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AMGEN ANNOUNCES 2025 FIRST QUARTER DIVIDEND

In a development that has raised some hope for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestine, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told parliament on Monday that “some progress” had been made in negotiations with Hamas to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza. The war is now over 14 months old and has already consumed around 45,000 lives, most of them women and children. Israel has also leveled most of Gaza, making it uninhabitable. In Lebanon, relentless Israeli strikes killed around 3000 people before the ceasefire was achieved after a much painstaking effort. Netanyahu’s comments came two days after Palestinian groups also talked of progress towards a truce and a hostage release deal. However, we have heard such statements before and it could very well be one more false start. The reason that the negotiations have been hopelessly stuck is because of Israel’s insistence that the ceasefire will be temporary and will come into effect only after Hamas releases all hostages. This means once Israel gets hostages back, it is free to resume war after the truce period is over and this time unrestrained by any concern for hostages. While one doesn’t know the details of the fresh ceasefire proposal, it should be the one that ensures a sustainable end to the hostilities if not the lasting peace. In recent days, indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States have taken place in Doha, rekindling hope of an agreement that has otherwise proven elusive. Fourteen months into the current war, the human cost in Gaza has reached unbearable levels. The devastation wrought by airstrikes, ground offensives, and airstrikes has reduced homes, schools, and hospitals to rubble, leaving thousands dead and displacing countless others. Children bear the brunt of this carnage, their lives scarred by fear, loss, and instability. The images emerging from Gaza—of families mourning their loved ones and neighborhoods leveled by violence— are heart-wrenching. Beyond some occasional politically correct noises, the international community has watched the situation from the sidelines. The core issues—the establishment of a lasting ceasefire, the future governance of Gaza, and the broader contours of Israeli-Palestinian relations—remain unresolved. Any resolution must go beyond temporary ceasefires and prisoner exchanges. The path to peace lies in addressing the root causes of the conflict: the statelessness of Palestinians, the blockade of Gaza, and the absence of a viable framework for coexistence. Both sides must make painful compromises, and international actors must intensify their efforts to mediate a fair and lasting settlement.

Jeffrey Fleishman | (TNS) Los Angeles Times The national furor in recent years around banning books on race and gender in public schools is intensifying as President-elect Donald Trump threatens to shut down the Department of Education, emboldening conservatives to end “wokeness” in classrooms. Battles over books in school libraries have become emblematic of the country’s larger culture wars over race, historical revisionism and gender identity. A new report by PEN America found book bans increased by nearly 200% during the 2023-24 school year, including titles on sexuality, substance abuse, depression and other issues students face in an age of accelerating technologies, climate change, toxic politics and fears about the future. Book censorship has shaken and divided school boards, pitted parents against parents, and led to threats against teachers and librarians . It is part of an agenda driven by conservative parental rights groups and politicians who promote charter schools and voucher systems that could weaken public education. The issue goes to the heart not only of what students are taught but how federal and state education policies will affect the nation’s politics after one of the most consequential elections in its history. “It’s not just about taking a book off a shelf,” said Tasslyn Magnusson, an author and teacher from Wisconsin who tracks book censorship across the U.S. “It’s about power and who controls public education. It’s about what kind of America we were and are. We’re trying to define what family is and what America means. That comes down to the stories we tell.” She said she feared Trump’s return to the White House would further incite those calling for book bans: “I don’t have lots of hope. It could get a lot worse.” Over the last year, PEN counted more than 10,000 book bans nationwide that targeted 4,231 unique titles. Most were books dealing with gender, sexuality, race and LGBTQ+ storylines. The most banned title was Jodi Picoult’s “Nineteen Minutes,” about a school shooting that included a short description of date rape. Florida and Iowa — both of which have strict regulations on what students can read — accounted for more than 8,200 bans in the 2023-24 school year. “This crisis is tragic for young people hungry to understand the world they live in and see their identities and experiences reflected in books,” Kasey Meehan, director of PEN’s Freedom to Read Program, said in a statement. “What students can read in schools provides the foundation for their lives.” Trump’s calls to close the Department of Education would need congressional approval, which appears unlikely. Although public schools are largely funded and governed by state and local institutions, the department helps pay to educate students with disabilities, provides about $18 billion in grants for K-12 schools in poor communities and oversees a civil rights branch to protect students from discrimination. But Trump’s election has inspired conservative parental groups, including Moms For Liberty and Parents Defending Education, to strengthen efforts to limit what they see as a liberal conspiracy to indoctrinate children with books and teachings that are perverse, amoral and pornographic. Tiffany Justice, co-founder of Moms for Liberty, has criticized schools that she says spend too much time on diversity and inclusion when only about one-third of U.S. children are reading at grade level: “We’re talking about public school libraries and content for kids,” Justice told NewsNation after Trump’s victory. “I think it’s very clear that there are certain things that are appropriate for kids, certain things that are appropriate for adults. We’re just getting back to commonsense America.” Trump’s threat to deny federal funding to schools that acknowledge transgender identities could affect curricula and the kinds of books school libraries stock. During his rally at Madison Square Garden in October, Trump — who has has accused schools of promoting sex change operations — said his administration would get “transgender insanity the hell out of our schools.” Vice President-elect JD Vance has accused Democrats of wanting to “put sexually explicit books in toddlers’ libraries.” Nicole Neily, president of Parents Defending Education, told Newsmax that she was excited about Trump’s calls to remake education and “clean up a lot of the mess” he has inherited from the Biden administration. Trump “has centered parental rights back in his platform, which is incredible. He has prioritized knowledge and skill, not identity politics,” she said. “American children deserve better, and it is time for change.” In nominating Linda McMahon to be his secretary of Education, Trump appears to be pushing for more conservative parental control over what is taught and read in classrooms. A former professional wrestling executive, McMahon chairs the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-connected organization that has criticized schools for teaching “racially divisive” theories, notably about slavery and a perspective about the nation’s founding it views as anti-American. “Today’s contentious debates over using classrooms for political activism rather than teaching a complete and accurate account of American history have reinvigorated calls for greater parental and citizen involvement in the curriculum approval process,” the institute’s website says. Culturally divisive issues, including race and LGBTQ+ themes, cost school districts an estimated $3.2 billion during the 2023-24 school year, according to a recent study called “The Costs of Conflict.” The survey — published by the Institute for Democracy, Education and Access at UCLA — found that battles over books and teaching about sexuality and other topics led to increased expenses for legal fees, replacing administrators and teachers who quit, and security, including off-duty plainclothes police officers. “Are we really going to spend our tax dollars on these kinds of things?” asked Magnusson. “After Trump was elected, I saw a bunch of middle-class white ladies like me who were saying, ‘This isn’t America.’ But maybe it is America.” One school superintendent in a Western state told the study’s researchers that his staff was often consumed with correcting misinformation and fulfilling public record requests mainly from hard-line parental rights activists attempting to exploit cultural war issues to discredit the district. “Our staff are spending enormous amounts of time just doing stupid stuff,” the superintendent said. “The fiscal costs to the district are enormous, but [so are] the cultural costs of not standing up to the extremists. If someone doesn’t, then the students and employees lose. ... It’s the worst it’s ever been.” The survey found that 29% of 467 school superintendents interviewed reported that teachers and other staff quit their profession or left their districts “due to culturally divisive conflict.” Censoring books in school libraries grew out of opposition to COVID-19 restrictions. A number of conservative parental groups, including Moms for Liberty, which invited Trump to speak at its national convention in August, turned their attention to lobbying against “liberal indoctrination.” Their protests against what they criticized as progressive teaching on sexuality and race were focused on increasing conservative parental control over a public education system that was struggling at teaching children reading and math. That strategy has led to a national, right-wing effort that is “redefining government power to restrict access to information in our schools,” said Stephana Ferrell, co-founder of the Florida Freedom to Read Project. “This movement to protect the innocence of our children believes if children never read it in a book they won’t have to know about it and can go on to lead harmonious lives. But books teach us cautionary tales. They instruct us. You can’t protect innocence through ignorance.” School districts across the country have removed “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe and “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George Johnson, which are about gender identity and include graphic depictions of sex, along with titles by renowned writers such as Toni Morrison, Kurt Vonnegut, George Orwell, Maya Angelou and Flannery O’Connor. Related Articles National Politics | Trump promised mass deportations. Educators worry fear will keep immigrants’ kids from school. National Politics | Trump team says Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal brokered by Biden is actually Trump’s win National Politics | How Trump’s bet on voters electing him managed to silence some of his legal woes National Politics | After delay, Trump signs agreement with Biden White House to begin formal transition handoff National Politics | Rudy Giuliani in a courtroom outburst accuses judge in assets case of being unfair, drawing a rebuke Surveys show that most Americans do not favor censorship. The Florida Freedom to Read Project and similar organizations around the country have called for thorough public reviews of challenged books to prevent one scene or passage from being taken out of context. Moderate and liberal parents groups over the last two years have also become more active in school board politics. They have supported school board candidates who have defeated those backed by Moms for Liberty in Texas, Florida and other states. “People say the pendulum will swing back,” said Ferrell. But, she said, conservatives want to “stop the pendulum from swinging back.” Picoult is accustomed to conservatives attempting to censor her. Her books have been banned in schools in more than 30 states. Published in 2007, “Nineteen Minutes” explores the lives of characters, including a girl who was raped, in a town leading up to a school shooting and its aftermath. “Having the most banned book in the country is not a badge of honor. It’s a call for alarm,” said Picoult, whose books have sold more than 40 million copies. “My book, and the 10,000 others that have been pulled off school library shelves this year, give kids a tool to deal with an increasingly divided and difficult world. These book banners aren’t helping children. They are harming them.” ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on X (Opens in new window) Most Popular Let it burn: Days-old underground fire at Williamsburg outlet mall could smolder for a week Let it burn: Days-old underground fire at Williamsburg outlet mall could smolder for a week Video: Fire burns at Williamsburg Premium Outlets as officials eye air quality Video: Fire burns at Williamsburg Premium Outlets as officials eye air quality Neighbors get into argument before fatal shooting, Hampton police say Neighbors get into argument before fatal shooting, Hampton police say Newport News council bans guns in city buildings Newport News council bans guns in city buildings Newport News council to consider banning guns from government buildings Newport News council to consider banning guns from government buildings Vinyl records comeback continues: 2 stores open in Newport News, Hampton Vinyl records comeback continues: 2 stores open in Newport News, Hampton Navy sailor charged with negligent homicide after Yorktown patrol boat incident Navy sailor charged with negligent homicide after Yorktown patrol boat incident Teel: Return as columnist at The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press is a privilege Teel: Return as columnist at The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press is a privilege ‘Clothing optional’ resort in King William again loses bid to expand 'Clothing optional' resort in King William again loses bid to expand Hayfield’s football team withdraws from VHSL playoffs after ‘evidence of potential impropriety’ Hayfield’s football team withdraws from VHSL playoffs after ‘evidence of potential impropriety’ Trending Nationally NYC judge excuses Rudy Giuliani lawyers, refuses to delay trial amid courtroom outburst from ex-mayor Dickies, 102-year-old Texas workwear company, moving its HQ to California ‘Hungry for this kind of food.’ Raw milk use surging in Florida despite law banning sales for human consumption Crazy cleaning fees have caused once-loyal Airbnb travelers to consider hotels 10 best books of 2024: The surprising reads that stuck

Rockets vs. Kings Injury Report Today – December 3Following arguably the most dominant year of golf since Tiger Woods was in his prime, Scottie Scheffler received the PGA Tour Player of the Year award on Tuesday night. It's the third straight year Scheffler has won the honor, and the World No. 1 joins Woods as the only players to win the Jack Nicklaus Award three years in a row. The award is determined by a vote of PGA Tour members. According to a news release, Scheffler received 91 percent of the vote, with Xander Schauffele and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy the only other nominees. Scheffler, 28, was the first player to win seven official PGA Tour events in a calendar year since Tiger Woods in 2007. Those victories were at some of the most prestigious events on the schedule, against some of the most elite fields. He became the first player to go back-to-back at The Players Championship, won his second career major title at the Masters and earned his other five wins at signature events: the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the RBC Heritage, the Memorial Tournament, the Travelers Championship and the season-ending Tour Championship. Though not a tour event, Scheffler captured the Olympic gold medal for men's golf at the Paris Games. He also helped the United States defeat the International team at the Presidents Cup in Montreal. "Scottie took on challenges from the best players in the world on the biggest stages all season, and being honored as PGA Tour Player of the Year is the ultimate sign of respect from his peers," PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. --Field Level MediaNew Delhi: A unique digital governance platform in India, PRAGATI, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has transformed the delivery of the country’s infrastructure projects, a study by Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and the Gates Foundation has found. Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation (PRAGATI) has driven accountability at the most senior level and supported unprecedented federal and regional collaboration, accelerating 340 projects worth $205 billion and cutting through decades of delays, the study noted. The findings were released on Monday at a symposium hosted by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bengaluru, which brought together leaders from academia and the public and private sectors to discuss how digital governance can transform infrastructure development. Titled ‘From Gridlock to Growth: How Leadership Enables India’s PRAGATI Ecosystem to Power Progress’, the case study noted that many of the 340 projects were anywhere from three to 20 years overdue. This new model not only does away with layers of obfuscation, but introduces an element of “naming and shaming” that compels officials to be directly answerable, the study has found. “PRAGATI shows us it is essential for nations to cultivate an environment where top leadership is using technology to drive cross-collaboration and regular accountability reviews. This is particularly valuable for countries aiming to make infrastructure development a pillar of economic growth,” said Soumitra Dutta, Peter Moores Dean and Professor of Management at University of Oxford. “The transition towards such systems may require initial investment and cultural shifts, but the long-term benefits of more reliable infrastructure and public trust are immeasurable, delivering a ripple effect of efficiency and success in their development agenda,” he said. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi expressed happiness at the recognition of PRAGATI effectiveness. “PRAGATI represents a wonderful amalgamation of technology and governance, ensuring silos are removed and projects are completed on time. Over the years, these sessions have led to substantive benefits, which have greatly benefitted people,” he said on X. The case study has found that the ministries and departments are now more responsive to citizen grievances, knowing that their performance will be reviewed at the highest level and subjected to a data-driven analysis. “In India’s complex federal structure, fostering cooperation between the central government and states – regardless of which political party is in power at the Centre or the states – is crucial for effective governance. The relationship between the central government and states has historically been marked by political tensions and competing priorities,” the study noted. “Different political parties often control different states, and partisan differences can easily derail important initiatives. Yet PRAGATI has emerged as a powerful demonstration of cooperative federalism in action – showing how central and state governments can work together effectively regardless of political affiliations when focused on shared development goals,” it added. The case study has recommended that potential exists to further enhance the Team India approach through PRAGATI.My Dyson Airwrap has replaced all my styling tools, and it's $125 off ahead of Black Friday

West Coast, Messed CoastTM — Still Drinking the Kool-Aid‘Getting tired’: Aussie coach hits back at media following string of poor results

Stock market today: Wall Street slips to a rare back-to-back loss