the Company will pay to the Agents a cash commission equal to 6% of the gross proceeds of the Offering. The Company is entitled to a President's List in the amount of up to U.S.$2 million pursuant to which no fees shall be paid to the Agents. The net proceeds of the Offering will be primarily used for the Company's next phase of drilling, workover and stimulation activities as well as for general working capital purposes. The Company expects that insiders and current stakeholders will participate in the Offering and, to date, has received interest from potential investors in the Offering. The insiders' participation in the Offering constitutes a "related party transaction” as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (" MI 61-101 ”). Such participation is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of the securities anticipated to be acquired by insiders, nor the consideration for the securities paid by such insiders, exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization. As the specific participation of each related party that the Company expects will participate in the Offering has not been confirmed as of the date of this news release, additional information required under MI 61-101 will be provided in the Company's material change report with respect to the Offering, including a description of the interest of all related parties in the Offering, and where applicable, a description of the effect on the percentage of the securities of the Company held by related parties participating. The securities being offered have not, nor will they be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons in the absence of U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from the U.S. registration requirements. This mews release does not constitute an offer for sale of securities in the United States. The Offering is scheduled to close at a date the Company and the Agents deem appropriate and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the execution of an agency agreement and the receipt of all necessary regulatory and other approvals including that of the TSX Venture Exchange. All securities (and underlying securities) issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities legislation. Other Initiatives The Board of Directors, in consultation with its legal and business advisors, are actively considering other initiatives to enhance shareholder value. The Company may initiate a share consolidation or other capital reorganizations. Certain of the foregoing initiatives may require approval from the Company's senior lenders. Existing Asset Base The Company's current assets consist of the following: (1) Based upon a U.S.$ to C$ exchange rate of 1.00 : 1.41. (2) Calculated by dividing the Before-Tax NPV10 value of the Proved reserves as at December 31, 2023 by 155,534,426 common shares issued and outstanding as at December 31, 2023 and using a U.S.$:C$ exchange rate of $1.41. The per share valuation excludes the value of the Company's non-oil and gas assets and net indebtedness. (3) Calculated by dividing the Before-Tax NPV10 value of the Proved reserves as at October 29, 2024 by 155,534,426 common shares issued and outstanding as at October 29, 2024 and using a U.S.$:C$ exchange rate of $1.41. Please see the Company's news release dated November 25, 2024 for more information. The per share valuation excludes the value of the Company's non-oil and gas assets and net indebtedness. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. About LNG Energy Group The Company is focused on the acquisition and development of natural gas production and exploration assets in Latin America. For more information, please visit www.lngenergygroup.com . For more information please contact: Angel Roa, Chief Financial Officer LNG Energy Group Corp. Website: www.lngenergygroup.com Email: [email protected] Find us on social media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lng-energy-group-inc/ Instagram: @lngenergygroup X: @LNGEnergyCorp CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains "forward-looking information” and "forward-looking statements” (collectively, "forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance, often using phrases such as "expects”, "anticipates”, "plans”, "budget”, "scheduled”, "forecasts”, "estimates”, "believes” or "intends”, or variations of such words and phrases, or stating that certain actions, events or results "may” or "could”, "would”, "should”, "might” or "will” be taken to occur or be achieved, are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Specifically, this news release includes, but is not limited to, forward-looking statements relating to: the Company's business plans, strategies, priorities and development plans, including the strategic initiatives being considered by the Company and the corporate reorganization and anticipated annual savings therefrom; the application of the stimulation technology used for the BN-1 well workover on other wells of the Company; the anticipated benefits of the completion of various strategic initiatives being considered by the Company; the completion of the JV Contribution and completion of other options to optimize cash flow; the ability of the Company to book additional reserves in the future; the completion of the Offering; receipt of all regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSXV, in connection with the Offering; the anticipated insider participation in the Offering; and the anticipated use of proceeds from the Offering. The Company's actual decisions, activities, results, performance, or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements and accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur or, if any of them do, what benefits that the Company will derive from them. Information and statements relating to reserves are by their nature forward-looking statements as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, that the reserves described exist in the quantities predicted or estimated, and can be profitably produced in the future. The recovery and reserve estimates of the Company's reserves provided herein are estimates only, and there is no guarantee that the estimated reserves will be recovered. Consequently, actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements (see the other advisories contained in this news release). Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include: the Company's ability to complete the Offering on the terms described herein or at all or to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favourable terms; and the delay or failure to receive regulatory or other approvals, including any approvals of the TSXV and the Company's senior lenders, for the Offering; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; risks related to the Company's ability to complete any of the proposed strategic initiatives described in this news release on the terms described herein or at all; risks related to commodity prices; delay or failure to receive any necessary board, shareholder or regulatory approvals, factors may occur which impede or prevent LNG Energy Group's future business plans; and other factors beyond the control of LNG Energy Group. The intended use of the proceeds of the Offering by the Company might change if the Board of Directors of the Company determines that it would be in the best interests of LNG Energy Group. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. Except as required by law, LNG Energy Group assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, whether they change as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. CPPs Please see the Company's news releases dated April 24, 2024 and October 21, 2024 for additional information with respect to the CPPs. There can be no guarantee that the Company or LNG Venezuela shall be able to complete the acquisition terms required by PPSA. The CPPs were executed within the term of General License 44 issued by OFAC. The Company intends to operate in full compliance with the applicable U.S. economic sanctions laws. Advisory Note Regarding Oil and Gas Information The reserves information contained in this news release has been prepared in accordance with NI 51-101, but only presents a portion of the disclosure required thereunder. Complete reserves disclosure required in accordance with NI 51-101 in respect of the Company's Colombian assets for the year ended December 31, 2023 is available in the AIF. Complete reserves disclosure required in accordance with NI 51-101 in respect of the Company's Venezuelan assets will be available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca concurrently with or before the filing of the Company's financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024. Actual oil and natural gas reserves and future production may be greater than or less than the estimates provided in this news release. There is no assurance that forecast prices and costs assumed in the reserves reports referred to in this news release and presented in this news release, will be attained and variances from such forecast prices and costs could be material. The estimated future net revenue from the production of the disclosed oil and natural gas reserves in this news release does not represent the fair market value of these reserves. The estimates of reserves and future net revenue for individual properties may not reflect the same confidence level as estimates of reserves and future net revenue for all properties, due to the effects of aggregation. There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of crude oil, reserves and the future cash flows attributed to such reserves. The reserve and associated cash flow information set forth above are estimates only. In general, estimates of economically recoverable crude oil and natural gas reserves and the future net cash flows therefrom are based upon a number of variable factors and assumptions, such as historical production from the properties, production rates, ultimate reserve recovery, timing and amount of capital expenditures, marketability of oil and natural gas, royalty rates, the assumed effects of regulation by governmental agencies and future operating costs, all of which may vary materially. For those reasons, estimates of the economically recoverable crude oil and natural gas reserves attributable to any particular group of properties, classification of such reserves based on risk of recovery and estimates of future net revenues associated with reserves prepared by different engineers, or by the same engineers at different times, may vary. The Company's actual production, revenues, taxes and development and operating expenditures with respect to its reserves will vary from estimates thereof and such variations could be material. All evaluations and reviews of future net revenue are stated prior to any provisions for interest costs or general and administrative costs and after the deduction of estimated future capital expenditures for wells to which reserves have been assigned. The tax calculations used in the preparation of the reserves reports referred to in this news release are done at the field level in accordance with standard practice, and do not reflect the actual tax position at the corporate level which may be significantly different. Light crude oil is crude oil with a relative density greater than 31.1 degrees API gravity, medium crude oil is crude oil with a relative density greater than 22.3 degrees API gravity and less than or equal to 31.1 degrees API gravity, and heavy crude oil is crude oil with a relative density greater than 10 degrees API gravity and less than or equal to 22.3 degrees API gravity. 2 Reserves included herein are stated on a company gross basis (working interest before deduction of royalties without including any royalty interests). Information presented herein in respect of reserves and related information in respect of the Company's Venezuela assets is based on the Company's independent reserves evaluation dated October 28, 2024, with an effective date of April 30, 2024 prepared by Petrotech Engineering Ltd., details of which were provided in our press release issued on November 25, 2024.