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50jili con BERLIN -- Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk caused uproar after backing Germany’s far-right party in a major newspaper ahead of key parliamentary elections in the Western European country, leading to the resignation of the paper’s opinion editor in protest. Germany is to vote in an early election on Feb. 23 after Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party governing coalition collapsed last month in a dispute over how to revitalize the country’s stagnant economy. Musk's guest opinion piece for Welt am Sonntag —a sister publication of POLITICO owned by the Axel Springer Group — published in German over the weekend, was the second time this month he supported the Alternative for Germany, or AfD. “The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is the last spark of hope for this country," Musk wrote in his translated commentary. He went on to say the far-right party “can lead the country into a future where economic prosperity, cultural integrity and technological innovation are not just wishes, but reality.” The Tesla Motors CEO also wrote that his investment in Germany gave him the right to comment on the country's condition. The AfD is polling strongly, but its candidate for the top job, Alice Weidel , has no realistic chance of becoming chancellor because other parties refuse to work with the far-right party. An ally of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, the technology billionaire challenged in his opinion piece the party's public image. “The portrayal of the AfD as right-wing extremist is clearly false, considering that Alice Weidel, the party’s leader, has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka! Does that sound like Hitler to you? Please!” Musk’s commentary has led to a debate in German media over the boundaries of free speech, with the paper's own opinion editor announcing her resignation, pointedly on Musk's social media platform, X. “I always enjoyed leading the opinion section of WELT and WAMS. Today an article by Elon Musk appeared in Welt am Sonntag. I handed in my resignation yesterday after it went to print," Eva Marie Kogel wrote. A critical article by the future editor-in-chief of the Welt group, Jan Philipp Burgard, accompanied Musk’s opinion piece. “Musk’s diagnosis is correct, but his therapeutic approach, that only the AfD can save Germany, is fatally wrong,” Burgard wrote. Responding to a request for comment from the German Press Agency, dpa, the current editor-in-chief of the Welt group, Ulf Poschardt, and Burgard — who is due to take over on Jan. 1 — said in a joint statement that the discussion over Musk's piece was "very insightful. Democracy and journalism thrive on freedom of expression.” “This will continue to determine the compass of the “world” in the future. We will develop “Die Welt” even more decisively as a forum for such debates,” they wrote to dpa.Saturday, December 21, 2024 As 2025 approaches, the travel industry braces for a dual focus on cost optimization and climate-conscious strategies. Businesses aim to strike a balance between maintaining service quality and reducing environmental impact amid ongoing challenges. Inflationary pressures are easing, with airfares expected to rise modestly by 0.1% to 0.6% globally. Daily room rates may see a slight increase of 1.9% to 2.9%, reflecting stabilized pricing trends. Corporate travel buyers continue to navigate the evolving landscape of New Distribution Capability (NDC) content. This technology presents an opportunity for improved efficiency, yet introduces complexities for legacy travel management companies (TMCs) competing against tech-savvy newcomers. The anticipated $570 million acquisition of CWT by American Express Global Business Travel is under scrutiny by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority. Regardless of the outcome, more mergers and acquisitions are expected, potentially transforming the corporate travel sector with impacts on client retention, service levels, and competition. Inflation, while softening, remains a factor influencing travel costs. Morgan Stanley forecasts a 6% year-on-year increase in corporate travel budgets for 2025. However, ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and potential policy shifts from the new Trump administration could complicate business travel in and out of the United States. Companies may need to adjust strategies to manage these geopolitical challenges effectively. Sustainability remains at the forefront, driven by the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Businesses are adopting lower-carbon travel options, including rail travel, and revisiting policies to encourage fewer but longer trips. Virtual meetings continue to gain traction as organizations aim to reduce their carbon footprint. New transparency requirements for CO2 emissions reporting and the backlash against supplier greenwashing, spurred by the EU’s Green Claims Directive, are pushing companies to adopt authentic sustainability measures. The industry is learning from 2024’s landmark case against Dutch airline KLM, which highlighted the risks of overstating environmental claims. Technology advancements will continue shaping corporate travel management in 2025. The integration of Generative AI within travel programs is set to accelerate, following promising pilot initiatives in 2024. These AI solutions aim to improve efficiencies, reduce costs, and enhance the traveler experience. Despite technological strides, balancing legacy expertise with modern solutions remains a challenge. The ability to seamlessly integrate rail content into corporate travel platforms and provide accurate emissions data will be critical in securing buy-in from stakeholders and meeting sustainability goals. Predictions for 2024 proved largely accurate, with steady travel demand, cost management challenges, and growing sustainability focus. However, the extent of industry consolidation and the impact on service levels surpassed expectations. Contributors highlighted the need for greater transparency in CO2 reporting and improvements in rail access, both of which remain priorities for 2025. While businesses face pressure from geopolitical tensions, inflation, and climate concerns, there are opportunities to redefine travel strategies. Sustainable practices, driven by regulatory frameworks and corporate commitments, offer a path toward long-term resilience. Enhanced technologies, including NDC content and AI solutions, will empower travel managers to optimize programs and meet evolving demands. 2025 promises to be a transformative year for the travel industry. By leveraging technology, embracing sustainability, and navigating geopolitical challenges, businesses can adapt to the shifting landscape. Collaboration between stakeholders will be essential to achieving cost efficiency, service quality, and environmental goals in the year ahead. Discover everything and anything about travel , tourism , trade shows at the Travel And Tour World , including breaking travel news and weekly travel updates for travel trade , airlines , cruise , railways , technology , travel association , DMCs, and video interviews and promotional videos .Tyson Fury's rematch with Oleksandr Usyk has seen an eleventh-hour shake-up in the judging panel. One of the original judges confirmed for the bout, Fernando Barbosa from Miami, is ill and unable to make the trip to Riyadh for Saturday night. Both camps are in disagreement over which of the two potential replacement options - Steve Weisfeld (New Jersey) and Ignacio Robles (Panama) - should step in. Fury 's promoter Frank Warren has suggested that it could come down to a coin toss. Scoring alongside whoever is ultimately chosen are the American Patrick Morley and Gerardo Martinez of Puerto Rico, while Roberto Ramirez - also of Puerto Rico - will serve as the referee. In the duo's first meeting last May, Usyk took the win with judges Mike Fitzgerald and Manuel Oliver Palomo scoring in his favour, 114-113 and 115-112 respectively, whereas Craig Metcalfe scored 114-113 for Fury. The revision follows a revelation from Saudi boxing authority Turki Alalshikh that a fourth official, powered by AI technology, will score the fight, aiming for an impartial and error-less judgment. This innovative move was shared by Alalshikh on social media, stating that it's a trial run that won't affect the official outcome. If the battle continues for all 12 rounds, the ringside judges' scores will still determine the final result. "For the first time ever, an AI-powered judge will monitor the fight," announced Alalshikh. "Free from bias and human error brought to you by The Ring. This groundbreaking experiment, which won't impact the official results, debuts during the biggest fight of the century, #Usyk2Fury, on December 21. Don't miss history in the making." Tyson Fury, despite a setback in his initial bout with Oleksandr Usyk last May, which saw the Ukrainian dominate from the ninth round, remains undeterred. Although he was not the preferred fighter on two of the judges' scorecards, with only one judge in his corner, Fury is confident as he approaches the rematch where three world titles are up for grabs. He believes there's no need for a major overhaul in his approach, stating: "I'm just going to use my boxing, like I did last time. I'm not going to do anything drastic, like a total change of gameplan because it's not needed. "Why would I change something when I had control of the fight for maybe 80 per cent of it? I'm landing on him at will, head and body, lead right uppercuts, left hooks, right hooks to the body. Doubles at times. "I don't feel I need to change anything. I don't think Usyk will change either because his key to victory has to be coming forward. He ain't going to outbox me on the back foot. It's not possible. So he has to come forward and make a fight of it."

As the future of warfare pivots towards artificial intelligence, Ukraine is sitting on a valuable resource: millions of hours of footage from drones which can be used to train AI models to make decisions on the battlefield. AI has been deployed by both sides on the battlefield during Russia's invasion of Ukraine to identify targets, scanning images far quicker than a human can. Oleksandr Dmitriev, founder of OCHI, a non-profit Ukrainian digital system that centralises and analyses video feeds from over 15,000 drone crews working on the front lines, told Reuters his system had collected two million hours, or 228 years, of battlefield video from drones since 2022. That will provide vital data for AI to learn from. "This is food for the AI: If you want to teach an AI, you give it 2 million hours (of video), it will become something supernatural," he said. According to Dmitriev, the footage can be used to train AI models in combat tactics, spotting targets and assessing the effectiveness of weapons systems. "It is essentially experience which can be turned into mathematics," he said, adding that an AI program can study the trajectories and angles at which weapons are most effective. The system was originally made in 2022 to give military commanders an overview of their areas of the battlefield by showing them drone footage from all nearby crews side by side on one screen. After the system was rolled out, the team running it realised that video being sent back by drones could prove useful as a record of the war – so they began to store it. On average, Dmitriev said five or six terabytes of new data were added every day from the fighting. Dmitriev said he was talking with representatives from some of Ukraine's foreign allies that had expressed interest in his OCHI system, but declined to provide details. Samuel Bendett, adjunct senior fellow at the US-based Centre for a New American Security, said such a vast pool of data would be extremely valuable in teaching AI systems to identify what exactly they are seeing, and what steps they should take. "Humans can do this intuitively, but machines cannot, and they have to be trained on what is or isn't a road, or a natural obstacle, or an ambush," he said. Kateryna Bondar, a fellow at Wadhwani AI centre at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said the size of the data set and the image quality were important, as AI models learned to recognise targets based on shapes and colours. Bondar said that the dataset was valuable in the context of training to fight Russia. However, she said US officials and drone makers prefer a dataset that trains AI systems to operate in the Pacific against a potential Chinese adversary. "(They want) systems ready and able to fight against China because that's the main priority for the US right now, rather than getting a lot of footage of Ukrainian fields and forests." Ukraine also has another system, called Avengers, developed by its defence ministry, which centralises and collects video from drones and CCTV. The ministry declined to provide information about this system. However, it has previously said that Avengers spots 12,000 Russian pieces of equipment a week using AI identification tools. Thousands of drones are already using AI systems to fly themselves into targets without human piloting, and Ukraine is using AI technologies to help demine its territory. Ukrainian companies are developing drone swarms, where a computer system will be able to execute commands for an interlinked cloud of dozens of drones. Russia has also touted its use of battlefield AI, most notably for target recognition in Lancet strike drones, which have proved lethal against Ukrainian armoured vehicles.

Health In Tech intends to use the net proceeds from the offering towards system enhancements, the expansion of service offerings, expansion of sales and distribution channels, talent development and retention, working capital and other general corporate purpose. A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-281853) relating to the shares was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and became effective on December 19, 2024 . This offering was made only by means of a prospectus, forming part of the effective registration statement. A copy of the prospectus relating to the offering can be obtained when available, by contacting American Trust Investment Services, Inc., 230 W. Monroe Street , Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60606, or via E-Mail at [email protected] . This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of any securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. About Health In Tech Health in Tech, Inc. ("HIT") is an Insurtech platform company backed by third-party AI technology. We offer a dynamic marketplace designed to create customized healthcare plan solutions while streamlining processes through vertical integration, process simplification, and automation. By eliminating friction and complexities, HIT enhances value propositions for employers and optimizes underwriting, sales, and service workflows for Managing General Underwriters (MGUs), insurance carriers, licensed brokers, and Third-Party Administrators (TPAs). Learn more at healthintech.com . Forward-Looking Statements Regarding Health In Tech Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may include estimates or expectations about Health In Tech's possible or assumed operational results, financial condition, business strategies and plans, market opportunities, competitive position, industry environment, and potential growth opportunities. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as "may," "will," "should," "design," "target," "aim," "hope," "expect," "could," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "continue," "predict," "project," "potential," "goal," or other words that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. These statements relate to future events or to Health In Tech's future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Health In Tech's actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond Health In Tech's control and which could, and likely will, affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects Health In Tech's current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to Health In Tech's operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. Investor Contact Investor Relations: [email protected]

Browns' Myles Garrett makes history with 2 sacks, but another loss leaves him frustratedWall Street's main indexes rose in a truncated trading session before Christmas, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq up for the third consecutive day, helped by gains in a handful of megacap and growth stocks. Broadcom and Nvidia provided the biggest boost to the indexes on Tuesday, advancing 2.7 per cent and 0.7 per cent, respectively, while Consumer Discretionary and Technology led gains among S&P 500 sectors. With few major catalysts, thin trading volumes expected in the final days of the year raised the prospect of choppy trading. Stock markets will shut at 1pm local time on Tuesday and will be closed for Christmas on Wednesday. In early trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 32.38 points, or 0.08 per cent, to 42,939.33, the S&P 500 gained 21.68 points, or 0.36 per cent, to 5,995.75, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 116.55 points, or 0.59 per cent, to 19,881.43. "Investors are breathing a sigh of relief that maybe the hawkish rate cut last week combined with the softer PCE reading indicate that inflation is not that big of a re-emerging threat," said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist of CFRA Research. "As a result, maybe this market will end up creeping higher between now and the end of the year." After a stellar run to record highs following the November election, which sparked hopes of pro-business policies under US President-elect Donald Trump, Wall Street's rally hit a bump this month as investors grappled with the prospect of higher interest rates in 2025. The US Federal Reserve eased borrowing costs for the third time this year last Wednesday, but signaled only two more 25-basis-point reductions next year, down from its September projection of four cuts, as policymakers weigh the possibility of Trump's policies stoking inflation. Traders expect the Fed to leave rates in the range of four per cent to 4.25 per cent by the end of 2025, from between 3.75 per cent and four per cent about 10 days ago, according to CME's FedWatch tool. Markets are currently in a historically strong period called the "Santa Claus rally". The S&P 500 on average has gained 1.3 per cent in the last five days of December and first two days of January, according to data from the Stock Trader's Almanac going back to 1969. However, market participants are questioning if US stocks' climb to new record highs will be attainable in the coming days, amid concerns about sky-high valuations and the market's overall health. The benchmark S&P 500 fell about one per cent in December but the equal-weight S&P 500, a proxy for the average index stock, is down 5.8 per cent. NeueHealth soared 64 per cent after the healthcare provider said New Enterprise Associates, its largest shareholder, and a group of existing investors will take the company private in a $1.3 billion ($A2.1 billion) deal. American Airlines' shares were down 1.9 per cent after the carrier briefly grounded all its flights in the United States due to an unspecified technical issue. Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 1.21-to-1 ratio on the NYSE, and by a 1.07-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P 500 posted two new 52-week highs and no new lows, while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 17 new highs and 31 new lows.

Forthright and fearless, the Nobel Prize winner took pot-shots at former prime minister Tony Blair and ex-US president George W Bush among others. His death came after repeated bouts of illness in which images of the increasingly frail former president failed to erase memories of his fierce spirit. Democrat James Earl “Jimmy” Carter Jr swept to power in 1977 with his Trust Me campaign helping to beat Republican president Gerald Ford. Serving as 39th US president from 1977 to 1981, he sought to make government “competent and compassionate” but was ousted by the unstoppable Hollywood appeal of a certain Ronald Reagan. A skilled sportsman, Mr Carter left his home of Plains, Georgia, to join the US Navy, returning later to run his family’s peanut business. A stint in the Georgia senate lit the touchpaper on his political career and he rose to the top of the Democratic movement. But he will also be remembered for a bizarre encounter with a deeply disgruntled opponent. The president was enjoying a relaxing fishing trip near his home town in 1979 when his craft was attacked by a furious swamp rabbit which reportedly swam up to the boat hissing wildly. The press had a field day, with one paper bearing the headline President Attacked By Rabbit. Away from encounters with belligerent bunnies, Mr Carter’s willingness to address politically uncomfortable topics did not diminish with age. He recently said that he would be willing to travel to North Korea for peace talks on behalf of US President Donald Trump. He also famously mounted a ferocious and personal attack on Tony Blair over the Iraq war, weeks before the prime minister left office in June 2007. Mr Carter, who had already denounced George W Bush’s presidency as “the worst in history”, used an interview on BBC radio to condemn Mr Blair for his tight relations with Mr Bush, particularly concerning the Iraq War. Asked how he would characterise Mr Blair’s relationship with Mr Bush, Mr Carter replied: “Abominable. Loyal, blind, apparently subservient. “I think that the almost undeviating support by Great Britain for the ill-advised policies of President Bush in Iraq have been a major tragedy for the world.” Mr Carter was also voluble over the Rhodesia crisis, which was about to end during his presidency. His support for Robert Mugabe at the time generated widespread criticism. He was said to have ignored the warnings of many prominent Zimbabweans, black and white, about what sort of leader Mugabe would be. This was seen by Mr Carter’s critics as “deserving a prominent place among the outrages of the Carter years”. Mr Carter has since said he and his administration had spent more effort and worry on Rhodesia than on the Middle East. He admitted he had supported two revolutionaries in Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo, and with hindsight said later that Mugabe had been “a good leader gone bad”, having at first been “a very enlightened president”. One US commentator wrote: “History will not look kindly on those in the West who insisted on bringing the avowed Marxist Mugabe into the government. “In particular, the Jimmy Carter foreign policy... bears some responsibility for the fate of a small African country with scant connection to American national interests.” In recent years Mr Carter developed a reputation as an international peace negotiator. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his commitment to finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts, his work with human rights and democracy initiatives, and his promotion of economic and social programmes. Mr Carter was dispatched to North Korea in August 2008 to secure the release of US citizen Aijalon Mahli Gomes, who had been sentenced to eight years of hard labour after being found guilty of illegally entering North Korea. He successfully secured the release of Mr Gomes. In 2010 he returned to the White House to greet President Barack Obama and discuss international affairs amid rising tensions on the Korean peninsula. Proving politics runs in the family, in 2013 his grandson Jason, a state senator, announced his bid to become governor in Georgia, where his famous grandfather governed before becoming president. He eventually lost to incumbent Republican Nathan Deal. Fears that Mr Carter’s health was deteriorating were sparked in 2015 when he cut short an election observation visit in Guyana because he was “not feeling well”. It would have been Mr Carter’s 39th trip to personally observe an international election. Three months later, on August 12, he revealed he had cancer which had been diagnosed after he underwent surgery to remove a small mass in his liver. Mr Obama was among the well-wishers hoping for Mr Carter’s full recovery after it was confirmed the cancer had spread widely. Melanoma had been found in his brain and liver, and Mr Carter underwent immunotherapy and radiation therapy, before announcing in March the following year that he no longer needed any treatment. In 2017, Mr Carter was taken to hospital as a precaution, after he became dehydrated at a home-building project in Canada. He was admitted to hospital on multiple occasions in 2019 having had a series of falls, suffering a brain bleed and a broken pelvis, as well as a stint to be treated for a urinary tract infection. Mr Carter spent much of the coronavirus pandemic largely at his home in Georgia, and did not attend Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration in 2021, but extended his “best wishes”. Former first lady Rosalynn Carter, the closest adviser to Mr Carter during his term as US president, died in November 2023. She had been living with dementia and suffering many months of declining health. “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” Mr Carter said in a statement following her death. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.”

INVESTIGATION ALERT (NASDAQ: SEZL): DiCello Levitt LLP Is Investigating Investor Claims Against ...NEW YORK — I’ll get you, my pretty! And your little pygmy hippo, too! Forgive us the shameless attempt to link the fantasy hit “Wicked” to the delightful Moo Deng. But, hear us out — there’s something the two have in common as the year draws to a close. Escapism. Whether we found it on the yellow brick road, or in videos from a Thailand zoo, or perhaps in unlikely Olympic heroes, we gravitated toward fantasy and feel-good pop culture moments this year. There were new trends, as always. “Brat summer” became a thing, as did “demure, mindful.” And for some inexplicable reason, we became obsessed with celebrity lookalike contests. There were breakups — Bennifer is, again, a thing of the past — and reunions: Oasis, please try to stay together for the tour. Yet some things stayed, remarkably, the same: Taylor Swift and Beyoncé kept on breaking records and making history. So, after a year where much changed but some things held steady, here’s our annual, very selective trip down pop culture memory lane: It starts as a cheery tweet from a beloved “Sesame Street” figure: “ELMO is just checking in! How is everybody doing?” The answers hint at something deeper and more worrisome. “Not great, Elmo. Not great,” says one milder reply. Doing much better is the viral phenomenon called “BARBENHEIMER,” which makes its awards season debut at the GOLDEN GLOBES. But perhaps the most poignant moment comes from neither film: LILY GLADSTONE, first Indigenous winner of best actress in a drama for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” begins her remarks in the language of her tribe, Blackfeet Nation. Valentine’s Day — a perfect time to settle into a sweet love saga via TikTok. Only that’s not quite what we get with “Who TF Did I Marry?,” REESA TEESA’s depressing, fascinating, 50-part account of her disastrous marriage with a man who lied about absolutely everything. Meanwhile, if you're looking for a single week that encapsulates peak SWIFT cultural dominance, try this: she begins with the Grammys in Los Angeles (becoming the first artist to win album of the year four times AND announcing a new album), then heads to Tokyo for four tour dates, then jets back just in time for the Super Bowl in Las Vegas — where she shares a passionate smooch with boyfriend TRAVIS KELCE on the field of victory. “What was I made for?” BILLIE EILISH sings at the OSCARS, channeling BARBIE. And what was KEN made for? Not entirely clear — but it's clear RYAN GOSLING was made to play him. His singalong version of “I’m Just Ken” is one of the most entertaining Oscar musical moments in years. Still, Christopher Nolan's “OPPENHEIMER” prevails, a rare case of the top prize going to a blockbuster studio film. Will it happen again in 2025? CYNTHIA ERIVO and ARIANA GRANDE sure hope so; as presenters, they make a sly reference to their upcoming juggernaut, “WICKED.” Speaking of marketing, people are obsessed with that bizarre “DUNE” popcorn bucket. And BEYONCÉ carves her space in country music with “Act II: Cowboy Carter,” which will make her the first Black woman to top the Billboard country chart. Tennis, anyone? The game’s been around for centuries, but it’s having a cultural moment right now, helped mightily by “CHALLENGERS,” the sweaty romance triangle starring ZENDAYA, MIKE FAIST and JOSH O'CONNOR (40-love? More like 40-sex.) Elsewhere, a new era dawns: At midnight, SWIFT drops “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT," then drops another 15 songs two hours later. The fascinating and disturbing “BABY REINDEER,” the story of a struggling comedian’s extended encounter with a stalker, debuts on Netflix. It’s MET GALA time — or as it's known in 2024, another early marketing moment for “WICKED.” ERIVO and GRANDE make fashion waves on the carpet and then musical ones at dinner, with a soulful performance of “When You Believe.” If the “Wicked” tour is in full force, another one stops in its tracks: JENNIFER LOPEZ cancels her summer tour amid reports of both poor ticket sales and trouble in her marriage to BEN AFFLECK. It’s been an eventful year for J.Lo, who's released an album and movie called “THIS IS ME ... NOW" — both reflections on her renewed love with Affleck. Welcome to BRAT SUMMER! CHARLI XCX releases her hit “Brat” album, with its lime green cover, and launches a thousand memes. Collins Dictionary defines “brat,” its word of the year, as “characterized by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude.” At the celeb-heavy SWIFT shows in London, we see PRINCE WILLIAM shaking it off, which is either charming or cringe, you decide. Even better: KELCE dons a top hat and tux and performs for one night. At another stadium across the pond, METS infielder JOSE IGLESIAS delights the crowd with his cheery number “OMG.” Bonjour, it’s OLYMPICS time! In Paris! An audacious opening ceremony along the Seine is punctuated by a fabulous CELINE DION, perched on the EIFFEL TOWER, singing her heart out — in the rain, too. Controversy swirls over a scene critics feel mocks Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” (organizers say it does not). Olympic stars are born — including French swimming superstar LEON MARCHAND, rugby player ILONA MAHER, and bespectacled “Pommel Horse Guy” gymnast STEPHEN NEDOROSCIK, who nets two bronze medals and comparisons to Clark Kent. Also capturing hearts: yep, MOO DENG, born this month. Her name means “bouncy pork.” This is them ... now: BENNIFER is no more. After two decades, two engagements and two weddings, J.Lo files for divorce. One union dissolves, another returns: OASIS announces a reunion tour. Everyone seems to want to get in on TikToker JOOLS LEBRON's “DEMURE, MINDFUL” act — even the WHITE HOUSE press team. Back at the Olympics, in the new sport of breaking, we meet Australia’s RAYGUN, arguably neither demure nor mindful with her “kangaroo” move. Cute animal alert: SHOHEI OHTANI’s perky pooch DECOY does a great “first pitch” in his Major League Baseball debut. One of the year’s biggest breakout artists, CHAPPELL ROAN, withdraws from a music festival after speaking out about frightening fan interactions. And more on the price of fame: In an excruciating moment, “Bachelorette” JENN TRAN, the franchise’s first Asian American lead, is forced to sit through a painful viewing of her proposal to her chosen suitor, after tearfully explaining how he’d later dumped her over the phone. Tran is keeping busy though — she’s announced as part of the new “Dancing with the Stars” lineup. Also on the list: rugby player Maher, and Pommel Horse Guy! Also, ANNA SOROKIN, dancing with an ankle monitor. Online fandom, meanwhile, is shaken when X is temporarily suspended in Brazil and celebrity stan accounts post tearful farewells, revealing to many across the globe that their favorite accounts are run by Brazilians. “Dune” Chalamets! “Wonka” Chalamets! Thousands gather in Manhattan for a TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET lookalike contest, and things really get interesting when Chalamet himself shows up. He doesn’t enter the contest, though, and with his mustache, he may not even have won. The trend continues with contests for JEREMY ALLEN WHITE, ZAYN MALIK and — in a very Washington version — Kennedy scion JACK SCHLOSSBERG, who's been gathering a following with some interesting social media posts. Turning to basketball, who’s that dancing with USHER? Why it’s ELLIE THE ELEPHANT, the now-viral NEW YORK LIBERTY mascot. MAYA RUDOLPH does a pretty good KAMALA HARRIS laugh on “Saturday Night Live,” but you know who does it better? HARRIS herself. The Democratic candidate makes a surprise cameo three days before the U.S. presidential election, following in the footsteps of HILLARY CLINTON, SARAH PALIN and others. Elsewhere in television, Bravo announces that “VANDERPUMP RULES,” the Emmy-nominated reality show that has lived through countless scandals, is entirely recasting its 12th season — apart from namesake LISA VANDERPUMP. As for MOO DENG, she doesn't have her own TV series yet, but our favorite pygmy hippo is generating plenty of merch. And THAT brings us back to ... “WICKED”! Director JON M. CHU’s emerald-hued fantasy remains very very popular, to quote one of its buzzy show tunes, dancing through life and defying gravity at the multiplex. Moviegoers also come for “GLADIATOR II” and, in a veritable tidal wave, Disney's “MOANA 2,” which beckons us back to the seas of Oceania. Once again, 2024 seems to be telling us: Give people some whimsy, a place to escape, maybe some catchy tunes — and no one knows how far they’ll go.Statewide copper wire theft law will take effect Jan. 1 despite lawsuit from scrap metal industry

Notable quotes by Jimmy Carter

Falcons drafting Penix no longer a head-scratcher with rookie QB shining in place of benched Cousins