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slots winner 777 Israel Strikes Huthis At Yemen Airport, Prompting Iranian CondemnationAll products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Can you hear it? Sleigh bells ringing in the distance, the snow is starting to fall and Christmas movies are rolling out: Love them or hate them, the holidays are here. See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news A season of joy and happiness sweeps over the globe once a year, but no matter how you might feel about the holidays, there’s always something to be grateful for and giving gifts is a show of appreciation to the people you love most. Even for the early-bird shoppers, finding the right gift can be a challenge, and that’s where we come in. Billboard’s e-comm team tests out hundreds of items to give our keep our readers in the know about everything we’re loving — from the trendiest looks to the coolest gadgets. To get the holiday vibes going, Billboard has returned with the Shop 100 . Our annual shop list compiles the best in electronics, beauty, fashion and other giftable goodies. For music lovers, certified audiophiles and anyone looking for a comprehensive gift guide to make holiday shopping run a little smoother, the Shop 100 is here to help. What made our list this year? From portable Bluetooth speakers and earbuds to the hottest gaming consoles, the best over-ear headphones on the market (tested by Billboard’s e-comm editor). You’ll also find a range of holiday gift offerings including jewelry, toys, books, beauty essentials and celebrity-owned gifts options from Beyoncé, Selena Gomez, Rihanna, Dolly Parton, Snoop Dogg and other stars. Ready to dive into the Shop 100? Keep reading to check out our best gift picks of the year. Part frame, part speaker. Samsung Music Frame is one-of-a-kind speaker, surprisingly suitable for large and small spaces. What’s so great about the Frame? It’s worthy of hype – from sound quality to size. Plus, you can swap out the photos, mount it on a wall like a real frame or place it on a surface. Shop Samsung’s limited-edition Wicked Samsung Frame here . Cheaper in price, but not in quality. Meta Quest 3S has all the necessary bells and whistles for a quality VR experience with some necessary updates – namely in the headset’s weight and overall fit. Bose Ultra Open Earbuds fit on the lower helix of the ear instead of sitting directly inside, which gives you a uniquely immersive listening experience. They’re super comfortable (BLACKPINK’s LISA loves how they fit), lightweight and available in black, white, moonstone blue, sandstone, white smoke, chilled lilac and other colors. This Nike men’s puffer stands up to the cold while keeping you perfectly warm. Made with Nike’s PrimaLoft Thermoplume insulation and water-repellent ripstop fabric, Nike Sportswear’s men’s puffer is available black, iron gray, green, yellow, light blue and royal blue (sizes ranging from XS to 4XL tall). Between designs and function, Sonos Ace hits the right marks with 30 hours of battery, Active Noise Cancellation, spatial audio, Dolby Atmos, active head tracking and the list goes on. Sonos Ace headphones are available on black and white. Apple packed a lot of power in this 5x5x2-inch device. The all-new M4 chips transforms Mac Mini into a unstoppable processor that’s great for editing, music production and other creative tasks. 2024 saw the return of more than a few classics. Among them? The Beats Pill. The portable speaker made a comeback with a stronger battery and better sound quality. Enhanced in power and sound quality, Apple’s AirPods 4 features the powerful H2 chip, with personalized Spatial Audio and dynamic head tracking. AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation takes the technology a step further featuring adaptive audio, transparency mode to hear the world around you and Conversation Awareness, which lowers the volume when you’re speaking to someone. TV in the palm of your hands. The new Google TV Steamer lets you stream Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, YouTube and other streaming platforms in 4K HDR. Equipped with Dolby Vision, the streaming device is 22 percent faster than its predecessor. The holidays means it’s time to party! This JBL speaker will last you well beyond the festive season and into the new year. JBL’s Party 100 features hi-powered sound, a 12-hour battery and LED lighting that syncs to the music. It’s also splashproof and dustproof. Cher: The Memoir is the first in a two-part biography series from the music legend. Travel back to the 1984 through Prince and Purple Rain . The book features rare photos and memorabilia of the Purple One in all his glory. Rock out with this wireless guitar controller from PDP Riffmaster. The controller is compatible with Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10/11 PC, Rock Band 4 , Fortnite Festival and Audio Jack . Shoot for the stars, land on the moon. Lego and Pharrell Williams teamed up for Over the Moon, an motivational builder’s set that reminds you to aim high. Drop the beat! A cute set is for kiddie DJs in training. The Let the Beet Drop set features a light-up DJ Bunny, carrot and beet seesaw with 10 sound effects, a blueberry slider, melon spinner and melon turntable complete with scratching sounds. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab A9 offers 4GB RAM, 64GB of memory, 128GB of storage and an 11-inch display screen to stream, play music and take video calls during (and after) the holidays. Let’s get loud! Bose SoundLink has a good amount of sound power and 30 hours of playtime. Available in black and blue, the SoundLink features Bluetooth 5.0, an IP67 water-resistant rating and it measures 4.73 x 10.42-inches. The Hatch 2 helps you sleep deeper and longer with multiple sleep sounds — white noise, pink noise, brown noise and more. Easily one of the best collection from Rare Beauty, Find Comfort is a refreshing array of fragrances, body wash and lotions to add more comfort to your self-care routine. Gloss Bomb is an icon, so why not stock up? Fenty Beauty’s holiday gift set comes with 10 luscious, Gloss Bomb lip glosses including Fu$$y, Hot Cherry, Diamond Milk, Cake Shake, Trophy Wife along with new shades: Purple Pepp’r, Smoke’d Quartz, Idoll’ize You and Roast ‘Em. Dyson Airwrap with a festive makeover. Dyson’s an all-in-one styling wand is designed for various hair types. One of New Balance’s bestsellers makes a stylish holiday gift. For comfort and style, slip into the New Balance 330. Luxury in a bottle. Beyonce’s Cécred haircare line delivers a salon-like experience at home, and yes, the products actually work (I highly recommend the clarifying shampoo and hydrating conditioner). Victor & Rolloff’s Flowerbomb blends ruby orchid with Red Roxy Vanilla Bean and vine peach accord. YSL’s MYSLF is a woodsy scent with bergamot and fresh orange blossom. A three-in-one hair curler with a swappable barrel with nine adjustable heat settings, what’s not to love? Pattern Beauty’s innovative hair tool lets steam do the talking. The hair steamer can be used to detangle to hydrate, stretching and deep condition your hair. “See you in space, cowboy.” Logic collaborated with Crunchyroll on an anime-inspired capsule collection that includes this Cowboy Beebop Varsity Jacket. Timberland celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready to D.I.E. album with a special installment of the classic, 6-inch boot available in black and wheat. “Love is like a butterfly.” Dolly Parton’s Kendra Scott collaboration is inspired by her 1974 hit. The Gold Air Heart necklace represents Parton’s love for music. Nameplate necklaces are out, initial necklaces are in. Abbott Lyons Bubble Initial Necklace comes in gold or silver and chain sizes ranging from 14 to 24-inches long. Ring in the holidays with a lovely gift set from Gorjana. The three-piece set comes in silver or 18k gold plated settings. A little shimmer never hurts! Pandora’s sparkling Tennis Bracelet is adorned with cubic zirconia stones with a gold plated, rose plated or sterling silver bracelet. Mejuri’s Heirloom ring was made to be passed down — and it happens to be one of of Taylor Swift’s favorite rings . The ring is available in garnet, blue topaz, London blue topaz and honey quartz stones. Oura Ring is the tech version of jewelry. The smart ring tracks your sleep, stress, heart rate and more. Adidas Solar powered headphones offer to up to 80 extra hours of playtime and and made from recycled materials. Cushion on the pavement. Nike’s Motiva sneaker is made for walking in ultimate comfort with next-level cushioning and enough grooves to help you step into a new era. Meta’s Ray Ban Smart Glasses seem like something you might see in a spy movie but modernized for present day. You can record, takes calls and check Instagram and Facebook with these glasses. Feel the chill. Alo Yoga’s Sherpa Hat is a cozy gift for the fashionably fierce. There’s a reason why Carhartt’s cuffed beanie has been around for almost 40 years. Apart from being affordable and extremely warm (not too thick, not too thin), you can get them in a bunch of different colors besides black, brown, grey and white. Dangerously comfortable and perfect for gifting. The Bean Boots from L.L. Bean’s Noah Kahan collection are almost out of stock in men’s sizes, so don’t wait to snag these (also available in women’s sizes ). Say hello to style and sophistication. The Coach Leah Loafer is a great addition to any closet. Nothing says cozy footwear like an ubersoft, crochet Ugg slipper (available in cream, black and charcoal). Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty released a festive, paisley Onsies for the whole family. Carhartt isn’t just for craftsmen, ranchers, and mechanics. It’s also a growing brand in streetwear fashion. Made from thick ringspun cotton duck, The Carhartt Detroit Jacket is a sleek and stylish piece of outerwear that’s durable and warm for the fall and winter months. It honestly feels like you’re wrapped in a cozy blanket. The jacket comes in two colors, Carhartt brown and black, as well as in a wide range of different sizes. – Rudie Obias Zara’s faux leather Bomber Jacket offers a slouchy, oversized fit that you can style up or down. Up, up and away! The Bigger Carry-On is touted as one of the best bags for travel (it’s pilot and flight attendant-approved). Away’s Carry-On collection of durable suitcases are available in different sizes and several colors including black, brown, navy, orange, red and olive green. The perfect travel buddy. Rare Beauty’s Puffer Travel Tote became my favorite travel bag this year — it’s super trendy with plenty of space to pack your wallet, tech gadgets, clothes and other essential — and easy to clean. Make it a Coach Christmas! The Brooklyn Shoulder Bag 28 comes in five colors including maple, black, stone, dark ruby and dark cedar. A camera bags, but make it fashion. From Swift to Hilary Duff and Megan Fox, lots of celebrities have sported camera bags. This Tory Burch bag is a smaller, crossbody purse that’s perfect for a night on the town. Whether you’re streaming a music festival, live concert, sporting event, movie or your favorite TV series, Sonos Arc changes the way you experience entertainment. The soundbar works especially well in smaller rooms and is designed for TVs of 50-inches or more (or slightly less, in my case). The Arc features 11 drivers, Dolby Atmos, Apple TruePlay, voice control and other capabilities. A slew of new, PS5 consoles hit the market this year including the PS5 Pro, one of the latest consoles joining the Sony’s lineup alongside the PS5 Slim and 30th anniversary consoles . The bestselling Xbox Carbon Black holds up nicely with 1TB of storage, 4K gaming with 120 FPS. The legacy lives on. The Chronicles of DOOM: Unraveling Rap’s Masked Iconoclast paints a moving portrait of the mysterious rapper starting from his childhood to his passing in 2020. E.V.E is spilling t-e-a in her bestselling memoir Whose That Girl? From growing up in Philadelphia to rap stardom, marriage and motherhood, the “Illest Pitbull in a Skirt” continues to evolve. Snoop Dogg’s Skechers collab has expanded from sneaker to slides and comfy clogs. The Arch Fit Footsteps clog features charms with Snoop’s face. Adidas OG Sambas look even better in the viral Earth Stone colorway. A beautiful translation of Ithell Colquhoun’s artistry, Dr. Marten’s 1460 boot utilized the late British painter’s decalcomania technique to create this design. You’ll be seeing things more clearly with Samsung’s Crystal UDH TV. Bring the arcade home. This top-selling arcade cabinet comes preloaded with NBA Jam , NBA Jam Tournament Edition and NBA Hangtime . Apple’s iPad Mini has a turbo A17 Pro chip with an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display. If you’re looking for a gift for someone who lives in an apartment, then the Solo Stove Mesa is an ideal pick to create a bit of ambiance in a limited outdoor space. It’s a small fire pit that sits safely on top of a table with its included ring stand in a patio or balcony, while the Solo Stove Mesa is smokeless with the company’s iconic “Signature 360-degree Airflow” system to keep fires contained and burning throughout an evening outside. It comes in nine colors, such as stainless steel, water, ash, mulberry, deep olive and more. — Rudie Obias Google Pixel 9 has a 24-hour battery, a 6.3-inch display screen, 128GB of storage, and Google’s most powerful camera to date. A powerful Bluetooth speaker for the size and price. The Wylen II features 17+ hours of listening time (it takes 2.5 hours to fully charge). It’s IP67 dust and waterproof means that it can be safely submerged in up to 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes (available in black and cream). Victrola’s Fully Automatic Turntable is equipped with Bluetooth and AudioTechnica cartridge for top-tier audio. A comfortable chair is pivotal to any gaming setup. Available in black, blue, pink, red and white, the N-Gen Video Gaming chair features a footrest, headrest and lumbar pillow. Lisa Marie Presley shares never-before-told stories in this moving memoir written before her death in 2023 and completed by her daughter Riley Keough. Jojo has persevered through child stardom to finding her own form of balance. The “Too Light Too Late” singer recounts the ups and down of fame in Over the Influence . Dolly Parton’s Good Lookin’ Cookin’ cookbook is a collection Southern staples including barbecue spare ribs, colorful coleslaw, mac and cheese and strawberry shortcake. T-Pain is spicing things up for his latest collaboration with Spicewalla. The Sauce is the brand’s first-ever hot sauce. From country music to haircare, fragrances and SirDavis Whisky, Beyoncé is covering all the bases. SirDavis is an 88 proof whiskey (not for the faint of heart) that stands out just as well as it blends in. Fans of Hell’s Kitchen and Love Island are familiar with HexClad’s viral cookware. The brand’s 10-inch pan is designed for frying, sautéing and searing. Kelly Rowland, Oprah Winfrey and Hailey Bieber are some of the stars that have used HexClad. A portable pot for meats, veggies, grains and enough one-pot meals to get you through winter? Sounds like a dream come true. It’s KitchenAid’s beloved stand mixer, but in a sleek Evergreen colorway with a gorgeous, wooden bowl. Jadakiss is in the coffee business. The New York rapper launched KISS Café with his father and son in 2022. Named after Jadakiss (Beijo means “kiss” in Portuguese), KISS Cafe carries dark, medium and light roasts and coffee mugs . A cheeseboard shaped like a turntable is a great gift idea for music fans. Get it while you still can. A “wicked” cup collaboration worth celebrating. Stanely’s Wicked -inspired Thirst Quencher includes pink and green sizes of the 40z and 30z tumblers. Stressed? Theragun Mini can fit in a small bag or purse for immediate back, neck and muscle relief (available in black, dessert rose, pink, green and blue). A cozy blanket needs to be on every holiday gift list. Elton John and Stalkin + Co. collaborated on this lovely collection of fragrant candles. Why wouldn’t the Queen of Christmas has her own Barbie doll (and holiday merch )? The Mariah doll is ready to deck the halls with boughs of holly. Sonic Edition releases rare photos of beloved artists including Oasis, Madonna, Prince, Tina Turner and other music icons. This black-and-white snapshot of Oasis’ Noel and Liam Gallagher at the Columbia Hotel a day after they were banned in 1994. Apple’s iPhone 10 is lighter and faster than the previous model and the screen is 30 percent larger. HP’s convertible Chromebook has a near-perfect customer rating. The Chromebook Plus feature a 14-inch display screen and powerful Intel Core processor. An easy way to keep your money secured. The card holder is great space-saver for attending concerts and music festivals. Digital pics are nice, but it’s good to have photos that you can hold in hand (or stick on the wall). Cannon’s Mini Photo printer makes that possible. Sony’s ZV-1F Vlog Camera is a user-friendly, starter camera for vlogging and content creation. Beats Studio Pro headphones lasts for up to 40 hours, but what I like most about them, besides the sound quality, is that they’re foldable and easily connect to iOS or Android. Wrong answers only! Mistaken Lyrics Coasters will make a fun gift option or stocking stuffer and a great conversation-starter. Gifties for Swifties! Taylor Swift Style takes fans on a journey through the pop star’s fashion evolution. A keepsake journal for music memories. The Concert Journal includes writing prompts for you to take note of things like ticket prices, venues, quotes from concerts and your favorite memories. Dave Matthews The Dreaming Tree red wine offers a smooth and tasty, blend of wines with notes of raspberry, caramel oak and mixed berry. Dolly Parton’s has wine too! Her chardonnay mixes white peach and lemon zest with a hint of pineapple. Foster & Grant is a whiskey collab between Michale Bublé and distillers Paul Circa. The 84-proof, rye whiskey is distilled in Kentucky. A truly portable blender with USB charging and LED lighting. The Nutribullet Flip is powered by a 11.1V high-torque motor that lets you blend on the go. This blender can also be used as a tumbler cup (it keeps beverages cold for up to 24 hours). An interactive gift for rock fans featuring 64 guitars from rock history. Razer’s Ornata V3 X is described as a “lowkey” keyboard for a quiet and comfortable gaming session. For podcasting and recording, this bestselling Shure microphone comes equipped with voice isolation ideal for recording in not-so-quiet spaces. Not your average board game. Arcade1 Up Infinity Gaming Table features 50, digitized games including Monopoly 9, Battleship, Candyland, Checkers, Backgammon, Chutes and Ladders, Connect 4, Game of Life, Fling Hockey, Hungry, Hungry Hippos, Mahjong Deluxe, Mancala, Memory Matching Game and Mini Fini Football.

Support for President-elect Donald Trump has grown in nearly every city and town in the Bay Area since 2016, including significant inroads in some of the Bay Area’s most Democratic strongholds. In 67 of the region’s 69 cities and towns, the number of votes Trump received in 2024 was higher than in 2016, and a new analysis of election data by the Bay Area News Group found one particularly significant factor: income. The places with the lowest incomes — San Pablo, Richmond, Antioch, Oakland, San Leandro, Pittsburg and East Palo Alto — all tallied at least 50% more Trump votes in 2024, while the highest-income cities and towns showed the least change overall. “Overwhelmingly, this is an affordability issue,” said Mike Madrid, a Republican political strategist and author of a new book about Latino voters, “The Latino Century.” “It’s not a jobs issue, it’s not a taxes issue, it’s not your standard Republican perspective on the economy.” “This is entirely consistent with what we have been seeing nationally,” Madrid said. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r

Samsung’s dream of having “screens everywhere” is a step closer to becoming a reality, with the company announcing it is bringing its “advanced screen technology” to a broader range of home appliances. Samsung is launching a refrigerator with a new 9-inch AI Home screen, and adding the 7-inch AI Home to the Wall Oven. The new 9-inch is for those who prefer a more compact option to the 21.5-inch and 32-inch Family Hubs that are in some fridges. Meanwhile, in the laundry category, the 7-inch AI Home that is already in the Bespoke AI Laundry Combo, will be included in the new Bespoke AI Washer and Dryer set. Samsung is showcasing these new products at CES 2025 from January 7-10 in Las Vegas. ChannelNews will again be there covering all the events of significance. Samsung AI Home expansion. “We have been leading the development of screen appliances to elevate our consumers’ experiences with innovative features and functionalities”, said Jeong Seung Moon, EVP and Head of the R&D Team for Digital Appliances Business at Samsung Electronics. “Along with those efforts towards enhancing usability, we are expanding consumer options by developing screens of different sizes and products that effectively incorporate them.” The company says its goal is to “enhance usability for consumers while also realising an interconnected smart home”. “Supporting voice control via Bixby, the screens on Samsung appliances showcase essential information about the task such as internal temperature or washing cycle information, in an intuitive and straightforward way.” It says the Map View feature “is a key differentiator, allowing the screens to function as simplified, convenient control hubs where users can monitor and control their connected appliances from a single screen” and “provide various entertainment features through internet connection”. The updated Map View allows users to select modes for connected devices like the air conditioner and robot vacuum, and can be accessed directly from the home screen.

US News Today Live Updates on December 27, 2024 : US to scrap country quota for H-1B visas? Here's how Indian professionals are likely to be affected

Major stock indexes on Wall Street drifted to a mixed finish Friday, capping a rare bumpy week for the market. The S&P 500 ended essentially flat, down less than 0.1%, after wavering between tiny gains and losses most of the day. The benchmark index posted a loss for the week, its first after three straight weekly gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.1%, ending just below the record high it set on Wednesday. There were more than twice as many decliners than gainers on the New York Stock Exchange. Gains in technology stocks helped temper losses in communication services, financials and other sectors of the market. Broadcom surged 24.4% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after the semiconductor company beat Wall Street’s profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. The company also raised its dividend. The company's big gain helped cushion the market's broader fall. Pricey stock values for technology companies like Broadcom give the sector more weight in pushing the market higher or lower. Artificial intelligence technology has been a focal point for the technology sector and the overall stock market over the last year. Tech companies, and Wall Street, expect demand for AI to continue driving growth for semiconductor and other technology companies. Some tech stocks were a drag on the market. Nvidia fell 2.2%, Meta Platforms dropped 1.7% and Google parent Alphabet slid 1.1%. Among the market's other decliners were Airbnb, which fell 4.7% for the biggest loss in the S&P 500, and Charles Schwab, which closed 4% lower. Furniture and housewares company RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, surged 17% after raising its forecast for revenue growth for the year. All told, the S&P 500 lost 0.16 points to close at 6,051.09. The Dow dropped 86.06 points to 43,828.06. The Nasdaq rose 23.88 points to 19,926.72. Wall Street's rally stalled this week amid mixed economic reports and ahead of the Federal Reserve's last meeting of the year. The central bank will meet next week and is widely expected to cut interest rates for a third time since September. Expectations of a series of rate cuts has driven the S&P 500 to 57 all-time highs so far this year . The Fed has been lowering its benchmark interest rate following an aggressive rate hiking policy that was meant to tame inflation. It raised rates from near-zero in early 2022 to a two-decade high by the middle of 2023. Inflation eased under pressure from higher interest rates, nearly to the central bank's 2% target. The economy, including consumer spending and employment, held strong despite the squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. A slowing job market, though, has helped push a long-awaited reversal of the Fed's policy. Inflation rates have been warming up slightly over the last few months. A report on consumer prices this week showed an increase to 2.7% in November from 2.6% in October. The Fed's preferred measure of inflation, the personal consumption expenditures index, will be released next week. Wall Street expects it to show a 2.5% rise in November, up from 2.3% in October. The economy, though, remains solid heading into 2025 as consumers continue spending and employment remains healthy, said Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY. “Still, the outlook is clouded by unusually high uncertainty surrounding regulatory, immigration, trade and tax policy,” he said. Treasury yields edged higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.40% from 4.34% late Thursday. European markets slipped. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.1%. Britain’s economy unexpectedly shrank by 0.1% month-on-month in October, following a 0.1% decline in September, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Asian markets closed mostly lower.LAS VEGAS — If Texas coach Steve Sarkisian holds aloft the College Football Playoff trophy next month, that will be bad news for BetMGM Sportsbook. It would be similarly disappointing if any of the coaches at Boise State, Indiana or Arizona State end up celebrating a title with confetti falling all around them inside Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Wait, what? Texas has attracted a lot of money all season to go all the way, but those other schools provide the hope of a big payoff. The fifth-seeded Longhorns are the co-favorite at BetMGM with No. 1 and unbeaten Oregon at 7-2 odds; the other three are least 40-1, while Georgia is right behind Oregon and Texas as the next favorite. "These teams get hot and people just want to have a flyer on them," BetMGM trading manager Seamus Magee said. "They don't want to be standing there and not have a ticket on some of these long-shot teams." Expanding the playoff field from four to 12 teams this year meant more betting in general on college football and more varieties of wagering on the postseason. There were meaningful games played in the final month by not only Arizona State, Boise State and Indiana, but also SMU, Army and UNLV — a number of teams not always in the national title conversation. "It's one of the highest handles we've ever had on our national-championship market," Magee said. "We're in more states, for one, but the activity and the betting patterns we're seeing, it definitely feels a lot more than it has in years past." Magee said BetMGM has received action on both sides of the first-round game between 11th-seeded SMU and sixth-seeded Penn State, but the Mustangs have drawn notable action at DraftKings and Caesars Sportsbook. Money on SMU dropped Penn State from a 9-point favorite at DraftKings to 8 1/2. "Any time they've played a real good team, they've had trouble," Johnny Avello, DraftKings race and sports operations director, said of the Nittany Lions. "SMU shows that they're pretty good on both sides of the football and pretty resilient as a team. Always in the game. Always finds ways to fight back." Joey Feazel, who oversees football trading for Caesars, said much of the early betting in general was on underdogs. "Usually, you see the dog money for these teams come late, especially on the sharps' (professional bettors) side," Feazel said. Boise State, which as the third seed has a first-round bye, will be the underdog in its quarterfinal matchup with Penn State or SMU. The Broncos got into the field as the highest-ranked Group of Five champion, but Avello said that doesn't mean they are one of the nation's top 12 teams (they are ranked No. 8 by AP and No. 9 by CFP). Avello said BYU, Colorado and Miami — none of which made the playoff — all would be favored over them. "There are a lot of teams that aren't in the playoffs that would be favored," Avello said. "That's just not the way these playoffs work." Feazel said Boise State not being able to play at home on its blue carpet will be a notable disadvantage. Boise State's quarterfinal game will be at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona. "It will be all neutral," Feazel said. "It's a big step up in class for Boise." Instead of all the games being played in climate-controlled domes or warm-weather locales — as has been in the case in past postseasons — three of the four first-round matchups will take place in the Northeast and Midwest. While that might not make a difference when Notre Dame hosts in-state foe Indiana, Ohio State will be at home against Tennessee and SMU visits Penn State. BetMGM favors all four home teams by more than a touchdown. "You have to take the weather into account for some of these games," Magee said. "It's going to be really cool to see a team like Tennessee that will have to go up to Columbus, where it can get really cold. SMU has to go from Dallas to Happy Valley. That's definitely going to be one of the coldest games a lot of those kids have played in their lives." SMU was the last team in the field, getting the benefit of the doubt over Alabama. The Mustangs had one fewer defeat than the three-loss Crimson Tide, who did not appear in the SEC title game. SMU lost on a 56-yard field goal to Clemson in the ACC championship. The sportsbook operators said the Tide would be favored by 5-10 points if they met SMU on a neutral field. Get local news delivered to your inbox!India’s airport digital revolution – ‘Digi Yatra’ has clocked over 9 million users and 42 million seamless journeys as per latest government figures. Since its launch in 2022, the Digi Yatra platform has expanded its reach to 24 airports nationwide as it plans to go international soon by tying up with IATA. The application also aims to go multilingual to serve India’s diverse population. Interestingly Digi Yatra app is downloaded by on an average of 30,000 users per day, reflecting its growing trust and acceptance among air passengers. Digi Yatra was launched in December 2024 in just three airports – Delhi, Bengaluru and Varanasi. A significant development this year was its collaboration with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) via the 'IATA One-ID X Digi Yatra India' initiative, a strategic step towards enabling seamless international travel, which underscores the platform's ambition to enter international markets. This year, the platform focussed on improving user experience and privacy. Recent app updates enhance the contactless biometric process, and the introduction of the d-KYC campaign emphasizes customer privacy without storing personal data. Speaking about the Digi Yatra plans for 2025, chief executive, Digi Yatra said: “In 2025, we plan to add more airports in early 2025 and plan to support all 22 official Indian languages by March 2025, aiming for greater inclusivity. In June 2025, Digi Yatra plans to launch its pilot project on global scale with e-passport holders.

Lennox International Set to Join S&P 500 and BILL Holdings to Join S&P MidCap 400Former California congressman TJ Cox expected to plead guilty in fraud case

Whitecaps up for sale, could approach $500 millionA Disney-style live-action Wallace & Gromit? Creator says ‘NOOOOOO’

Major stock indexes on Wall Street drifted to a mixed finish Friday, capping a rare bumpy week for the market. The S&P 500 ended essentially flat, down less than 0.1%, after wavering between tiny gains and losses most of the day. The benchmark index posted a loss for the week, its first after three straight weekly gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.1%, ending just below the record high it set on Wednesday. There were more than twice as many decliners than gainers on the New York Stock Exchange. Gains in technology stocks helped temper losses in communication services, financials and other sectors of the market. Broadcom surged 24.4% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after the semiconductor company beat Wall Street’s profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. The company also raised its dividend. The company’s big gain helped cushion the market’s broader fall. Pricey stock values for technology companies like Broadcom give the sector more weight in pushing the market higher or lower. Artificial intelligence technology has been a focal point for the technology sector and the overall stock market over the last year. Tech companies, and Wall Street, expect demand for AI to continue driving growth for semiconductor and other technology companies. Some tech stocks were a drag on the market. Nvidia fell 2.2%, Meta Platforms dropped 1.7% and Google parent Alphabet slid 1.1%. Among the market’s other decliners were Airbnb, which fell 4.7% for the biggest loss in the S&P 500, and Charles Schwab, which closed 4% lower. Furniture and housewares company RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, surged 17% after raising its forecast for revenue growth for the year. All told, the S&P 500 lost 0.16 points to close at 6,051.09. The Dow dropped 86.06 points to 43,828.06. The Nasdaq rose 23.88 points to 19,926.72. Wall Street’s rally stalled this week amid mixed economic reports and ahead of the Federal Reserve’s last meeting of the year. The central bank will meet next week and is widely expected to cut interest rates for a third time since September. Expectations of a series of rate cuts has driven the S&P 500 to 57 all-time highs so far this year . The Fed has been lowering its benchmark interest rate following an aggressive rate hiking policy that was meant to tame inflation. It raised rates from near-zero in early 2022 to a two-decade high by the middle of 2023. Inflation eased under pressure from higher interest rates, nearly to the central bank’s 2% target. The economy, including consumer spending and employment, held strong despite the squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. A slowing job market, though, has helped push a long-awaited reversal of the Fed’s policy. Inflation rates have been warming up slightly over the last few months. A report on consumer prices this week showed an increase to 2.7% in November from 2.6% in October. The Fed’s preferred measure of inflation, the personal consumption expenditures index, will be released next week. Wall Street expects it to show a 2.5% rise in November, up from 2.3% in October. The economy, though, remains solid heading into 2025 as consumers continue spending and employment remains healthy, said Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY. “Still, the outlook is clouded by unusually high uncertainty surrounding regulatory, immigration, trade and tax policy,” he said. Treasury yields edged higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.40% from 4.34% late Thursday. European markets slipped. Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 0.1%. Britain’s economy unexpectedly shrank by 0.1% month-on-month in October, following a 0.1% decline in September, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Asian markets closed mostly lower.

LAS VEGAS — If Texas coach Steve Sarkisian holds aloft the College Football Playoff trophy next month, that will be bad news for BetMGM Sportsbook. It would be similarly disappointing if any of the coaches at Boise State, Indiana or Arizona State end up celebrating a title with confetti falling all around them inside Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Wait, what? Texas has attracted a lot of money all season to go all the way, but those other schools provide the hope of a big payoff. The fifth-seeded Longhorns are the co-favorite at BetMGM with No. 1 and unbeaten Oregon at 7-2 odds; the other three are least 40-1, while Georgia is right behind Oregon and Texas as the next favorite. "These teams get hot and people just want to have a flyer on them," BetMGM trading manager Seamus Magee said. "They don't want to be standing there and not have a ticket on some of these long-shot teams." Expanding the playoff field from four to 12 teams this year meant more betting in general on college football and more varieties of wagering on the postseason. There were meaningful games played in the final month by not only Arizona State, Boise State and Indiana, but also SMU, Army and UNLV — a number of teams not always in the national title conversation. "It's one of the highest handles we've ever had on our national-championship market," Magee said. "We're in more states, for one, but the activity and the betting patterns we're seeing, it definitely feels a lot more than it has in years past." Magee said BetMGM has received action on both sides of the first-round game between 11th-seeded SMU and sixth-seeded Penn State, but the Mustangs have drawn notable action at DraftKings and Caesars Sportsbook. Money on SMU dropped Penn State from a 9-point favorite at DraftKings to 8 1/2. "Any time they've played a real good team, they've had trouble," Johnny Avello, DraftKings race and sports operations director, said of the Nittany Lions. "SMU shows that they're pretty good on both sides of the football and pretty resilient as a team. Always in the game. Always finds ways to fight back." Joey Feazel, who oversees football trading for Caesars, said much of the early betting in general was on underdogs. "Usually, you see the dog money for these teams come late, especially on the sharps' (professional bettors) side," Feazel said. Boise State, which as the third seed has a first-round bye, will be the underdog in its quarterfinal matchup with Penn State or SMU. The Broncos got into the field as the highest-ranked Group of Five champion, but Avello said that doesn't mean they are one of the nation's top 12 teams (they are ranked No. 8 by AP and No. 9 by CFP). Avello said BYU, Colorado and Miami — none of which made the playoff — all would be favored over them. "There are a lot of teams that aren't in the playoffs that would be favored," Avello said. "That's just not the way these playoffs work." Feazel said Boise State not being able to play at home on its blue carpet will be a notable disadvantage. Boise State's quarterfinal game will be at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona. "It will be all neutral," Feazel said. "It's a big step up in class for Boise." Instead of all the games being played in climate-controlled domes or warm-weather locales — as has been in the case in past postseasons — three of the four first-round matchups will take place in the Northeast and Midwest. While that might not make a difference when Notre Dame hosts in-state foe Indiana, Ohio State will be at home against Tennessee and SMU visits Penn State. BetMGM favors all four home teams by more than a touchdown. "You have to take the weather into account for some of these games," Magee said. "It's going to be really cool to see a team like Tennessee that will have to go up to Columbus, where it can get really cold. SMU has to go from Dallas to Happy Valley. That's definitely going to be one of the coldest games a lot of those kids have played in their lives." SMU was the last team in the field, getting the benefit of the doubt over Alabama. The Mustangs had one fewer defeat than the three-loss Crimson Tide, who did not appear in the SEC title game. SMU lost on a 56-yard field goal to Clemson in the ACC championship. The sportsbook operators said the Tide would be favored by 5-10 points if they met SMU on a neutral field. Get local news delivered to your inbox!President Emmanuel Macron is to name a new prime minister on Friday, aides said, after days of deadlock over finding a candidate to replace Michel Barnier whose ousting by parliament pushed France into a fresh crisis. Barnier was toppled in a historic no-confidence vote on December 4 and there had been expectations Macron would announce his successor in an address to the nation even a day later. But in a sign of the stalemate in French politics after inconclusive legislative elections this summer, he did not name his successor then and has now missed a 48-hour deadline he gave at a meeting meeting of party leaders on Tuesday. On Thursday, Macron left France on a day-long trip to key EU and NATO ally Poland but shortened the visit in an apparent bid to finalise the appointment. "The statement naming the prime minister will be published tomorrow (Friday) morning," said an aide to to the president, asking not to be named, late Thursday just after Macron touched down from the trip to Poland. "He is finishing his consultations," the aide added, without giving further details. Whoever is named will be the sixth prime minister of Macron's mandate after the toppling of Barnier, who lasted only three months, and faces an immediate challenge in thrashing out a budget to pass parliament. Each premier under Macron has served successively less time in office and there is no guarantee for the new premier that they will not follow this pattern. Macron remains confronted with the complex political equation that emerged from the snap parliamentary polls -- how to secure a government against a no-confidence vote in a bitterly divided lower house where no party or alliance has a majority. All the candidates widely floated so far have encountered objections from at least one side of the political spectrum. "They are stuck," said a person close to Macron, asking not to be named and lamenting that "each name gets blocked." "No one is in agreement around the president," added the source, expressing hope Macron will surprise everyone with an unexpected choice. Macron's rumoured top pick, veteran centrist Francois Bayrou, raises hackles on the left -- wary of continuing the president's policies -- and on the right, where he is disliked by influential former president Nicolas Sarkozy. Beyond Bayrou, prime ministerial contenders include former Socialist prime minister Bernard Cazeneuve, current Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu, a Macron loyalist, and former foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. Another name being discussed in the media is Roland Lescure, a former industry minister, but the nomination of the former Socialist risks inflaming the right. These "are names that have been around for years and haven't seduced the French. It's the past. I want us to look to the future," Greens leader Marine Tondelier said. "The French public want a bit of enthusiasm, momentum, fresh wind, something new," she told France 2 television. Polls indicate the public is fed up with the crisis. Just over two-thirds of respondents to one Elabe poll published on Wednesday said they want politicians to reach a deal not to overthrow a new government. But confidence is limited, with around the same number saying they did not believe the political class could reach agreement. In a separate IFOP poll, far-right National Rally (RN) figurehead Marine Le Pen was credited with 35 percent support in the first round of a future presidential election -- well ahead of any likely opponent. She has said she is "not unhappy" that her far-right party was left out of the horse-trading around the government, appearing for now to benefit from the chaos rather than suffer blame for bringing last week's no-confidence vote over the line. In a critical looming moment, Le Pen on March 31, 2025 faces the verdict in an embezzlement trial on charges she denies. If convicted, she could lose the chance of standing in the 2027 elections and with it her best chance yet of winning the Elysee. burs-tgb-sjw/rlp