MIAMI — Nikola Jovic has been out of view, but Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Friday that doesn’t mean the third-year big man has been out of mind. Entering Saturday night’s game against the Phoenix Suns at Kaseya Center, Jovic has been held out six consecutive games, including two due to a sprained left ankle, when he was not with the team for this week’s road losses to the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics. But the reduction in playing time goes back even further, with just 8:06 of action in the 106-89 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Nov. 18 and 5:32 of playing time in the 123-118 overtime victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 24. The last time there were substantial minutes for the No. 27 pick in the 2022 draft was when he went 31:02 as sixth man in the 119-110 road loss to Indiana Pacers on Nov. 17. That from a player who started the season’s first eight games at power forward. “He just has to stay with it,” Spoelstra said when asked after Friday’s practice at Kaseya Center of Jovic’s status. “You know that saying where, ‘You win the day?’ He has to win the day. Every day. “Is he guaranteed of playing in a game? No, he can’t control that right now. But he can control making me think about it, that for sure.” Since being shifted to the reserve rotation and then phased out, Jovic has seen minutes in the power rotation instead go to Haywood Highsmith, who has emerged as the Heat’s latest starter at power forward, as well as to Kevin Love and Kel’el Ware, who since has been sent to the G League for the same type of seasoning Jovic received in his first two seasons. So how does Jovic earn his way back? “The way to do that is in practice sessions, pre-practice, the approach at shootarounds, everything to be at a high level just to make you watch. And then, eventually, you get your opportunity, you can make me play you,” said Spoelstra, who has maneuvered through several rotation permutations amid this 10-10 start. “And then if you’re playing, you make me not even think about playing somebody else. And when you’re impacting winning and doing winning things and doing the detailed things with great effort and focus, that usually leads to those.” Maintaining perspective Spoelstra cautioned after Friday’s practice not to get too carried away with the magnitude of Wednesday night’s 134-93 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Lakers. “We have to move on,” Spoelstra said. “That’s something, this basketball team, we’ve been working on, is that consistently, sustain a high level of play. And I think it’s a good exercise for us. “Hopefully we have a lot more of these type of situations, where we have to manage playing well, and can we do it again? ... We want to build on what we did last game.” Ware’s debut Ware closed with 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting, 12 rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals in 27:43 in his G League debut in the Sioux Falls Skyforce’s 102-81 victory Thursday night over the Chicago Bulls’ affiliate, the Windy City Bulls. By contrast, Ware’s longest action in his 10 appearances with the Heat since being drafted No. 15 in June out of Indiana was 13:35 in the Heat’s 115-112 Nov. 6 road loss to the Suns. Ware remains with the Skyforce, who next play Sunday, with they host the Denver Nuggets’ affiliate in South Dakota. Josh Christopher, the other player under contract to the Heat who currently is with the Skyforce, led Sioux Falls in Thursday night’s victory with 30 points. It was the eighth consecutive game of 20 or more points with the Skyforce for Christopher, the guard who is under a two-way contract. Injury report Rookie guard Pelle Larsson turned his right ankle late in Friday’s practice and is listed as questionable for Saturday against the Suns. The only players listed as out are Ware and Christopher on their G League assignments. Forward Jimmy Butler is listed as probable with the knee soreness that had him out Monday in Boston before his Wednesday return against the Lakers. Also on the Heat injury report but listed as available are Jovic (ankle), Josh Richardson (heel) and Dru Smith (knee). ©2024 South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Visit sun-sentinel.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.AI voice cloning: How programs are learning to pick up on pitch and tone
Grasping at playoff hopes, Dolphins face downtrodden BrownsJERUSALEM (AP) — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen on Thursday targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and multiple ports, while the World Health Organization's director-general said the bombardment occurred nearby as he prepared to board a flight in Sanaa, with a crew member injured. “The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge — just a few meters from where we were — and the runway were damaged,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on the social media platform X. He added that he and U.N. colleagues were safe. “We will need to wait for the damage to the airport to be repaired before we can leave,” he said, without mentioning the source of the bombardment. The Israeli strikes followed several days of Houthi launches setting off sirens in Israel. The Israeli military said it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa and ports in the cities of Hodeida, Al-Salif and Ras Qantib, along with power stations, asserting they were used to smuggle in Iranian weapons and for the entry of senior Iranian officials. Israel's military didn't immediately respond to questions about Tedros' post but issued a statement saying it had "capabilities to strike very far from Israel’s territory — precisely, powerfully, and repetitively.” The strikes came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “the Houthis, too, will learn what Hamas and Hezbollah and Assad’s regime and others learned" as his military has battled those more powerful proxies of Iran. The Iran-backed Houthis' media outlet confirmed the strikes in a Telegram post but gave no immediate details. The U.S. military also has targeted the Houthis in Yemen in recent days. The United Nations has noted that the targeted ports are important entryways for humanitarian aid for Yemen, the poorest Arab nation that plunged into a civil war in 2014 . Over the weekend, 16 people were wounded when a Houthi missile hit a playground in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv . Last week, Israeli jets struck Sanaa and Hodeida, killing nine people, calling it a response to previous Houthi attacks. The Houthis also have been targeting shipping on the Red Sea corridor, calling it solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The U.N. Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting Monday in response to an Israeli request that the council condemn the Houthi attacks and Iran for supplying weapons to the rebels. Meanwhile, an Israeli strike killed five Palestinian journalists outside a hospital in the Gaza Strip overnight , the territory's Health Ministry said. The Israeli military said that all were militants posing as reporters. The strike hit a car outside Al-Awda Hospital in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. The journalists were working for the local news outlet Al-Quds Today, a television channel affiliated with the Islamic Jihad militant group. Islamic Jihad is a smaller and more extreme ally of Hamas and took part in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack in southern Israel, which ignited the war. The Israeli military identified four of the men as combat propagandists and said that intelligence, including a list of Islamic Jihad operatives found by soldiers in Gaza, had confirmed that all five were affiliated with the group. Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other Palestinian militant groups operate political, media and charitable operations in addition to their armed wings. Associated Press footage showed the incinerated shell of a van, with press markings visible on the back doors. Sobbing young men attended the funeral outside the hospital. The bodies were wrapped in shrouds, with blue press vests draped over them. The Committee to Protect Journalists says more than 130 Palestinian reporters have been killed since the start of the war. Israel hasn't allowed foreign reporters to enter Gaza except on military embeds. Israel has banned the pan-Arab Al Jazeera network and accused six of its Gaza reporters of being militants . The Qatar-based broadcaster denies the allegations and accuses Israel of trying to silence its war coverage, which has focused heavily on civilian casualties from Israeli military operations. Separately, Israel's military said that a 35-year-old reserve soldier was killed during fighting in central Gaza early Thursday. A total of 389 soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the start of the ground operation more than a year ago. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed across the border in an attack on nearby army bases and farming communities. They killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250. About 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third believed to be dead. Israel's air and ground offensive has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry. It says more than half the fatalities have been women and children, but doesn't say how many of the dead were fighters. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The offensive has caused widespread destruction and driven around 90% of the population of 2.3 million from their homes. Hundreds of thousands are packed into squalid tent camps along the coast, with little protection from the cold, wet winter. Also Thursday, people mourned eight Palestinians killed by Israeli military operations in and around the city of Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Israeli military said that it opened fire after militants attacked soldiers, and it was aware of uninvolved civilians who were harmed in the raid. Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip. A previous version of this story was corrected to show that the name of the local news outlet is Al-Quds Today, not the Quds News Network. Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
UN Resolution 1701 is at the heart of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal. What is it?Ukraine must be placed in the “strongest possible position for negotiations” to end the war with Russia, Sir Keir Starmer has said. The Prime Minister insisted the UK will back Ukraine “for as long as it takes” as he made a speech at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet in London, but for the first time acknowledged the conflict could move towards a negotiated end. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has in recent weeks suggested he is open to a possible ceasefire with Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Kyiv and its European allies meanwhile fear the advent of Donald Trump’s return to the White House could result in American aid being halted. President-elect Trump has said he would prefer to move towards a peace deal, and has claimed he could end the conflict on “day one” of his time in power. As he attempts to strike up a good relationship with the incoming president, Sir Keir revealed he had told Mr Trump the UK “will invest more deeply than ever in this transatlantic bond with our American friends in the years to come”. In his speech at London’s Guildhall, the Prime Minister said there is “no question it is right we support Ukraine”, as the UK’s aid to Kyiv is “deeply in our self-interest”. Allowing Russia to win the war would mean “other autocrats would believe they can follow Putin’s example,” he warned. Sir Keir added: “So we must continue to back Ukraine and do what it takes to support their self-defence for as long as it takes. “To put Ukraine in the strongest possible position for negotiations so they can secure a just and lasting peace on their terms that guarantees their security, independence, and right to choose their own future.” Mr Zelensky told Sky News over the weekend he would be open to speaking with Mr Putin, but branded the Russian president a “terrorist”. He also suggested Ukrainian territory under his control should be taken under the “Nato umbrella” to try to stop the “hot stage” of the war with Russia. In a banquet speech focused on foreign affairs, the Prime Minister said it was “plain wrong” to suggest the UK must choose between its allies, adding: “I reject it utterly. “(Clement) Attlee did not choose between allies. (Winston) Churchill did not choose. “The national interest demands that we work with both.” Sir Keir said the UK and the US were “intertwined” when it came to commerce, technology and security. The Prime Minister added: “That’s why, when President Trump graciously hosted me for dinner in Trump Tower, I told him that we will invest more deeply than ever in this transatlantic bond with our American friends in the years to come.” He also repeated his commitment to “rebuild our ties with Europe” and insisted he was right to try to build closer links with China. “It is remarkable that until I met President Xi last month there had been no face-to-face meeting between British and Chinese leaders for six years,” the Prime Minister said. “We can’t simply look the other way. We need to engage. To co-operate, to compete and to challenge on growth, on security concerns, on climate as well as addressing our differences in a full and frank way on issues like Hong Kong, human rights, and sanctions on our parliamentarians,” he added. The Prime Minister said he wants Britain’s role in the world to be that of “a constant and responsible actor in turbulent times”. He added: “To be the soundest ally and to be determined, always, in everything we do. “Every exchange we have with other nations, every agreement we enter into to deliver for the British people and show, beyond doubt, that Britain is back.” Ahead of Sir Keir’s speech, Lord Mayor Alastair King urged the Prime Minister and his Government to loosen regulations on the City of London to help it maintain its competitive edge. In an echo of Sir Keir’s commitment to drive the UK’s economic growth, the Lord Mayor said: “The idealist will dream of growth, but the pragmatist understands that our most effective machinery to drive growth is here in the City, in the hands of some of the brightest and most committed people that you will find anywhere in the world.”
Last month, in the wake of Donald Trump 's comeback victory and amid a broader shift in the culture , a video taken in Fort Collins, Colorado went viral. The clip shows a woman approaching a group of college students to inform them that their "service dog" was not allowed in the park where they were hiking. "I live right up there. I come here three times a week," the unidentified woman says before the dog-walker retorts, "Ok so, do you own this park?" One video of the interaction, with the caption "We don't hate Karens enough," has more than 23 million views. If you're familiar with the term "Karen," you know that people love to hate them. But after the Fort Collins video started circulating on social media, that's not what happened. Instead of railing against the "Karen" in question, people stood up for her. We don’t hate Karens enough. Watch as one tries to lecture and stop a person with a service dog from enjoying a walk in Fort Collins. pic.twitter.com/F5oeJLktyy One user on X, who proclaimed to live in Fort Collins, said there were enough dog-friendly trails for the group to not have taken their pet into the park in question. Another said the interaction was " actually the furthest thing from a Karen I've seen ." A third argued that it showed why "society needs the right Karens," while another said "Karens" have been wrongly derided and were in fact "the sentinels of civilization, the enforcer of the rules that keep nice things nice." "There's a vibe shift happening with Karens," one post read . "People are realizing that high trust societies are built by the people willing to look a little prudish in order to enforce rules and norms." Over the last decade, the idea of "canceling" someone—boycotting them over offensive or behavior deemed, by someone, to be problematic—has become commonplace. In that cultural moment, the term "Karen" came about to describe, in derogatory terms, a middle-aged white woman who is caught acting entitled, like she "wants to speak to the manager." In a way, "Karen" exists to be canceled; to be caught using her whiteness and womanhood to direct the wrath of the establishment — be it the police or a restaurant manager — against some innocent citizen who perhaps crossed an imaginary line of social decorum. At least that's what the term was meant to suggest when it first became popular in Black culture. These days, society throws the "Karen" label at "any white woman who dares speak against [someone] or condemns them," Ernest Owens, journalist and author of "The Case for Cancel Culture," told Newsweek . "That's not what a 'Karen' is." "Black people know that 'Karen' is a white woman who is intentionally, deliberately using law enforcement to enact fear and terror on said Black person for reasons that are unfair and unnecessary," Owens, who is Black, added. The Dunkin Karen When Jennifer Couture's life was turned upside down over an altercation at a Dunkin' Donuts in Fort Myers, Florida, several of those elements were missing: the woman she confronted was white, the threat of calling police did not come from Couture, who says to this day she wasn't the one who instigated the confrontation. But after a clip of the altercation was shared to a social media page dedicated to "cancel culture" content, Couture became known as "Florida Karen" and "Dunkin' Donuts Karen." Jennifer Couture is gonna catch some charges "I made a mistake getting out of my car that day, and my reaction. I made a bad choice that day," Couture told Newsweek . "A moment where you're so mad and so angry, where you're looking your worst and acting your worst, caught in a video—it definitely changes the perception that people have had of you forever." "Am I offended that I was called a 'Karen'? Yeah, I am because I don't think I'm a 'Karen,'" she said. "Being labeled a 'Karen,' it affects your image, it affects your self esteem." The video taken in January 2022 shows Couture approaching the driver of a vehicle with her finger pointed, telling the woman in the car, "You need to f------ relax with your little attitude" before trying to grab the driver's phone and getting back into her car. The woman follows Couture and shouts that she's just been assaulted, which prompts Couture to get back out of her Mercedes SUV. The two engage in a heated, expletive-filled exchange before Couture gets back in her car. The woman continues to scream at Couture's car until she backs up and the girl is heard saying, "Hit me. Can someone call the cops?" Couture said the video did not capture what happened before the altercation. She said the woman had driven dangerously into the parking lot of the Dunkin' and almost T-boned her, nearly causing an accident. She said the woman immediately began honking the horn and threatening her with violence, saying things like "I'm going to beat your a--" and calling Couture a "rich c---." "Long story short, we had words. I said some embarrassing things... Sometimes we just break, and I just felt so broken and frustrated," Couture said, adding that at the time of the incident her sister had just recently had a stroke and her daughter, who was in the car during the confrontation, was being severely bullied at school. "There's no excuse for why I acted that way. I acted that way, and I can't take it back. That's something I have to live with forever, but it trickled into piece of our lives you would never imagine," she said. The clip of the brief altercation went viral thanks to the influencer Danesh Norvishan, who specializes in elevating instances of public shaming. After Norvishan doxxed Courture by posted the video to his popular TikTok account along with her personal information — including contact details and the name of her employer — she said her family was flooded with harassing calls and messages to the point where she hired private security, pulled her daughter out of school and, for the first time in her life, considered suicide. Couture is but one of many "Karens" that have gone viral. There was the " Kroger Karen" who blocked a Black woman's car in a supermarket parking lot, the "San Fransisco Karen" who called the police on a man who was stenciling " Black Lives Matter " on his own property. And of course the most famous of all, the "Central Park Karen," who threatened a Black man out birdwatching after he asked her to follow park rules and leash her dog. In the "Central Park Karen" video, which went viral at the height of the Covid lockdowns and in the immediate wake of the killing of George Floyd , the woman, whose name is Amy Cooper, is seen calling 911 and telling the dispatcher: "there's an African American man threatening my life." Two days after the video went viral, Cooper's employer fired her. The Vibe Shift Comes for Karen Would any of that have happened today? While Cooper declined Newsweek 's interview request, Couture said she does not think so. "If what I went through were to happen today, I do not think that I would be sitting where I am right now," she said. "I don't think it would have the same backlash now, as it did in 2022. I think there's more awareness and I think people are not as afraid to stand up or to speak their mind," she added. "Anybody who tried to defend me online, [Danesh, the TikToker who doxxed her] would have his followers go after them, and they would get canceled... As of three or four months ago, I have noticed the landscape change on social media. People are starting to defend others." In response to the viral from Fort Collins, the conservative commentator Matt Walsh argued that society doesn't appreciate 'Karens' "enough" for stopping people from thinking that they can "do whatever the hell they want and break any rule they want" and being "the only ones with the guts to call these a--holes out to their faces." Evan Nierman, founder of the PR firm Red Banyan and author of "The Cancel Culture Curse," said while the woman in the Fort Collins video threatened to report the group with the dog, "she was not overly aggressive, did not raise her voice, and in my view did little to warrant criticism or being disparaged as a Karen." "The woman in the video appeared to have a sensible reason for objecting to the presence of the dog, since pets may have been banned because of their interference with local wildlife," Nierman told Newsweek . He added that the response to the Fort Collins incident represents a wider cultural shift where "many Americans are tired of their fellow citizens being doxxed, harassed and publicly shamed by proponents of cancel culture." "Our society is becoming less tolerant of those who make it their mission to target other people by posting videos of them designed to spark outrage and prompt online bullying," Nierman said. "In addition to being fundamentally un-American, cancel culture seeks to reduce a person's personality and worth to a short video devoid of context." Owens, who argues in his book that cancel culture can be an effective tool for activism and change, said the situation in Fort Collins was not a "Karen" situation, but "a situation of a Good Samaritan who is basically calling out something they see is wrong with the intention of trying to do what is right." Owens said the popularity of the term "Karen" has watered down what the term is meant to suggest and turned the topic into a subject of debate when the definition is so clear-cut to him. There is "a specific unique experience experienced by Black people in exchanges with white women in particular. That's a unique experience, but what happens in pop culture is that when things get viral, people hijack them." "Right wing conservatives said, 'We're going to take this term and we're going to reappropriate it to make it fit our thoughts.' What they did was [turn] any woman that is telling them what to do—then they're a 'Karen.' They made it more sexist. They took the race out of it," Owens said. Comparing it to the way he's heard people use "lynching" as slang, Owens said that he hopes people will stop using the word "Karen" so casually because of the "level of weight" that the term now carries. "Use a better term," he said. "Why can't we just say Negative Nancy? Or Debbie Downer? We've been using that forever and I feel like in many cases, and in that video, the woman is more of a Negative Nancy than a 'Karen.'"
By DAVID A. LIEB Artificial intelligence. Abortion. Guns. Marijuana. Minimum wages. Name a hot topic, and chances are good there’s a new law about it taking effect in 2025 in one state or another. Many of the laws launching in January are a result of legislation passed this year. Others stem from ballot measures approved by voters. Some face legal challenges. Here’s a look at some of the most notable state laws taking effect: California, home to Hollywood and some of the largest technology companies, is seeking to rein in the artificial intelligence industry and put some parameters around social media stars. New laws seek to prevent the use of digital replicas of Hollywood actors and performers without permission and allow the estates of dead performers to sue over unauthorized AI use. Parents who profit from social media posts featuring their children will be required to set aside some earnings for their young influencers. A new law also allows children to sue their parents for failing to do so. New social media restrictions in several states face court challenges. Related Articles National Politics | Trump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happen National Politics | Exhausted by political news? TV ratings and new poll say you’re not alone National Politics | Trump vows to pursue executions after Biden commutes most of federal death row National Politics | Elon Musk’s preschool is the next step in his anti-woke education dreams National Politics | Trump’s picks for top health jobs not just team of rivals but ‘team of opponents’ A Florida law bans children under 14 from having social media accounts and requires parental consent for ages 14 and 15. But enforcement is being delayed because of a lawsuit filed by two associations for online companies, with a hearing scheduled for late February. A new Tennessee law also requires parental consent for minors to open accounts on social media. NetChoice, an industry group for online businesses, is challenging the law. Another new state law requires porn websites to verify that visitors are at least 18 years old. But the Free Speech Coalition, a trade association for the adult entertainment industry, has filed a challenge. Several new California measures aimed at combating political deepfakes are also being challenged, including one requiring large social media platforms to remove deceptive content related to elections and another allowing any individual to sue for damages over the use of AI to create fabricated images or videos in political ads . In a first nationally, California will start enforcing a law prohibiting school districts from adopting policies that require staff to notify parents if their children change their gender identification . The law was a priority for Democratic lawmakers who wanted to halt such policies passed by several districts. Many states have passed laws limiting or protecting abortion rights since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a nationwide right to the procedure in 2022. One of the latest is the Democratic-led state of Delaware. A law there will require the state employee health plan and Medicaid plans for lower-income residents to cover abortions with no deductible , copayments or other cost-sharing requirements. A new Minnesota law prohibits guns with “binary triggers” that allow for more rapid fire, causing a weapon to fire one round when the trigger is pulled and another when it is released. In Delaware, a law adds colleges and universities to a list of school zones where guns are prohibited, with exceptions for those working in their official capacity such as law officers and commissioned security guards. Kentucky is becoming the latest state to let people use marijuana for medical purposes . To apply for a state medical cannabis card, people must get written certification from a medical provider of a qualifying condition, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, epilepsy, chronic nausea or post-traumatic stress disorder. Nearly four-fifths of U.S. states have now legalized medical marijuana. Minimum wage workers in more than 20 states are due to receive raises in January. The highest minimum wages will be in Washington, California and Connecticut, all of which will top $16 an hour after modest increases. The largest increases are scheduled in Delaware, where the minimum wage will rise by $1.75 to $15 an hour, and in Nebraska, where a ballot measure approved by voters in 2022 will add $1.50 to the current minimum of $12 an hour. Twenty other states still follow the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. In Oregon, using drugs on public transit will be considered a misdemeanor crime of interfering with public transportation. While the measure worked its way through the legislature, multiple transportation officials said drug use on buses and trains, and at transit stops and stations, was making passengers and drivers feel less safe. In Missouri, law enforcement officers have spent the past 16 months issuing warnings to motorists that handheld cellphone use is illegal. Starting with the new year, penalties will kick in: a $150 fine for the first violation, progressing to $500 for third and subsequent offenses and up to 15 years imprisonment if a driver using a cellphone cause an injury or death. But police must notice a primary violation, such as speeding or weaving across lanes, to cite motorists for violating the cellphone law. Montana is the only state that hasn’t banned texting while driving , according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Tenants in Arizona will no longer have to pay tax on their monthly rent , thanks to the repeal of a law that had allowed cities and towns to impose such taxes. While a victory for renters, the new law is a financial loss for governments. An analysis by Arizona’s nonpartisan Joint Legislative Budget Committee estimated that $230 million would be lost in municipal tax revenue during the first full fiscal year of implementation. Meanwhile Alabama will offer tax credits to businesses that help employees with child care costs. Kansas is eliminating its 2% sales tax on groceries. It also is cutting individual income taxes by dropping the top tax rate, increasing a credit for child care expenses and exempting all Social Security income from taxes, among other things. Taxpayers are expected to save about $320 million a year going forward. An Oklahoma law expands voting privileges to people who have been convicted of felonies but had their sentences discharged or commuted, including commutations for crimes that have been reclassified from felonies to misdemeanors. Former state Sen. George Young, an Oklahoma City Democrat, carried the bill in the Senate. “I think it’s very important that people who have gone through trials and tribulations in their life, that we have a system that brings them back and allows them to participate as contributing citizens,” Young said. Associated Press writers Trân Nguyễn in Sacramento, California; Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Florida; Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee; Randall Chase in Dover, Delaware; Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis; Bruce Schreiner in Frankfort, Kentucky; Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon; Summer Ballentine in Jefferson City, Missouri; Gabriel Sandoval in Phoenix; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; and Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed.
NEW YORK — Technology stocks pulled Wall Street to another record amid a mixed Monday of trading. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% from its all-time high set on Friday to post a record for the 54th time this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 128 points, or 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. Super Micro Computer, a stock that’s been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared 28.7% to lead the market. Following allegations of misconduct and the resignation of its public auditor , the maker of servers used in artificial-intelligence technology said an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or by the company’s board. It also said that it doesn’t expect to restate its past financials and that it will find a new chief financial officer, appoint a general counsel and make other moves to strengthen its governance. Big Tech stocks also helped prop up the market. Gains of 1.8% for Microsoft and 3.2% for Meta Platforms were the two strongest forces pushing upward on the S&P 500. Intel was another propellant during the morning, but it lost an early gain to fall 0.5% after the chip company said CEO Pat Gelsinger has retired and stepped down from the board. Intel is looking for Gelsinger’s replacement, and its chair said it’s “committed to restoring investor confidence.” Intel recently lost its spot in the Dow Jones Industrial Average to Nvidia, which has skyrocketed in Wall Street’s frenzy around AI. Stellantis, meanwhile, skidded following the announcement of its CEO’s departure . Carlos Tavares steps down after nearly four years in the top spot of the automaker, which owns car brands like Jeep, Citroën and Ram, amid an ongoing struggle with slumping sales and an inventory backlog at dealerships. The world’s fourth-largest automaker’s stock fell 6.3% in Milan. The majority of stocks in the S&P 500 likewise fell, including California utility PG&E. It dropped 5% after saying it would sell $2.4 billion of stock and preferred shares to raise cash. Retailers were mixed amid what’s expected to be the best Cyber Monday on record and coming off Black Friday . Target, which recently gave a forecast for the holiday season that left investors discouraged , fell 1.2%. Walmart , which gave a more optimistic forecast, rose 0.2%. Amazon, which looks to benefit from online sales from Cyber Monday, climbed 1.4%. All told, the S&P 500 added 14.77 points to 6,047.15. The Dow fell 128.65 to 44,782.00, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 185.78 to 19,403.95. The stock market largely took Donald Trump’s latest threat on tariffs in stride. The president-elect on Saturday threatened 100% tariffs against a group of developing economies if they act to undermine the U.S. dollar. Trump said he wants the group, headlined by Brazil, Russia, India and China, to promise it won’t create a new currency or otherwise try to undercut the U.S. dollar. The dollar has long been the currency of choice for global trade. Speculation has also been around a long time that other currencies could knock it off its mantle, but no contender has come close. The U.S. dollar’s value rose Monday against several other currencies, but one of its strongest moves likely had less to do with the tariff threats. The euro fell amid a political battle in Paris over the French government’s budget . The euro sank 0.7% against the U.S. dollar and broke below $1.05. In the bond market, Treasury yields gave up early gains to hold relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed above 4.23% during the morning before falling back to 4.19%. That was just above its level of 4.18% late Friday. A report in the morning showed the U.S. manufacturing sector contracted again last month, but not by as much as economists expected. This upcoming week will bring several big updates on the job market, including the October job openings report, weekly unemployment benefits data and the all-important November jobs report. They could steer the next moves for Federal Reserve, which recently began pulling interest rates lower to give support to the economy. Economists expect Friday’s headliner report to show U.S. employers accelerated their hiring in November, coming off October’s lackluster growth that was hampered by damaging hurricanes and strikes. “We now find ourselves in the middle of this Goldilocks zone, where economic health supports earnings growth while remaining weak enough to justify potential Fed rate cuts,” according to Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide. In financial markets abroad, Chinese stocks led gains worldwide as monthly surveys showed improving conditions for manufacturing, partly driven by a surge in orders ahead of Trump’s inauguration next month. Both official and private sector surveys of factory managers showed strong new orders and export orders, possibly partly linked to efforts by importers in the U.S. to beat potential tariff hikes by Trump once he takes office. Indexes rose 0.7% in Hong Kong and 1.1% in Shanghai. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.
Saturday Night Live has lined up its last trio of hosts for 2024. After a season full of nostalgic bits, political bites, and even some emotional moments, Season 50’s first stretch will conclude with three back-to-back-to-back episodes in December. Here’s what to know about how to tune in for the last three episodes of the year.0 Yes! Saturday Night Live is new this weekend, on Saturday (December 7), with Gladiator II star Paul Mescal hosting and Shaboozey as musical guest. This marks Shaboozey’s first stint on SNL . After this week’s episode, two more consecutive shows have been announced. On December 14, Chris Rock will host for the fourth time, with Gracie Abrams as the musical guest of the week, making her SNL debut in support of her new album The Secret of Us . Then, on December 21, for the holiday episode, Martin Short will host for the third time, and Hozier will take the stage as musical guest, his second stint on the show in support of his new album Unreal Unearth . Saturday Night Live airs on Saturday evenings at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Episodes are also available to stream Peacock , which boasts a sprawling library of all 49 seasons. SNL kicked off its 50th season early in October. Here’s a list of the episodes so far. The show will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an NBC special airing Sunday, February 16. Find out everything to know about that right here . More Headlines:Is ‘SNL’ New This Weekend? Here’s Everything to KnowSanté Québec considering "a selective reduction of services" to cut costs: source
Stock indexes drifted to a mixed finish on Wall Street as some heavyweight technology and communications sector stocks offset gains elsewhere in the market. The S&P 500 slipped less than 0.1% Thursday, its first loss after three straight gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.1%. Gains by retailers and health care stocks helped temper the losses. Trading volume was lighter than usual as U.S. markets reopened following the Christmas holiday. The Labor Department reported that U.S. applications for unemployment benefits held steady last week, though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years. Treasury yields fell in the bond market. On Thursday: Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a weekNone
By DAVID A. LIEB Artificial intelligence. Abortion. Guns. Marijuana. Minimum wages. Name a hot topic, and chances are good there’s a new law about it taking effect in 2025 in one state or another. Many of the laws launching in January are a result of legislation passed this year. Others stem from ballot measures approved by voters. Some face legal challenges. Here’s a look at some of the most notable state laws taking effect: California, home to Hollywood and some of the largest technology companies, is seeking to rein in the artificial intelligence industry and put some parameters around social media stars. New laws seek to prevent the use of digital replicas of Hollywood actors and performers without permission and allow the estates of dead performers to sue over unauthorized AI use. Parents who profit from social media posts featuring their children will be required to set aside some earnings for their young influencers. A new law also allows children to sue their parents for failing to do so. New social media restrictions in several states face court challenges. Related Articles National Politics | Donald Trump looms large over Beacon Hill with new legislative session set to start National Politics | Trump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happen National Politics | Exhausted by political news? TV ratings and new poll say you’re not alone National Politics | Trump vows to pursue executions after Biden commutes most of federal death row National Politics | Elon Musk’s preschool is the next step in his anti-woke education dreams A Florida law bans children under 14 from having social media accounts and requires parental consent for ages 14 and 15. But enforcement is being delayed because of a lawsuit filed by two associations for online companies, with a hearing scheduled for late February. A new Tennessee law also requires parental consent for minors to open accounts on social media. NetChoice, an industry group for online businesses, is challenging the law. Another new state law requires porn websites to verify that visitors are at least 18 years old. But the Free Speech Coalition, a trade association for the adult entertainment industry, has filed a challenge. Several new California measures aimed at combating political deepfakes are also being challenged, including one requiring large social media platforms to remove deceptive content related to elections and another allowing any individual to sue for damages over the use of AI to create fabricated images or videos in political ads . In a first nationally, California will start enforcing a law prohibiting school districts from adopting policies that require staff to notify parents if their children change their gender identification . The law was a priority for Democratic lawmakers who wanted to halt such policies passed by several districts. Many states have passed laws limiting or protecting abortion rights since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a nationwide right to the procedure in 2022. One of the latest is the Democratic-led state of Delaware. A law there will require the state employee health plan and Medicaid plans for lower-income residents to cover abortions with no deductible , copayments or other cost-sharing requirements. A new Minnesota law prohibits guns with “binary triggers” that allow for more rapid fire, causing a weapon to fire one round when the trigger is pulled and another when it is released. In Delaware, a law adds colleges and universities to a list of school zones where guns are prohibited, with exceptions for those working in their official capacity such as law officers and commissioned security guards. Kentucky is becoming the latest state to let people use marijuana for medical purposes . To apply for a state medical cannabis card, people must get written certification from a medical provider of a qualifying condition, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, epilepsy, chronic nausea or post-traumatic stress disorder. Nearly four-fifths of U.S. states have now legalized medical marijuana. Minimum wage workers in more than 20 states are due to receive raises in January. The highest minimum wages will be in Washington, California and Connecticut, all of which will top $16 an hour after modest increases. The largest increases are scheduled in Delaware, where the minimum wage will rise by $1.75 to $15 an hour, and in Nebraska, where a ballot measure approved by voters in 2022 will add $1.50 to the current minimum of $12 an hour. Twenty other states still follow the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. In Oregon, using drugs on public transit will be considered a misdemeanor crime of interfering with public transportation. While the measure worked its way through the legislature, multiple transportation officials said drug use on buses and trains, and at transit stops and stations, was making passengers and drivers feel less safe. In Missouri, law enforcement officers have spent the past 16 months issuing warnings to motorists that handheld cellphone use is illegal. Starting with the new year, penalties will kick in: a $150 fine for the first violation, progressing to $500 for third and subsequent offenses and up to 15 years imprisonment if a driver using a cellphone cause an injury or death. But police must notice a primary violation, such as speeding or weaving across lanes, to cite motorists for violating the cellphone law. Montana is the only state that hasn’t banned texting while driving , according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Tenants in Arizona will no longer have to pay tax on their monthly rent , thanks to the repeal of a law that had allowed cities and towns to impose such taxes. While a victory for renters, the new law is a financial loss for governments. An analysis by Arizona’s nonpartisan Joint Legislative Budget Committee estimated that $230 million would be lost in municipal tax revenue during the first full fiscal year of implementation. Meanwhile Alabama will offer tax credits to businesses that help employees with child care costs. Kansas is eliminating its 2% sales tax on groceries. It also is cutting individual income taxes by dropping the top tax rate, increasing a credit for child care expenses and exempting all Social Security income from taxes, among other things. Taxpayers are expected to save about $320 million a year going forward. An Oklahoma law expands voting privileges to people who have been convicted of felonies but had their sentences discharged or commuted, including commutations for crimes that have been reclassified from felonies to misdemeanors. Former state Sen. George Young, an Oklahoma City Democrat, carried the bill in the Senate. “I think it’s very important that people who have gone through trials and tribulations in their life, that we have a system that brings them back and allows them to participate as contributing citizens,” Young said. Associated Press writers Trân Nguyễn in Sacramento, California; Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Florida; Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee; Randall Chase in Dover, Delaware; Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis; Bruce Schreiner in Frankfort, Kentucky; Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon; Summer Ballentine in Jefferson City, Missouri; Gabriel Sandoval in Phoenix; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; and Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed.
Update #2 [ Fri 6th Dec 2024, 10:45pm ]: Well, with any luck, we're through the worst of it. Grinding Gear Games has managed to get the Path of Exile 2 servers sorted — for the most part — which means that while queues are still prevalent, a lot of players are actually getting into the game itself. And, most importantly, they're staying connected. Now we just have to hope that things continue to improve over the coming hours and days. Update #1 [ Fri 6th Dec 2024, 8:30pm ]: Well, developer Grinding Gear Games said this might happen, and it's happening: Path of Exile 2's servers are being pummeled into submission by hundreds of thousands of players. The action RPG's early access period began roughly one hour and 30 minutes from the time of writing this update, and the vast, vast majority of its players have been stuck in queues this entire time. Some players are also being hit with error messages saying that servers are undergoing maintenance. To be clear, things are moving, and Grinding Gear Games will be doing everything it can to make the process as smooth as possible. Again, these server woes always seemed like an inevitability, given the sheer amount of interest in Path of Exile 2. Even those making it into the actual game are being met with connection problems right now — so here's hoping that everything evens out over the course of the weekend. In the meantime, you can keep up to date with our Path of Exile 2 guide on server queues and login issues :Biden team briefed Trump transition on Israel-Hezbollah ceasefireKelly Ripa demands viewers 'get a life' after sparking backlash with name of Thanksgiving dish
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