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risal ali LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James has been ruled out of the Los Angeles Lakers' game at Minnesota on Friday night due to soreness in his left foot. James will miss his second straight game when the Lakers return from a four-day break to face the Timberwolves, the Lakers announced Thursday. The top scorer in NBA history was away from the team this week with an excused absence attributed to “personal reasons,” coach JJ Redick said Wednesday. It's unclear whether James will even make the quick round trip to Minnesota before the Lakers' next game at home against Memphis on Sunday. James missed his first game of his record-tying 22nd NBA season when the Lakers beat Portland at home last Sunday. That absence also was attributed to his foot injury. James is averaging 23.0 points, 9.1 assists and 8.0 rebounds for the Lakers (13-11), who have lost seven of 10 after a 10-4 start. The Lakers upgraded starter Austin Reaves to questionable for the game at Minnesota after he missed LA's previous five games with a pelvic bruise. Anthony Davis is listed as probable with left plantar fasciitis. AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Blackhawks have lots to prove in first of back-to-back games vs. IslandersNone

BETHESDA, Md. , Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AGNC Investment Corp. (Nasdaq: AGNC) announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.12 per share of common stock for December 2024 . The dividend is payable on January 10, 2025 to common stockholders of record as of December 31, 2024 . For further information or questions, please contact Investor Relations at (301) 968-9300 or IR@AGNC.com . ABOUT AGNC INVESTMENT CORP. Founded in 2008, AGNC Investment Corp. (Nasdaq: AGNC) is a leading investor in Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (Agency MBS), which benefit from a guarantee against credit losses by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or Ginnie Mae . We invest on a leveraged basis, financing our Agency MBS assets primarily through repurchase agreements, and utilize dynamic risk management strategies intended to protect the value of our portfolio from interest rate and other market risks. AGNC has a track record of providing favorable long-term returns for our stockholders through substantial monthly dividend income, with over $13 billion of common stock dividends paid since inception. Our business is a significant source of private capital for the U.S. residential housing market, and our team has extensive experience managing mortgage assets across market cycles. To learn more about The Premier Agency Residential Mortgage REIT , please visit www.AGNC.com , follow us on LinkedIn and X , and sign up for Investor Alerts . CONTACT: Investor Relations - (301) 968-9300 View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/agnc-investment-corp-declares-monthly-common-stock-dividend-of-0-12-per-common-share-for-december-2024--302329440.html SOURCE AGNC Investment Corp.The Onion's rejected purchase of Infowars in an auction bid supported by families of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting dealt them a new setback Wednesday and clouded the future of Alex Jones' conspiracy theory platform, which is now poised to remain in his control for at least the near future. What's next for Infowars and Sandy Hook families' long-sought efforts to hold Jones accountable over calling one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history a hoax was unclear, after a federal judge in Houston late Tuesday rejected The Onion's winning bid for the site . U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez in Houston said he did not want another auction but offered no roadmap over how to proceed. One possibility includes ultimately allowing Sandy Hook families — who comprise most of Jones' creditors — to return to state courts in Connecticut and Texas to collect on the nearly $1.5 billion in defamation and emotional distress lawsuit judgments that Jones was ordered to pay them. “Our hope is that when this process ends, and it will end, and it will end sooner rather than later, is that all assets that Alex Jones has available are paid to the families, and that includes Infowars, and that as a result of that process Alex Jones is deprived of the ownership and control of the platform that he’s used to hurt so many people,” Christopher Mattei, an attorney for the Sandy Hook families, said in a phone interview Wednesday. The families, meanwhile, were preparing the mark the 12th anniversary of the Dec. 14 shooting. Why was The Onion bid rejected? The sale of Infowars is part of Jones’ personal bankruptcy case , which he filed in late 2022 after he was ordered to pay the $1.5 billion. Jones was sued for repeatedly saying on his show that the 2012 massacre of 20 first graders and six educators was staged by crisis actors to spur more gun control. Lopez said there was a lack of transparency in the bidding process and too much confusion about The Onion's bid. He also said the amount of money offered in the only two bids was too low and there needed to be more effort to try to raise as much money possible from the selling of Infowars' assets. The Onion's parent company, Global Tetrahedron, submitted a $1.75 million cash offer with plans to kick Jones out and relaunch Infowars in January as a parody . The bid also included a deal with many of the Sandy Hook families for them to forgo $750,000 of their auction proceeds and give it to other creditors. Lopez called it a complex arrangement that led to different interpretations of the bid's actual value as well as last-minute changes to a proposed sale order. The other bidder was First United American Companies, which runs a website in Jones’ name that sells nutritional supplements and planned to let Jones stay on the Infowars platforms. It offered $3.5 million in cash and later, with Jones, alleged fraud and collusion in the bidding process. Lopez rejected the allegations, saying that while mistakes were made there was no wrongdoing. Christopher Murray, the trustee who oversaw the auction, said he picked The Onion and its deal with the Sandy Hook families because it would have provided more money to Jones' other creditors. What happens next? The next steps remained unclear Wednesday. The judge directed Murray to come up with a new plan to move forward. Murray and representatives of The Onion did not immediately return messages seeking comment. The judge said there was a possibility there could be a trial in 2025 to settle Jones' bankruptcy. He said Murray could try to sell the equity in Infowars' parent company. He also said Murray could abandon the efforts, which could allow the Sandy Hook families to return to the state courts where they won their lawsuits against Jones and begin collection proceedings against him. The judge said he wanted to hear back from Murray and others involved in the bankruptcy within 30 days on a plan to move forward. Mattei, who represented the Sandy Hook families in the Connecticut lawsuit, said everyone is waiting to see what plan the trustee comes up with. Jones, meanwhile, continued to allege fraud and collusion on his show Wednesday and threatened legal action over what he called an attempted “rigged auction.” On the social media platform X, he called the judge's ruling a “Major Victory For Freedom Of The Press & Due Process." “I don’t want to have to go after these people, lawsuit-wise, but we have to because if you don’t then you’re aiding and abetting and they do it to other people. They made some big mistakes," he said. Sandy Hook families to mark shooting anniversary It's a solemn and heartbreaking week for relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. The 12th anniversary is Saturday, and some of the victims' relatives were traveling to Washington, D.C., to attend the annual National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence on Wednesday evening. The families usually mark the anniversary out of the public eye. Many of the families said their lawsuits against Jones bought back the unbearable pain of losing their loved ones, as well as the trauma of being harassed and threatened by believers of Jones' hoax conspiracy. Relatives said they have been confronted in public by hoax believers and received death and rape threats. Robbie Parker, whose 6-year-old daughter Emilie was killed, testified at the Connecticut lawsuit trial in 2022 that the decade of abuse his family suffered made them move across the country to Washington state, and even there he was accosted in person. The families have not received any money from Jones since winning the trials. Jones has been appealing the $1.5 billion in judgments, and has since conceded that the shooting did happen. Last week, a Connecticut appeals court upheld most of the judgment in that state but reduced it by $150 million. Associated Press writer Juan A. Lozano in Houston contributed to this report.President-elect Donald Trump has chosen David Perdue, a former Republican U.S. senator, to become U.S. ambassador to China. Perdue's stance on China has attracted significant attention in Chinese public opinion. On Chinese social media, Perdue is often referred to as "anti-China and pro-Taiwan." However, some experts express doubts about this and believe that Perdue, if stationed in China, will play the role of the "good cop." See the full story here .

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Tillis backs Bondi, Patel, says he trusts committees for other Trump picksState-controlled media in Russia have announced that ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family have safely reached Moscow following a rebel push into Damascus. This now ends Bashar’s 24 years at the helm of Syria during a brutal civil war that brought Syria to its knees. According to reports from the Kremlin, Assad and his family arrived in Moscow on Sunday. His family has been granted asylum for humanitarian reasons. In fact, the reports received confirmation after multiple Russian media outlets reported that Moscow has brokered a deal with Syrian opposition leaders. The agreement reportedly included assurances for the security of Russian military bases and diplomatic missions in Syria, which would let Assad and his family escape the country without any more fighting. The Syrian government had collapsed after a decisive attack by rebel forces that advanced rapidly across the country. The capital city of Damascus was taken by opposition fighters, which meant that the end of the Assad regime was near. Rebels Celebrate Victory In Damascus Social media posts contained footage of the streets of Damascus in celebration. When rebels and civilians filled the streets, many were rejoicing over the end of Assad’s regime. In one video, families were seen looting the presidential palaces, some even taking selfies in the palaces. Others reportedly entered a building next to the palaces where luxury cars belonging to Assad were kept. Video clips showed people driving past rows of expensive sports cars and SUVs in what seemed like an act of symbolic repossession of the assets of the fallen regime. Other parts of Syria also held mass celebrations, where protesters in the city of Homs were chanting slogans such as “Assad is gone, Homs is free.” The city fell to the rebel forces after just one day of fighting. As thousands filled the streets, they cheered for freedom and denounced Assad’s oppressive rule. Aftermath Of Assad’s Departure With Assad’s unexpected flight, the international airport in Syria’s capital lay deserted, and the rebels announced the capture of Saydnaya military prison-the infamous one where human rights organizations have long reported horror cases of abuse. Rebels showed a video of themselves releasing female prisoners, many looking dazed and confused, while among them was at least one child, amplifying the emotional impact of the moment. Scenes of celebration were also reported in several countries outside Syria. Syrians in cities such as Madrid, Manchester, and Tripoli, Lebanon, took to the streets to mark the historic occasion, joining in solidarity with those in Syria who celebrated the regime’s collapse. A New Chapter Begins In Syria The fall of Assad’s regime marks a turning point in Syria’s devastating 13-year civil conflict, which has ravaged the country on multiple fronts. Rebel factions, including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a Sunni Islamist group with historical ties to al-Qaeda, had fought from the north, while Kurdish groups and other forces challenged the regime from the east and south. As the dust settles, it has become evident that the Syrian opposition is more interested in forming a new government, with full transfer of power. The opposition coalition in a statement said the collapse of Assad’s regime marked a “new birth for Syria,” putting forward the idea of beginning life after Assad. The ousting of Assad, long considered one of the Middle East’s most brutal dictators, has opened the door for a political shift that will shape Syria’s future in the years to come. ALSO READ | Biden Delivers National Address After Bashar Al-Assad Flees Syria: Key Takeaways

VIDEO: Jason Kelce Shouted at by Angry Autograph Seeker: 'You're Nothing!'In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, Google has once again pushed the boundaries of what’s possible with the introduction of Gemini 2.0. This groundbreaking AI model, announced in December 2024, marks a significant leap forward in multimodal capabilities, promising to redefine how we interact with technology and information. Gemini 2.0 is not just an upgrade; it’s a fundamental shift in AI design, built for the “agentic era” where AI agents can perceive, reason, and act in more human-like ways. This advancement is driven by several key innovations, including native multimodal output, enhanced tool utilization, and a focus on developing AI agents that can seamlessly integrate into our digital lives. What Sets Gemini 2.0 Apart? My Experience with Gemini 2.0 As an AI enthusiast, I was eager to experiment with Gemini 2.0. I was particularly impressed by its ability to generate images from complex prompts. For instance, I asked it to create an image of “a futuristic cityscape with flying cars and holographic advertisements,” and the result was stunningly detailed and imaginative. The integration with Google Search was also seamless, allowing me to ask questions about current events and receive accurate and up-to-date information. Delving Deeper into Gemini 2.0’s Capabilities Gemini 2.0’s ability to generate images and audio natively sets it apart from previous AI models. This multimodal capability has profound implications for various applications, including: By integrating tools like Google Search and Maps, Gemini 2.0 can access and process real-time information, making it a more versatile and helpful AI assistant. This opens up possibilities for: Google’s focus on developing AI agents powered by Gemini 2.0 hints at a future where AI seamlessly integrates into our daily lives. These agents can: The Road Ahead: Responsible Development and Future Implications While the potential of Gemini 2.0 is vast, Google emphasizes responsible development and safety. The company is taking a gradual approach, working with trusted testers and prioritizing ethical considerations. This cautious approach is crucial to ensure that AI technologies are developed and deployed in a way that benefits humanity. Gemini 2.0 represents a significant milestone in the evolution of AI. Its multimodal capabilities, enhanced tool utilization, and focus on agentic experiences pave the way for a future where AI seamlessly integrates into our lives, augmenting our abilities and creating new possibilities. As Google continues to refine and expand Gemini 2.0’s capabilities, we can expect even more groundbreaking applications and innovations in the years to come.What’s happening in Korea?