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777 hash picked up right at the start of the school year when it returned with season three, similar to how season one began. But this year, the girls are now sophomores. Over the summer, Leighton (Reneé Rapp) and Alicia ( ) traveled across Europe with Leighton’s dad, Kimberly ( ) worked, Whitney ( ) was in Washington D.C., with her senator mother (played by Sherri Shepherd), and Bela ( ) and Leighton visited Whitney and even had dinner with Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff. When season three picks up, Kimberly and Whitney are still at odds, not having spoken all summer because Kimberly lied to Whitney about kissing her ex, Canaan (Christopher Meyer), at the end of last year. And Bela’s efforts to transfer out of Essex College after hitting rock bottom are thwarted when a counselor, played by Rose Abdoo, tells her that her 1.8 GPA is too low to transfer to any school. So, she decides to turn over a new leaf: No more comedy or leading with her sexuality. Elsewhere, the first episode also set up from the show to pursue a career in music full-time. Alicia tells her girlfriend that she’s leaving college for a job working for the newly elected mayor of Boston. Leighton, being Leighton, assumes this means their relationship is over, but Alicia tells her she loves her and has no desire to break up with her. So, they agree to take things one day at a time. When the incredibly advanced math class Leighton signs up for doesn’t have enough people taking it and gets canceled, the professor suggests that she take a long bus ride to a local grad school and take classes there. But, after one day of commuting, Leighton tells the professor that she will never do that again. So, he offers to speak to a friend at MIT, who may be able to accommodate a transfer, which makes way for Leighton and Alicia to ride off into the Boston sunset together. “Really, the only thing that could happen was that she would transfer to a different school,” co-showrunner Justin Noble tells of Rapp’s impending departure. “But as we started talking about it, [co-showrunner] Mindy [Kaling] and I were chatting, we’re like, ‘This is Leighton Murray we’re talking about. The only thing Leighton Murray does is win.’ There’s no world where she would leave other than to take a massive step towards what would be her best, most powerful life moving forward.” Below, Noble teases what’s to come over the next nine episodes, talks about the introduction of two new characters who become a part of the core group and how much longer he sees the show running. *** This season is so interesting, because sophomore year is a really unique time in the college experience. You come into school as a first-year, and you don’t know anything at all, and you’re shell-shocked. Three months ago, you had to call your parents to pick you up at the mall because you got a Wetzel’s Pretzels with your friend and you needed a ride home. And now you’re like, “I’m a full-blown adult,” and life smacks you in the face. Then, sophomore year, you have the same thing happen but in a different way because it’s like, “Oh, I know everything about college. I’ve been here for a full year. Oh, you’re a first-year. You need to know how this works.” Meanwhile, based on when your birthday is, you are like six months older than these people. It’s fun to see our girls start to interact with the class underneath them. It’s fun to see the world getting bigger. That’s what happens in college, in my experience, and in the writers’ experiences that we talked about so much. Your first year, you hang on to the people in your life so close, because you’re in it together, and you’re like, “This is my close circle of friends.” And then as you get more comfortable, you’re joining clubs, and you’re meeting more people; your world just gets bigger and bigger. I think we start to see that a little bit in the first episode. But obviously, we have a lot to accomplish between season two cliffhangers and switching up the cast a little bit. So we’re just starting to meet some people who we’ll interact with more. The thing about trios is that Bela has told us that is asymmetrical, and it’s not gonna work. So I don’t know. I feel like we won’t be in a trio for long. No, it’s just so not the DNA of the show. We’re not really interested in doing girl-on-girl warfare. I think that if we had done that, the audience would be like, “What’s happening? Like, why?” We want to be a show that people enjoy watching. We’re not . We’re not trying to produce anxiety-driving episodes of TV. At the same time, I want to make sure that we aren’t making falsehoods about perfect lives and people who never have any conflict whatsoever. I think it’s important to show that moment in friendships that happens regardless of gender, where it’s like, “Oh, there’s a little bit of messiness between someone liking someone, especially when everyone’s in close quarters.” But we wanted to quickly get by it and wrap things up and have our group back together. We have 10 short episodes to tell in a season. I don’t want multiple of them to have a fractured group. I think they would have been able to if Kimberly hadn’t lied. The lie is the thing. That felt true to the Kimberly character, to all of us, that she would lie about it. That was very intentional that we did it that way, because she’s so terrified to let people that she loves down. She tried to cover up her tracks as she figured out where she’s at with Canaan. Little did she know, Whitney witnessed the thing that she was not being truthful about. But, that being said, to answer your question more directly, Whitney and Canaan were done. Lila [Ilia Isorelýs Paulino] has a very fun run on that in the premiere. I think if Kimberly had just been honest and said she had a crush on Canaan and sort of done the girl code thing of being like, “I’m gonna gut check with you and ask how you feel about this,” I think Whitney Chase would have been like, “Yeah, sure, I’m good.” Even if she was harboring some feelings that were unresolved for him or anything, I think she still would have said it because you can’t just claim people forever. Some people absolutely do, but you have to see where your friends land on it. That’s part of being in a friendship, seeing what’s going to bum them out. It’s interesting. The show is called . It’s a lot about their relationships with their significant others, but the show is a love story about the friendships, and so anything that bumps on the friendship stories is gonna have to go away. The friendship stories are what’s front and center. So Kimberly couldn’t have stayed with Canaan if it was gonna bum Whitney out — and we chose a way to do it that would have — so they couldn’t be together. Also, there’s something interesting to me about crushing on someone and then being like, “It’s not quite right.” I made out with my best friend in college, who was a woman, and we look back on it, and we’re like, “What were we both going through? What was happening where we, in a million years, thought that that would have been right?” Then, it just has led to such funny moments the rest of our lives. She officiated my wedding to my husband. I fainted at her wedding. I was her bridesman, and I fainted, and everyone was like, “Oh my God, he’s still in love with her.” And I was like, “No, I just stayed up making a gift for her.” But I think it is true that sometimes you don’t quite know what those feelings are, and you’re like, “I think I like them, like them.” And then you’re like, “Oh no, I don’t. I don’t.” I think that she, over 20 episodes, had chosen a bunch of pretty selfish behaviors. We’re trying to tell a story about ambition, where a lot of people, especially in entertainment — and Bela pursues that — are so driven and ambitious, and they know how much of a rat race it is and how hard it is, and sometimes you end up stepping on people on your way up. Bela started doing that in college because she’s so pop-culture obsessed that she knows that’s what it is and that’s what it takes to survive. Meanwhile, she did not need to start that as a first-year student at a comedy magazine, and so I think she just had to learn that lesson, that that’s not the best way to collaborate with people. And I like that she has a bit of a redemption arc, and we’ll see where it leads. I think it might lead to some good character development for her. I love her season that’s coming ahead. But I mean, she brought herself to rock bottom for sure. Poor Eric. Look what she did to Eric [Mekki Leeper]. She had to sleep with John Reynolds! I linger in the blue sky stage of what a season of TV can be for a bit. I’m not one of those showrunners who’s like, “I want to talk about it for five days, and then we’re going to dig in on what episode one is in detail.” We spend a bit in the writers room talking about the full season arc and putting up fence posts literally surrounding all four walls with different girls and what the start of their season is, the middle of their season, the late middle of their season, where we think they might end, and then we start to overlap them. So that it’s not like, “OK, well, if Kimberly’s learning this important lesson in the middle, maybe that’s not when Bela should be learning this thing, because it’ll feel too similar.” So we really plan it all out, and then Mindy sits in the room with us, and I pitch it all out, and she has very smart reactions to it all. And we go from there and switch things up. But we really take our time at those early stages. So to start with , [who] we get a taste for [in the premiere], Taylor is absolutely going to be a complicated thorn in Bela’s side for a good bulk of the season. It’s just so fun and delicious for me because Bela is like the thirstiest character in television history. No one is more dehydrated than Bela Malhotra, and the idea that she would briefly have status and be like, “I’m an upperclassman over all you first years.” And then there’s this girl who’s like, “No, I refuse to give you my status,” and Bela having to suffer and be like, “But I do have status?” and then the girl being like, “Sorry, I’m just not going to give it to you.” It’s just a fun, interesting dynamic for them to have comedically. Taylor will have a lot of vulnerability that we’ll learn a little bit more about very soon, and we’ll get a sense of what her dating life looks like and her past. And she’s just performed so well and funny, and she’s an interesting flavor to the show that we haven’t had before. She’s very British dry, which I just love, too. I love British comedy, so it’s fun to have an actual funny British girl on the show. Gracie, who we’ll meet in episode three, is so incredible this season. When we started talking about new characters that would be the same year as our girls — because Gracie’s character will be the same year, she’s a transfer student — the writers and I had like 800 ideas for what that character might end up being. Gracie’s character started as a card that said “girly girl,” because that’s not a flavor that we’ve had on the show before, and it prompted a super interesting convo with the writers, where they were like, “Would Kimberly be friends with a girly girl?” And then we’re like, “Would Whitney be friends with a girly girl?” Then we’d be like, “But it’s not bad. It’s not a bad thing to be a girly girl. It’s just a different thing than we had on the show.” So she kind of feels like a lot of people that we, in the writers room, knew in college, or our friends, or frankly, some of the writers were in college. But she’ll be around our girls quite a bit. She’ll have a lot of interesting events in her romantic world, and we’ll see Gracie Lawrence — who is an incredible, stunning singer in real life — have a little bit of a musical theater, girly journey. We honestly didn’t. We kind of landed on this pretty quickly. I mean, when you start to think about ways that college students leave, you’re pretty limited. It’s not like Reneé’s character was gonna go on a hike, and then Kimberly’s like, “You mean the rocky, dangerous hike near the cliff?” And then, she falls off or something. Really, the only thing that could happen was that she would transfer to a different school. But as we started talking about it, Mindy and I were chatting, we’re like, “This is Leighton Murray we’re talking about. The only thing Leighton Murray does is win.” So there’s no world where she would leave other than to take a massive step towards what would be her best, most powerful life moving forward. The interesting thing is I very rarely think about the ending zone for the girls. I think about the chapters we’re in. I don’t really think beyond the season too much. Then, as we knew we were writing toward an ending for Leighton, I started to just see what the rest of her life would look like. It’s almost like I was allowed to think it because I had shut off that valve because I knew more was to come. But once I knew it was the end, it kind of felt like an appropriate tee-up to a future where Leighton just wins because we want the best for our girlies. We don’t want them to make too many mistakes. We want funny mistakes. We want Bela to have a horrific, ill-advised dating story. But we want them to land in good zones for their lives. So, yeah, we kind of thought that she would just pursue her own best life. The other side of it is the Alicia side, which I am just team Leilicia and always will be. I cringe whenever anyone’s like “Tatum!” [Gracie Dzienny], and I’m like, “No! Why are you shipping pretty blonde girl with pretty blonde girl? It was a joke that she was attracted to herself.” I think we just did too good of a job in terms of shipping Tatum, but Alicia was fundamentally important in the life of Leighton. She changed her as a person through the women’s center, and I like to think of them together. It looks busier, frankly. It’s really interesting to say that about someone leaving, especially someone who was fundamentals of the first 22 episodes of the show. But we have more mouths to feed than ever. I’ve said before in press, but the sweetest criticisms we ever got in season two were people being like, “Longer episodes!” Then, as we introduced these new characters, frankly, I was like, “How are we going to produce episodes that have this many stories in them and serve as all these people?” Ilia is incredible, and we want to spend more time with Lila and Canaan and Willow [Renika Williams] and all these people. So, the scripts are longer. There’s more to do. We have five main girlies moving forward. So, it grows. The show grows and gets fuller and faster. It’s already so fast, but that’s just what the show is. I think that their loss is something that we really talked a lot about. It actually is fundamental in how we approached Leighton transferring, too. My first year of college, one of my best friends called over the summer and was like, “I’m not coming back.” And I remember being like, “What do you mean? You’re my social circle. What do you mean you’re not coming back?” I like that in the wake of her absence, these other girls need to figure out what that means for them, so as they have maybe a new roommate thrown their way, they’ll have to learn whether or not to embrace someone right out of the gate. But our girls are always a welcoming crowd, and we’ll see how it goes with all these new people in their lives. This is a 34-season television show. We have it all figured out. Thirty-three is, like, a real toughie. We’re still working out what happens in season 33, and then it wraps up in season 34. ( ) The only thing I’ll say is I think that this show is about college. I think that I don’t see a world where we would warp them out of college. I think college is such an interesting, fundamental time that we hadn’t seen much of on TV before. That’s the reason why we tried to pursue it creatively. It’s also why we’ve slowed it down and why two seasons got us through one year. There’s a lot of lessons to learn in college. Our show takes place in college, and we’ll see them through. *** Sex Lives of College Girls THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day More from The Hollywood Reporter

US authorities on Tuesday charged the man suspected of gunning down a health insurance CEO in New York earlier this month with murder, including a charge of second-degree murder "as an act of terrorism." Mangione, 26, is accused of shooting UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street on December 4, triggering a nationwide manhunt that ended last week when he was spotted at a Pennsylvania McDonald's. The former data engineer remains jailed in that state as he fights efforts to extradite him to New York to face charges there over the killing, which brought into focus widespread public anger against the US health care system. Mangione "is charged with one count of murder in the first degree and two counts of murder in the second degree, including one count of murder in the second degree as an act of terrorism," said Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg. Bragg said the terrorism charge was included because the shooting met the prerequisites for such a determination under New York law. "In its most basic terms, this was a killing that was intended to evoke terror and we've seen that reaction," he said. "This was not an ordinary killing." The maximum penalty for the murder charges Mangione faces is life in prison without parole, Bragg said. The suspect was also charged with several crimes related to his possession of a weapon, which authorities said was a 3D-printed "ghost gun." "We allege he... took out a nine-millimeter 3D-printed ghost gun equipped with a 3D-printed suppressor and shot (Thompson) once in the back and once in the leg," said Bragg. "These weapons are increasingly proliferating throughout New York City and the entire country. Evolving technology will only make this problem worse," he said. "Last year, over 80 ghost guns and ghost gun parts were recovered in Manhattan alone." In the wake of Thompson's killing, many social media users have lionized Mangione, with some even calling for further killings of other CEOs. Jessica Tisch, the New York City police commissioner, criticized members of the public who had praised the murder. "In the nearly two weeks since Mr Thompson's killing, we have seen a shocking and appalling celebration of cold-blooded murder," said Tisch. Mangione is due in Pennsylvania court on Thursday for a hearing on his extradition to New York. Police say a "life-changing, life-altering" back injury may have motivated Mangione, although they added that there was "no indication" that he was ever a client of UnitedHealthcare. When he was arrested, Mangione had a three-page handwritten text criticizing the US health care system. Police have said that Mangione's fingerprints matched those found near the crime scene, and that shell casings match the gun found on him when he was arrested. Bragg said that the suspect traveled to New York on November 24 with the intention of murdering Thompson. On December 4, he is alleged to have waited "for nearly an hour" outside the hotel where Thompson was shot early that morning. "This was a frightening, well planned, targeted murder that was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation," said district attorney Bragg. bur-aha/mdDigital identity wallets come online in nations working to 2026 EUDI wallet deadline

UVALDE, Texas — A Texas judge on Thursday refused to throw out criminal charges accusing the former Uvalde schools police chief of putting children at risk during a slow response to the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting. Pete Arredondo said he was improperly charged and that the shooter was responsible for putting the victims in danger in the school attack on May 24, 2022. Nineteen children and two teachers were killed. Arredondo also said he was scapegoated for the halting police response. Nearly 400 law enforcement agents rushed to the scene in rural South Texas but waited more than 70 minutes to confront and kill the gunman in a fourth-grade classroom. Judge Sid Harle handed down the ruling during a hearing in a Uvalde courtroom, and set a trial date for Oct. 20, 2025. Several victim family members attended the hearing but left without comment. Arredondo has pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of abandoning or endangering a child, each of which carried a punishment of up to two years in jail. He and former Uvalde schools officer Adrian Gonzales are the only officers who have been charged for their actions that day. Gonzales has not asked the judge to dismiss his charges but could at a later date. Gonzales and Arredondo attended the hearing in person. Nico LaHood, an attorney for Gonzales, said he will ask for the trial to be moved out of Uvalde County because he believes his client cannot receive a fair trial there. “Everybody knows everybody,” in Uvalde, LaHood said. The indictment against Arredondo alleges he did not follow his active shooter training and made critical decisions that slowed the police response while the gunman was “hunting” his victims. It alleges that instead of confronting the gunman immediately, Arredondo caused delays by telling officers to evacuate a hallway to wait for a SWAT team, evacuating students from other areas of the building first, and trying to negotiate with the shooter while victims inside the classroom were wounded and dying. Arredondo’s attorneys say the danger that day was not caused by him, but by the shooter. They argued Arredondo was blamed for trying to save the lives of the other children in the building, and have warned that prosecuting him would open many future law enforcement actions to similar charges. “Arredondo did nothing to put those children in the path of a gunman,” said Arredondo attorney Matthew Hefti. The massacre at Robb Elementary was one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history, and the law enforcement response has been widely condemned as a massive failure. Nearly 150 U.S. Border Patrol agents, 91 state police officers, as well and school and city police rushed to the campus. While terrified students and teachers called 911 from inside classrooms, dozens of officers stood in the hallway trying to figure out what to do. More than an hour later, a team of officers breached the classroom and killed the gunman. Within days of the shooting, the focus of the slow response turned on Arredondo, who was described by other responding agencies as the incident commander in charge. Multiple federal and state investigations have laid bare cascading problems in law enforcement training, communication, leadership and technology, and questioned whether officers prioritized their own lives over those of children and teachers. Several victims or their families have filed multiple state and federal lawsuits. ___ Associated Press reporter Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas, contributed.As suspected drone sightings over the eastern U.S. including New Jersey continue to captivate many, the federal government's authority to track and disable unmanned aircraft deemed threatening is set to expire after Friday and a temporary spending bill before Congress that would extend that power is now in question. Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday temporarily banned drone flights in 22 areas of New Jersey where critical infrastructure is located. FAA officials said the flight restrictions were requested by federal security agencies and are effective through Jan. 17. Federal and local authorities have been investigating sightings of suspected drones, but officials say there has been nothing so far to suggest that any drones have posed a national security or public safety threat. In fact, authorities say, many of the drone sightings have actually been legal drones, manned aircraft, helicopters and even stars. Tucked into the bipartisan plan to prevent a government shutdown is a provision that would extend the authority of the departments of Homeland Security and Justice to track and disable unmanned aircraft deemed a credible threat from Dec. 20 until March 14. That authority is vital, homeland security officials and experts say, to detect and disable any threatening drones flying near military bases, the president's location, U.S. borders, prisons and mass gatherings such as New Year's Eve celebrations and the Super Bowl — and they were hopeful a reauthorization of those powers will be approved before Friday's expiration. But the temporary spending bill including the reauthorization fell into question Wednesday when President-elect Donald Trump abruptly rejected it and told Republicans to essentially renegotiate only days before the deadline when federal funding runs out. Congress continued working Thursday to pass a bill to avert a shutdown. It wasn't immediately clear what a lapse in that authority would mean, including to drone detection systems the federal government has deployed to states, including New Jersey where numerous sightings have been reported, at the request of local officials. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy's office referred questions about the detection systems to Homeland Security officials. The Department of Homeland Security on Thursday declined to comment on the expiration of the drone authorities. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, along with other Biden administration officials and both Republicans and Democrats in Congress, has repeatedly called for the reauthorization and expansion of the authority for “counter-unmanned aerial systems” operations, or C-UAS. “Ensuring that existing authorities do not lapse is vital to our mission, including protecting the president and vice president, patrolling certain designated areas along the Southwest Border, securing certain federal facilities and assets, and safeguarding the public,” Mayorkas told the House Homeland Security Committee in November 2023. “Any lapse in DHS’s current C-UAS authority would entail serious risks for our homeland security, as DHS would have to cease or curtail existing C-UAS operations." Bills in the House and Senate that would extend and expand the federal government's drone powers remain pending. The bills also would allow state and local officials for the first time to track and disable threatening drones under a pilot program overseen by federal authorities. On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer , a New York Democrat, was blocked from quickly advancing the Senate bill when Sen. Rand Paul , a Kentucky Republican, objected to its passage. Paul said it wasn’t clear there is a threat from drones that warrants urgent action.Cousins Properties Announces Pricing of Senior Notes Offering

The UConn Huskies take on Iowa State on Tuesday night, looking to bounce back after a rare regular-season loss last week. The No. 2 Huskies lost at Notre Dame on Dec. 12, in what was their first regular-season loss since last season, back in February. They lost five total regular-season games last year, as well as the national championship game in April, to Iowa. Iowa State is also coming off a loss -- its third of the year. They’re ranked 18th in the country after falling to Iowa on Dec. 11. The Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase is scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on FS1. Fans looking to watch this men’s college basketball game can do so by using FuboTV , which offers $30 off your first month, or DirecTV Stream , which offers a free trial. SlingTV doesn’t offer a free trial but does have other promotional offers available. Who : No. 2 UConn Huskies vs. No. 18 Iowa State Cyclones When : 8:30 PM ET, December 17, 2024 Where : Mohegan Sun Arena Stream : FuboTV ; Sling ; DirecTV Stream What is FuboTV? FuboTV is an internet television service that offers more than 200 channels across sports and entertainment including Paramount+ with SHOWTIME . From the UEFA Champions League to the WNBA to international tournaments ranging across sports, there’s plenty of options available on FuboTV, which offers $30 off the first month for new customers. What is DirecTV Stream? DirecTV Stream offers practically everything DirecTV provides, except for a remote and a streaming device to connect to your television. Sign up now and get three free months of premium channels including MAX , Paramount+ with SHOWTIME and Starz. What is SlingTV? SlingTV offers a variety of live programing ranging from news and sports and starting as low as $20 a month for your first month. Subscribers also get a month of DVR Plus free if they sign up now. Choose from a variety of sports packages without long-term contracts and with easy cancelation. More College Football RELATED CONTENT: No. 2 UConn Huskies face the No. 18 Iowa State Cyclones By The Associated Press Iowa State Cyclones (9-3) vs. UConn Huskies (9-1, 1-0 Big East) Uncasville, Connecticut; Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: No. 2 UConn squares off against No. 18 Iowa State in Uncasville, Connecticut. The Huskies have an 8-1 record in non-conference play. UConn is 8-1 against opponents with a winning record. The Cyclones have a 9-3 record in non-conference games. Iowa State scores 76.7 points while outscoring opponents by 16.5 points per game. UConn makes 51.0% of its shots from the field this season, which is 15.5 percentage points higher than Iowa State has allowed to its opponents (35.5%). Iowa State scores 24.8 more points per game (76.7) than UConn allows (51.9). TOP PERFORMERS: Paige Bueckers is scoring 20.0 points per game with 4.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Huskies. Mackenzie Hare averages 1.7 made 3-pointers per game for the Cyclones, scoring 8.3 points while shooting 28.3% from beyond the arc. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. The Associated Press contributed to this article

Sir Keir Starmer has been warned by a trade union not to impose “blunt headcount targets” for the size of the Civil Service but Government sources insisted there would be no set limit, although the number “cannot keep growing”. Departments have been ordered to find 5% “efficiency savings” as part of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ spending review, potentially putting jobs at risk. The size of the Civil Service has increased from a low of around 384,000 in mid-2016, and the Tories went into the general election promising to reduce numbers by 70,000 to fund extra defence spending. Any reduction under Labour would be more modest, with the Guardian reporting more than 10,000 jobs could be lost. A Government spokesman said: “Under our plan for change, we are making sure every part of government is delivering on working people’s priorities — delivering growth, putting more money in people’s pockets, getting the NHS back on its feet, rebuilding Britain and securing our borders in a decade of national renewal. “We are committed to making the Civil Service more efficient and effective, with bold measures to improve skills and harness new technologies.” Mike Clancy, general secretary of the Prospect trade union said: “We need a clear plan for the future of the civil service that goes beyond the blunt headcount targets that have failed in the past. “This plan needs to be developed in partnership with civil servants and their unions, and we look forward to deeper engagement with the government in the coming months.” A Government source said: “The number of civil servants cannot keep growing. “But we will not set an arbitrary cap. “The last government tried that and ended up spending loads on more expensive consultants.” The Government is already risking a confrontation with unions over proposals to limit pay rises for more than a million public servants to 2.8%, a figure only just over the projected 2.6% rate of inflation next year. Unions representing teachers, doctors and nurses have condemned the proposals. In the face of the union backlash, Downing Street said the public sector must improve productivity to justify real-terms pay increases. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “It’s vital that pay awards are fair for both taxpayers and workers.” Asked whether higher pay settlements to staff would mean departmental cuts elsewhere, the spokesman said: “Real-terms pay increases must be matched by productivity gains and departments will only be able to fund pay awards above inflation over the medium-term if they become more productive and workforces become more productive.” TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “It’s hard to see how you address the crisis in our services without meaningful pay rises. “And it’s hard to see how services cut to the bone by 14 years of Tory government will find significant cash savings. “The Government must now engage unions and the millions of public sector workers we represent in a serious conversation about public service reform and delivery.”Bryan Johnson, Dave Asprey, Dr Michael Ashenden United With Olympians and Anti-Doping Experts to Forge the Future of Human EnhancementNone

Longtime Melania Trump aide Haley Harrison has been promoted to be her chief of staff, the former first lady’s office announced on X Friday. “Mrs. Harrison has maintained an integral role and exceptional leadership on the First Lady’s team over the past seven years,” read the statement. “She has a strong understanding of White House operations, and as Chief of Staff, Mrs. Harrison will oversee and manage the East Wing’s team while strategically liaising with other parts of government.” Harrison was named in President-elect Donald Trump ’s indictment for mishandling of classified documents case, reported ABC News in 2023. Named as Trump Aide 1 in the case, Harrison texted another Trump aide about moving the classified documents out of the business center at Mar-a-Lago to make more room for staff to work. “There is still a little room in the shower where his other stuff is,” Harrison allegedly wrote to another staffer. Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is prosecuting Trump on the classified documents case, is expected to wind down the investigation before Trump takes office. Melania’s former chief of staff, Stephanie Grisham, spoke at the Democratic National Convention in July and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president. Former Rep. Mike Rogers is no longer under consideration to lead the FBI, a senior Donald Trump adviser said Friday. “Just spoke to President Trump regarding Mike Rogers going to the FBI. It’s not happening—In his own words, ‘I have never even given it a thought.’ Not happening," Dan Scavino, who will serve as deputy chief of staff in the incoming administration, posted on X . Sources told Fox News that Rogers, who lost his Senate race in Michigan earlier this month, visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago to discuss leading the law enforcement agency. During his first administration, Trump appointed Christopher Wray for the 10-year term but has repeatedly criticized him since then and said on the campaign trail that he wants to fire Wray. Rogers, who once served as an FBI officer and was on the House Intelligence Committee for four years, was also floated for the job in 2016. Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. The pursuit of youth has long plagued our world. Many modern-day consumers go to great lengths to reduce the ravages of aging—Botox, plastic surgery, weird vampire facials, you name it. And while some products do show promise of slowing down aging, nothing can reverse time. However, effective products like the FDA-cleared (and derm-approved) Omnilux Contour Face can help reduce wear and tear. When I first saw the Omnilux Contour Face , it terrified me. 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While $395 may seem like a lot for an at-home face mask, once I did the math, I realized I spend much more on facials, creams, and dermatologist visits over time, I figured splurging on this light therapy mask could potentially save me some money in my beauty-maintenance fund, and it’s much cheaper than injectables like Botox and filler and other in-office procedures. Fortunately, right now, you don’t have to pay full price. Omnilux is offering a sitewide sale ahead of Black Friday next week. Score $60 off on one device with the code SAVE60, $140 off two devices with the code SAVE140 and $240 off when you buy three devices. Read my full review of Omnilux’s Contour device. Click Here > A civil jury found former UFC Champion Conor McGregor liable in a sexual assault case on Friday, ordering him to pay $257,000. According to the woman who brought the case against McGregor, the former fighter “brutally raped and battered” her in December 2018, leading to post-traumatic stress disorder and severe bruising. She also alleged in her testimony that McGregor put her in a chokehold several times during the encounter and threatened to kill her. The jury, which included eight women and four men, deliberated for around six hours in the High Court in Dublin, Ireland, before ultimately siding with her, reported Associated Press . Outside of the courthouse, the visibly shaken woman said she would now be able to move on with her life. In his testimony, McGregor alleged that the woman’s claims came after they had consensual sex. McGregor later took to X and said he’d be appealing the verdict. “The judge’s instruction and the modest award given was for assault, not for aggravated or exemplary damages,” McGregor said. “I am disappointed that the jury did not hear all the evidence that the DPP reviewed.” I will be appealing today's decision. The judge's instruction and the modest award given was for assault, not for aggravated or exemplary damages. I am disappointed that the jury did not hear all the evidence that the DPP reviewed. I am with my family now, focused on my future.... Theater kids have been singing during screenings of Wicked , and AMC isn’t having it. With the movie adaptation of the hit Broadway musical—starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande—set to appear in theaters across the U.S. on Friday, the movie theater chain is planning to air a 30-second ad ahead of screenings that implores attendees not to belt out the show’s immensely catchy numbers, Vulture reported . And yes, that even includes “Popular.” Some attendees of early screenings for the flick told The New York Times they were put off by their fellow audience members’ blatant disregard for movie theater norms. “It started slow. Then people heard each other—it was like they encouraged each other,” attendee Angela Weir told the Times . “It was a beautiful scene, and then you’re taken out of it.” But those with the irresistible inclination to join Grande, Erivo, and the rest of the cast need not fret too much. About 1,000 North American cinemas will host special sing-along showings of Wicked beginning after Christmas, Variety reported earlier this week. A quality wig should make you feel confident. That means it has to look good, feel good, and stay put all day. After a decade, Luvme Hair has refined its products to hit each of those marks. They believe comfort is key when you want to own your look. 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Reviews commented on the color with one stating, “My natural hair color is salt and pepper so [I get] a lot of compliments on the wig [from people] believing it is my hair.” Free Returns | Free Shipping If you buy something from this post, we may earn a small commission. While Baby Boomers say a person has to earn around $100,000 a year to be “financially successful,” members of Generation Z say they would need to make almost six times that figure—$587,800—to fit the label, Axios reported based on a September survey by Empower. Gen Z is truly in a league of its own—Generation X put the figure at $212,300, while for Millennials it was a bit lower, at $180,900. Across all generations, the average was $270,200. Despite their lofty ideal of financial success, 71 percent of Gen Z still said they thought they would achieve financial success in their lifetime, which was more than any other generational group. Boomers, who reportedly control over half of all American wealth, could actually end up helping Gen Z achieve their goal. Over the next few decades, as much as $50 trillion could flow from the older generation to younger ones in the form of inheritances—although experts also warn that it could also end up being spent on health-care costs for the aging Boomers. Morning Joe star Mika Brzezinski announced Friday she’s leaving Twitter, encouraging her followers to listen to her appearance on The Daily Beast Podcast as she headed for the exit. “I’ve decided to leave X, but I’d love to keep the conversation going. Join me on BlueSky !” the MSNBC host wrote in her presumably final post on Elon Musk ’s platform. Brzezinski’s penultimate post promoted her Daily Beast Podcast episode, in which she spoke about why she visited Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago after his election victory. The personal visit, which Brzezinski made with her husband and co-host Joe Scarborough, set off a furious backlash —and an exodus of viewers —over what some saw as a capitulation to the president-elect after years of denouncing him. “We heard from many of you wanting to let us know that it was the right thing to do, our jobs,” Brzezinski said as she introduced the footage Friday. “We’ve also faced a lot of criticism about the meeting, largely from folks online.” On the podcast, Brzezinski told co-hosts Joanna Coles and Samantha Bee that one of the reasons she and Scarborough went to Mar-a-Lago is that “people are really scared about Donald Trump’s comments about political adversaries.” She added that while she doesn’t “regret anything” she said during the campaign, she is nevertheless “looking at how to do things differently.” “I would never turn down an opportunity to gain insight or information,” Brzezinski added. “Never.” Watch the full podcast interview below. New episodes of The Daily Beast Podcast drop every Thursday. Like and download on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , YouTube , or your favorite podcast app. And click here for email updates as each episode debuts. Donald Trump will not be sentenced on his 34 fraud convictions anytime soon, a New York judge ruled Friday. With his court order, Judge Juan Merchan indefinitely postponed the hearing that was scheduled to take place next week, allowing Trump’s legal team time to submit their motions for dismissal of the hush money case by December 2. After that, the District Attorney’s office will have a week to deliver its response. On Tuesday, prosecutors signaled that they were fine to give Trump’s attorneys more time to get their argument together, but would oppose any attempts to toss the case. Still, given that Trump is about to assume ultimate pardon power, it now seems unlikely that any consequences will follow from the May conviction. “Just as a sitting President is completely immune from any criminal process,” Todd Blanche, a Trump lawyer poised to join his client’s Justice Department, argued to Merchan in a letter, per NBC , “so too is President Trump as President-elect.” Ariana Grande ’s boyfriend Ethan Slater says his girlfriend and her co-star Cynthia Erivo are “soul mates,” explaining why they cry so much on Wicked ’s press tour. Slater, who also appears in the film and began dating Grande during filming, told Today , “Their friendship is really real and really deep and really informed by the work that they did together.” That deep friendship results in lots of tears during interviews, which social media users have been hard at work turning into memes . “They’re both like, after a full day of junkets, ‘Well, we cried 100 times again. Everyone must be getting so annoyed,’” Slater said he hears from Grande and Erivo, “but I think it comes from a really genuine place.” Slater further explained that the movie stars are often moved to tears promoting the film because “they’re getting to talk about and getting to reflect on [their work and the resulting friendship] while they’re still in the midst of it.” Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. Made In Cookware is known for quality kitchen tools that look as good as they perform. Its sleek, chef-approved kitchen essentials are for people who know that the plates matter as much as the food. That makes its full sets a great option for anyone looking for a little uniformity in their cabinets. To sweeten the deal, Made In is not only offering up to 30 percent off, but shoppers can also score freebies like Dutch ovens, frying pans, and wine glasses with select purchases. 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Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), a MAGA darling and three letter initialism-haver, is poised to lead a new House Oversight Committee Subcommittee that will work with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy ’s ‘DOGE’ commission to “eliminate government waste.” Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), a progressive darling and fellow three letter initialism-haver, is fine with that. “This is good, actually,” AOC tweeted Thursday. “She barely shows up and doesn’t do the reading.” She then likened giving MTG the job to “giving someone an unplugged controller.” Earlier this month, President-elect Donald Trump anointed MAGA entrepreneurs Musk and Ramaswamy as the co-leaders of his planned Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is not a government department but a commission that will table recommendations for how to take a chainsaw to U.S. Federal spending—Musk has mused about up to $2 trillion in cuts. “Absolutely dying at those two now getting assigned the ‘privilege’ of ‘working’ with MTG,” added AOC. “That is actually hilarious. Enjoy, fellas!” This is good, actually. She barely shows up and doesn’t do the reading. To borrow a phrase I saw elsewhere, it’s like giving someone an unplugged controller. https://t.co/cgu6B4IAYV If Matt Gaetz ’s stamp of approval still holds any weight on Capitol Hill after his scandal-ridden attorney general nomination went up in flames Thursday, then president-elect Donald Trump’s new pick for the role, former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi , is headed in the right direction. Bondi “is a stellar selection,” Gaetz wrote in a post on X Thursday. “Pam and I worked closely together when she was Florida’s Attorney General and I chaired Criminal Justice in the state house. She’s a proven litigator, an inspiring leader and a champion for all Americans. She will bring the needed reforms to DOJ.” Bondi has been just as candid a Trump supporter as Gaetz, having spoken at his rallies and attended sessions of of New York criminal trial. She was also a defense lawyer during Trump’s first impeachment trial. Like Gaetz and other cabinet nominees Pete Hegseth and Sean Duffy, Bondi has also appeared frequently on Fox News to defend Trump’s record. . @PamBondi is a stellar selection by President Trump for Attorney General. Pam and I worked closely together when she was Florida’s Attorney General and I chaired Criminal Justice in the state house. She’s a proven litigator, an inspiring leader and a champion for all... https://t.co/K86sK7WkPf4DDiG Christmas Sale 2024: Enjoy Up to 80% Off on Top Software Products

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(Photo by Kampus Production via Pexels) By Stephen Beech Employees are suffering "techno-strain" as a result of digital systems making it difficult to switch off from work, warns a new study. Staff are experiencing mental and physical issues due to being "hyperconnected" through digital technology, according to the findings. Researchers from the University of Nottingham’s Schools of Psychology and Medicine conducted detailed interviews with employees from a variety of professions. They found that the cognitive and affective effort associated with constant connectivity and high work pace driven by the digital workplace is detrimental to employee well-being. The study is the final part of a research project exploring the "dark side effects" of digital working which include stress, overload, anxiety and fear of missing out. The results, published in the journal Frontiers in Organisational Psychology , highlight an "overarching" theme of "digital workplace technology intensity" as a result of digital workplace job demands. The research team says their findings indicate a "sense of burden" associated with working digitally which surfaced for most participants in perceptions of overload and feelings of being "overwhelmed" by the proliferation of messages, apps and meetings in the digital workplace. They say "fear of missing out" - or FOMO- on important information and contact with colleagues also contributed to stress and strain for digital workers, as did hassles encountered when using digital technologies. (Photo by Tara Winstead via Pexels) Study leader Elizabeth Marsh said: “Digital workplaces benefit both organizations and employees, for example by enabling collaborative and flexible work. "However, what we have found in our research is that there is a potential dark side to digital working, where employees can feel fatigue and strain due to being overburdened by the demands and intensity of the digital work environment. "A sense of pressure to be constantly connected and keeping up with messages can make it hard to psychologically detach from work." More from this section Fourteen employees were interviewed in detail and asked about their perceptions and experiences of digital workplace job demands and impacts to their health. Comments from interviewees included: “[It’s] just more difficult to leave it behind when it's all online and you can kind of jump on and do work at any time of the day or night.” Another participant said: “You kind of feel like you have to be there all the time. You have to be a little green light,” while another commented: “It's that pressure to respond [...] I've received an e-mail, I've gotta do this quickly because if not, someone might think “What is she doing from home?” In their analysis, the researchers explored potential underlying psychological, technological and organizational factors that may influence ways in which employees experience digital workplace job demands. The findings showed that participants' dark side experiences were particularly shaped by a pervasive and constant state of connectivity in the digital workplace, termed "hyperconnectivity." Those experiences contributed to a sense of pressure to be available and the erosion of work-life boundaries, according to the research team. (Photo by Thirdman via Pexels) They said the evidence also indicates that "hyperconnectivity" has become the norm among workers post-pandemic. PhD student Marsh said: “The findings underline the need for both researchers and professionals to identify, understand and mitigate the digital workplace job demands to protect the well-being of digital workers.” The research also makes practical suggestions for employers including helping workers improve their digital skills and empowering them to manage boundaries in the digital workplace. The team says their findings could also be used by IT departments to consider how to improve the usability and accessibility of the digital workplace, as well as reining in the proliferation of applications. Dr. Alexa Spence, Professor of Psychology, said: “This research extends the Job Demands-Resources literature by clarifying digital workplace job demands including hyperconnectivity and overload." She added: "It also contributes a novel construct of digital workplace technology intensity which adds new insight on the causes of technostress in the digital workplace. "In doing so, it highlights the potential health impacts, both mental and physical, of digital work.”Thailand star Supachok Sarachat believes the team can cope with the pressure and expectations at the Asean Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024. "I think this team have some really good players. Many are new to the national team and they will want to show what they are capable of," said vice-captain Supachok, who plays for the J-League club Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo. "Without some of the senior players for the Asean championship, this team may lack experience and the players may sometimes rush things but I believe they can do a good job at the Asean level. "Every team wants to beat us [Thailand] because we are the No.1 team in Asean. We must not underestimate anyone and maintain our level throughout the tournament," he added. "We won the title last time so the fans will hope to see us do it again. For me personally I don't feel the extra pressure. Expectations from the fans are normal and I believe the players can handle them. They have enough experience at this level and the team should be fine." Supachok also confirmed he's recovered from an injury and, despite not being fully fit, will be ready if he's called upon for the match against Malaysia on Saturday. "I'm trying to regain my fitness after coming back from an injury. I still need some time to get back to 100% but if I have a chance to play, I will do my best to help the team win against Malaysia," said Supachok. Thailand will play their second Group A match against Malaysia tomorrow at Rajamangala National Stadium. The match will kick off at 8pm and will be broadcast live on Thai Rath TV (32), AIS Play and BG Sports Channel on YouTube. Tickets for the game can be purchased at 11 Thai Ticket Major outlets and online at www.thaiticketmajor.com.

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(BPT) - This article was sponsored and developed by Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting movement and posture that begins in early childhood development. It is the most common cause of motor disability in children, affecting about one in 345 children in the United States. 1-2 It may happen as a result of lack of oxygen during or around birth, stroke, infection, a problem with metabolism or other problems that cause injury or affect the development of parts of the brain involved in movement control in the first few years of life. 3 CP is a permanent condition, affecting a person for their entire life. People living with CP typically have motor problems, which may include spasticity (abnormal muscle tightness), dyskinesia (uncontrolled movements) or ataxia (poor muscle control), and many people have a mix of these motor disorders. 4 Dyskinesia due to CP (DCP) is one of the most disabling forms of CP and impacts approximately 10% to 20% of people living with CP. 5-6 According to the Cerebral Palsy Foundation (CPF), the combination of irregular and unpredictable movements (chorea) and twisting and repeating movements (dystonia) often disrupt activities and cause significant functional impairment, including the ability to maintain balance, walk or fine motor control. 7 Heather Riordan, M.D., Neurologist and Movement Disorders Specialist, Director of the Phelps Center for Cerebral Palsy at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, discusses the symptoms of chorea and impact on patients in a video shared on the CPF website here . About 30% of people with DCP are affected mostly by these involuntary and irregular movements (chorea), while dystonia is the predominant motor finding in the remaining 70%. 8 However, it is common for both chorea and dystonia movements to be present together. 6 For people living with DCP, these movements can occur in any region of the body, including the arms and legs, torso and face and may vary in severity. They are often triggered or made worse by stimulation or stress. Because dyskinesia can occur at rest and/or when actively using the body, the problems with movement are very burdensome in day-to-day living, with discomfort and pain affecting the quality of life for people and their caregivers. 9 Jen Lyman, mom to a son with DCP, highlights how dyskinesia makes communicating more difficult. "The most difficult thing about dyskinesia is watching my son struggle to do things that he wants to do, but the extra movements get in the way...special things, such as using a touch screen to video chat with his grandmother, are nearly impossible despite his best efforts to use his hands and fingers. Something so simple, yet so special for him should be effortless." DCP has a wide-ranging impact on the individual, including lifelong challenges with movement, a higher risk of other medical issues, a higher rate of mental health challenges and difficulties with communication. 10-12 "Those of us who have the privilege to serve patients with dyskinetic, hyperkinetic or mixed cerebral palsy see the functional impact of this very challenging type of tone every day," said Susan Biffl, M.D., Rehabilitation Medicine Specialist at Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego and Assistant Professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine. "Patients face challenges with self-care, independence, mobility, communication, fine motor skills that affect occupational and recreational activities, swallowing, social interactions and even sleep. As this tone is variable, it is much more challenging to treat than more consistent tone issues, such as spasticity." Treatment Options There are currently no Food and Drug Administration-approved treatments for DCP. Dystonia and chorea are often managed separately as they respond differently to various treatments, which can make treatment challenging. 3 Most drugs being investigated for DCP have focused on dystonia, and more research is needed to determine potential treatments for chorea. New treatment options are needed to help manage these movement disorders and improve daily function and quality of life for those affected. "After 20 years of caring for individuals with cerebral palsy, I continue to find those with dyskinetic cerebral palsy among the most challenging to treat, largely due to the limited effectiveness of available pharmacologic options," said Joyce Oleszek, M.D., Professor, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado School of Medicine. "There is an urgent need for more robust evidence to support pharmacologic treatments for this condition, given its profound impact on function, comfort and quality of life." Ongoing Research Clinical studies are important in the development of treatment options, allowing researchers to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of new medicines. The data from clinical studies are used to determine if an investigational treatment can be approved for use to treat certain disorders. There are ongoing clinical studies evaluating potential treatments for DCP, including one for chorea. Neurocrine Biosciences is conducting the KINECT ® -DCP clinical study, a Phase 3, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study investigating the study drug, valbenazine, for the treatment of DCP. The clinical study is currently enrolling children, adolescents and adults six to 70 years of age who have been diagnosed with DCP. "The Cerebral Palsy Foundation is excited to partner with Neurocrine Biosciences on this study," said Rachel Byrne, Executive Director of the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. "We are proud to support strong research that can potentially bring meaningful change to the lives of those living with cerebral palsy." If you or someone you know may be eligible for this research study, please visit the study website for additional information here: FindADCPStudy.com . REFERENCES © 2024 Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. All Rights Reserved. CAP-NBI-US-0115 12/2024 NBI-98854-DCP3018_11DecMatRelease_v1.0_25November2024

Cardinals' Kyler Murray faces Patriots for 1st time since his ACL injury against them 2 years agoBOSSCAT Recognized for Excellence, Innovation and Growth with Prestigious 2024 Contractor/Rehab Company of the Year Award at the Third Annual IMN SFR Industry Awards Event in Scottsdale, AZ on December 2, 2024 . CHARLESTON, S.C. , Dec. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BOSSCAT TM Home Services and Technologies, a leading provider of home technology, improvement and repair solutions, announced today that it has been awarded the prestigious IMN 2024 Contractor/Rehab Company of the Year Award at the third annual Industry Award Ceremony. The award recognizes the company's commitment to customer-centered innovation, excellence in service delivery, cost effectiveness and focus on client satisfaction. "This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire BOSSCAT team," said Dan Vercek , Senior Vice President of Field Operations. "We are honored to be recognized by IMN for our commitment to delivering superior home services, and this recognition inspires us to continue raising the bar for excellence in the industry." The event, held on December 2, 2024 in Scottsdale, AZ , brought together leading companies and professionals from across the industry to celebrate achievements in service, innovation, and growth. BOSSCAT stood out among a competitive field of nominees for its exceptional growth in the past year, driven by strategic partnerships, innovative technologies, and a commitment to championing both customers and skilled tradesmen and women. About Information Management Network (IMN) Founded in 1994, IMN is the premier real estate conference business in the United States , providing a high-quality intelligence and networking platform that drives industry connections, deal flow and knowledge transfer across multiple corporate functions and property types. IMN's series of SFR conferences have been considered the de facto gatherings for the industry since their inception 12 years ago, featuring a "Who's Who" of SFR & BTR owner/operators, ranging from large institutional groups to smaller players, property managers, "fix & flippers", lenders, and service providers/vendors. Over 1,600 SFR professionals attend the must-attend event for the industry's calendar, where attendees will establish connections, generate business and learn from SFR pioneers driving this space forward. Learn more at sfrwest.com About BOSSCAT Home Services and Technologies BOSSCAT Home Services and Technologies is the leading real estate platform reshaping homeownership by digitizing home inspection data for instant estimates and online ordering of repair, renovation, and maintenance services. Proprietary technology and exclusive access to proprietary data power the platform to deliver lifecycle services at scale through innovative products, process automation, and direct integration with industry partners. BOSSCAT's Instant Estimate technology is available in all 50 states and Canada. The company is a licensed and insured general contractor in all operational markets with a commitment to advancing the skilled trades. BOSSCAT has been recognized by Inc. 500 and Inc. 5000 as one of the fastest growing, privately held repair and renovation companies in the country for three consecutive years. Learn more at BosscatHome.com . MEDIA INQUIRIES: Mark Kearns Chief Financial Officer Mark@BosscatHome.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bosscat-home-services-and-technologies-wins-imn-2024-contractor-of-the-year-award-at-third-annual-industry-award-ceremony-302334312.html SOURCE BOSSCAT

In the wake of his November victory, President-elect Donald Trump has already had a fairly messy rollout of his Cabinet nominees. His first choice for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, withdrew from consideration, and some of his other picks have their own personal scandals or controversies to overcome in the Senate confirmation process. Yet despite some less than optimal headlines, the Republican-controlled Senate will likely confirm nearly all of Trump's Cabinet nominees and picks for other key positions. Republicans hold a 53-to-47 majority in the next Senate, so if the GOP remains relatively unified, most of Trump's nominees will get across the finish line. And with senators from the two parties now farther apart ideologically than they've ever been in modern times, almost all GOP senators will back Trump's choices — and most Democrats will probably oppose them. None of this precludes further developments that could lead another nominee to withdraw due to controversy or scandal, or that one nominee could go down to defeat on the Senate floor — something that hasn't happened since 1989. But considering Trump's especially dominant sway within his party as well as those broader trends, it's easy to see how the Senate could confirm even some of his most controversial picks. Nominees face more opposition, but senators stick with their parties Cabinet confirmation votes used to be a formality; throughout most of the 20th century, presidents' Cabinet nominees were typically confirmed unanimously or near-unanimously. But over the past 30 years, the amount of opposition to presidents' nominees to Cabinet posts and certain positions that have been or are currently considered Cabinet-level* has distinctly increased. President Joe Biden's nominees had the second-highest number of total votes against them across all confirmation votes in the Senate during his nearly four years in office. This puts him second only to Trump during the president-elect's first term, when many of his nominees encountered substantial opposition. Of course, Trump's turnover-prone first administration had a record number of nominees for Cabinet and Cabinet-level posts, so he also had more opportunities for the Senate to cast votes against his choices. Still, we can see an upward trend beyond Trump, too. The 25 Senate roll call votes for Biden's nominees was similar to the 23 that former President Barack Obama had during his second term and the 22 that former President George H.W. Bush had during his four years in office. But Biden's Cabinet-level selections produced 634 "no" votes, whereas Obama's generated 420, and Bush's sparked fewer than 100. Fact is, confirmation votes have grown more partisan and more contentious over time. We can see this if we break down the average number of "no" votes cast against each president's nominees by whether they came from their own party's senators or from the opposing party. Perhaps unsurprisingly, votes against nominees are up thanks almost entirely due to growing opposition from the party not in the White House. Inversely, senators from the president's party hardly ever vote against Cabinet-level nominees. With 53 senators in the next Congress, Republicans can afford up to three defections and still win votes via Vice President-elect JD Vance's tiebreaking vote. But in recent times, Cabinet-level nominees have faced an average of less than one vote in opposition from senators of the president's party. Biden's nominees averaged about 25 "no" votes during his one term, but practically all of those came from Republicans. Similarly, Trump's first term saw an average of about 29 "no" votes per nominee, yet almost all came from Democrats. It is true that more controversial nominees who might inspire more intraparty opposition don't necessarily make it to the floor, as the withdrawal of nominees has become more common. Still, we have to go back to the 1970s to find any presidential term in which senators from the president's party averaged more than one vote against a nominee. In light of this trend, it's unsurprising that Democrats moved to eliminate the filibuster for Cabinet selections in 2013, at the start of Obama's second term, to make it easier for him to get his nominees. Back then, Democrats held a majority in the Senate but had far fewer than the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster by invoking cloture , which then allows the Senate to move to an up-or-down vote on a nominee. Tellingly, about one-in-six of Obama's picks who faced a roll call vote during his second term received fewer than 60 votes on the Senate floor, while the same was true for about one-fourth of Biden's nominees. The removal of the filibuster limitation certainly aided Trump during his first term, too, and likely will again this time around. Back then, nearly half of Trump's nominees fell short of 60 votes while still winning confirmation. An increasingly partisan Senate and nomination process Before the 1970s, presidents rarely got pushback from the Senate on their Cabinet picks. Senators mostly deferred to the president's prerogative, with the view that presidents should have the advisers and administration officials they wanted unless those choices were especially scandalous or unqualified. Consequently, the Senate OK'd most of the president's picks without even taking a recorded vote, simply confirming them by voice vote on the Senate floor — a sign that the selections faced no or extremely limited opposition. During the presidencies of Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, just four of 74 total nominees faced a roll call vote. Outside of denying former Atomic Energy Commission Chair Lewis Strauss the post of commerce secretary in 1959 — which you might be familiar with if you saw the film "Oppenheimer" — the Senate nearly always acquiesced to the president's choices. Fast forward to today, however, and virtually all Cabinet-level nominees now must contend with a recorded vote in the Senate. A combination of growing executive power and rising political polarization helped bring about this shift. Over the course of the 20th century, the power of the president and the executive branch grew at the expense of Congress , as what became known as the "imperial presidency" rose to hold greater agenda-setting and policy-making prerogatives. In the early 1970s, Congress attempted to rein in the presidency by passing legislation to limit the president's latitude for unilateral military action and compel the president to provide greater transparency regarding executive budgetary practices. At the same time, the Senate also began to more aggressively scrutinize and demonstrate opposition to Cabinet-level appointments. To wit, across former President Richard Nixon's roughly one and a half terms in office, one-third of his nominees (15 of 45) faced a roll call vote, a major change from his immediate predecessors. Around the same time, the two major political parties began to become more ideologically coherent and started to move apart from each other , a process that has continued to this day . Conservatives moved more clearly into the Republican camp, while liberals shifted into the Democrats' corner, changes that brought with them more distinct policy differences and greater disdain for the opposition . This produced a growing divide between the ideological stances of Democratic and Republican senators, as shown by Voteview.com's DW-NOMINATE measure , which uses senators' voting records to place them on a continuum from -1 (most liberal) to 1 (most conservative). The gap between the average senator from each party has increased as Democrats have shifted to the left and, especially, Republicans have swung to the right . In this environment, nominations for Cabinet-level posts take longer and face more opposition than they once did. Consider how much longer it takes the Senate to finish confirming most of the high-profile secretariats for the 15 executive departments in a newly elected president's Cabinet. Through former President Ronald Reagan's first term, most newly elected presidents had their department heads confirmed within just a couple of weeks of taking office — i.e., by early February. But since then, each incoming president other than George W. Bush has taken until March at the earliest to fill out these top posts; Obama and Trump even took until late April. And this happened even though every elected president from Reagan to Biden (except the elder Bush) entered the White House with his party at least narrowly controlling the Senate. Trump's special flavor of party loyalty Now, this historical data doesn't mean that the next Senate absolutely will behave the same way. The controversial nature of some of Trump's choices, such as nominating vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, could brook enough opposition even within the GOP to stall out some picks. However, this is where there could be an especially impactful interaction between the increasingly polarized nomination process and Trump's particularly strong hold on the Republican Party. Pricing in increased pushback from the opposition party, members of the president's party now face greater pressure than ever to confirm nominees. Take the ongoing debate over former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, Trump's choice for secretary of defense. Hegseth faces allegations of sexual misconduct and alcohol abuse . These sorts of personal scandals have precipitated the failure or withdrawal of many past nominees. In fact, the last time the Senate outright rejected a Cabinet pick involved both similar issues and the same secretariat: In March 1989, former Sen. John Tower's nomination to become George H.W. Bush's defense secretary failed in the Democratic-controlled Senate, driven in part by allegations of alcoholism and womanizing. Yet enough Republican senators may back Hegseth for him to join the Cabinet. The delicate position of GOP Sen. Joni Ernst exemplifies how . Ernst, who sits on the Armed Services Committee that will handle Hegseth's nomination, is the first female combat veteran in the Senate, and she also disclosed in 2019 that she'd been sexually assaulted in the past. Earlier this month, she expressed skepticism toward Hegseth's nomination, telling Fox News that she hadn't yet decided to back him. But Ernst is also up for reelection in red-leaning Iowa in 2026. Following a whirlwind of criticism from Trump and his allies , along with threats of a possible primary challenge, Ernst expressed a more favorable view of Hegseth's nomination. Trump's Cabinet-level nominees will face substantial opposition in the Senate, especially compared with past presidencies. However, there's ample reason to think that, when push comes to shove, most Republicans will vote for his picks for most offices — if not just about all of them. With 53 seats in the next Senate, the GOP is well positioned to do Trump's bidding. Otherwise, incumbent senators may have to risk their political careers to oppose some of Trump's selections. Footnotes *This analysis includes all floor votes for the leadership posts of the 15 current Cabinet departments (attorney general and the secretaries of agriculture, commerce, defense, education, energy, health and human services, homeland security, housing and urban development, interior, labor, state, transportation, treasury and veterans affairs), nine other positions that are currently considered "Cabinet-level" (CIA director, chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, director of national intelligence, director of the Office of Management and Budget, director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, administrator of the Small Business Administration, ambassador to the United Nations and U.S. trade representative) and six positions that had Cabinet status at one time (administrator of the General Services Administration, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, director of the Office of Personnel Management, postmaster general and secretary of health, education and welfare).Couple charged in ring suspected of stealing $1 million in Lululemon clothes

Will Canada’s primary stock market outperform in 2025? According to the 13th annual forecast of strategists, the TSX will do better than its U.S. counterparts next year. “We think Canada offers value and cyclicality and increase in stock picking, especially relative to the U.S.,” said Brian Belski, BMO’s chief investment strategist. But what should Canadian investors pick in preparation and include in their shopping lists this month? Belski is bullish about . He thinks they can do very well over the next decade. As of this writing, the technology sector is the top performer among 11 primary sectors thus far in 2024. Only the communications services sector is losing. is up 11.41% year to date, although two stocks in the Oil & Gas, Equipment & Services industry stand out. If you have $1,000 to invest right now, ( ) and ( ) are no-brainer options. You can even take positions in both, as the companies have different areas of expertise. CES Energy Solutions provides molecular-level chemical solutions to clients in Canada and the United States. The $2.16 billion company generates free cash flow (FCF) from a low-capital intensity, vertically integrated consumables business model. At $9.49 per share, current investors enjoy a 179.13% year-to-date gain on top of a modest 1.27% dividend yield (quarterly payout). The financial performance in the third quarter (Q3) of 2024 shows in the stock’s performance. Also, CEU is a 2024 TSX30 winner. It ranked fourth in the flagship program for Canada’s top growth stocks. In Q3 2024, revenue increased 13% year over year to record $606.5 million versus Q3 2023. Net income climbed 21% to $46.6 million from a year ago. Both core markets, Canada ($203.9 million) and the U.S. ($402.6 million), set new quarterly revenue records. Management expects increased service intensity and enhanced drilling activities because of global demand requirements and demand trends of developing countries. CEU Energy maintains a positive outlook despite economic uncertainty and global conflicts. Strong energy industry fundamentals will continue supporting critical oil and natural gas drilling and production activity. Enerflex provides vertically integrated and comprehensive energy infrastructure solutions to customers in North America, Latin America, and the Eastern Hemisphere. If you invest today, the share price is $13.61 (+124.87% year to date), while the divided offer is 1.33%. This $1.67 billion energy services company engages in gas treatment, processing, compression, refrigeration, and electric power. The infrastructure segment offers build-own-operate-maintain solutions, water treatment solutions, and integrated turnkey. In Q3 2024, revenue increased 3.6% to $601 million compared to Q3 2023, a new record for Enerflex. Operating income and net earnings rose 137.5% and 650% year over year to $57 million and $30 million, respectively. The $1.3 billion engineered services backlog indicates visible revenue growth. Preet Dhindsa, Enerflex’s senior vice president and chief financial officer, said the near-term plan is to deploy selective growth capital to customer-supported opportunities in the U.S. and Middle East that can generate attractive returns and deliver shareholder value. CEU Energy Solutions and Enerflex have strong, unstoppable upward momentum heading into 2025. Canadians with limited investment budgets or who have $1,000 to spare can earn two ways: price appreciation and dividends.