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blackjack logo Stock market today: Nvidia drags Wall Street from its records as oil and gold riseJim Larrañaga steps down at Miami, Bill Courtney takes over to finish seasonJoe Biden has announced a highly anticipated ceasefire to end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, in what he called a “historic” deal to end the 14-month-old war. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu , had endorsed an imminent ceasefire in the country’s war with the Lebanese group after his full cabinet approved the deal on Tuesday evening despite opposition from his far-right allies. In televised remarks after the Israeli security cabinet met to vote on the proposal for a 60-day ceasefire, Netanyahu said he was ready to implement the deal, but added that Israel would retain “complete military freedom of action” in the event of an infringement by Hezbollah . “We will enforce the agreement and respond forcefully to any violation. Together, we will continue until victory,” Netanyahu said. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, who helped broker the ceasefire, was expected to speak on Tuesday. In remarks from the White House Rose Garden, Biden said: “Under the deal reached today, effective at 4am tomorrow, local time, the fighting across the Lebanese Israeli border will end,”. He repeated the last two words: “Will end.” “This is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities. What is left of Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations will not be allowed, I emphasize, will not be allowed to threaten the security of Israel again,” he said. Biden said that US troops would not be committed to the border between Israel and Lebanon , but that “we, along with France and others, will provide the necessary assistance to make sure this deal is implemented fully and effectively.” The deal follows months of international lobbying from the Biden administration, which had launched desperate efforts to halt the fighting but regularly came up short after promising that a deal was imminent. The US is expected to be a key security guarantor of the deal. The signing of a ceasefire comes with less than two months left in the lame duck Biden administration, meaning that the president-elect, Donald Trump, could continue to support or upend the deal when he enters office on 20 January. Netanyahu said that there were three reasons to pursue a ceasefire: to focus on the threat from Iran; replenish depleted arms supplies and rest tired reservists; and to isolate Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that triggered war in the region when it attacked Israel on 7 October last year. Importantly for Israel, Hezbollah dropped its demand that a ceasefire in Lebanon was contingent on ending the fighting in Gaza. Netanyahu noted what he said was the group’s weakness after 13 months of fighting, saying: “We have set [Hezbollah] back decades, eliminated ... its top leaders, destroyed most of its rockets and missiles, neutralised thousands of fighters, and obliterated years of terror infrastructure near our border.” The deal is expected to go into force at 0200GMT Wednesday. Biden administration officials said that negotiations had continued as late as Monday evening and that while the discussions were “very constructive”, that “nothing is done until everything is done. Nothing’s all negotiated till everything is negotiated.” Israeli television reported that the security cabinet had approved the proposal and that it would be put to the wider cabinet later on Tuesday evening. Lebanon’s prime minister, Najib Mikati, is also expected to give a statement later on Tuesday. The far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote on social media that he opposed the agreement, calling it a “historical mistake”. He said Israel “must not trust anyone but ourselves” and predicted that it would soon lead to renewed fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon. But he did not threaten to withdraw from Netanyahu’s ruling coalition, indicating that the Israeli prime minister may be able to contain any discontent on the right wing of his ruling coalition. Hezbollah began firing rockets at Israel in support of its ally, Hamas, the day after the Palestinian group attacked Israel, triggering the regional conflagration. The conflict on the blue line – a demarcation line dividing Lebanon from Israel – escalated in late September, when hundreds of Hezbollah pagers exploded in an attack attributed to Israel. Israel then killed much of Hezbollah’s leadership in airstrikes and launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon. Under the deal’s terms, Israel will withdraw entirely from southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah will move its heavy weaponry north of the Litani River, about 16 miles (25km) north of the border. During a 60-day transition phase, the Lebanese army will deploy to the buffer border zone alongside the existing UN peacekeeping force. Longstanding border disputes will be discussed after the 60-day withdrawal period. The process will be monitored by a US-led supervisory mechanism that will act as a referee on infringements. A letter of assurance that was not formally part of the deal reportedly guarantees US support for Israeli freedom of action if Hezbollah attacks Israel again or moves its forces or weaponry south of the Litani. The agreement follows the contours of UN security council resolution 1701, which ended the 36-day Israel-Hezbollah war of 2006 but was never fully implemented. Even as the deal was set to be announced, Israel stepped up its campaign of airstrikes against the Lebanese capital of Beirut and other areas of the country, killing 18 people according to the country’s health authorities. The deal will not have any direct effect on the fighting in Gaza, where US efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have not led to a deal. The negotiations over Tuesday’s ceasefire were reportedly facilitated by a decision to decouple them from the Gaza talks, where the conflict remains intractable.

The Syrian rebels who toppled Bashar Assad are highly unlikely to pose an immediate threat to Israel, leading Middle East expert Hassan Hassan said on the latest episode of the Haaretz Podcast. The rapid collapse of the Assad regime in Syria has left Israel concerned about the future of what has been its quietest border in an era of continual instability and war, as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham , the rebel group that drove Assad out and has roots in Al-Qaeda and ISIS, takes charge. "I suspect they will probably send signals to Israel directly or indirectly, that they're not interested in igniting anything there," said Syrian-born journalist and author Hassan, editor-in-chief of New Lines Magazine. Hassan said he believes that their posture towards Israel would be "cut from the same cloth" as Assad's, who "never really waged war against Israel since 1973." Haaretz senior military analyst Amos Harel , also on the podcast, said that Israeli officials are wary of the group and its leader, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani. According to Harel, the Syrian rebel leader currently "at least pretends to to have become more of a moderate. He doesn't talk like an extreme jihadist anymore. But don't think I'm buying into this , and neither are the Israeli intelligence community and the Israeli leadership. The question is whether fighting Israel is a top priority for this new alliance? I don't think so. But is this a beginning of a wonderful era between Israel and Syria? I seriously doubt that." Hassan said that his countrymen are in a " euphoric early stage " of celebration, stunned to see the end of the 50-year reign of the Assad dynasty. "You really have to have a rich imagination to imagine something worse than Assad," he said. As they watch the images of political prisoners being released after decades, it "reminds them of how bad and brutal the Assad regime was." The "domino effect" of upheaval will continue across the region, Hassan predicts. With the devastation of Hamas, Hezbollah, and now the Assad regime, "you could say that the Iranian hegemony in the Levant is almost over."MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — Marcus Adams Jr.'s 25 points helped CSU Northridge defeat Utah Tech 89-79 on Sunday night at the Stew Morrill Classic. Adams added five rebounds for the Matadors (4-1). Keonte Jones added 23 points while shooting 8 of 15 from the field and 5 for 10 from the line while they also had nine rebounds and three blocks. Scotty Washington had 19 points and went 7 of 14 from the field (3 for 6 from 3-point range). The Trailblazers (1-5) were led by Hakim Byrd, who posted 23 points. Utah Tech also got 15 points from Noa Gonsalves. Samuel Ariyibi finished with 14 points and three blocks. The Matadors play Denver and Utah Tech takes on Montana when the event wraps up on Monday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Nendah Tarke scores 24 to help Towson defeat Morgan State 64-60

Manchester City blew a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 against Feyenoord in a Champions League thriller on Tuesday and extend their winless run to six games. Watch selected NRL, AFL, SSN games plus every F1 qualifying session and race live in 4K on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. The English champions did snap a five-game losing streak but did little to boost confidence ahead of Sunday’s trip to Premier League leaders Liverpool by conceding three times in the final 15 minutes. Pep Guardiola admitted his star-studded squad were “fragile” and lacking in confidence after the worst run of his managerial career, while a shock stat was exposed. We lost a lot of games lately, we are fragile and of course, we need a victory,” he said to Prime Video. “The game was good for the confidence, we were playing at a good level and then for the first time something happened, we have problems.” Manchester City became the first team in the history of the Champions League to be leading by three goals as late as the 75th minute, before failing to win. Two goals from Erling Haaland, either side of Ilkay Gundogan’s deflected effort, looked set to restore some order for City. But the defensive frailties that have been the root cause for a staggering collapse in recent weeks was exposed in the closing stages. Anis Hadj Moussa, Santiago Gimenez and David Hancko hit back to salvage a vital point for the Dutch giants. A draw leaves City with plenty of work to do to reach the knockout stages with trips to Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain to come in their next two Champions League games. Only the top eight progress directly to the last 16 with a place in the top 24 of the 36-team table enough to reach the playoff round. City drop to 15th on eight points from five matches, just one point ahead of Feyenoord in 20th. Guardiola reacted to a first home defeat for two years in a 4-0 humbling by Tottenham on Saturday by making three changes. Jack Grealish, Matheus Nunes and Nathan Ake came into the starting line-up but it still took City time to find their rhythm. Nerves around a far from full Etihad Stadium were frayed when Igor Paixao wasted a big chance to give the Dutch giants the lead. Instead, City got the break they needed when Haaland was fouled inside the box from a corner. The Norwegian missed from the penalty spot in City’s 4-1 thrashing by Sporting Lisbon last time out in the Champions League. This time Haaland was clinical and smashed the ball into the net in relieving his frustrations of recent weeks. Gundogan’s volley from the edge of the box that deflected in off Hancko gave City breathing space early in the second half. Haaland then slid in to meet Nunes’ cross for his 46th Champions League goal in 44 appearances in the competition to seemingly put City on easy street. But there was a sting in the tail for the home side after Josko Gvardiol’s slack backpass allowed Moussa in to round Ederson and fire in from a narrow angle. Guardiola held his head in his hands in response and worse was to come when Ederson failed to deal with Jordan Lotomba’s near-post effort and the ball fell kindly for Gimenez to make it 3-2. More kamikaze defending gifted Feyenoord an equaliser as Rico Lewis played Paixao onside. He eased around the onrushing Ederson and crossed for Hancko to head into an unguarded net. City have now conceded two or more goals in six consecutive games for the first time since 1963. There was still time for more drama as Grealish’s shot came back off the crossbar in City’s search for a late winner. Instead they had to settle for a point that will feel just as damaging as the previous five defeats for a side so used to winning. ARSENAL’S RUTHLESS ROUT Arsenal extended their revival with a ruthless 5-1 rout of Sporting Lisbon to bolster their bid to reach the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday. Mikel Arteta’s side ended a three-match winless run in all competitions by beating Nottingham Forest 3-0 in the Premier League last weekend. And the Gunners built on that success with an even more dynamic display at the Jose Alvalade stadium. Gabriel Martinelli gave Arsenal an early lead and Kai Havertz increased their advantage before Gabriel Magalhaes struck just before halftime. Goncalo Inacio got one back for Sporting, but Bukayo Saka’s penalty underlined the gulf in class between the teams. Leandro Trossard netted late on to give Arsenal five away goals in a Champions League game for the first time since 2008. Arsenal’s third win in five Champions League matches this season lifted them into seventh place, with the top eight teams in the revamped tournament earning automatic qualification for the last 16. Sporting’s first defeat in Europe’s elite club competition this season leaves them below Arsenal on goal difference. Arsenal are nine points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool after their dip, but this swaggering effort suggested they are finally back in the groove. Arteta had challenged Arsenal to make a statement against Sporting and they responded in emphatic fashion. The north Londoners’ first away win in the Champions League in six attempts was a welcome tonic after a 1-0 loss at Inter Milan in their last European fixture. Arsenal’s impressive performance was all the more notable as Sporting had crushed Manchester City 4-1 in their final Champions League game under Ruben Amorim, who has since taken charge of Manchester United. Joao Pereira has replaced Amorim as Sporting boss but he was unable to maintain their unbeaten start to the season as the Portuguese champions were defeated for the first time in 19 games in all competitions. It took just seven minutes for Martinelli to put Arsenal ahead. Jurrien Timber’s low cross was perfectly weighted and the Brazilian slid in to apply the finish inside the six-yard box. In stark contrast to City’s capitulation at Sporting earlier in November, Arteta’s men were in complete command. They picked the Sporting defence apart again in the 22nd minute as Thomas Partey’s incisive pass picked out Saka’s run beyond the hosts’ creaky off-side trap. Saka guided a pinpoint pass into the Sporting area and Havertz timed his run immaculately to slot home from close range. Sporting finally forced a save from David Raya when 17-year-old Geovany Quenda unleashed a fierce strike that the Arsenal keeper tipped over. But Gabriel bagged his first Champions League goal on the stroke of halftime. Arsenal’s set-piece prowess was on show as the Brazilian defender rose highest to power his header past Franco Israel from Declan Rice’s inswinging corner. Gabriel marked the goal with a cheeky celebration as he mimicked the eye-covering gesture used by Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres when he scores. That inflammatory gesture briefly woke Sporting from their slumber and Inacio reduced the deficit two minutes after halftime. Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori went to sleep at a corner and Inacio took advantage to volley past Raya from close range. Sporting needed another goal quickly to put Arsenal under genuine pressure, but instead it was the visitors who struck again in the 65th minute. Ousmane Diomande’s lunge tripped Martin Odegaard in the area and Saka drilled his penalty into the corner of the net. Trossard put the seal on Arsenal’s demolition job in the 82nd minute, nodding home after Israel spilt Mikel Merino’s shot. BAYERN BEST 10-MAN PSG A first-half header from Kim Min-jae guided Bayern Munich to a 1-0 home win over Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, damaging the French side’s hopes of progressing in the Champions League. The centre-back scored after an error from PSG goalkeeper Matvei Safonov, starting ahead of Gianluigi Donnarumma, who spilt the ball into Kim’s path. The South Korean’s effort was enough to decide the rematch of the 2020 Champions League final -- won by Bayern by the same scoreline -- and all but extinguishes PSG’s hopes of a top-eight finish and avoiding the playoff round. Ousmane Dembele picked up a second yellow for an unnecessary challenge with half an hour remaining, with Bayern successfully shutting up shop as a result. “It was an extremely intense game,” Leon Goretzka said to Amazon Prime. “You could see in the starting XI they were going to try and hold onto the ball and to test us with their pressing -- and we pushed to the end and it’s nice we could be rewarded.” With just three games remaining, even making the knockouts is not a given for the French champions, who are in 26th spot -- two outside the playoff placings. PSG host Manchester City in January along with facing tricky away trips to Red Bull Salzburg and Stuttgart. Bayern’s top-eight hopes look rosier after the win, which extended their run of clean sheets to seven straight games in all competitions. Bayern now sit 11th and take on relative European minnows Shakhtar Donetsk, Feyenoord and Slovan Bratislava in their remaining games. Both sides came into the game unbeaten and six points clear in their domestic leagues but in dire need of points in Europe. Bayern coach Vincent Kompany opted for the speed of Leroy Sane over the creativity of France winger Michael Olise up front. PSG boss Luis Enrique made five changes to his side but most notable was his decision to stick with goalkeeper Safonov, rather than Donnarumma, who had played all but one Champions League game this season. Luis Enrique defended his call before the game, telling reporters: “I make my choices based on what I see on the pitch and what’s best for the team.” The decision appeared to pay off early, with Safonov responsible for good saves from Jamal Musiala and Sane inside the opening 12 minutes. Kingsley Coman, the PSG academy product who scored the only goal in the 2020 final, almost broke the deadlock shortly afterwards, dribbling through five defenders and blasting just wide. After PSG had a few opportunities of their own, including Joao Neves’ long-range effort whistling past the goalpost on 33 minutes, the Russian goalkeeper made a mistake which led directly to the opener. Joshua Kimmich swung in a corner on the 38-minute mark which Safonov spilt. And Kim took advantage to power a header into the net for the first Champions League goal of his career. Bayern were happy to let the game come to them in the second half but Dembele’s second yellow -- his first had come for dissent -- took the steam out of PSG’s hopes of a comeback. BARCELONA HIT BREST FOR THREE Robert Lewandowski scored his 100th Champions League goal as Barcelona beat Brest 3-0 to climb provisionally second in the Champions League group standings on Tuesday. The veteran striker slotted home from the spot in the 10th minute to fire the Catalans ahead and reach his milestone, adding a second late on after Dani Olmo’s goal to inflict the French side’s first defeat. After dropping points in their last two outings in La Liga, coach Hansi Flick had urged his players to “eliminate” mistakes in their game and Barca produced a solid display. They got off the mark quickly when Brest goalkeeper Marco Bizot clumsily clattered into the back of Lewandowski after the forward controlled Pedri’s cross on his chest. The striker dusted himself down and dispatched the penalty clinically to open the scoring after 10 minutes and bring up his century. It made Lewandowski only the third player to reach that milestone in the competition, behind former Barcelona great Lionel Messi, on 129, and former Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, with 140. Under Flick, the forward’s form has improved significantly this season, reaching 22 goals in 19 appearances between La Liga and the Champions League. The 36-year-old has made 125 Champions League appearances with Barcelona and before that German sides Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. “I am very happy, many years ago I did not think I could score more than 100 goals in the Champions League,” Lewandowski told Movistar. “For me the most important thing is that we try to win every game, if I can score, then that’s the perfect solution. “I don’t know how many games we have left before the end of the year but we have to win them all and rest over Christmas.” Barcelona were still without teenage star Lamine Yamal, recovering from an ankle problem, but Raphinha was busy on the right and the Catalans dominated proceedings. They did not create many clear chances though until Fermin Lopez forced a fine save from Bizot with a diving header. The Dutch goalkeeper made amends for his earlier mistake by denying the Spaniard with his leg. Lopez again came close early in the second half when Lewandowski put him in with a neat flick but Bizot was alert to save his low effort. Playmaker Olmo had an effort scrambled off the line by Brendan Chardonnet as Barcelona sought to put the game to bed. The former RB Leipzig midfielder eventually grabbed the second in the 66th minute when he received Gerard Martin’s pass in the box, showing some nifty footwork to dodge Chardonnet and beat Bizot at the near post. Brest thumped RB Salzburg 4-0 and had dropped just two points from their first four matches despite sitting in mid-table in Ligue 1, but were brought down to earth at the Olympic Stadium. Mathias Pereira Lage drilled home to momentarily delight nearly 3,000 travelling supporters but their joy was curtailed when the linesman raised his flag for off-side. Barca substitute Pablo Torre should have netted Barcelona’s third when he intercepted a pass with just the goalkeeper to beat, but fired wide. Instead the job fell to Lewandowski and he rolled home his 101st Champions League goal with aplomb, beyond Bizot’s outstretched arm. Brest fall a few places down the table but their strong start to the campaign means they are well placed to secure at least a playoff spot, while Barcelona are aiming to reach the last 16 directly. Flick’s side travel to last season’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund next, before visiting Benfica and hosting Atalanta.(The Center Square) – Hurricane Helene, Donald Trump and a swelling population were intriguing North Carolina storylines in 2024 as The Center Square delivered news and information. Two dozen of them are gathered here, though the list is not a ranking, does not attempt to define “the most” of anything including republications by news partners. Rather, it is a collection of interesting, important and useful news and information delivered by The Center Square news wire service. Here’s 24 from 2024. • U.S. Census Bureau estimates have pushed the population to 11.1 million . • Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, among the matriarchs of the state's Democrats, will begin work next month with a sixth different governor. She is 79 years young and on track to have 32 consecutive years in the office. Marshall told The Center Square in a one-on-one interview in September , “It’s historic, and it’s also astonishing to me because I didn’t grow up dreaming that I would be even a lawyer, let alone running a major office in government. I didn’t dream big enough for myself.” • Actions of Carolina fraternity brothers with the American flag on the famed Polk Place campus quad drew the praise of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and led to a joint session of Congress rising for a standing ovation and chanting, “USA! USA! USA!” The April actions amid a protest about the war between Hamas and Israel also led to a guest spot at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wis. • First bet was the Legislature approving sports wagering. Through the first 265 days, North Carolina is averaging a gain of $372,177 per day on the $98,627,032 total. • VinFast, in line to be a recipient of $1.2 billion in taxpayer money through incentives, failed this summer to start production of its $4 billion plant in Moncure . It’s bleeding money, too, with a third-quarter net loss of $550 million – a tad less than half of the $1.15 billion Mega Millions jackpot drawing on Friday night. • North Carolina is expected to remain a destination for abortions in the South following two decisions in a federal case litigating new state law. Overall, most of the law enacted Dec. 1, 2023, in the wake of Roe v. Wade being reversed in June 2022 is in place. Included are no abortions after 12 weeks, down from 20, except in cases of rape, incest, or “life-limiting anomalies." • Well beyond the halcyon days of the Bible Belt, faith still matters in eastern North Carolina. Speaking to The Center Square at a Trump rally in Rocky Mount, 1st Congressional District candidate and retired Army Col. Laurie Buckhout said, “Faith matters in this state. Faith matters in this district, more than a whole lot of people think.” And, she says, not of the old Bible Belt way. “It did get shook,” she says of the moniker, “and it came to have a not great conversation. Now, it’s a loving, accepting positive environment. It’s a wide environment. I see it all over the state.” • Agriculture, North Carolina’s No. 1 industry forever, topped $111.1 billion in economic impact in 2024 with No. 1 in production rankings nationally for sweet potatoes, tobacco, and poultry and eggs. Growth since coming out of the COVID-19 era in 2022 is $18 billion. • The school choice waiting list of about 55,000 was wiped clean when lawmakers appropriated $463 million to the Opportunity Scholarship program. • The state’s 100 sheriffs, according to a new law, are to hold suspects believed to have illegally entered or be illegally living in the United States. The detainer is up to 48 hours, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement is to be notified . • With a ruling from Judge Melissa Owens Lassiter at the Office of Administrative Hearings, Aetna is in and BlueCross BlueShield is out as the State Health Plan. • Charlotte City Council approved allocation of $650 million to the stadium project of NFL Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper and his companies. He’s the 94th richest person on the planet at an estimated $20.6 billion net worth and owns the stadium used by his Panthers, his Charlotte FC of Major League Soccer, and his Tepper Sports & Entertainment. • Kylee Alons, a two-time national champion and 31-time All-American for N.C. State, is among 16 collegiate athletes, including 12-time All-American Riley Gaines, suing the NCAA for letting men who say they are women compete against them and use the same locker rooms. • Payton McNabb, the volleyball player from Hiawassee Dam High School in the mountains injured in 2022 by a boy saying he was a girl so he could play, continued to lead the national fight to protect women’s spaces alongside notable figures such as Gaines and Paula Scanlan. The Independent Women’s Forum coalition and its Our Bodies Our Sports “Take Back Title IX” Bus Tour, of which she was a part of, was vandalized while making a stop in Chapel Hill. By year’s end, the Biden administration had withdrawn changes to Title IX in a true national grassroots movement victory. • In one of the two biggest legislative wins of the last 15 years for the fight against human trafficking, lawmakers made solicitation of prostitution a felony . Enactment was Dec. 1. • Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, 72, won a sixth term last month . North Carolina was more blue than purple in the 1990s when he felt Democrats were hostile to tobacco production and he left the party to be a Republican. • Gov. Roy Cooper, 67, was a strong consideration for the Democrats’ presidential ticket, ultimately saying he would support Harris but not be her running mate . He remains with a perfect election record, unbeaten in 13 – three for North Carolina House of Representatives, four in the state Senate, four four-year terms for attorney general, and two four-year terms for governor. There's a watch for his decision related to the U.S. Senate seat race in 2026. • Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson held a modest polling lead as late as May against Democrat Josh Stein in the governor’s race. The summer swoon of the Republican went to unthinkable depths – losing by 14 points on Election Day – in part ignited by a Sept. 19 report from CNN. • AI & Politics ’24, led by Lee Rainie and Jason Husser at Elon University, in May said 78% believe it is likely artificial intelligence will be abused to impact the outcome of the presidential race. • Between July 22 and Sept. 12, seven lawsuits were filed against the State Board of Elections that includes Democrats Alan Hirsch, its chairman, Jeff Carmon and Siobhan Millen; and Republicans Stacy Eggers and Kevin Lewis; and Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell. • Hurricane Helene killed 103 in the state, 232 across seven states, and caused an estimated $53 billion in damage to the state. Arguably, it is the state’s worst natural disaster. • Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, as well as their vice president picks and for Harris presidents present and past, were regular visitors ahead of Election Day . Trump’s win kept intact a pattern now 60 years old. • Average household spending in North Carolina is $1,017 more per month today to buy the same goods and services as it was in 2021 according to a July report from the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s 22% cumulative inflation. • Fifty-nine positions were eliminated and 131 realigned after the University of North Carolina System changed a diversity policy that ensures “equality of all persons and viewpoints.” Total reported savings are $17.1 million and total redirected savings are $16.2 million.

China on Monday launched an investigation into US chip giant Nvidia for allegedly violating its anti-monopoly laws, a top government agency said, as the two countries race for global chipmaking dominance. Beijing's state administration for market regulation, the authority on antitrust issues, launched the probe "in accordance with the law," according to a statement shared online. Nvidia is also suspected of violating commitments it made in 2020, the statement said, when it acquired Israeli data center firm Mellanox. After Beijing announced the probe, shares in Nvidia dropped 2.6 percent by Wall Street's close on Monday, precipitating a US stocks retreat. The artificial intelligence giant did not respond to a request for comment. China and the United States have in recent weeks clashed over exports of key chipmaking technology, where Nvidia is a major player. Beijing last week said it would restrict exports to the United States of some components critical to making semiconductors, after Washington announced curbs targeting China's ability to make advanced chips. Among the materials banned from export are the metals gallium, antimony and germanium, China's commerce ministry said in a statement that cited "national security" concerns. In its own latest curbs, Washington has announced restrictions on sales to 140 companies, including Chinese chip firms Piotech and SiCarrier, without additional permission. The move expands Washington's efforts to restrict exports of state-of-the-art chips to China, which can be used in advanced weapons systems and artificial intelligence. The new US rules also include controls on two dozen types of chipmaking equipment and three kinds of software tools for developing or producing semiconductors. The US tech behemoth has seen its profits soar on the back of strong demand for its artificial intelligence technology. In November, Nvidia surpassed Apple to become the highest-valued company in the world as the AI boom continues to excite Wall Street. But the Chinese market has been a rare weak spot. The US government in 2023 restricted Nvidia from selling some of its top AI chips to China, which the United States sees as a strategic competitor in the field of advanced semiconductors. Although Nvidia in November reported record high quarterly revenue, investors were wary of US-China tensions reheating with the return of Donald Trump to the White House. But during an event in Hong Kong last month, Nvidia's Taiwan-born CEO Jensen Huang told reporters "open science and open research in AI is absolutely global" and that "nothing" would stop that. mya/sn/mlm/jgc

Could the New Netflix JonBenét Ramsey Docuseries Lead to an Arrest? Director Joe Berlinger Thinks SoBALTIMORE (AP) — Nendah Tarke's 24 points helped Towson defeat Morgan State 64-60 on Sunday night. Tarke added seven rebounds for the Tigers (4-2). Tomiwa Sulaiman scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds. Christian May scored nine. The Bears (3-5) were led in scoring by Wynston Tabbs with 19 points. Kameron Hobbs had 13 points and Ahmarie Simpkins finished with nine points, three steals and two blocks. Towson went into halftime leading Morgan State 35-26. Tarke scored 14 points in the half. Towson used a 7-0 run in the second half to build an 11-point lead at 58-47 with 5:51 left in the half before finishing off the win. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Wilmington, Del., Dec. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Participating in a tradition that has evolved since 1792, today, employees from Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) gathered on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange as Guillermo Novo, chair and chief executive officer, Ashland, joined by company executives, rang the trading day’s opening bell . The event signifies a decade of evolution, resilience and sustainable solutions for the additives and specialty ingredients company and recognizes its 100-year anniversary. “I want to thank our employees for their dedication, our customers for their trust and our shareholders for their support over the years which continues to be the foundation of our success,” said Guillermo Novo, chair and chief executive officer, Ashland. From its origin of gavel banging to the modern workday bell ringing , the ritual marks the start and end of trading through the years and has come to celebrate economic growth and progress. One year ago, Ashland introduced seven new technology platforms aligned to the company’s pharmaceutical, personal care and specialty additives core, that extend to secondary markets with new and differentiated capabilities to unlock organic growth for Ashland and its customers worldwide. The platform solutions bring “new to the world” sustainable innovations, offering tunable choices to customers to enable the reshaping of their product portfolios, answering global megatrends, and responding to various regulatory landscapes. “As the stock market has demonstrated resilience through devastating lows and exuberant highs over time, Ashland has consistently transformed itself ahead of market trends from an oil and refining company to a matrixed chemical company, and from a broad chemicals and materials provider to the focused additives and specialty ingredients company we are today; integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) in our operating plans to responsibly solve for a better world,” said Novo. strategy update event Ashland is hosting a strategy update event for analysts and investors on December 10, 2024, in New York City. The company will provide an in-depth review of Ashland’s strategic priorities, key initiatives and financial objectives while emphasizing a proactive approach to market uncertainty in fiscal year 2025. The event includes presentations and prepared remarks from members of Ashland’s executive team, as well as breakout sessions for in-person attendees and an opportunity for both live and webcast attendees to ask questions during moderated Q&A sessions. “This was a year marked by recovery from prolonged inventory destocking in the materials sector, yet Ashland was able to deliver strategic progress, margin expansion, high-quality free cash flow, and disciplined execution across our global portfolio,” continued Novo. “Despite a complex operating environment, we demonstrated our ability to drive value through portfolio optimization, commercial excellence, and focused growth in our core markets. As we execute our strategy, we remain focused on delivering sustainable, profitable growth and long-term shareholder value. I look forward to providing more context during our upcoming event,” concluded Novo. To participate in Ashland’s strategy update event, interested participants must register for the event and have the option to attend via live webcast or in person. Presentations are expected to begin at 9:00 a.m. ET and conclude following Q&A sessions at 11:00 a.m. ET. After Q&A, in-person attendees will have the opportunity to discuss key initiatives with business line leaders and scientists in breakout sessions until 12:00 p.m ET. To register, participants should use the following link: registration page . Registration information and further event details will be posted on Ashland’s investor website at http://investor.ashland.com . A webcast of the event will be available live and can be accessed, along with supporting materials, through the Ashland website. A replay will be available within 24 hours of the live event and will be archived, along with supporting materials, on Ashland’s website for 12 months. Copies of the presentation may also be requested by sending an email to investor_relations@ashland.com About Ashland Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) is a global additives and specialty ingredients company with a conscious and proactive mindset for environmental, social and governance (ESG). The company serves customers in a wide range of consumer and industrial markets, including architectural coatings, construction, energy, food and beverage, personal care and pharmaceutical. Approximately 3,200 passionate, tenacious solvers thrive on developing practical, innovative and elegant solutions to complex problems for customers in more than 100 countries. Visit ashland.com and ashland.com/ESG to learn more. TM Trademark, Ashland or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Attachments Press_Release_ASH_100_Yr_Bell_Ringing_20241209 100 yr anniversary lockup for PR Dec 2024None