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rich m Rachel Christian | (TNS) Bankrate.com Just because retirement planning involves some guesswork doesn’t mean it has to be a total mystery. Related Articles Business | Tech review: Earbuds and phones for those on your holiday list Business | The year in money: inflation eased, optimism ticked upward Business | Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds Business | How to protect your communications through encryption Business | About 2.6 million Stanley cups recalled after malfunctions caused burns. Is your mug included? Whether you’ve been saving since your first job or you’re getting a late start, you can leverage expert-recommended strategies to gauge your progress on the road to retirement. And if you’re not quite on track, don’t sweat it — the experts we spoke to offered actionable tips to help you close the gap. You might have a general idea of how much money you need to save for retirement . A few quick calculations can give you an estimate, but to truly appreciate where you stand, you’ll need to dive into the numbers. Here’s how to get started. A good rule of thumb to estimate your retirement savings goal is the Rule of 25 . Simply multiply your desired annual retirement income by 25. The result is roughly how much you’ll need to save before hitting retirement. For example, if you plan to spend $50,000 a year, you’ll need about $1.25 million to make it a reality. The Rule of 25 is based on the idea that withdrawing 4% annually from your retirement savings should last you about 30 years. While it’s not an exact science by any means — health care costs and lifestyle changes can skew the numbers, for example — the Rule of 25 can be a good starting point to figure out how much you need to save. Fidelity Investments, a behemoth in the retirement planning space, offers savings guidelines to help you determine if you’re on track . —By age 30: Save 1x your annual salary —By age 40: Save 3x your annual salary —By age 50: Save 6x your annual salary —By age 60: Save 8x your annual salary —By age 67: Save 10x your annual salary For example, if you earn $60,000 annually, you should aim for $600,000 in savings by age 67. But like the Rule of 25, Fidelity’s guidelines offer a 10,000-foot look at retirement goals, and they’re not customized to your situation. Maybe you earned a low salary in your 20s, but you’re working hard in your 30s to make up for it. Use these estimates as a benchmark — but don’t get discouraged if you’re lagging behind. Now it’s time to zoom in a little. To get a clearer snapshot of your progress, use an online retirement calculator. These tools factor in your age, current savings, income and lifestyle goals to estimate whether you’re on track. You’ll get a more refined estimate without crunching the numbers yourself. Bankrate’s retirement calculator even lets you input different rates of return on your investments and accounts for estimated annual salary increases. Having a general savings goal is nice, but to avoid falling short in retirement, you’ll need more than a ballpark figure. Experts recommend creating a retirement budget to get an up-close-and-personal look at how much you’ll really need once you leave the workforce. First, estimate how much you’ll spend per month in retirement. While some costs will increase, like health care, others will likely decrease, like dining out and commuting. “Estimating expenses can be challenging for some people, so as a starting point, I often use your net take-home pay,” says Jeff DeLarme, a certified financial planner and president of DeLarme Wealth Management. For example, if you receive a direct deposit of $2,500 every two weeks from work, use $5,000 as your estimated monthly spending in retirement. “Assuming this was enough to pay the bills while working, we can use $5,000 a month as a starting budget to plan for,” says DeLarme. Next, map out your sources of income in retirement. Social Security is the largest income stream for most retirees, but don’t neglect other inflows, such as: —Workplace retirement accounts, like 401(k)s —Personal retirement accounts, like a traditional or Roth IRA —Pensions —Annuities —Selling your home or business —Rental income —Inheritance “If there’s a gap between your expected expenses and income, you’ll have a good idea of how much you need to save,” says Mike Hunsberger, a certified financial planner and owner of Next Mission Financial Planning. From there, you can adjust your savings and investment strategy accordingly. For something as important (and complex) as retirement planning, it pays to speak with a professional. Financial advisers can analyze your savings, investments and retirement goals to create a personalized plan. Advisers use special planning software that account for more variables than an online calculator, giving you a much more precise, granular look at your financial life in retirement. Many financial advisers can also help you optimize your tax strategy, which can potentially save you thousands of dollars over time. Make sure the adviser you hire is a fiduciary , meaning they’re legally obligated to prioritize your interests over their own. A fiduciary won’t push investments to earn a commission or recommend products that aren’t aligned with your needs. A certified financial planner is one of the most well-recognized designations for fiduciaries. You can use Bankrate’s adviser matching tool to find a certified financial planner in your area in minutes. Maybe you did the math and realized you’re not quite where you need to be. Don’t panic if you’re behind schedule. Here are five strategies experts recommend to help you catch up on your retirement savings . Cutting expenses now frees up more cash to invest in your retirement accounts. Evaluate your budget and identify areas where you can cut costs, like dining out, streaming subscriptions or shopping. Don’t rule out bigger lifestyle changes either, especially if retirement is rapidly approaching. Housing is the biggest monthly expense for most people. Getting creative here can help amplify the amount you can sock away, says Joseph Boughan, a certified financial planner and managing member at Parkmount Financial Partners. It can also reduce your expenses in retirement, so you may not need to save as much as before. “Downsizing can be a great way to cut expenses,” says Boughan. “This can even free up cash if you don’t end up needing all that money for a new home.” Moving somewhere with lower property taxes or income taxes can also help bring your retirement plan back in line. And if you’re a renter, making tough short-term decisions, like taking on a roommate or moving to a lower cost-of-living area, can free up hundreds of dollars a month for your retirement. “Everyone’s plan is unique, so exploring all the options is important,” Boughan says. Joe Conroy, a certified financial planner and owner of Harford Retirement Planners, recommends taking a “retirement test drive” as you near your target date. “Start to live on what income you think you can afford in retirement and stash all the extra income into savings and investments,” says Conroy. “If you can make it through each month, you’re ready for retirement. If you run short, then adjust your plan accordingly.” Working a little longer can be a game-changer for your retirement nest egg. Not only does it give you more time to save, it also gives your investments room to grow. “Working longer or even just part time for a few years early in retirement is one of the best ways to reduce the amount of money you need to save,” says Hunsberger. Postponing retirement can also boost your Social Security benefits . “You can claim as early as 62, but your benefits will be reduced significantly,” says Hunsberger. Meanwhile, each year you delay claiming Social Security benefits beyond your full retirement age , your monthly check will increase by 8%, though this benefit maxes out at age 70. So waiting can really pay off. It may seem obvious, but if you’re behind on retirement savings, you’ll need to boost your contributions as much as possible. Here are a few ways to make saving for retirement easier: —Increase your contribution rate: Allocate a larger portion of your paycheck to a workplace retirement plan. Even bumping up your contributions by 1% or 2% can make a huge difference down the road. —Take advantage of your employer match: Don’t leave free money on the table. Many employers will chip in between 3 and 5% depending on your plan, so make sure you’re contributing enough to take advantage of the benefit. —Use “unexpected” money to catch up: If you get a raise or bonus at work, funnel part of it directly into your 401(k). And if you get a refund at tax time, siphon some of it off to beef up your IRA. If you’ve been investing in low-risk, low-return investments, you may not be keeping up with inflation, let alone growing your nest egg. Reallocating part of your portfolio to stocks or low-cost growth exchange-traded funds (ETFs) is one way to get your money working harder. Higher-risk investments like stocks carry more volatility but also offer higher potential returns. Work with a financial adviser or use a robo-adviser to strike the right balance between growth and your personal risk tolerance. Contribution limits for 401(k) plans and IRAs are higher for people over 50. For 2025, employees aged 50 and up who participate in most 401(k) plans or the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan can save up to $31,000 annually, including a $7,500 catch-up contribution . But thanks to SECURE 2.0 , a sweeping retirement law, a new higher catch-up contribution limit of $11,250 applies for employees ages 60 to 63. So, if you’re in this age group, you can squirrel away a whopping $34,750 a year during the final stretch of your career. Of course, you’ll need a big salary (think six figures) in order to take full advantage of such massive contribution limits. But if you can afford it, these catch-up allowances can put your plan back on track, especially if you struggled to save much early in your career. There’s no GPS to gauge your progress on the road to retirement. If you’ve veered off course or aren’t sure where to start, begin by getting a quick estimate of how much you’ll need before mapping out a retirement budget. And if you’re behind, don’t panic — adjusting your spending, boosting your contributions and speaking with a financial adviser can help you catch up. ©2024 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Bill Belichick didn't wait around for a call that he might not get from an NFL team. With no guarantees that another opportunity might come his way — only the Atlanta Falcons interviewed Belichick last offseason — and unsure whether he could find the right fit in the NFL, the 72-year-old future Hall of Fame coach decided to go back to school. Belichick took his eight Super Bowl rings to North Carolina on a mission to build a college program the way he constructed two dynasties during 24 seasons with the New England Patriots. It starts with doing things his way. The Patriot Way is legendary. Perhaps it'll translate into the Tar Heel way. That's to be determined. But Belichick is back doing what he loves: coaching. And, he's going to run the show with his guys around him. An NFL team giving Belichick full control the way he had in New England seemed unlikely. Success at North Carolina could change that thinking. For now, Belichick's quest to break Don Shula's all-time record for most wins in the NFL is on hold. He's 15 victories short but the buyout clause in his college contract — a $10 million fee if done before June 2025 and $1 million after that date — leaves the window open for a return to the league. If Belichick stays in college or retires without returning to the NFL, his legacy is already cemented. Winning at North Carolina will only enhance his reputation. Losing won't impact his NFL resume. "He's one of the all-time great coaches. What he's done for the NFL and the game, we all know where he'll end up — in the Hall of Fame with a gold jacket," Dallas Cowboys executive Stephen Jones said Wednesday shortly before Belichick agreed on a five-year deal with North Carolina that pays him $10 million in base and supplemental salary annually with up to $3.5 million in bonuses per year. Belichick has his detractors. There's no denying he couldn't win without Tom Brady. He was 29-39 and had no playoff wins without No. 12 in his final four seasons with the Patriots. Critics have labeled him a cheater because of the Spygate and Deflategate scandals. He overlooked Aaron Hernandez's issues. He was tough on players, even alienating Brady in the end and letting him walk him away in free agency in 2020 only to see him lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl in his first season there. But Belichick instilled in players the importance of doing their job and presided over an unprecedented two-decade run of dominance that withstood changing times, free agency, salary-cap restrictions and much more. Brady has always maintained how important Belichick was for his career, giving him credit for helping him become one of the best players in sports. Now, Belichick is onto Chapel Hill in a surprise twist after he spent most of the NFL season reinventing himself as an entertaining and engaging analyst. Belichick is a football genius and his knowledge came across on television. But he also displayed a fun personality, trading quips with the Mannings and cracking jokes with Pat McAffee. "College kind of came to me this year," Belichick said at his introductory news conference. "I didn't necessarily go and seek it out. I had many coaches, probably a couple dozen coaches, talk to me and say, 'Can we come down and talk to you about these things?' Let's call it the salary cap of pro football relative to college football. The headsets, the green dot, the two-minute warning, the tablets on the sideline. Those were all rules changes this year for college football that were either or the same or similar to what we had in the NFL. These coaches said, 'Hey coach can we talk to you about how you did this? How you did that? How did you use this?'. "As those conversations started and then the personnel conversations started relative to salary cap and how you spend whatever the allotment of money you have. I'd say that started to make me a lot more aware of it because the first thing I would have to do is learn about it. .... As you learn different things about different programs you start to put it all together. There is some common threads and there's some variables." How will he do as a college coach? Nobody knows yet. Three of Belichick's former players were skeptical before he took the job. "There's a lot of things he can do, and obviously he's tremendous, and even showing his personality. But getting out there on the recruiting trail and dealing with all these college kids, that would be ..." Brady said before trailing off during a conversation on Fox's NFL pregame show last Sunday. Fellow former Patriots Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman also wondered the same. "Can you imagine NIL, and all that nonsense?" Gronkowski said. Edelman added: "Can you imagine Bill on a couch recruiting an 18-year-old?" But Belichick doesn't have to recruit kids on visits. These are new times in college sports. The NIL has dramatically changed the landscape. Plus, Belichick's name is enough. Just like Deion Sanders at Colorado. "I think it could be great for this game, honestly, if he can find a way to make college football more like this in terms of what's being asked of the coaches, the recruiting staff, the personnel, the NIL, and all those different things," Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Cohen said. "If he can make it a little bit less demanding on some of the coaches and create a great atmosphere and have success, I think it's great for our game. It's pretty cool to see, actually." Time for Belichick to do his job. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, Galaxy Unpacked 2024, London, United Kingdom Samsung's Galaxy S flagships reach for the highest standards each year. New information published in Finland has highlighted one area where the Galaxy S25 Ultra may fall short when the handsets are launched in early 2025. Galaxy S25 Ultra Options The details come via Finnish mobile carrier SuomiMobilii . It has listed the various memory and storage options it will offer for the Galaxy S25, S25+ and S25 Ultra. Storage options will be 128 GB or 256 GB for the Galaxy S25, 256 GB or 512 GB for the S25+, and 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB for the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The carrier's website also lists several cases that will be offered alongside the Galaxy S25 family. These include a standing grip case, silicone case, rugged case, kindsuit case and magnet case. The latter is perhaps the most telling. Galaxy S25 Ultra Wireless Charging Choice The Qi2 wireless charging standard requires hardware to use magnets to seat and hold a wireless charging surface (and is based on Apple's MagSafe specifications ). If Samsung offers a case that specifically calls out the magnetic attachment, then the base S25 design is unlikely to have the required magnets to conform to the Qi2 standard. The magnetic case will allow those smartphones to connect with the widest range of Qi2 accessories possible That's not to say that the Galaxy S25 design will not follow the rest of the standard. Some key areas are already present in the S24, such as meeting the minimum charging rate of 15W. However, the potential for full Qi2 connectivity across the S25 family may be seen as a missed opportunity. Microsoft Warns 400 Million Windows Users—Do Not Update Your PC Mystery Drones Over New Jersey And Nearby States: Trump Mocks Ex-NJ Gov. Chris Christie With Fake Image (Updating) ‘Black Doves’ Dethroned In Netflix’s Top 10 List By A New Show Samsung is expected to launch the family at a Galaxy Unpacked event in late January 2025. Now read the latest Galaxy S25 Ultra headlines in Forbes' weekly Android news digest...

Beacon Technology Market to Witness Excellent Revenue Growth Owing to Rapid Increase in Demand 12-14-2024 12:05 PM CET | Advertising, Media Consulting, Marketing Research Press release from: AMA Research & Media LLP Beacon Technology Advance Market Analytics published a new research publication on "Global Beacon Technology Market Insights, to 2030" with 232 pages and enriched with self-explained Tables and charts in presentable format. In the Study, you will find new evolving Trends, Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities generated by targeting market-associated stakeholders. The growth of the Beacon Technology market was mainly driven by the increasing R&D spending across the world. Major players profiled in the study are: BlueCats (Australia), BlueSense (United Kingdom), Estimote (United States), Accent Systems (Spain), GeLo (United States), Glimworm Beacons (Netherlands), Gimbal (United States), Kontakt.io (United States), Sensorberg (Germany), Sonic Notify (United States) Get Free Exclusive PDF Sample Copy of This Research @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/sample-report/58323-global-beacon-technology-market?utm_source=OpenPR&utm_medium=Vinay Scope of the Report of Beacon Technology Beacon technology is a wireless transmitter that uses low energy Bluetooth technology to send signals to other smart devices. The beacon technology majorly used as location-based technology. This market is reaching a maturity point in the United States majorly in the retail sector. In technical aspects beacons are getting major attraction in contrast to other solutions, it is used for both proximity detection and location estimation. This market has strong growth potential due to the high development in IoT technology. In Oct 2018, Selexis SA announced the acquisition of Berkeley Lightâ€TMs Beacon optofluidic platform. Through this agreement, the Selexis accelerate the cell line development of its platform. The titled segments and sub-section of the market are illuminated below: by Application (Indoor positioning and Navigation, Retail, Employee attendance and tracking, Facilities Management, Logistics and Transport, Healthcare, Others (Payments, Healthcare)), Deployment Mode (On-Premise, Cloud), Platforms (IBeacon, Eddystone, AltBeacon) Market Opportunities: •Increase number of hypermarket create strong opportunity for beacon provider to track customers in-store environment •Increase demand from the banking sector for providing personalized product offering, branch analytics, and others • Market Drivers: •Increase the penetration of internet of things across the globe •Increase demand for customizing IT infrastructure •Technology or modernization or retail sector •Rising demand for Personalized Shopping Experience on Mobile Devices • Market Trend: •Advancement of the beacon with artificial technology •Increase adoption of beacon technology for a cross-channel and omnichannel shopping experience • What can be explored with the Beacon Technology Market Study? •Gain Market Understanding •Identify Growth Opportunities •Analyze and Measure the Global Beacon Technology Market by Identifying Investment across various Industry Verticals •Understand the Trends that will drive Future Changes in Beacon Technology •Understand the Competitive Scenarios -Track Right Markets -Identify the Right Verticals Region Included are: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Oceania, South America, Middle East & Africa Country Level Break-Up: United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, South Africa, Nigeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Germany, United Kingdom (UK), the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Turkey, Russia, France, Poland, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, India, Australia and New Zealand etc. Get Up to 30% Discount on This Premium Report @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/request-discount/58323-global-beacon-technology-market?utm_source=OpenPR&utm_medium=Vinay Strategic Points Covered in Table of Content of Global Beacon Technology Market: Chapter 1: Introduction, market driving force product Objective of Study and Research Scope the Beacon Technology market Chapter 2: Exclusive Summary - the basic information of the Beacon Technology Market. Chapter 3: Displaying the Market Dynamics- Drivers, Trends and Challenges & Opportunities of the Beacon Technology Chapter 4: Presenting the Beacon Technology Market Factor Analysis, Porters Five Forces, Supply/Value Chain, PESTEL analysis, Market Entropy, Patent/Trademark Analysis. Chapter 5: Displaying the by Type, End User and Region/Country 2016-2022 Chapter 6: Evaluating the leading manufacturers of the Beacon Technology market which consists of its Competitive Landscape, Peer Group Analysis, BCG Matrix & Company Profile Chapter 7: To evaluate the market by segments, by countries and by Manufacturers/Company with revenue share and sales by key countries in these various regions (2024-2030) Chapter 8 & 9: Displaying the Appendix, Methodology and Data Source Finally, Beacon Technology Market is a valuable source of guidance for individuals and companies. Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/buy-now?format=1&report=58323?utm_source=OpenPR&utm_medium=Vinay Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Middle East, Africa, Europe or LATAM, Southeast Asia. Contact Us: Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager) AMA Research & Media LLP Unit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJ New Jersey USA - 08837 Phone: +1(201) 7937323, +1(201) 7937193 sales@advancemarketanalytics.com About Author: Advance Market Analytics is Global leaders of Market Research Industry provides the quantified B2B research to Fortune 500 companies on high growth emerging opportunities which will impact more than 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Our Analyst is tracking high growth study with detailed statistical and in-depth analysis of market trends & dynamics that provide a complete overview of the industry. We follow an extensive research methodology coupled with critical insights related industry factors and market forces to generate the best value for our clients. We Provides reliable primary and secondary data sources, our analysts and consultants derive informative and usable data suited for our clients business needs. The research study enables clients to meet varied market objectives a from global footprint expansion to supply chain optimization and from competitor profiling to M&As. This release was published on openPR.

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Veteran social activist Baba Adhav called off his hunger strike against the alleged misuse of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and money power in the recent assembly elections after meeting top leaders of the state on Saturday. Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar, NCP (SP) state unit head Jayant Patil, Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray and the party’s leader Sanjay Raut met the activist and urged him to end the hunger strike. Adhav, 95, began his protest at Phule Wada, the residence of social reformer Jyotiba Phule, in the city on Thursday and ended his agitation by accepting a glass of water from Thackeray’s hands on Saturday. Adhav said, “Huge amount of money was distributed in the recent state polls. From where did this money come? This is against democracy and I ask the Maha Vikas Agadhi (MVA) to raise the issue and take it to the people.” Social crusader Baba Adhav, who works for people in the unorganised sector, has demanded social security for unprotected labourers and medical insurance for them. He started the hamal panchyat for potters to get them minimum wages. He also started the movement ‘Ek Gaav Ek Panvatha’ to get access to water for all people, mainly Dalits. He was elected to Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) in 1963. He contested the election for Member of Parliament through the Samyukta Socialist Party (SSP) led by SM Joshi but was defeated in 1971. A respected leader among social workers in Maharashtra, the nonagenarian still participates in social activities and agitations related to civic causes in Pune. EVM politics Meanwhile, Thackeray claimed that the government formation in Maharashtra was delayed because the ruling Mahayuti parties never thought they will come to power again. “When the MVA was formed (after the 2019 elections), the President’s rule was imposed. This time no one has staked claim to form the government, yet there is no President’s rule,” said Thackeray, a former chief minister. “They (Mahayuti allies) never thought they would come to power again, so they had no planning on who will be the CM, the council ministers. This is why government formation is taking time,” Thackeray said. He also demanded that all Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips should be counted. “Anyone can see that a vote has been cast. But how does one verify how the vote has been registered,” he asked. Pawar claimed the misuse of power and money to control the poll mechanism in the 2024 assembly elections, which was never before seen in any state or national polls in the past. He said, “There is a murmur among the people that the recent polls in Maharashtra saw ‘misuse of power’ and ‘floods of money’, which was never seen in the past. Such things are heard of in local-level polls, but taking over the entire election mechanism with the help of money and misuse of power was not seen before. However, we witnessed it in Maharashtra, and people are restless now.” “Baba Adhav has taken a lead into this issue and is agitating at Phule Wada. His protest gives hope to the people, but it is not enough. A mass revolt is necessary, as the danger of the parliamentary democracy getting destroyed looms,” Pawar said. Meanwhile, NCP chief Ajit Pawar and the party leader Chaggan Bhujbal also visited Adhav and defended the EVMs. “In the Lok Sabha polls, MVA won 31 seats (out of 48 in Maharashtra) while we got 17 seats. We accepted the people’s mandate. We did not make any allegations about EVMs. In Baramati, my candidate (wife Sunetra Pawar) lost by more than 1.4 lakh votes, while in the assembly election, I won by one lakh votes,” said Ajit. He, however, agreed that a discussion needs to take place. “I agree that there has to be a discussion over the issue, and if no solution is found, one can go to the courts....Even the Supreme Court recently rejected a plea stating that the petitioners blame EVMs when they face defeat but when they win, they do not level any allegations,” Ajit said. The Maharashtra Assembly election results were declared on November 23, with BJP-led Mahayuti alliance storming back to power with a landslide majority. The BJP emerged as the largest party with 132 seats in the 280-member Maharashtra Assembly, while its allies--the Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shinde, and the NCP, led by Ajit Pawar--won 57 and 41 seats, respectively. (With agency inputs)

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(The Center Square) – Although it remains unclear how many Democratic Senators will vote for the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, some House members in the party have explained why they voted yes, despite a provision restricting military-funded transgender surgeries for minors. The nearly $900 billion bill passed the House 281-140 Wednesday, with 200 Republicans and 81 Democrats voting in favor versus 124 Democrats and 16 Republicans voting against it. Most of the NDAA consists of bipartisan agreements, such as pay raises for service members, strengthened ties with U.S. allies, and funding of new military technology. But a critical point of contention is a Republican addition that would prohibit the military’s health program from covering any gender dysphoria treatments on minors that could "result in sterilization.” The must-pass bill is so critical that nearly 40% of House Democrats voted in favor–but not without expressing their disappointment. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., condemned Republican colleagues who, she said, “chose to sully this bill with political culture wars;” nevertheless, she voted in favor. “While it doesn't address everything we asked for and consider important, including the full ability of parents to make their own decisions about healthcare for their children, it marks a rare moment of productive bipartisan agreement on what is arguably the most crucial legislation we take up as a body each year,” Houlahan said. The bill’s provision does not forbid service members’ children from receiving transgender therapy. It forbids the military’s health insurance provider, TRICARE, from covering treatments on minors that “may result in sterilization.” Reps. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, and Terri Sewell, D-Ala., also voted in favor of the bill despite their displeasure at the ban. “The NDAA is a hugely important bill. We had to pass it, which is why I voted yes,” Landsman posted on X Friday. “However, the anti-trans language that was attached to it was mean and awful and should never have been included.” “I have serious concerns about some remaining provisions that were placed in the bill for political purposes,” Sewell said Wednesday. “Still, the responsibility to support our service members and provide for our national security is one that I do not take lightly, which is why I ultimately chose to support the bill.” Besides the importance of annual military funding, another reason some House Democrats assented to the legislation is because they were successful in axing other House Republican amendments, such as a plan to eliminate reimbursements for service members who travel to obtain abortions. The Senate is expected to pass the bill within the next few days, after which President Joe Biden is expected to sign it into law.LOS ANGELES (AP) — Blake Snell and the Los Angeles Dodgers have finalized a $182 million, five-year contract. The reigning World Series champions announced the deal with the two-time Cy Young Award winner on Saturday. Snell, who turns 32 on Wednesday, went 5-3 with a 3.12 ERA in 20 starts for San Francisco this year, throwing a no-hitter at Cincinnati on Aug. 2 for one of only 16 individual shutouts in the major leagues this season. The left-hander struck out 145 and walked 44 in 104 innings. He was sidelined between April 19 and May 22 by a strained left adductor and between June 2 and July 9 by a strained left groin. Snell gets a $52 million signing bonus , payable on Jan. 20, and annual salaries of $26 million, of which $13 million each year will be deferred. Because Snell is a Washington state resident, the signing bonus will not be subject to California income tax. Snell joins Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto atop Los Angeles’ rotation. Ohtani didn’t pitch this year while recovering from right elbow surgery but the two-way star is expected back on the mound in 2025. Snell won Cy Young Awards in 2018 with Tampa Bay and 2023 with San Diego. He is 76-58 with a 3.19 ERA in nine seasons with the Rays (2016-20), Padres (2021-23) and Giants. Because he turned down a qualifying offer from San Diego last November, the Giants were not eligible to give Snell another one and won’t receive draft-pick compensation. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Baijiayun was honored with the title of "Exclusive Member Unit" by the Beijing Educational Informationization Industry Alliance.Buggs shot 4 for 7 (3 for 5 from 3-point range) and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line for the Buccaneers (6-2). Jaden Seymour scored 13 points and added 11 rebounds. Quimari Peterson had 13 points and went 6 of 11 from the field. The Governors (4-4) were led in scoring by LJ Thomas, who finished with 15 points. Austin Peay also got 10 points, seven rebounds and two steals from Tate McCubbin. Tekao Carpenter also had eight points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .