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ag rich9 When youngsters migrateA judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women’s volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. Monday’s ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player, who has played all season, to continue competing in the Mountain West Conference women’s championship scheduled for later this week in Las Vegas. The ruling comes after a lawsuit was filed by nine current players who are suing the Mountain West Conference to challenge the league’s policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans women’s volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity. School officials also have declined an interview request with the player. Judge Crews referred to the athlete as an “alleged transgender” player in his ruling and noted that no defendant disputed that San Jose State rosters a transgender woman volleyball player. He said the players who filed the complaint could have sought relief much earlier, noting that the individual universities had acknowledged that not playing their games against San Jose State this season would result in a forfeit in league standings. He also said injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo. The conference policy regarding forfeiting for refusing to play against a team with a transgender player had been in effect since 2022 and the San Jose State player has been on the roster since 2022 – making that the status quo. The player competed at the college level three previous seasons, including two for San Jose State, drawing little attention. This season’s awareness of her identity led to an uproar among some players, pundits, parents and politicians in a political campaign year. The tournament starts Wednesday and continues Friday and Saturday. San Jose State is seeded second. The judge's order maintains the seedings and pairings for the tournament. Several teams refused to play against San Jose State during the season, earning losses in the official standings. Boise State and Wyoming each had two forfeits while Utah State and Nevada both had one. Southern Utah, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, was first to cancel against San Jose State this year. Nevada’s players stated they “refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes,” without providing further details. Crews served as a magistrate judge in Colorado’s U.S. District Court for more than five years before President Joe Biden appointed him to serve as a federal judge in January of this year. Gruver reported from Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Hanson from Helena, Montana.

It’s Good News for Retirees – Social Security Chief Takes Major Step to Save Benefits

Give Lou Carnesecca an assist. Sophomore guard Simeon Wilcher, the highest-rated recruit to pick St. John’s since Rysheed Jordan in 2013, said a meeting with the legendary late coach helped convince him to be a Johnnie. Last spring, when Wilcher was visiting St. John’s, he met Carnesecca. The Hall of Fame coach sat down with Wilcher and his family and spoke about his St. John’s experience. “That had a crazy impact,” Wilcher said after St. John’s topped Kansas State, 88-71 , in its first game since Carnesecca’s passing last Saturday. Wilcher, a Plainfield, N.J. native who starred at local powerhouse Roselle Catholic, was adamant that Carnesecca played a role in his decision. “Just to try to be a part of something,” said Wilcher, who had 11 points and four rebounds in the win. “His legacy is going to live forever here, and to just be a part of that is something I wanted to do.” Wilcher’s father, Sergio, grew up a St. John’s fan, attending games when Carnesecca was still the coach. His favorite player as a kid was Walter Berry and one of Wilcher’s older brothers is named after the late Malik Sealy. It was a thrill for the entire family to meet Carnesecca. “He didn’t lose anything one bit. He was still the slickest guy I ever met,” Wilcher said. “He was talking to me about games in the ’50s and ’60s, when he started coaching, and he was telling me about players he recruited. It was crazy to have that moment with him and be there with him. “It was an honor to be able to meet him before he passed away.” Deivon Smith returned after he was suspended for the win over Harvard a week ago. The senior guard made a difference, notching five points, nine rebounds and three assists in 22 minutes off the bench. Smith was benched in the second half of a loss to Georgia in The Bahamas and reacted poorly. Coach Rick Pitino has said he wanted the team to decide when Smith would return to the court. “I told him, ‘Look, I’ve got the shortest memory in the world. Everybody makes mistakes,’” Pitino said. “‘It’s what you do after you make mistakes that counts.’ I said, ‘You’re a big part of this team, you’re going to help us win.’ You learn valuable lessons from making mistakes. I wanted the team to decide, not me, and I wanted them to talk to him because it’s their locker room.”Man arrested after woman stabbed multiple times on highwayJudge rejects request to sideline a San Jose State volleyball player on grounds she’s transgender

Key posts 4.11am ‘LOL WUT’: Musk, Rogan weigh in on ABC chair’s speech 3.52am Parliament set to pass social media ban for under 16s 3.43am Trump transition says cabinet picks were targeted by bomb threats, swatting attacks 3.31am What’s making headlines Hide key posts Posts area Latest 1 of 1 Latest posts Latest posts 4.11am ‘LOL WUT’: Musk, Rogan weigh in on ABC chair’s speech By Josefine Ganko The world’s biggest podcaster Joe Rogan and the world’s richest man Elon Musk have responded to a National Press Club address given by ABC chair Kim Williams. Speaking in Canberra yesterday, Williams was asked about Joe Rogan’s influence on the US election, and if the ABC should be trying to capture the “bro market”. Williams opened by saying he was not well placed to answer the question because he is “not a consumer or enthusiast of Mr Rogan and his work”. The ABC boss then launched an attack on the popular podcaster: I think that people like Mr Rogan prey on people’s vulnerabilities. They prey on fear. They prey on anxiety. They prey on all of the elements that contribute to uncertainty in society, and they entrepreneur fantasy outcomes and conspiracy outcomes as being a normal part of social narrative. I personally find it deeply repulsive, and to think that someone has such remarkable power in the United States is something that I look at in disbelief. I’m also absolutely in dismay that this can be a source of public entertainment, when it’s really treating the public as plunder for entrepreneurs that are really quite malevolent.” The clip of the attack was shared to X by an account called @wideawake_media, where it caught the attention of Rogan himself. Rogan shared the clip with the caption “LOL WUT”. Musk then weighed in, adding his own message to Rogan’s post. Musk wrote, “From the head of Australian government-funded media, their Pravda”. Pravda was the official newspaper of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. 3.52am Parliament set to pass social media ban for under 16s Children younger than 16 are all but set to be banned from social media, with federal parliament poised to enact the world-first legislation. The Senate is expected on Thursday to pass the laws that would ban young people from platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok with bipartisan support. However, there has been concern that the proposal has been rushed through parliament without proper scrutiny, given that Australia would be the first country to implement such a ban. Loading The ban would come into effect one year after the laws pass the parliament, with trials of age-verification technology still being carried out by the federal government. Criticism had been levelled at the ban after an inquiry into the laws ran for just three hours, with people only given one day to hand in submissions and a lack of consultation with young people themselves. While the bill has enjoyed bipartisan support, several coalition members have broken ranks to raise concerns. Tasmanian Liberal MP Bridget Archer crossed the floor to vote against the ban in the House of Representatives, while coalition senator Matt Canavan has also criticised the laws. AAP 3.43am Trump transition says cabinet picks were targeted by bomb threats, swatting attacks A number of President-elect Donald Trump ’s most prominent Cabinet picks and appointees have been targeted by bomb threats and “swatting attacks,” Trump’s transition team said Wednesday. The FBI said it was investigating. “Last night and this morning, several of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees and Administration appointees were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them,” Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. She said the attacks ranged from bomb threats to swatting, in which attackers initiate an emergency law enforcement response against a target victim under false pretences. The tactic has become a popular one in recent years. President-elect Donald Trump arrives to speak at a meeting of the House GOP conference, followed by Elise Stefanik. Credit: nna\advidler “In response, law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted. President Trump and the entire Transition team are grateful for their swift action,” Leavitt said. Among those targeted were Elise Stefanik, Trump’s pick to serve as the next ambassador to the United Nations, Matt Gaetz, Trump’s initial pick to serve as attorney general, and former New York congressman Lee Zeldin, who has been tapped to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. Susie Wiles, Trump’s incoming chief of staff, and Pam Bondi, the former Florida Attorney General whom Trump has chosen as Gaetz’s replacement, were also targeted, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity amid the ongoing investigation. Wiles and Bondi did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The FBI said in a statement that it was “aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees” and was “working with our law enforcement partners. We take all potential threats seriously, and as always, encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.” AP Advertisement 3.31am What’s making headlines By Josefine Ganko Good morning and welcome to the national news blog. My name is Josefine Ganko, and I’ll guide our coverage through the early afternoon. It’s Thursday, November 28. Here’s what’s making news this morning. Independent senator Lidia Thorpe was suspended from the chamber for a day for throwing papers at Senator Pauline Hanson in fury, after the latter was accused of spreading hatred by Senator Fatima Payman. Labor and the Coalition have joined forces to rush through changes to political donations in a deal that has outraged Senate crossbenchers. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has intervened to scupper a deal with the Greens over environmental reform that Labor promised at the last election. Overseas, a number of president-elect Donald Trump’s most prominent Cabinet picks and appointees have been targeted by bomb threats. Latest 1 of 1 Latest Most Viewed in National LoadingUS President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he was nominating staunch loyalist and retired general Keith Kellogg as his Ukraine envoy, charged with ending the two-and-a-half-year Russian invasion. Trump campaigned on a platform of ushering a swift end to the Ukraine war, boasting that he would quickly mediate a ceasefire deal between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. But his critics have warned that the incoming Republican will likely leverage US military aid to pressure Kyiv into an agreement that left it ceding occupied territory permanently or agreeing not to join NATO. "I am very pleased to nominate General Keith Kellogg to serve as Assistant to the President and Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia," Trump said in a statement on social media. "Keith has led a distinguished Military and Business career, including serving in highly sensitive National Security roles in my first Administration." A fixture on the cable news circuit, the 80-year-old national security veteran co-wrote an academic paper earlier this year calling for Washington to leverage military aid as a means of pushing for peace talks. Ukraine has received almost $60 billion from Washington for its armed forces since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, but with the more isolationist Trump taking over the White House, supporters fear the spigot will run dry. "The United States would continue to arm Ukraine and strengthen its defenses to ensure Russia will make no further advances and will not attack again after a cease-fire or peace agreement," Kellogg's research paper for the Trumpist America First Policy Institute think tank said. "Future American military aid, however, will require Ukraine to participate in peace talks with Russia." Kellogg served in several positions during Trump's first term, including as chief of staff on the White House national security council and national security advisor to then-vice president Mike Pence. Kellogg told Voice of America at the Republican convention in July that Ukraine's options were "quite clear." "If Ukraine doesn't want to negotiate, fine, but then accept the fact that you can have enormous losses in your cities and accept the fact that you will have your children killed, accept the fact that you don't have 130,000 dead, you will have 230,000–250,000," he said. Trump's announcement came as the outgoing administration of Democrat Joe Biden was hosting a news conference to urge Ukraine to enlist more recruits by reducing the minimum age of conscription to 18. Facing a much larger enemy with more advanced weapons and with stocks of volunteers dwindling, Ukraine is facing an "existential" recruitment crunch, a senior administration official told reporters. "The simple truth is that Ukraine is not currently mobilizing or training enough soldiers to replace their battlefield losses while keeping pace with Russia's growing military," said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. He was pressed on what Washington considers an appropriate minimum age and he replied that "we think there's real value in them considering lowering the recruiting age to 18" -- in line with the US benchmark. He added that an additional 160,000 troops would be "on the low end" to fill out Ukraine's ranks -- but "a good start." The former Soviet republic's population has fallen by more than a quarter since its mid-1990s peak of 52 million, and authorities are desperate to shield the younger generation -- but a US congressional report in June estimated the average Ukrainian soldier is 40. Zelensky signed a decree in April lowering the draft age from 27 to 25 but the move did not alleviate the chronic troop shortages, according to US officials. ft/bjt

Smart Helmets Market to Reach $2.3 Billion by 2031- Exclusive Report by Meticulous Research®Court Order Delays Microsoft's Plans to Allow Xbox Games to Be Purchased Directly in the Xbox App on AndroidCulture Management Group Reveals Lineup and Programming for Culture Beach Jam 2024 in AccraThere's no perfect time to release a video game, but if I were deciding when to release one, do you know when I'd do it? Alongside the largest blockbusters of the year, at a time when everyone is broke from buying presents, and on the same day as a huge awards show is distracting the industry's media. Ballionaire apparently shares my thinking. The pachinko-inspired roguelike is launching on December 10th. "Pachinko-inspired" might conjure certain images, and recent pachinko roguelike Peglin among them. Ballionaire takes a different tact, with no traditional goblin-based combat staredown at the top of the screen. Instead, players are charged with designing the pachinko bored itself, placing different kinds of pegs in advance of their ball's descent. Pegs include axes which cut you in half, so you continue tumbling in multiple directions, and teleporters, which shift you back to the top of the board. The aim is to collect as much cash as possible, with the gadgets helping to prolong and multiply your physicsy journey. There's then a roguelike wrapper around this bally good time: it's run-based, there are many different boards to encounter, there are between-board upgrades, and so on. There's also a sandbox mode if you just want some free balls, and best of all, mod support that allows folks to script their own pegs. Brendy loved the demo when he played it during Next Fest in October. That demo is no longer available, but I'm looking forward to giving the full game a go - whenever I manage to find the time.

Aston Villa 0-0 Juventus: Morgan Rogers controversially denied last-gasp winner in Champions League

A day after halting their "Delhi Chalo" foot march, Punjab farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Saturday said they have not received any message from the Centre for talks to address their issues. He also said that a group of 101 farmers will resume their march to Delhi on Sunday. On Friday, protesting farmers suspended their foot march to the national capital for the day after some of them suffered injuries due to teargas shells fired by security personnel, who stopped them at the Shambhu border. The farmers have been pressing for various demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP). The Haryana police has written to its Punjab counterpart asking it to ensure media personnel are stopped at a distance from the protest site for their safety as well as to ensure ease in maintaining law and order. Addressing the media at the Punjab-Haryana border on Saturday, Mr Pandher said 16 farmers suffered injuries and one of them lost hearing ability because of the teargas shelling by Haryana security personnel. Except for four injured farmers, the rest of them have been discharged from the hospital, he said, adding, "We have not received any message from the Centre for holding talks. The (Narendra) Modi government is in no mood to hold talks." He added that the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have already decided that a “jattha” of 101 farmers will again march towards the national capital on Sunday noon in a peaceful manner. On the action by security personnel against protesting farmers, Mr Pandher said the BJP government at the Centre has been "exposed". "What did they do yesterday? People are angry with this action. People are asking the BJP since the farmers were not taking tractor-trolleys along with them, then why they were not allowed to move ahead," he posed. Another farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal continued with his fast unto death at another border in the Khanauri area. Meanwhile, the Haryana police, in a communication to the Punjab police chief, said, "It is brought to your notice that on December 6, when the jattha of farmers approached towards the Haryana border, many mediapersons were also accompanying them despite the request made by this office not to allow media persons near the protest site." "Due to this, the Haryana police faced a lot of problems in handling the law-and-order situation at the border. Hence you are again requested to direct all concerned to ensure that mediapersons are stopped at a safe distance (minimum 1 km) in the interest of the safety of media persons as well as their requirements," the letter stated. As part of a call by the farmer unions, a jattha of 101 farmers began its march to Delhi on Friday from their protest site at the Shambhu border to press for their demands. The jattha was stopped by multi-layered barricading erected by Haryana security personnel. Undeterred by prohibitory orders, the farmers attempted to force their way through the barricades but were stopped by security personnel who lobbed multiple teargas shells to force them to return to their protest site at Shambhu, which falls in Punjab’s Patiala district.EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The New York Giants organization got exactly what it deserved in getting blown out by Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Giants were embarrassed in Sunday's 30-7 loss , taunted by Mayfield after a touchdown run just before halftime. And then they saw their fans walk out on them again when the Bucs extended their lead to 30-0 and sent New York (2-9) to its sixth straight loss. The losing streak is the longest for the Giants since 2019, when they dropped a franchise-record nine straight games to finish 4-12. That led to the firing of coach Pat Shurmur after two seasons. Third-year coach Brian Daboll is clearly in trouble, with the Giants guaranteed a second straight losing season. They were 6-11 in a 2023 season that featured a lot of injuries. Daboll, who denies he has lost the team, isn't the only one whose job is in jeopardy. General manager Joe Schoen is on the hot seat and so is this entire franchise, which is celebrating its 100th year. It's one thing to lose. It's quite another to give up, and that's what the organization did when it decided to bench Daniel Jones a week ago and then release him on Friday after the 27-year-old asked co-owner John Mara to let him walk away. While he wasn't playing well, Jones was the Giants' best quarterback. He gave them more a of chance to win than either Tommy DeVito or Drew Lock. Removing him from the picture was all but certain to make the Giants worse, even if it was a good business decision. If Jones was hurt and unable the pass his physical before the 2025 season, the team would have been on the hook for a $23 million cap hit. The problem is the players care about now. By getting rid of Jones and elevating DeVito to the starting role, the front office was telling the team it didn't care about winning with seven games left in the season. So the players gave a lackluster effort. Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence called the team soft. Rookie receiver Malik Nabers said he was sick of losing. Left tackle Jermaine Eluemunor said he saw a lack of effort by some players. What they all were saying was they were angry at being betrayed. Money is never more important than winning, and the Giants made that mistake. At this point in the season? Nothing. The offense once again. The Giants have scored a league-low 163 points, including only 60 in six games at MetLife Stadium, where they are winless this season. They have scored in double figures at home twice. Daboll's team has been held scoreless in the first half in three of 11 games and it has been held without a first-half touchdown seven times. Daboll said he will continue to call the offensive plays. S Tyler Nubin. The rookie has had a team-high 12 tackles in each of the last two games. His 81 tackles for the season are just two behind team leader Bobby Okereke. RB Tyrone Tracy. The rookie leads Giants running backs with 587 yards on 116 carries — a 5.1-yard average for the fifth-round pick. But holding onto the ball has been a big issue. Tracy's fumble in overtime cost New York a chance to win in Germany against Carolina. He also lost the ball in the third quarter at the Bucs 5-yard line with New York down 23-0. It earned him a seat on the bench. LT Jermaine Eluemunor (quad) and OLB Azeez Ojulari (toe) left Sunday's game in the first quarter. Chris Hubbard filled in at tackle and the Giants luckily got back DL Kayvon Thibodeaux this past week after he missed five games with a broken wrist. DeVito was banged up but Daboll expects him to start against the Cowboys. 10 — The Giants have gone 10 consecutive games without an interception, tying the NFL record held by the 1976-77 San Francisco 49ers and the 2017 Oakland — now Las Vegas — Raiders. The Giants and Raiders now share the single-season mark. A national showcase on Thanksgiving Day for the NFC-worst Giants at Dallas. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

US President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he was nominating staunch loyalist and retired general Keith Kellogg as his Ukraine envoy, charged with ending the two-and-a-half-year Russian invasion. Trump campaigned on a platform of ushering a swift end to the Ukraine war, boasting that he would quickly mediate a ceasefire deal between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. But his critics have warned that the incoming Republican will likely leverage US military aid to pressure Kyiv into an agreement that left it ceding occupied territory permanently or agreeing not to join NATO. "I am very pleased to nominate General Keith Kellogg to serve as Assistant to the President and Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia," Trump said in a statement on social media. "Keith has led a distinguished Military and Business career, including serving in highly sensitive National Security roles in my first Administration." A fixture on the cable news circuit, the 80-year-old national security veteran co-wrote an academic paper earlier this year calling for Washington to leverage military aid as a means of pushing for peace talks. Ukraine has received almost $60 billion from Washington for its armed forces since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, but with the more isolationist Trump taking over the White House, supporters fear the spigot will run dry. "The United States would continue to arm Ukraine and strengthen its defenses to ensure Russia will make no further advances and will not attack again after a cease-fire or peace agreement," Kellogg's research paper for the Trumpist America First Policy Institute think tank said. "Future American military aid, however, will require Ukraine to participate in peace talks with Russia." Kellogg served in several positions during Trump's first term, including as chief of staff on the White House national security council and national security advisor to then-vice president Mike Pence. Kellogg told Voice of America at the Republican convention in July that Ukraine's options were "quite clear." "If Ukraine doesn't want to negotiate, fine, but then accept the fact that you can have enormous losses in your cities and accept the fact that you will have your children killed, accept the fact that you don't have 130,000 dead, you will have 230,000–250,000," he said. Trump's announcement came as the outgoing administration of Democrat Joe Biden was hosting a news conference to urge Ukraine to enlist more recruits by reducing the minimum age of conscription to 18. Facing a much larger enemy with more advanced weapons and with stocks of volunteers dwindling, Ukraine is facing an "existential" recruitment crunch, a senior administration official told reporters. "The simple truth is that Ukraine is not currently mobilizing or training enough soldiers to replace their battlefield losses while keeping pace with Russia's growing military," said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. He was pressed on what Washington considers an appropriate minimum age and he replied that "we think there's real value in them considering lowering the recruiting age to 18" -- in line with the US benchmark. He added that an additional 160,000 troops would be "on the low end" to fill out Ukraine's ranks -- but "a good start." The former Soviet republic's population has fallen by more than a quarter since its mid-1990s peak of 52 million, and authorities are desperate to shield the younger generation -- but a US congressional report in June estimated the average Ukrainian soldier is 40. Zelensky signed a decree in April lowering the draft age from 27 to 25 but the move did not alleviate the chronic troop shortages, according to US officials. ft/bjt[Editorial] Lack of sincerityWorld's Leading Specialty Battery Franchise Achieves Historic Success with Unprecedented Commercial Sales Throughout 2024 HARTLAND, Wis. , Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Batteries Plus , the world's leading specialty battery franchise, has marked a historic milestone in October 2024 , setting all-time commercial sales records across its franchise and systemwide channels. Total systemwide commercial sales grew by 23.7% year-over-year, with franchise commercial sales increasing by 24.4%, marking the highest monthly performance in the company's history. The record-breaking success in October was not an isolated achievement, but rather a continuation of a historic 2024. Batteries Plus has experienced more than 20% year-over-year growth in systemwide commercial sales for five of the first 10 months of the year. Year-to-date, total commercial sales have grown by 16.1% through October. "Achieving this record-breaking October is a testament to the extraordinary efforts of our franchisees and the ongoing strength of our commercial growth strategy," said Scott O'Farrell , Chief Commercial Officer of Batteries Plus . "Our commitment to providing exceptional service and innovative solutions for our commercial partners continues to position us as a leader in the industry." This October milestone also capped off a flawless 10-for-10 streak in exceeding commercial sales targets for 2024, driven by Batteries Plus's commitment to exceptional service, in-stock availability, and a diversified approach across consumer and commercial channels. The company has exceeded its sales plan for every month, currently 2.6% ahead of plan through October. Remarkably, the top eight commercial sales months in franchise history have all occurred this year, demonstrating the strength and scalability of the franchise system. "October's success is just the beginning of an exciting period for Batteries Plus," said Joe Malmuth , Chief Development Officer . "We're witnessing substantial growth across all facets of the business. This record-breaking performance is a direct result of our team's tireless efforts to drive meaningful results for our franchise owners and customers alike." Building on this momentum, Batteries Plus is looking ahead to close the year strong, with plans to enhance its market presence, introduce new business partnerships, and continue the expansion of its franchise network that has reached over 800 store locations in operation and development nationwide. In 2024, Batteries Plus was ranked on Franchise Times' Top 400 list at #128 and named to Entrepreneur Magazine 's Franchise 500 ® Hall of Fame, alongside placements on Entrepreneur 's Franchise 500 ® and the Top Brands for Multi-Unit Owners lists. For more information on Batteries Plus, including franchise opportunities and a virtual store tour, visit batteriesplusfranchise.com . ABOUT BATTERIES PLUS: Batteries Plus, founded in 1988 and headquartered in Hartland, WI , is a leading omnichannel retailer of batteries, specialty light bulbs and phone repair services for the direct-to-consumer and commercial channels. The retailer also offers key programming, replacement and cutting services. Through a nationwide network of stores, the company offers a differentiated value proposition of unrivaled product selection, in-stock availability and customer service. Batteries Plus is owned by Freeman Spogli , a private equity firm based in Los Angeles and New York City . To learn more about one of Forbes ® ' Best Franchises to Buy in America, visit https://www.batteriesplusfranchise.com . MEDIA CONTACT: Danny Stewart , Fishman Public Relations, dstewart@fishmanpr.com or 847-945-1300 ext. 266 View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/batteries-plus-celebrates-record-breaking-commercial-sales-month-surpassing-major-milestones-in-franchise-and-systemwide-commercial-growth-302315675.html SOURCE Batteries Plus

Gov't allocates JD31.7m for digital economy, aims to reach full e-government by end of 2025During an interview aired on Friday’s broadcast of “The Issue Is,” San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan responded to California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) calling a special session in the wake of President-Elect Donald Trump’s victory to help Trump-proof the state by stating that “the best resistance, if you want to call it that, is to make California work,” and said that “the Democratic Party in our state needs to get back to basics, listen to ordinary people about the issues that affect their daily lives, be honest that the policies and programs we have in place are not always delivering the outcomes we need.” Host Elex Michaelson asked, “[T]he first reaction to Trump’s victory from the Governor of the state, Gov. Newsom, was to call a special session. They talked about it as a Trump-proofing of California. You think that’s a wise use of time?” Mahan answered, “Well, I think that the best resistance, if you want to call it that, is to make California work, prove that what we’re doing here is a model for the country going forward. That’s where we’ve been. For the last 50 years, we were the state that led the way, we innovated, we solved problems, we were the trendsetter. And now we’re reacting. And I don’t — sure, there will be things we can work with the Trump administration on. There may be places we have to push back and there may be some legal battles, but the emphasis should be making our state the most economically vibrant and competitive, having the best public schools, getting everybody housed, controlling cost of living for working families. If we do that, I don’t think we have to worry too much about what Trump does, and I think we will continue to lead the nation forward. But, unfortunately, people aren’t looking to us for leadership anymore, and that’s a problem.” Later, Mahan added, “I think that the Democratic Party in our state needs to get back to basics, listen to ordinary people about the issues that affect their daily lives, be honest that the policies and programs we have in place are not always delivering the outcomes we need. It’s why I was an early backer of Prop 36.” Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchettSilo Pharma CEO Eric Weisblum buys $4,625 in company stock

Report: Chargers expect WR Ladd McConkey, LB Khalil Mack to play vs. Ravens