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casino go fish Lakers’ LeBron James, Warriors’ Stephen Curry adding another chapter to rivalry on Christmas DayJulia Bradbury on lifestyle change and going teetotal after cancer diagnosisBy JILL COLVIN and STEPHEN GROVES WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working mostly behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role: Helping Donald Trump try to get his most contentious Cabinet picks to confirmation in the Senate, where Vance has served for the last two years. Vance arrived at the Capitol on Wednesday with former Rep. Matt Gaetz and spent the morning sitting in on meetings between Trump’s choice for attorney general and key Republicans, including members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The effort was for naught: Gaetz announced a day later that he was withdrawing his name amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations and the reality that he was unlikely to be confirmed. Thursday morning Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth, the “Fox & Friends Weekend” host whom Trump has tapped to be the next secretary of defense. Hegseth also has faced allegations of sexual assault that he denies. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings in coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., center, and Vice President-elect JD Vance, left, walk out of a meeting with Republican Senate Judiciary Committee members, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, departs the chamber at the Capitol in Washington, March 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, center speaks during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, right, speaks with Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, before testifying at a hearing, March 9, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a classified briefing on China, at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a vote on Capitol Hill, Sept. 12, 2023 in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance R-Ohio speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) The role of introducing nominees around Capitol Hill is an unusual one for a vice president-elect. Usually the job goes to a former senator who has close relationships on the Hill, or a more junior aide. But this time the role fits Vance, said Marc Short, who served as Trump’s first director of legislative affairs as well as chief of staff to Trump’s first vice president, Mike Pence, who spent more than a decade in Congress and led the former president’s transition ahead of his first term. ”JD probably has a lot of current allies in the Senate and so it makes sense to have him utilized in that capacity,” Short said. Unlike the first Trump transition, which played out before cameras at Trump Tower in New York and at the president-elect’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, this one has largely happened behind closed doors in Palm Beach, Florida. There, a small group of officials and aides meet daily at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort to run through possible contenders and interview job candidates. The group includes Elon Musk, the billionaire who has spent so much time at the club that Trump has joked he can’t get rid of him. Vance has been a constant presence, even as he’s kept a lower profile. The Ohio senator has spent much of the last two weeks in Palm Beach, according to people familiar with his plans, playing an active role in the transition, on which he serves as honorary chair. Vance has been staying at a cottage on the property of the gilded club, where rooms are adorned with cherubs, oriental rugs and intricate golden inlays. It’s a world away from the famously hardscrabble upbringing that Vance documented in the memoir that made him famous, “Hillbilly Elegy.” His young children have also joined him at Mar-a-Lago, at times. Vance was photographed in shorts and a polo shirt playing with his kids on the seawall of the property with a large palm frond, a U.S. Secret Service robotic security dog in the distance. On the rare days when he is not in Palm Beach, Vance has been joining the sessions remotely via Zoom. Though he has taken a break from TV interviews after months of constant appearances, Vance has been active in the meetings, which began immediately after the election and include interviews and as well as presentations on candidates’ pluses and minuses. Among those interviewed: Contenders to replace FBI Director Christopher Wray , as Vance wrote in a since-deleted social media post. Defending himself from criticism that he’d missed a Senate vote in which one of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees was confirmed, Vance wrote that he was meeting at the time “with President Trump to interview multiple positions for our government, including for FBI Director.” “I tend to think it’s more important to get an FBI director who will dismantle the deep state than it is for Republicans to lose a vote 49-46 rather than 49-45,” Vance added on X. “But that’s just me.” While Vance did not come in to the transition with a list of people he wanted to see in specific roles, he and his friend, Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who is also a member of the transition team, were eager to see former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. find roles in the administration. Trump ended up selecting Gabbard as the next director of national intelligence , a powerful position that sits atop the nation’s spy agencies and acts as the president’s top intelligence adviser. And he chose Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services , a massive agency that oversees everything from drug and food safety to Medicare and Medicaid. Vance was also a big booster of Tom Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who will serve as Trump’s “border czar.” In another sign of Vance’s influence, James Braid, a top aide to the senator, is expected to serve as Trump’s legislative affairs director. Allies say it’s too early to discuss what portfolio Vance might take on in the White House. While he gravitates to issues like trade, immigration and tech policy, Vance sees his role as doing whatever Trump needs. Vance was spotted days after the election giving his son’s Boy Scout troop a tour of the Capitol and was there the day of leadership elections. He returned in earnest this week, first with Gaetz — arguably Trump’s most divisive pick — and then Hegseth, who has was been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017, according to an investigative report made public this week. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing. Vance hosted Hegseth in his Senate office as GOP senators, including those who sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee, filtered in to meet with the nominee for defense secretary. While a president’s nominees usually visit individual senators’ offices, meeting them on their own turf, the freshman senator — who is accompanied everywhere by a large Secret Service detail that makes moving around more unwieldy — instead brought Gaetz to a room in the Capitol on Wednesday and Hegseth to his office on Thursday. Senators came to them. Vance made it to votes Wednesday and Thursday, but missed others on Thursday afternoon. Vance is expected to continue to leverage his relationships in the Senate after Trump takes office. But many Republicans there have longer relationships with Trump himself. Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, said that Trump was often the first person to call him back when he was trying to reach high-level White House officials during Trump’s first term. “He has the most active Rolodex of just about anybody I’ve ever known,” Cramer said, adding that Vance would make a good addition. “They’ll divide names up by who has the most persuasion here,” Cramer said, but added, “Whoever his liaison is will not work as hard at it as he will.” Cramer was complimentary of the Ohio senator, saying he was “pleasant” and ” interesting” to be around. ′′He doesn’t have the long relationships,” he said. “But we all like people that have done what we’ve done. I mean, that’s sort of a natural kinship, just probably not as personally tied.” Under the Constitution, Vance will also have a role presiding over the Senate and breaking tie votes. But he’s not likely to be needed for that as often as was Kamala Harris, who broke a record number of ties for Democrats as vice president, since Republicans will have a bigger cushion in the chamber next year. Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.

The word "Merci" was projected on to the front of Paris' Notre-Dame cathedral as it reopened, in thanks for its salvation after a devastating fire that brought the 860-year-old building close to collapse five years ago. The first responders who helped preserve the Gothic masterpiece and some of those who subsequently restored it received a standing ovation after the Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, struck the doors of Notre-Dame three times with his crozier before symbolically reopening the building. "I stand before you to express the gratitude of the French nation, our gratitude to all those who saved, helped and rebuilt the cathedral," French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday. "Tonight we can together share joy and pride. Long live Notre-Dame de Paris, long live the Republic and long live France." Minutes earlier, the cathedral's bells rang out and Macron welcomed guests including US President-elect Donald Trump. Pope Francis said it was a day of "joy, celebration and praise". In a message read aloud, the pope hoped "the rebirth of this admirable church would constitute a prophetic sign of the renewal of the Church in France". Notre-Dame has been meticulously restored, with a new spire and rib vaulting, its flying buttresses and carved stone gargoyles returned to their past glory and white stone and gold decorations shining brightly once again. Getting Trump to attend, and organising a meeting between him and Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the Elysee Palace ahead of the Notre-Dame ceremony, was a coup for Macron as he faces a political crisis at home, after parliament ousted his prime minister. Trump shook hands with Britain's Prince William and heads of state and government as he made his way to the front of the cathedral. He sat next to Macron in the front row. Earlier, guests stood and applauded as Zelenskiy walked into the cathedral. Tesla billionaire Elon Musk also attended, as did Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and former French presidents Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy. Earlier, tourists snapped pictures with the restored building in the background as final preparations for the event went on inside. Some Parisians were particularly thrilled. "What does Notre-Dame mean to me? This. Look, it's here," said careworker Pascal Tordeux, displaying a tattoo on his arm representing the cathedral. "It means everything." On the evening of April 15, 2019, dismayed Parisians rushed to the scene and TV viewers worldwide watched horrified as the fire raged through the cathedral. "The planet was shaken on that day," Macron said ahead of Saturday's event. "The shock of the reopening will – I believe and I want to believe – be as strong as that of the fire, but it will be a shock of hope." Visitors can now book a free ticket online, on the Cathedral's website. But on Saturday, the first day bookings could be made for the coming days, all tickets were gone, a message on the site said. Group visits will be allowed next year and the Catholic Church expects the cathedral to welcome 15 million visitors each year. Thousands of experts - from carpenters and stonemasons to stained glass window artists - worked around the clock for the last five years, using age-old methods to restore, repair or replace everything that was destroyed or damaged. "Notre-Dame is more than a Parisian or French monument. It's also a universal monument," said historian Damien Berne. The cathedral's first stone was laid in 1163, and construction continued for much of the next century, with major restoration and additions made in the 17th and 18th centuries. Money poured in for the renovation from all over the world - more than 840 million euros ($A1.4 billion).Rachel Christian | (TNS) Bankrate.com Just because retirement planning involves some guesswork doesn’t mean it has to be a total mystery. Related Articles Business | The year in money: inflation eased, optimism ticked upward Business | Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds Business | How to protect your communications through encryption Business | About 2.6 million Stanley cups recalled after malfunctions caused burns. Is your mug included? Business | Musk says US is demanding he pay penalty over disclosures of his Twitter stock purchases Whether you’ve been saving since your first job or you’re getting a late start, you can leverage expert-recommended strategies to gauge your progress on the road to retirement. And if you’re not quite on track, don’t sweat it — the experts we spoke to offered actionable tips to help you close the gap. You might have a general idea of how much money you need to save for retirement . A few quick calculations can give you an estimate, but to truly appreciate where you stand, you’ll need to dive into the numbers. Here’s how to get started. A good rule of thumb to estimate your retirement savings goal is the Rule of 25 . Simply multiply your desired annual retirement income by 25. The result is roughly how much you’ll need to save before hitting retirement. For example, if you plan to spend $50,000 a year, you’ll need about $1.25 million to make it a reality. The Rule of 25 is based on the idea that withdrawing 4% annually from your retirement savings should last you about 30 years. While it’s not an exact science by any means — health care costs and lifestyle changes can skew the numbers, for example — the Rule of 25 can be a good starting point to figure out how much you need to save. Fidelity Investments, a behemoth in the retirement planning space, offers savings guidelines to help you determine if you’re on track . —By age 30: Save 1x your annual salary —By age 40: Save 3x your annual salary —By age 50: Save 6x your annual salary —By age 60: Save 8x your annual salary —By age 67: Save 10x your annual salary For example, if you earn $60,000 annually, you should aim for $600,000 in savings by age 67. But like the Rule of 25, Fidelity’s guidelines offer a 10,000-foot look at retirement goals, and they’re not customized to your situation. Maybe you earned a low salary in your 20s, but you’re working hard in your 30s to make up for it. Use these estimates as a benchmark — but don’t get discouraged if you’re lagging behind. Now it’s time to zoom in a little. To get a clearer snapshot of your progress, use an online retirement calculator. These tools factor in your age, current savings, income and lifestyle goals to estimate whether you’re on track. You’ll get a more refined estimate without crunching the numbers yourself. Bankrate’s retirement calculator even lets you input different rates of return on your investments and accounts for estimated annual salary increases. Having a general savings goal is nice, but to avoid falling short in retirement, you’ll need more than a ballpark figure. Experts recommend creating a retirement budget to get an up-close-and-personal look at how much you’ll really need once you leave the workforce. First, estimate how much you’ll spend per month in retirement. While some costs will increase, like health care, others will likely decrease, like dining out and commuting. “Estimating expenses can be challenging for some people, so as a starting point, I often use your net take-home pay,” says Jeff DeLarme, a certified financial planner and president of DeLarme Wealth Management. For example, if you receive a direct deposit of $2,500 every two weeks from work, use $5,000 as your estimated monthly spending in retirement. “Assuming this was enough to pay the bills while working, we can use $5,000 a month as a starting budget to plan for,” says DeLarme. Next, map out your sources of income in retirement. Social Security is the largest income stream for most retirees, but don’t neglect other inflows, such as: —Workplace retirement accounts, like 401(k)s —Personal retirement accounts, like a traditional or Roth IRA —Pensions —Annuities —Selling your home or business —Rental income —Inheritance “If there’s a gap between your expected expenses and income, you’ll have a good idea of how much you need to save,” says Mike Hunsberger, a certified financial planner and owner of Next Mission Financial Planning. From there, you can adjust your savings and investment strategy accordingly. For something as important (and complex) as retirement planning, it pays to speak with a professional. Financial advisers can analyze your savings, investments and retirement goals to create a personalized plan. Advisers use special planning software that account for more variables than an online calculator, giving you a much more precise, granular look at your financial life in retirement. Many financial advisers can also help you optimize your tax strategy, which can potentially save you thousands of dollars over time. Make sure the adviser you hire is a fiduciary , meaning they’re legally obligated to prioritize your interests over their own. A fiduciary won’t push investments to earn a commission or recommend products that aren’t aligned with your needs. A certified financial planner is one of the most well-recognized designations for fiduciaries. You can use Bankrate’s adviser matching tool to find a certified financial planner in your area in minutes. Maybe you did the math and realized you’re not quite where you need to be. Don’t panic if you’re behind schedule. Here are five strategies experts recommend to help you catch up on your retirement savings . Cutting expenses now frees up more cash to invest in your retirement accounts. Evaluate your budget and identify areas where you can cut costs, like dining out, streaming subscriptions or shopping. Don’t rule out bigger lifestyle changes either, especially if retirement is rapidly approaching. Housing is the biggest monthly expense for most people. Getting creative here can help amplify the amount you can sock away, says Joseph Boughan, a certified financial planner and managing member at Parkmount Financial Partners. It can also reduce your expenses in retirement, so you may not need to save as much as before. “Downsizing can be a great way to cut expenses,” says Boughan. “This can even free up cash if you don’t end up needing all that money for a new home.” Moving somewhere with lower property taxes or income taxes can also help bring your retirement plan back in line. And if you’re a renter, making tough short-term decisions, like taking on a roommate or moving to a lower cost-of-living area, can free up hundreds of dollars a month for your retirement. “Everyone’s plan is unique, so exploring all the options is important,” Boughan says. Joe Conroy, a certified financial planner and owner of Harford Retirement Planners, recommends taking a “retirement test drive” as you near your target date. “Start to live on what income you think you can afford in retirement and stash all the extra income into savings and investments,” says Conroy. “If you can make it through each month, you’re ready for retirement. If you run short, then adjust your plan accordingly.” Working a little longer can be a game-changer for your retirement nest egg. Not only does it give you more time to save, it also gives your investments room to grow. “Working longer or even just part time for a few years early in retirement is one of the best ways to reduce the amount of money you need to save,” says Hunsberger. Postponing retirement can also boost your Social Security benefits . “You can claim as early as 62, but your benefits will be reduced significantly,” says Hunsberger. Meanwhile, each year you delay claiming Social Security benefits beyond your full retirement age , your monthly check will increase by 8%, though this benefit maxes out at age 70. So waiting can really pay off. It may seem obvious, but if you’re behind on retirement savings, you’ll need to boost your contributions as much as possible. Here are a few ways to make saving for retirement easier: —Increase your contribution rate: Allocate a larger portion of your paycheck to a workplace retirement plan. Even bumping up your contributions by 1% or 2% can make a huge difference down the road. —Take advantage of your employer match: Don’t leave free money on the table. Many employers will chip in between 3 and 5% depending on your plan, so make sure you’re contributing enough to take advantage of the benefit. —Use “unexpected” money to catch up: If you get a raise or bonus at work, funnel part of it directly into your 401(k). And if you get a refund at tax time, siphon some of it off to beef up your IRA. If you’ve been investing in low-risk, low-return investments, you may not be keeping up with inflation, let alone growing your nest egg. Reallocating part of your portfolio to stocks or low-cost growth exchange-traded funds (ETFs) is one way to get your money working harder. Higher-risk investments like stocks carry more volatility but also offer higher potential returns. Work with a financial adviser or use a robo-adviser to strike the right balance between growth and your personal risk tolerance. Contribution limits for 401(k) plans and IRAs are higher for people over 50. For 2025, employees aged 50 and up who participate in most 401(k) plans or the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan can save up to $31,000 annually, including a $7,500 catch-up contribution . But thanks to SECURE 2.0 , a sweeping retirement law, a new higher catch-up contribution limit of $11,250 applies for employees ages 60 to 63. So, if you’re in this age group, you can squirrel away a whopping $34,750 a year during the final stretch of your career. Of course, you’ll need a big salary (think six figures) in order to take full advantage of such massive contribution limits. But if you can afford it, these catch-up allowances can put your plan back on track, especially if you struggled to save much early in your career. There’s no GPS to gauge your progress on the road to retirement. If you’ve veered off course or aren’t sure where to start, begin by getting a quick estimate of how much you’ll need before mapping out a retirement budget. And if you’re behind, don’t panic — adjusting your spending, boosting your contributions and speaking with a financial adviser can help you catch up. ©2024 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.The crypto market has made many investors unhappy this festive season with the recent drops in the market and liquidations of futures. Markets that had been on a bull run on expectations of a more crypto-friendly government, lowering Fed rates, and rising crypto ETFs went crashing after the FOMC meeting. Bitcoin and its not being used as a Reserve currency, as well as cautionary statements, turned the markets red as bear forces took over. Most coins lost huge momentum, and current market darling XRP’s price also went for a dive. XRP had proved resilient during earlier scares, both during the South Korean conflict and earlier market dips. The recent bearish sentiment is making it difficult for XRP price to regain lost ground as it trades 9% lower in the weekly charts. Many investors are now moving more of their holdings to DTX Exchange to exploit its bullish momentum. This hybrid trading platform is set to launch a layer-1 blockchain, has already launched its Phoenix Wallet, and is listed on CoinMarketCap. XRP Price Down 9% At $2.17 Ripple is an open-source and decentralized technology. The major benefits of Ripple are its XRP Ledger. This offers low-cost, high-speed, scalable operations combined with inherently green attributes like its carbon-neutral and energy-efficient operations. Ripple made its investors rich, as the XRP price rose in double digits until last week. However, recent crypto market issues have led to a drop in XRP’s price after it touched a new ATH of $2.89 in early December. The market cap for Ripple is down to $124 billion, and its market volume is $4.79 billion. Experts hope the market will soon recover as its technical soundness wins over the markets. However, many investors are moving to a sure upside option. They are opting to pick up the DTX Exchange presale, where 200x growth can occur soon. DTX Exchange: $10.55 Mn In Presale Wins More Investors DTX is the first hybrid trading exchange to let its users trade in crypto, forex, stocks, and Exchange-Traded Funds (ETF) through one platform. The platform features unparalleled trading options and cutting-edge infrastructure to facilitate smooth trading operations. This next-generation hybrid platform’s 1,000x leverage feature enables traders to increase their trading potential significantly. Security features like two-factor authentication and cold storage protect users’ funds. The platform also has a non-custodial wallet, Phoenix Wallet, which gives users full ownership of their assets. DTX Exchange (DTX) is a standout launch of 2024, raising $10.57 million with strong investor interest and community backing. Due to its ability to revolutionize the entire trading sector, it is a compelling choice for investors looking for a high-return alternative to major cryptos like Ripple. With DTX priced at just $0.12 in its 6th presale stage, it is expected to gain at least 200% once it lists on Tier-1 exchanges. More gains are anticipated as the presale continues, and after its listing on Tier-1 exchanges, it is among the best altcoins to invest in. Conclusion DTX Exchange (DTX) is one of the promising new crypto projects with plenty of room for growth. In addition to its growth prospects, its future transformation of the crypto trading scene makes it a solid altcoin to hold on to. It combines CEX and DEX and bridges the gap between TradFi and DeFi. Buy Presale Visit Website Join Community Join our WhatsApp Channel to get the latest news, exclusives and videos on WhatsApp _____________ Disclaimer: Analytics Insight does not provide financial advice or guidance. Also note that the cryptocurrencies mentioned/listed on the website could potentially be scams, i.e. designed to induce you to invest financial resources that may be lost forever and not be recoverable once investments are made. You are responsible for conducting your own research (DYOR) before making any investments. Read more here.

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) — EJ Farmer's 22 points helped Youngstown State defeat Oakland 66-50 on Saturday. Farmer shot 7 for 13 (5 for 8 from 3-point range) and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line for the Penguins (5-5, 2-0 Horizon League). Nico Galette scored 11 points and added nine rebounds and six assists. Juwan Maxey and Jason Nelson both added 11 points. Allen David Mukeba Jr. led the Golden Grizzlies (3-5, 1-1) in scoring, finishing with 17 points. Tuburu Niavalurua added 12 points for Oakland. D.Q. Cole had 11 points. NEXT UP Up next for Youngstown State is a Saturday matchup with Toledo at home, and Oakland plays Michigan State on Tuesday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

US House passes measure that could punish nonprofits Treasury Department decides are ‘terrorist’Alexander and Boston University secure 80-74 OT win over Albany

SUNY Poly lecture discusses search for extraterrestrial lifeLexus is this year celebrating its 35th anniversary of, as it says, "being a disruptor in the luxury vehicle segment", and there's plenty to celebrate from that time. or signup to continue reading Its history might be short relative to some of its European contemporaries, but there have been a plethora of influential vehicles that have brought the Japanese brand firmly into the luxury segments. There have even been some top-shelf performance vehicles that have elevated the brand's reputation, while displaying what it and its Toyota parent company could be capable of. Lexus was launched by Toyota at a similar time as other Japanese luxury spinoffs like Acura (Honda) and Infiniti (Nissan), but while those brands have enjoyed success in specific markets like the United States, Lexus has been able to cement itself in a wider range of markets globally. Locally, Lexus Australia celebrated the occasion by hosting a media-only showcase in Melbourne. On display were a handful of its most significant cars, as well as a design concept that hints at what the brand could be producing in the near future. With that in mind, we've put together a guide to Lexus that focuses on its movements in Australia. Luckily, it launched in Australia just one year after its first model debuted, which means there aren't too many differences between Lexus' history overseas and locally. As it celebrates its 35th birthday, here's everything you need to know about Lexus. Lexus is the luxury vehicle division of the , and is headquartered in Nagoya, Japan. Though it officially got its start in 1989 with the launch of the sedan, the story of Lexus actually began as early as 1983. Then-Toyota Motor Corporation president Eiji Toyoda commissioned the Circle F project in 1983, establishing an intention to build "a car that is better than the best in the world". What resulted was the assembling of a team of 60 designers, 1400 engineers and 2300 technicians. Titled the Flagship 1, Lexus put 450 prototype vehicles and 973 prototype 4.0-litre quad-cam V8 engines to the test over more than 4.4 million kilometres before the final product was ready to be revealed. Flagship 1 came to life in January 1989, when the brand showed off the LS400 for the first time at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). At the same time, the Lexus name was established. The LS400 launched in North America in the same year, and was quickly followed by the executive sedan a few months later. Lexus' Australian adventure started in May 1990, when the LS400 arrived Down Under. More than 250 customers took delivery off the bat, and in the same year it took out Car of the Year award. It also heralded the beginning of a busy decade for the brand. The same V8 powertrain used in the LS400 was repurposed in the SC400 coupe, which launched in the USA in 1991. Another variant instead fitted with an inline-six engine – the SC300 – was introduced soon after. Australia would have to wait until 1992 before receiving a second Lexus model though, when the -derived ES300 arrived. 580 examples were delivered in its first year on the market Down Under, and Lexus delivered its 1000th Australian vehicle in the same year. At a similar time the LS400 received a major update, which brought out Lexus' now-longstanding Takumi craftsmanship philosophy. Takumi is the Japanese name given to master craftspeople who have dedicated their life to their craft. In 1993 the sports sedan was rolled out, followed by the all-new second-generation LS400 in 1994. Lexus took from Toyota's successful to reveal the in 1995, intended to bring "luxury to the rugged SUV segment" when it entered production in 1996. In 1997 Australia received the GS300 for the first time, which arrived in its second-generation guise with a 3.0-litre inline-six engine. For the first time, Lexus also sold more than 1000 vehicles in Australia in a single year. Lexus introduced its first luxury SUV designed and built from the ground up in 1998 – the . In terms of Australia though, it wouldn't arrive until its second generation was launched a few years later, which meant the new-generation LX470 of that year was Lexus' first SUV sold locally. The last brand-new Lexus to arrive in Australia before the end of the century was the compact sedan, which went on sale in 1999. It featured a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine with a rear-wheel drive setup, and contributed to Lexus hitting the 10,000 local sales milestone. The third-generation LS went on sale in Australia in November of 2000. Called the LS430, nearly 300 patent applications were filed during its development that eventually brought new suspension, steering, brakes, and a larger 4.3-litre V8 engine. Also launched was the second-generation SC430, offered in both coupe and convertible body styles. It arrived in Australia in 2001, marking the sixth model in Lexus showrooms. The large SUV appeared in the USA in 2002, but in 2003 Lexus gave its first look at potential future hybrid power in the form of the LF-S at the Tokyo Motor Show. Under the bonnet was a hybrid V8, which previewed a future production powertrain. In that same year the RX330 went on sale in Australia, and Lexus delivered its 20,000th local vehicle. A prototype of the RX400h hybrid SUV was shown at the 2004 NAIAS, which was based on the RX330. In 2005 though, the first LF-A concept headlined at the NAIAS. Intentions were to leverage Toyota's Formula 1 technology, which would provide a naturally aspirated V10 engine with more than 370kW of power, but a displacement of less than 5.0 litres. The world would have to wait for more on that vehicle, but in the same year the IS250 superseded the IS200 in Australia. In 2006 Lexus brought the LF-S concept into its production form with the LS600hL, powered by a 327kW 5.0-litre hybrid V8 with all-wheel drive – the brand's most powerful hybrid engine to date. In the same year, Lexus brought its first hybrids to Australia in the form of the GS450h and RX400h. The 'F' name for Lexus' performance cars appeared the year after; the name and logo inspired by Japan's Fuji Speedway where its cars were tested and developed. Lexus' first car wearing the badge was the IS F sedan, which boasted a 5.0-litre V8 with 311kW and 505Nm and a spate of handling and suspension enhancements over the standard model. Later in 2007, Lexus delivered its 1000th hybrid vehicle in Australia, followed by its 50,000th vehicle overall in 2008. The third-generation RX – including the RX450h hybrid – arrived the year after, at a similar time to Lexus confirming production of the LFA supercar. Its 412kW/480Nm 4.8-litre V10 engine was co-developed with Yamaha, and while production was limited to 500 units globally, only eight were allocated to Australia. In 2010 Lexus celebrated 20 years in Australia, and the hybrid compact hatch was shown off overseas for the first time. It arrived in Australia the following year as the most affordable Lexus ever, while the brand showed off its new spindle grille design with a concept of the fourth-generation GS sedan at the NAIAS. In 2011 Lexus was impacted by the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which disrupted Japanese production and hindered short-term sales targets. Organisational changes by then-Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda also meant Lexus executives began reporting directly to their parent company's chairman for the first time ever. Lexus' new design language would appear again in 2012 with the LF-LC concept, which previewed the . The LF-CC concept shown later in the year at the Paris Motor Show also pointed to the rear-wheel drive sports coupes, and Lexus hit the 75,000 sales milestone in Australia. In 2013 the next-generation IS arrived with a hybrid powertrain in local showrooms, while the ES returned for the first time in seven years with its own ES300h hybrid variant. In that year, Lexus Australia reached 10,000 hybrid vehicle deliveries. The RC F coupe became Lexus' new halo performance car in 2014, and the debuted in Australia the same year. The brand's first hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle appeared in concept form in 2015, dubbed the LF-FC concept. Lexus began exploring other tech like a conceptual "Hoverboard of the Future" at the same time, and also achieved the 100,000 deliveries milestone in Australia. The LC500 entered production in 2016, featuring Lexus' first 10-speed auto and followed by the LC500h hybrid two months later. More non-car related endeavours began in 2017 when Lexus revealed its Sport Yacht concept (previewing the 2019 LY650), while in Australia the brand's 20,000th hybrid vehicle was delivered – its most popular hybrid models locally were the RX (7000 units) and the CT200h (6500 units). In 2019 the arrived in Australia, and in 2020 Lexus' local arm celebrated its 30th anniversary. At the same time, the brand achieved 30,000 local hybrid sales. Lexus' first battery-electric vehicle (BEV) – the UX300e – arrived in 2021, coinciding with the expansion of the brand's that first appeared in 1990. In that year, one-third of all Lexus deliveries in Australia were hybrid vehicles for the first time. In that year, it was also reported Lexus would . That followed previous 2009 reports that it planned to become hybrid-only in Europe. The brand's first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) arrived in the form of the NX450h+ in 2022, alongside the debut of the fifth-generation RX. An RX500h F Sport Performance joined the lineup, featuring Lexus' first turbo-hybrid powertrain. 46.3 per cent of Lexus' sales in Australia were recorded as either hybrid, PHEV, or BEV for the first time in that year. 2023 saw the arrival of the SUV, which while being the second Lexus EV was the first on the dedicated e-TNGA electric platform later used on the and . The also appeared in 2023, as well as the at the Tokyo Motor Show – intended to show Lexus' vision of future EVs. In Australia, Lexus also managed to deliver more than 10,000 vehicles (15,192) in a single year for the first time ever. 2024 marks the 35th anniversary of the Lexus brand, and the all-new arrived in Australia for the first time. It featured a handful of Lexus-first equipment like a 1.5-litre three-cylinder hybrid engine, with its small SUV stature intended to appeal to a younger demographic. It was followed by the latest GX SUV – which arrived in local showrooms before Toyota's related 250 Series-generation – built in right-hand drive for the first time, headlined by the rugged Overtrail grade. Lexus also delivered its 50,000th electrified vehicle in Australia this year, with such powertrains accounting for more than 70 per cent of the brand's Australian sales so far this year. The brand says it's still committed to its target of selling only electrified vehicles in Australia by 2030. Lexus currently sells 11 distinct models in Australia, with its lineup dominated by SUVs. Given the breadth of Lexus' range in Australia, the below information is intended to give a top-line overview of what each model is about. For further information, we'll link to each model's name to its dedicated price and specs article. Lexus' only two sedans still sold in Australia are the ES and LS, with the LS being the larger of the two. The Camry-based uses a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine – with hybrid models adding an electric motor – and is front-wheel drive only. The meanwhile utilises a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6, with hybrids using a naturally aspirated version mated with an electric motor. They're rear-wheel drive only and considerably more expensive than the ES. The third and final passenger vehicle in Lexus' Australian lineup is the , which is powered by either a 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8 or a 3.5-litre V6 petrol-hybrid engine. Drive is sent to the rear-wheels only through either a 10-speed auto or hybrid transmission respectively. Lexus' most expensive vehicle is currently the , which is hybrid-only but with a selection of two different powertrains depending on the variant. It started life as a rebadged Toyota Alphard/Vellfire, but has since become more disconnected. The remainder of Lexus' model range is entirely SUVs. The smallest of the lot are the LBX and UX, though the two are fairly different. Smaller of the pair is the , which is based on the and powered exclusively by a 1.5-litre three-cylinder hybrid – though a hotted-up version (similar to the ) is coming next year. The , meanwhile, is similar to the and comes in petrol-only, hybrid, or guises depending on variant – the latter of which only appeared in Australian showrooms last year. There are also a greater number of variants compared to the LBX. Moving up in size brings the -related , which again offers petrol-only, hybrid, and PHEV drivetrains. The NX450h+ PHEV has been hit with supply issues that have meant it as the brand gets through order backlog. Then there's the , which is either petrol-only or hybrid. It shares a platform with the NX and ES, as well as , RAV4, and Camry. In contrast, the is electric-only and built on a dedicated EV platform shared with the Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra, as noted earlier. Finally are Lexus' two largest SUVs. The first is the , which shares a platform with the Toyota Prado. Unlike the Prado, there's no electrification (even mild) for the GX in Australia, which is instead powered solely by a 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine across the range. The LX is instead based on the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series. It commands an expectedly hefty price tag, and is available with either a 3.3-litre V6 twin-turbo diesel or a 3.4-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol. Being a luxury brand, Lexus primarily competes with European brands like , , and in Australia. Not all are direct comparisons, but closest against Mercedes-Benz's sedan is the Lexus ES, and against the more luxurious is the LS. In terms of SUVs, the most comparable models are the Mercedes-Benz and Lexus UX, as well as and Lexus NX. Both have high-end sports cars too, which means Lexus' LC can be compared to Mercedes' . There are a fair few comparisons against BMW too. The ES competes with the on price but the on size, while the flagship Lexus LS sedan goes up against the . You can compare the smaller Lexus UX to the , the NX to the , the RX to the , and the GX to the . There are EV SUVs to compare too, namely the Lexus RZ against the . The final German manufacturer to compare against is Audi, and its upcoming rivals the Lexus ES. The most direct competitor to Lexus' LBX small SUV is the , while the rest of the two brands' comparable SUVs can be broken down as UX vs , NX vs , and RX vs . In similar sense to BMW, Lexus' RZ EV competes with the . There are some less mainstream brands Lexus has as competitors too, namely , which rivals the LS with its , the NX with its , and the RX with its . There's also a comparison to be made between some models. The off-road leaning Lexus GX rivals the , while the LX large SUV can be compared against the . To the end of November 2024, Lexus Australia has delivered 12,369 vehicles this year. It's a decent figure, but it's 12 per cent down on its sales from this time last year. Compared to the rivals listed above, Lexus is behind Mercedes-Benz (18,303, down 17.8 per cent), BMW (23,876, down 1.3 per cent), and Audi (13,782, down 21.6 per cent). It remains ahead of Genesis on 1287 so far this year, a figure that's 28.6 per cent lower than the same time last year. Lexus is also outselling Land Rover, which currently sits on 7352 sales for 2024 – though even that is down 5.5 per cent. The Japanese brand's best-selling model continues to be the NX, of which 5619 units have been sold to the end of November this year. Next highest is the RX on 1871, followed by the LBX on 1355. Its lowest-selling car is currently the expensive LS sedan with 11 units. The RZ EV is next-lowest on 200, with the LM and LX next up at 265 and 504 respectively. All of Lexus' models have experienced a decline in sales over the course of 2024 compared to 2023, with the UX experiencing the harshest decline of 65.3 per cent. The LX, LS, and ES are all also down by more than 40 per cent on this time last year. In contrast, annual Toyota sales are currently up 13.6 per cent on this time last year, though as Lexus' broader-reaching parent company it does field a larger number of more approachable mass-market vehicles. Lexus doesn't have a large number of vehicles planned for Australia in the coming years, as the brand focuses on its more long-term goals that reach into the 2030s. Coming in the first half of 2025 is the hotted-up , which is set to gain the high-performance 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo powertrain from Toyota's GR Yaris. With a rally-inspired all-wheel drive setup it'll be a drastic departure from the standard LBX currently on sale, with a 0-100km/h time of just over 5.0 seconds. An eight-speed automatic transmission will be standard when it arrives in local showrooms. While it'll also be available with a six-speed manual in Japan, you won't be able to buy one in Australia. Beyond that, Lexus has outlined a series of goals for the coming years, and potential new models that could possibly make their way to Australia have been seen overseas. The first of which is the facelifted ES sedan, which was . There has been no word on when or if the updated model will come to Australia at the time of publishing, though Lexus did secure a handful of earlier this year. There have also been rumours surrounding a , which will reportedly wear the LFR name and be a spiritual successor to the LFA. Already , the LFR is expected to be called the GR GT3. If it's real, it's possible the LFR could be revealed sometime next year ahead of a 2026 market debut. Lexus has also been giving though to its electrified future too, previewed by a that broke cover in Japan last year. It has previously been announced that , with Lexus intending to sell only hybrid, PHEV, and EVs in Australia by 2030. A spate of in relation to potential future electric models, the first of which were expected to be revealed in 2026 but have been . Previous reports have also outlined ambitious goals for Lexus, which suggest it wants to become an . Interestingly, that would mean it'd make the jump before Toyota. That being said, Lexus hasn't outlined a clear timeline for exactly of cars that have hybrid alternatives, but it does still intend to do so before the end of the decade. Content originally sourced from: Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. We care about the protection of your data. Read our . Advertisement

After 13 years of war, Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria has been defeated. What comes next?

His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs ( HMRC) has explained a tax rule which all savers need to be aware of, including those using Individual Savings Account (ISA). The rules concern how much people can make in interest before having to file a self-assessment and pay tax on it. Responding to a query from a customer on a popular social media platform, X, who wanted to know whether they had made enough to pay tax, HMRC cleared up the situation. The person had asked if they would need to fill in a self-assessment tax return if they were earning more than £2,000 a year in interest. HMRC explained it would need to be over £10,000, depending on the type of account. The tax authority replied: “If you have more than £10,000 from dividends or savings and interest, you would need to complete a self-assessment tax return.” Speaking on ISA, the HMRC noted that the account is tax-free, including some NS&I accounts. “If you have an Individual Savings Account (ISA), this is tax-free as well as some National Savings and Investment (NS&I) accounts.” According to Express, people can save up to £20,000 a year in ISAs with no tax to pay on the amount. It explained further with the rules, savers get a starting rate allowing them to earn £5,000 in interest each year without paying tax on it, but this reduces by £1 for each £1 you earn above your personal allowance, of £12,570. Those on the basic rate of income tax can earn up to £1,000 a year in interest tax-free, which drops to £500 if you are on the higher rate and then to £0 for those on the additional rate. NS&I customers with Premium Bonds also have no tax to pay on any prizes they win in the monthly draw, and NS&I has a Direct ISA and a Junior ISA. (BirminghamLive) ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE Get real-time news updates from Tribune Online! Follow us on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive stories and interviews, and much more. Join our WhatsApp Channel now

WASHINGTON ― Former Rep. Matt Gaetz , who was President-elect Donald Trump's first pick for Attorney General, denies committing statutory rape in allegedly paying a 17-year-old for sex and other bombshell accusations in a newly released House Ethics Committee report. But some of the committee's damning allegations come from the former congressman's own words and actions, according to details within the long-awaited report made public Monday. Others comprise text messages, financial records, photos and interviews of people closest to him, the committee report said, including a former friend who's now in prison and an ex-girlfriend who both used a “sugar dating” site linking older men with younger women. Gaetz has denied wrongdoing, attacked the credibility of the committee and some witnesses and said on social media that he regularly gave money to his girlfriends and acquaintances when he was younger. A Justice Department investigation into Gaetz began in 2020 under then-Attorney General Bill Barr during Trump’s first term in office. The federal investigation of the Florida Republican resulted in no charges. In response to a Sept. 4 committee request for information, Gaetz strongly denied having “engaged in sexual activity with any individual under 18.” “The answer to this question is unequivocally NO. You can apply this response to every version of this question, in every forum," Gaetz said in a statement posted to his social media account. But in its report, the Ethics Committee said it received testimony that a then-17-year-old girl, identified in the report as Victim A, and Gaetz had sex twice during one July 15, 2017 party in South Florida, "including at least once in the presence of other party attendees." "The record overwhelmingly suggests that Representative Gaetz had sex with multiple women at the party, including the then-17-year-old, for which they were paid," the report said. Contesting payment for a 'drive by' Much of that evidence came from text messages by Gaetz and his associates, according to the report. In one text exchange obtained by the Committee, Gaetz balked at a woman’s request for money after he accused her of “ditching” him on a night when she was feeling tired, claiming she only gave him a “drive by,” the report said. The woman asserted to Gaetz that she was being “treated differently” than other women he was paying for sex, the report added. 'Customer appreciation week' The Committee also obtained text messages in which Gaetz’s then-girlfriend, who he initially met through the site SeekingArrangement.com, told a group of women that “the guys [Gaetz and a friend] wanted me to share that they are a little limited in their cash flow this weekend," the report said. "[M]att was like if it can be more of a customer appreciation week. . . .” A few months later, the report said, Gaetz’s then-girlfriend told the other women, “Btw Matt also mentioned he is going to be a bit generous cause of the ‘customer appreciation’ thing last time.” Gaetz, who has long maintained his innocence, attacked the credibility of the Ethics Committee Monday. He also published a series of posts on X with snippets of witness testimony that he said refute the committee's findings. “Giving funds to someone you are dating − that they didn’t ask for − and that isn’t ‘charged’ for sex is now prostitution?!?” he wrote . But the committee, citing financial records, said that between 2017 and 2020, Gaetz paid tens of thousands of dollars to women “likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use” including for cocaine and Ecstasy. 'Substantial evidence' Gaetz violated state and federal laws Based on its years-long investigation, the bipartisan committee concluded there was "substantial evidence" Gaetz “violated House Rules, state and federal laws, and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, acceptance of impermissible gifts, the provision of special favors and privileges, and obstruction of Congress.” A Trump ally, Gaetz was the president-elect's initial choice for attorney general , before withdrawing from consideration in the face of Senate opposition. The Florida Republican resigned from Congress last month and recently joined One America News Network, where he is scheduled to host a one-hour weeknight show starting in January. More: Matt Gaetz ethics report finds 'substantial evidence' of statutory rape, prostitution Financial records at the heart of House Ethics investigation At the heart of the investigation were payments it said Gaetz made to at least 12 women the report said in cash, by check or most often through online services like Venmo, PayPal and Cash App. The women were usually more than 15 years younger than Gaetz, in their early twenties, and many were found by a friend of Gaetz through the “sugar dating” website, which “primarily connected older men and younger women seeking ‘mutually beneficial relationships,’“ the report said. "Gaetz took advantage of the economic vulnerability of young women to lure them into sexual activity for which they received an average of a few hundred dollars after each encounter," the report said. It cited prosecutions against individuals for sex trafficking that originated with contacts made on "sugar dating" through SeekingArrangement.com or similar websites. Joel Greenberg, Gaetz’s friend who the report said procured women for them both from the "sugar daddy" site, is currently serving an 11-year federal prison sentence , in part for sex trafficking of a minor. The committee’s Republican chairman and ranking Democrat authorized 29 subpoenas for documents and testimony, reviewed nearly 14,000 documents, and contacted more than two dozen witnesses, it said. The committee said it also received sworn written responses from Greenberg, the former Seminole County tax collector. Citing “credibility issues,” it said it would “not rely exclusively on information provided by Mr. Greenberg in making any findings.” Gaetz for the most part refused to cooperate beyond stalling for time and giving non-responsive replies for requests for information and records, the committee said. More: Underage prostitution, rules violations and more: Key takeaways from the Matt Gaetz report In February 2023, the Justice Department informed Gaetz he would not be charged in connection with the investigation. It declined to share its investigative material with the committee, citing the lack of criminal charges against Gaetz. Although DOJ has not commented, news reports at the time said the credibility of some of the witnesses, including the alleged underage victim, played a part in its decision not to bring charges. A ‘general expectation’ of money for sex Many of the women interviewed by the committee said they understood why they were being paid, often between $400 and $1,000 for an event or encounter. “Representative Gaetz did not appear to have negotiated specific payment amounts prior to engaging in sexual activity with the women he paid,” the report said. “Instead, the women had a general expectation that they would typically receive some amount of money after each sexual encounter.” Financial records cited by the committee showed Gaetz paid more than $4,000 to four of the women. One, who received more than $5,000 from Gaetz between 2018 and 2019, said that “99 percent of the time” that she and Gaetz were together, “there was sex involved.” Text messages obtained by the Committee showed that Gaetz “would also ask women to bring drugs to their rendezvous,” in some cases requesting “a full compliment [sic] of party favors.” Gaetz did not return numerous requests for comment. He also refused to answer most committee questions while denying wrongdoing – especially with regard to allegations about paying for sex, the report said. “There was, however, evidence that he understood and shared many of the women’s transactional views of their arrangements,” it said. In one instance, the report said, Gaetz sent $400 to Greenberg with a note to “Hit up” one of the women, identified only as Victim A. “Mr. Greenberg then sent two women payments totaling $400, including Victim A.” None of the women are identified in the report. ‘It’ll be fun and very chill’ The report noted that, while Gaetz's spokesman denied Gaetz knew a woman he'd been photographed with in May 2017, the investigation showed that he had invited her and others for what he called a "fun and very chill" time in Key West with “2 guys, 4 girls. A very high-quality, adventurous group.” “Payment records reviewed by the Committee," the report said , "show that Representative Gaetz paid $600 to the woman the same day he was photographed with her.”

UNRWA chief shares heart-wrenching stories from GazaA knock at the door. A police search. A rose gold iPhone. Child pornography allegations. Shocking as the charges were against his son, a Woodstock father says the family ordeal that followed shattered his faith in the justice system. Brian Williams reports. A knock at the Spina household’s front door started the family’s waking nightmare. Andrea Spina answered, then rushed back to her husband, Mario, slowly getting out of bed. Get dressed, she urged him. He heard “heavy boots” and “marching” inside the house, Mario said. He was shocked to discover six police officers equipped with firearms and a search warrant for the suburban home in northeast Woodstock, a city of about 48,000 in southwestern Ontario’s auto belt. “We had no clue why they were here,” Mario said. Mario, Andrea, her mother, the couple’s daughter and their 19-year-old son, Kristian, lived in the bungalow at the time. Kristian was at work that morning, Jan. 19, 2022. “We thought something happened to Kristian,” Andrea said. The family was “sequestered in the living room” as Woodstock police officers searched the house, said Mario. Det. Mike Haegens of Woodstock police explained the investigation involved a Snapchat account with a handle connected to Kristian. Snapchat is an app that allows users to send and receive videos and photos that automatically delete after being viewed for 10 seconds, longer if left unopened. An old email address used by all family members was also connected to the investigation, and both the Snapchat handle and email address were linked to uploading and sharing child pornography, police told them. “We never thought for a million years that there was anything, because that’s not who my son is,” Mario said. Woodstock police seized numerous phones from the Spina residence, including a rose gold iPhone belonging to Kristian that was no longer used. Police showed up at Kristian’s workplace, auto parks maker Vuteq. “The first thought that went through my head was something happened to my family,” Kristian said. Kristian was told his Snapchat account had been flagged for uploaded child pornography. “I was at a loss for words,” he said. “I know what I do on my phone and I know that this isn’t one of them.” Kristian handed over his phone to police, gave the password and said his Snapchat account had been hacked. “That’s why I gave them (the phone), no hesitation,” Kristian said. That day was the beginning of what would become a year-long family struggle to clear Kristian of child pornography charges, a struggle that a digital forensic expert warns can happen to anyone with a phone and social media accounts. The account of what happened to the Spinas is based on interviews with family members, a court ruling, expert reports and a summary by the Law Enforcement Complaints Agency (LECA), an independent civilian oversight agency of the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General. For the Spinas, there would be financial setbacks, health scares, uncertainty and a draining emotional toll. And now, for Mario, a search for accountability. “Is it negligence or is it ignorance?” he said. “At the end of the day, what the heck is the difference to the accused?” The year before, on July 17, 2021, Kristian received an email from Snapchat to an email address the family had stopped checking. The email from Snapchat advised him his account had been accessed by an unknown device in Hamilton that he didn’t own. On Aug. 5, 2021, Kristian was locked out of the account. “I did what every guy my age would do and just made a new one (account),” Kristian said. About the same time, a potentially illegal video was uploaded to the old account, an investigation later found. Snapchat reports the upload of potentially illegal videos to the U.S. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. In Kristian’s case, information about the upload was sent to Canada’s National Child Exploitation Crime Centre, then the RCMP, then Woodstock police. The responsibility for mining the devices seized fell to Woodstock’s digital examiner, a civilian employee, Special Const. Robert Gower. Gower’s search of the Kristian’s former iPhone, the rose gold one, revealed eight still images, some reproduced multiple times, for a total of about 50 thumbnails, meeting the police definition of child porn. The thumbnails — small images of pictures or videos — found on the phone matched the video connected to Kristian’s account that was first flagged by Snapchat and passed along to Woodstock police. In February 2022, police advised Kristian his phone contained images of child pornography and that charges would be laid. “I don’t have a clue how it happened, what happened, because I’ve never seen any of this stuff,” Kristian said. “That was a bomb,” Mario said. “We thought, there’s an explanation for this.” Before then, the 19-year-old’s only brush with the law had been a speeding ticket. Mario and Andrea drove Kristian to the police station the next morning. At age eight, Kristian was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system. He made a full recovery after six months. “When that cancer bomb goes off, everyone comes to help you — they come from everywhere. The doctors, the oncologists, the therapists, the counsellors, your family, your friends, your neighbors. You come home, your snow’s shoveled, your grass is cut — all that stuff,” Mario said. This struggle felt much different. “Imagine him going into this police station with all these police officers looking at him,” Mario said. “The door opened up to go into the belly of the station. It felt like a walk of shame for my son, and he didn’t do this.” His son was booked and held for a bail hearing. “I got back in the car, and I was in shock with tears,” Mario said. “My wife was waiting for me in the car and we were terrified. We didn’t know what to do.” Andrea recalled the heartbreak of dropping her son off at the police station. “It was horrible to leave him behind, and not knowing exactly what he’s going to go through,” she said. Watching his son appear on a courtroom video feed later “was gut-wrenching,” Mario said. Kristian was released later that afternoon. He faced three charges: One each of distributing, possessing and accessing child pornography. “There’s no parenting courses on what to do in case your son’s arrested for something he didn’t do,” Mario said. Before Mario could tell family members of his son’s plight, Woodstock police named Kristian and the charges against him in a news release. Now, Kristian had to deal with a second court: public opinion. “(People assume) when they see this example, the charges and a name associated with it, the police must have quite a lot of evidence here,” Mario said. Only Mario, his mother-in-law and Kristian were home the morning of March 26, 2022, about a month and a half after his arrest. Suddenly, Mario heard his mother-in-law “screaming like that wild scream, something’s really wrong.” Mario had watched his son battle cancer. He’d watched Kristian’s final year of high school stolen by the Covid-19 pandemic. He’d watched him be charged by police. That morning he watched his son dying, Mario said. “I fly out of the kitchen, and my son’s on the bed violently convulsing, foaming at the mouth,” Mario lamented. “He went grey, his lips were blue, he was dying.” Mario called 911 and Kristian was taken to hospital. Kristian had never had a seizure before, Mario said. “I just couldn’t believe where we were going, and why we’re going there, after what happened only weeks prior,” Mario recalled. Kristian was diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation — a tangle of blood vessels that can cause bleeding in the brain, stroke or brain damage. Kristian spent a week in the hospital after the seizure. Mario wonders whether the stress his son was under triggered the health scare. Kristian doesn’t believe that was the main trigger for his seizure, but “I think it played a huge part.” He made a full recovery and attended Fanshawe College in the fall of 2022, trying to put the weight of the charges against him to the back of his mind. “When I was in school, I started off well, and then as time went on the stress was just putting weight on my shoulders that I couldn’t do any more,” he said. “I had to drop out.” Mario knew he needed big legal muscle to help his son. “Basically, what you have to have is a war fund,” Mario said. “You can’t just make a race to the bank and you’ll get a loan – you got to have money, liquid money.” The Spinas sold a rental property they owned, which was part of their retirement fund. They hired Michelle Biddulph from the Toronto law firm Greenspan Humphrey Weinstein. Kristian’s defence team enlisted digital forensic examiner Jason Conley, who was working then for Envista Forensics, to examine how it was possible for another person to access Kristian’s Snapchat account, and how the images could wind up on the rose gold iPhone without his knowledge. Conley’s report broke down how that could happen. His probe also uncovered apparent evidence of Kristian’s innocence and raised questions about the police investigation. Highlights of what Conley found: Vulnerability at home Conley found that the Spina household’s Internet Protocol (IP) address for its router, its email address and social media accounts had been compromised and were available to cyber criminals months before Snapchat flagged Kristian’s account for child pornography. The thumbnails The thumbnails created by Snapchat were discovered deep in a restricted area on the iPhone, where only an expert with investigative software would find them. The thumbnails were automatically synched to Kristian’s device from the mystery device responsible for uploading the illegal video to Kristian’s account. Content synchronization Conley tested a hypothesis – that a Snapchat account syncs on all devices where it is located, essentially enabling a hacker to send child pornography from one device with the account to another device with the same account. He set up two identical versions of a Snapchat account on a Samsung Android phone and an iPhone. After logging in to the same Snapchat account on both devices, it became apparent to him that Snapchat automatically synchronized all of his “snaps” (messages) and the media content within them. Because Kristian had not clicked on and seen the video containing child pornography on the rose gold iPhone, the thumbnails created on that phone were not erased, Conley told The Free Press. Any other digital forensic examiner could have replicated the process and made the same conclusion, he said. Without Snapchat confirmation, it’s not 100 per cent possible to know if that’s how the thumbnails ended up on Kristian’s phone, Conley said. Still, there’s an overwhelmingly strong possibility the synchronization led to the images on the rose gold iPhone, he said. Conley also went through Kristian’s search history and concluded there were no searches or content related to child pornography, which are commonly present when someone is deliberately searching for such illicit images or videos. ”(The police) looked at all the devices from the home, including Kristian’s current phone, and found nothing,” Conley said. “That’s a huge red flag.” Conley said he was also concerned by what appeared to be police reluctance to investigate a notification from Snapchat indicating Kristian’s account had been accessed from an IP address in Hamilton in July. At the time, Kristian was in Woodstock, his father said. “Whilst he may have been in physical possession of this device, there is evidence that suggests that Mr. Spina was the victim of credential theft and he was not exclusively in control of his Snapchat account,” Conley wrote. “A second user of this account could easily have sent or received this video without Mr. Spina’s knowledge, and the video could have been synchronized to Mr. Spina’s phone as a result,” he added. The report gave the family some comfort “Here’s a true professional, a true digital forensic examiner who completely showed us that this thing is completely full of holes,” Mario said. But the report seemed to have no impact when provided to the police, Conley said. “My terrible gut feeling in the situation is they just didn’t care, they just ran with it and they just refused to backpedal,” he said. It’s not clear whether the police investigated the findings in Conley’s report. Asked that in an email correspondence with The Free Press, Woodstock police Chief Rod Wilkinson didn’t answer the question. However, in his email exchanges with The Free Press, the chief said the force has the tools and training for such investigations. Two weeks before an October 2022 pre-trial hearing, Conley’s report was submitted to the Crown, Mario said. Conley said he believes the report wasn’t examined seriously by law enforcement or the Crown, and that it should have had a greater bearing on the case. “The worst part was (police) read my report and proceeded anyway,” Conley said. “That was the biggest indicator that something’s very, very, very off.” By Jan. 26, 2023, the first day of the trial, the Crown had dropped the child pornography distribution charge, but Kristian still faced two other child porn charges. At age 20, he was staring at a potential jail sentence, a minimum of six months to one year, and a lifelong sex offender status attached to his name. “Obviously, I was a little nervous my first time going into a courtroom (because) if anything goes bad, then I’m gone, basically,” Kristian said about the first day of the trial. Both Haegens, the lead detective, and Gower, the special constable, testified on the first day. Gower became the subject of a voir dire hearing, held to help a judge determine legal issues such as the admissibility of evidence, or whether witnesses are qualified to give expert testimony. Justice M. Edward Graham presented his voir dire analysis to both the Crown and defence by document. The Free Press obtained a copy of the analysis from Mario, who acquired it from Kristian’s defence lawyer. Although Gower had “extensive expertise in extracting data from devices,” he “does not have sufficient training or expertise to further analyze and interpret that data,” Graham wrote. Gower acknowledged he didn’t have training on Snapchat or other social media applications, Graham wrote. It wasn’t just Gower’s inexperience with Snapchat that was of concern to the judge, but also his lack of expertise with the device on which the thumbnails were found. “He also does not have any formal training on the Apple iOS operating system,” Graham wrote. “In my view he is not qualified to provide opinion evidence even in a general sense of the strengths and weaknesses of that system.” Graham concluded that Gower has a “solid foundation to build upon,” but would need to take more courses in “this rapidly evolving area” to provide expert testimony. The charges were dismissed. “(My parents) never gave up. I never gave up. As a family we pushed together and we succeeded,” Kristian said. “Knowing that he can start his life again, because it had been put on hold for such a long time — it was a huge relief,” Andrea said. Two months after the charges were dismissed, Kristian had successful brain surgery to repair the arteriovenous malformation. With the court case in the past, Kristian has returned to Fanshawe, studying to become an electrician. “I feel like I’m back to my myself,” the now 22-year-old said. His son has been made whole but the system remains broken, Mario said. “I’m not saying the police officer on the street isn’t doing their job,” he said, but “I don’t have faith in (the system).” “My job as a responsible father, as a responsible citizen . . . is to make sure this doesn’t happen to anybody else who is innocent.” Mario hired a private security and investigations firm, Investigative Solutions Network Inc., to examine the Woodstock police investigation of his son. The investigation was conducted by Bill McGarry, the company’s director of cyber operations and a former Toronto police officer with extensive experience in its child exploitation unit. McGarry’s report concluded that Woodstock police appeared to take “a very basic approach to the investigation, accepting all information as valid without conducting an inquiry into the information received.” ⦁ Police should have used a forensic examiner familiar with investigating devices for offences related to child pornography, who would have made various queries such as checking search engine history related to child pornography, his report said. ⦁ The files located on Kristian’s rose gold iPhone were “deep within the Snapchat application database that are inaccessible to the phone user,” McGarry wrote. “The files would only be accessible ‘via expensive software’ used by a person that requires extensive training and experience to use.” ⦁ McGarry called “the reliance of an unqualified digital forensic examiner” with inadequate training “to investigate iOS devices nor social media applications such as Snapchat” one of the “biggest missteps taken” by Woodstock police. ⦁ Police failed to search for a potential alibi, such as the correspondence between Snapchat and Kristian indicating the account had been compromised. “Reasonable and probable grounds” to support a charge of possession would have “evaporated and ceased to exist” had investigators examined further factors such as the Spinas’ compromised IP address. The Free Press asked Wilkinson whether Woodstock police had contacted outside forces, such as the OPP or another source experienced with iOS devices and social media applications, to help investigate. Wilkinson didn’t indicate whether or not that had been done. The chief said his force “continually” develops officers’ skills and qualifications to adapt to “rapidly changing technology involved in such complex investigations.” The Free Press also asked Wilkinson in its email correspondence whether the investigating officers had looked into whether Kristian’s account had been hacked as an explanation for child pornography uploaded to his Snapchat account. He confirmed that was investigated, but did not say whether police had contacted Snapchat. A digital forensic examination had revealed “a device contained materials that met the Criminal Code definition of child pornography” and gave police “reasonable and probable grounds to proceed to lay charges,” the chief wrote in an earlier email. Mario filed an official complaint to LECA, the provincial police oversight agency, in April 2023. Mario’s complaint alleged police conducted a “negligent investigation, which caused the family stress, trauma, and financial loss,” according to the LECA report. The report concluded that a LECA investigator found insufficient evidence to support Mario’s concerns that “discreditable misconduct or neglect of duty” had occurred. Asked through email about Mario’s allegation the investigation against his son was negligent, Haegans replied, “I am unable to comment.” Gower did not respond to a similar email seeking comment about the allegation and declined to answer questions when contacted by phone. Wilkinson responded to that question by noting that LECA, the provincial oversight agency, had found Mario’s complaint “unsubstantiated.” Unsatisfied with the LECA response, Mario said he spoke to Ernie Hardeman, the Woodstock-area MPP, who recommended he go before Woodstock’s police service board that oversees the city police. Mario tried to appear before the board to present information “to prevent this from ever happening to another innocent person in our community.” But he balked at conditions the board wanted to place on his appearance. The board requires someone provide a written statement before appearing, and can’t allow discussions that might involve individual officers to be held in public, Ken Whiteford, chair of the police board, told The Free Press. “It’s in a closed room and nothing can be shared,” Mario said. “That doesn’t leave me a real good, comforting feeling.” Mario filed a complaint about the police board in April 2024 to an oversight office called the Inspectorate of Policing. The inspectorate replied in August it agreed with the police board decisions. Mario said he’s not after an apology from the police, but would like them to publicly note that all charges against Kristian were dismissed, something McGarry’s report noted was the “only way to clear his name.” “They are the ones who printed his name on grains of evidence that they didn’t understand, using a forensics expert who wasn’t qualified, who’d never done that before on a cell phone,” Mario said. “They published my son’s name (in the first place), they could publish my son’s name now saying he has nothing to do with this.” The issue isn’t dead for Mario. “I’m not the kind of guy that just goes away that easy,” he said. “Hopefully, this story is going to have some type of an impact to allow this to be heard . . .”

8 New Year’s Resolutions Meteorologists Hope You Make

NEW YORK (AP) — If you're planning on ringing in the new year quietly at home, you're not alone. A majority of U.S adults intend to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research . “As I’ve gotten older over the last few years, it’s like if I don’t make it to midnight, it’s not a big deal, you know?” says Carla Woods, 70, from Vinton, Iowa. Nearly 2 in 10 will be celebrating at a friend or family member’s home, and just 5% plan to go out to celebrate at a bar, restaurant or organized event, the poll found. But many U.S. adults will celebrate the new year in a different way — by making a resolution. More than half say they'll make at least one resolution for 2025. There's some optimism about the year ahead, although more than half aren't expecting a positive change. About 4 in 10 say 2025 will be a better year for them personally. About one-third don’t expect much of a difference between 2024 and 2025, and about one-quarter think 2025 will be a worse year than 2024. Relaxed New Year's Eve plans for many Kourtney Kershaw, a 32-year-old bartender in Chicago, often fields questions from customers and friends about upcoming events for New Year's Eve. She said this year is trending toward low-key. “A majority of who I’ve spoken to in my age range, they want to go out, but they don’t know what they’re going to do because they haven’t found anything or things are just really expensive,” she said. “Party packages or an entry fee are like a turnoff, especially with the climate of the world and how much things cost.” As expected, younger people are more interested in ringing in the new year at a bar or organized event — about 1 in 10 U.S. adults under 30 say they plan to do that. But about 3 in 10 older adults — 60 and above — say they won’t celebrate the beginning of 2025 at all. Anthony Tremblay, 35, from Pittsburgh, doesn't usually go out to toast the arrival of the new year, but this year he's got something special cooked up: He and his wife will be traveling through Ireland. “I don’t do anything too crazy for New Year’s, usually. So this is definitely a change,” he said. “I wanted to do something unique this year, so I did.” Woods will be working New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. She answers calls on The Iowa Warmline, a confidential, noncrisis listening line for people struggling with mental health or substance use issues. “Holidays are really hard for people, so I don’t mind working,” she said. “I’m passionate about it because I have mental health issues in the family and so being able to help people is rewarding to me.” Younger Americans are more likely to make a resolution Every New Year's also triggers the eternal debate about resolutions. A majority of U.S. adults say they intend to make a New Year’s resolution of some type, but millennials and Gen Z are especially likely to be on board — about two-thirds expect to do so, compared to about half of older adults. Women are also more likely than men to say they will set a goal for 2025. Tremblay hopes to lose some weight and focus more on self-care — more sleep, meditation and breathing exercises. “It’s probably a good year to focus on mental health,” he said. Many others agree. About 3 in 10 adults choose resolutions involving exercise or eating healthier. About one-quarter said they'll make a resolution involving losing weight and a similar number said they'll resolve to make changes about priorities of money or mental health. Woods' resolutions are to stay social and active. As a mental health counselor, she knows those are key to a happy 2025 and beyond: “Probably one of my biggest resolutions is trying to make sure I stay social, try to get out at least once a week — get out and either have coffee or do something with a friend. That’s not only for the physical but also for the mental health part.” Kershaw, the bartender, says weight loss and better health are the top resolutions she hears people make. “Mental health is the new one, but I think it’s high up there as well as with regular health,” she said. She prefers more goal-oriented resolutions and, this time, it's to do more traveling and see more of the world: “I don’t know if that’s really a resolution, but that’s a goal that I’m setting.” And how will she welcome the arrival of 2025? Usually, she takes the night off and stays home watching movies with plenty of snacks, but this year Kershaw has a different plan, maybe one of the most Chicago things you can do. This die-hard sports fan will be at Wrigley Field on Tuesday watching the Chicago Blackhawks take on the St. Louis Blues. “Hockey’s my favorite sport. So I will be watching hockey and bringing in the new year,” she said. ___ The AP-NORC poll of 1,251 adults was conducted Dec. 5-9, 2024, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points. ___ Sanders reported from Washington. Mark Kennedy And Linley Sanders, The Associated Press