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Wade Taylor IV helps No. 22 Texas A&M get by Texas TechMitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. Friday announced that it entered into a long-term time charter contract of six “QC-MAX”, 271,000m3, LNG carriers with QatarEnergy on December 12. The vessels will be built at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd. in China, for delivery between 2028 and 2031, and be jointly owned with COSCO SHIPPING LNG Investment (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. At the award ceremony MOL as one of the world’s largest owners of LNG carriers, since the mid-1990s, has expanded and strengthened the relationship with QatarEnergy through its global LNG transportation. MOL’s track record in LNG transportation and commitment in safe navigation have led to the successful conclusion of this contract. This contract will further increase the awarded vessels to MOL under the historic shipping expansion program for the North Field Expansion Project to 13 vessels. (From left: Mr. Takeshi Hashimoto, President & CEO of MOL, His Excellency Mr. Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs and President & CEO of QatarEnergy, Mr. Zhang Feng, Vice President of COSCO SHIPPING Group) QC-MAX is a state-of-the-art LNG carrier with latest technologies enabling excellent environmental performance. Addressing environmental issues in line with the “MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.2”, the group implements comprehensive, ongoing efforts to achieve sustainable net zero GHG emission and contribute to the realization of a low- and decarbonized society. Source: Mitsui O.S.K. Lines

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Myles Garrett didn't know he had joined a prestigious list of defensive stars last week until one of his biggest fans pointed it out to him. “My dad was hyped about it,” he said. For good reason. With three sacks last week in Cleveland's 24-19 win in prime time over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Garrett became the seventh player to reach double-digit sacks in seven straight seasons since the stat became official in 1982. The others: Lawrence Taylor (1984-90), Reggie White (1985-93), Bruce Smith (1992-98), John Randle (1992-99), DeMarcus Ware (2006-12) and Jared Allen (2007-13). All of them is in the Hall of Fame except for Allen. “Hall of Famer,” Garrett said in praising the retired Minnesota Vikings edge rusher, who is again on the doorstep of induction as a semifinalist for the fifth straight year. Garrett is on track to get his own bronze bust one day in Canton, but until then, he's humbled to be in such elite company. “Guys I looked up to when I started my journey into this game,” said Garrett, who tries to bolster his resume on Monday night when the Browns (3-8) visit the Denver Broncos (7-5). “It’s absolutely amazing to be amongst those guys, not just looking up at them but looking side to side and standing amongst them. "So I want to continue to find myself on those lists and hopefully stand alone at the end of the day.” He's on his way. The NFL's reigning Defensive Player of the Year is having another monster season but probably not getting the recognition he deserves as the Browns, upended by continuous quarterback issues, have fallen way short of expectations. Garrett used the national TV platform against the Steelers to remind any detractors of his greatness. He sacked Russell Wilson three times, forced a fumble and outplayed Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt, the player to whom he is most often compared. The Garrett vs. Watt debate went to another level in February. On the day Garrett received his DPOY award, second-place finisher Watt seemed to take a shot at the Browns star by posting “Nothing I'm not used to” on social media. Those comments stuck with Garrett, who following the win over Pittsburgh — and Watt being held without a sack — didn't hold back in declaring himself the league's best pass rusher. “I wanted to make it known that I’m the guy, I’m the No. 1 edge defender,” Garrett said. It was an unusual boast from Garrett, who was asked why he felt he needed to express himself. “Because part of my journey of being the best player that I can be is I think I can be the best player that there is currently,” he said. ”So I have to live up to those expectations I have for myself. That’s just on the road to be the player that I want to be.” Garrett's unrelenting drive is what sets him apart. Although he'll enter Monday's game with 98 1/2 sacks and can become just the fifth player to reach 100 in his first eight seasons, joining White, Ware, Allen and Watt, it's not enough. “I still took too long,” said Garrett, who can become the first to do it before turning 29. “It’d have been tough to catch Mr. White, but hopefully this next however many number will come quicker than the first 100. So we’ll go out there and we’ll do what I do and try to take it up a notch.” Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz marvels at Garrett's output despite double- and triple-team blocking. “He just continues to do stuff,” Schwartz said. “His production is so high, even though he’s a marked man, even though every game plan starts with, ‘Don’t let 95 wreck the game,’ and he still finds a way to wreck games.” Schwartz doesn't need to see any lists to know Garrett belongs among the best to ever rush a quarterback. “Yes, he does,” Schwartz said. "I think he’s just starting to hit his prime. I think he still has a lot left in front of him. The sky is the limit as far as he goes. And when it’s all said and done, maybe you’re comparing other people to him. That should probably be a goal for him.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Wade Taylor IV helps No. 22 Texas A&M get by Texas Tech

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans made claims about illegal voting by noncitizens a centerpiece of their 2024 campaign messaging and plan to push legislation in the new Congress requiring voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship. Yet there’s one place with a GOP supermajority where linking voting to citizenship appears to be a nonstarter: Kansas. That’s because the state has been there, done that, and all but a few Republicans would prefer not to go there again. Kansas imposed a proof-of-citizenship requirement over a decade ago that grew into one of the biggest political fiascos in the state in recent memory. The law, passed by the state Legislature in 2011 and implemented two years later, ended up blocking the voter registrations of more than 31,000 U.S. citizens who were otherwise eligible to vote. That was 12% of everyone seeking to register in Kansas for the first time. Federal courts ultimately declared the law an unconstitutional burden on voting rights, and it hasn’t been enforced since 2018. Kansas provides a cautionary tale about how pursuing an election concern that in fact is extremely rare risks disenfranchising a far greater number of people who are legally entitled to vote. The state’s top elections official, Secretary of State Scott Schwab, championed the idea as a legislator and now says states and the federal government shouldn’t touch it. “Kansas did that 10 years ago,” said Schwab, a Republican. “It didn’t work out so well.” Steven Fish, a 45-year-old warehouse worker in eastern Kansas, said he understands the motivation behind the law. In his thinking, the state was like a store owner who fears getting robbed and installs locks. But in 2014, after the birth of his now 11-year-old son inspired him to be “a little more responsible” and follow politics, he didn’t have an acceptable copy of his birth certificate to get registered to vote in Kansas. “The locks didn’t work,” said Fish, one of nine Kansas residents who sued the state over the law. “You caught a bunch of people who didn’t do anything wrong.” A small problem, but wide support for a fix Kansas’ experience appeared to receive little if any attention outside the state as Republicans elsewhere pursued proof-of-citizenship requirements this year. Arizona enacted a requirement this year, applying it to voting for state and local elections but not for Congress or president. The Republican-led U.S. House passed a proof-of-citizenship requirement in the summer and plans to bring back similar legislation after the GOP won control of the Senate in November. In Ohio, the Republican secretary of state revised the form that poll workers use for voter eligibility challenges to require those not born in the U.S. to show naturalization papers to cast a regular ballot. A federal judge declined to block the practice days before the election. Also, sizable majorities of voters in Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and the presidential swing states of North Carolina and Wisconsin were inspired to amend their state constitutions’ provisions on voting even though the changes were only symbolic. Provisions that previously declared that all U.S. citizens could vote now say that only U.S. citizens can vote — a meaningless distinction with no practical effect on who is eligible. To be clear, voters already must attest to being U.S. citizens when they register to vote and noncitizens can face fines, prison and deportation if they lie and are caught. “There is nothing unconstitutional about ensuring that only American citizens can vote in American elections,” U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, of Texas, the leading sponsor of the congressional proposal, said in an email statement to The Associated Press. Why the courts rejected the Kansas citizenship rule After Kansas residents challenged their state’s law, both a federal judge and federal appeals court concluded that it violated a law limiting states to collecting only the minimum information needed to determine whether someone is eligible to vote. That’s an issue Congress could resolve. The courts ruled that with “scant” evidence of an actual problem, Kansas couldn’t justify a law that kept hundreds of eligible citizens from registering for every noncitizen who was improperly registered. A federal judge concluded that the state’s evidence showed that only 39 noncitizens had registered to vote from 1999 through 2012 — an average of just three a year. In 2013, then-Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a Republican who had built a national reputation advocating tough immigration laws, described the possibility of voting by immigrants living in the U.S. illegally as a serious threat. He was elected attorney general in 2022 and still strongly backs the idea, arguing that federal court rulings in the Kansas case “almost certainly got it wrong.” Kobach also said a key issue in the legal challenge — people being unable to fix problems with their registrations within a 90-day window — has probably been solved. “The technological challenge of how quickly can you verify someone’s citizenship is getting easier,” Kobach said. “As time goes on, it will get even easier.” Would the Kansas law stand today? The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the Kansas case in 2020. But in August, it split 5-4 in allowing Arizona to continue enforcing its law for voting in state and local elections while a legal challenge goes forward. Seeing the possibility of a different Supreme Court decision in the future, U.S. Rep.-elect Derek Schmidt says states and Congress should pursue proof-of-citizenship requirements. Schmidt was the Kansas attorney general when his state’s law was challenged. “If the same matter arose now and was litigated, the facts would be different,” he said in an interview. But voting rights advocates dismiss the idea that a legal challenge would turn out differently. Mark Johnson, one of the attorneys who fought the Kansas law, said opponents now have a template for a successful court fight. “We know the people we can call,” Johnson said. “We know that we’ve got the expert witnesses. We know how to try things like this.” He predicted “a flurry — a landslide — of litigation against this.” Born in Illinois but unable to register in Kansas Initially, the Kansas requirement’s impacts seemed to fall most heavily on politically unaffiliated and young voters. As of fall 2013, 57% of the voters blocked from registering were unaffiliated and 40% were under 30. But Fish was in his mid-30s, and six of the nine residents who sued over the Kansas law were 35 or older. Three even produced citizenship documents and still didn’t get registered, according to court documents. “There wasn’t a single one of us that was actually an illegal or had misinterpreted or misrepresented any information or had done anything wrong,” Fish said. He was supposed to produce his birth certificate when he sought to register in 2014 while renewing his Kansas driver’s license at an office in a strip mall in Lawrence. A clerk wouldn’t accept the copy Fish had of his birth certificate. He still doesn’t know where to find the original, having been born on an Air Force base in Illinois that closed in the 1990s. Several of the people joining Fish in the lawsuit were veterans, all born in the U.S., and Fish said he was stunned that they could be prevented from registering. Liz Azore, a senior adviser to the nonpartisan Voting Rights Lab, said millions of Americans haven’t traveled outside the U.S. and don’t have passports that might act as proof of citizenship, or don’t have ready access to their birth certificates. She and other voting rights advocates are skeptical that there are administrative fixes that will make a proof-of-citizenship law run more smoothly today than it did in Kansas a decade ago. “It’s going to cover a lot of people from all walks of life,” Avore said. “It’s going to be disenfranchising large swaths of the country.” ___ Associated Press writer Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.Popular crafts retailer with 1,200 stores set to shut down only location in city – but bosses say it’s ‘normal’

Musk has until Monday to respond to SEC Twitter settlement, source saysTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans made claims about illegal voting by noncitizens a centerpiece of their 2024 campaign messaging and plan to push legislation in the new Congress requiring voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship. Yet there's one place with a GOP supermajority where linking voting to citizenship appears to be a nonstarter: Kansas. That's because the state has been there, done that, and all but a few Republicans would prefer not to go there again. Kansas imposed a proof-of-citizenship requirement over a decade ago that grew into one of the biggest political fiascos in the state in recent memory. The law, passed by the state Legislature in 2011 and implemented two years later, ended up blocking the voter registrations of more than 31,000 U.S. citizens who were otherwise eligible to vote. That was 12% of everyone seeking to register in Kansas for the first time. Federal courts ultimately declared the law an unconstitutional burden on voting rights, and it hasn't been enforced since 2018. Kansas provides a cautionary tale about how pursuing an election concern that in fact is extremely rare risks disenfranchising a far greater number of people who are legally entitled to vote. The state’s top elections official, Secretary of State Scott Schwab, championed the idea as a legislator and now says states and the federal government shouldn't touch it. “Kansas did that 10 years ago,” said Schwab, a Republican. “It didn’t work out so well.” Steven Fish, a 45-year-old warehouse worker in eastern Kansas, said he understands the motivation behind the law. In his thinking, the state was like a store owner who fears getting robbed and installs locks. But in 2014, after the birth of his now 11-year-old son inspired him to be “a little more responsible” and follow politics, he didn’t have an acceptable copy of his birth certificate to get registered to vote in Kansas. “The locks didn’t work,” said Fish, one of nine Kansas residents who sued the state over the law. “You caught a bunch of people who didn’t do anything wrong.” A small problem, but wide support for a fix Kansas' experience appeared to receive little if any attention outside the state as Republicans elsewhere pursued proof-of-citizenship requirements this year. Arizona enacted a requirement this year, applying it to voting for state and local elections but not for Congress or president. The Republican-led U.S. House passed a proof-of-citizenship requirement in the summer and plans to bring back similar legislation after the GOP won control of the Senate in November. In Ohio, the Republican secretary of state revised the form that poll workers use for voter eligibility challenges to require those not born in the U.S. to show naturalization papers to cast a regular ballot. A federal judge declined to block the practice days before the election. Also, sizable majorities of voters in Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and the presidential swing states of North Carolina and Wisconsin were inspired to amend their state constitutions' provisions on voting even though the changes were only symbolic. Provisions that previously declared that all U.S. citizens could vote now say that only U.S. citizens can vote — a meaningless distinction with no practical effect on who is eligible. To be clear, voters already must attest to being U.S. citizens when they register to vote and noncitizens can face fines, prison and deportation if they lie and are caught. “There is nothing unconstitutional about ensuring that only American citizens can vote in American elections,” U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, of Texas, the leading sponsor of the congressional proposal, said in an email statement to The Associated Press. Why the courts rejected the Kansas citizenship rule After Kansas residents challenged their state's law, both a federal judge and federal appeals court concluded that it violated a law limiting states to collecting only the minimum information needed to determine whether someone is eligible to vote. That's an issue Congress could resolve. The courts ruled that with “scant” evidence of an actual problem, Kansas couldn't justify a law that kept hundreds of eligible citizens from registering for every noncitizen who was improperly registered. A federal judge concluded that the state’s evidence showed that only 39 noncitizens had registered to vote from 1999 through 2012 — an average of just three a year. In 2013, then-Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a Republican who had built a national reputation advocating tough immigration laws, described the possibility of voting by immigrants living in the U.S. illegally as a serious threat. He was elected attorney general in 2022 and still strongly backs the idea, arguing that federal court rulings in the Kansas case “almost certainly got it wrong.” Kobach also said a key issue in the legal challenge — people being unable to fix problems with their registrations within a 90-day window — has probably been solved. “The technological challenge of how quickly can you verify someone’s citizenship is getting easier,” Kobach said. “As time goes on, it will get even easier.” Would the Kansas law stand today? The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the Kansas case in 2020. But in August, it split 5-4 in allowing Arizona to continue enforcing its law for voting in state and local elections while a legal challenge goes forward. Seeing the possibility of a different Supreme Court decision in the future, U.S. Rep.-elect Derek Schmidt says states and Congress should pursue proof-of-citizenship requirements. Schmidt was the Kansas attorney general when his state's law was challenged. "If the same matter arose now and was litigated, the facts would be different," he said in an interview. But voting rights advocates dismiss the idea that a legal challenge would turn out differently. Mark Johnson, one of the attorneys who fought the Kansas law, said opponents now have a template for a successful court fight. “We know the people we can call," Johnson said. “We know that we’ve got the expert witnesses. We know how to try things like this.” He predicted "a flurry — a landslide — of litigation against this.” Born in Illinois but unable to register in Kansas Initially, the Kansas requirement's impacts seemed to fall most heavily on politically unaffiliated and young voters. As of fall 2013, 57% of the voters blocked from registering were unaffiliated and 40% were under 30. But Fish was in his mid-30s, and six of the nine residents who sued over the Kansas law were 35 or older. Three even produced citizenship documents and still didn’t get registered, according to court documents. “There wasn’t a single one of us that was actually an illegal or had misinterpreted or misrepresented any information or had done anything wrong,” Fish said. He was supposed to produce his birth certificate when he sought to register in 2014 while renewing his Kansas driver's license at an office in a strip mall in Lawrence. A clerk wouldn't accept the copy Fish had of his birth certificate. He still doesn't know where to find the original, having been born on an Air Force base in Illinois that closed in the 1990s. Several of the people joining Fish in the lawsuit were veterans, all born in the U.S., and Fish said he was stunned that they could be prevented from registering. Liz Azore, a senior adviser to the nonpartisan Voting Rights Lab, said millions of Americans haven't traveled outside the U.S. and don't have passports that might act as proof of citizenship, or don't have ready access to their birth certificates. She and other voting rights advocates are skeptical that there are administrative fixes that will make a proof-of-citizenship law run more smoothly today than it did in Kansas a decade ago. “It’s going to cover a lot of people from all walks of life,” Avore said. “It’s going to be disenfranchising large swaths of the country.” ___ Associated Press writer Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report. John Hanna, The Associated Press

Jared Birchall, Elon Musk’s money manager and the head of his family office, is listed as the chief executive officer. Jehn Balajadia, a longtime Musk aide who has worked at SpaceX and the Boring Co., is named as an official contact. But they’re not connected to Musk’s new technology venture, or the political operation that’s endeared him to Donald Trump. Instead, they’re tied to the billionaire’s new Montessori school outside Bastrop, Texas, called Ad Astra, according to documents filed with state authorities and obtained via a Texas Public Information Act request. The world’s richest person oversees an overlapping empire of six companies — or seven, if you include his political action committee. Alongside rockets, electric cars, brain implants, social media and the next Trump administration, he is increasingly focused on education, spanning preschool to college. One part of his endeavor was revealed last year, when Bloomberg News reported that his foundation had set aside roughly $100 million to create a technology-focused primary and secondary school in Austin, with eventual plans for a university. An additional $137 million in cash and stock was allotted last year, according to the most recent tax filing for the Musk Foundation. Ad Astra is closer to fruition. The state documents show Texas authorities issued an initial permit last month, clearing the way for the center to operate with as many as 21 pupils. Ad Astra’s website says it’s “currently open to all children ages 3 to 9.” The school’s account on X includes job postings for an assistant teacher for preschool and kindergarten and an assistant teacher for students ages 6 to 9. To run the school, Ad Astra is partnering with a company that has experience with billionaires: Xplor Education, which developed Hala Kahiki Montessori school in Lanai, Hawaii, the island 98% owned by Oracle Corp. founder Larry Ellison. Ad Astra sits on a highway outside Bastrop, a bedroom community about 30 miles from Austin and part of a region that’s home to several of Musk’s businesses. On a visit during a recent weekday morning, there was a single Toyota Prius in the parking lot and no one answered the door at the white building with a gray metal roof. The school’s main entrance was blocked by a gate, and there was no sign of any children on the grounds. But what information there is about Ad Astra makes it sound like a fairly typical, if high-end, Montessori preschool. The proposed schedule includes “thematic, STEM-based activities and projects” as well as outdoor play and nap time. A sample snack calendar features carrots and hummus. While Birchall’s and Balajadia’s names appear in the application, it isn’t clear that they’ll have substantive roles at the school once it’s operational. Musk, Birchall and Balajadia didn’t respond to emailed questions. A phone call and email to the school went unanswered. Access to high quality, affordable childcare is a huge issue for working parents across the country, and tends to be an especially vexing problem in rural areas like Bastrop. Many families live in “childcare deserts” where there is either not a facility or there isn’t an available slot. Opening Ad Astra gives Musk a chance to showcase his vision for education, and his support for the hands-on learning and problem solving that are a hallmark of his industrial companies. His public comments about learning frequently overlap with cultural concerns popular among conservatives and the Make America Great Again crowd, often focusing on what he sees as young minds being indoctrinated by teachers spewing left-wing propaganda. He has railed against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and in August posted that “a lot of schools are teaching white boys to hate themselves.” Musk’s educational interests dovetail with his new role as Trump’s “first buddy.” The billionaire has pitched a role for himself that he — and now the incoming Trump administration — call “DOGE,” or the Department of Government Efficiency. Though it’s not an actual department, DOGE now posts on X, the social media platform that Musk owns. “The Department of Education spent over $1 billion promoting DEI in America’s schools,” the account posted Dec. 12. Back in Texas, Bastrop is quickly becoming a key Musk point of interest. The Boring Co., his tunneling venture, is based in an unincorporated area there. Across the road, SpaceX produces Starlink satellites at a 500,000-square-foot (46,000-square-meter) facility. Nearby, X is constructing a building for trust and safety workers. Musk employees, as well as the general public, can grab snacks at the Boring Bodega, a convenience store housed within Musk’s Hyperloop Plaza, which also contains a bar, candy shop and hair salon. Ad Astra is just a five-minute drive away. It seems to have been designed with the children of Musk’s employees — if not Musk’s own offspring — in mind. Musk has fathered at least 12 children, six of them in the last five years. “Ad Astra’s mission is to foster curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking in the next generation of problem solvers and builders,” reads the school’s website. A job posting on the website of the Montessori Institute of North Texas says “While their parents support the breakthroughs that expand the realm of human possibility, their children will grow into the next generation of innovators in a way that only authentic Montessori can provide.” The school has hired an executive director, according to documents Bloomberg obtained from Texas Health and Human Services. Ad Astra is located on 40 acres of land, according to the documents, which said a 4,000-square-foot house would be remodeled for the preschool. It isn’t uncommon for entrepreneurs to take an interest in education, according to Bill Gormley, a professor emeritus at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University who studies early childhood education. Charles Butt, the chairman of the Texas-based H-E-B grocery chain, has made public education a focus of his philanthropy. Along with other business and community leaders, Butt founded “Raise Your Hand Texas,” which advocates on school funding, teacher workforce and retention issues and fully funding pre-kindergarten. “Musk is not the only entrepreneur to recognize the value of preschool for Texas workers,” Gormley said. “A lot of politicians and business people get enthusiastic about education in general — and preschool in particular — because they salivate at the prospect of a better workforce.” Musk spent much of October actively campaigning for Trump’s presidential effort, becoming the most prolific donor of the election cycle. He poured at least $274 million into political groups in 2024, including $238 million to America PAC, the political action committee he founded. While the vast majority of money raised by America PAC came from Musk himself, it also had support from other donors. Betsy DeVos, who served as education secretary in Trump’s first term, donated $250,000, federal filings show. The Department of Education is already in the new administration’s cross hairs. Trump campaigned on the idea of disbanding the department and dismantling diversity initiatives, and he has also taken aim at transgender rights. “Rather than indoctrinating young people with inappropriate racial, sexual, and political material, which is what we’re doing now, our schools must be totally refocused to prepare our children to succeed in the world of work,” Trump wrote in Agenda 47, his campaign platform. Musk has three children with the musician Grimes and three with Shivon Zilis, who in the past was actively involved at Neuralink, his brain machine interface company. All are under the age of five. Musk took X, his son with Grimes, with him on a recent trip to Capitol Hill. After his visit, he shared a graphic that showed the growth of administrators in America’s public schools since 2000. Musk is a fan of hands-on education. During a Tesla earnings call in 2018, he talked about the need for more electricians as the electric-car maker scaled up the energy side of its business. On the Joe Rogan podcast in 2020, Musk said that “too many smart people go into finance and law.” “I have a lot of respect for people who work with their hands and we need electricians and plumbers and carpenters,” Musk said while campaigning for Trump in Pennsylvania in October. “That’s a lot more important than having incremental political science majors.” Ad Astra’s website says the cost of tuition will be initially subsidized, but in future years “tuition will be in line with local private schools that include an extended day program.” “I do think we need significant reform in education,” Musk said at a separate Trump campaign event. “The priority should be to teach kids skills that they will find useful later in life, and to leave any sort of social propaganda out of the classroom.” ©2024 Bloomberg News. Visit at bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Lakers send D'Angelo Russell to Nets in trade for Dorian Finney-Smith, Shake Milton

2Africa submarine cable: PTA says made ‘significant strides’ to boost internet connectivity

The festive season is a time when the gap between the haves and have-nots is most pronounced. In Singapore, one of the most affluent nations in the world by gross domestic product per capita, entire families still live out of tiny one-room or two-room rental flats , and struggle to afford basic needs. Mental health issues such as loneliness are more prevalent, particularly among our ageing population . It is not that we lack social service organisations to address the wide spectrum of needs – Singapore has many hundreds of social service agencies, and the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) supports over 500. Yet, there remain gaps in support for those among us who need it most. Given that the end of the year is typically a time when people think about giving back to the community, it felt particularly apt to sit down for a conversation with Tan Li-San, the chief executive officer of NCSS, on what could make a real difference to Singapore’s communities in need. A volunteer since she was 15, Tan said the challenges are whether charities can fully meet the needs of people and families with multifaceted needs, ensuring that social service agencies are well equipped, and rousing both corporates and individuals. Her vision for NCSS: Beyond a membership body or a funder, she hopes to grow the statutory board into a “sector developer” in the true sense of the word, “putting together strategic frameworks and supporting systems in order to allow our charities to better meet the needs of Singaporeans”. MEETING COMPLEX NEEDS Despite there being so many social service agencies, some vulnerable families and persons still fall through the gaps. “Usually, the families that require the most support have multiple needs, and the needs are quite multifaceted,” Tan explained. For example, one such family may have an incarcerated father, a mother working multiple jobs, children within the family from different fathers who may not be going to school or have their basic needs met because parents are absent or too busy, she said. These problems are too complex for a single agency or programme to tackle alone. Such a family might benefit from the Singapore Prison Service’s rehabilitation and reintegration programmes; Family Service Centres’ support in acquiring financial assistance, counselling services, family and employment support; as well as the Singapore Children Society’s support for children and youth in need. With social service agencies, there is a “tendency to look after that one slice (they are responsible for),” Tan explained. “The fact that the family has to go to different places to seek help... there’s some loss of dignity in that.” Tan sees NCSS’ role as taking a more integrated approach, providing a continuum of care from multiple agencies working together for more holistic support. For instance, NCSS spearheaded the collaboration between Montfort Care, Fei Yue Community Services, and Yong-en Care Centre to set up JiaYou, which was launched in August this year. Located at Chinatown Point, this centre supports seniors and caregivers across Singapore via community engagement, dementia care, caregiver counselling, a caregivers’ cafe, an active ageing programme and workshops on palliative care management. “The idea behind it is that instead of funding singular services or silo services, we create a centre where a particular group, in this case, seniors, should be able to get all their needs met,” she said. BETTER SUPPORT FOR SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES Sometimes, Tan said, social service agencies lack the organisational capacity to work optimally. She sees NCSS’ role as building the right support systems to boost the efficiency of agencies. Joining NCSS in January 2020, Tan witnessed firsthand the importance of this when Singapore went into the circuit breaker three months later, in April. “(Social services) is a sector that’s not been very much digitalised. Not every staff had a computer, their networks were slow, there was no business continuity in place,” she said. During the period of virtual meetings, this became extremely challenging. “Not all the social service agencies had the creativity or the agility to transform the way they serve so there was that period of messiness and chaos,” she said, adding that this was also a period of isolation for some seniors and persons with disability, which may have impacted developmental progress. The silver lining was that the pandemic gave Tan’s team the impetus to help agencies better develop their technology, digital capacities and human resources capacity. “We amalgamated all these different initiatives into one scheme that really helps social service agencies to focus on diagnosing what areas they should invest in, what would make greatest impact, and then providing the funding and support for them to build these capabilities,” she said. Manual tasks such as note-taking and transcribing are now automated, freeing up time for social workers to focus on their clients, Tan said. In some cases, real-time data can be collected so that rehabilitation programmes can be personalised. She urged the public and donors to adopt this view when thinking about their donation dollars: That funds are also needed for developing an agency’s organisational capacity. “Among donors, they come with the lens that all their donation dollars must go to the service user or programmes that directly benefit the service user,” Tan noted. When a portion of donor funds are channelled towards technology, digitalisation and human resources, it can amplify the impact of social service agencies, she said. GALVANISING THE COMMUNITY TO COME TOGETHER Another common misconception is that social services are only for low income and disabled persons. But in time to come, these services are likely to impact larger segments of society, said Tan. “Society is changing. Demographics are changing. Mental health issues are becoming far more salient. I think this is partly because of the pains of life – work is more stressful, change is faster,” Tan said. “There’s going to be a whole sandwiched middle class who still can’t afford to pay S$200 a pop for counselling sessions. How do you support families like these, including sandwiched families who are also caregivers for elderly and children?” she said. “People are also staying single, not having kids, and there’ll be more isolation going forward,” she added. “At our recent board retreat, someone talked about how, in the future, the whole definition of what is family might change. Maybe you can no longer rely on family as a first line of support anymore. Maybe your “family” is your neighbour or your volunteer that you see every other day,” she said. How can we tackle these changes as a society? “It requires every Singaporean to be looking out for each other, to be thinking about how they can support each other, to be empathetic and look at who around you might need support and help,” said Tan. Another rising issue is the impact of climate on social support. “Around our region, many have already succumbed to heat stress and heat exhaustion. In Singapore, thankfully, this has not happened yet. But is it a matter of time? Is it the most vulnerable populations who are susceptible? I think these are some of the things that we’re thinking about,” she said. Because these issues affect everyone, Tan believes all Singaporeans should get involved. And she sees NCSS’ integral role in rousing communities and corporates to do more, and in an impactful and holistic way. “Corporates tend to want to come in at Christmas to run a Christmas party. But actually, what they want to do is not always what the charity needs,” said Tan. To encourage corporates to contribute more meaningfully, Tan and her team have created a sustainable philanthropy framework to help organisations measure their social impact based on how much they donate, volunteer and adopt socially-inclusive business practices, as well as the outcomes of their efforts. The mother of three teenagers also encouraged Singaporeans in general to be more active in volunteering and helping those in need around them. Having started her volunteer journey in her teens, one incident that remains etched in her memory is visiting a tiny HDB rental flat at the age of 15 and witnessing a mother on the floor with her immobile teenage son, who suffered from a form of muscular dystrophy. “Clearly, the mother loved the child very much, but didn’t have the resources, maybe the knowledge, to really support the child. What struck me then was those of us who are in a position to help should do so,” she reflected. “It is more than just about people giving time or money. It’s really also about building that stronger sense of solidarity amongst Singaporeans,” said Tan. CNA Women is a section on CNA Lifestyle that seeks to inform, empower and inspire the modern woman. If you have women-related news, issues and ideas to share with us, email CNAWomen [at] mediacorp.com.sg .In the past few years, state and local governments across the U.S. have begun spending billions in opioid settlements paid by companies accused of fueling the overdose crisis. But where is that money going, who is getting it, and is it doing any good? KFF Health News, partnering with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Shatterproof , a national nonprofit focused on addiction, undertook a yearlong investigation to find out. Dozens of interviews, thousands of pages of documents, an array of public records requests, and outreach to all 50 states resulted in a first-of-its kind database that catalogs more than 7,000 ways opioid settlement cash was used in 2022 and 2023. It’s the most comprehensive resource to date tracking some of the largest public health settlements in American history. Among the findings: --States and localities received more than $6 billion in opioid settlement funds in 2022 and 2023. According to public records, they spent or committed about a third of that amount and set aside about another third for future use. The final third was untrackable, as many jurisdictions did not produce public reports on the funds. --Reports of spending tracked the minuscule to the monumental, from $11.74 to buy postage in Yavapai County, Arizona, to more than $51 million to increase the addiction treatment workforce in California. --States allotted, on average, about 18% of their funds for addiction and mental health treatment; 14% for recovery services such as housing, transportation, and legal aid; 11% for harm reduction efforts such as overdose reversal medications; and 9% for prevention programs that aim to stop people from developing substance use disorders. States committed, on average, about 2% for syringe service programs, through which people can get sterile needles. (A variety of entities received this money, from law enforcement to nonprofit organizations to government agencies.) --Governments reported spending more than $240 million on purposes that did not qualify as opioid remediation. (Most settlements allow states to spend up to 15% of their funds this way.) Most of this tranche went to legal fees, but several jurisdictions funneled money to their general fund. One county even sent funds to its road and bridge department. --Several cities and counties reported expenditures they said addressed the overdose crisis but that would leave an average person scratching their head — such as $33.07 to an anti-abortion pregnancy center in Sandborn, Indiana, and $30,362 to screen first responders for heart disease in Oregon City, Oregon. “When people know that people aren’t watching and there’s no accountability, then they can kind of do what they want,” said Tonja Myles , a community activist in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who is in recovery. “That’s why we have to have some kind of database and accountability.” Despite the recent decline in overall overdose deaths in the U.S., more than 90,000 people still died in the 12 months ending July 2024 and rates are rising in many Black and Native American communities . “We can’t mess up or miss this moment,” Myles said. Opioid settlement payouts are expected to total about $50 billion over nearly two decades, paid by more than a dozen companies that made or distributed prescription painkillers, including Johnson & Johnson, Walgreens, and Walmart. Although it’s a large sum, it’s dwarfed by the size of the crisis, making each dollar that’s spent critical. KFF Health News and its partners reviewed hundreds of settlement spending reports, extracting expenditures line by line, and developed a methodology to sort the expenditures into categories like treatment or prevention. States were given an opportunity to review the data and comment on their spending . To be sure, the database does not capture the full picture of opioid settlement spending nationwide. Some places do not publish spending reports, while others declined to engage with this project. The data presented here is a snapshot as of the end of 2023 and does not account for further spending in 2024. The differences in how states control , process , and report on the money make apples-to-apples comparisons nearly impossible. Still, the database helps fill a gap left by a lack of national reporting requirements and federal government inaction . It is “a tool for those who want to objectively measure whether everything that can be done is being done,” said Matthew Myers, a former president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, which compiles similar annual reports on tobacco settlement money. Treatment a Clear Winner The top priority to emerge from early opioid settlement spending was treatment, with more than $416 million spent or committed to residential rehabs, outpatient counseling, medications for opioid use disorder, and more. The state of New York — which spent the most on treatment — allocated about $22 million of that for programs that make the gold standard for care as easy as possible for patients: providing same-day prescriptions for buprenorphine, a medication that decreases cravings for opioids. The result was a program that John Greene said changed his life. Greene, 57, used to live in the woods down the street from Family & Children’s Counseling Services in Cortland, New York. He cycled through jails and hospitals, overdosing half a dozen times and trying rehab just as many. But now he has four months of recovery under his belt — the longest stint since he started regularly using drugs at 14. He said it’s because the counseling center’s new program — funded by a mix of state and local opioid settlement dollars — has a different approach. Counselors aren’t didactic and judgmental. They don’t force him to stop smoking marijuana. Several staff members have experienced addiction themselves. They drive Greene, who doesn’t have a car, to doctor appointments and the pharmacy for his buprenorphine prescription. Now Greene lives and works with his brother, looks forward to weekly counseling sessions, and is notching small victories — such as buying his nephew toy cars as a stocking stuffer. “It made me feel good to do something for somebody and not expect nothing back,” Greene said. Emily Georgia , one of Greene’s counselors, said the center has worked with nearly 200 people like him in the past year. Without the settlements, “the program probably wouldn’t exist,” she said. Across the country, the money supports other innovative treatment approaches: --$21 million for a new program in Kentucky that diverts people with mental illness or addiction who face low-level charges away from incarceration and into treatment, education, and workforce training --More than $3 million for, in part, three new mobile methadone programs in Massachusetts, to bring the medication to rural and underserved areas --Tens of thousands of dollars each in Iowa and Pennsylvania to cover out-of-pocket treatment costs for people without insurance or those with high deductibles Philip Rutherford , an expert on substance use disorder at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, said these efforts “are really positive” and many have been “historically difficult or impossible to achieve with federal or state funding.” But some funds are also flowing to treatment approaches that defy best practices, such as denying people medications for opioid use disorder. Some in the recovery community consider methadone and buprenorphine a crutch. But study after study show that the medications help people stay in treatment and reduce the risk of overdose and death . Research even suggests that treatment without these medications can be more harmful than no treatment at all. Although not everyone will want medication, settlement funds shouldn’t “prop up a system that doesn’t allow people to have that choice,” said Regina LaBelle , a professor of addiction policy at Georgetown University. Babies, Forgotten Victims of the Epidemic While treatment received a windfall in early opioid settlement spending, another aspect of the crisis was neglected: neonatal abstinence syndrome , a condition in which babies exposed to drugs in the womb experience withdrawal. Nationwide, more than 59 newborns a day are diagnosed with it. Yet only about $8.4 million in settlement money was committed to the issue — less than 0.5% of all funds publicly reported as spent or committed in 2022 and 2023. Experts in public health and addiction, as well as affected families, say it’s due to stigma. “A mom using drugs and being a parent is a very uncomfortable reality to face,” said Ashley Grant, a 38-year-old mother of three in Mesa, Arizona. “It’s easier to just push it under the rug or let them fall through the cracks, as sad as that is.” It almost happened to her. Grant learned she was pregnant with her third child last year. At the time, her partner was in jail and she was using drugs after an eight-year period of recovery, was estranged from her family, and didn’t know how she’d survive the next nine months. During a visit to a methadone clinic, she saw a booth about Jacob’s Hope , a specialty nursery that cares for substance-exposed newborns and their moms. Nursery staff connected her with a therapist, helped her enroll in parenting classes, and dropped off diapers and a playpen at her home. After delivering at the hospital, Grant and her baby boy stayed at Jacob’s Hope for about a week. Nurses showed her how skin-to-skin contact calmed his withdrawal symptoms and more frequent feedings and burpings decreased gastrointestinal discomfort, which is common among substance-exposed newborns. Today, Grant has roughly five months of recovery. She got certified as a peer recovery specialist and hopes to join Jacob’s Hope one day to help moms like her. But the nursery’s future is uncertain. After opening in 2019, Jacob’s Hope nearly shut down this summer due to low reimbursements and delayed payments from insurers, said Lyndsey Steele , its associate director. Community donations kept the nursery afloat, but “it’s still hanging on by a thread,” she said. She’s hoping opioid settlement money can help. In 2022, Jacob’s Hope received about $250,000 from Arizona’s opioid settlements. But this year, the legislature captured the state’s share of remaining funds and, in a controversial move , gave it to the Department of Corrections. Jacob’s Hope has now turned to local governments, which control their own settlement dollars. Its home city of Mesa said a first round of grant applications should open in the spring. Steele prays it won’t be too late for babies in need — the epidemic’s “forgotten victims,” she called them. Heart Disease Screening, Robot Ambulances, and More Some opioid settlement expenditures have sparked fierce disagreement. They generally fall into three buckets: money for law enforcement , funding for youth prevention programs , and purchases unrelated to the opioid crisis. Settlement dollars nationwide have bought body scanners , K-9 units , bulletproof vests , patrol trucks , and laptops and printers for police and sheriffs. Some spending strayed even further from the spirit of the settlement. In Oregon City, Oregon, more than $30,000 was spent on screening first responders for heart disease. Police Chief Shaun Davis said his staff respond to opioid-related emergencies and experience trauma that increases their risk of heart attack. But some people question if settlement funds should be footing the bill. “This looks to me like you’re trying to defray other costs” from the police budget, said Stephen Loyd , chair of Tennessee’s Opioid Abatement Council. “I don’t think that there’s any way that this opioid money was earmarked for stuff like that.” A second area of contention is youth prevention. Although most people agree that stopping children from developing addictions is important, the execution is tricky. Nearly half a million settlement dollars have gone to the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, commonly known as D.A.R.E. Decades of research suggest its original curriculum is ineffective . Robeson County, North Carolina, spent about $10,000 in settlement money to buy “ Andy the Ambulance ,” a robot ambulance with big eyes and an audio system through which a human operator can discuss the dangers of drugs. EMS Director Patrick Cummings said his team has taken the robot to churches and elementary schools. We “don’t have any studies that show it’s working,” he said, but educating kids seems like a good investment because “if they never try it, they don’t get addicted.” Then there’s the chunk of money — up to 15% of each state’s funds — that’s a free-for-all. Flint, Michigan, spent nearly $10,000 on a sign for a community service center. The city reported that the expense did not qualify as “opioid remediation.” In other words, it’s unrelated to addressing the crisis. But Caitie O’Neill, a city spokesperson, said that “the building sign makes it possible for residents to find” the center, which houses city services, “including Narcan kits, fentanyl testing strips, and substance abuse referrals.” Jurisdictions across 29 states reported non-remediation spending in 2022 and 2023. Most opioid settlements require such reports but operate on an honor system. No one is checking if the other 21 states and Washington, D.C., were truthful. Jackie Lewis, an Ohio mother whose 34-year-old son, Shaun, died of an overdose in October 2022, finds that hard to stomach. “This is blood money,” she said. Some people have “lost sight of that.” Lewis is raising Shaun’s daughter, ensuring the 9-year-old receives counseling at school and can attend the hip-hop music classes she enjoys — all on Lewis’ Social Security payments. This year they moved to a smaller town with lower costs. As settlement funds continue flowing, she wants officials in charge of the money to help families like hers. “We still exist and we’re still struggling,” she said. KFF Health News’ Henry Larweh and Megan Kalata, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Sara Whaley and Vivian Flanagan, and Shatterproof’s Kristen Pendergrass and Sahvanah Prescott contributed to this article. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has taken a leading role in providing guidance to state and local governments on the use of opioid settlement funds. Faculty from the school collaborated with other experts in the field to create principles for using the money , which have been endorsed by over 60 organizations. Shatterproof is a national nonprofit that addresses substance use disorder through distinct initiatives, including advocating for state and federal policies, ending addiction stigma, and educating communities about the treatment system. Shatterproof is partnering with some states on projects funded by opioid settlements. KFF Health News, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the Shatterproof team who worked on this report are not involved in those efforts. ( KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs of KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism.) ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

SAN MARCOS, Texas (AP) — Tyler Morgan had 20 points and 10 rebounds to help Texas State defeat Rice 75-66 on Sunday night. Tylan Pope and Coleton Benson added 13 points apiece for the Bobcats (7-3). Caden Powell finished with 14 points and six rebounds for the Owls (7-3). Trae Broadnax added 13 points and six rebounds. Kellen Amos had 10 points and five assists. Texas State took the lead with 11:31 remaining in the first half and did not give it up. Benson led with nine points for a 35-31 advantage at halftime. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .By Dr. Molly Cowan Your mother-in-law is throwing repeated verbal snowballs at you for your store-bought cookies and your cluttered family room. “Funcle” Ray has poured himself one glass of eggnog too many. Your favorite toddler just spiked a 103-degree fever and has turned an un-festive shade of green. You still have no idea whether the off-brand gifts you wrapped will make you look like a penny-pinching Grinch. And the neighbor just gave you an unexpected gift when you don’t have one in return. And don’t even think about those bloated credit card balances and red-letter due dates. When the holidays turn into your own personal “Age of Anxiety,” my fellow psychologists and I offer six simple go-to’s to restore some semblance of a “holly jolly” holiday and bring about peace in your corner of the world. These steps can help to squash your inner Scrooge and skate through squabbles and stress: Control the controllables Frequently, we set high expectations to make things “perfect” at this time of year, but many variables exist beyond our control, including traffic, weather, illness, and more. To avoid setting ourselves up for failure with the unreasonable pursuit of perfection, focus on the things we actually have control over and try to make the best of that burned appetizer, broken package, and other things that go wrong. Group things in manageable chunks Make a list of tasks you want to accomplish and then choose a few to do each day. “Chunking” helps lower stress and control last-minute panic buying. Try to maintain a somewhat consistent routine With the flurry of activities, it’s tempting to stay up late, sleep in, and eat and drink all those signature holiday treats that come our way, but it’s important not to stray too far from our normal routines. Making sure to drink plenty of water, get plenty of rest, and avoid overdoing it with food and alcohol is important to keep us functioning at our best. No one wants to battle through a holiday hangover in a crowded super-store or high-decibel classroom party. Reframe expectations Is having an impeccably set table with all-matching dinnerware important to you? If it is, great! Go big! If it’s not, it’s okay to say you don’t want to spend blocks of precious time laboring alone at the kitchen sink, rinsing, scrubbing and stacking. Choose to serve holiday dinner on paper plates. Do you enjoy sending Christmas cards to friends and family, or do you feel like it’s mandatory work? If it doesn’t bring you joy to write out cards, think about alternatives that fit your life better and still achieve the same goal. Send out holiday emails or texts, or better yet, plan a get-together in the new year. Set boundaries Most of us have family members we’re not looking forward to seeing at the holidays, or at least one topic of conversation we’d like to avoid. When Uncle Joe starts asking why you’re still single or Aunt Jane launches into political minefields, it’s ok to set a limit and say you want to talk about something else or to change topics (“How about them Eagles?”) Take time for yourself It’s easy to become overstimulated and overwhelmed at this time of year, so it’s important to take a little time to recharge your battery in between checking off every item on your “to-do” list. Skip a party and binge-watch your favorite movie if it brings you joy. You don’t have to be Martha Stewart on steroids at the holidays. You can enjoy the gifts that matter most, and start the new year off with holiday memories that uplift and endure. Dr. Molly Cowan is a licensed psychologist based in Harrisburg and the Director of Professional Affairs for the Pennsylvania Psychological Association.Mike Mitchell scores 22 and Minnesota defeats Morgan State 90-68

Wade Taylor IV racked up 19 points that included eight in the final 3:22 of the game as No. 22 Texas A&M outlasted Texas Tech 72-67 on Sunday afternoon in the USLBM Coast-to-Coast Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas. Texas A&M (8-2) led by as many as 11 points in the first half and by three at halftime before the Red Raiders surged to the front early in the second half. Down 52-49, the Aggies produced an 11-0 surge capped by a jumper by Zhuric Phelps to take a 60-52 advantage with 5:02 to play The Aggies' margin was just two points when Taylor went hard to the hole on back-to-back possessions for layups that pushed the lead to 64-58. A 3-pointer by Tech's Chance McMillian cut lead to three but Taylor, Henry Coleman III and Solomon Washington converted free throws over the final 27 seconds to provide the deciding points for A&M. Jace Carter added 16 points and Phelps had 12 for the Aggies, who have won four straight games. McMillian's 23 points were a game high, while Kevin Overton added 17 and Darrion Williams had 11 for Texas Tech (7-2), which had a three-game winning streak snapped. The Aggies ruled the game's first five minutes, blitzing to a 13-2 lead thanks to eight early points from Taylor and a stifling defense that forced Tech into four turnovers. The Red Raiders responded with an 8-2 run capped by a jumper by Federiko Federiko to close the gap to five points at the 10:57 mark. Texas Tech continued to battle back, clawing to within 26-24 with 5:16 left in the first half thanks to a 9-0 run. Texas A&M boosted the margin to as many as six points after Manny Obaseki hit a layup with 2:23 remaining before McMillian canned a pair of free throws with 41 seconds to play to pull to within 34-31 at the break. Overton led all scorers with 14 points before halftime while Carter paced the Aggies with 13. The Red Raiders pulled even on Federiko's jumper 46 seconds into the second half, went in front on a jumper by Elijah Hawkins with 18:22 to play and pushed their advantage to five points on another Hawkins jumper at the 16:30 mark of the half. The Aggies swung back, tying the contest at 49 when Washington sank a 3-pointer with 10:48 left, setting the stage for the furious finish. --Field Level MediaAD Ports Group, an enabler of integrated trade, transport and logistics solutions, announced the inauguration of CMA Terminals Khalifa Port, a state-of-the-art, AED 3.1 billion (USD 845 million) container terminal by His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council. The inauguration is a major milestone in the development of Khalifa Port, AD Ports Group’s flagship port. The world-class container, ro-ro, and multipurpose port facility opened in December 2012, and in just 12 years has expanded to become one of the world’s fastest-growing, most efficient commercial ports. CMA Terminals Khalifa Port, managed by a joint venture between the CMA CGM Group’s subsidiary CMA Terminals (70%) and AD Ports Group (30%), showcases advanced port infrastructure, including automated gates and integrated systems that enhance efficiency and sustainability. The facility offers shore-power for vessels to limit emissions, several solar panels areas contributing to the energy mix of the terminal operations and includes the region’s first net zero carbon administration building, which is powered by renewable energy sources. The building won the Net Zero Building Project of the Year Award in 2022 from the MENA Green Building Awards. The addition of the CMA CGM facility increases Khalifa Port’s annual container capacity by 23% to almost 10 million TEUs (Twenty Foot Equivalent Units). The new terminal is ready for rail connectivity and will significantly enhance Khalifa Port’s position as a major gateway for the region. The design of the new facility incorporates sustainability principles into the construction which support the UAE’s wider targets for building the circular economy, recycling construction and reducing operational waste. The new facility includes eight advanced Ship to Shore (STS) cranes, and 20 Electric Rubber Tyred Gantry (e-RTG) cranes, which enhances Khalifa Port’s reputation as one of the world’s most technologically advanced commercial ports, underscoring Abu Dhabi’s role in driving the future of sustainable and smart trade. H.E. Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, Chairman of AD Ports Group, said: “The inauguration of CMA Terminals Khalifa Port highlights the UAE as a premier investment destination and solidifies its position as a key partner for global players. The new terminal will boost trade flows and foster long-term economic growth in Abu Dhabi and the UAE.” Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CMA CGM Group, said: “The inauguration of our new container terminal is a major step in the development of Khalifa Port, consolidating Abu Dhabi’s position as a global trade hub. This strategic infrastructure will boost shipping and logistics activities across the region. Together with our partner AD Ports Group, we are pleased to deliver a modern terminal with a strong focus on innovation and sustainability.” Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO, AD Ports Group, said: “CMA Terminals Khalifa Port will significantly boost Abu Dhabi’s connectivity, reinforcing its vital role on the global trade map and contributing to local economic diversification in line with the vision of our leadership. This new facility places AD Ports Group firmly in the ranks of the world’s leading global port operators. We look forward to a long, mutually beneficial partnership with CMA CGM that brings long-term economic benefits to the UAE and Abu Dhabi, as we work together to build a sustainable global transport future.” The inauguration of CMA Terminals Khalifa Port marks the completion of Phase 1 of the new terminal project for CMA CGM, with the opening of an initial quay wall of 800 metres 18.5 metres of depth, and 8 STS Cranes adding a total capacity of 1.8 million TEUs (Twenty Foot Equivalent Units) to Khalifa Port. With the opening of the new CMA CGM facility, Khalifa Port has reached a new stage as one of the region’s leading port trade hubs. Khalifa Port now extends over 6.3 km2, with 41 quay cranes, 159 yard cranes, 11.7 km of quay wall and 3.8 km of breakwater length. Source: AD Ports GroupAmerican Airlines flights were authorized to fly early Tuesday after a brief suspension due to a system-wide technical issue that affected all routes in the United States. PUBLICIDAD Just before 7 a.m. Eastern Time, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the suspension of all American Airlines flights in the United States at the airline's request. PUBLICIDAD AA had reported a technical issue that was affecting their entire system, with millions of people traveling for the holidays. The suspension, according to the timestamps on the FAA orders, lasted exactly one hour. What was the issue that affected American Airlines? American has not provided more details on what technical issue caused the flight suspension, and the airline did not immediately respond to a request for comments. The suspensions could not have come at a worse time for the millions of travelers expected to fly during the next 10 days for the Christmas and New Year holidays. The Transportation Security Administration expects 40 million passengers during the holidays and up to January 2nd. In December 2022, Southwest Airlines stranded 2 million travelers, and Delta Air Lines experienced a minor but significant breakdown following a global technological blackout in July caused by a faulty software update from the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, making cancellations even more disruptive than during quieter periods. Even with a brief interruption, cancellations have a cascading effect that can take days to resolve.

Inside the Gaetz ethics report, a trove of new details alleging payments for sex and drug useMURRAY, Ky. (AP) — Jacobi Wood had 23 points in Murray State's 73-53 victory against Southeast Missouri State on Sunday night. Wood also added nine rebounds for the Racers (6-2, 1-0 Missouri Valley Conference). Nick Ellington added 15 points while going 6 of 8 and 3 of 6 from the free-throw line while they also had eight rebounds and three steals. Terence Harcum had 12 points and shot 4 for 12, including 3 for 7 from beyond the arc. Brendan Terry led the Redhawks (3-6) in scoring, finishing with 12 points and six rebounds. Southeast Missouri State also got 12 points from Tedrick Washington Jr.. Rob Martin finished with eight points and five assists. Murray State got a team-high eight points across the first half from Ellington, but it was only enough to head to the locker room with the score tied at the half 33-33. Wood scored 20 points in the second half to help lead the way as Murray State went on to secure a victory, outscoring Southeast Missouri State by 20 points in the second half. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

President calls for transformation in healthcare access across PakistanThe Holly Jolly Holiday Market in Fredericton has been a favourite for artisans from across the Maritimes, but it's taking on extra importance this year. As the Canada Post strike continues, among those impacted are artisans who sell their wares on online shopping sites like Etsy. Many of them will converge on the market in Fredericton this weekend instead, with the hope of making back some of the business they've lost without the postal service. Kate Hunter, the market's organizer, said there are more than a hundred vendors planning to sell at this year's fourth annual event. "I was speaking with a vendor the other day, and she sells Christmas cards. So not only is she worried about, you know, people getting their Christmas cards in the mail, she's worried about people not buying Christmas cards to put in the mail," Hunter said. N.B. charities, small businesses worried about impact of postal strike While some sellers have taken to alternative carriers, shopping local is a great way to support the sellers, she said. "So we are really hoping that this weekend is big for people because the strike is affecting so many people, so much." About 55,000 postal workers walked off the job last week , shutting down Canada Post mail service across the country, after their union, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, and the Crown corporation were unable to reach an agreement. The market will run Nov. 22 and 23 at the Currie Center at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton. The market does a lot of social media advertising beforehand, Hunter said, and sellers are carrying a wide variety of items. "We have so much talent here and ... what you'll find different about this market is we have professional crafters, we have the Craft New Brunswick members, and we also have handmade sellers who have really made a go with their business and are just thriving." Hunter highlighted market members who create wooden cutting boards, quilts and ceramics as some that especially stand out. "So it's kind of something for everyone."