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Redwood Living, Inc. announces 2024 Redwood Cares recipients Thanks to nominations by employees, residents and investors, Redwood Living, Inc. will award $45,000 to the recipients of its 2024 annual giving initiative as part of the company's Redwood Cares program. Redwood believes in giving back to people and communities throughout suburban America. Redwood Cares is an overarching philanthropic program that focuses on supporting organizations that 1. promote environmental advocacy, conservation, and sustainability 2. foster diversity and inclusion, and 3. build community and connection in the areas and surrounding areas in which Redwood Neighborhoods are located. The annual giving portion of the program was launched in 2022, and the company is proud of it. "This is an incredibly personal initiative for us, as it is a way for Redwood to pledge our support to the charities and causes that matter most to the dedicated internal and external ambassadors of our company,” said Steve Kimmelman, founder and CEO at Redwood. "2024 marks the third year of the annual giving initiative under the Redwood Cares umbrella, and we are thrilled to say we have surpassed the $100,000 mark in contributions. Every year we are beyond moved to read the stories and sentiments shared in the nominations and this year was certainly no different.” Nonprofits were selected by an unbiased member of the Northern Ohio Apartment Association team, based on the quality of the nomination and its alignment to Redwood's mission and vision. In addition to providing a monetary donation to the nonprofits, Redwood will encourage employees to use volunteer time off to help at these organizations (or any that are of personal interest). The company will also utilize its social networks and communication channels to amplify efforts and raise awareness of these worthy causes. Take a closer look at the organizations to be supported by Redwood starting now through the end of 2025. Organizations nominated by Redwood employees: Collin's Beautiful Today : $10,000 Collin's Beautiful Today connects with families who have lost a child to a chronic disease through its network of social workers active in children's hospitals. The organization aims to shoulder some of their financial burden while offering grief management resources and solutions. Excerpt from submission: Collin's Beautiful Today is extremely personal for me as it was founded and established by my brother and sister-in-law. They lost their son (my nephew) at age 11, to childhood brain cancer in 2021. Much like the communities, residents, employees, and stakeholders Redwood Cares serves and supports, Collin's Beautiful Today's mission of bringing families together has a similar vision. Love and support know no bounds. Shoes 4 the Shoeless : $5,000 Since 2010, Shoes 4 the Shoeless delivers brand-new shoes and socks to disadvantaged children within Southwest Ohio through its in-school delivery program. Excerpt from submission: The majority of the kids this organization serves have never had a new pair of shoes, and many of them don't have socks to wear, much less a brand-new pair. And these kids live within our communities. And yet, I think most of us that are more fortunate tend to think this level of poverty is much farther removed than it really is. Organizations nominated by Redwood residents: Wellspring Hospice : $10,000 A statewide Michigan nonprofit organization committed to engaging people at every stage of life to help them experience and embrace their God-given potential. Wellspring has been helping change lives, build strong families and transform communities across the state since 1893. Excerpt from submission: I am writing to nominate Wellspring Hospice for recognition in light of the exceptional care, commitment, education, and faith they provided during the last month of my father's life. Their unwavering support not only enriched his final days but also brought profound comfort and peace to our entire family during an incredibly challenging time. Warriors for the Children (WFTC): $5,000 WFTC strives to improve the self-esteem and morale of abused, bullied and neglected children through one-on-one support, tangible resources and government advocacy. Excerpt from submission: As a victim of child abuse it has been my life mission to find an organization such as this that helps protect children from the atrocities that far too often affect the children of our future. As a member of this organization for the past 2 years, I can tell you that the mission we hold fast to goes very deep in the community and helps improve the self-esteem and morale of our abused, bullied and neglected children. Organizations nominated by Redwood investors: House of Refuge Sunnyslope : $10,000 A Christian housing program serving the homeless, unemployed, and recently sober of Phoenix. The organization provides shelter, food, employment skills, and spiritual transformation through programs for men, women, and single mothers with children. Excerpt from submission: We are in urgent need of a kitchen remodel. Currently, our kitchen is inefficient and inadequately equipped. We prepare approximately 1,000 meals each week in a space designed for residential use, featuring outdated appliances and poor layout. Grant funds would allow us to purchase commercial-grade stove(s), enhance the kitchen layout, and create a more efficient cooking environment. NewPath Child & Family Solutions : $5,000 A Behavioral Health Agency for individuals facing behavioral and specialty healthcare, educational treatment, and youth support needs. NewPath ignites hope and changes futures by providing access to and results from expert, specialized, and comprehensive trauma-informed care. Excerpt from submission: This organization came to my son's rescue when he was dealing with severe mental health issues caused by an auto-immune condition. I have personally seen the impact that their skilled caregivers can have on an individual and a family. Their services are nothing short of remarkable. This annual giving initiative is one of multiple ways Redwood embraces giving back as part of its Redwood Cares program. Redwood employees consistently support their communities through everything from packing boxes at food banks to running in charity races and cleaning up recreation trails. The company is also proud to partner with One Tree Planted , an environmental nonprofit, by donating $1 on behalf of each new employee, resident and investor to plant a tree in an area in need of reforestation. Redwood has developed and manages more than 18,000 apartment homes in 150+ neighborhoods throughout the Midwest and Carolinas. #### About Redwood Living, Inc. Redwood Living, Inc. (Redwood) is an innovative development and property management company with neighborhoods in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky and Nebraska. The success of Redwood's approach to construction, development and property management continues to be validated in new and existing markets. Redwood is a company that believes in its mission, product and amazing people. It creates a simplified, relaxed lifestyle for residents, and offers a rewarding atmosphere for its employees. For more information, visit https://www.byredwood.com . Attachment Redwood Living, Inc. announces 2024 Redwood Cares recipients CONTACT: Marketing Redwood Living [email protected]Why Indie Semiconductor Stock Is Plummeting TodayThe Prime Minister said his younger brother, who had learning difficulties because of complications at birth, had met “all the challenges life threw at him with courage and good humour”. He died peacefully on Boxing Day, according to the Prime Minister’s spokesman. The Prime Minister had been due to go on holiday with his family on Friday, but it is understood that he will now remain at home, and hopes to join them later. Sir Keir said in a statement: “My brother Nick was a wonderful man. “He met all the challenges life threw at him with courage and good humour. We will miss him very much. “I would like to thank all those who treated and took care of Nick. Their skill and compassion is very much appreciated.” Sir Keir spoke candidly about his brother in a recent biography written by journalist and former Labour Party adviser Tom Baldwin. While growing up in Surrey, the brothers shared a bunk bed in a room with an airing cupboard, and “just enough space for a couple of small desks where we’d do our homework”. The biography recorded how each child of the Starmer family was given a dog for their 10th birthday, and Nick and his twin sister Katy received Jack Russell terriers called Greg and Ben. The book also described how their mother, Jo, had taught Nick to read, but Sir Keir remembered how the school described his brother as “remedial”. Sir Keir, the middle child of four siblings, said: “They had no expectation of him or anything and I’m not sure he even sat exams, so he had nothing to show for coming out of education. “We were a family of six, so it didn’t feel lonely and I shared a room with him, but Nick didn’t have many friends and got called ‘thick’ or ‘stupid’ by other kids.” He added: “Even now I try to avoid using words like that to describe anyone.” Nick worked on scrap cars and scaffolding, earning enough money to rent a home near where he had grown up, according to the book. It said Sir Keir was best man at Nick’s wedding, and the now Prime Minister recalled borrowing a car so his brother was not “driving his bride from the church in his beaten-up minivan, which had all his clothes in the back”. The marriage ended and Nick lived for some time in Yorkshire. In 2022, Sir Keir stepped away from local election campaigning to make several hospital visits to see his brother, who was seriously ill at the time. The Prime Minister also spoke about Nick in his speech at this year’s Labour Party conference in Liverpool. As he described his early encounters with art and culture, and the need to remove social barriers, Sir Keir told delegates: “My brother, who had difficulties learning, he didn’t get those opportunities. “Every time I achieved something in my life, my dad used to say, ‘Your brother has achieved just as much as you, Keir’. “And he was right. I still believe that.” Mr Baldwin, writing for The Times on Friday, recalled the moment in 2023 that he learned from Sir Keir that his brother was dying of lung cancer. He wrote: “This has been a huge part of his life over the past couple of years, during which he made regular trips to Leeds where his brother was in hospital. “Even during the election campaign and since he entered Downing Street, Starmer has continued to visit without a camera crew in sight. “He got to know the staff treating his brother so well that he could recite all their names and they would let him into the hospital through a back door so that there would be no publicity.” Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch was among those in the world of politics to offer their condolences. She wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “This is such awful news. Particularly devastating at Christmas time. “My sincere condolences to Keir Starmer and all his family.” Irish premier Simon Harris wrote: “My sincere sympathy to Keir Starmer and his family on such sad news. “They are in my thoughts at this difficult time.”

5 Common Mistakes New Gold Investors MakeGoogle executives held a 2025 strategy meeting with employees last week, setting the stage for a year of increased competition, regulatory hurdles and advancements in AI. CEO Sundar Pichai said Google will introduce a number of AI features in the first half of the year. He also warned it would be a challenging year, as "we are facing scrutiny across the world." Google CEO Sundar Pichai told employees last week that "the stakes are high" for 2025, as the company faces increased competition and regulatory hurdles and contends with rapid advancements in artificial intelligence. > 24/7 San Diego news stream: Watch NBC 7 free wherever you are At a 2025 strategy meeting on Dec. 18, Pichai and other Google leaders, donning ugly holiday sweaters, hyped up the coming year, most notably as it pertains to what's coming in AI, according to audio obtained by CNBC. "I think 2025 will be critical," Pichai said. "I think it's really important we internalize the urgency of this moment, and need to move faster as a company. The stakes are high. These are disruptive moments. In 2025, we need to be relentlessly focused on unlocking the benefits of this technology and solve real user problems." Some employees attended the meeting in person at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California, and others tuned in virtually. Pichai's comments come after a year packed with some of the most intense pressure Google has experienced since going public two decades ago. While areas like search ads and cloud produced strong revenue growth, competition picked up in Google's core markets, and the company faced internal challenges including culture clashes and concerns about Pichai's vision for the future. Additionally, regulation is now heavier than ever. Money Report How five top CEOs described the AI boom in 2024 If interest rates remain ‘higher for longer,' the winners are those with cash accounts In August, a federal judge ruled that Google illegally holds a monopoly in the search market. The Justice Department in November asked that Google be forced to divest its Chrome internet browser unit. In a separate case, the DOJ accused the company of illegally dominating online ad technology. That trial closed in September and awaits a judge ruling. That same month, Britain's competition watchdog issued a statement of objections over Google's ad tech practices, which the regulator provisionally found are impacting competition in the U.K. "It's not lost on me that we are facing scrutiny across the world," Pichai said. "It comes with our size and success. It's part of a broader trend where tech is now impacting society at scale. So more than ever, through this moment, we have to make sure we don't get distracted." A Google spokesperson declined to comment. Google's search business still has dominant market share, but generative AI has served up all sorts of new ways for people to access online information, and has brought with it a host of new competitors. OpenAI's ChatGPT kicked off the hype cycle in late 2022, and investors including Microsoft have since propelled the company to a $157 billion valuation. In July, OpenAI announced it would launch a search engine of its own. Perplexity is also promoting its AI-powered search service and recently closed a $500 million funding round at a $9 billion valuation . Google is investing heavily to try and stay on top, principally through Gemini, its AI model. The Gemini app gives users access to a number of tools, including Google's chatbot. Pichai said "building big, new business" is a top priority. That includes the Gemini app, which executives said they see as Google's next app to reach half a billion users. The company currently has 15 apps that have hit that mark. "With the Gemini app, there is strong momentum, particularly over the last few months," Pichai said. "But we have some work to do in 2025 to close the gap and establish a leadership position there as well." "Scaling Gemini on the consumer side will be our biggest focus next year," Pichai later added. At the meeting, Pichai showed a chart of large language models, with Gemini 1.5 leading OpenAI's GPT and other competitors. "I expect some back and forth" in 2025, Pichai said. "I think we'll be state of the art." He acknowledged that Google has had to play catchup. "In history, you don't always need to be first but you have to execute well and really be the best in class as a product," he said. "I think that's what 2025 is all about." Executives took questions that were submitted by employees through Google's internal system. One comment read aloud by Pichai suggested that ChatGPT "is becoming synonymous to AI the same way Google is to search," with the questioner asking, "What's our plan to combat this in the upcoming year? Or are we not focusing as much on consumer facing LLM?" For the answer, Pichai turned to DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis, who said that teams are going to "turbo charge" the Gemini app and that the company has seen progress in the number of users since launching the app in February. He said "the products themselves are going to evolve massively over the next year or two." Hassabis described a vision for a universal assistant that "can seamlessly operate over any domain, any modality or any device." Project Astra, Google's experimental version of a universal assistant that the company announced in May, will be updated in the first half of the year. Another employee question asked whether Google will be able to get AI products to scale without charging $200 a month "like other companies." "Right now, we don't have any plans for this kind of subscription level," Hassabis responded, adding that he thinks the $20 monthly charge for Gemini advanced is a good value. "I wouldn't necessarily say never but there are no plans for that at the moment." Toward the end of the meeting, Google welcomed to the stage Josh Woodward, the head of Google Labs. He took the microphone as the Zombie Nation song "Kernkraft 400" played loudly in the background. "I'm going to try to do six demos in eight minutes," said Woodward, who's known for his high level of energy. Woodward started by showing off Jules, a coding assistant that's in a trusted tester's program. He said, "It's where the future of software development is headed." Woodward then shifted to AI notetaking product NotebookLM, which featured a series of updates in 2024, including a podcasting tool. Woodward demonstrated how the company is trying a new feature that allows the user to "call in" to a podcast. He then moved onto Project Mariner, an AI-powered multi-tasking Chrome extension. Woodward asked it to add the top restaurants from Tripadvisor to the Maps app. After a brief pause, the demo successfully worked, leading employees in attendance to erupt in applause. Throughout the meeting, Pichai kept reminding employees of the need to "stay scrappy." Google has gone through an extensive phase of cost cutting that included eliminating about 6% of its workforce in 2023 and a continued focus on efficiency. As of the end of the third quarter, Alphabet had 181,269 employees, down about 5% from the end of 2022. At one point, Pichai referenced Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin , who started the company 26 years ago, long before cloud computing or AI tools existed. "In early Google days, you look at how the founders built our data centers, they were really really scrappy in every decision they made," Pichai said. "Often, constraints lead to creativity. Not all problems are always solved by headcount." WATCH: Will AI stocks push higher in 2025? Also on CNBC Google CEO Pichai struggled to navigate a pressure-filled year OpenAI says it needs 'more capital than we’d imagined' as it lays out for-profit plan Waymo dominated the U.S. robotaxi market in 2024, but Tesla and Zoox loom

YouTube star IShowSpeed has responded after NFL wide receiver Tyreek Hill offered to race the streamer for $100K, barring one specific condition. On November 30, Hill went live on Twitch to play some Fortnite when he brought up Speed’s viral $100K footrace against Olympic sprinter Noah Lyles , saying that he should be given the “same chance” to compete with the streamer. He challenged Speed to a race for the same amount of money — but only if the YouTuber donates to his charity, the Tyreek Hill Family Foundation , a nonprofit organization that helps at-risk youth through health and wellness programs. IShowSpeed wants to race Tyreek Hill in $100K charity wager After this news spread on social media, Speed offered his rebuttal, saying he’s more than willing to step up to Hill’s challenge and donate to his charity. However, he claims that Hill has been ducking him, saying he pulled up to one of his practices and was rebuffed. “Tyreek Hill, you’re about 20-30 minutes away [from me]. I’m tired of hearing your sh*t. I pulled up to your practice last time. You didn’t wanna race me ’cause you were scared. “This is what we gon’ do. Let’s play by your rules. Let’s do $100K race, 40-yard sprint, whenever. Let’s stop the bullsh*t. You are 20 minutes away, and I will donate to your foundation or charity. Let’s race $100K for charity, in fact. “So if I win, you donate to whatever charity that I want to, or you give it to one of my supporters. Tyreek Hill, all you do is talk, bro. That’s all you do.” Related: 🚨| BREAKING: Speed called out @cheetah for a $100,000 40m race! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/4sepMfcrno At the time of writing, Hill has not responded to Speed’s rebuttal, leaving fans anxious to see if these two will eventually face off on the track. Hill is just the latest athlete to feature in Speed’s streams, following his broadcast with Lyles, renowned boxer Manny Pacquiao , and even Olympic gymnast Frederick ‘Flips’ Richard.Maravai LifeSciences Appoints R. Andrew Eckert as Chairman of the Board of Directors

Stock market today: Wall Street edges back from its records as bitcoin briefly pops above $100,000AP Business SummaryBrief at 1:00 p.m. EST

Eagles try to clinch NFC East title with Hurts' head injury looming largeAnge Postecoglou searching for answers over Tottenham’s injury crisis

NoneGlobal Blockchain Technologies (CVE:BLOC) Stock Price Up ∞ – Should You Buy?The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on the founder of Georgia’s ruling political party, which has steered the country away from a pro-Western stance and towards Russia, US officials said. The US State and Treasury departments said they hit Georgian Dream party founder and honorary chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili with penalties “for undermining the democratic and Euro-Atlantic future of Georgia for the benefit of the Russian Federation”, according to a statement. The designation of Mr Ivanishvili is the latest in a series of sanctions the US has placed on Georgian politicians and others this year. Those sanctions include freezes on assets and properties those targeted may have in US jurisdictions or that might enter US jurisdictions as well as travel bans on the targets and members of their families. “We strongly condemn Georgian Dream’s actions under Ivanishvili’s leadership, including its ongoing and violent repression of Georgian citizens, protesters, members of the media, human rights activists, and opposition figures,” the State Department said in a statement. “The United States is committed to promoting accountability for those undermining democracy and human rights in Georgia.” Mr Ivanishvili is a billionaire who made his fortune in Russia and served briefly as Georgia’s prime minister. In 2012, he founded Georgian Dream, Georgia’s longtime ruling party. Critics have accused Georgian Dream of becoming increasingly authoritarian and tilted towards Moscow. The party recently pushed through laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down on freedom of speech and LGBT+ rights, prompting the European Union to suspend Georgia’s membership application process indefinitely. In October, Georgian Dream won another term in a divisive parliamentary election that has led to more mass protests. Last month, the country’s prime minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, announced a four-year suspension of talks on Georgia’s bid to join the European Union, fuelling further public outrage.

Brock Purdy and Nick Bosa are not available for the San Francisco 49ers when they enter Green Bay with designs on finding their finishing kick on Sunday afternoon. Purdy is out with a right shoulder injury and won't leave the sideline at Lambeau Field, head coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday, when he also declared Bosa out and confirmed journeyman Brandon Allen would make his 10th career start at quarterback. "Outside of here people haven't seen a lot of Brandon. But it's his second year (with the 49ers)," Shanahan said. "Obviously guys want Brock up, but guys are excited to see Brandon play." Shanahan said the 49ers are "a little surprised" Purdy experienced tightness and discomfort in his shoulder after an MRI exam on Monday that showed no long-term cause for concern. "The way it responded this week, it's really up in the air for next week," Shanahan said of Purdy's long-term prognosis. Allen's last NFL start on the road was with the Bengals at the Ravens in 2020. Allen completed 6 of 21 passes for 48 yards with two interceptions. He finished with a passer rating of 0.0 in a 38--3 loss. "It's definitely an opportunity for me to go out and play well and put our guys in a good position to win the game," Allen said Friday. "And obviously we want Brock back and healthy and all that, but for time being, it is an opportunity for me." Purdy took the practice field Thursday with the intent to participate. His shoulder tightened significantly, and the 49ers ushered him off the field to meet with trainers. Purdy beat the Packers in the NFC divisional playoffs at San Francisco in January, but Allen is familiar to Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. LaFleur was an assistant coach with the Rams during Allen's two-year run in Los Angeles. Allen broke into the NFL in 2016 with the Jaguars and is 2-7 in nine career starts. He went 1-2 with the Broncos in 2019 and 1-5 in six starts over two years with the Bengals in 2020 and ‘21. A victory against the visiting 49ers on Sunday would bolster the Packers' playoff chances, send a conference rival below .500 and avenge a bitter playoff defeat. Those seemingly rank in no particular order for the Packers (8-3), although they don't shy from living at least partially in the past ahead of a Week 12 showdown. San Francisco eliminated Green Bay 24-21 in the NFC divisional playoffs last season, scoring 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. "That's what you've got to sit with all offseason, is going back, watching the game, trying to see what you could have done better," Packers quarterback Jordan Love said. "What you could have done differently in that game. ... Just knowing that's the team that knocked us out, we're definitely hungry for this game." Ditto for San Francisco. The 49ers fell to 5-5 after last week's 20-17 home loss to Seattle, done in by Geno Smith's 13-yard touchdown run with 12 seconds to play. Still only a game behind NFC West-leading Arizona, the reigning conference champion 49ers are just 1-3 in division play and can ill afford to lose more ground. A visit to AFC East leader Buffalo awaits after the trip to Green Bay. While they're dealing with plenty of not-so-good news on the injury front, the 49ers do anticipate the return of other contributors. Cornerback Charvarius Ward, who missed the past two games following the death of his 1-year-old daughter, practiced Wednesday. Tight end George Kittle also is eager to play after a nagging hamstring injury sidelined him against the Seahawks. "Very excited," Kittle said. "Can't pass up playing the Packers, so no, I will be out there for sure." Allen was a three-year starter at Arkansas but has been a journeyman backup since entering the NFL in 2016 as the 201st overall pick of the Jaguars. Shanahan and LaFleur have been fierce competitors since twice working together, first as low-level assistants with the Texans in 2008, then on the so-called "dream team" staff in Washington that also included Sean McVay, Mike McDaniel and Raheem Morris; and two seasons with the Falcons (2015, 2016) where LaFleur was quarterbacks coach and Shanahan called the plays. Shanahan scored the most recent win over LaFleur in January. Green Bay has won seven of the past eight regular-season meetings between the franchises. But the familiarity and shared-brain approach to offense that has the coaches completed each other's play calls has led to some tight games. The past three at Lambeau Field were all decided by three points. Green Bay, which hosts a home game on Thanksgiving next Thursday, is starting a run of three games in 12 days. They'll play back-to-back Thursday games. Their Week 14 game is at Detroit. That might make it good news for LaFleur that surprising contributors have emerged of late. Packers wideout Christian Watson had a career-best 150 receiving yards on only four catches during last week's 20-19 road win against the Chicago Bears. His diving 60-yard reception in the fourth quarter put the Packers in position for Love's go-ahead, 1-yard scoring run with 2:59 to play. Watson entered the game with eight catches for 83 yards over his previous three contests, but LaFleur assured Watson remains a "big part" of the attack. "He's a guy who's got every measurable known to man in terms of the size, the speed, and it's not like those were easy plays he was making," LaFleur said. "He was making tough, contested catches." San Francisco will aim to generate more pressure against Love than the Bears, who sacked him just once. The 49ers collected four sacks against the Seahawks, with Bosa and Leonard Floyd contributing 1.5 apiece. Recent regular-season history between the Packers and 49ers at Lambeau Field has favored Green Bay. The Packers have won seven of their past eight home games against the 49ers and are 22-11 versus San Francisco at home all-time. Green Bay leads the series 34-28-1. --Field Level Media(The Center Square) – House Oversight Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., has opened an investigation into the Federal Emergency Management Agency over reports that it discriminated against supporters of Donald Trump. Comer said whistleblower reports suggest anti-Trump discrimination is rampant and has been going on for years. “[O]n the condition of anonymity, a FEMA official stated that the practice avoiding ‘white or conservative-dominated’ areas is an ‘open secret at the agency that has been going on for years,’” Comer said in a letter to FEMA. The investigation comes after FEMA fired one of its hurricane response supervisors after news went viral that she told her workers to avoid “Trump houses.” However, that employee has publicly said she was only following orders and acting according to the culture at FEMA. Comer and more than two dozen Republican lawmakers sent a letter to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell demanding documentation, from internal policies to spending figures to incident reports. Lawmakers have pointed toward more anonymous sources backing up the fired employee’s claims. “Additionally, another whistleblower contacted the Committee during the hearing," the letter said. "This individual informed the Committee that a FEMA contractor warned a disabled veteran’s family in Georgia to remove Trump campaign materials from their home because FEMA supervisors viewed Trump supporters as domestic terrorists. At a hearing this week, U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., pointed to 35 of his constituents who shared similar stories with him. Lawmakers grilled Criswell over the discrimination reports at the hearing as well as FEMA’s recent focus on Diversity Equity and Inclusion efforts, something FEMA named as its number one goal in its latest strategic report. Lawmakers also raised concerns about the agency spending hundreds of millions of dollars on helping migrants. Defenders of FEMA have said the migrant funds do not take directly from disaster relief, while critics insist it shows missplaced priorities for the emergency relief agency. “In the fiscal year of 2023, FEMA spent nearly a billion dollars, $789 million, to shelter illegals in the United States,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, R-Ga., said at the hearing, as The Center Square previously reported . “This past year it was $641 million, and this money is largely distributed through NGOs...and this was to house illegal aliens," she added. "Not Americans, who by the way all that money, that comes from Americans bank accounts when they write their checks to pay their taxes." At the hearing this week, Criswell also said she will request the Inspector General investigate the question of political discrimination at FEMA. She also said she does not think this fired employee is indicative of a broader problem in the agency but is looking into it. Criswell said FEMA workers went back to the homes that were skipped over by the fired employee and promised to ensure it doesn't happen again. “The Committee is in the process of investigating these claims,” the Oversight letter said. “If they are true, they would corroborate concerns that political discrimination extends beyond [the fired FEMA employee]. Furthermore, they suggest an apparent culture, whether sanctioned or not, within FEMA to politically discriminate against disaster survivors, specifically those who support President-elect Donald Trump.”

That was fast. Mackenzie Blackwood signed a five-year, $26.25 million extension ($5.25 million AAV) with the Colorado Avalanche on Friday, following the trade that sent him out of the San Jose Sharks organization Dec. 9. “When we acquired Mackenzie a few weeks ago, we wanted to let him get to Denver, get acclimated to his new team, new city and then in due time we’d reach out to him and his representatives,” Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland said in a team statement. “We are thrilled to get this deal done now and have Mackenzie under contract for the next six years.” Blackwood has three wins through his first four games with the Avalanche with .931 Save %. His new deal starts after the contract the San Jose Sharks gave him back in 2023 — two years at $2,350,000 million AAV — expires at the end of this season. It also makes Blackwood the clear No. 1 netminder for the Avalanche in the coming years, alongside back-up Scott Wedgewood’s $1,500,000 million AAV over the next two years. “As I said when we acquired him, we feel like Mackenzie has just gotten better and better every year and he has come in and done a great job with us in his first few starts,” MacFarland said. “He’s a big body, athletic goaltender who is still young and still growing as a goaltender. Stylistically, he has fit really well with how we play and has been a perfect fit in our dressing room as well.” After the trade, San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier revealed that he considered keeping Blackwood, but concluded, “He probably played his way out of what we would be looking for, especially, he’s going to want some term.” It looks like Grier made the right call. San Jose’s net is likely up-and-coming star Yaroslav Askarov’s in the coming years, and while Askarov has just a $2 million AAV in the next two years after this season, he might be a very expensive RFA in the summer of 2027, if he’s as good as the Sharks project. “My job is to look down the road too,” Grier stressed, “and how much money do you want in the net?” So while the vibes of a Askarov-Blackwood duo might have been out of control — “He’s a beauty,” Yaroslav Askarov told SJHN — it’s a salary cap league, first and foremost. This article first appeared on San Jose Hockey Now and was syndicated with permission.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court seemed likely Wednesday to uphold Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors. The justices' decision, not expected for several months, could affect similar laws enacted by another 25 states and a range of other efforts to regulate the lives of transgender people, including which sports competitions they can join and which restrooms they can use. The case is being weighed by a conservative-dominated court after a presidential election in which Donald Trump and his allies promised to roll back protections for transgender people. The Biden administration's top Supreme Court lawyer warned a decision favorable to Tennessee also could be used to justify nationwide restrictions on transgender health care for minors. In arguments that lasted more than two hours, five of the six conservative justices voiced varying degrees of skepticism over arguments made by the administration and Chase Strangio, the ACLU lawyer for Tennessee families challenging the ban. Chief Justice John Roberts, who voted in the majority in a 2020 case in favor of transgender rights, questioned whether judges, rather than lawmakers, should weigh in on a question of regulating medical procedures, an area usually left to the states. "The Constitution leaves that question to the people's representatives, rather than to nine people, none of whom is a doctor," Roberts said in an exchange with Strangio. Justice Neil Gorsuch, who wrote the majority opinion in 2020, said nothing during the arguments. The court's three liberal justices seemed firmly on the side of the challengers, but it's not clear that any conservatives will go along. Justice Sonia Sotomayor pushed back against the assertion that the democratic process would be the best way to address objections to the law. She cited a history of laws discriminating against others, noting that transgender people make up less than 1% of the U.S. population, according to studies. There are an estimated 1.3 million adults and 300,000 adolescents ages 13 to 17 who identify as transgender, according the UCLA law school's Williams Institute. "Blacks were a much larger part of the population and it didn't protect them. It didn't protect women for whole centuries," Sotomayor said in an exchange with Tennessee Solicitor General Matt Rice. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said she saw some troubling parallels between arguments made by Tennessee and those advanced by Virginia and rejected by a unanimous court, in the 1967 Loving decision that legalized interracial marriage nationwide. Quoting from that decision, Jackson noted that Virginia argued then that "the scientific evidence is substantially in doubt and, consequently, the court should defer to the wisdom of the state legislature." Justice Samuel Alito repeatedly pressed Strangio, the first openly transgender lawyer to argue at the nation's highest court, about whether transgender people should be legally designated as a group that's susceptible to discrimination. Strangio answered that being transgender does fit that legal definition, though he acknowledged under Alito's questioning there are a small number of people who de-transition. "So it's not an immutable characteristic, is it?" Alito said. Strangio did not retreat from his view, though he said the court did not have to decide the issue to resolve the case in his clients' favor. There were dueling rallies outside the court in the hours before the arguments. Speeches and music filled the air on the sidewalk below the court's marble steps. Advocates of the ban bore signs like "Champion God's Design" and "Kids Health Matters," while the other side proclaimed "Fight like a Mother for Trans Rights" and "Freedom to be Ourselves." Four years ago, the court ruled in favor of Aimee Stephens, who was fired by a Michigan funeral home after she informed its owner she was a transgender woman. The court held that transgender people, as well as gay and lesbian people, are protected by a landmark federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in the workplace. The Biden administration and the families and health care providers who challenged the Tennessee law urged the justices to apply the same sort of analysis that the majority, made up of liberal and conservative justices, embraced in the case four years ago when it found that "sex plays an unmistakable role" in employers' decisions to punish transgender people for traits and behavior they otherwise tolerate. The issue in the Tennessee case is whether the law violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, which requires the government to treat similarly situated people the same. Tennessee's law bans puberty blockers and hormone treatments for transgender minors, but allows the same drugs to be used for other purposes. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, the administration's top Supreme Court lawyer, called the law sex-based line drawing to ban the use of drugs that have been safely prescribed for decades and said the state "decided to completely override the views of the patients, the parents, the doctors." She contrasted the Tennessee law with one enacted by West Virginia, which set conditions for the health care for transgender minors, but stopped short of an outright ban. Gender-affirming care for youth is supported by every major medical organization, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychiatric Association.Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Nicolas Kuhn insists Brendan Rodgers won’t allow his Celtic squad to lose sight of Saints with Rangers on the horizon. The Hoops could all but kill off the Ibrox club’s faint title dreams with a victory on January 2 with the Light Blues a mammoth 12 points behind going into this weekend’s round of fixtures. But Kuhn – who was back with a bang from injury in the 4-0 Boxing Day win against Motherwell – is adamant the manager won’t tolerate any of his men getting distracted with St Johnstone up first at Parkhead tomorrow. The wide man said: “It’s not too difficult for us. We always focus on the next game. We saw what happened in the last one but we just focus on the next match and getting the three points. Then we will see what is coming. There are the same amount of points available in this game as the next one. That’s how we did it last season and we are doing this time – we always focus on the next game. “We have done a great job so far. We only have one loss – and that was in the Champions League . We learned from that one as well. I am not too stressed about it. We just try to keep going and get as many points as possible. “The manager plays a really big part. He always gets us ready for the next game. He builds the team and keeps us feeling good. He keeps us down to earth and focuses on the next game.” Kuhn came off the bench to notch his 13th goal of the season in the Well win and he’s already topped his best scoring season of his career. The 24-year-old – who sat out the Dundee United draw – is determined to keep the foot down for the second half of the season. He said: “It was still a bit painful but it was good to be back. The goal was not the nicest I’ve scored but I will take it. “It’s nice to pick up where I left off. I just tried to continue the way I’ve started this season and I was happy to get the goal. But the most important thing was the three points. “I feel good. I am really happy at the club, with the team and all the people here. I enjoy playing. Do I have a taste for goals? Yes. Maybe at the end I could have taken another shot but I wanted to get the assist! “It’s nice to assist too. I don’t really set targets. The most important thing for me is to stay fit after a full pre-season with the team. “I have felt fit all season so hopefully it will be fine and I am back 100 per cent soon. This has been my best return now and there are still a lot of games to come. “You can’t play in all of them but I am happy to be back and I want to continue. My ambitions are just to stay fit and keep going.”Supreme Court seems likely to uphold Tennessee's ban on treatments for transgender minors

U.S. stock indexes reached more records after tech companies talked up how much artificial intelligence is boosting their results. The S&P 500 climbed 0.6 percent Wednesday to add to what looks to be one of its best years of the millennium. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.7 percent, while the Nasdaq composite added 1.3 percent to its own record. Salesforce pulled the market higher after highlighting its artificial-intelligence offering for customers. Marvell Technology jumped even more after saying it’s seeing strong demand from AI. Treasury yields eased, while bitcoin climbed after President-elect Donald Trump nominated a crypto advocate to head the Securities and Exchange Commission. On Wednesday: The S&P 500 rose 36.61 points, or 0.6 percent, to 6,086.49. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 308.51 points, or 0.7 percent, to 45,014.04. The Nasdaq composite rose 254.21 points, or 1.3 percent, to 19,735.12. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 10.22 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,426.56. For the week: The S&P 500 is up 54.11 points, or 0.9 percent. The Dow is up 103.39 points, or 0.2 percent. The Nasdaq is up 516.95 points, or 2.7 percent. The Russell 2000 is down 8.16 points, or 0.3 percent. For the year: The S&P 500 is up 1,316.66 points, or 27.6 percent. The Dow is up 7,324.50 points, or 19.4 percent. The Nasdaq is up 4,723.76 points, or 31.5 percent. The Russell 2000 is up 399.49 points, or 19.7 percent. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors. They are meant for general informational purposes only and should not be construed or interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation. The Epoch Times does not provide investment, tax, legal, financial planning, estate planning, or any other personal finance advice. The Epoch Times holds no liability for the accuracy or timeliness of the information provided.If the Fed is cutting interest rates, why are mortgages and business loans costing more?

Shares of Surf Air Mobility Inc. (SRFM) surged as much as 7% in morning trade on Friday to hit an eight-month high of $6.41, building on its gain of 56% during the previous session that helped the stock make up for some of its year-to-date decline. The stock reversed most of its gains, trading 0.36% lower in mid-day trade on Friday. The uptick in Surf Air Mobility’s shares comes after the company announced that its board members purchased stock from the open market. If the stock had maintained its gains, it would have pared its year-to-date decline to under 50% — most of this fall came in April, when the stock fell by over 40% after the company received a notice of possible delisting from the New York Stock Exchange. Surf Air Mobility’s chairman, Carl Albert, purchased 14,500 shares, while co-founder and board member Sudhin Shahani purchased 17,237 shares. The aggregate transaction is valued at approximately $110,000. “We have near and midterm goals to increase value for our shareholders. We are firmly and financially committed to successful execution of our Transformation Plan,” said Albert. Retail traders on Stocktwits expressed optimism about Surf Air Mobility’s turnaround plan, which includes securing a $50 million term loan. The company expects to become profitable in 2025. The stock purchase by board members indicates the confidence insiders have in the company’s four-phase transformation plan. While some retail traders remained confident about the stock’s long-term prospects, others may now regret not taking profits when they had the chance earlier in the day. Surf Air Mobility, a Los Angeles-based regional air mobility service, currently operates Cessna Caravan aircraft, which have a range of a little over 1,200 miles, with a top speed of 213 miles per hour. The company is also developing an AI-powered airline software operating system. It also has electric powertrain technology that is currently in the process of being certified. Surf Air Mobility’s shares have declined by 44% year-to-date. For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

The world stands at the dawn of a “third nuclear age” in which Britain is threatened by multiple dilemmas, the head of the armed forces has warned. But alongside his stark warning of the threats facing Britain and its allies, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said there would be only a “remote chance” Russia would directly attack or invade the UK if the two countries were at war. The Chief of the Defence Staff laid out the landscape of British defence in a wide-ranging speech, after a minister warned the Army would be wiped out in as little as six months if forced to fight a war on the scale of the Ukraine conflict. The admiral cast doubt on the possibility as he gave a speech at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) defence think tank in London. He told the audience Britain needed to be “clear-eyed in our assessment” of the threats it faces, adding: “That includes recognising that there is only a remote chance of a significant direct attack or invasion by Russia on the United Kingdom, and that’s the same for the whole of Nato.” Moscow “knows the response will be overwhelming”, he added, but warned the nuclear deterrent needed to be “kept strong and strengthened”. Sir Tony added: “We are at the dawn of a third nuclear age, which is altogether more complex. It is defined by multiple and concurrent dilemmas, proliferating nuclear and disruptive technologies and the almost total absence of the security architectures that went before.” The first nuclear age was the Cold War, while the second was “governed by disarmament efforts and counter proliferation”, the armed forces chief said. He listed the “wild threats of tactical nuclear use” by Russia, China building up its weapon stocks, Iran’s failure to co-operate with a nuclear deal, and North Korea’s “erratic behaviour” among the threats faced by the West. But Sir Tony said the UK’s nuclear arsenal is “the one part of our inventory of which Russia is most aware and has more impact on (President Vladimir) Putin than anything else”. Successive British governments had invested “substantial sums of money” in renewing nuclear submarines and warheads because of this, he added. The admiral described the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers on Ukraine’s border alongside Russian forces as the year’s “most extraordinary development”. He also signalled further deployments were possible, speaking of “tens of thousands more to follow as part of a new security pact with Russia”. Defence minister Alistair Carns earlier said a rate of casualties similar to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would lead to the army being “expended” within six to 12 months. He said it illustrated the need to “generate depth and mass rapidly in the event of a crisis”. In comments reported by Sky News, Mr Carns, a former Royal Marines colonel, said Russia was suffering losses of around 1,500 soldiers killed or injured a day. “In a war of scale – not a limited intervention, but one similar to Ukraine – our Army for example, on the current casualty rates, would be expended – as part of a broader multinational coalition – in six months to a year,” Mr Carns said in a speech at Rusi. He added: “That doesn’t mean we need a bigger Army, but it does mean you need to generate depth and mass rapidly in the event of a crisis.” Official figures show the Army had 109,245 personnel on October 1, including 25,814 volunteer reservists. Mr Carns, the minister for veterans and people, said the UK needed to “catch up with Nato allies” to place greater emphasis on the reserves. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Defence Secretary John Healey had previously spoken about “the state of the armed forces that were inherited from the previous government”. The spokesman said: “It’s why the Budget invested billions of pounds into defence, it’s why we’re undertaking a strategic defence review to ensure that we have the capabilities and the investment needed to defend this country.”

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court seemed likely Wednesday to uphold Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors. The justices' decision, not expected for several months, could affect similar laws enacted by another 25 states and a range of other efforts to regulate the lives of transgender people, including which sports competitions they can join and which restrooms they can use. The case is being weighed by a conservative-dominated court after a presidential election in which Donald Trump and his allies promised to roll back protections for transgender people. The Biden administration's top Supreme Court lawyer warned a decision favorable to Tennessee also could be used to justify nationwide restrictions on transgender health care for minors. Supporters of transgender rights rally Wednesday outside the Supreme Court in Washington. In arguments that lasted more than two hours, five of the six conservative justices voiced varying degrees of skepticism over arguments made by the administration and Chase Strangio, the ACLU lawyer for Tennessee families challenging the ban. Chief Justice John Roberts, who voted in the majority in a 2020 case in favor of transgender rights, questioned whether judges, rather than lawmakers, should weigh in on a question of regulating medical procedures, an area usually left to the states. "The Constitution leaves that question to the people's representatives, rather than to nine people, none of whom is a doctor," Roberts said in an exchange with Strangio. Justice Neil Gorsuch, who wrote the majority opinion in 2020, said nothing during the arguments. The court's three liberal justices seemed firmly on the side of the challengers, but it's not clear that any conservatives will go along. People attend a rally March 31, 2023, as part of a Transgender Day of Visibility, near the Capitol in Washington. Justice Sonia Sotomayor pushed back against the assertion that the democratic process would be the best way to address objections to the law. She cited a history of laws discriminating against others, noting that transgender people make up less than 1% of the U.S. population, according to studies. There are an estimated 1.3 million adults and 300,000 adolescents ages 13 to 17 who identify as transgender, according the UCLA law school's Williams Institute. "Blacks were a much larger part of the population and it didn't protect them. It didn't protect women for whole centuries," Sotomayor said in an exchange with Tennessee Solicitor General Matt Rice. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said she saw some troubling parallels between arguments made by Tennessee and those advanced by Virginia and rejected by a unanimous court, in the 1967 Loving decision that legalized interracial marriage nationwide. Quoting from that decision, Jackson noted that Virginia argued then that "the scientific evidence is substantially in doubt and, consequently, the court should defer to the wisdom of the state legislature." ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio, left, and plaintiff Joaquin Carcano address reporters after a June 25, 2018, hearing in Winston-Salem, N.C., on their lawsuit challenging the law that replaced North Carolina's "bathroom bill." Justice Samuel Alito repeatedly pressed Strangio, the first openly transgender lawyer to argue at the nation's highest court, about whether transgender people should be legally designated as a group that's susceptible to discrimination. Strangio answered that being transgender does fit that legal definition, though he acknowledged under Alito's questioning there are a small number of people who de-transition. "So it's not an immutable characteristic, is it?" Alito said. Strangio did not retreat from his view, though he said the court did not have to decide the issue to resolve the case in his clients' favor. There were dueling rallies outside the court in the hours before the arguments. Speeches and music filled the air on the sidewalk below the court's marble steps. Advocates of the ban bore signs like "Champion God's Design" and "Kids Health Matters," while the other side proclaimed "Fight like a Mother for Trans Rights" and "Freedom to be Ourselves." Four years ago, the court ruled in favor of Aimee Stephens, who was fired by a Michigan funeral home after she informed its owner she was a transgender woman. The court held that transgender people, as well as gay and lesbian people, are protected by a landmark federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in the workplace. The Biden administration and the families and health care providers who challenged the Tennessee law urged the justices to apply the same sort of analysis that the majority, made up of liberal and conservative justices, embraced in the case four years ago when it found that "sex plays an unmistakable role" in employers' decisions to punish transgender people for traits and behavior they otherwise tolerate. Demonstrators against transgender rights protest Wednesday during a rally outside of the Supreme Court in Washington. The issue in the Tennessee case is whether the law violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, which requires the government to treat similarly situated people the same. Tennessee's law bans puberty blockers and hormone treatments for transgender minors, but allows the same drugs to be used for other purposes. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, the administration's top Supreme Court lawyer, called the law sex-based line drawing to ban the use of drugs that have been safely prescribed for decades and said the state "decided to completely override the views of the patients, the parents, the doctors." She contrasted the Tennessee law with one enacted by West Virginia, which set conditions for the health care for transgender minors, but stopped short of an outright ban. Gender-affirming care for youth is supported by every major medical organization, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychiatric Association. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Dan Casey was rather amused to be the subject of a ‘viral’ clip recently, if only with the benefit of hindsight and from a position where his controversial red card against Kilmarnock had been overturned. The Motherwell defender is hoping though that he can attract attention for all the right reasons when his team take on Rangers at Fir Park tomorrow . Casey’s dismissal against Killie after a spot of handbags with Danny Armstrong drew derision and disbelief from football fans all over the world, particularly as referee Chris Graham stuck by his on-field call after viewing the incident on the VAR screen. Thankfully for Casey, justice was finally done after an appeal, with his punishment downgraded to yellow, and he is now hoping to repeat his feat of last season when his headed goal saw Motherwell shock Rangers in a 2-1 win at Ibrox. And, perhaps, go viral once more. “The reaction was a bit funny,” Casey said. “I don't know, it was a Friday night and there weren't many games on. It just seemed to get a lot of attention - probably not for the right reasons. “My phone was melting with all the messages. It was a funny one. It would have been nicer if it was because I got a goal - not being sent off. It's just one of those things. I hope the next time I go viral it’s for something better! “That was frustrating, but thankfully the right result came out at the end. It's not a great look for the league. I don't think anyone there on the day could even believe it happened. “But listen, people make mistakes. In every walk of life, mistakes are made so I think we just need to get on with it. The appeal was won thankfully and we just need to move on. Read more: Motherwell 1 Kilmarnock 1: Huge refereeing decision dominates Fir Park stalemate Celtic 4 Motherwell 0: Engels shines as champions get back to winning ways “It was a funny one. And I think everyone's seen it was a funny one. But nobody's perfect, so there are no grudges held. “Everyone makes mistakes, and we move on from it.” Unfortunately for both Casey and Motherwell, they have more than just that red card incident to shake off, after their 4-0 humbling at Celtic Park on Boxing Day. Their history against Rangers at Fir Park also doesn’t bode well for the Steelmen’s chances tomorrow, having not won on league duty against the Ibrox side since Boxing Day 2002 – though they did beat them comfortably in the relegation playoffs back in 2015. “I wasn’t aware of the history, but we won at Ibrox recently, which is probably a harder place to do it,” Casey said. “We know that we can do it. It's going to be a very tough task. We just need to prepare for that and look forward to a good opportunity to go and put the Celtic result behind us. (Image: Craig Foy - SNS Group) “We had a game plan and we were doing quite well in the first half, carrying it out pretty much to a tee. We knew we weren't going to create much and we had to take any opportunity we had. “We had to make sure we were clinical and you hoped you would get one or two when the game sort of opened up a bit. So, to concede just on half-time is a bit of a killer. “We could have still scored at the start of the second, but we were unlucky when it got cleared off the line. “But after that, we just let our standards drop and it was very disappointing.”