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online game earn money Holiday catalogs getting smallerSocial media users are misrepresenting a Vermont Supreme Court ruling , claiming that it gives schools permission to vaccinate children even if their parents do not consent. The ruling addressed a lawsuit filed by Dario and Shujen Politella against Windham Southeast School District and state officials over the mistaken vaccination of their child against COVID-19 in 2021, when he was 6 years old. A lower court had dismissed the original complaint, as well as an amended version. An appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court was filed on Nov. 19. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

Days after web hosting provider WP Engine won a preliminary injunction against WordPress co-creator Matt Mullenweg and rival hosting provider Automattic, Mullenweg announced that WordPress.org is taking a holiday break . WordPress.org — a site that provides access to WordPress plug-ins, themes, and other artifacts to the community — will take a break from providing free services, including new account registrations, new plug-ins, themes, photo directory submissions, and plug-in reviews, Mullenweg said in a blog post . In response, Joost de Valk — the ex-CEO of WordPress-based SEO optimization tool Yoast — wrote a blog post about taking a federated and independent approach to WordPress. His views were supported by enterprise web consulting firm Crowd Favorite’s CEO Karim Marucchi through a separate blog post . “We, the WordPress community, need to decide if we’re OK being led by a single person who controls everything and might do things we disagree with or if we want something else. For a project whose tagline is ‘Democratizing publishing,’ we’ve been very low on exactly that: democracy,” de Valk said. In his post, de Valk made five points about creating a WordPress Foundation-like entity to lead the project and handing over all community assets, such as themes and plug-ins, to that entity. He also suggested giving the WordPress trademark to the public domain. The WordPress Foundation owns the trademark, and Automattic has an exclusive commercial license for the trademark. He also said that all plug-in mirrors should be federated, and data should be shared between these servers. In October, after Mullenweg banned WP Engine from accessing WordPress.org, he took control of WP Engine’s Advanced Custom Fields plug-in and forked it with a new name called Secure Custom Fields . De Valk said in his blog post that such situations shouldn’t occur again. Mullenweg commented on de Valk’s post, saying he should pursue this project under any name other than WordPress. “I think this is a great idea for you to lead and do under a name other than WordPress. There’s really no way to accomplish everything you want without starting with a fresh slate from a trademark, branding, and people’s point of view,” Mullenweg said. Since Mullenweg and WP Engine locked horns in September, there have been calls about changing the structure of open source WordPress governance. Earlier this month, 20 signatories, including core WordPress contributors, criticized Mullenweg’s actions and urged him to explore “community-minded solutions” in an open letter . While Mullenweg has been open to the ideas of WordPress forks and even welcomed them , he has rigorously defended the current operating model of the community. As for the next steps, de Valk said he would talk to leaders in the WordPress community in January to decide the path forward. WP Engine welcomed this initiative in a post on X and committed to working on the project with other leaders. “WordPress’s success as the most widely used CMS is not the achievement of any one person or a single piece of open source code. It is the result of a global community — thousands of developers, agencies, businesses, and others — who have invested their time, talent, trust, and resources in advocating for, supporting, and building the global WordPress ecosystem and technology,” the company said. Correction: This story was updated on December 23 to reflect that de Valk is the former Yoast CEO and to correct the URL for WordPress.org.

( MENAFN - IANS) New Delhi, Dec 24 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged people to unite to uphold harmony and confront challenges like violence and disruptions in society. He said this while speaking at the Christmas event hosted by the Catholic Bishops' conference of India (CBCI) at its headquarters here on Monday, the clips of which he posted on his X handle on Tuesday. The Prime Minister said the teachings of Jesus Christ celebrate love, harmony and brotherhood. "We must unite to uphold harmony and confront challenges like violence and disruptions in society," he said. "When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, India went beyond its own capabilities to help numerous countries. We provided medicines to several countries across the world and sent vaccines to many nations," the PM said. PM Modi said over the past decade, India has achieved transformative progress in poverty alleviation and economic growth. "We are now empowering the Yuva and Nari Shakti, paving the way for a brighter and more confident future." He said that by prioritising social welfare and empowerment, India has implemented transformative policies in various sectors. "Our initiatives, such as the PM Awas Yojana and Matsya Sampada Yojana, have significantly improved the lives of countless people." PM Modi stressed the need to work together to embody the values taught by Jesus and strengthen this spirit of unity. He also condemned last week's terror attack at Germany's Magdeburg Christmas Market, where an SUV drove into a crowd, resulting in the deaths of four women and a nine-year-old child, while injuring 205 people. Among the injured were seven Indians. The Prime Minister stressed the importance of prioritising human interests alongside national interests, stating that India's foreign policy reflects this approach. He highlighted India's humanitarian efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, where the country helped over 150 nations by providing medicines and vaccines. This approach centred on human welfare had a positive global impact, with countries like Guyana and several island nations expressing deep gratitude. He also highlighted the evacuation of Indians stranded in war-torn nations, saying that no matter where they are or what crisis they face, today's India sees it as its duty to bring its citizens to safety.“We brought back our nurses who got stuck in the Gulf countries. It was a very satisfactory moment for me when we safely brought Father Alexis Prem Kumar from war-torn Afghanistan, a decade back. He was stuck there for 8 months and was in hostage... for us, all these missions are not mere diplomatic missions but an emotional commitment to bring back family members," he said. The Prime Minister further expressed pride in George Koovakad's elevation as a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Catholic Church.“It is a moment of pride that His Holiness Pope Francis has made His Eminence George Koovakad a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Catholic Church," he said. He stressed the significance of hope in transforming the world, drawing attention to India's achievements over the past decade. PM Modi pointed out that 250 million people have overcome poverty, and the nation's economy has grown from the 10th to the 5th largest globally. He praised the country's youth for their drive and ambition, and highlighted the empowerment of women across sectors, including entrepreneurship and the armed forces, emphasising that no nation can progress without empowering women. PM Modi also discussed India's strides in technology, with advancements in mobile and semiconductor manufacturing. He underlined the importance of technology in empowering the poor and the rapid infrastructure development taking place, including new expressways, rural roads, and metro routes. These initiatives, he said, inspire hope for a brighter future for India. The Prime Minister reiterated the values of compassion and selfless service taught by Jesus Christ, stressing the role of institutions in serving society. He commended the government's initiatives, such as the PM Awas Yojana, which empowers women by building homes in their names, and the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which has increased women's participation in Parliament. PM Modi concluded by reiterating the importance of collective effort in building a developed India. He expressed his confidence that with ongoing initiatives like Swachh Bharat and support for local artisans, India will continue to progress.“A developed India is our shared goal, and together, we will achieve it,” he affirmed, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a hopeful Jubilee Year. MENAFN23122024000231011071ID1109025697 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.Big housing project in San Ramon at oil titan’s old HQ comes into view

[Source: BBC] Manchester City blew a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord in the Champions League as their wretched form continued at a stunned Etihad Stadium. Pep Guardiola’s side looked to be cruising after two goals from Erling Haaland and another from Ilkay Gundogan put the hosts into a commanding lead. But the Dutch visitors staged a stunning comeback to take a point back to Rotterdam to the delight of their 5,000 travelling fans. Anis Hadj Moussa took advantage of a mistake by Josko Gvardiol to score Feyenoord’s first goal, before substitute Santiago Gimenez chested in his side’s second in the 82nd minute to set up a grandstand finish. The visitors completed a comeback to remember when David Hancko pounced in the 89th minute to leave City boss Guardiola shaking his head in disbelief – and some City fans booing at full-time. Despite ending a five-match losing run, City head into Sunday’s game at Premier League title rivals Liverpool having failed to win their past six matches in all competitions. While Feyenoord fans celebrated wildly at the end, City’s players looked shell-shocked after another game to forget. In the space of four weeks, Guardiola’s side have gone out of the EFL Cup, lost three Premier League games on the spin and dropped five points out of six in the Champions League. This felt like another defeat at the end, with City left to contemplate having conceded two or more goals in six successive matches in all competitions for the first time since May 1963. The night had started so well. Haaland set them on their way from the penalty spot after being fouled by Quinten Timber before Gundogan’s left-foot volley, which took a wicked deflection, doubled the lead soon after half-time. When Haaland swept in to divert Matheus Nunes’ low cross over the line in the 53rd minute, it looked all over as a contest – until Gvardiol’s careless pass allowed Feyenoord to start their comeback. It was another sloppy performance by a City side that has lost its way. Guardiola wore a pained expression at the end. City are 15th in the Champions League table after dropping seven points from five matches and could face an unwanted extra two play-off matches in February unless they can turn their form around. The 2023 winners go to Juventus next in the competition on 11 December and then face Paris St-Germain away on 22 January, before hosting Club Brugge in their final group-phase match on 29 January.The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and a Hamas military leader, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The announcement came as health officials in the Gaza Strip said the death toll from the 13-month-old war between Israel and Hamas has surpassed 44,000. The warrant marked the first time that a sitting leader of a major Western ally has been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity by a global court of justice. The ICC panel said there were reasonable grounds to believe that both Netanyahu and his ex-defense minister bear responsibility for the war crime of starvation and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution and other inhumane acts. Israel’s war has caused heavy destruction across Gaza, decimated parts of the territory and driven almost the entire population of 2.3 million people from their homes, leaving most dependent on aid to survive. Israel launched its war in Gaza after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250 . Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Here’s the Latest: UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. humanitarian chief for Gaza is warning that the delivery of critical food, water, fuel and medical supplies is grinding to a halt throughout the territory and “the survival of two million people hangs in the balance.” Muhannad Hadi said in a statement Thursday that Israeli authorities have been banning commercial imports for more than six weeks and at the same time thefts from humanitarian convoys by armed individuals have surged. “In 2024, U.N. trucks have been looted 75 times –- including 15 such attacks since Nov. 4 alone –- and armed people have broken into U.N. facilities on 34 occasions,” he said. Last week, one driver was shot in the head and hospitalized along with another truck driver, Hadi said. And on Saturday 98 trucks were looted in a single attack which saw the vehicles damaged or stolen. The Gaza humanitarian coordinator said bakeries are closing because of lack of flour or fuel to operate generators. “Palestinian civilians are struggling to survive under unlivable conditions, amid relentless hostilities,” Hadi said. He demanded the immediate improvement of security and conditions throughout Gaza to allow the safe and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid “through lawful means.” Israel says it puts no limit on the supplies permitted into Gaza, and it blames the U.N. distribution system. But Israel’s official figures show the amount of aid it has let in has plunged since the beginning of October. The U.N has blamed Israeli military restrictions, along with widespread lawlessness that has led to theft of aid shipments. WASHINGTON — The White House fundamentally rejects the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday. She said the Biden administration was “deeply concerned by the prosecutor’s rush to seek arrest warrants and the troubling process errors that led to this decision.” The Biden administration has increased its warnings and appeals to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do more to spare civilians in airstrikes and other attacks, and to allow more aid to reach Gaza. However, a 30-day Biden administration deadline came and went earlier this month for Israel to meet specific U.S. targets to improve its treatment of Palestinian civilians in Gaza trapped in the war. U.S. demands included that Israel lift a near-total ban on delivery of aid to hard-hit north Gaza for starving civilians there. KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — The three children were playing outside a cluster of tents housing displaced people in the Gaza Strip when an Israeli airstrike killed them, along with six other people. It’s become a grim, near-daily ritual more than 13 months into the Israel-Hamas war, which local health authorities said Thursday has killed over 44,000 Palestinians. Israel carries out frequent strikes against what it says are militants hiding in civilian areas, and women and children are nearly always among the dead. Wednesday’s strike killed Hamza al-Qadi, 7, his brother Abdulaziz, 5, and their sister Laila, 4, in a tent camp in the southern city of Khan Younis. Areej al-Qadi, their mother, says they were playing outside when they were killed. “All that’s left of them are their notebooks, their books and a blood-stained jacket,” she said as she broke into tears. “They were children who did nothing.” The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment on the strike. Gaza’s Health Ministry said Thursday that 44,056 Palestinians have been killed and 104,268 wounded since the start of the war, which was ignited by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack into Israel. Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people that day, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250 people. The Health Ministry does not say how many of those killed in Gaza were fighters but says women and children make up more than half the fatalities. Israel, which rarely comments on individual strikes, says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. Hours after the ministry announced the latest toll, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and a Hamas military leader. Mahmoud bin Hassan, the children’s father, said he buried them on Thursday. He asked when the international community would take action to stop the war. “When the entire Palestinian population has been killed?” he said. NEW YORK — Human Rights Watch applauded the International Criminal Court's arrest warrants issued Thursday against both Israeli and Hamas officials. The warrants “break through the perception that certain individuals are beyond the reach of the law,” the associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch, Balkees Jarrah, said in a statement. The New York-based rights group earlier this month released a report saying Israel has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip, including massive forced displacements that amount to ethnic cleansing. JERUSALEM — Israeli prosecutors have charged a former aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with leaking classified documents to international media, apparently to protect the Israeli leader from criticism as a hostage deal was collapsing. Eli Feldstein, a former media adviser to Netanyahu, was charged Thursday with leaking classified information with the intent of harming state security and obstruction of justice. The leaked documents are said to have formed the basis of a widely discredited article in the London-based Jewish Chronicle — which was later withdrawn — suggesting Hamas planned to spirit hostages out of Gaza through Egypt, and an article in Germany’s Bild newspaper that said Hamas was drawing out the hostage talks as a form of psychological warfare on Israel. Critics say the leaks were aimed at giving Netanyahu political cover as the case-fire talks ground to a halt. Some have accused Netanyahu of resisting a deal in to preserve his governing coalition, which includes hard-line members who have threatened to bring down the government if he makes concessions to Hamas. The leaks came at a time of public uproar over the deaths of six hostages who were killed by their Hamas captors as Israeli soldiers were closing in. The indictment said the leaks were meant “to create media influence on the public discourse in Israel in regards to the handling of the hostage situation, after the news of the murder of six hostages.” The indictment identified two other Netanyahu aides as being connected to the scheme, but only Feldstein and an unidentified reservist in Israeli military intelligence were charged. Netanyahu, who denies the accusations, has not been identified as a suspect in the burgeoning investigation. Israeli media say if convicted, Feldstein could potentially face life in prison. JERUSALEM -- The Israeli military has launched an investigation into the death of a 70-year-old Israeli man who entered Lebanon with Israeli forces and was killed in a Hezbollah ambush. Investigators are trying to determine, among other things, who allowed Zeev Erlich into the combat zone with the forces and why he was permitted to enter. According to Israeli media reports, Erlich was not on active duty when he was shot, but was wearing a military uniform and had a weapon. The army said he was a reservist with the rank of major and identified him as a “fallen soldier” when it announced his death. Erlich was a well-known West Bank settler and researcher of Jewish history. Media reports said Erlich was permitted to enter Lebanon to explore a local archaeological site. The army said a 20-year-old soldier was killed in the same incident, while an officer was badly wounded. The army announced Thursday that the chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, has appointed a team of experts “to examine and strengthen operational discipline and military culture” following the incident. It said its commander for northern Israel, Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin, would launch a separate “command inquiry,” while Israeli military police conduct a separate probe. Such investigations can lead to criminal charges. BEIRUT — At least 29 people were killed Thursday in Israeli strikes on different towns and villages across Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry and state-run media. In eastern Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes killed 26 people in six different towns in Baalbek province, the health ministry and the National News Agency said. In Tyre province, southern Lebanon, three people were killed in an Israeli strike, the health ministry said. The health ministry Wednesday said that over 3,550 people have been killed in the 13-month war between Hezbollah and Israel, the majority following Israel’s escalation in late September. The European Union's foreign policy chief has underlined that the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas officials are a legal and not political matter, and that they are binding on all 27 EU member countries and other signatories to the ICC to implement. “The tragedy in Gaza has to stop," Josep Borrell told reporters during a visit to Jordan. “It is not a political decision. It is the decision of an international court of justice, and the decision of the court has to be respected, and implemented.” “This decision is a binding decision on all state parties of the court, which include all members of the European Union," he added. ANKARA — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling partyhas welcomed the decision by the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamn Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, calling it a judgement made for the sake of “humanity.” Omer Celik, spokesman for the Erdogan’s party, said on the social media platform X that Netanyahu and Gallant would “eventually be held accountable for genocide.” Celik also criticised Israeli officials who described the ICC decision as antisemitic. Turkey is among the most vocal critics of Israel’s military actions in Gaza and has submitted a formal request to join a genocide case that South Africa has filed against Israel at the U.N.’s International Court of Justice. Dutch foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp, whose country hosts the International Criminal Court, has confirmed The Netherlands would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he arrived on Dutch soil. “The line from the government is clear. We are obliged to cooperate with the ICC ... we abide 100% by the Rome Statute,” he said in response to a question in parliament Thursday. Other European officials were more cautious. In France, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said he supported the International Criminal Court's prosecutor but declined to comment when asked more specifically if France would arrest Netanyahu if he were to step on French soil. “Today, combating impunity is our priority. We ratified the ICC Statute in 2000 and have consistently supported the court’s actions. Our response will align with these principles,” Christophe Lemoine told reporters at a press conference. Lemoine added that the warrants were “a complex legal issue ... It’s a situation that requires a lot of legal precautions.” In Italy, the foreign and justice ministries didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment about whether Italy, an ICC member which hosted the Rome conference that gave birth to the court, would honor the arrest warrant. Premier Giorgia Meloni hosted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in March 2023 and has strongly supported Israel since Oct. 7, while providing humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza. JERUSALEM — Israel’s mostly ceremonial president, Isaac Herzog, has called the International Criminal Court's arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “a dark day for justice. A dark day for humanity.” In a post on X, he said the international court “has chosen the side of terror and evil over democracy and freedom, and turned the very system of justice into a human shield for Hamas’ crimes against humanity." Israel Katz, Israel’s new defense minister, said the decision was “a moral disgrace, entirely tainted by antisemitism, and drags the international judicial system to an unprecedented low.” He said it “serves Iran, the head of the snake, and its proxies.” Benny Gantz, a retired general and political rival to Netanyahu, also condemned the decision, saying it showed “moral blindness” and was a “shameful stain of historic proportion that will never be forgotten.” Hamas has welcomed the decision by the International Criminal Court to issue warrants against Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant, calling it an “important and historic precedent” after what it said was decades of injustice at the hands of a “fascist occupation.” The statement did not refer to the warrants issued for the militant group’s own leaders. Hamas called on all nations to “cooperate with the court in bringing the Zionist war criminals, Netanyahu and Gallant, to justice, and to work immediately to stop the crimes of genocide against innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip.” DEIR AL-BALAH, The Gaza Strip — Bakeries have reopened in the central Gaza Strip after being closed for several days because of flour shortages. The shortages appear to have been linked to the looting of nearly 100 truckloads of aid by armed men in southern Gaza last weekend. Associated Press footage showed a crowd of hundreds pushing and shouting outside a bakery in the central city of Deir al-Balah on Thursday. The day before the reopening, the price of a bag of 15 loaves of pita bread had climbed above $13. “In my house, there is not a morsel of bread, and the children are hungry,” said Sultan Abu Sultan, who was displaced from northern Gaza during the war. The amount of aid entering Gaza plunged in October as Israel launched a major offensive in the isolated north, where experts say famine may be underway . Hunger is widespread across the territory, even in central Gaza where aid groups have more access. Humanitarian organizations say Israeli restrictions, ongoing fighting and the breakdown of law and order make it difficult to deliver assistance. Israel’s offensive, launched after Hamas’ October 2023 attack, has displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million people. Hundreds of thousands are crammed into tent camps with little in the way of public services and are reliant on international food aid. NICOSIA — The president of Cyprus says the European Union must play a bigger role in the Middle East as it can no longer stand by as an observer. President Nikos Christodoulides said the 27-member bloc needs to establish closer ties with countries that bolster regional stability like Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf states. “The conflict in the Middle East is taking place on the EU’s doorstep, in an area of vital interest to the bloc’s interests, where any escalation or regional spillover will have significant consequences on its security and stability,” Christodoulides told an Economist conference in the Cypriot capital. Christodoulides said EU member Cyprus for years has tried to get this message across to Brussels. The island nation earlier this year was the staging ground for a maritime corridor delivering some 20,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza. The EU is wracked by members’ divisions over how peace should come about in the Middle East THE HAGUE — The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas officials, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity over the war in Gaza and the October 2023 attacks that triggered Israel’s offensive in the Palestinian territory. The decision turns Netanyahu and the others into internationally wanted suspects and is likely to further isolate them and complicate efforts to negotiate a cease-fire to end the 13-month conflict. But its practical implications could be limited since Israel and its major ally, the United States, are not members of the court and several of the Hamas officials have been subsequently killed in the conflict. Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders have previously condemned ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan’s request for the warrants as disgraceful and antisemitic. U.S. President Joe Biden also blasted the prosecutor and expressed support for Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas. Hamas also slammed the request. The death toll in the Gaza Strip from the 13-month-old war between Israel and Hamas has surpassed 44,000, local health officials said Thursday. The Gaza Health Ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, but it has said that more than half of the fatalities are women and children. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The Health Ministry said 44,056 people have been killed and 104,268 wounded since the start of the war. It has said the real toll is higher because thousands of bodies are buried under rubble or in areas that medics cannot access. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250 . Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Most of the rest were released during a cease-fire last year. Around 90% of Gaza's population of 2.3 million people have been displaced, often multiple times, and hundreds of thousands are living in squalid tent camps with little food, water or basic services. Israel says it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames their deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in residential areas, where they have built tunnels, rocket launchers and other military infrastructure. JERUSALEM — A rocket fired from Lebanon killed a man and wounded two others in northern Israel on Thursday, according to the Magen David Adom rescue service. The service said paramedics found the body of the man in his 30s near a playground in the town of Nahariya, near the border with Lebanon, after a rocket attack on Thursday. Israel meanwhile struck targets in southern Lebanon and several buildings south of Beirut, the Lebanese capital, after warning people to evacuate.

AI Stocks Soar! Political Shifts and Defense Deals Make WavesCentury-old department store Nordstrom has agreed to be acquired and taken private by Nordstrom family members and a Mexican retail group in a $6.25 billion deal with the industry being squeezed by discount chains and other competition. Public companies are under a lot more scrutiny and if private, the Nordstrom may have more leeway in reviving a department store chain that has been attempting to reinvigorate sales for years. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

Jonah Goldberg Among elites across the ideological spectrum, there's one point of unifying agreement: Americans are bitterly divided. What if that's wrong? What if elites are the ones who are bitterly divided while most Americans are fairly unified? History rarely lines up perfectly with the calendar (the "sixties" didn't really start until the decade was almost over). But politically, the 21st century neatly began in 2000, when the election ended in a tie and the color coding of electoral maps became enshrined as a kind of permanent tribal color war of "red vs. blue." Elite understanding of politics has been stuck in this framework ever since. Politicians and voters have leaned into this alleged political reality, making it seem all the more real in the process. I loathe the phrase "perception is reality," but in politics it has the reifying power of self-fulfilling prophecy. Like rival noble families in medieval Europe, elites have been vying for power and dominance on the arrogant assumption that their subjects share their concern for who rules rather than what the rulers can deliver. Political cartoonists from across country draw up something special for the holiday In 2018, the group More in Common published a massive report on the "hidden tribes" of American politics. The wealthiest and whitest groups were "devoted conservatives" (6%) and "progressive activists" (8%). These tribes dominate the media, the parties and higher education, and they dictate the competing narratives of red vs. blue, particularly on cable news and social media. Meanwhile, the overwhelming majority of Americans resided in, or were adjacent to, the "exhausted majority." These people, however, "have no narrative," as David Brooks wrote at the time. "They have no coherent philosophic worldview to organize their thinking and compel action." Lacking a narrative might seem like a very postmodern problem, but in a postmodern elite culture, postmodern problems are real problems. It's worth noting that red vs. blue America didn't emerge ex nihilo. The 1990s were a time when the economy and government seemed to be working, at home and abroad. As a result, elites leaned into the narcissism of small differences to gain political and cultural advantage. They remain obsessed with competing, often apocalyptic, narratives. That leaves out most Americans. The gladiatorial combatants of cable news, editorial pages and academia, and their superfan spectators, can afford these fights. Members of the exhausted majority are more interested in mere competence. I think that's the hidden unity elites are missing. This is why we keep throwing incumbent parties out of power: They get elected promising competence but get derailed -- or seduced -- by fan service to, or trolling of, the elites who dominate the national conversation. There's a difference between competence and expertise. One of the most profound political changes in recent years has been the separation of notions of credentialed expertise from real-world competence. This isn't a new theme in American life, but the pandemic and the lurch toward identity politics amplified distrust of experts in unprecedented ways. This is a particular problem for the left because it is far more invested in credentialism than the right. Indeed, some progressives are suddenly realizing they invested too much in the authority of experts and too little in the ability of experts to provide what people want from government, such as affordable housing, decent education and low crime. The New York Times' Ezra Klein says he's tired of defending the authority of government institutions. Rather, "I want them to work." One of the reasons progressives find Trump so offensive is his absolute inability to speak the language of expertise -- which is full of coded elite shibboleths. But Trump veritably shouts the language of competence. I don't mean he is actually competent at governing. But he is effectively blunt about calling leaders, experts and elites -- of both parties -- stupid, ineffective, weak and incompetent. He lost in 2020 because voters didn't believe he was actually good at governing. He won in 2024 because the exhausted majority concluded the Biden administration was bad at it. Nostalgia for the low-inflation pre-pandemic economy was enough to convince voters that Trumpian drama is the tolerable price to pay for a good economy. About 3 out of 4 Americans who experienced "severe hardship" because of inflation voted for Trump. The genius of Trump's most effective ad -- "Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you" -- was that it was simultaneously culture-war red meat and an argument that Harris was more concerned about boutique elite concerns than everyday ones. If Trump can actually deliver competent government, he could make the Republican Party the majority party for a generation. For myriad reasons, that's an if so big it's visible from space. But the opportunity is there -- and has been there all along. Goldberg is editor-in-chief of The Dispatch: thedispatch.com . Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!NEW YORK , Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Report with market evolution powered by AI - The global recreational boats market size is estimated to grow by USD 6.28 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.97% during the forecast period. Increasing customer engagement in recreational boating activities is driving market growth, with a trend towards growing population of high-net-worth individuals. However, high total cost of ownership for recreational boats poses a challenge.Key market players include A. H. Wadia Boat Builders, Azimut Benetti SpA, Baja Marine , Bavaria Yachtbau GmbH, Brunswick Corp., Christensen Shipyards LLC, Damen Shipyards Group, Feadship Holland BV, Grady White Boats Inc., Great American Marine, Groupe Beneteau, Halevai Power, Jettec Jet Boats Ltd., Malibu Boats Inc., Marine Products Corp., MasterCraft Boat Holdings Inc., Nobiskrug Yachts GmbH, Shandong Heavy Industry Group Co. Ltd., and Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd.. AI-Powered Market Evolution Insights. Our comprehensive market report ready with the latest trends, growth opportunities, and strategic analysis- View Free Sample Report PDF Forecast period 2024-2028 Base Year 2023 Historic Data 2018 - 2022 Segment Covered Type (Sailboats, Personal watercrafts (PWC), and Inflatables), Product Type (Outboards and Inboard), and Geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa) Region Covered North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Key companies profiled A. H. Wadia Boat Builders, Azimut Benetti SpA, Baja Marine, Bavaria Yachtbau GmbH, Brunswick Corp., Christensen Shipyards LLC, Damen Shipyards Group, Feadship Holland BV, Grady White Boats Inc., Great American Marine, Groupe Beneteau, Halevai Power, Jettec Jet Boats Ltd., Malibu Boats Inc., Marine Products Corp., MasterCraft Boat Holdings Inc., Nobiskrug Yachts GmbH, Shandong Heavy Industry Group Co. Ltd., and Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. Key Market Trends Fueling Growth The Recreational Boats Market is experiencing in demand due to pent-up demand and increasing confidence levels among consumers. Travel restrictions are easing, leading to an uptick in boat sales. Boat options cater to various preferences and budgets, including pontoons, cruises, water sports boats, and personal watercraft. Used boat sales are also on the rise due to cost savings. Boat manufacturers and dealerships are focusing on larger cruises, local tourism, recreational fishing, and sustainable development. Emission norms are a key consideration, with boat engine manufacturers addressing Nitrogen Oxide, hydrocarbons, and particulate matter. Untapped markets and online boat sales are also driving growth. Cost savings and e-commerce giants are impacting production schedules and trade barriers, including import duties and luxury goods. The yacht segment and leisure boating continue to be popular, with luxury features, outboards, speed, and cost-effectiveness driving demand. Safety considerations and emission regulations are important, as are water bodies, tourist hotspots, and overall tourism. Sustainable development, economy, and production schedules are industry dynamics shaping the recreational industry. Leisure activities, tourism activities, personal ships, watercraft sales, rental services, river cruises, and small and large cruises are all part of the market landscape. Battery prices and environmental impact are also key considerations. Organizations are focusing on navigable waters, water sports demand, international tourists, and tourism operators. Sailboats, motorboats, yachts, fishing boats, and cruising boats come in various sizes and engine types, including electric drives and diesel engines. Sports fishing and transportation are also popular uses for recreational boats. The recreational boats market caters primarily to high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), who represent a small fraction of the global population but hold significant wealth. According to the World Bank, HNWIs make up less than 1% of the world's population, yet they control over 40% of its total wealth. This demographic has a growing affinity for leisure activities, including recreational boating. Initially concentrated in the Western world, HNWIs are now found in various regions globally. The expanding population of HNWIs drives demand for luxury boats, thereby fueling market growth. Leisure boating has emerged as a popular recreational activity among this demographic, contributing to the market's expansion. Insights on how AI is driving innovation, efficiency, and market growth- Request Sample! Market Challenges Insights into how AI is reshaping industries and driving growth- Download a Sample Report Segment Overview This recreational boats market report extensively covers market segmentation by 1.1 Sailboats- The recreational boats market is experiencing growth due to the rise in recreational tourism and increasing sailing activities. Europe , specifically, is a significant region for yachts, with popular destinations like Greece , Spain , France , and Italy attracting thousands of tourists, particularly high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), for business events and meetings. The global tourism industry's growth, with Southeast Asia leading the way, is fueling the demand for sailboats. Countries such as China and India contribute significantly to this trend, spending more on foreign tourism than domestic. Sailing races, including the America's Cup and Asian Sailing Championships, further boost market growth. Parasailing, a popular water sport, adds to the market's expansion in various coastal areas. China , particularly Hangzhou , is emerging as a leader in water sports, increasing tourism and recreational activities. These factors collectively drive the growth of the sailboats segment in the global recreational boats market. Download complimentary Sample Report to gain insights into AI's impact on market dynamics, emerging trends, and future opportunities- including forecast (2024-2028) and historic data (2018 - 2022) Research Analysis The Recreational Boats Market is experiencing in demand due to pent-up travel desires and increasing confidence levels as restrictions ease. Boat options cater to various preferences, budgets, and water bodies, including pontoons, sailboats, and motorboats. Tourist hotspots and overall tourism industry dynamics continue to influence market growth. Sustainable development and environmental impact are key considerations, with organizations advocating for eco-friendly practices and technologies. Economy plays a significant role in production schedules and consumer purchasing power. Battery prices and water sports demand are also factors shaping the market. International tourists and tourism operators are major consumers, with navigable waters offering diverse opportunities for leisure activities. Industry dynamics remain influenced by trends, regulations, and technological advancements. Market Research Overview The Recreational Boats Market is experiencing in demand due to pent-up demand and rising confidence levels as travel restrictions ease. Boat options cater to various preferences and budgets, including pontoons, cruises, water sports boats, and personal watercraft. Used boat sales are also on the rise due to cost savings. Larger cruises and luxury yacht segment are gaining popularity in overall tourism, particularly in tourist hotspots. However, emission norms are a significant consideration, with boat engine manufacturers focusing on reducing Nitrogen Oxide, hydrocarbons, and particulate matter. Untapped markets, online boat sales, and e-commerce giants are disrupting traditional boat manufacturers and dealerships. Industry dynamics are influenced by production schedules, sustainability, and economic factors. Leisure activities, including boating and fishing, are essential components of the recreational industry. Navigable waters, such as rivers and lakes, offer diverse opportunities for recreational boating, water sports, and tourism activities. Safety considerations, emission regulations, and maintenance costs are essential factors for consumers. Water bodies and local authorities collaborate with tourism businesses to promote sustainable development and economic growth. Overall, the recreational boating market is a significant contributor to the economy and offers versatility, functionality, and cost-effectiveness for various leisure activities. Table of Contents: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Company Landscape 11 Company Analysis 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/recreational-boats-market-to-grow-by-usd-6-28-billion-2024-2028-rising-boating-activities-driving-revenue-report-on-ai-driven-market-transformation---technavio-302316077.html SOURCE TechnavioNone

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO The Associated Press — The Container Store has filed for bankruptcy protection as the storage and organizational goods retailer with roots dating back to the 1970s grapples with mounting losses and cash flow shortages. The Texas company has faced increasing competition from retailers like Target and Walmart at the same time that demand for its goods is under strain in a rough housing market, where soaring prices and elevated mortgage rates have stunted sales. Under Chapter 11 protection, The Container Store will continue to operate while it restructures. The chain has stores in Costa Mesa and seven other locations throughout Southern California. The company said Sunday that it had filed for bankruptcy protection in Texas. The filing arrives two weeks after the trading of company shares was suspended by the New York Stock Exchange. The Container Store Group Inc. failed to maintain an average market capitalization of at least $15 million in accordance with NYSE rules. Last month, The Container Store said that it was in advanced discussions with lenders to provide additional capital as it aimed to turn around sagging earnings and sales, according to a regulatory filing. The company has struggled to raise cash, and last month an agreement with the owner of Bed Bath & Beyond, Overstock and Zulily that would have come with a $40 million cash infusion fell apart. The Container Store said in a regulatory filing that it did not believe that it could match the financing requirements of the partnership with Beyond Inc. The Container Store was founded in 1978 by Garrett Boone, Kip Tindell and investor John Mullen, who opened the doors of The Container Store’s first location in Dallas, according to the company. Neither of the men, Boone with a master’s degree in history and Tindell who was an English major, expected a career in retail. Yet both were driven by the idea of creating a store devoted entirely to storage. The chain had its skeptics when Boon and Tindell opened their first 1,600-square-foot location. Yet the chain expanded to more than 100 stores ranging from 12,000 to 20,000 square feet, according to the company. In 1999, The Container Store purchased one of its vendors, Elfa International. In 2021, it acquired Chicago’s Closet Works and launched its premium, wood-based line Preston shortly thereafter. In its most recent quarter the company reported losses of $16 million, and comparable store sales, a good barometer of a retailer’s health, dropped 12.5%.United States President-elect Donald Trump suggested Sunday that Mexico should become a state of the U.S. due to a trade imbalance between the two countries, prompting President Claudia Sheinbaum to reiterate that Mexico is “a free, sovereign and independent country.” In an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” program, Trump railed against the trade deficits the United States is recording with Mexico and Canada, which together with the U.S. are the signatories to the USMCA free trade pact. “We’re subsidizing Canada to the tune of over $100 billion a year. We’re subsidizing Mexico for almost $300 billion,” he said, significantly exaggerating the United States’ trade deficits with both countries. “We shouldn’t be — why are we subsidizing these countries? If we’re going to subsidize them, let them become a state. We’re subsidizing Mexico and we’re subsidizing Canada and we’re subsidizing many countries all over the world,” Trump said. “All I want to do is I want to have a level, fast, but fair playing field,” he added. While Mexico has a significant trade surplus with the United States, it is not as large as Trump claimed. The United States’ trade deficit with its southern neighbor was US $152.47 billion in 2023 and $141.85 billion in the first 10 months of 2024, according to the United States Census Bureau . Although Trump signed the USMCA deal, which superseded NAFTA in 2020, he evidently believes that trade between the three North American countries is not fair. In October, he pledged to renegotiate the pact . Since the trade agreement took effect, Mexico has become the world’s top exporter to the United States, ousting China from that position in 2023 . Trump has pledged to impose a 25% tariff on all Mexican and Canadian exports to the United States on the first day of his second term, although his stated motivation for doing so is not the trade imbalance but what he described as the “long simmering problem” of drugs and migrants entering the U.S. via its southern and northern borders. Trump said in a social media post on Nov. 25 that his proposed tariff on Mexican and Canadian goods would “remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!” At her morning press conference on Monday , Sheinbaum was asked about the president-elect’s “let them become a state” remark in reference to Mexico and Canada. She initially expressed her desire to cease “dialogue” with Trump “through the media,” but added that “obviously Mexico is a free, sovereign and independent country.” “We all know that and we always have to defend it,” Sheinbaum said. “I understand that this subsidy he speaks about has to do with the increase in Mexico’s exports to the United States, which now exceed [Mexico’s] imports [from the U.S.],” she said. “But yesterday, at the event we were at in Nuevo Laredo, I stated that the only way to compete with other regions of the world is by maintaining and strengthening the [North American] trade agreement, the USMCA,” Sheinbaum said. “... More than looking at each other as competition, we have to look at each other as complementary. It was President Trump who signed the USMCA and the United States has had a lot of benefits from the agreement,” she said. Sheinbaum previously said that her government would implement its own reciprocal tariff on U.S. exports to Mexico if Trump goes ahead with his Nov. 25 tariff threat. However, she has expressed confidence that the proposed U.S. tariff won’t end up being imposed on Mexican exports. Meanwhile, the Mexican government has countered that a 25% tax on Mexican exports would have a negative impact on the U.S. economy and consumers . Trump’s “Meet the Press” interview was his first sit-down interview since he won the United States presidential election on Nov. 5. In a discussion with NBC journalist Kristen Welker that lasted more than an hour, the president-elect made a range of remarks that were directly or indirectly related to Mexico. Here is a selection of those comments. ( Sheinbaum previously rejected Trump’s claim that she agreed during their call to “stop migration through Mexico, and into the United States, effectively closing our southern border.”) Mexico News DailyBy JOHN ZENOR AP Sports Writer Oregon and Ohio State have already produced one heck of a game this season. Now, the top-seeded Ducks (13-0) and eighth-seeded Buckeyes (11-2) are gearing up for a rematch more than 10 weeks later in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game at the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. Of course, both teams have had ample time for evolution since that 32-31 Oregon win on Oct. 12 in Eugene. But they also have that game and players’ familiarity with each other, not to mention common opponents in the Big Ten. “Sometimes when you’re playing against a team maybe from another conference in the playoffs, there’s a little bit of an unknown, how can you expect this guy to play?” Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said Monday. “What am I really looking at when I look at the teams they’re playing? “This team’s not that way because we played them already and they played in the conference. So there’s again a reference point as we move into this one. So our guys know what they’re up against, but they also know that they’ve evolved and we’ve evolved, and so two very different teams heading into this game. And the team who prepares the best is going to win.” Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who went on to become a Heisman Trophy finalist, passed for 341 yards and ran for a 27-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter of the first meeting. Then, Atticus Sappington made the game-winning 19-yard field goal in the final two minutes. The then-No. 2 Buckeyes were the highest-ranked opponent that Oregon has beaten during the regular season. After the Oregon fans’ field-storming celebration, Ducks coach Dan Lanning quipped: “Anyone have a heart-rate monitor?” Now, the questions include will they need one for this game? Or will it fail to provide the same thrills? Ohio State opened the playoffs with a 42-17 rout of Tennessee on Saturday night . “You could probably argue that Ohio State’s best game was the game they just played,” Lanning said. “So it’s important at this point in the year that you’re playing really good football. Sometimes you don’t know that until you step on the field. “That’s your job as a coach to get you ready for those moments, get our players ready for those moments, but certainly hope that we put our best foot forward when we play in this Rose Bowl.” Lanning and the Ducks also played Washington twice last season, losing both by a field goal – 36-33 on Oct. 14 and 34-31 in the Pac-12 championship game on Dec. 1 in Las Vegas. Lanning isn’t about to tip his hand about what adjustments the Ducks might make or prepare for, but joked: “Yeah, we’re going to do the exact same thing, right, every play, first call.” “I won’t really get into the differences, but they’re a really good team,” Lanning said. “I don’t know if there’s a more talented team in the nation.” And by the time these two teams play again, 81 days will have passed from Round 1. Gameplans figure to change, with plenty of tweaks on offense and defense along the way. “They’ve changed and they’re much more multiple in what they do,” Day said of the Ducks. “So you combine all those things together and you put the game plan in. And then you throw some things out. You add some things that you think might fit. “At the end of the day, you only have to pack what you need and you’ve got to make sure that it’s clean and it’s a plan that the guys can go execute with a lot of confidence. That’s what we’re in the middle of right now.”

Trump has flip-flopped on abortion policy. His appointees may offer clues to what happens nextWith just enough time for the turkey to digest, hunters across the Valley will take to the woods Saturday when the statewide firearms deer season begins. The Pennsylvania Game Commission anticipates more than half a million hunters will head out Saturday hoping to harvest a deer. Beginning Saturday, this year's deer season continues on Sunday, then runs from Dec. 2 through 14, excluding only Sunday, Dec. 8, according to the game commission. This is arguably the busiest time of year for local sporting goods stores. Steve McNeal, owner of The Little Sportsman Shop in Northumberland said his shop has been "really busy the last couple weeks." Though ammunition prices have gone up, it has been much easier to get despite the stocking difficulties faced during the pandemic. "We're very well stocked," McNeal said. Many hunters no longer go to sporting goods stores to get their hunting licenses, and instead do so online, according to the local store owner. McNeal said he thinks many hunters enjoy the season change giving them an extra two days in the woods. Formerly, the season would have started on Monday, Dec. 2. "If you're going to spend $1,000 on a rifle and getup and you work during the week, you're able to get more out of that investment," McNeal said. The owner's son, Logan McNeal, "runs the place," his father said. Logan McNeal said a few new calibers of rifle have come out since last season. He mentioned 400 legend as a "big one." While some people have been wary of the new rifles, others have jumped on the train and have been seeking them throughout the past few weeks. "It's finally a season they can use it," Logan McNeal said. John Hoffman, who works at The Little Sportsman Shop, said he's not only been busy helping customers, but has been getting ready for the start of the season himself. Hoffman said he's been sighting in his rifles and getting his gear and clothing out and ready to go. Hunters are allowed one antlered deer per year, plus one antlerless deer for every Wildlife Management Unit (WMU)-specific antlerless license or Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) permit, the game commission said. According to game commission data, across all of the 2023-24 deer seasons, hunters harvested an estimated 430,010 white-tailed deer. The statewide buck harvest was estimated at 171,600. The antlerless harvest was estimated at 258,410. The regular firearms deer season accounted for the largest part of these totals as firearms hunters took an estimated 254,710 deer, the commission said.

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