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fruit roulette poppo By DEVNA BOSE and JOHN SEEWER “Wanted” posters with the names and faces of health care executives have been popping up on the streets of New York. Hit lists with images of bullets are circulating online with warnings that industry leaders should be afraid. Related Articles National News | Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds National News | How to protect your communications through encryption National News | Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge National News | Unidentified drones spotted flying at locations across NYC, including LaGuardia Airport National News | About 2.6 million Stanley cups recalled after malfunctions caused burns. Is your mug included? The apparent targeted killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the menacing threats that followed have sent a shudder through corporate America and the health care industry in particular, leading to increased security for executives and some workers. In the week since the brazen shooting , health insurers have removed information about their top executives from company websites, canceled in-person meetings with shareholders and advised all employees to work from home temporarily. An internal New York Police Department bulletin warned this week that the online vitriol that followed the shooting could signal an immediate “elevated threat.” Police fear that the Dec. 4 shooting could “inspire a variety of extremists and grievance-driven malicious actors to violence,” according to the bulletin, which was obtained by The Associated Press. “Wanted” posters pasted to parking meters and construction site fences in Manhattan included photos of health care executives and the words “Deny, defend, depose” — similar to a phrase scrawled on bullets found near Thompson’s body and echoing those used by insurance industry critics . Thompson’s wife, Paulette, told NBC News last week that he told her some people had been threatening him and suggested the threats may have involved issues with insurance coverage. Investigators believe the shooting suspect, Luigi Mangione , may have been motivated by hostility toward health insurers. They are studying his writings about a previous back injury, and his disdain for corporate America and the U.S. health care system. Mangione’s lawyer has cautioned against prejudging the case. Mangione, 26, has remained jailed in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested Monday . Manhattan prosecutors are working to bring him to New York to face a murder charge. UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, said this week it was working with law enforcement to ensure a safe work environment and to reinforce security guidelines and building access policies, a spokesperson said. The company has taken down photos, names and biographies for its top executives from its websites, a spokesperson said. Other organizations, including CVS, the parent company for insurance giant Aetna, have taken similar actions. Government health insurance provider Centene Corp. has announced that its investor day will be held online, rather than in-person as originally planned. Medica, a Minnesota-based nonprofit health care firm, said last week it was temporarily closing its six offices for security reasons and would have its employees work from home. Heightened security measures likely will make health care companies and their leaders more inaccessible to their policyholders, said former Cigna executive Wendell Potter. “And understandably so, with this act of violence. There’s no assurance that this won’t happen again,” said Potter, who’s now an advocate for health care reform. Private security firms and consultants have been in high demand, fielding calls almost immediately after the shooting from companies across a range of industries, including manufacturing and finance. Companies have long faced security risks and grappled with how far to take precautions for high-profile executives. But these recent threats sparked by Thompson’s killing should not be ignored, said Dave Komendat, a former security chief for Boeing who now heads his own risk-management company. “The tone and tenor is different. The social reaction to this tragedy is different. And so I think that people need to take this seriously,” Komendat said. Just over a quarter of the companies in the Fortune 500 reported spending money to protect their CEOs and top executives. Of those, the median payment for personal security doubled over the last three years to just under $100,000. Hours after the shooting, Komendat was on a call with dozens of chief security officers from big corporations, and there have been many similar meetings since, hosted by security groups or law enforcement agencies assessing the threats, he said. “It just takes one person who is motivated by a poster — who may have experienced something in their life through one of these companies that was harmful,” Komendat said. Associated Press reporters Wyatte Grantham-Philips in New York and Barbara Ortutay in San Francisco, contributed to this report. 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Companies tighten security after a health care CEO’s killing leads to a surge of threats

After three months of rigorous work, a white paper panel on the state of the economy revealed all the fault lines that had formed across Bangladesh during the 15 years of rule under the Awami League government, which held power from 2009 until it was ousted by a mass uprising on August 5 this year. Upon taking office, the interim government issued a gazette notification on August 29, deciding to plumb the depth of corruption and mismanagement of state wealth during Sheikh Hasina's regime. The report, prepared by a 12-member panel of independent experts, was submitted to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on December 1. The white paper laid bare the fragile state of the economy, addressing issues such as the rise of an oligarchy, heightened inequality, data manipulation to present a false narrative of economic growth and rampant money laundering. The committee met 618 times to plan and discuss the task at hand, held 60 consultations with stakeholders, conducted 22 policy-specific consultations, 17 technical consultations, key informant interviews, and three public hearings outside Dhaka to form a clear picture. The leader of the panel, Debapriya Bhattacharya, a distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), spoke to The Daily Star last week, shedding light on the process of preparing such a massive document. He said the formation of the panel was an obvious decision as the country and the interim government needed a formal document to bring to light all the issues that had been swept under the rug for years. "The whole system was politicised, and there was a narrative of a high-performing economy. But in reality, it was not that. This is why the concept of a white paper was considered," Bhattacharya said. "The idea behind preparing the white paper was to provide insight into the nature of the economy that the interim government had inherited. It had to identify the challenges that the interim government would face as it tried to take the economy forward." In order to understand the situation, a transparency exercise was necessary. "For that transparency exercise, one needs to look at all existing data, including the data that is not publicly available, and also talk to specific stakeholder groups who are knowledgeable in these areas," he said. Bhattacharya also elaborated on the origins of the white paper, saying: "The white paper comes more from British traditions, the British Parliament. When a situation arises which has no immediate or obvious solution, a group of experts is mobilised to analyse the problem and give an opinion. It may be one opinion, it may be more than one opinion, depending on the group, and how they think about or look at the problem." The advantage of a white paper is that it is commissioned by the authority, which may be the parliament or the government, but the authors write it as independent experts. "So, it is commissioned by the government, but it is not the government's report. Although the chief adviser commissioned us to write the white paper, it does not belong to him. It belongs to the authors. The authors are responsible for whatever is said, not the government," Bhattacharya said. Another advantage he pointed out is that the government is not obliged to adopt the solutions given in the paper. "The government has the flexibility to implement whatever it wants, however it wants." However, he highlighted a significant issue: many readers, including journalists, lack sufficient knowledge of economics, leading to confusion when interpreting the data. For example, the white paper said Bangladesh had illicit outflows amounting to $16 billion per year. But some people say it is such a big number, how can it be true? They say the government's annual budget is smaller than that. According to Bhattacharya, the problem is that people who say such things lack understanding. Economists never deal with absolute numbers; they deal with relative numbers. "The amount that we have pointed out is only 2.4 percent of the GDP, which may be a big number to some. But the global average is 3 percent to 4 percent. People have no idea about that. This is an interpretation problem." He also painted a picture that everyone can understand, saying: "We could have had 22 Padma Bridges and 16 metro rails and doubled the current allocation for education. These have all been forgone (due to illicit outflows)." Bhattacharya added that the white paper was a heuristic exercise in the sense that it depended on the critical analysis of existing data. In that sense, the white paper looks at what has happened in the past. At the same time, it also looks at why these things happened. But it focuses less on what needs to be done. "We looked at some of the unpublished documents which were available with the government. We also debriefed some of the critical interlocutors of policies to hear internal stories in order to interpret the issues at hand." However, it was when looking into this data that a pattern of manipulation began to emerge. "The data was the villain of the piece," Bhattacharya said. "For example, you have high growth but very low private investment, high growth but no tax collection, and high growth but very little money going to social protection, health, and education. It was our job to unearth the malice." The development narrative only reflects a deficit in democratic accountability, he added, saying that the past government tried to secure local and global legitimacy through such stories. "We had three elections which were very bad. This eroded the accountability process." Bhattacharya also explained how the lack of democratic pluralism – which meant that nearly all positions of formal political authority could be controlled by one group – had led to a culture of crony capitalism. "Without democratic pluralism, you begin to create a group of preferred businessmen. Those businessmen, after some time, turn into politicians and bureaucrats. These people develop a culture of crony capitalism. Initially, they create a group that will serve the regime. But after some time, they become so powerful that they themselves start running the country. Then they create a kleptocracy, where thieves are the rulers." These "thieves" did not stay confined to just one sector; they were active in the energy, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), and banking sectors as well as offshore drilling, private universities, and television channels. "They were like octopuses. They influenced not only the judiciary but also legislation. This system enabled the banking law to be passed in parliament in a split second. It was like an oligarchy." They also took control of the judiciary, so it was hamstrung, he added. Furthermore, civil society did not have any space to raise their voice. "Such an antagonistic contradiction cannot be resolved without revolution." If politics is unsustainable, society will also be unsustainable, he said, adding: "Ten percent of the population is controlling 85 percent of the assets. How is that possible in a modern society? This unequal growth cannot continue." The white paper committee used data from a Global Financial Integrity (GFI) report and Bangladesh Bank data, according to Bhattacharya. "We also looked at the inflation figures as they had been underestimated in different cases. We also looked at energy pricing and a wide range of other issues, including health, education, and poverty. We also looked into the debt burden, both local and foreign." He also took the time to again point out the purpose of the paper. "A white paper is not an investigative report. There is a difference between investigative reporting and penning a white paper. It is a research document based on a multidisciplinary multi-methodical approach. These are estimates, not empirical evidence. But you cannot call it a guesstimate. We followed particular methodologies." He also made some suggestions to the interim government, urging it to create a midterm plan to ensure accountability. "The interim government is not here for five years, but the economy and investment cannot run based on day-to-day projections. The projections should be for a two-year term." Bhattacharya also said the country's graduation from the status of a least developed country (LDC) to a developing country must not be delayed. "Reducing export incentives was a good decision. It shows that we started preparing for graduation." He further asked the interim government to negotiate with other countries as graduation would result in the erosion of preferential trade benefits. Additionally, the interim government should hold dialogues with various groups, including traditional development partners like the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, special markets such as the EU, Canada, India, and China, and foreign investors, he said. "Debt management is unsustainable; every year it is around one billion. We need to renegotiate loans," he added. Bhattacharya noted that they had received extremely positive responses to the white paper from local and foreign quarters, adding that even the global media had taken note. "Around $2.5 million in consultancy fees would have been required to make this white paper. But not a single taka was taken from the government. It was done free of cost," he said. Why leave such a large sum on the table? "Because this is a unique time to work for the country." After three months of rigorous work, a white paper panel on the state of the economy revealed all the fault lines that had formed across Bangladesh during the 15 years of rule under the Awami League government, which held power from 2009 until it was ousted by a mass uprising on August 5 this year. Upon taking office, the interim government issued a gazette notification on August 29, deciding to plumb the depth of corruption and mismanagement of state wealth during Sheikh Hasina's regime. The report, prepared by a 12-member panel of independent experts, was submitted to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on December 1. The white paper laid bare the fragile state of the economy, addressing issues such as the rise of an oligarchy, heightened inequality, data manipulation to present a false narrative of economic growth and rampant money laundering. The committee met 618 times to plan and discuss the task at hand, held 60 consultations with stakeholders, conducted 22 policy-specific consultations, 17 technical consultations, key informant interviews, and three public hearings outside Dhaka to form a clear picture. The leader of the panel, Debapriya Bhattacharya, a distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), spoke to The Daily Star last week, shedding light on the process of preparing such a massive document. He said the formation of the panel was an obvious decision as the country and the interim government needed a formal document to bring to light all the issues that had been swept under the rug for years. "The whole system was politicised, and there was a narrative of a high-performing economy. But in reality, it was not that. This is why the concept of a white paper was considered," Bhattacharya said. "The idea behind preparing the white paper was to provide insight into the nature of the economy that the interim government had inherited. It had to identify the challenges that the interim government would face as it tried to take the economy forward." In order to understand the situation, a transparency exercise was necessary. "For that transparency exercise, one needs to look at all existing data, including the data that is not publicly available, and also talk to specific stakeholder groups who are knowledgeable in these areas," he said. Bhattacharya also elaborated on the origins of the white paper, saying: "The white paper comes more from British traditions, the British Parliament. When a situation arises which has no immediate or obvious solution, a group of experts is mobilised to analyse the problem and give an opinion. It may be one opinion, it may be more than one opinion, depending on the group, and how they think about or look at the problem." The advantage of a white paper is that it is commissioned by the authority, which may be the parliament or the government, but the authors write it as independent experts. "So, it is commissioned by the government, but it is not the government's report. Although the chief adviser commissioned us to write the white paper, it does not belong to him. It belongs to the authors. The authors are responsible for whatever is said, not the government," Bhattacharya said. Another advantage he pointed out is that the government is not obliged to adopt the solutions given in the paper. "The government has the flexibility to implement whatever it wants, however it wants." However, he highlighted a significant issue: many readers, including journalists, lack sufficient knowledge of economics, leading to confusion when interpreting the data. For example, the white paper said Bangladesh had illicit outflows amounting to $16 billion per year. But some people say it is such a big number, how can it be true? They say the government's annual budget is smaller than that. According to Bhattacharya, the problem is that people who say such things lack understanding. Economists never deal with absolute numbers; they deal with relative numbers. "The amount that we have pointed out is only 2.4 percent of the GDP, which may be a big number to some. But the global average is 3 percent to 4 percent. People have no idea about that. This is an interpretation problem." He also painted a picture that everyone can understand, saying: "We could have had 22 Padma Bridges and 16 metro rails and doubled the current allocation for education. These have all been forgone (due to illicit outflows)." Bhattacharya added that the white paper was a heuristic exercise in the sense that it depended on the critical analysis of existing data. In that sense, the white paper looks at what has happened in the past. At the same time, it also looks at why these things happened. But it focuses less on what needs to be done. "We looked at some of the unpublished documents which were available with the government. We also debriefed some of the critical interlocutors of policies to hear internal stories in order to interpret the issues at hand." However, it was when looking into this data that a pattern of manipulation began to emerge. "The data was the villain of the piece," Bhattacharya said. "For example, you have high growth but very low private investment, high growth but no tax collection, and high growth but very little money going to social protection, health, and education. It was our job to unearth the malice." The development narrative only reflects a deficit in democratic accountability, he added, saying that the past government tried to secure local and global legitimacy through such stories. "We had three elections which were very bad. This eroded the accountability process." Bhattacharya also explained how the lack of democratic pluralism – which meant that nearly all positions of formal political authority could be controlled by one group – had led to a culture of crony capitalism. "Without democratic pluralism, you begin to create a group of preferred businessmen. Those businessmen, after some time, turn into politicians and bureaucrats. These people develop a culture of crony capitalism. Initially, they create a group that will serve the regime. But after some time, they become so powerful that they themselves start running the country. Then they create a kleptocracy, where thieves are the rulers." These "thieves" did not stay confined to just one sector; they were active in the energy, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), and banking sectors as well as offshore drilling, private universities, and television channels. "They were like octopuses. They influenced not only the judiciary but also legislation. This system enabled the banking law to be passed in parliament in a split second. It was like an oligarchy." They also took control of the judiciary, so it was hamstrung, he added. Furthermore, civil society did not have any space to raise their voice. "Such an antagonistic contradiction cannot be resolved without revolution." If politics is unsustainable, society will also be unsustainable, he said, adding: "Ten percent of the population is controlling 85 percent of the assets. How is that possible in a modern society? This unequal growth cannot continue." The white paper committee used data from a Global Financial Integrity (GFI) report and Bangladesh Bank data, according to Bhattacharya. "We also looked at the inflation figures as they had been underestimated in different cases. We also looked at energy pricing and a wide range of other issues, including health, education, and poverty. We also looked into the debt burden, both local and foreign." He also took the time to again point out the purpose of the paper. "A white paper is not an investigative report. There is a difference between investigative reporting and penning a white paper. It is a research document based on a multidisciplinary multi-methodical approach. These are estimates, not empirical evidence. But you cannot call it a guesstimate. We followed particular methodologies." He also made some suggestions to the interim government, urging it to create a midterm plan to ensure accountability. "The interim government is not here for five years, but the economy and investment cannot run based on day-to-day projections. The projections should be for a two-year term." Bhattacharya also said the country's graduation from the status of a least developed country (LDC) to a developing country must not be delayed. "Reducing export incentives was a good decision. It shows that we started preparing for graduation." He further asked the interim government to negotiate with other countries as graduation would result in the erosion of preferential trade benefits. Additionally, the interim government should hold dialogues with various groups, including traditional development partners like the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, special markets such as the EU, Canada, India, and China, and foreign investors, he said. "Debt management is unsustainable; every year it is around one billion. We need to renegotiate loans," he added. Bhattacharya noted that they had received extremely positive responses to the white paper from local and foreign quarters, adding that even the global media had taken note. "Around $2.5 million in consultancy fees would have been required to make this white paper. But not a single taka was taken from the government. It was done free of cost," he said. Why leave such a large sum on the table? "Because this is a unique time to work for the country."For the second straight Major League Baseball offseason, a norm-shattering contract has been the talk of the winter , with Juan Soto agreeing with the New York Mets on a $765 million, 15-year deal that's the richest in baseball history. It comes almost exactly one year after the Los Angeles Dodgers forked out a princely sum of $700 million on a 10-year, heavily deferred deal for two-way Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. They are believed to be the two richest contracts in pro sports history. The way it's going, a contract approaching $1 billion doesn't seem out of the question. But several factors are working against it — at least in the near future. There's reason to believe the megadeals for Ohtani and Soto are unicorns in the baseball world. Both players are uniquely talented, surely, but both also had unusual circumstances propelling their value into the stratosphere. Ohtani is the greatest two-way player in baseball history, capable of improving any team on both sides of the ball. He's also the rare baseball player who has true international appeal . His every move ( like his unexpected marriage announcement ) is followed closely in his native Japan, adding another 125 million potential fans who buy merchandise, watch him play and help fill the Dodgers' coffers. Then there's Soto — a four-time All-Star and on-base machine who won a World Series with the Washington Nationals in 2019. The X-factor for him is he became a free agent at the prime age of 26, which is extremely hard to do under current MLB rules. Players have to be in the big leagues for six years before testing free agency. The precocious Soto debuted at 19 with the Nats, making him part of a rare group of players who reached the highest level of professional baseball as a teenager. That accelerated his free agency timeline. It's rare for players to debut that young, and rarer still for them to develop into stars and test the open market the first chance they get. Two recent examples are Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, who both reached free agency in 2019. Machado signed a free-agent record $300 million contract with San Diego, and Harper overtook him days later with a $330 million contract to join the Phillies. Most players debut in the big leagues from ages 22 to 26, which means free agency comes in their late 20s or early 30s. A typical example is Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who is one of this generation's great players but didn't hit the market until he was 30. Judge played three seasons of college baseball for Fresno State before getting drafted by the Yankees in 2013 at age 21 — already two years older than Soto was when he made his MLB debut. It took a few years for the budding superstar to reach the majors, and he was 25 when he had his breakout season in 2018, smashing 52 homers to earn AL Rookie of the Year honors. By the time he reached free agency after the 2022 season, he had already passed age 30. It's a major factor that led to him signing a $360 million, nine-year deal with the Yankees, which seems downright reasonable these days after the Ohtani and Soto deals. Two major trends are colliding that will make it harder for guys like Soto to hit free agency in their mid 20s. First, MLB teams have been more likely in recent years to take college players early in the draft, betting on more experienced talents. Just 10 high school players were drafted among the top 30 picks in the 2024 draft . Second, teams are more eager to lock up young, premium talent on long-term deals very early in their careers, well before they hit free agency. Sometimes before they even reach the majors. Since Soto, just two players have debuted in MLB before their 20th birthday — Elvis Luciano and Junior Caminero. Luciano hasn't been back to the majors since his 2019 cup of coffee. Caminero is now 21 and has only played in 50 big league games. Among those that debuted at 20: Fernando Tatis Jr. signed a $340 million, 14-year deal with San Diego in 2021, years before reaching the open market. Milwaukee's Jackson Chourio got an $82 million, eight-year deal before even reaching the big leagues. Young stars Corbin Carroll ($111 million, eight years with Arizona), Bobby Witt Jr. ($288 million, 11 years with Kansas City) and Julio Rodriguez ($209.3 million, 12 years with Seattle) also got massive guarantees early in their 20s to forgo an early free agency. The exception and wild card: Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be a 26-year-old free agent next offseason. Guerrero hasn't been as consistent in his young career as Soto, but a standout 2025 season could position him to threaten Soto's deal. More likely is that the player to pass Soto isn't in the majors yet — and might not even be in pro baseball. When 25-year-old Alex Rodriguez signed his record $252 million, 10-year deal with Texas in 2001, it took over a decade for another player to match that total, when Albert Pujols got $240 million over 10 years from the Angels in 2012. For many players, passing up life-changing money in their early or mid 20s is too enticing, even if it means that they might not maximize their value on the free agent market later in their careers. Soto was determined to test the market. He famously turned down a $440 million, 15-year offer to stay with the Washington Nationals in 2022, betting that he could make even more as a free agent. Not many players would turn down that kind of cash. Then again, that's what makes Soto so unique. And it's also why his $765 million deal could be the industry standard for some time. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

HOUSTON (AP) — An elaborate parody appears to be behind an effort to resurrect Enron, the Houston-based energy company that exemplified the worst in American corporate fraud and greed after it went bankrupt in 2001. If its return is comedic, some former employees who lost everything in Enron’s collapse aren’t laughing. “It’s a pretty sick joke and it disparages the people that did work there. And why would you want to even bring it back up again?” said former Enron employee Diana Peters, who represented workers in the company’s bankruptcy proceedings. Here’s what to know about the history of Enron and the purported effort to bring it back. Once the nation’s seventh-largest company, Enron filed for bankruptcy protection on Dec. 2, 2001, after years of accounting tricks could no longer hide billions of dollars in debt or make failing ventures appear profitable. The energy company's collapse put more than 5,000 people out of work, wiped out more than $2 billion in employee pensions and rendered $60 billion in Enron stock worthless. Its aftershocks were felt throughout the energy sector. Twenty-four Enron executives , including former CEO Jeffrey Skilling , were eventually convicted for their roles in the fraud. Enron founder Ken Lay’s convictions were vacated after he died of heart disease following his 2006 trial. On Monday — the 23rd anniversary of the bankruptcy filing — a company representing itself as Enron announced in a news release that it was relaunching as a “company dedicated to solving the global energy crisis.” It also posted a video on social media, advertised on at least one Houston billboard and a took out a full-page ad in the Houston Chronicle In the minute-long video that was full of generic corporate jargon, the company talks about “growth” and “rebirth.” It ends with the words, “We’re back. Can we talk?” Enron's new website features a company store, where various items featuring the brand's tilted “E” logo are for sale, including a $118 hoodie. In an email, company spokesperson Will Chabot said the new Enron was not doing any interviews yet, but that "We’ll have more to share soon.” Signs point to the comeback being a joke. In the “terms of use and conditions of sale” on the company's website, it says “the information on the website about Enron is First Amendment protected parody, represents performance art, and is for entertainment purposes only.” Documents filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office show that College Company, an Arkansas-based LLC, owns the Enron trademark. The co-founder of College Company is Connor Gaydos, who helped create a joke conspiracy theory that claims all birds are actually surveillance drones for the government. Peters said that since learning about the “relaunch” of Enron, she has spoken with several other former employees and they are also upset by it. She said the apparent stunt was “in poor taste.” “If it’s a joke, it’s rude, extremely rude. And I hope that they realize it and apologize to all of the Enron employees,” Peters said. Peters, who is 74 years old, said she is still working in information technology because “I lost everything in Enron, and so my Social Security doesn’t always take care of things I need done.” “Enron’s downfall taught us critical lessons about corporate ethics, accountability, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. Enron’s legacy was the employees in the trenches. Leave Enron buried,” she said. This story was corrected to fix the spelling of Ken Lay’s first name, which had been misspelled “Key.” Follow Juan A. Lozano on X at https://x.com/juanlozano70Staten Island officials are raising concerns over recent drone sightings, calling on the NYPD and federal agencies to investigate. NEW YORK - The drone drama in the NYC area is deepening. In recent weeks, several sightings of mysterious drones have been reported in parts of New Jersey. Sightings have been reported from down the Jersey Shore up to Sussex and Bergen counties. Here are the top headlines so far from Friday: 8:15 p.m., Jacob Flanagan President-elect Donald Trump has called for authorities to shoot down the mysterious drones that have been seen flying over New Jersey and Staten Island. "Mystery Drone sightings all over the Country. Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge. I don think so! Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shot them down!!! DJT" Trump wrote on Truth Social. 6:45 p.m., Jacob Flanagan A drone did not crash into the Empire State Building according to New York City Emergency Management. "There are no confirmed reports at this time of a drone crash into the Empire State Building," NYCEM Executive Director Aries Dela Cruz said in a post on X. "For an app that shares actual, verified emergency alerts, download the @NotifyNYC app from the store. Stay informed, not misled." 4:40 p.m., Alex Meier Police reported that no drones were found after receiving reports that a drone crashed into a field and struck a power line near Route 206 in Hillsborough, Somerset County. "At 12:10 p.m. all units cleared after a complete search of the area was concluded, and no down drone was recovered. There is no known threat to the public to report. The public is reminded to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI ( 1-800-225-5324 ) to report any suspicious drones in the area," Hillsborough Township Police Department said in a statement. New Jersey lawmakers are demanding answers about the growing number of mysterious drone sightings across the state. FOX 5's Teresa Priolo has the story. According to police, the report of a drone crash came from a Lowe's parking lot around 8:30 p.m. Thursday night. Several firsts responders, including local and county police and fire crews, searched the area on foot and air but were unable to locate the drone. Millstone Valley Fire Department deployed drones the next morning and Somerset County Hazmat conducted another ground search, but no drones were found. More headlines: Residents report drone crash in Hillsborough, NJ 'Multiple' drones reportedly enter airspace at NJ naval station Staten Island officials urge NYPD to investigate drone activity NJ Rep. Andy Kim reports drone sighting 1:24 p.m. Alex Meier Video from SkyFOX shows emergency response vehicles gathered in a shopping center in Hillsborough. They were seen combing through nearby brush for hours. One resident, who claims she heard a crash, told FOX 5 NY that her concerns are growing and called the mysterious events "bizarre." She's seen several "drones" flying near her home, just a few blocks away from the investigation. 12:15 p.m. Michael Stallone Authorities converged on Hillsborough, New Jersey in an incident that could be related to a drone. Several people that talked to FOX 5 NY's Stephanie Bertini said they heard a drone crash overnight in the area. FOX 5 NY is working to get that report confirmed by officials. 11:45 a.m. Michael Stallone "Multiple" instances of drones entering airspace at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Colts Neck, New Jersey were reported, according to ABC News. 10 a.m. Michael Stallone Officials on Staten Island held a press conference, calling for the NYPD to investigate drone sightings over the NYC area. "You know, there was a saying that we had after 9/11, ‘if you see something say something,’" said Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella. "I think that’s become, ‘if you see something, don’t worry about it.’ Because we saw it too and the people of Staten Island deserve answers, the people of this city and state and region deserve answers, of what the heck is going on.’" 9:45 a.m. Michael Stallone In a ride along with local police, Kim described what he saw in a post on X, formally Twitter. "Last night I went out with local police to spot drone flying over New Jersey, here’s what I saw. We drove to Round Valley Reservoir and the officer pointed to lights moving low over the tree line," Kim said, in part. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas briefed the congressional delegation last week, calling on the federal government for more answers. "It's really frustrating that we don't have more answers as to where they were coming from and why they're doing what they're doing," Murphy said. Earlier this week, federal law enforcement officials and private sector stakeholders testified about threats posed by unmanned aerial systems, or drones, at a joint hearing held by two house subcommittees. Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX): What is going on in New Jersey? Robert Wheeler (FBI): We're investigating, but I don't have an answer of who's responsible for that of one or more people that are responsible for those drone flights. Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX): Is the public at risk? Is public safety at risk? Robert Wheeler (FBI): There's nothing that is known that would lead me to say that. The White House said Thursday that a review of the reported sightings shows that many of them are actually manned aircraft being flown lawfully. White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said there were no reported sightings in any restricted airspace. He said the U.S. Coast Guard has not uncovered any foreign involvement from coastal vessels. "We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus," Kirby said, echoing statements from the Pentagon and Murphy.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The woman who in 2006 falsely accused three Duke University lacrosse players of raping her – making national headlines that stirred tensions about race, class and the privilege of college athletes — has admitted publicly for the first time that she made up the story. Crystal Mangum, who is Black, said in an interview with the “Let’s Talk with Kat” podcast that she “made up a story that wasn’t true” about the white players who attended a party where she was hired to perform as a stripper “because I wanted validation from people and not from God.” “I testified falsely against them by saying that they raped me when they didn’t and that was wrong,” Mangum, 46, said in the interview, which was released Monday. The interview was recorded last month at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women, where Mangum is incarcerated for fatally stabbing her boyfriend in 2011. The former Duke players were declared innocent in 2007 after Mangum’s story fell apart under legal scrutiny. The state attorney general’s office concluded there was no credible evidence an attack ever occurred, and its investigation found no DNA, witness or other evidence to confirm Mangum’s story. The Durham prosecutor who championed Mangum’s case was disbarred for lying and misconduct. Prosecutors at the time declined to press charges against Mangum for the false accusations. Related Articles National News | How to protect your communications through encryption National News | Companies tighten security after a health care CEO’s killing leads to a surge of threats National News | Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge National News | Unidentified drones spotted flying at locations across NYC, including LaGuardia Airport National News | About 2.6 million Stanley cups recalled after malfunctions caused burns. Is your mug included? The former lacrosse players reached an undisclosed settlement with Duke University in 2007 after suing it for the handling of the rape allegations. Mangum, who was convicted of second-degree murder in 2013 and is eligible to be released from prison as early as 2026, told the podcast interviewer that she hopes the three falsely accused men can forgive her. “I want them to know that I love them and they didn’t deserve that,” she said. Durham-based podcaster Kat DePasquale said she wrote to Mangum because she was curious about the case that got so much attention, and that Mangum wrote back saying she wanted to talk.One of Baltimore’s most prominent families was thrust into the spotlight this week, when a son of the clan, Luigi Mangione , was arrested by Pennsylvania police and charged in the Dec. 4 fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson . Locally active in philanthropy, both via individual donations and through the Mangione Family Foundation, the Mangiones gave millions to Baltimore’s various institutions and nonprofits, including more than $1 million to the Greater Baltimore Medical Center and more to the American Citizens for Italian Matters, Baltimore Opera Company and others. Loyola University, which counts Mangione alumni among their ranks, has an aquatic center named after the family, and GBMC previously had a high-risk obstetrics unit, since closed, that bore their name. Their story is a uniquely American one: The Mangiones went from deep poverty to massive wealth in just three generations, with one cousin, Nino Mangione, now a Republican member of the Maryland House of Delegates. Despite an eventually deep portfolio of development properties and government contracting for 20 years, the family patriarch, Nicholas Mangione Sr. , said he still faced prejudice for his background when he attempted to buy land to build the Turf Valley Golf and Country Club, now the Turf Valley Resort, in Ellicott City. “Tongues started wagging,” Mangione told The Baltimore Sun in 1995. “People [were] wondering where an unknown Italian could get the money for a $5 million project. In those days, there were no Italians in real visible positions [in Howard County].” Mangione said the implication was that he must have backing from the mob, so he countered sharply. “People thought I needed money from the Mafia to buy this place. They asked me what family I belonged to,” he said. “I told them, ‘I belong to the Mangione family. The Mangione family of Baltimore County.’” The family is now defending its name again. On Monday, members released a statement on social media expressing dismay at Luigi Mangione’s arrest, saying they were stunned by the news. “We only know what we have read in the media. Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved,” the family wrote . “We are devastated by this news.” The family did not respond to a request for comment via a family attorney or their foundation. How they went from the Depression-era streets of the city’s Little Italy to its philanthropic elite is straight out of a Horatio Alger novel. Nicholas Sr. was born in Baltimore’s Little Italy, and spent his first eight years in a one-room apartment with an outdoor privy, according to a 2008 Sun article. He earlier told The Sun his Italian immigrant father, Louis, could neither read nor write, and worked in the city water department until he died of pneumonia. Today, the Mangione family is a sprawling one, with a business empire to match: Nicholas Sr., made the beginning of the family’s fortunes in the post-World War II years as a bricklayer and contractor . He built up his business holdings throughout the following decades, with his wife, Mary , growing their family to include five sons, five daughters, and 37 grandchildren, including Luigi. The family’s holdings range from construction to commercial real estate to local radio station WCBM-AM and a majority stake in Lorien Health Services, which operates multiple assisted living facilities in Maryland. Aside from the Turf Valley Resort, with its 10,000-square-foot ballroom, 220-room hotel, and 85-seat amphitheater, the Mangiones also own the Hayfields Country Club in Cockeysville and a slew of companies registered in Maryland . Its family foundation had net assets of $4.4M as of its 2022 tax filing , the most recent on record. The Mangione Family Foundation’s stated focus is supporting, “Organizations for any of the following purposes: religious, educational, charitable, scientific, literary, testing for public safety, fostering national or international amateur sports competition (as long as it doesn’t provide athletic facilities or equipment), or the prevention of cruelty to children or animals.” Politically, the Mangiones have been active across the aisle. Luigi Mangione’s parents, Louis and Kathleen Mangione donated $35,935 to state and local politicians from 2005 through 2023, according to data from the State Board of Elections. Half went to Nino Mangione ’s campaign account for his state delegate races from 2018 through 2023. Other donations went to Howard County executives Calvin Ball and Ken Ulman, both Democrats, and Allan Kittleman, a Republican, along with additional high-profile candidates of both parties, including former Govs. Martin O’Malley and Robert L. Ehrlich, and former Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon. The immense number of Mangiones also was briefly confusing for Baltimoreans on Monday. Aside from Nicholas Sr. and Mary Mangione’s 10 children and 37 grandchildren, city counts at least two other Mangione families, who were briefly inundated with phone calls from the media and queries from former schoolmates and acquaintances. One of Luigi Mangione’s two sisters is a physician at the University of Texas Southwestern, according to her LinkedIn profile. Another sister is a visual artist. Neither sister responded to requests for comment. His mother, Kathleen, comes from a family that owns a funeral home, the Charles S. Zannino Funeral Home in Highlandtown, the Baltimore Fishbowl reported , and now runs a travel agency, KZM Boutique Travel, which had removed its website as of Tuesday evening. His father, Louis was groomed to help take over the family’s business empire, according to a 2003 Washington Post article . Have a news tip? Contact Riley Gutierrez McDermid at rmcdermid@baltsun.com or Frank Gluck at fgluck@baltsun.com.

Did you miss out on Black Friday deals this year? Well, good news, certain sales are back on now through December 16. Many brands you can find on Amazon are running their Black Friday sales again, so you have time to stock up on Christmas gifts or gifts for yourself. You'll find DNA kits, beauty products, shoes, security cameras, headphones and more on sale during the Amazon event. Plus, most purchases can be delivered to your door in 24 hours if you're an Amazon Prime member. You can join or start a 30-day free trial to start your holiday shopping today. Original price: $119.99 An AncestryDNA kit is a great gift for any member of your family who wants to know a little bit more about where they come from. For just $40, a member of your family can unlock their family history and find out where their ancestors originated. Original price: $69 The L'ange two-in-one blow dryer brush tackles two jobs at once. The 360 degree airflow helps smooth, shape and volumize while also drying your hair quickly. There are also multiple settings for different types of hair. Original price: $99.99 Gift the Apple lover in your family an Anker iPhone charging station. It easily folds up, perfect for traveling, and has space to charge an iPhone, AirPods and an Apple Watch all at once. 10 TRENDING ELECTRONICS THAT ARE SURE TO BE HOT ITEMS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON Original price:... Christopher MurrayAmber Heard stepped into the Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni fray on Monday after learning that the crisis control PR firm Baldoni had hired was the same one ex-husband Johnny Depp used during their 2022 defamation trial. “Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying ‘A lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on,’ ” she told NBC News. “I saw this firsthand and up close. It’s as horrifying as it is destructive .” Heard was vilified online during the bitter trial between her and ex Johnny Depp, and there are some suspicions that Saudi bots could have played a role , according to CBC News. While there is no indication Baldoni’s firm employed such measures, The New York Times on Saturday reported on apparent attempts to discredit Lively after she complained during the shoot about Baldoni’s behavior. Heard and Depp were embroiled in a bitter trial amid dueling defamation charges stemming from a 2018 Washington Post op-ed Heard penned saying she was a domestic abuse survivor. While she didn’t name Depp in the piece, he sued her for $50 million in damages. Depp denied all allegations made by Heard during their trial, including one of sexual assault. After months of contentious testimony, a seven-member jury found unanimously that Heard had libeled her ex and awarded him $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. Heard was awarded $2 million in defamation damages for her countersuit. They settled the case in December of that year, with Heard paying $1 million to Depp. He later said he planned to donate the money to charity . Lively alluded to the firm’s clientele history in the complaint she filed Friday with the California Civil Rights Department accusing her “It Ends With Us” director and co-star of sexual harassment followed by a smear campaign. Baldoni’s attorneys and spokespeople have vehemently denied her allegations, calling them “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious.” The day after Lively filed her complaint, Baldoni’s talent agency, William Morris Endeavor (WME) dropped him. In addition, author Colleen Hoover, whose novel of the same name is the basis for the movie, came out in support of Lively, as did the star’s sister, Robyn Lively. Soon afterward her “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” co-stars America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel and Amber Tamblyn shared a joint statement declaring they “ stand in solidarity ” with their friend of 20-plus years. Since then, a slew of other Hollywood stars have cropped up in Lively’s corner, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Amy Schumer and director Paul Feig, according to Deadline.

Inauguration of CMA Terminals Khalifa Port Boosts the Port’s Total Container Capacity by 23% to almost 10m TEUs

Luigi Nicholas Mangione, the suspect in the fatal shooting of a healthcare executive in New York City, apparently was living a charmed life: the grandson of a wealthy real estate developer, valedictorian of his elite Baltimore prep school and with degrees from one of the nation's top private universities. Friends at an exclusive co-living space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Hawaii where the 26-year-old Mangione once lived widely considered him a “great guy,” and pictures on his social media accounts show a fit, smiling, handsome young man on beaches and at parties. Now, investigators in New York and Pennsylvania are working to piece together why Mangione may have diverged from this path to make the violent and radical decision to gun down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a brazen attack on a Manhattan street. The killing sparked widespread discussions about corporate greed, unfairness in the medical insurance industry and even inspired folk-hero sentiment toward his killer. But Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro sharply refuted that perception after Mangione's arrest on Monday when a customer at a McDonald's restaurant in Pennsylvania spotted Mangione eating and noticed he resembled the shooting suspect in security-camera photos released by New York police. “In some dark corners, this killer is being hailed as a hero. Hear me on this, he is no hero,” Shapiro said. “The real hero in this story is the person who called 911 at McDonald’s this morning.” Mangione comes from a prominent Maryland family. His grandfather, Nick Mangione, who died in 2008, was a successful real estate developer. One of his best-known projects was Turf Valley Resort, a sprawling luxury retreat and conference center outside Baltimore that he purchased in 1978. The Mangione family also purchased Hayfields Country Club north of Baltimore in 1986. On Monday, Baltimore County police officers blocked off an entrance to the property, which public records link to Luigi Mangione’s parents. Reporters and photographers gathered outside the entrance. The father of 10 children, Nick Mangione prepared his five sons — including Luigi Mangione’s father, Louis Mangione — to help manage the family business, according to a 2003 Washington Post report. Nick Mangione had 37 grandchildren, including Luigi, according to the grandfather's obituary. Luigi Mangione’s grandparents donated to charities through the Mangione Family Foundation, according to a statement from Loyola University commemorating Nick Mangione’s wife’s death in 2023. They donated to various causes, including Catholic organizations, colleges and the arts. One of Luigi Mangione’s cousins is Republican Maryland state legislator Nino Mangione, a spokesman for the lawmaker’s office confirmed. “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione’s family said in a statement posted on social media by Nino Mangione. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.” Mangione, who was valedictorian of his elite Maryland prep school, earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a university spokesman told The Associated Press. He learned to code in high school and helped start a club at Penn for people interested in gaming and game design, according to a 2018 story in Penn Today, a campus publication. His social media posts suggest he belonged to the fraternity Phi Kappa Psi. They also show him taking part in a 2019 program at Stanford University, and in photos with family and friends at the Jersey Shore and in Hawaii, San Diego, Puerto Rico, and other destinations. The Gilman School, from which Mangione graduated in 2016, is one of Baltimore’s elite prep schools. The children of some of the city’s wealthiest and most prominent residents, including Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr., have attended the school. Its alumni include sportswriter Frank Deford and former Arizona Gov. Fife Symington. In his valedictory speech, Luigi Mangione described his classmates’ “incredible courage to explore the unknown and try new things.” Mangione took a software programming internship after high school at Maryland-based video game studio Firaxis, where he fixed bugs on the hit strategy game Civilization 6, according to a LinkedIn profile. Firaxis' parent company, Take-Two Interactive, said it would not comment on former employees. He more recently worked at the car-buying website TrueCar, but has not worked there since 2023, the head of the Santa Monica, California-based company confirmed to the AP. From January to June 2022, Mangione lived at Surfbreak, a “co-living” space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Honolulu. Like other residents of the shared penthouse catering to remote workers, Mangione underwent a background check, said Josiah Ryan, a spokesperson for owner and founder R.J. Martin. “Luigi was just widely considered to be a great guy. There were no complaints,” Ryan said. “There was no sign that might point to these alleged crimes they’re saying he committed.” At Surfbreak, Martin learned Mangione had severe back pain from childhood that interfered with many aspects of his life, including surfing, Ryan said. “He went surfing with R.J. once but it didn’t work out because of his back,” Ryan said, but noted that Mangione and Martin often went together to a rock-climbing gym. Mangione left Surfbreak to get surgery on the mainland, Ryan said, then later returned to Honolulu and rented an apartment. An image posted to a social media account linked to Mangione showed what appeared to be an X-ray of a metal rod and multiple screws inserted into someone's lower spine. Martin stopped hearing from Mangione six months to a year ago. An X account linked to Mangione includes recent posts about the negative impact of smartphones on children; healthy eating and exercise habits; psychological theories; and a quote from Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti about the dangers of becoming “well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” Mangione likely was motivated by his anger at what he called “parasitic” health insurance companies and a disdain for corporate greed, according to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by AP. He wrote that the U.S. has the most expensive healthcare system in the world and that the profits of major corporations continue to rise while “our life expectancy” does not, according to the bulletin, based on a review of the suspect’s handwritten notes and social media posts. He appeared to view the targeted killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO as a symbolic takedown, asserting in his note that he is the “first to face it with such brutal honesty,” the bulletin said. Mangione called “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski a “political revolutionary” and may have found inspiration from the man who carried out a series of bombings while railing against modern society and technology, the document said. Associated Press reporters Lea Skene in Baltimore; Jennifer Sinco Kelleher in Honolulu; Maryclaire Dale in Philadelphia; John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; and Michael Kunzelman in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.

MILAN (AFP) – Inter Milan saw off Como 2-0 yesterday to stretch their unbeaten run in Serie A to 11 games and move back to within three points of leaders Atalanta. Defender Carlos Augusto headed in from a corner early in the second half before Marcus Thuram wrapped up a fourth successive league win with a thumping finish in stoppage time. Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer made a crucial save on the hour to deny Nico Paz an equaliser as Simeone Inzaghi’s side showed signs of weariness at the San Siro in what was their third outing in a week. Third-placed Inter are a point behind Napoli but have played a game less than the top two teams after their match with Fiorentina was called off at the start of December following Edoardo Bove’s sudden collapse. Reigning champions Inter visit lowly Cagliari this weekend and could put the pressure back on Atalanta, who are away to Lazio in the late game on Saturday. Como, coached by Cesc Fabregas, slipped a spot to 16th and sit just one point clear of the relegation zone. Fiorentina lost more ground in the title race after falling to a 2-1 home defeat by Udinese. Moise Kean’s early penalty gave Fiorentina the lead as they sought to shake off last weekend’s loss to Bologna that snapped the club’s eight-match winning streak in Serie A. However, Udinese equalised shortly after half-time through Lorenzo Lucca and former France international Florian Thauvin curled in the winner from outside the area. “The most important thing for me is not the goal but the victory. These are three important points against a very strong team,” said Udinese captain Thauvin. Udinese stayed ninth and are eight points off the European places. Inter Milan’s Carlos Augusto and Como’s Ignace Van Der Brempt jump for the ball during a Serie A match between Inter Milan and Como at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy. PHOTO: AP Inter Milan’s Carlos Augusto celebrates with his teammates after scoring against Como during a Serie A match between Inter Milan and Como at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy. PHOTO: AP

Derby end six-game winless run with crushing victory

Plan for 52 layoffs paused by West Michigan organizationFrom wealth and success to murder suspect, the life of Luigi Mangione took a hard turn

He says he has everything to become the next Connor McDavid → — DansLesCoulisses (@DLCoulisses) The is that spectacular. Make no mistake, despite his young age, I expect to see him dominate. Well, I don’t believe he will break Connor Bedard’s record of 23 points in one tournament, but he will have the chance to come close. In many mock drafts, he is at the top. For those who don’t necessarily follow junior hockey in Canada, you will get a chance to see how incredibly talented he is. If Porter Martone isn’t in the same category as Schaefer and Hagens, he will still be drafted very early in 2025. He’s a big guy and you will notice him quite easily on the ice in the coming days. As Simon Boisvert likes to say, he is a man playing among children, and this tournament, against the best young players in the world, will be crucial for his development: is he just as dominant against players a little closer to the NHL? A defenseman with nearly two points per game is impressive, no matter the level. Dickinson will be Team Canada’s number one or two defenseman (along with Schaefer) and he will have huge responsibilities. For fans who know him less, this will be the perfect opportunity to get familiar with his game. And if you don’t have time to watch him soon, you will see him often in the highlights over the next few years in San Jose. The comparisons of Ivan Demidov-David Reinbacher-Matvei Michkov won’t stop anytime soon. I’d like to talk about Jett Luchanko because, honestly, I was greatly surprised by his early selection by Philadelphia in the last draft. 13th overall: Daniel Brière bypassed Zeev Buium (who was chosen 12th overall, but the Flyers moved back), Michael Hage, Trevor Connelly, and Cole Eiserman, among others, to select Luchanko. I’m excited to see him with Team Canada because Luchanko, after all, is one of the three players selected in 2024 to have played in a game in the NHL. The others are Macklin Celebrini and one of the Avalanche’s seventh-round picks, Nikita Prishchepov (10 games). In four games, Luchanko didn’t record a point and was sent back relatively quickly to the OHL, where he is doing well, nothing more. He has 20 points in 16 games, which is not bad, but I expect more points for a guy drafted 13th overall. With Team Canada, he will have the chance to prove that Philadelphia made a good choice in drafting him. He will have plenty of opportunities to showcase his talent. We’ll see if he makes me eat my words.CHRISTMAS can be explosive. Boozy rows at dinner, squabbles over the telly and disputes over gifts are common. One survey suggests the average family has at least five rows on December 25, kicking off at 10am! Thankfully, etiquette expert Jo Bryant has given Natalie Clarke her guide on how to avoid a full-blown festive fallout . . . HAVE a conversation with guests before the 25th. But time it right, as having it too far in advance will make you seem very uptight and over the top. Phoning in a panic on Christmas Eve is no good either. Do it around now. What time will you eat? There may be young children to think of, or elderly relatives who will reach for the Rennies if their dinner is served too late. As host, it is your duty to see if anyone has special dietary needs . You don’t want an angry vegan on your hands if all you’re offering is turkey and pigs in blankets . If you’re the guest, you have less control over the menu. With desserts, however, it’s a bit more relaxed. If you hate Christmas pudding , you can say: “Would you like me to contribute to lunch? Can I bring a pud?” Then you can rock up with your pavlova. IT’S an age-old rule – and a very British one. There is nothing worse than a guest arriving early, because the host may not be ready and could still be up to their elbows in Brussels sprouts . If you are asked to arrive at midday, make sure you get there at noon, or very slightly afterwards. It’s far better to be ten minutes late than ten minutes early. IF you’re going to someone’s house and you don’t know them well, it’s good to phone in advance and ask what you can bring. If the host says, “Nothing”, you should still take something – flowers, chocolates or a plant. It’s good manners. But beware turning up with a scented candle if they would probably prefer a couple of bottles of wine. If you’re the one doing the hosting and know your guests very well, it’s fine to ask if they would mind ­bringing cheese, chocolates, or whatever. That way, you make sure you end up with sensible contributions and it can help spread the cost. IF you’ve had an awful journey, it’s bad etiquette to go on about it and bring that stress with you. Not only is it rude, but it also makes your hosts feel like inviting you is a burden. Allow time for your journey and, if you are running late, don’t call every 15 minutes with an update of your location. You can always share your location for an hour on Whatsapp. That way, your host will be able to see where you are or choose to ignore you if they are still too busy basting the turkey. CHRISTMAS – and life – is about give and take. Not everyone will want to do the same thing at the same time. For example, you could say: “Some of us are going to church – you’re more than welcome to stay at home if you don’t want to come.” That way, they can knock back the Prosecco while you’re singing hymns . Think of the needs of your other guests, too. Older guests might like an area they can sit quietly, away from the gaming teenagers. As a host, don’t inflict too many activities on guests – but if everyone else is playing Monopoly, don’t be the only one watching telly. Do what the majority is doing. IF there is family tension, I suggest a clever seating arrangement. Put place cards down and say: “Granny, why don’t you sit here? Uncle Bob, what about there?” It should go without saying, avoid sitting people who don’t get on next to each other. You should stick to safe topics when talking, such as highlights of the year, holidays and any great plans for 2025. Don’t hog the conversation and steer clear of the usual hotspots, such as politics. Awkward disccusions are best deflected with humour. Say something like: “It’s Christmas, we don’t want to talk about boring politics, do we?” PEOPLE get too stressed about Christmas lunch. It’s one meal in 365 days and probably isn’t going to be the best meal you eat. Chances are the turkey might be a bit dry, the sprouts overcooked. The point of Christmas is about community and family. You should focus on that, rather than criticising the chef. There are so many elements to the Christmas lunch, so there will be something you like. Try and have a bit of what you like the most – don’t sit there and say “I don’t like it”, or you could end up not being invited back next year. YOU should offer to help out, but in a sensible way. There’s being a help – and there’s being a hindrance. Trying to load someone’s dishwasher when you don’t know where everything goes is a pain. Ferrying plates from the table to the kitchen is probably more ­useful. Be helpful without commenting, interfering, or getting in the way. If you are staying over, you should be neat and tidy – hang up your towels, don’t hog the bathroom and live by the rules of your host’s house. YOU need to let people enjoy themselves – it is Christmas, after all – but to try to reduce the risk of excess. I suggest sneakily limiting booze and ensuring there is plenty of coffee and water available later in the day. Lecturing people on drinking is never going to feel festive and if you tell someone they’ve had enough, it doesn’t tend to go down too well. WE can all drive off on Boxing Day and think: “Thank God, we got through it.” But it’s probably been hardest for your host, so it’s always worth thanking them a couple of days afterwards. You can send an email, but a thank-you card in the post is a notch up and will have much more impact. IF you don’t get on with a certain relative, I suggest you change your mindset, because they are not going to disappear at Christmas. If there is something your mother-in-law does that really annoys you – asking inappropriate questions about your sex life, perhaps, or laughing hysterically about things that aren’t funny – it will only be amplified after they have had a few wines. Instead, make it seem slightly humorous in your mind, part and parcel of who they are, rather than going to war over it. Awkward conversations are best deflected with humour, too. It’s bad manners to be confrontational and aggressive. IF someone has taken the time and effort to give you something – even if it’s a garish, itchy jumper – it’s churlish to say you don’t like it. As a ­general rule, you should accept it . If it is an item of clothing and it doesn’t fit, you can discuss getting a different size. And if it’s an incredibly expensive item, you could perhaps have a conversation. We all get a few presents we’re less keen on, so don’t be too fussy. And don’t show off and spend lots of money, either. You could embarrass the other person by giving them something too expensive.The Social Security Administration (SSA) has been working hard to ensure that their beneficiaries receive the best possible attention, but soon their efforts could be thwarted by Congress, as House Republicans refused to increase necessary funding for the SSA in the continuing resolution passed in September. This refusal forced the agency to implement a hiring freeze last month, plunging the agency into the worst staffing crisis in 50 years with a record number of beneficiaries to serve. This will mean increased wait times on the phone or online when trying to resolve problems, which could lead to a lot of problems down the line. The SSA released a statement addressing the issue “If SSA does not receive increased appropriation through March, over 2,000 additional employees will be lost through attrition in the next three months, including experienced staff. Customer service will decline as wait times in our field offices and on the 800 Number increase, backlogs grow, and customers experience further delays in waiting for their claims to be processed.” The Administration, which was doing well under the direction of former Commissioner Martin O’Malley made a valient effort to make do with the existing budget, but the situation is unsustainable, especially if there are more cuts. As an SSA spokesperson established, “Under the existing Continuing Resolution (which did not include the Administration’s requested anomaly) the Social Security Administration was forced to institute a hiring freeze on Nov. 21. Many of the gains we’ve experienced will be lost under continued flat funding.” And the SSA is not the only agency experiencing these cuts negatively, the IRS and the Federal Aviation Administration, both key players have also started their countdown until their hiring freezes because of lack of allocated funds. The impact of the lack of funding on Social Security Should the funding crisis not be averted, agency employees would likely face up to 10 days of furlough, closing offices and tanking service levels. The SSA spokesperson continued “This means our field offices, card centers, and the national 800 number would have reduced levels of service and further delay critical services that the public depends on.” But it is not just SSA employees that are concerned, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee also issued a warning over the program’s lack of funding and its impact on beneficiaries “The Senate Appropriations bill provided a bump-up. The House Appropriations bill cut them quite a bit. It would be terrible if they have to furlough staff. We should not be cutting the Social Security budget. It just makes it harder for Americans to get their benefits. It means that customer service goes way down. I don’t know why anybody would support that”. The lack of funding, which would be to $401 million below its fiscal 2024 operating level and $1.6 billion below President Biden’s request for increased funds, would cripple services, but Republicans do not seem to care very much. They argue that the Biden request is “unsustainable and could lead to significant reductions in other non-defense discretionary areas.” One Republican Senator blamed the issue on the agency’s employees are working from home, by refusing to hear any other reason. He is not alone, many House Republicans point out that only 39 percent of SSA officials in Washington report to the office at least three days a week. A Republican aid stated that “They have the resources and should responsibly use the increase they’ve already been given” but it may not be that simple. As the Trump transition team and congressional Republicans advance plans for a new “ Department of Government Efficiency “, led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the initiative aims to streamline federal operations, with Musk proposing $2 trillion in budget cuts. The two held initial meetings with Republicans on Capitol Hill to discuss their vision.

The China Fund, Inc. Announces Date of Annual Meeting of StockholdersTottenham return to Southampton on Sunday for the first time since Antonio Conte’s explosive post-match rant, but current boss Ange Postecoglou has not lost any of his determination to succeed at the club. Conte’s last public act as Spurs head coach after a 3-3 draw at St Mary’s in 2023 was to launch a furious tirade against his own “selfish” players who he claimed “don’t want to play under pressure” before he seemed to turn on the board as he questioned the club’s ongoing trophy drought. Eight days later Conte had left Tottenham by mutual consent after a whirlwind 16-month period, with Postecoglou his eventual permanent successor. Postecoglou has been in charge of the Premier League club for two months longer than the Italian, but managed 12 fewer matches and is currently in the middle of an injury crisis which has resulted in a drop in form, with Spurs only able to claim one victory from their last eight fixtures. However, when Postecoglou was asked if he would jump ship in the wake of making remarks like Conte did in March, 2023, he said: “Look, I don’t think it’s fair to comment. “Antonio is a world-class manager and has his own way of doing things, his own reasons for doing that. “I am here, I am in for the fight. I am in a fight, for sure. For better or worse I am not going anywhere at the moment because everything is still in my power and my responsibility. “I still have a real desire to get us through this stage so that people see what is on the other side. My resolve and determination hasn’t wavered one little bit. “I love a fight, I love a scrap, I love being in the middle of a storm when everyone doubts because I know what it is on the other side if you get through it. My job is to get through it.” Postecoglou was Celtic boss when Conte’s extraordinary 10-minute press conference made waves around the world, but acknowledged being aware of his predecessors’ comments and attempted to explain the psyche behind why a manager would make such a move. “I was on Planet Earth at that time, and yes I was well aware of it,” Postecoglou smiled. “I think you know when a manager gets to that point that there’s obviously some underlying issues. “I think most of the time when managers do that they’re trying to get a reaction, trying to get some sort of impact on the team. “In difficult moments, what you want from your leaders is action rather than inaction of just letting things drift along. He did it to try and get a positive impact on the group, one way or another. We’ve all been in that situation as a manager where you feel this is time to send a message.” Postecoglou sent out his own message on Thursday after a 1-1 draw away to Rangers when he insisted Timo Werner’s display “wasn’t acceptable” at Ibrox. Werner was replaced at half-time following an error-strewn performance, but was not alone in being below-par in Glasgow. A day later Postecoglou explained how with Spurs missing several key first-teamers, the onus is on their fit senior players to deliver a level of application and commitment – and admitted Werner will be required at St Mary’s on Sunday. “I’ve got no choice. Who else am I going to play? I’m pulling kids out of school, I literally am,” Postecoglou mentioned in reference to 16-year-old duo Malachi Hardy and Luca Williams-Barnett, who have recently made the bench. “That was the reasoning for me pointing it out last night. We need Timo. We need all of them. “In normal times if you have a poor game, there’s a price to pay. It doesn’t exist right now. We need everybody we’ve got.”