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b777-300er engine 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator' make gravity-defying theater debuts NEW YORK (AP) — “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” have debuted in theaters with a combined $270 million in ticket sales. Their worldwide performance breathed fresh life into global box office results that have struggled lately. Together the films turned the moviegoing weekend into one of the busiest of the year. Jon M. Chu’s lavish big-budget musical “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, debuted with $114 million domestically and $164.2 million globally. Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” is a sequel to his 2000 best picture-winning original and launched with $55.5 million in ticket sales. “Moana 2” is being released Wednesday, so it looks like Hollywood might be looking at historic sales over the Thanksgiving holiday. Verstappen captures 4th F1 championship after Mercedes sweep of Las Vegas Grand Prix LAS VEGAS (AP) — Max Verstappen cruised to a fourth consecutive Formula 1 championship Saturday night by finishing fifth in the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Verstappen needed only to finish ahead of Lando Norris of McLaren to give Red Bull a fourth straight driver championship. The Dutchman started fifth but was already up to second by the 10th lap around the street circuit that includes the famed Las Vegas Strip. Norris, who had to score at least three points more than Verstappen to extend the championship fight, finished sixth. The race was won by George Russell who was followed by Lewis Hamilton in the first 1-2 sweep for the Mercedes drivers since 2022. Dartmouth sorority, two members of fraternity face charges after student who attended party drowned HANOVER, N.H. (AP) — A sorority at Dartmouth College and two members of a fraternity faces charges related to the death of a student who drowned after attending an off-campus party. The Hanover, New Hampshire police department, where Dartmouth is located, said Friday that Alpha Phi was charged with one count of facilitating an underage alcohol house. Two members of the Beta Alpha Omega face a charge of providing alcohol to a person under 21. Won Jang, 20, of Middletown, Delaware, had attended an off-campus party in July hosted by Alpha Phi sorority. Police said the alcohol was provided by Beta Alpha Omega. Tens of thousands of Spaniards protest housing crunch and high rents in Barcelona BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Tens of thousands of Spaniards are marching in downtown Barcelona to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in the popular tourist destination. Protesters cut off traffic on main avenues in the city center, holding up homemade signs in Spanish reading “Fewer apartments for investing and more homes for living." The lack of affordable housing has become one of the leading concerns for the southern European Union country, mirroring the housing crunch across many parts of the world, including the United States. The average rent for Spain has doubled in the last decade. In cities like Barcelona, rental prices have also been driven up by short-term renters including tourists. Jason Kelce's wife announces she is pregnant with the couple's fourth child Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce's wife is announcing she's pregnant with the couple's fourth child. Kylie Kelce posted a photo on Instagram on Friday of the couple's three young daughters reacting to the news. The oldest daughter, Wyatt, appears to be cupping her head in shock. The middle daughter, Ellioette, is smiling. The youngest, Bennett, is in tears. A caption attached to the photo reads: “I feel like we captured a very accurate representation of how each of the girls feel about getting another sister. At least Ellie, mom and dad are on the same page!” Israeli-Moldovan rabbi living in UAE is missing. Israeli officials fear he may have been kidnapped DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Israeli-Moldovan rabbi living in the United Arab Emirates has gone missing, with Israeli authorities raising the suspicion he may have been kidnapped as tensions remain high with Iran. The Israeli prime minister’s office said that Zvi Kogan has been missing since noon Thursday. It said that against the backdrop of information that this was a terrorist incident, an extensive investigation has been opened in the country. Emirati officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday. State-run media in the UAE, an autocratic federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula and home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, did not immediately report the incident. Alyssa Nakken, first full-time female coach in MLB history, leaving Giants to join Guardians CLEVELAND (AP) — Alyssa Nakken, the first woman to coach in an MLB game, is leaving the San Francisco Giants to join the Cleveland Guardians. Nakken made history in 2022 when she took over as first-base coach following an ejection. A former college softball star at Sacramento State, Nakken joined the Giants in 2014 and was promoted to a spot on manager Gabe Kapler’s staff in 2020, becoming the majors’ first full-time female coach. Nakken has been hired as an assistant director within player development for the Guardians, who won the AL Central last season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt. Nakken, 34, will work with former Giants coaches Craig Albernaz and Kai Correa. Officer kills pet dog mistaken for a coyote in Massachusetts town. The owner says it was unnecessary An animal control officer shot and killed a pet dog in a Massachusetts town after mistaking it for a coyote in an incident local police are describing as a sad mix-up. Police in Northbridge, Massachusetts, say the shooting happened on Tuesday after police received a call of a report of a coyote in a residential backyard. Police say the animal control officer went into the woods to look for the coyote and found what they thought was the animal in a threatening position and shot it. The incident happened as communities around Massachusetts and the country have dealt with an uptick in interactions between coyotes and people. Kendrick Lamar surprises with new album 'GNX' LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kendrick Lamar gave music listeners an early holiday present with a new album. The Grammy winner released his sixth studio album “GNX” on Friday. The 12-track project is the rapper’s first release since 2022’s “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” Lamar’s new album comes just months after his rap battle with Drake. The rap megastar will headline February's Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans. The 37-year-old has experienced massive success since his debut album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” in 2012. Since then, he’s accumulated 17 Grammy wins and became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize. NBA memo to players urges increased vigilance regarding home security following break-ins MIAMI (AP) — The NBA is urging its players to take additional precautions to secure their homes following reports of recent high-profile burglaries of dwellings owned by Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Kansas City Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo sent to team officials, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, the NBA revealed that the FBI has connected some burglaries to “transnational South American Theft Groups” that are “reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.”

Kylian Mbappe was on target for Real Madrid in their La Liga clash against Leganes on Sunday. The French star opened the scoring with his seventh league goal of the season on the stroke of half-time after Vinicius Junior rifled a low ball across the box. Federico Valverde doubled the lead in the second half with a powerful strike from a free-kick, beating goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic at his near post. Read Also: Benzema suggests reason for Mbappe’s struggles at Real Madrid Jude Bellingham also scored, netting in the 85th minute after he reacted first to nod in Brahim Diaz’s deflected effort off the crossbar. It was the English man’s his second league goal in as many games in a comfortable 3-0 victory at Leganes. Ancelotti’s side jumped above rivals Atletico Madrid into second and sit four points behind Barcelona having played a game less. Opinions Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs. As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake. If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause. Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development. Donate NowPresident-elect Donald Trump’s victory has energized anti-abortion groups, even as abortion rights organizers notched victories on Election Day. Now, reproductive rights groups are preparing for legal and legislative battles in a new, less friendly environment. They are planning to embrace a multipronged approach: challenging anti-abortion policies in court, organizing political protests, and lobbying state and national lawmakers to oppose proposed bans. “We’re going to use every tool available to us, whether with the courts, legislatures or governors, or in the streets,” said Jessica Arons, a director of policy at the ACLU. Until now, abortion rights groups have focused much of their energy on ballot initiatives to secure abortion rights in state constitutions. By putting it in the hands of voters, they have enshrined protections in 11 states and defeated anti-abortion measures in two more since Roe v. Wade fell. That strategy, which absorbed millions of dollars, is hitting its endpoint. There are only four states left that allow the direct democracy approach — Arkansas, Idaho, North Dakota and Oklahoma — where voters have not yet weighed in on state abortion rights. (An effort this year to put an Arkansas abortion rights measure on the ballot was blocked by the state courts.) All four of those states have elections in 2026. Abortion rights supporters could also try again to pass protections in Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota, the three states where such measures failed in the 2024 elections. Whether abortion rights organizations will seize those remaining ballot measure opportunities isn’t yet clear, said Jennifer Dalven, who directs the ACLU’s Reproductive Freedom Project. “We’ll take every opportunity we can, but we have to do a little more of a close look at what happened and where we can go next,” she said. But direct votes will no longer be the strategic centerpiece. Instead, abortion rights organizations, including large national organizations such as the ACLU and smaller volunteer-staffed local abortion funds, are now shifting their focus. They’re solidifying protections that have already been enacted and preparing to play defense against possible new state and national restrictions. “We will likely be forced to defend current access points and fight against insidious attempts to force government agencies deeper into our private lives and decisions,” said Ashley All, a political strategist who worked on a 2022 abortion rights campaign in Kansas as well as on a Montana campaign this past election cycle. “Americans must speak out loudly and forcefully every time politicians in Washington or state legislatures try to take away our rights or interfere in our medical decisions.” Much of the next steps for abortion rights groups will hang on how much influence anti-abortion groups wield in the new Trump administration. In his first term, Trump was a staunch ally to abortion opponents — even campaigning on an anti-abortion platform in 2020 — but some anti-abortion groups fear that the unpopularity of abortion restrictions may change his decisions. Still, abortion opponents are pressing ahead in their advocacy, focusing in particular on curtailing access to the medications used in most abortions. Anti-abortion organizations and some lawmakers have expressed concern about Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s pick to head the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), who has been inconsistent on whether to support national abortion restrictions. But Kennedy has been open to conversations about how to win their support, including potentially appointing strident abortion opponents such as Roger Severino, a former Trump official and diehard abortion opponent, to a senior position. Severino wrote the HHS chapter of the conservative policy paper Project 2025, which endorsed taking mifepristone, one of the pills used in most abortions, off the market. Politico reported that Trump’s transition team has rejected the push to install Severino. Looking beyond the federal government, some abortion opponents are pushing for states to cut off access to the online resources people have used to circumvent their home states’ abortion bans. One prominent anti-abortion group, Students for Life , has crafted model state bills that would ban the distribution of abortion pills and give fetuses the same legal protections as people. In Texas, a state lawmaker has introduced legislation intended to stop groups like abortion funds, the small nonprofits that help cover costs associated with care, from helping people travel out of state to access the procedure. The legislation also aims to make it harder for people to learn about and order abortion pills online. With a potentially hostile administration and conservative-led states potentially moving to enact more restrictions on abortion, abortion funds anticipate more requests for support. The Chicago Abortion Fund, one of the nation’s largest, has brought on more Spanish-speaking staff — they expect more callers coming from Florida, where this year’s ballot initiative failure leaves a six-week abortion ban intact. They are also seeking more funding; this past October alone, the fund disbursed about $750,000, said Qudsiyyah Shariyf, the fund’s interim executive director. “We’re in this for the long haul, but we’re going to need to have some really tough decisions and potentially shifts in our program to remain sustainable,” Shariyf said. The Brigid Alliance, which financially supports people who have to travel for an abortion after the 15th week of pregnancy — a point some abortion opponents have touted as a compromise point for national restrictions, even though medical complications can still arise well beyond that week — is working with legal advisers to ensure its work is protected in a potentially hostile political climate. The fund is planning to start supporting people earlier in pregnancy, anticipating a growing need for travel-related support. It is also exploring what it would look like to send clients abroad for abortion, a contingency plan if the Trump administration does put forth national restrictions. But there are challenges. Many people who travel for their abortions do not have a passport; some don’t have identification paperwork at all. “The abortion support organizations really need the advocacy political organizations fighting against this national ban,” said Serra Sippel, the fund’s executive director. “That is the biggest threat to care that is looming.” Their biggest hope, many said, is making an abortion ban politically unviable, leveraging mechanisms like direct protest to deter Trump from backing such a policy. “We’re certainly prepared to show out in force and mobilize our millions of members to resist any further erosion of abortion rights at the federal level,” Arons said. Even without national restrictions, health policy analysts and reproductive rights organizations alike anticipate a federal environment less protective of abortion rights. Under President Joe Biden, federal agencies such as the Department of Justice and HHS worked to secure abortion access after the fall of Roe. Those actions included defending the availability of mifepristone against an ongoing lawsuit, and issuing guidance that the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) requires hospitals to provide abortions when it is the required stabilizing treatment in a medical emergency. Project 2025 suggests dismantling those policies. “I’m not confident of anything under the new administration,” said Molly Duerte, a lawyer with the Center for Reproductive Rights, which has filed multiple lawsuits challenging state abortion bans. The ACLU, which frequently challenged Trump policies in his first term, is preparing to potentially revise that role in defense of abortion rights, focusing in particular on potential threats to medication abortion and on EMTALA-protected abortions. “We will be ready to go to court to block actions that unlawfully seek to prevent access to abortion care,” said Lorie Chaiten, a senior staff attorney at the organization’s Reproductive Freedom Project. Still, she said, she thinks it’s possible that Trump, who retreated from more strident anti-abortion language over the course of his campaign, avoids imposing unpopular new restrictions. Polling largely shows that Americans oppose abortion restrictions, and in several states Trump won — including Florida, Arizona and Nevada — voters who backed the GOP ticket also supported abortion rights. “I have to hope he will keep his promises that he will not wreak further havoc on abortion access, and I think the voters are watching,” she said.

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge wins his second AL MVP award after leading MLB with 58 home runsCHARLESTON – As workers were picking up the pieces of the Capitol Christmas Tree Thursday morning after it was toppled by high winds, lawmakers and legislative staff were trying to determine how to conduct a proposed last-minute special session as new lawmakers prepare to take their seats. Lawmakers first took to social media Wednesday night after a letter was sent to members alerting them to a possible special session to be called by Gov. Jim Justice for Saturday, Dec. 7. Members of the state Senate and House of Delegates provided further confirmation Thursday morning, though the Governor’s Office declined to comment. “We were notified on yesterday evening to prepare for the possibility of being called into an extraordinary session by the Governor this weekend,” said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, in a statement. “As with all extraordinary sessions, the Legislature may only convene outside of regular session upon the Governor’s proclamation.” “There was a letter that went out that suggests that there may be a special session starting approximately 6 o'clock (Saturday),” said House Finance Committee Chairman Vernon Criss, R-Wood, by phone Thursday. According to Criss, the proposed special session will be to consider a bill making changes to the Certified Industrial Business Expansion Development program on behalf of the Berkshire Hathaway Energy (BHE) Renewables and Precision Castparts Corp. (TIMET) titanium melt facility/solar microgrid project being built in Jackson County, though he was not aware of the specifics of the bill. The Certified Industrial Business Expansion Development program, created by Senate Bill 4001 in a special session in September 2022, is meant to incentivize investment and construction of high-impact industrial plants and facilities that require access to renewable energy. BHE Renewables and TIMET purchased more than 2,000 acres at the former Century Aluminum site in Jackson County to build a modern titanium melt facility powered by a solar energy microgrid, a $500 million investment. A request for comment from representatives of BHE Renewables/TIMET was not returned for this story. SB 4001 created no more than two 2,250-acre certified high-impact industrial business development districts that must be on land sold or leased by the state. Any renewable energy project in these districts would not be subject to approval by the Public Service Commission as far as rates, obtaining a certificate of convenience and necessity, conditions of service or complaints. The bill being discussed for a special session could allow for an additional district, or a maximum of six districts with approval of the Department of Economic Development, though no more than three districts can be within the same service territory of an investor-owned electric utility in the state. “The Berkshire Hathaway Energy District in the Ravenswood area needs to be modified for some kind of an investment,” Criss said. “I don't know the details other than that's the concept and hopefully we'll hear more or actually see the call later today.” According to a draft bill being circulated for the possible special session, the legislation would remove the requirement that certified high-impact industrial business development districts be on land sold or leased by the state. It would increase the acreage from 2,250 acres to no greater than 5,000 acres as long as it was large enough to support between 500 megawatts and 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy generation. The draft bill would require completion of economic development projects in a certified high-impact business development district within five years. It would also allow electric-generating units in these districts to be taxed at salvage value for property tax purposes, or lower than the fair market value. West Virginia Democratic Party Chairman and Delegate Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, criticized Justice for creating confusion by proposing the last-minute special session and for wasting taxpayer dollars. Special sessions held outside of coinciding legislative interim meetings can cost as much as $35,000 per day. “Governor Justice is squandering taxpayer dollars to hold a special session to pass a sweetheart deal for a special interest, out-of-state corporation,” Pushkin said in a statement Thursday afternoon. “This is an outrageous abuse of power and a blatant disregard for the people of West Virginia, who deserve a government that prioritizes their needs—not backroom deals for corporate cronies.” The bill is also being opposed by at least some on the conservative right. A group called West Virginia Constitutional Conservatives, sent out an email Wednesday urging fellow conservatives to oppose the bill and pressure Justice not to call a special session. “West Virginians shouldn’t have to foot the bill for political stunts that prioritize special interests over hardworking families,” wrote Laura Anders, wife of incoming Delegate S. Chris Anders, R-Berkeley. “Our tax dollars should be used responsibly, not squandered on projects that increase costs and threaten the livelihoods of those in traditional energy sectors.” A possible special session creates a new set of problems. The 100-member House of Delegates will get 14 new members, including 13 Republicans and one Democratic lawmaker. In the 34-member Senate, there will be seven new members, including six Republicans and one Democratic lawmaker. According to the state Constitution, Article 4, Chapter 7, terms for new lawmakers begin on the first day of December. Over the years, legislators have had informal swearing-in ceremonies in December, with a formal ceremony when the Legislature first convenes in January. During a year when a new governor takes office, the Legislature convenes on the second Wednesday in January (Jan. 8) to elect leadership and open election returns delivered by the secretary of state. The Legislature then adjourns until the second Wednesday in February (Feb. 12) to begin the regular 60-day legislative session. But with a special session potentially being called by Justice for Saturday, the question for the staff of the House and Senate clerks’ offices is who participates? Is it considered a lame-duck session with current members of the 86th Legislature participating, or are new members of the incoming 87th Legislature seated? According to the Secretary of State’s Office, the only times special sessions were called after an election and prior to the start of the next regular legislative session were in 1913 and 1936. In a statement, Deputy Secretary of State and Chief of Staff Donald “Deak” Kersey said state code was amended after 1913 requiring the secretary of state to deliver the election returns to the Legislature of the first session following the election. “In 1936, a special session was called after the election but before the regular session, and the secretary of state, following the amended law, delivered the certificates to the Legislature at the start of the special session,” Kersey said. “This is still the case today under current law.” “Therefore, if there is a (special) session, the secretary of state is to deliver the certificates of election to the Legislature at the next ensuing session, which would be the (special) session and the newly elected legislators from the 2024 general election would take office (so long as they’re in attendance and take the oath),” Kersey said. County clerks had until 30 days following the end of the Nov. 5 general election, or Thursday, to transmit certificates of election results to the Secretary of State’s Office. Joey Garcia, the two-term Democratic delegate representing Marion County, won election in November to represent parts of Marion and Monongalia County in the 13th Senatorial District for a four-year term. Garcia said the current 11-member House Democratic caucus found out indirectly about the special session. “I'm honestly a little bit disappointed in the lack of communication that we've received from, I think, House leadership because we found out about this through an email that didn't come to any of our members,” Garcia said. If it is decided that new lawmakers will be seated for the possible special session, that may not mean that members will need to decide on the leadership of both bodies until January. The state Constitution states that in odd-numbered years, each body will elect its officers when it convenes on Jan. 8. According to state Republican Party Chairman Matt Herridge, the GOP members of both bodies are scheduled to have caucuses Sunday afternoon to elect their nominees for House speaker and Senate president, who will be voted on by the respective chambers next month. House members are expected to reelect Delegate Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, as speaker. But with Senate President Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, losing his GOP primary in May, there is a race for the Senate president’s gavel. Known candidates include Senate Majority Leader Tom Takubo, R-Kanawha; Senate Energy, Industry and Mining Chairman Randy Smith, R-Tucker; and Tarr. “I don’t know yet,” said Tarr when asked whether a proposed special session could speed up the timetable for selection of a new Senate president. “I’m trying to get definitive answers on that as well.” Garcia, who took his ceremonial oath of office Wednesday, said it was important for legislative staff to get to the bottom of these issues, otherwise it could lead to possible litigation if someone believes the state Constitution was not being followed. “Whether I would be involved in this as a House member or a Senate (member), I expected that I was going to come into the Senate on Jan. 8 and take my oath of office then,” Garcia said. “Either way, we really need to know. They need to work this out, and then I'm ready to do whatever needs to be done.” “If it's good policy, if it's good legislation, if it needs to be done now, it needs to be done later: whatever that may be, I'm here to try to make sure we do what's right for the State of West Virginia,” Garcia continued.

HOUSTON (AP) — Will Levis threw for 278 yards and his 70-yard touchdown pass to Chig Okonkwo put Tennessee on top in the fourth quarter and the Titans held on for a 32-27 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday. Okonkwo grabbed a short pass and rumbled for the touchdown to put the Titans (3-8) up 30-27 with 91⁄2 minutes remaining. Safety Eric Murray missed a tackle that would have stopped him near midfield. The Texans (7-5) had a chance to tie it with less than two minutes remaining, but Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 28-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide left. He fell to the ground after the miss before getting up and slamming his helmet on the field. Titans coach Brian Callahan held both hands in the air and smiled after watching the miss that allowed his team to win on a day it had three turnovers. The Texans forced a three-and-out, but couldn’t move the ball after that and Harold Landry sacked C.J. Stroud in the end zone for a safety to make it 32-27 and allow Tennessee to snap a two-game skid. Stroud threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions as the AFC South-leading Texans lost for the third time in four games. Jimmie Ward had a 65-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter and the Texans tied a franchise record with eight sacks. But the offense sputtered for most of the game as Joe Mixon was held to 22 yards on 14 carries. Tennessee extended the lead to 23-17 on a 51-yard field goal by Nick Folk with nine minutes left in the third. Stroud threw his second interception with about 90 seconds left in the third quarter but Ward’s touchdown came three plays later to put the Texans on top 24-23. The Titans fumbled a punt early in the fourth quarter and Houston recovered it. A 54-yard field goal by Fairbairn extended the lead to 27-23 with about 10 minutes to go. Dameon Pierce returned the opening kickoff 80 yards to get the Texans in the red zone. Houston cashed in on the next play when Stroud found rookie Cade Stover on a 19-yard pass for his first touchdown reception. The Titans trailed by four after a field goal by Folk when Nick Westbrook-Ikhine got in front of the defense and was wide open for a 38-yard TD catch that made it 10-7 late in the first quarter. Tennessee extended the lead to 17-7 when Tony Pollard ran 10 yards for a touchdown with about 11 minutes left in the second. Pollard finished with 119 yards and a touchdown. Nico Collins scored on a 5-yard reception with about six minutes left in the second. Levis fumbled on the Houston 32 with 31⁄2 minutes left in the first half and Houston recovered the ball. Stroud connected with Collins on a 56-yard pass on the next play, but the Texans couldn’t move the ball and settled for a 28-yard field goal to tie it at 17-17. Houston forced a punt after that, but rookie Jarvis Brownlee Jr. got his first career interception two plays later to give Tennessee the ball back. Folk’s 56-yard field goal, which tied his career long, put the Titans up 20-17 at halftime. The Titans were without cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, after he was placed on injured reserve with a quadriceps injury, and safety Amani Hooker, who was added to the injury report Sunday morning with an illness. Hooker leads the Titans with three interceptions. ... Houston S Jalen Pitre injured his shoulder in the second quarter and didn’t return. ... CB Ka’dar Hollman left in the fourth quarter with a knee injury. Titans: Visit the Commanders next Sunday. Texans: Visit Jacksonville next Sunday. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl, director of the Long-Range Precision Fires Cross Functional Team at U.S. Army Futures Command, said the military branch is working on a system, dubbed PrSM, that could strike targets beyond 1,000 kilometers, Breaking Defense reported Tuesday. Crooks said the service intends to design a weapon system that could be launched from an autonomous vehicle. “We’re in the science and technology phase of something that we’ll maybe, eventually call Increment 5,” the brigadier general said at an event Tuesday. “You might be able to employ something that’s actually longer ... and you might be able to achieve ranges that, right now, don’t seem realistic.” According to the report, the service is deploying the initial batch of PrSM Increment 1 rounds it from in 2023. The PrSM Increment 1 Early Operational Capability missiles could hit targets at least 500 km away. What Is PrSM? PrSM is the Army’s next-generation missile designed to provide the warfighter with a long-range precision fire capability to neutralize targets at ranges greater than 400 kilometers. The weapon system comes with an open systems architecture and can be launched from M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and M270A2 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems.None

Consumers Brace for Huge Bargain Hunt in Big 'Black Friday' - NewsmaxStrictly Come Dancing professional Kai Widdrington has bagged himself a Guinness World Records certificate following an intense showdown in the annual Pro Challenge. Over the past fortnight, the Strictly pros have been competing to set a world record for the most Cha Cha Cha Time Steps executed in half a minute. On tonight's (December 5) episode of It Takes Two, Kai was joined by fellow dancer Neil Jones as the last pros to participate in the challenge. The pair went toe-to-toe for the title, with BBC viewers watching them perform the ballroom move that necessitates a side step on straight legs, a weight transfer from one foot to the other, settling on each heel followed by a chasse. The dancers then repeat this sequence in the opposite direction, ensuring their footwork remains ball flat throughout and the movement is completed on both sides. Initially, it seemed like a draw as both dancers completed 15 steps, but one of Neil's moves was disqualified, resulting in Kai clinching the record-breaking win and receiving the official certificate. The challenge was presided over by Craig Revel Horwood, with Guinness World Records official, Will Munford, supervising the attempts, reports the Express . Strictly fans were quick to express their joy on social media, with one fan posting on X: "SO happy Kai won the pro challenge!" (sic) Another commented: "Kai and Neil were so close. With 15 steps the winner of the Pro Challenge is Kai! Only one step was between him and Neil and Nadiya. And another chimed in, saying: "Well done Kai." (sic) In the previous year, professional dancer Lauren Oakley set a new Guinness World Record for the most pendulum dance steps achieved in 30 seconds, flawlessly executing 15 pendulum steps without any disqualifications. Lauren is competing in this year's edition of Strictly Come Dancing, partnered with JLS artist JB Gill. She had to swiftly step up after her colleague Amy Dowden had an unforeseen health incident, having collapsed during the series. Later, the BBC confirmed Amys well-being but announced she would not be participating further in the series. However, Amy has remained enthusiastic about her past dancing mate's journey, offering encouragement from the sidelines. Taking to Instagram, she expressed wholehearted support for the duo, declaring she will be rooting for them as their "biggest cheerleader". Amy's message to JB was heartfelt, as she said: "It says everything how you've been able to adapt to a new professional, produce such a great number (so excited for everyone to see) whilst supporting me! I'm so lucky! You're a STAR! I know what tonight means to you! Thank you!" Strictly It Takes Two at 1830 on BBC Two and iPlayer and Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturday and Sunday on BBC One and iPlayer.U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin bids farewell to Capitol Hill with criticism of Democrats and calls for a third party