casino ou cassino

casino ou cassino Keltgen appointed to serve as student regent on state boardOverlooking the scenic riverside, Riverside Gardens has emerged as a top-selling project for those craving a peaceful and scenic lifestyle. Its garden-themed setting and proximity to outdoor recreational areas have resonated well with buyers seeking a balance between urban convenience and nature.

However, Inter Milan is also reportedly considering their options regarding Esposito's future. The young striker is highly regarded within the club, and they may be reluctant to let him go permanently. Inter Milan could potentially offer Esposito a chance to compete for a spot in their first team or loan him out to another club to continue his development.Princely Umanmielen’s return to the Swamp ends with a loss and a police escort

As the investigation continues and more details come to light, the full extent of the suspect's actions and motives will hopefully be revealed. In the meantime, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of life and the unpredictable nature of human behavior. It also underscores the importance of addressing mental health issues and promoting a culture of peace and understanding in our society.

The Florida Gators face the Stanford Cardinal in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division I volleyball tournament on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 (12/12/24) at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Ky. How to watch: Fans can watch the game for free via a trial of DirecTV Stream or fuboTV . You can also watch via a subscription to Sling TV , which is offering half off your first month. — DirecTV Stream is offering $30 off on Entertainment with Sports Pack featuring NFL RedZone, Big Ten Network and more. — fuboTV plans start at $79.99 per month. — Sling TV is offering plans for as low as $20 for your first month Here’s what you need to know: What: NCAA volleyball Sweet 16 Who: Florida vs. Stanford When: Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 Where: Freedom Hall Time: 7 p.m. ET TV: ESPN2 Live stream: fuboTV (free trial), DirecTV Stream (free trial) *** Regional semifinals schedule (All times Eastern Standard) Thursday, Dec. 12 No. 3 Missouri vs. No. 3 Kentucky, 1 p.m. | ESPN2 No. 4 Oregon vs. No.1 Pitt, 30 min. after Missouri-Kentucky | ESPN2 No. 6 Florida vs. No. 2 Stanford, 7 p.m. | ESPN2 No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 1 Louisville, 30 min. after Florida-Stanford | ESPN2 Friday, Dec. 13 No. 3 Texas vs. No. 2 Creighton, 1 p.m. | ESPN2 No. 5 Marquette vs. No. 1 Penn State, 30 min. after Texas-Creighton | ESPN2 No. 6 Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Wisconsin, 7 p.m. | ESPN2 No. 5 Dayton vs. No. 1 Nebraska, 30 min. after Texas A&M-Wisconsin | ESPN2 *** Loyola Chicago 3, No. 5 BYU 0 No. 6 Minnesota 3, Western Kentucky 1 No. 7 Missouri 3, Texas State 0 No. 6 Southern Cal 3, UT Arlington 0 Mississippi 3, No. 7 Florida St. 2 No. 5 Dayton 3, South Carolina 1 No. 7 Georgia Tech 3, Tennessee 2 No. 4 Purdue 3, Western Michigan 0 No. 5 Marquette 3, Florida Gulf Coast 0 No. 5 TCU 3, Hawaii 0 No. 3 Kentucky 3, Cleveland St. 0 No. 3 Texas 3, Texas A&M-CC 0 No. 2 Creighton 3, South Dakota 0 No. 2 Wisconsin 3, Fairfield 0 No. 2 SMU 3, Wichita 0 No. 4 Baylor 3, Wofford 0 No. 4 Oregon 3, High Point 0 No. 4 Utah 3, Charleston 0 No. 8 Oklahoma 3, UTEP 2 No. 8 N. Iowa 3, Illinois 1 No. 6 Florida 3, NC State 0 No. 8 North Carolina 3, Yale 1 No. 8 Miami 3, South Dakota St. 0 No. 6 Texas A&M 3, Colorado St. 1 No. 1 Pittsburgh 3, Morehead St. 0 No. 1 Louisville 3, Chicago St. 0 No. 3 Kansas 3, Colgate 0 No. 7 Loyola Marymount 3, Washington 2 No. 1 Penn State 3, Delaware St. 0 No. 1 Nebraska 3, Florida A&M 0 No. 3 Arizona St. 3,New Hampshire 0 No. 2 Stanford 3, Sacramento St. 0 No. 4 Purdue 3, Loyola Chicago 0 No. 1 Texas 3, No. 6 Southern California 0 No. 7 Missouri 3, No. 2 SMU 1 No. 3 Kentucky 3, No. 6 Minnesota 1 No. 2 Creighton 3, Mississippi 0 No. 2 Wisconsin 3, No. 7 Georgia Tech 1 No. 5 Dayton 3, No. 4 Baylor 2 No. 5 Marquette 3, No. 4 Utah 2 No. 4 Oregon 3, No. 3 TCU 1 No. 1 Louisville 3, No. 8 N. Iowa 2 No. 1 Penn St. 3, No. 8 North Carolina 1 No. 1 Pittsburgh 3, No. 8 Oklahoma 0 No. 6 Florida 3, No. 3 Kansas 2 No. 1 Nebraska 3, No. 8 Miami 0 No. 6 Texas A&M 3, No. 3 Arizona St, 1 No. 2 Stanford 3, No. 7 Loyola Marymount 0 *** Final Top 25 NCAA Volleyball Rankings Games through Dec. 2, 2024 1, Pitt; 2, Penn State; 3, Nebraska; 4, Louisville; 5, Stanford; 6, Creighton; 7, Wisconsin; 8, Arizona State; 9, Purdue; 10, SMU; 11, Kentucky; 12, Kansas; 13, Teas; 14, Oregon; 15, Minnesota; 16, Baylor; 17, Utah; 18, Georgia Tech; 19, Southern California; 20, TCU; 21, Florida State; 22, Florida; 23, Dayton; 24, BYU; 25, Missouri. *** Here are the best streaming options for college sports: Fubo TV (free trial): fuboTV carries ESPN, FOX, ABC, NBC and CBS. DirecTV Stream (free trial) : DirecTV Stream carries ESPN, FOX, NBC and CBS. Sling TV - Sling TV carries ESPN, FOX, ABC and NBC. ESPN+ ($11.99 a month): ESPN+ carries college basketball games each week for only $11.99 a month. These games are exclusive to the platform. Peacock TV ($7.99 a month): Peacock is the exclusive home of 75-plus Big Ten men’s and women’s basketball games for the 2024-25 season. The streaming service will also broadcast several Big East men’s basketball and Atlantic 10 men’s women’s basketball contests. Paramount+ (free trial): Paramount Plus will live stream college football games airing on CBS this year. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscriptionDALLAS — 70 Native American athletes from across the United States will compete in the 2025 Native American All-Star Football Game on Jan. 7, 2025, at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Organized by the Native American Athletic Foundation (NAAF) in collaboration with the National Football League (NFL) and Nike, the event will spotlight top talent while fostering growth on and off the field for an immersive experience. From Jan. 3-7, 2025, participants will receive elite coaching, preparation for college athletics, leadership training, life skills and positive coping tools, all designed to inspire and prepare them for future success. “We are excited and honored to work with the NFL to make an impact in the lives of Native athletes,” said Michael Stopp, Executive Director, NAAF. “Our organization was established to use sports to develop the next generation of leaders in Indian Country. This partnership and this year’s game take an important step forward in meeting our mission.” The NAAF is a nonprofit, which is devoted to creating athletic and educational opportunities for Native youth. NFL Vice President of Football Development, Roman Oben, said the Native American All-Star game will celebrate diversity while fostering the development of the next generation of leaders. “Through this partnership, we aim to create a lasting impact by giving Native athletes the same opportunities to succeed both on and off the field,” Oben said. “This also reflects the NFL’s commitment to building character, promoting inclusivity and strengthening communities across the country.” Nike will be providing the uniforms for the all-star game and camp. They are trying to help grow football among Native American and Indigenous youth. This initiative ties into Nike’s N7 Collection, where they are “celebrating Indigenous culture and its interconnectedness with nature while helping preserve and showcase Native traditions for generations to come.” The term N7 is inspired by the “Seventh Generation Principle,” a philosophy from the Haudenosaunee. It asserts that decisions made today should lead to a sustainable world seven generations into the future. “As a champion for athletes and sport, Nike is committed to building inclusive communities, breaking down barriers to access for athletes around the world, and expanding sport for the next generation,” said Scott Henson, Nike brand director. ©2024 The Dallas Morning News. Visit dallasnews.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook a large area of Northern California on Thursday, knocking items off grocery store shelves, sending children scrambling under desks and prompting a brief tsunami warning for 5.3 million people along the U.S. West Coast. The quake struck at 10:44 a.m. west of Ferndale, a small city in coastal Humboldt County, about 130 miles (209 km) from the Oregon border, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was felt as far south as San Francisco, some 270 miles (435 km) away, where residents described a rolling motion for several seconds. It was followed by multiple smaller aftershocks. There were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries from the quake, one of the most powerful temblors to hit California since a 7.1-magnitude quake hit Ridgecrest in 2019. The tsunami warning was in effect for roughly an hour. Issued shortly after Thursday's quake struck, it covered nearly 500 miles (805 km) of coastline, from the edge of California’s Monterey Bay north into Oregon. “It was a strong quake, our building shook, we’re fine but I have a mess to clean up right now,” said Julie Kreitzer, owner of Golden Gait Mercantile, a store packed with food, wares and souvenirs that is a main attraction in Ferndale. "I have to go, I have to try and salvage something for the holidays because it’s going to be a tough year,” Kreitzer said before hanging up. The region — known for its redwood forests, scenic mountains and the three-county Emerald Triangle’s legendary marijuana crop — was struck by a 6.4 magnitude quake in 2022 that left thousands of people without power and water. The northwest corner of California is the most seismically active part of the state since it’s where three tectonic plates meet, seismologist Lucy Jones said on the social media platform BlueSky. Shortly after the quake, phones in Northern California buzzed with the tsunami warning from the National Weather Service that said: “A series of powerful waves and strong currents may impact coasts near you. You are in danger. Get away from coastal waters. Move to high ground or inland now. Keep away from the coast until local officials say it is safe to return.” Numerous cities urged people to evacuate to higher ground as a precaution. In Santa Cruz, authorities cleared the main beach, taping off entrances with police tape. Aerial footage showed cars bumper-to-bumper heading to higher ground on California highways 1 and 92 in the Half Moon Bay area south of San Francisco. “I thought my axles had fallen apart,” said Valerie Starkey, a Del Norte County supervisor representing Crescent City, a town of fewer than 6,000 near the Oregon border. “That’s what I was feeling ... ‘My axles are broken now.’ I did not realize it was an earthquake.” Cindy Vosburg, the executive director for the Crescent City-Del Norte County Chamber of Commerce, said she heard alarms sound just before shaking began and the city's cultural center downtown started to creak. “Just as it would start to subside, the building would roll again," Vosburg said. White House spokesperson Jeremy Edwards said President Joe Biden was briefed on the earthquake and that FEMA officials are in touch with their state and local counterparts in California and Oregon. Gov. Gavin Newsom said he has signed off on a state of emergency declaration to quickly move state resources to impacted areas along the coast. State officials were concerned about damages in the northern part of the state, Newsom said. Crews in Eureka, the biggest city in the region, were assessing if there was any damage. Eureka Mayor Kim Bergel, who works at a middle school, said lights were swaying and everyone got under desks. “The kids were so great and terrified. It seemed to go back and forth for quite a long time,” she said. Some children asked, “Can I call my mom?" The students were later sent home. In nearby Arcata, students and faculty were urged to shelter in place at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt. Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal said residents experienced some cracks in their homes’ foundations, as well as broken glass and windows, but nothing severe. Honsal said he was in his office in the 75-year-old courthouse in downtown Eureka when he felt the quake. “We’re used to it. It is known as ‘earthquake country’ up here,” he said. “It wasn’t a sharp jolt. It was a slow roller, but significant.” The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, known as BART, stopped traffic in all directions through the underwater tunnel between San Francisco and Oakland, and the San Francisco Zoo’s visitors were evacuated. This quake was a strike-slip type of temblor that shifts more horizontally and is less prone to cause tsunamis, unlike the more vertical types, said National Weather Service tsunami program manager Corina Allen in Washington state. The California Geological Survey says the state’s shores have been struck by more than 150 tsunamis since 1800, and while most were minor, some have been destructive and deadly. On March 28, 1964, a tsunami triggered by a powerful earthquake in Alaska smashed into Crescent City hours later. Much of the business district was leveled and a dozen people were killed. More recently, a tsunami from a 2011 earthquake in Japan caused about $100 million in damages along the California coast, much of it in Crescent City. Dazio reported from Los Angeles. AP writers Christopher Weber, Jaimie Ding and Dorany Pineda in Los Angeles; Martha Mendoza in Santa Cruz, California; Sophie Austin and Tran Nguyen in Sacramento, California; and Seth Borenstein in Washington, D.C. contributed to this report.

Who is Pony, you may ask? Pony is not just a person or a physical entity; Pony embodies the concept of impartiality, transparency, and integrity. It is a call for someone, or something, to step in and ensure that justice prevails, and fairness is upheld in all aspects of life.NEW YORK (AP) — The masked gunman who stalked and killed the head of one of the largest U.S. health insurers had the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” emblazoned on his ammunition, echoing a phrase used by industry critics, two law enforcement officials said Thursday. The words were written in permanent marker, according to one of the officials, who were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation into the shooting early Wednesday outside a Manhattan hotel and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. With the gunman still at large, police also released photos of a "person of interest" wanted for questioning in connection with the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson . The images, showing an unmasked man in the lobby of a Manhattan hostel, add to a collection of photos and video that have circulated since the shooting — including footage of the attack itself, as well as still frames of the suspected gunman stopping at a Starbucks beforehand. Thompson, 50, died in a dawn ambush as he walked from his midtown hotel to the company’s annual investor conference at a Hilton across the street, blocks from tourist draws such as Radio City Music Hall, the Museum of Modern Art and Rockefeller Center, where the famed Christmas tree was lit Wednesday night. The reason for the killing remained unknown , but New York City police say evidence firmly points to it being a targeted attack. The messages on the ammunition mimic the phrase “delay, deny, defend,” which is commonly used by lawyers and insurance industry critics to describe tactics used to avoid paying claims. It refers to insurers delaying payment, denying a claim and then defending their actions. Health insurers like UnitedHealthcare have become frequent targets of criticism from doctors and patients for denying claims or complicating access to care. Investigators recovered several 9 mm shell casings from outside the Hilton and a cellphone from the alleyway through which the shooter fled. Inside a nearby trash can, they found a water bottle and protein bar wrapper that they say the gunman purchased from Starbucks minutes before the shooting. The city's crime lab is examining those items for DNA and fingerprints. The killing and the shooter’s movements in the minutes before and afterward were captured on some of the multitude of security cameras in that part of the city. The shooter fled on a bicycle and was last seen riding into Central Park. A tip that the shooter may have stayed at a hostel brought police Thursday morning to at least two such establishments on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, according to one of the law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation. The photos made public Thursday were taken in the lobby of the HI New York City hostel. “We are fully cooperating with the NYPD and, as this is an active investigation, can not comment at this time,” hostel spokesperson Danielle Brumfitt said in an emailed statement. Members of the public have flooded police with tips — many unfounded. Police searched a Long Island Rail Road train Wednesday night after a commuter claimed to have spotted the shooter, but they found no sign of the gunman. “We’re following up on every single tip that comes in,” Assistant Commissioner Carlos Nieves, a police spokesperson, said. ”That little piece of information could be the missing piece of the puzzle that ties everything together.” Based on surveillance video and evidence from the scene, investigators believe the shooter had at least some firearms training and experience with guns and that the weapon was equipped with a silencer, one of the law enforcement officials told the AP. Investigators were also looking into whether the suspect had pre-positioned a bike as part of an escape plan, the official said. Security video shows the killer approaching Thompson from behind, leveling his pistol and firing several shots, barely pausing to clear a gun jam while the executive tumbled to the sidewalk. Cameras showed him fleeing the block across a pedestrian plaza before getting on the bicycle. Police released several images of the man wearing a hooded jacket and a mask that concealed most of his face — a look that would not have attracted attention on a chilly morning. They've also used drones, helicopters and dogs in an intensive search for the killer, while also interviewing Thompson's coworkers, searching his hotel room and scouring his social media. Thompson, a father of two sons who lived in a Minneapolis suburb, had been with Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealthcare since 2004 and served as CEO for more than three years. His wife, Paulette, told NBC News on Wednesday that he told her “there were some people that had been threatening him.” She didn’t have details but suggested the threats may have involved issues with insurance coverage. The insurer’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group Inc., was holding its annual meeting in New York to update investors on its direction and expectations for the coming year. The company ended the conference early in the wake of Thompson’s death. UnitedHealthcare provides coverage for more than 49 million Americans and brought in more than $281 billion in revenue last year. It is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the U.S. and manages health insurance coverage for employers and state and federally funded Medicaid programs. In October, UnitedHealthcare was named along with Humana and CVS in a Senate report detailing how its denial rate for prior authorizations for some Medicare Advantage patients has surged in recent years. Balsamo reported from Washington.In a recent case that has shocked many, a young woman fell victim to a scam involving high rebate offers while borrowing money to purchase goods for fraudulent activities known as brush orders. The victim, a young mother who was enticed by the promise of huge rebates, ended up being swindled out of a whopping $80,000. However, thanks to the quick thinking and cooperation between law enforcement and a seasoned scammer, a twist of fate unfolded as they engaged in a battle of wits to put an end to the scam.

Furthermore, it is crucial for individuals to listen to their bodies and respect their limits when it comes to massage therapy. While massages can offer relief and relaxation, it is important not to overdo it and put oneself at risk of harm. Consulting with a qualified and experienced therapist, spacing out sessions, and being mindful of any unusual sensations or reactions are key steps to ensuring a safe and effective massage experience.

As the day progressed, Maogeping continued its upward trajectory, defying expectations and setting a new benchmark for IPO performance. The stock's strong showing on its first day of trading not only generated buzz within the investment community but also drew widespread attention from the media and the public at large.Premier League Club Sacks Referee Who Insulted Liverpool Official, Terminates Contract Immediately2024 was the year that British-Canadian computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton a Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to the field of artificial intelligence (AI). His victory is a reminder of Canada’s strong tradition of AI research and talent, which has set it apart from other countries and fuelled the development of some promising domestic AI players. Hinton’s work and that of other Canadians helped lay some of the groundwork for this AI age. But this a global fight for AI dominance, one that the world’s technology giants and richest countries are looking to win—and they are also willing to spend whatever is necessary to come out on top. 2024 reinforced that Canada lacks the resources to win this war on all fronts, and offered evidence that the country does not have a clear AI strategy. As 2024 comes to a close, it is unclear if we have picked the right battle to fight. Canada became one of the to lay out a national AI strategy in 2017. Today, Canada has an undeniably strong AI research ecosystem. Ambitious AI startups are also being built here across the AI stack and raising the capital to scale. Just this year, AI chipmaker Tenstorrent closed nearly , large-language model (LLM) developer Cohere secured , autonomous driving firm Waabi raised , and text-to-image generator Ideogram nabbed , to name a few. In terms of generative AI talent, Canada also has depth and breadth. According to a , Canada has 670 AI startups and 30 generative AI firms, ranking fourth globally in terms of generative AI companies per capita. Canadian investors have also been putting more dollars and attention towards AI. Amid a for venture capital fundraising, closed an $800-million USD AI growth fund, while upstarts like , , and have emerged to take advantage of opportunities across the sector. After years of relative underinvestment, Canadian organizations have also been outspending their global peers on AI and other tech as of late, per a recent . The federal government has also to building on Canada’s strength in AI and boosting domestic AI and . These ingredients and trends place Canada in a good position to capitalize on the expected benefits of AI. However, Canada’s AI potential is not a guarantee of future success. Canada has a long, well-documented history of and scale its research and innovations, and the competitive and capital-intensive nature of AI likely requires a country like Canada to have a more targeted focus and execution when it comes to this tech. This year has demonstrated two things. The first is that in terms of raw dollars, Canada simply cannot compete: our peer countries and foreign firms are spending more on AI than Canadian governments, companies, or investors, combined. Amid a global race where the world’s tech giants and others are poised to spend an estimated collectively on AI over the next five years, according to Goldman Sachs, Canada’s recent AI commitments and financings represent a drop in the bucket. Radical just raised the largest AI fund of its kind, but it is still modest compared to the sums being poured into this space by other players. By way of comparison, the $2.2 billion CAD in VC funding Canadian AI startups raised in total in 2023, , is less than a quarter of the that Amazon alone has poured into LLM developer Anthropic. The CVCA has found that Canadian AI companies still struggle to secure sufficient funding in Canada, something that former Untether AI CEO and others have lamented to BetaKit. Tenstorrent, which claims to remain committed to Canada, has nevertheless quietly moved south to access more funding from US investors as it looks to compete with US chip giant Nvidia. Even Canada’s biggest AI bets still face stiff competition from better-capitalized American players. In the LLM space, Cohere faces a tall order as it faces off against US rival OpenAI—the company behind ChatGPT—which just closed this fall. The second thing we have learned in 2024 is that Canada lacks a clear, focused AI plan. Some have questioned whether Canada has been throwing money into a race that has already been won and is spreading resources across too many projects at a time when the country still needs to figure out how to help finance and scale its AI companies in order to keep them here. Phase one of the federal government’s 2017 focused on research, while has targeted the commercialization and standardization of AI and attracting talent. The AI landscape has transformed since then, and the advent of consumer-focused generative AI products such as ChatGPT has changed the game. Since then, the feds have promised big investments in AI computing, allocated funding to fuelling AI adoption, and re-upped its support for the country’s national AI institutes. But Canada is still waiting for a more comprehensive phase three, which will need to account for AI advancements since 2022 and scope for what may come amid a highly competitive global environment. Meanwhile, the longstanding Liberal government’s future is now —introducing even more uncertainty. Meanwhile, the government’s AI computing commitments have been criticized as and another possible flow-through to foreign AI companies or large multinationals. Some have also questioned why is being built with US company CoreWeave and will use chips from American giant Nvidia rather than Canadian partners. Experts have repeatedly argued that Canada needs to choose a few select lanes, when it comes to AI, semiconductors, and other parts of the tech sector. As Canadian Council of Innovators president Ben Bergen recently told BetaKit, “The government has to pick a few areas that it views as critical and then work with the companies that are in that space to help them.” In terms of industrial strategies, “focusing on everything and nothing all at the same time leads to no strategy,” he added. “We just need to be realistic about what we can do,” former Scale AI COO Clément Bourgogne last year. At the time, Bourgogne—who is —argued that Canada needs to find niches where the country can play an important role. “We’re never going to dominate all of AI,” he said. Mappedin CEO Hongwei Liu recently that Canada needs to look at where the country can get the most leverage from its limited dollars, and not simply react to the US. “Maybe we can be more strategic instead of reactive in terms of where we invest the next $10 billion, $100 billion of capital,” Liu said. It is clear that Canada cannot win it all when it comes to AI. As a smaller nation with shallower pockets than the US, Canada must choose its battles wisely. Despite big commitments this year, it remains unclear if Canada can transform the expertise and investment in AI that led to a homegrown Nobel Prize into real economic or productivity growth for the country.

Another important issue discussed at the meeting was the need to provide affordable housing for the general public. The high cost of housing in many cities has made it difficult for ordinary people to afford a home, leading to social inequality and discontent. The meeting emphasized the importance of increasing the supply of affordable housing and ensuring that housing prices remain stable and affordable for the general public.

As Oscar announced his departure from the CSL, emotions ran high. In a heartfelt farewell message, he expressed his gratitude to the club, his teammates, and the fans for their unwavering support throughout his time in China. Tears welled up in his eyes as he bid goodbye to a chapter of his career that had been both rewarding and challenging.In light of these potential changes, it is important for individuals, businesses, and governments to stay informed and prepared for shifting oil prices. By monitoring market trends, exploring energy-efficient solutions, and implementing strategic measures, we can better navigate the impact of oil price fluctuations on our daily lives and economic activities.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections are on the rise, particularly in countries with colder climates during the fall and winter seasons. The symptoms of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection are often mild at the onset, leading many to underestimate the seriousness of the illness. Common symptoms include persistent cough, fever, fatigue, and shortness of breath. EDMONTON - The Alberta government has announced plans to ban new mountaintop removal and open-pit coal developments on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, but the new rules wouldn’t apply to advanced projects like a contentious mine proposed for the Crowsnest Pass. Energy and Minerals Minister Brian Jean announced Friday the new policies expected in late 2025, along with a round of consultations with industry players on how to implement them. Jean said under the “long overdue” rule revamp, all coal mining projects would be held to the highest environmental standards. “Our job will be to develop a policy that will attract investment and create jobs while respecting and protecting the air, land, water and wildlife,” he said. Jean said royalty revenues are also to be “substantially increased,” with rates to be revised after the consultations. “They’re too low. We’re going to bring them up,” he said of the province’s current rates. The new bans wouldn’t apply to advanced proposals, including the proposed Grassy Mountain open-pit mine in the Crowsnest Pass, which has been fought by environmental groups and communities downstream. Alberta Energy Regulator hearings into that project are to continue in January. Jean said the Grassy Mountain project, which aims to reclaim a site that was mined over 60 years ago but was never properly restored, would be monitored closely if approved. He said the province needs to find innovative ways to clean up those contaminated sites. “I hope (Albertans) look at us and say, ‘Wow, that’s smart. What a smart government,’” he said. Concerns over coal mining blew up in spring 2020, when the province announced it would remove rules that had protected the eastern slopes of the Rockies from open-pit coal mining since 1976. Public reaction was swift and angry, and the United Conservative Party government reinstated the protections and stopped selling exploration leases. Friday’s announcement also comes three years after the government received a report and recommendations on the issue, including public feedback ranging from environmental concerns to dissatisfaction with the regulatory process. Jean said the COVID-19 pandemic, last year’s provincial election and fights with the federal government over resource jurisdiction led to the delay of the new initiative. NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said the plan to collect more royalties represents a plan to increase production in Alberta, with no economic benefit and a lot of environmental risk. “They may want to mess around with the rates, but what they really are trying to do is increase the amount of coal mining in the province,” he said. He said the policy previously in place since 1976 was lifted for a brief period so the UCP could “sneak” a few projects through the regulatory process. “It’s economically illiterate. It’s not going to create the jobs and the economic benefits that we need in Alberta,” Nenshi said. Under the new rules, companies would be required to show they can prevent toxic selenium from leaching into watersheds. Jean said technology, including “high wall mining” to catch overburden, the layer of soil and rock that sits above coal, would be used to keep it in check. But NDP environment and protected areas critic Sarah Elmeligi said she’s skeptical technology to remove selenium from waterways works at scale, outside a lab. “That technology doesn’t currently exist and, if it does, I would love to see it.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 20, 2024.