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4 roulette Interest rate cut fuels increase in home sales: London-St. Thomas Association of Realtors

Trump promises a 25% tariff on products from Mexico, CanadaI’m A Celebrity campmates shocked that Barry McGuigan ‘can sing like a canary’

Donald Trump’s selection for the nation’s next top law enforcement official is expected to execute the “retribution” and “vengeance” he has promised against his political enemies. Now-former congressman Matt Gaetz — a Trump loyalist who spearheaded legal threats among House Republicans against the prosecutors and judges overseeing the criminal investigations against the former president — has withdrawn his name from consideration one week after Trump picked him for attorney general . A list of names in consideration for the role that circulated in the weeks leading up to Election Day did not include Gaetz, whose selection surprised members of Congress, where he remains under investigation for allegations of sexual misconduct. The job now appears up for grabs. Trump’s next attorney general — among the most critical roles in his administration — is widely expected to defy the Justice Department’s independence and work closely with the White House to protect the president-elect’s agenda. A planning document titled “ Transition Planning: Legal Principles ” that was crafted by Trump’s top campaign advisers offered several potential picks for the job. The list includes Jeffrey Clark, who is among the president-elect’s criminally charged co-defendants in a sprawling election inference case in Georgia and an unindicted co-conspirator in the federal prosecution of the former president for his efforts to overturn election results. Clark, who previously served as assistant attorney general in Trump’s first administration, also worked at a right-wing think tank founded by Russell Vought, among the authors of Project 2025 and Trump’s pick for the next director of the Office of Management and Budget. The transition document also names District Judge Aileen Cannon, who dismissed Trump’s federal criminal case involving his possession of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. Cannon was nominated to the judiciary in 2020. Former White House lawyer Mark Paoletta also appears on the list. Paoletta, who represented Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ wife Ginni during the House select committee investigation into January 6, has previously said it is the “constitutional duty” of the Department of Justice to implement Trump’s agenda. The former general counsel of the Office of Management and Budget in Trump’s first term has previously demanded Justice Department lawyers “be fully committed to implementing President Trump’s policies or they should leave or be fired.” The list also includes Trump’s criminal defense attorney Todd Blanche, who ultimately was nominated for deputy attorney general, the second-highest role at the Justice Department . Emil Bove, who along with Blanche defended Trump during the still-active hush money trial, was also nominated as principal deputy attorney general. Trump does not necessarily need to immediately fill the power vacuum for the top job. His two well-regarded attorneys — who have thus far kept him out of having to face any consequences for his criminal convictions — could fill acting roles at the top of the Justice Department while waiting for the nomination and confirmation of the next attorney general. Donald Trump Jr and Steve Bannon, meanwhile, have pushed for Trump’s legal ally Mike Davis as attorney general. Davis has recently threatened New York Attorney General Letitia James (“we will put your fat a** in prison”) and has vowed a “reign of terror” during the incoming administration. Matthew Whitaker was also considered a top contender for the role; Trump ultimately picked him for NATO ambassador. The former acting attorney general in Trump’s first administration has said that judges need to have a “biblical view of justice” and questioned the judgment of a secular judiciary. He also is on the board of America First Legal and chairs America First Policy Institute, groups that drafted policy documents for Trump’s administration while joining legal challenges against President Joe Biden. Media outlets and right-wing personalities have also offered up the names of several state attorneys general who have vigorously defended the former president. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has launched dozens of lawsuits against the Biden administration, including litigation against the president’s student loan debt relief plans and Title IX changes. He has also tried to inject himself in Trump’s criminal cases by demanding that judges lift gag orders against the former president. He testified in front of members of Congress about Trump’s criminal cases and called on the Justice Department to turn over files related to the special counsel’s investigations. Earlier this year, Trump himself said that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton would make a good candidate for attorney general. Paxton joined state attorneys general who launched a failed attempt to challenge Trump’s loss in four battleground states in 2020, and he spoke at the rally in Washington DC before a mob of Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6. Paxton also has cast himself as a victim of political persecution in a way that Trump has characterized the mountain of cases against him. Last year, Paxton was impeached, then acquitted, on allegations that he abused his power in office, and in March, prosecutors agreed to drop three felony securities fraud charges against him. Senator Mike Lee, a former clerk for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and a former federal prosecutor, has been floated among his GOP colleagues for next attorney general. The adversarial Republican from Utah is among Trump’s biggest cheerleaders in the upper chamber of Congress, and already has the support of some of his colleagues who could hear him out during confirmation hearings. Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who is also the state’s former solicitor general, has also been floated as a possible contender.Er Rashid’s voice deserves to be heard: AIP

DETROIT (AP) — Legend Geeter's 22 points helped Detroit Mercy defeat Purdue Fort Wayne 79-78 on Thursday. Geeter also contributed nine rebounds for the Titans (5-5, 1-0 Horizon League). Orlando Lovejoy scored 18 points while finishing 8 of 15 from the floor and added nine assists. Emmanuel Kuac went 4 of 9 from the field (2 for 6 from 3-point range) to finish with 11 points. Jalen Jackson finished with 17 points, four assists and two steals for the Mastodons (5-4, 0-1). Rasheed Bello added 17 points and four assists. Corey Hadnot II had 10 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

KEMP — The Overton Mustangs (10-2) knocked out the Mart Panthers (9-3) by 31-30 in their Class 2A Division 2 Region III Area Championship on Friday night, avenging their area round loss to the Panthers in 2023. Overton, who have won their last five games, will face district foe Grapeland in the regional round at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 29 in Athens. The Mustangs bested Grapeland by 41-36 in their District 19-2A contest on Sept. 27. The Mustangs kept it a close game against the formidable Panthers, a team that has made it to the state championship game five times in the last six years. Mart was up 24-21 at halftime. By game’s end, it was a 24-yard field goal by freshman Jackson Furlow kicked with just 10 seconds left that secured a win that has been a long time coming for the Mustang program. Senior QB Bryce Still completed 14 of 20 passes for 246 yards and two passing touchdowns and rushed another 17 times for 78 yards and two scores. Still kept busy on defense as well, recording an interception and making three tackles. Senior Bryson Bobbitt led in receiving yards for the Mustangs, catching seven times for 111 yards and one touchdown. Sophomore Jacob Osburn had two catches for 69 yards and one touchdown, senior Jayden Edwards caught two catches for 44 yards and junior Rylan Holleman made three catches for 22 yards and a two-point conversion. Sophomores Gabe Miller and Justin Weir locked down the Panther offense with 13 and 12 tackles, respectively. Miller got one tackle for loss. Sophomore Kash Holleman had nine tackles and one TFL, Rylan Holleman nine tackles, junior Brody Brown six tackles and sophomore Elijah Dorsey five tackles and one TFL.

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Saks Promises ‘Innovation and Growth’ After Completing Neiman Marcus Acquisition

Happy holidays everyone! The has kicked off, with a ton of top-end prospects taking part. Here's our third 2025 NFL mock draft to unwrap as a present, stuff your stocking, or do whatever else you want. Ward seeks explosive plays and will bring a calmness to the QB position, both traits that have been desperately missing in recent years in New York. Ward has things to clean up, namely his heat check moments that can get him in trouble, but pairing Ward with the electric Malik Nabers would bring explosive plays in bunches even as Ward continues to refine his game. Travis Hunter might be the best overall player in the class, and the Patriots need help at skill positions on offense and defense. Hunter would make a lot of sense as a shutdown cornerback across from Christian Gonzalez and can step in on offense here and there as needed. — Campbell plays like a veteran even at just 20 years old. He can consistently bend and move defenders in the run game and has the footwork, awareness and hand technique to consistently win in pass protection, even without ideal arm length. Whether he stays out at OT (I think he can) or has to move inside, I think Campbell is the best overall offensive lineman in this class and a winning player who would boost a Jags line with his maturity no matter where he ends up starting. The Titans need a quarterback desperately, but they could also use a topflight cornerback to pair with some of the front seven talent that they already have accumulated. Will Johnson, step on down. Here's the pass rusher with the most upside in this draft. Carter is twitchy and can bend around the corner. He still has to work on his overall consistency, especially against the run, where he can take himself out of too many plays. The at QB and even the future of their OL beyond 2025, but the thought of pairing Carter with Myles Garrett is exciting. And terrifying for offenses. Another team with a dire quarterback situation, the Raiders opt to take Sanders to shore up that position for them. They can’t walk into another season with Aidan O’Connell as their best option, even though he’s a good backup option to have moving forward. After battling an ankle injury at the beginning of the year, Williams has started to ramp up his play — and the production has followed. Williams has an excellent combination of length, strength and explosiveness. With the added bonus of being able to affect the game from multiple spots along the line. His best ball is ahead of him and would be a fun fit next to Derrick Brown for a Panthers defense needing needle-movers. Gang Green’s defense still has some of the top players in the NFL, but their depth was lacking this season as their defensive performance took a nosedive following the firing of Robert Saleh. Graham is a solid reinforcement for Quinnen Williams on interior defensive line. Banks is explosive, plays balanced and can have impact snaps in the run and pass games. He’d be best at guard as a pro, which would be a great fit for the Bears who desperately need a boost on the inside and at right guard. The Bears targeting positional versatility doesn’t hurt at all, though. The Saints can’t be picky at this point in their roster building journey. They’ll need help just about everywhere as they try to rebuild while staying cap compliant. Starks is a strong player to add on the backend of their defense who can play any safety position. Conerly has light feet and can get to the second level in a hurry. His strength was a big question mark heading into this season and even over the first month. But he has really put it together over the second half of the season, showing off the ability to anchor and sustain blocks with much more consistency and playing with much better awareness for post-snap movement. Conerly is athletic enough to stay on the outside, but I could see his skill set translating across the offensive line. Perfect for a 49ers offense that needs to inject talent up front, and possibly start thinking about a Trent Williams succession plan. Miami found a hit last year when they picked Chop Robinson out of Penn State to bolster their pass rush, and they dip in the well again here. Walker can be an all-around weapon for the Dolphins' front seven, but he’s at his best when he’s moving forward and wreaking havoc against opposing offensive lines. The Colts' defense has actually stepped up in recent weeks. They could still use a player at outside cornerback to pair with JuJu Brents when he returns from injury. Enter Revel, a cornerback with a prototypical build and the easy movement ability to develop into a true outside one-on-one defender. Revel suffered a season-ending ACL injury in September, but his aggressive play when he was on the field should keep him high on boards. Plus he has the length and other traits that make sense for what general manager Chris Ballard and defensive coordinator Gus Bradley prefer at the position. Cincinnati needs to get more stout and physical up front to get back to being a real contender in the AFC — there might not be a better player to do that than the 330-pound Grant. He might not be a stat-stuffer in the NFL, but he can plug holes and has some real upside. This would be a huge get for the Cowboys. McMillan is my easy WR1 in this class and offers true X-receiver upside at the next level. His size (6-foot-5, 212 pounds), catching range, and surprisingly easy bend for such a big receiver gives him matchup-wrecking potential. Pairing McMillan’s ability to win outside with CeeDee Lamb operating from the slot and Dallas would have ideal synergy between two pass-catchers. Ashton Jeanty is exciting, but McMillan would supercharge this offense and passing attack and has the added boost of fitting their personnel, even down to what Dak Prescott likes. Arizona needs to shore up its defensive line if it wants to get serious about winning the NFC West. Harmon from Oregon is a talented player who can help the Cardinals get better up front immediately. It makes sense that Stewart was a former big-time recruit with how easy of a mover he is. Stewart can line up across the defensive line and his size, athleticism and do-everything style fits with what head coach Todd Bowles likes to do up front that changes based on the situation. It might be a bit of a hat-on-a-hat situation with what the Buccaneers have currently on their roster, but the other position that I looked at, inside linebacker, might be a reach here. No team has a need for offensive line help more than the Seahawks. Booker is a stout interior player who will be able to get them moving in the right direction again — and could be one of the missing pieces they need to beat some of the tougher teams in the NFL. Even with the Falcons starting to pick up some sacks in recent weeks, injecting their defensive front with more talent seems like their obvious near-term plan (I feel like I could have written this every year for the past decade). I actually like where the Falcons sit with their offensive personnel, but adding a talented player like Nolen, a more dynamic interior player than what Atlanta currently has, would give head coach Raheem Morris and defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake a fun player to work with and move around on their front. And his physicality would help the Falcons out on all downs. The Chargers' offense clearly has a vision and a plan, but they need more talented (and physical) players to make that happen. Warren might be one of the best players in the class, but falls to this pick due to that pesky positional value argument. Texans. Offensive line. Texans. Offensive line. We will see this pairing for the next hundred-plus days and thousand-plus mock drafts that happen. Justifiably so! C.J. Stroud is constantly under duress and the Texans' run game is one of the least efficient in the league, despite Joe Mixon’s best efforts. Mbow is a very good athlete who springs out of his stance. He could look to add some lower body strength, but he plays tough and is able to bend and stay balanced in space, while also already showing off the ability to cut off defenders on the backside. He would boost the Texans' offensive line no matter what spot he’d end up at. The quest to continue building around Bo Nix continues for the Broncos. The cupboard might not be as empty as previously thought on offense for the Broncos, but if they’re going to make this Nix thing work, they’ll need a few more wide receivers. The Rams' ever-revolving offensive line actually gets a first-round pick to plop in. Alaric Jackson is a free agent after this season and Rob Havenstein is another year older. Ersery would give the Rams a player with dozens of college starts under his belt, with still more to tap into and develop. Ersery has a large frame and plays with some pop on contact, while also being a solid mover in such a big frame and flashing improving hand placement (something that he could still clean up). Ersery would fit the Rams' preference and give them the best of both worlds of having the experience to potentially play early and a player who could have more to develop for the future. Campbell is the first true linebacker off the board, and he goes to a team that could stand to get a smidge faster on the second level of the defense. In a world where college football isn’t producing many true first-round talents at the position, the Crimson Tide product could be one of them. I know the Steelers don’t typically (or mostly ever) draft wide receivers in the first round. But this Steelers offense has been lethargic when George Pickens isn’t on the field. And while players at other positions could be intriguing here for the Steelers — another cornerback opposite Joey Porter Jr., swapping out Najee Harris for Ashton Jeanty, possibly even a tight end like Colston Loveland — I went with the dynamic Burden, whose production was up and down in 2024 but his explosiveness was still apparent. Burden lined up mostly in the slot during college as Missouri liked to move him around the formation, but he showed off the ability to win from the outside and has the YAC and big-play potential to add to any offense. He fits perfectly opposite Pickens and in Arthur Smith’s offense. A big, heavy-handed pass rusher for a team that loves big, heavy-handed pass rushers, Jackson had a solid year for Arkansas off the edge and projects well to the next level for defenses that like their pass rushers to be well-rounded players. The FBS leader in sacks, Green is a riser among prospects. Green plays hard every snap and will even be disruptive against double teams. He's only a redshirt sophomore but has already flashed secondary pass rush moves. It’s not all perfect and Green can get washed out when he doesn’t connect. Green’s athleticism, hard playing style, and flashes of advanced play remains an intriguing profile for the Packers to include. The Eagles always love drafting ahead for future needs on the offensive line, and Simmons could fill that role as an eventual replacement for Lane Johnson. Simmons has the talent to be a starting offensive tackle in the NFL, but needs some refinement. The Bills look to constantly add to their defensive line and do so again with Pearce. While Pearce can be up and down against the run, he has upside as an impactful pass rusher. Pearce is long and can be a handful for offensive tackles right at the snap of the ball. He can be easily taken out of the play a bit too often, especially against the run. Pearce could continue to develop his consistency for a Bills franchise that prefers to have a deep rotational line under head coach Sean McDermott. A dynamic interior presence would really take the Vikings' defense to the next level. Williams could be that guy for the Vikings as he’s shown some real penetrative ability at Ohio State. A team built through the trenches is exactly where my eyes went to to keep the good times rolling in Detroit. The Lions have remained one of the best offenses in the NFL despite signing new guards this offseason. The Lions keep the assembly line going with Savaiinaea, a guard who has a good thick build and plays consistently balanced. Savaiinaea is smart and knows how to use his hands. He plays right tackle for Arizona, but I like him best on the inside at the next level. A steal! Ashton Jeanty is one of the two or three best players in the class but winds up in the hands of the Chiefs, who should be thrilled about being able to add him to the offense. Jeanty has a rare combination of strength, balance and speed that will make him a nightmare for NFL defenses.Tennessee used discredited experts to defend its trans healthcare ban at SCOTUS. Here's what they got wrong.

Turning sunflower seeds into sustainable, cocoa-free chocolate has netted Munich-based B2B food tech startup Planet A Foods (formerly QOA ) a $30 million Series B funding round. Now, the Y Combinator alum is gearing up for industrialization, with the funds set to be deployed to scale its production capacity by around 7.5x. The round fast follows a $15.4 million Series A back in February . Currently, the startup is producing 2,000 tons of ChoViva, as it calls its cocoa-free, lower carbon chocolate alternative, per year. It plans to step that up to over 15,000 tons as it adds capacity and kicks off international expansion outside an initial trio of European markets. Opening its first U.S.-based production facility is on the cards. Building on the three local markets (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) where its chocolate substitute is already in food products that aim to tempt sweet-toothed consumers, it is also eyeing launches into the U.K. and France during the first quarter of 2025. Brands buying into ChoViva so far include Lambertz, Lindt, Rewe Group, and even the German train operator, Deutsche Bahn, which doubtless pops a lot of chocolate treats on customers’ tea trays every day. So far, the startup has around 20 customers for its alt chocolate ingredients, mostly major European food manufacturers but also some U.S. brands. As it grows capacity, it’ll be aiming to add more strategic partners too. Cocoa, not so sweet The problem Planet A Foods is tackling is making a staple sweet treat (chocolate) less of an environmental horror. Traditional cocoa-based chocolate production raises serious sustainability issues, since the crop grows in areas with rainforest, which can be cut down to make way for cocoa bean plantations. Global demand is also outstripping an increasingly fragile (and ethically fraught) supply, leading to inflated costs and fears for the future of the cocoa bean in a rapidly warming world. Supplying the food industry with an alternative chocolate-esque ingredient that — just like the real deal — can be baked into or folded onto snack products like breakfast cereals, confectionary, and cakes is Planet A’s mission. And it’s not a trivial goal: The startup reckons an annual toll of some 500 million tons of CO 2 could be avoided through switching bulk chocolate production away from cocoa beans to its more sustainable method that avoids deforestation and localizes ingredients sourcing. The ingredients it uses to produce ChoViva have been selected in part as they can be grown locally (oats are another of its staples) — hence it claims a carbon footprint that’s up to 80% lower than conventional chocolate (but note that higher bound is for the vegan version of ChoViva which, unlike other blends, doesn’t contain any milk products). “We’re not against chocolate,” stresses co-founder and CEO Dr. Maximilian Marquart, one half of the brother-sister founder team behind Planet A Foods. CTO Dr. Sara Marquart is the food scientist who developed the process for making the cocoa-free chocolate. “That’s very important. So we’re not taking away your [premium] chocolate. We’re after all the snacking applications — [confectionary such as] M&Ms, Snickers, Mars, Bounty, you know, all that stuff.” Premium chocolate is a tiny market compared to the bulk business of mass market confectionary that Planet A Foods is targeting. And in this domain, where environmental degradation occurs at terrible scale, the quality of the chocolate that’s used is generally lower, often because it’s lower in actual cocoa-content — hence [Maximilian] Marquart argues there’s no difference between how ChoViva tastes, and the stuff consumers are routinely being sold in mass market products. “It’s indistinguishable,” he suggests. “My sister Sara . . . found out that actually 80% of the typical chocolate flavors come from the processing of the cocoa beans and not from the beans itself — so . . . if eight out of 10 flavors are actually coming from fermentation roasting, why do you need cocoa beans?” Scaling for impact The economics also make ChoViva an attractive switch for the industrial food industry, as the startup tells it, since the product is not subject to the price volatility that can hit cocoa beans as a limited resource. But for such a switch to happen, the startup needs to be able to produce its alternative at the volumes that food giants demand — so there’s a long road of scaling ahead for the team. At this point, the production capacity for ChoViva still represents an incredibly tiny portion of the global cocoa bean harvest — which [Maximilian] Marquart notes is between 4 million and 5 million tons annually. So it will require giant leaps in production capacity to have the massive positive sustainability change the Marquarts want. “We’ve already acquired the machines [for this stage of industrialization]. So we are already in the scale-up runs, and we have some real industrial clients already, so we’re currently just trying to cope with the demand in Europe,” he says, adding: “We’re automating. We’re improving the processes. We are also commissioning new machines. Plus, we are currently planning another facility in the States.” They are also exploring how the business might respond to demand from Asia ([Maximilian] Marquart happens to be on a business trip to Japan when we talk). But he says they also recognize that, as a startup, they do need to focus, too. “We’re a startup . . . we’re not naive. So we can’t conquer the world alone,” he tells TechCrunch. “I think U.K. and U.S. are the main markets where we will expand. However, in Asia we have a lot of demand, so we’re currently investigating what we do here — what we can do alone, and together with partners eventually.” Supply chain all-nighters Being in the (quasi) chocolate-making business might conjure up quaint images of high-hatted chocolatiers gently whipping batches of sweet stuff in charmingly rustic environs. But don’t be fooled: the business of manufacturing ChoViva is already sweating toil. Having everything in place to be able to precisely produce tons of cocoa-free chocolate to ship out exactly when customers need it has required the founders to pull some all-nighters at the plant. And [Maximilian] Marquart says a big focus for this tranche of scaling is automation — so they can reduce the risk of human errors causing supply chain headaches. We slept under those machines . . . Every day our life is a hell given the challenges that we have in the supply chain.” “I think currently we’re at a scale — industrial scale — that no one else is,” he suggests when asked about the competitive landscape for cocoa-free chocolate. Other startups he name-checks are Foreverland, Nukoko, WinWin, and Voyage Foods. They are using various methods and base ingredients (including cereals, broad beans, carob, grape seeds, and more) to blend up rival cocoa-free chocolate products. So there’s a range of approaches in play. In this context, and, indeed, for almost any kind of startup, succeeding “takes more than just developing a product” — or, in this case, an ingredient in a lab — and [Maximilian] Marquart says this invention element represents only 5% of the challenge they’ve set themselves. “The main challenge lies in building up production, building up quality management, building up the supply chain. Every day, two 40-ton lorries leave our factory with our product. And that’s something that someone else needs to figure out. It’s really a challenge,” he emphasizes, adding: “Sara — my sister — and I, we slept under those machines. We really figured out the supply chain. It’s a big hassle. Every day our life is a hell given the challenges that we have in the supply chain.” “Most of the other competitors, they have great products, but they need to bring that into reality, and need to be really able to deliver it to their customers, and that lies ahead of them. It’s incredibly difficult to deliver 40 tons of chocolate to a customer in time, at the right place, at the right recipe, the right quality.” Planet A Foods’ Series B was co-led by Burda Principal Investments and Zintinus, with participation from AgriFoodTech Venture Alliance, Bayern Kapital, Cherry Ventures, Omnes Capital, Tengelmann Ventures, and World Fund. R&D Scaling aside, funding will also go on further research and development, as the team is working on an alternative to cocoa butter, which is another key ingredient for the food industry. Being able to offer a replacement for palm oil is another goal, as that also creates huge sustainability problems. The startup also believes its approach could work to replace other specialty fats that are used in food production, such as stearin, an animal fat, or coconut oil, per [Maximilian] Marquart. “[Sara] developed a kind of full fermentation platform where we can make bio identical coco butter,” he notes, saying bio identical in this context “means the right mouthful, the right snap, the right melting point, the right properties.” “With our fermentation technology, we can offer a bio identical cocoa butter using fermentation at a much lower price than conventional cocoa butter, and that’s really a game changer in the future,” he suggests. “I think we’re the only company that is actually able to produce cocoa butter using fermentation at a lower price than natural cocoa butter.” There’s an additional challenge here, though. For one version of the cocoa butter, which [Maximilian] Marquart suggests yields the best set of properties, they use precision fermentation. It’s a biotech method that involves genetically engineered microorganisms. This version of the product has to be approved as a novel food before it can be sold. And since European regulations are more stringent, he suggests it could hit the U.S. market first.MP CM concludes high-level foreign visit in London

“Gladiator II” asks the question: Are you not moderately entertained for roughly 60% of this sequel? Truly, this is a movie dependent on managed expectations and a forgiving attitude toward its tendency to overserve. More of a thrash-and-burn schlock epic than the comparatively restrained 2000 “Gladiator,” also directed by Ridley Scott, the new one recycles a fair bit of the old one’s narrative cries for freedom while tossing in some digital sharks for the flooded Colosseum and a bout of deadly sea-battle theatrics. They really did flood the Colosseum in those days, though no historical evidence suggests shark deployment, real or digital. On the other hand (checks notes), “Gladiator II” is fiction. Screenwriter David Scarpa picks things up 16 years after “Gladiator,” which gave us the noble death of the noble warrior Maximus, shortly after slaying the ignoble emperor and returning Rome to the control of the Senate. Our new hero, Lucius (Paul Mescal), has fled Rome for Numidia, on the North African coast. The time is 200 A.D., and for the corrupt, party-time twins running the empire (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger), that means invasion time. Pedro Pascal takes the role of Acacius, the deeply conflicted general, sick of war and tired of taking orders from a pair of depraved ferrets. The new film winds around the old one this way: Acacius is married to Lucilla (Connie Nielsen, in a welcome return), daughter of the now-deceased emperor Aurelius and the love of the late Maximus’s life. Enslaved and dragged to Rome to gladiate, the widower Lucius vows revenge on the general whose armies killed his wife. But there are things this angry young phenom must learn, about his ancestry and his destiny. It’s the movie’s worst-kept secret, but there’s a reason he keeps seeing footage of Russell Crowe from the first movie in his fever dreams. Battle follows battle, on the field, in the arena, in the nearest river, wherever, and usually with endless splurches of computer-generated blood. “Gladiator II” essentially bumper-cars its way through the mayhem, pausing for long periods of expository scheming about overthrowing the current regime. The prince of all fixers, a wily operative with interests in both managing gladiators and stocking munitions, goes by the name Macrinus. He’s played by Denzel Washington, who at one point makes a full meal out of pronouncing the word “politics” like it’s a poisoned fig. Also, if you want a masterclass in letting your robes do a lot of your acting for you, watch what Washington does here. He’s more fun than the movie but you can’t have everything. The movie tries everything, all right, and twice. Ridley Scott marshals the chaotic action sequences well enough, though he’s undercut by frenetic cutting rhythms, with that now-familiar, slightly sped-up visual acceleration in frequent use. (Claire Simpson and Sam Restivo are the editors.) Mescal acquits himself well in his first big-budget commercial walloper of an assignment, confined though he is to a narrower range of seething resentments than Crowe’s in the first film. I left thinking about two things: the word “politics” as savored/spit out by Washington, and the innate paradox of how Scott, whose best work over the decades has been wonderful, delivers spectacle. The director and his lavishly talented design team built all the rough-hewn sets with actual tangible materials the massive budget allowed. They took care to find the right locations in Morocco and Malta. Yet when combined in post-production with scads of medium-grade digital effects work in crowd scenes and the like, never mind the sharks, the movie’s a somewhat frustrating amalgam. With an uneven script on top of it, the visual texture of “Gladiator II” grows increasingly less enveloping and atmospherically persuasive, not more. But I hung there, for some of the acting, for some of the callbacks, and for the many individual moments, or single shots, that could only have come from Ridley Scott. And in the end, yes, you too may be moderately entertained. “Gladiator II” — 2.5 stars (out of 4) MPA rating: R (for strong bloody violence) Running time: 2:28 How to watch: Premieres in theaters Nov. 21. Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.

Michael Irvin's 4 Kids: Meet Myesha, Chelsea, Michael Jr. and Elijah (and Find Out Who Followed in Their NFL Dad's Footsteps!)In a flurry of nominations last week and over the weekend, President-elect Donald Trump added nine potential officials to his administration, including hedge fund manager Scott Bessent for treasury secretary, Brooke Rollins for agriculture secretary and Project 2025 author Russell Vought as head of the Office of Management and Budget. Most of Trump's picks share a certain quality: Loyalty. Bessent, for example, raised money for Trump's campaign, and both Rollins and Vought were part of the administration during Trump's first term in office. Rollins' selection as agriculture secretary rounds out Trump's choices cabinet-level secretary positions. RELATED STORY | Here's who Trump has asked to join his administration Trump and his cabinet appointments now face confirmation tests in the Senate, which are not a guarantee. Pushback from senators against Trump's first pick of Matt Gaetz for attorney general, for example, show that lawmakers are prepared to scrutinize and object to at least some of Trump's appointments. "The Senate, of course, under the Constitution, has the job of advising and consenting on nominations, and I take that responsibility very seriously," Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) told CBS' "Face the Nation." "It will be really important that the new Republican leader in the Senate uphold the Senate's prerogatives under the Constitution and not try to do an end run." Another concern, raised by President Biden's White House, is that the Trump transition team has not yet signed memorandums of understanding or ethics pledges that smooth the transition from one administration to the next. Without the paperwork in place, the FBI has so far not been able to conduct background checks into administration appointments.

Share this Story : Proposed west Ottawa HART hub touted as way to divert patients from hospitals Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Breadcrumb Trail Links News Local News Proposed west Ottawa HART hub touted as way to divert patients from hospitals "Any time I can transfer one or two patients away from an emergency department, service delivery to the whole community benefits.” Get the latest from Elizabeth Payne straight to your inbox Sign Up Author of the article: Elizabeth Payne Published Dec 05, 2024 • Last updated 57 minutes ago • 2 minute read Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here . Or sign-in if you have an account. Pierre Poirier is chief of the Ottawa Paramedic Service. He says the proposed West Ottawa HART Hub could help paramedics boost service capacity in the city. Photo by JULIE OLIVER / POSTMEDIA Article content A homelessness and treatment hub proposed for Ottawa’s west end could play a role in reducing hospital offload delays, while offering patients more appropriate treatment, Ottawa Paramedic Service Chief Pierre Poirier says. Article content Article content Poirier and Tamara Chipperfield, CEO of Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre, whose organizations are among the partners in the proposed West Ottawa Homelessness and Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub, said plans for the hub includes an ability for paramedics to divert some patients there instead of going to hospital emergency departments. Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. 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Activate your Online Access Now Article content The proposal includes walk-in services as well as up to six substance-use withdrawal-management beds and additional stabilization beds with medical staff on hand to look after patients’ needs, Chipperfield said. HART Hubs are intended to provide safety, support and stability to people with complex needs, including homelessness, substance use, mental health, social-service support and unemployment. The provincial government announced the concept earlier this year while, at the same time, announcing the closure of 10 consumption and treatment sites in Ontario, including one at Ottawa’s Somerset West Community Health Centre. It is scheduled to shut down next March. Somerset West and Pinecrest-Queensway, with partners, are both applying to run HART hubs in Ottawa. Somerset West is likely to be approved since its consumption site is closing due to its proximity to schools and daycares. Pinecrest-Queensway is part of a more competitive stream of applications. Poirier said on Dec. 5 that the ability to divert some Ottawa patients away from hospitals to treatment beds at a HART Hub could make a significant difference to offload wait times in the city. Advertisement 3 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content “The HART Hub is innovative and helps us build capacity,” Poirier said. “Any time I can transfer one or two patients away from an emergency department, service delivery to the whole community benefits.” It can take as many as six to eight hours on some days for a paramedic to return to service after waiting to offload a patient, he said. “We get 20 to 30 mental-health or substance-use calls a day, and we look forward to having options of where we can take those patients,” Poirier said. Currently, the only option outside of hospital emergency departments is the TED (targeted engagement diversion) program at Shepherds of Good Hope in Lowertown. The Ottawa Hospital extended its hospital designation to the TED program to allow paramedics to divert some patients there. Poirier said something similar was being looked at for the proposed West Ottawa HART Hub. Having diversion beds not only benefits the community and paramedics, but also patients, who are more likely to get the care and follow up they need, he said. Tamara Chipperfield is CEO of Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre, a partner in the proposed West Ottawa Homelessness and Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub. Photo by Wayne Cuddington / POSTMEDIA FILES Chipperfield said the applications for HART Hubs were being reviewed. She expects to hear back later in December. Those approved are anticipated to open in late 2025. She said the team was working with paramedics from outside Ottawa, including Renfrew County, as well as those in the city. Poirier said adjustments by hospitals had significantly improved paramedic offload delays in recent months. Our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark our homepage and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Recommended from Editorial Ottawa tow truck companies, driver charged after complaints made to police Ottawa police begin criminal investigation into alleged kickback-for-rent scheme Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : Proposed west Ottawa HART hub touted as way to divert patients from hospitals Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Comments You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments. Create an Account Sign in Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. 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Trending Hum: This dim sum brings the magic of Hong Kong to Ottawa Life Tent structure debate boils over in Nepean News Ottawa police begin criminal investigation into alleged kickback-for-rent scheme News Woman in critical condition after Mooney's Bay shooting News Ottawa tow truck companies, driver charged after complaints made to police News Read Next Latest National Stories Featured Local SavingsBarilla and Meals on Wheels America Unite for Connection Kitchen Food Truck to Help End the Wait TM for Seniors Hoping to Receive Nutritious Meals and Meaningful Connection NORTHBROOK, Ill. , Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Barilla, the world's leading pasta maker, believes in the joy of food for a better life and knows that the most joyful meals aren't enjoyed alone. That's why this holiday season, the pasta company is on a mission to spread joy and combat loneliness through its first signature giving event, the Barilla Connection Kitchen food truck. This year Barilla America, which is headquartered in Northbrook Illinois , is partnering with Meals on Wheels America to help End the Wait TM for seniors who struggle with hunger and isolation. Across the country, local Meals on Wheels programs serve nutritious meals and meaningful connections to seniors in their communities, but limited funding and volunteers force one in three programs to keep a waitlist. Through the Connection Kitchen program, Barilla is helping bring to life a new plan to End the Wait TM for millions of seniors who need Meals on Wheels. In addition to helping to inspire and recruit volunteers for Meals on Wheels Chicago and programs across the country, Barilla is supporting national efforts to End the Wait by donating $250,000 to Meals on Wheels America. Launching during the holiday giving season, the Connection Kitchen pop-up food truck will take to the streets of Chicago to serve delectable pasta dishes, spreading warmth and joy, with a suggestion to sign up to volunteer with Meals on Wheels Chicago while enjoying their pasta. The food truck will be stationed at the Merchandise Mart in downtown Chicago on Friday, December 6 th from 12pm-3pm CT and at Oakbrook Center on Saturday, December 7 th from 11am-5pm CT . All pasta will be served free of charge to the public with the centralized mission to spread awareness of important connections and joy this holiday season. "At Barilla, we know the most joyful meals are meant to be shared," said Laura Birk , Vice President of Human Resources, Barilla America. "In fact, research we recently conducted in collaboration with the University of Minnesota showed that 60% of individuals acknowledged eating alone more often over the past two years. That said, people who embraced sharing meals with others on a weekly basis experienced notable improvement in their mental well-being. What better way to spread this joy of food than by helping Meals on Wheels Chicago connect people within the local community?" Barilla's head Chef Lorenzo Boni curated the Connection Kitchen menu to ignite the holiday spirit. At the Connection Kitchen, Chicagoans can choose from the following classic Italian recipes: "At Meals on Wheels America, we're thankful for Barilla's partnership helping us End the Wait, which is to ultimately ensure that every senior who needs Meals on Wheels, gets it," said Ellie Hollander , President and Chief Executive Officer at Meals on Wheels America. "As Barilla encourages those in their own backyard to support the local Meals on Wheels Chicago program, we hope this inspires others around the country to do the same by donating to and volunteering with the Meals on Wheels program in their own community." "This partnership encourages the local Chicago community to get involved and help the Meals on Wheels network End the Wait TM for the thousands of seniors in our community who face hunger and isolation each year," said Cory Morris , Director of Community Impact, Meals on Wheels Chicago. "In Chicago, 8 out of 10 seniors served by Meals on Wheels report that their delivery driver is their primary social contact, on any given day. With Barilla's help, we're raising awareness of this need for more volunteer resources in order to build more of these moments of connection." Over the years, Barilla has made significant contributions to a variety of nonprofits. Since 2010, the global Barilla Group has donated 50,000 tons of product and over 60 million euros to support communities worldwide. In the US, Barilla also works closely with organizations like the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Feeding America, and Food Bank for New York City – to name just a few – to feed people across the United States . This partnership is yet another step in Barilla's mission of the joy of food for a better life. To join Barilla and Meals on Wheels America in bringing meaningful connections to those who need it most through the mobile Connection Kitchen truck, visit BarillaConnectionKitchen.com . To learn more about Meals on Wheels volunteer opportunities visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/endthewait . About Barilla Group: Barilla is a family business, not listed on the Stock Exchange, chaired by the brothers Guido, Luca and Paolo Barilla. It was founded by their great-grandfather Pietro Barilla, who opened a bakery in Parma in 1877. Today, Barilla is renowned in Italy and around the world for the quality of its food products. With its brands – Barilla, Mulino Bianco, Pan di Stelle, Gran Cereale, Harrys, Pavesi, Wasa, Filiz, Yemina, Misko, Voiello, Academia Barilla, First, Catelli, Lancia, Splendor, Back To Nature and Pasta Evangelists – it advocates tasty, hearty and wholesome nutrition, inspired by the Mediterranean Diet and the Italian lifestyle. When Pietro opened his shop over 145 years ago, the main aim was to make good food. That principle has now become the Barilla way of doing business, with almost 9,000 people working for the company and a supply chain that shares its values and passion for quality. The Group's commitment is to offer people the joy that good, well-made food can bring them, produced with selected ingredients favouring those from responsible supply chains, to contribute to a better present and future. Since 1987, a historical archive has been collecting and preserving the company's over 145-year history, now a resource open to all via the portal-museum www.archiviostoricobarilla.com . For further information, visit: www.barillagroup.com ; Twitter: @barillagroup; LinkedIn: Barilla Group; Instagram: @barillapeople. About Barilla Group's Corporate Giving: Over the years, with the aim of supporting local communities, Barilla has supported and participated in numerous initiatives and projects that promote access to food for disadvantaged communities or those affected by natural disasters. At the same time, guided by its purpose "The joy of food for a better life," Barilla has established and strengthened relationships with charities, businesses, and nonprofit organizations, working alongside local authorities through partnerships, financial contributions, and product donations. About Meals on Wheels America: Meals on Wheels America is the leadership organization supporting the more than 5,000 community-based programs across the country that are dedicated to addressing senior hunger and isolation. Powered by a trusted volunteer workforce, this network delivers a comprehensive solution that begins with a meal and is proven to enable independence and well-being through the additional benefits of tailored nutrition, social connection, safety and much more. By providing funding, programming, education, research and advocacy, Meals on Wheels America empowers its local member programs to strengthen their communities, one senior at a time. For more information, or to find a Meals on Wheels provider near you, visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org . For further information contact: Media Contacts: Brook Kovanda Davis brooke.kovanda@barilla.com Kyle Sharick kyle.sharick@edelman.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eating-pasta-to-spread-joy-barilla-is-giving-back-by-bringing-connection-to-those-who-need-it-most-302316841.html SOURCE Barilla America, Inc.

NEW YORK — Chi-Chi’s, the Mexican restaurant chain that closed 20 years ago, is staging a comeback. Hormel Foods, current owner of the Chi-Chi’s trademark, announced Tuesday it’s letting Michael McDermott, son of the chain’s co-founder, use the fabled name to reopen restaurants in 2025. Specific locations, menu items and designs weren’t immediately released. Chi-Chi’s, started in Minnesota in 1975 by Marno McDermott and Green Bay Packers player Max McGee, would eventually expand to more than 200 locations. However, the chain closed in 2004 following a hepatitis A outbreak at a Pittsburgh-area location traced to green onions served in its complimentary salsa, sickening about 650 people and resulting in four deaths and several hundred lawsuits. It’s the largest hepatitis A outbreak in United States history and led to nationwide food safety changes. People are also reading... Chi-Chi’s, the Mexican restaurant chain that closed 20 years ago, is staging a comeback. Outback Steakhouse bought Chi-Chi’s in a $40 million deal and closed the remaining restaurants. The former rival used the locations to open Outback, Bonefish Grill and other concepts that its parent company owns. Michael McDermott will revive Chi-Chi’s, which was known for its eclectic interior as well as an expansive Tex-Mex menu that served everything from fajitas to fried ice cream. He is an industry veteran who launched Kona Grill and sold it to trendy steakhouse STK’s parent company in 2019. “We have seen the impact our restaurant has had on individuals and families across the country and believe there is a strong opportunity to bring the brand back in a way that resonates with today’s consumer — an updated dining experience with the same great taste and Mexican flavor,” McDermott said in a press release. The Chi-Chi’s branding, which is still used on packaged food and margaritas, will continue to be sold at stores. Hormel has made chips, salsas and other Chi-Chi’s products since the late 1980s. The revival of Chi-Chi’s comes as other nostalgic chains are facing mixed results. Chili’s has repeatedly reported strong earnings this year , while Red Lobster and TGI Fridays both filed for bankruptcy. The seafood chain introduced a new happy hour, among other menu changes , to revive the chain under a new CEO; while Fridays has quietly closed another dozen restaurants in the past few weeks. “While restaurants continue to face challenges like rising food costs, labor shortages, and higher buildout expenses, nostalgia has emerged as a powerful driver of customer visits,” R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical research at Placer.ai, told CNN. “Strategies like reintroducing beloved menu items or offering exclusive collector’s items have resonated with consumers, suggesting these tactics could also work well for reviving these classic brands.” Here’s what the Pizza Hut of the future looks like Kraft Mac & Cheese is trying to maintain its dominance with flavor drops and new shapes Small, luxury foods are great as stocking stuffers or other gifts. Ideas for under $50 The McRib is returning for the holidays. Why isn’t it sold year-round? The-CNN-WireTM & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. With our weekly newsletter packed with the latest in everything food.

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