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xslot88.com Donald Hand Jr. racked up a career-high 29 points and 10 rebounds to help Boston College stave off visiting Fairleigh Dickinson 78-70 on Saturday in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Chad Venning added 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting and Dion Brown contributed eight points, eight rebounds and four assists as the Eagles (8-5) wrapped up their nonconference slate with just their second win in six games. Ahmed Barba-Bey, a grad transfer from Division II, exploded for a season-high 31 points to power FDU (4-11). Barba-Bey buried 8 of 9 attempts from the 3-point arc. Terrence Brown added 15 of his 20 points in the second half, as the Knights made it close before falling to 0-10 on the road this season. Bismark Nsiah scored 10 points. Boston College led 70-59 with 3:39 to play when Barba-Bey was fouled attempting a corner 3. He made all three of his foul shots, and after a stop Brown got to the bucket to cut FDU's deficit to six. It was 72-67 when Venning made a clutch turnaround jumper from the high post with 51 seconds left. Boston College let Barba-Bey get loose for his eighth 3-pointer, pulling FDU within four, its closest margin of the half. But Hand drove to the basket and scored with 29 seconds on the clock, and FDU was out of time. The Knights trailed by as many as 12 in the first half, but Barba-Bey kept them in the game. He made a fastbreak layup off Brown's steal and added a 3-pointer on the next possession, turning what was a 10-point deficit to a manageable 29-24 game. Boston College led 38-28 at halftime, with Hand scoring 15 for the hosts and Barba-Bey pouring in 16 for the Knights, including 4-of-5 shooting from deep. FDU pulled within nine points three times in the early stages of the second half, the third coming when Nsiah knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 56-47 with about 10 minutes to go. --Field Level Media

Social Media Firms Raise 'Serious Concerns' Over Australian U-16 BanIn the midst of a delayed transition process, President-elect Donald Trump's upcoming administration faces both political and ethical challenges. Concerns mount over unavailable briefings from U.S. agency officials due to unsigned documents with President Joe Biden, hindering vital transition proceedings. Amidst this backdrop, the U.S. farming sector raises alarms over mass deportation plans that risk disrupting America's immigrant-reliant food supply chain. The plea for compassion remains unmet as Trump's incoming "border czar" has yet to concede any exemptions. Separately, legal proceedings capture attention nationwide. Key cases include the ruling on Ghislaine Maxwell's conviction and the Menendez brothers' postponed hearing, pivotal in the realm of U.S. law and justice. (With inputs from agencies.)Report: Google Asks FTC to End Microsoft-OpenAI Cloud Deal

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Cam Heyward has been on good teams before. Ones that have captured divisions. Ones that have won playoff games, though admittedly not in a while. The longtime Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle, now well into his dotage in his 14th season, can't quite remember having a group like the one that he plays on now. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.On Monday, bulldozers remove the rubble of a destroyed building that was hit the previous night by an Israeli airstrike in a southern Beirut neighborhood. Lebanon’s Health Ministry says the war has displaced 1.2 million people. Hussein Malla/Associated Press BEIRUT — Israel’s military launched airstrikes across Lebanon on Monday, unleashing explosions throughout the country and killing at least 31 while Israeli leaders appeared to be closing in on a negotiated ceasefire with the Hezbollah militant group. Israeli strikes hit commercial and residential buildings in Beirut as well as in the port city of Tyre. Military officials said they targeted areas known as Hezbollah strongholds. They issued evacuation orders for Beirut’s southern suburbs, and strikes landed across the city, including meters from a Lebanese police base and the city’s largest public park. The barrage came as officials indicated they were nearing agreement on a ceasefire, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ‘s Security Cabinet prepared to discuss an offer on the table. Massive explosions lit up Lebanon’s skies with flashes of orange, sending towering plumes of smoke into the air as Israeli airstrikes pounded Beirut’s southern suburbs Monday. The blasts damaged buildings and left shattered glass and debris scattered across nearby streets. No casualties were reported after many residents fled the targeted sites. Some of the strikes landed close to central Beirut and near Christian neighborhoods and other targets where Israel had issued evacuation warnings, including in Tyre and Nabatiyeh province. Israeli airstrikes also hit the northeast Baalbek-Hermel region without warning. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Monday that 26 people were killed in southern Lebanon, four in the eastern Baalbek-Hermel province and one in Choueifat, a neighborhood in Beirut’s southern suburbs that was not subjected to evacuation warnings on Monday. The deaths brought the total toll to 3,768 killed in Lebanon throughout 13 months of war between Israel and Hezbollah and nearly two months since Israel launched its ground invasion. Many of those killed since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah have been civilians, and health officials said some of the recovered bodies were so severely damaged that DNA testing would be required to confirm their identities. Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members. Lebanon’s Health Ministry says the war has displaced 1.2 million people. Israeli ground forces invaded southern Lebanon in early October, meeting heavy resistance in a narrow strip of land along the border. The military had previously exchanged attacks across the border with Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group that began firing rockets into Israel the day after the war in Gaza began last year. Lebanese politicians have decried the ongoing airstrikes and said they are impeding U.S.-led ceasefire negotiations. The country’s deputy parliament speaker accused Israel of ramping up its bombardment in order to pressure Lebanon to make concessions in indirect ceasefire negotiations with Hezbollah. Elias Bousaab, an ally of the militant group, said Monday that the pressure has increased because “we are close to the hour that is decisive regarding reaching a ceasefire.” Israeli officials voiced similar optimism Monday about prospects for a ceasefire. Mike Herzog, the country’s ambassador to Washington, earlier in the day told Israeli Army Radio that several points had yet to be finalized. Though any deal would require agreement from the government, Herzog said Israel and Hezbollah were “close to a deal.” “It can happen within days,” he said. Israeli officials have said the sides are close to an agreement that would include withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and a pullback of Hezbollah fighters from the Israeli border. But several sticking points remain. Two Israeli officials told The Associated Press that Netanyahu’s security Cabinet had scheduled a meeting for Tuesday, but they said it remained unclear whether the Cabinet would vote to approve the deal. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing internal deliberations. Thick smoke, flames and debris erupt from an Israeli airstrike that targeted a building on Monday in Beirut. Hassan Ammar/Associated Press Danny Danon, Israel’s U.N. ambassador, told reporters Monday that he expected a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah to have stages and to be discussed by leaders Monday or Tuesday. Still, he warned, “it’s not going to happen overnight.” After previous hopes for a ceasefire were dashed, U.S. officials cautioned that negotiations were not yet complete and noted that there could be last-minute hitches that either delay or destroy an agreement. “Nothing is done until everything is done,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Monday. The proposal under discussion to end the fighting calls for an initial two-month ceasefire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River. The withdrawals would be accompanied by an influx of thousands more Lebanese army troops, who have been largely sidelined in the war, to patrol the border area along with an existing U.N. peacekeeping force. Western diplomats and Israeli officials said Israel is demanding the right to strike in Lebanon if it believes Hezbollah is violating the terms. The Lebanese government has said that such an arrangement would authorize violations of the country’s sovereignty. A ceasefire could mark a step toward ending the regionwide war that ballooned after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250. The lack of a ceasefire has emerged as a political liability for Israeli leaders including Netanyahu, particularly while 60,000 Israelis remain away from their homes in the country’s north after more than a year of cross-border violence. Hezbollah rockets have reached as far south into Israel as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people have been killed, more than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers died fighting in the ground offensive in Lebanon. The Israeli military said about 250 projectiles were fired Sunday, with some intercepted. A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, the strongest of Iran’s armed proxies, is expected to significantly calm regional tensions that have led to fears of a direct, all-out war between Israel and Iran. It’s not clear how the ceasefire will affect the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Hezbollah had long insisted that it would not agree to a ceasefire until the war in Gaza ends, but it dropped that condition. A top Hamas official in Lebanon said the Palestinian militant group would support a ceasefire between its Lebanese ally Hezbollah and Israel, despite Hezbollah’s previous promises to stop the fighting in Lebanon only if the war in Gaza ends. “Any announcement of a ceasefire is welcome. Hezbollah has stood by our people and made significant sacrifices,” Osama Hamdan of Hamas’ political wing told the Lebanese broadcaster Al-Mayadeen, which is seen as politically allied with Hezbollah. While the ceasefire proposal is expected to be approved if Netanyahu brings it to a vote in his security Cabinet, one hard-line member, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, said he would oppose it. He said on X that a deal with Lebanon would be a “big mistake” and a “missed historic opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah.” If the ceasefire talks fail, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said, “it will mean more destruction and more and more animosity and more dehumanization and more hatred and more bitterness.” Speaking at a G7 meeting in Fiuggi, Italy, the last summit of its kind before President Biden leaves office, Safadi said such a failure “will doom the future of the region to more conflict and more killing and more destruction.” Comments are not available on this story. Send questions/comments to the editors. « Previous

Eagles and Vikings close in on NFL playoff berthsDoing the math, the finalists represent about just two thousandths of all submissions. Among them: two featuring silhouettes of former President Abraham Lincoln; one featuring an orange outline of the state's official butterfly, the monarch; one with a gear and corn kernels to represent the state's robust industrial and agricultural might; and several featuring 21 stars or stripes to symbolize Illinois' status as the 21st state in the nation. And if residents want to maintain the status quo or go back to the future, they will also have the option to keep the current state flag or adopt either the 1918 centennial flag or 1968 sesquicentennial flag. Illinois residents will be able to vote on those 13 choices next month. Whether they are the best options is another question. Social media reaction to the finalists was mixed, with many wondering whether the 22-person commission got it right. Well, folks can now judge for themselves as Lee Enterprises, via a Freedom of Information Act request, has obtained a copy of all 4,838 designs submitted in the contest. They range from serious — incorporating principles of flag design and the key symbols of Illinois such as its waterways and agricultural roots — to silly, such as a Chicago hot dog. They include professionally-designed submissions to those hand-drawn by many of the state's schoolchildren. And some included a political bent, both positive and negative, from the state's status as a beacon for LGBTQ people to its reputation for high taxes and political corruption. Here is a 1,878-page PDF containing every flag submission: Voting will open in January online at www.ilsos.gov/stateflag . Once completed, the commission will submit a report with a recommendation to the Illinois General Assembly by April 1.

Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. stock rises Friday, outperforms marketDemi Moore revealed how actor Bruce Willis almost two years after he was revealed his dementia diagnosis . Ex-wife Moore answered questions on CNN about his ongoing health battle, saying that he “in a very stable place at the moment.” “I’ve shared this before, but I really mean this so sincerely,” Moore said. “It’s so important for anybody who’s dealing with this, to really meet them where they’re at, and from that place, there is such loving and joy.” In 2022, Willis' family announced his aphasia diagnosis, a language disorder that makes it hard for those to communicate or understand others. In 2023, they learned the aphasia was a result of frontotemporal dementia. “I’ve known that something was wrong for a long time. It started out with a kind of vague unresponsiveness, which the family chalked up to Hollywood hearing loss,” his daughter Tallulah Willis wrote in Vogue in 2023. “I find that I’m trying to document, to build a record for the day when he isn’t there to remind me of him and of us.” His second wife, Emma Heming Willis, currently is the actor’s caretaker. Moore emphasized that Willis' condition is “very difficult,” and said that she wouldn’t wish it on anyone. “There is great loss,” Moore said. “but there is also great beauty.” Soap opera star Thom Christopher died on Dec. 5 at the age of 84. Christopher starred as villain Carlo Hessler on the long-running soap One Life to Live . Former co-star Anthony Crivello announced his death in a Facebook with a heartfelt message. “He was always a gentleman, always supportive, and he and his wife Judith who proceeded him in death, where always gracious to me and welcoming,” Crivello, who played Christopher’s son, wrote. Christopher’s wife Judith died in 2019. “May Thom fly on Wings of Angels to be beside his beloved Judith, and may they enjoy each other’s company once again, beside the ‘Pearly Gates’ of heaven.” Christopher appeared on the series from 1991 to 2008. One Life to Live ran from 1956 until 2013. In 1992, he won a daytime Emmy for best supporting actor for his work on the show. The name TASER is already synonymous with public safety, with professionals everywhere relying on them for unparalleled protection in all kinds of situations. If you want to get the same sense of security and peace of mind, the TASER Pulse 2 is here to meet your needs. The TASER Pulse 2 is the ultimate compact solution for less-lethal self-defense. Like all TASER devices, the Pulse 2 is designed to empower you to take control of your safety with confidence and clarity while lessening the risk of accidentally hurting yourself (or worse). The TASER Pulse 2 has a traditional compact gun design, making it concealable, easy to carry, and perfect for incorporating into your everyday life , so you can feel fully prepared for any situation that may arise. As the saying goes: if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready. The TASER Pulse 2 also makes the perfect gift to share with a loved one during this holiday season. After all, you can’t put a price on feeling protected! Whether you’re buying for yourself or someone you care about, now is the perfect time to invest in security by grabbing this reliable tool. If you buy something from this post, we may earn a small commission. Randy Moss, former wide receiver, Hall of Famer and current ESPN pundit for “Sunday NFL Countdown,” is stepping back from the show due to heath issues, according to the network. The hiatus, announced on Friday, comes after an Instagram post by Moss on Sunday asking for prayers. In the video, he said he has been battling “something internal,” and that he has a “great team of doctors.” The star then referred to viewers mentioning his seemingly yellow eyes last week, and put on a pair of sunglasses. “Your boy is going to get through it,” Moss said. “So if you see me with my... glasses on, y’all know what I’m battling,” ESPN said Moss had the network’s “full support’ and that they “look forward to welcoming him back when he is ready.” In the Instagram video, Moss, 47, told men to get their check-ups and bloodwork done. “I just ask for all the prayer warriors to put their blessing hands on me and my family through these hard times,” Moss said. A post shared by Randygmoss (@randygmoss) Britney Spears didn’t move to Mexico— despite the video of Spears saying she did, a source told The Hollywood Reporter . The singer originally told fans that she moved to Mexico to escape the “incredibly cruel” paparazzi. “It really kind of hurts my feelings that the paparazzi make my face look like I’m wearing like a white Jason mask, and it doesn’t even look like me,” Spears said on Tuesday. “They’ve always been incredibly cruel to me, the paparazzi and pictures and the way they’ve illustrated me to be in some of it. I know I’m not perfect at all, by any means, but some of it is extremely mean and cruel, and that’s why I’ve moved to Mexico.” The clip was part of a longer video marking Spears’ 43rd birthday on Monday, which was also the day her divorce with Sam Asghari was finalized, according to TMZ . Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. If you’re looking to revamp your at-home fitness lineup ahead of 2025 and don’t have hours to commit to exercising each day, allow us to introduce you to the CAROL Bike . The science-backed and AI-powered fitness bike is engineered to give you maximum results in the shortest time possible—and by the shortest time, we mean as little as five minutes. In fact, according to the brand, the CAROL bike is “proven to deliver double the health and fitness benefits in 90 percent less time compared to regular cardio.” Free Returns | Free Shipping Not only is it a huge time-saver, but the CAROL Bike is also designed to be personalized to the rider’s individual fitness levels, goals, and preferences, making the workouts easy to follow, time-efficient, and super effective. CAROL’s AI and Reduced Exertion HIIT (REHIT) technology optimizes the workout to your ability and fitness level, so every second matters. The personalized, optimal resistance levels are automatically adjusted as you work out—at exactly the right time—making the most efficient workouts easy to follow. “ CAROL Bike is designed to maximize training efficiency, with the shortest, most effective workouts, backed by science. And new rider-inspired features that give riders more flexibility to exercise their way,” says Ulrich Dempfle, CEO & Co-Founder at CAROL. You can try the CAROL Bike for yourself risk-free for 100 days, and the brand offers free shipping (7-10 business days) in the U.S. A federal court upheld a law stating that TikTok needs to cut ties with its parent company, Chinese-owned ByteDance, or be banned in the U.S. on Jan. 19, 2025. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied TikTok’s appeal to overturn the law. The company argued that it violated the First Amendment. “The First Amendment exists to protect free speech in the United States,” said the court’s opinion, written by Judge Douglas Ginsburg. “Here the Government acted solely to protect that freedom from a foreign adversary nation and to limit that adversary’s ability to gather data on people in the United States.” TikTok and ByteDance are expected to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court, though it’s unclear if the Court would hear the case. The ban was signed into law by Joe Biden in April, capping off a years-long fight against the popular app, which lawmakers view as a threat to national security. Two hikers reportedly stumbled upon a woman tied to a tree and crying in Monterey County, California, on Wednesday. According to SF Gate , she was walking a trail in Pebble Beach around 7:30 that morning when she noticed a “suspicious male” behind her, holding a gun. The man did not take anything from her or assault her or injure her, just left her tied up for two hours before the passersby found her. With the help of another hiker, he untied the woman and called the police. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office subsequently launched a search for the suspect, described as being in his 30s with a neck tattoo involving the letter Z. SFGate reports that while authorities haven’t identified anyone matching that description yet, they say there is “no active threat to the community.” Confusing celebrity update: Paris Jackson, daughter of late musician Michael Jackson , is engaged to Justin Long. Not the Justin Long I think you’re thinking of (he’s married to Kate Bosworth) but another Justin Long; the Justin Long who Jackson has been dating for about two years. He works as a music producer, sound engineer, and mixer, according to The Daily Mail , and first appeared on Jackson’s Instagram in Nov. 2022. The next time he showed up on her grid was Friday, in a carousel she posted to celebrate Long’s birthday, which also included photos of the proposal. “Happy birthday, my sweet blue,” she captioned the post, using her nickname for her fiancé. “Doing life with you these last years has been an indescribable whirlwind and I couldn’t dream of anyone more perfect for me to do it all with.” As for when the pair became engaged, Jackson was photographed wearing a big diamond ring during Paris Fashion Week this past September. Consider this the hard launch? The jury in Daniel Penny’s manslaughter case signaled Friday that they’re struggling to reach a verdict on the case. They must decide if Penny “recklessly” caused the death of Jordan Neely by putting him in a six-minute chokehold on the subway in May 2023. Penny’s attorneys argued that the former Marine was justified in putting Neely in a chokehold because witnesses say he told passengers, “Somebody’s going to die today,” and that he was ready to go to jail. Prosecutors argue that no witnesses testified that Neely brandished a weapon or touched anybody, and that Penny kept Neely in the chokehold long after other passengers left the train. The jury has been deliberating since Tuesday. The jury could also convict him of the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide. If the jury can’t reach a verdict then Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Maxwell Wiley would issue an “Allen” charge, which urges them to reach a unanimous verdict. Penny faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted on the manslaughter charge, or up to four years if convicted of a lesser count. Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. It’s not every day that you can score a deal on a high-quality printer at a lower cost. Investing in a quality printer for your home or office is a game-changer, and while it’s not the most fun purchase, it’ll pay for itself in a couple of months. Fortunately, you don’t have to pay full price for a solid printer, thanks to HP’s current sale . Right now, you can score the HP Envy Inspire 7955e , the brand’s premium at-home photo printer for $70 off. If you’re looking for a solid holiday gift that they’ll actually use, the deluxe multi-purpose printer is a great choice—especially for photographers and anyone who works from home. The all-in-one printer is also designed with HP’s Wolf Essential Security system to keep your information secure and keep hackers out. Plus, unlike other printers that require you to get your hands dirty to replenish the ink, this one offers a 15-second mess-free ink refill experience with bottles that can be plugged into the tank. Say goodbye to messes and hello to your new printer . Best of all? For a limited time, score three months of Instant Ink with HP+. Donald Trump on Friday fired off an unequivocal message of support for his defense secretary pick Pete Hegseth in the wake of several damaging reports about the Fox News star’s alleged behavior. “Pete Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep, much more so than the Fake News would have you believe,” the president-elect wrote on Truth Social. “He was a great student—Princeton/Harvard educated—with a Military state of mind. He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense Defense, one who leads with charisma and skill. Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!” Trump’s post came the morning after Hegseth spent the day meeting with senators whose votes he’ll need to be confirmed as the next Pentagon chief. Speaking to reporters Thursday, Hegseth insisted he’d had a “ great week ”—despite multiple bombshell reports emerging in recent days about his alleged drunken antics, which he denies, along with rumors that Trump is considering replacing him with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as his nominee for defense secretary. “As long as Donald Trump wants me in this fight, I’m going to be standing right here in this fight,” Hegseth said. A top Romanian court alleged Friday that Russia conducted an elaborate TikTok psy op to get a pro-Putin political newcomer elected president. The European Union member state’s Constitutional Court made the unprecedented decision to annul the results after the first round of its election votes, with Sunday’s second round of voting canceled, too. A raft of now-released intelligence reports allege that front-runner Calin Georgescu soared into the lead backed by 25,000 TikTok accounts based in Moscow. The Euro skeptic and anti-NATO Georgescu, who has professed his admiration of Romania’s fascist past, was a relative nobody before the election and was polling at around 5 percent. The U.S. State Department said earlier this week that it was concerned by the Romanian Supreme Council of National Defense’s “report of Russian involvement in malign cyber activity designed to influence the integrity of the Romanian electoral process.”AES Announces 2% Increase in Quarterly Dividend

Markets reversed a two-day slide after the latest reading on consumer inflation all but ensured a quarter-point rate cut from the Federal Reserve later this month. As per usual, a rally in mega-cap tech stocks led the charge. Tech stocks gapped higher at the open, led by the Magnificent 7 , after the November Consumer Price Index (CPI) helped confirm market expectations for short-term monetary policy. Headline CPI increased 0.3% month over month, a slight increase from the 0.2% rise seen in the previous four months. On an annual basis, headline CPI rose 2.7%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , up from 2.6% in October. Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail. Although inflation accelerated on a year-over-year basis, the print essentially matched market forecasts. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy costs and is considered a better indicator of future prices, also matched estimates. The gauge increased 0.3% in November, or the same rate seen over the previous three months. Annual core CPI advanced 3.3% to match consensus expectations. "This morning's in-line CPI results are flashing a green light to equity investors clapping their hands while yelling Santa Claus," writes José Torres, senior economist at Interactive Brokers . "The enthusiasm is also extending to fixed income as rate watchers cement another quarter-point trim from the Fed in response to the well-received inflation figures." As of December 11, interest rate traders assigned a 95% probability to the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) cutting the federal funds rate by 25 basis points (bps), or 0.25%, to 4.25% to 4.50%, according to CME Group's FedWatch Tool . That's up from 78% one week ago and 65% a month ago. Although a quarter-point reduction appears locked in for the next Fed meeting , the outlook for easing next year is complicated by the incoming administration's economic policies, including the imposition of sweeping tariffs . These developments are complicating forecasters' calculus for the path of interest rates in 2025. As for Wednesday, however, a December rate cut was mostly good news. It sparked a rally in risk assets – and in tech stocks in particular. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite closed up 1.8% at 20,034, led by heavyweights such as Google parent Alphabet ( GOOGL , +5.5%), Tesla ( TSLA , +5.9%) and Amazon.com ( AMZN , +2.3%). Microsoft ( MSFT , +1.3%) and Nvidia ( NVDA , +3.1) also rallied, but these Buy-rated Dow stocks weren't able to lift the price-weighted Dow Jones Industrial Average , which slipped 0.2% to 44,148. The market-cap weighted S&P 500 added 0.8% to 6,084. Are utilities a cheap AI play? As a highly regulated sector, utilities are known for low growth, low volatility and dividends. In other words, this is a defensive sector – at least traditionally. The emergence of AI appears to be changing the sector's characteristics, however. Electricity demand will grow exponentially with the build out of AI data centers, and that's boosting this sleepy sector's growth prospects. Indeed, it's not clear how much of this potential might already be priced in. The Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF ( XLU ) is up 26% on a total return basis (price change plus dividends) so far this year, while the broader market gained 28%. Utilities have always generated relatively stable revenue and profits. They also generate loads of free cash , thanks to all those folks paying their energy bills every month. Utilities then turn right back around and hand much of that cash back to shareholders in the form of dividends. In fact, utilities are almost always among the best-yielding market sectors. Between their steady businesses and substantial dividends, you can see how these stocks can sometimes provide not just some level of safety, but upside potential when most other equities are on the rocks. At the same time, utilities are not tech stocks. For example, while the Nasdaq jumped on Wednesday, the utilities sector actually ended in the red. Investors interested in sussing out cheap utilities that could double as AI plays would do well to study the best utility stocks to buy now . Related content Rising Prices: Which Goods and Services Are Driving Inflation? If You'd Put $1,000 Into Adobe Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have Today Best Bargain Stocks: Stocking Stuffers for the Holidays

Options Corner: Palantir Call Spreads Remain Compelling Despite Overvaluation Concerns

Donald Trump has yet to move back into the White House and already fissures are opening in his coalition, amid squabbling between Elon Musk and his Silicon Valley “tech bros” and his hardcore Republican backers. At the heart of the internecine sniping is Trump’s central election issue – immigration – and the H-1B visas that allow companies to bring foreigners with specific qualifications to the US. The permits are widely used in Silicon Valley, and Musk – who himself came to the United States from South Africa on an H-1B – is a fervent advocate. The altercation was set off earlier this week by far-right activists who criticised Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan, an Indian American venture capitalist, to be an adviser on artificial intelligence (AI), saying that he would have influence on the Trump administration’s immigration policies. On Friday, Steve Bannon, a long-time Trump confidante, critiqued “big tech oligarchs” for supporting the H-1B programme and cast immigration as a threat to Western civilisation. Musk, the world’s richest man who bankrolled Trump’s election campaign and has become a close adviser, posted on X on Thursday that welcoming elite engineering talent from abroad was “essential for America to keep winning”. Vivek Ramaswamy, appointed by Trump as Musk’s co-chair on a new advisory board on government efficiency, suggested that companies prefer foreign workers because they lack an “American culture”, which he said venerates mediocrity. “A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers,” he posted, warning that, without a change in attitude, “we’ll have our asses handed to us by China”. Musk has vowed to go to “war” to defend the H-1B visa programme. In a post on social media platform X, Musk said: “The reason I’m in America, along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong, is because of H1B.” “I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend,” he added. Musk, a naturalised US citizen born in South Africa, has held an H-1B visa, and his electric-car company Tesla obtained 724 of the visas this year. H-1B visas are typically for three-year periods, though holders can extend them or apply for green cards. Scepticism over the benefits of immigration is a hallmark of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement and the billionaires’ remarks angered immigration hawks who accused them of ignoring US achievements in technological innovation. Incoming White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller posted a 2020 speech in which Trump marvelled at the American “culture” that had “harnessed electricity, split the atom, and gave the world the telephone and the Internet”. The post appeared calculated to remind critics that Trump won November’s election on a platform of getting tough on immigration and boosting American manufacturing. However, it was Michael Faraday, an English scientist, who discovered that an electric current could be produced by passing a magnet through a copper wire and Ernest Rutherford, a New Zealander, who first split the atom. And Alexander Graham Bell may have died a US citizen but he was a British subject in Canada when he invented the telephone. Trump voiced opposition to H-1B visas during his successful first run for the White House in 2016, calling them “unfair for our workers” while acknowledging that he used foreign labour in his own businesses. The Republican placed restrictions on the system when he took office, but the curbs were lifted by President Joe Biden. Trump is known for enjoying the gladiatorial spectacle when conflict breaks out in his inner circle. He has been conspicuously silent during the hostilities that Politico characterised as “Musk vs MAGA”. Many MAGA figures have been agitating for a complete closure of America’s borders while the problem of illegal entries is tackled, and hoping for a steer from Trump that would reassure them that he remains firm in his “America First” stance. It remains to be seen whether these cracks can be smoothed out or if they are a portent of further strife, but critics point to the chaos in Trump’s first term as a potential indicator. “Looking forward to the inevitable divorce between President Trump and Big Tech,” said far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, a MAGA figure with so much influence that she had a seat on Trump’s plane during the campaign. “We have to protect President Trump from the technocrats.” She has subsequently complained of censorship after she was stripped of her paying subscribers on X, which is owned by Musk. “Full censorship of my account simply because I called out H1B visas,” she posted. “This is anti-American behaviour by tech oligarchs. What happened to free speech?” Page 9 Related Story Qatar joins Global Coalition for Digital Safety QCS chief appointed co-chair of global board

What's Poppin': Dec. 7 and 8Georgia police fire water cannons at pro-EU protesters

In 2nd list, Cong names 13 nominees

NonePHILIPPINE STOCKS could climb further this week on hopes of further monetary easing by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) as the November inflation print was within market expectations. On Friday, the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) rose by 0.57% or 38.37 points to close at 6,729.14, while the broader all shares index increased by 0.36% or 13.79 points to 3,790.68. Week on week, the PSEi climbed by 1.74% or 115.29 points from the 6,613.85 close on Nov. 29. “The local bourse shrugged off the slight uptick in domestic inflation, posting gains to end the week,” online brokerage firm 2TradeAsia.com said in a market note. Philippine headline inflation picked up to 2.5% year on year in November from 2.3% in October, the government reported last week. Still, this was slower than 4.1% in the same month a year ago and was within the BSP’s 2.2%-3% forecast for the month. The November print also matched the median estimate in a BusinessWorld poll of 15 analysts. For this week, Philstocks Financial, Inc. Senior Research Analyst Japhet Louis O. Tantiangco said in a Viber message that the market could continue to rise amid improving sentiment, placing the PSEi’s support at 6,700-6,800 and resistance at 7,000. “The market could move with an upward bias amid hopes that the BSP will further ease monetary policy. This comes as inflation is seen to remain under control based on the latest figures,” he said. The Monetary Board will hold its last review for the year on Dec. 19. The BSP has cut benchmark borrowing costs by a total of 50 basis points (bps) since kicking off its easing cycle in August, bringing its policy rate to 6%. “In addition, the local currency’s appreciation against the US dollar, if it continues, may give the market a boost,” Mr. Tantiangco added. On Friday, the peso closed at P57.735 per dollar, strengthening by 14.5 centavos from its P57.88 finish on Tuesday, Bankers Association of the Philippines data showed. This was the local unit’s best finish in more than six weeks or since its P57.59 close on Oct. 21. “Investors are also expected to watch out for the US’ upcoming November inflation numbers as these would give clues on the Federal Reserve’s policy outlook,” Mr. Tantiangco said. US consumer and producer inflation data will be released on Dec. 11 (Wednesday) and Dec. 12 (Thursday), respectively. The Fed will hold its last policy meeting for the year on Dec. 17-18. Markets widely expect the US central bank to cut rates by 25 bps next week. Meanwhile, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort and 2TradeAsia.com put the PSEi’s support at 6,500 and resistance at 7,000. “Local equities, fundamentally, are in a position of strength relative to counterparts in developed markets, common headwinds notwithstanding... Forces in the short-run are likely to maintain pressure on the PSEi, which may camp south of 7,000 until yearend,” 2TradeAsia.com said. — Revin Mikhael D. OchaveSafeSport Center changes targeted in new bill aimed at sex abuse in sports

Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Viking Yi Dun in The Bund in Shanghai Of all the tourism trends predicted for 2025, from AI-generated itineraries to destination dupes, I’m most excited about the continuing rise of solo female travel. Like many other women since the pandemic, I’ve tapped into the inimitable joys of solo adventures. Most of these trips, however, have involved playing it safe: driving around the country, or jetting off to well-trodden destinations in Europe, Canada, and Mexico. And as much as I love cruises, I never imagined taking (let alone, enjoying) one on my own—mostly because I was afraid of feeling lonely, surrounded by couples and other twosomes having the time of their lives. But when I decided to join Viking Yi Dun’ s inaugural sailing of China Discovery , a 10-day voyage spotlighting coastal destinations from Shanghai to Shenzhen, back in September, I realized something: it wasn’t so long ago when I insisted on a sidekick during roadtrips and overnights at hotels. So, what if cruising alone as a woman could be just as fulfilling? As it turns out, the experience was beyond rewarding. While the trip wasn’t without some hiccups—remember, this was a new itinerary for Viking —overall it exceeded my expectations. More importantly, it got me excited to cruise on my own again. Below are three reasons why Viking ocean cruises are a smart choice for solo women travelers. Convenience Viking Yi Dun's Explorers Lounge Here’s one of the most convenient things about Viking’s ocean ships: their deck plans are identical. I’d taken the Iconic Iceland, Greenland & Canada cruise a few months prior and the Viking Homelands cruise last year, so I knew where everything was located, from Deck 1’s Nordic Spa to the Explorer’s Lounge on Deck 7 and 8 (my favorite quiet place to work). Not wasting time to memorize the ship’s layout translated into more time doing exactly what I wanted. A Penthouse veranda stateroom on Viking Yi Dun Though Yi Dun’s layout was familiar, there were key differences setting it apart from the rest of Viking’s ocean fleet. Because the ship (first unveiled in 2017 as the Viking Sun) was the result of a unique partnership between Viking and China Merchants Group that resulted in its sale to China in 2021, it got rebranded as Yi Dun and now flies the Chinese flag; this permits unprecedented access to ports previously inaccessible to other major cruise lines. In addition the all-Chinese staff, there are nods to the ship’s adopted homeland throughout, such as customized Freyja bathroom amenities, regional cuisine, and Chinese signage. There is one downside worth noting: Viking doesn’t have staterooms expressly for solo travelers. However, the company does occasionally offer specially-priced single supplements, so it’s best to check the website for updates. Flexibility Viking Yi Dun in Dongtou, China Unlike smaller expedition and river ships, Viking’s ocean vessels hold up to 930 passengers—so you have ample opportunities to mingle with other people if you wish, especially during meals and excursions. Conversely: if you’re in a more solitary mood, it’s easier to keep a low profile and not bump into the same faces over and over again, as you would on smaller vessels. Viking Yi Dun's Chef's Table rotated between Japanese and Korean, Thai, and Singaporean tasting menus. Destination-focused dining has long been one of Viking’s strongsuits, but Yi Dun really excelled in this regard. While the restaurant concepts were the same ones you’d find on every ocean ship, there was a thoughtful effort to immerse guests in local cuisine while offering lots of flexibility and options. The World Café’s buffet was stocked day-to-night with an enticing display of sweet and savory Chinese classics, from jian dui (fried sesame balls) to made-to-order dan dan noodles, while the Pool Grill served up Chinese-style chicken thigh burgers. The Chef’s Table featured three tasting menus rotating between Japanese-Korean—I savored the Korean BBQ tofu accompanied by perilla leaves and kimchi fried rice—Thai, and Singaporean cuisines. Even in-room dining had locally-curated options; the kung pao chicken was a standout. Torshavn, the popular late night hangout, also got a rebrand as 1872, the year China Merchants Group was established. No matter the craving or time of day, I could always find what I looking for. Safety A festive welcome at Dongtou for Viking Yi Dun passengers While safety takes top billing for most solo female travelers, it holds even more importance when exploring lesser-known parts of the world like China’s coast. In addition to offering assistance with processing visas ahead of the cruise, Viking made sure everyone felt completely safe from embarkation to disembarkation. Guanyin Altar in Mount Putuo, China Excursions, in particular, were organized with great care. Guests were welcomed at nearly every port of call with a friendly crew (and sometimes, lively performances), perhaps vendors selling souvenirs, and dedicated staff to help navigate to where to go. Though the excursions varied in terms of enrichment—which I expected since this was China Discovery’s first sailing—at least guests were able to access to parts of China unfamiliar to most foreigners. I especially enjoyed Architecture of Gulangyu, a guided walking tour that opened my eyes to the multi-cultural history and storied buildings of the tiny pedestrian-only island off the coast of Xiamen. Another reason why Viking ocean cruises feel so safe is by design; picture them as luxury floating hotels. They include the modern-day comforts, upscale amenities, and attentive staff—all of whom have undergone extensive training to assist with a range of requests, from logistical to medical—you’d expect from five-star properties, but have to the ability to navigate you to multiple destinations across water. Also have peace of mind knowing that most of these vessels boast a one-to-two staff-to-guest ratio, ensuring extra attentive service and care. Editorial Standards Forbes Accolades Join The Conversation One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. 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