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wolf casino slots Three-time All-Star Khris Middleton is expected to make his first appearance of the season for the Milwaukee Bucks when they visit the Boston Celtics on Friday night. Middleton, 33, had surgery on both ankles in the offseason. He practiced Wednesday before a 119-104 loss to Atlanta ended Milwaukee's seven-game winning streak. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Stacker analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify drops in HIV-related deaths and look at the causes and impacts. Click for more. HIV isn't the death sentence it once was: How related deaths are dropping in the US

Hochul signs bills aimed to improve access to resources for young families

Ancient meets modern as a new subway in Greece showcases archaeological treasures THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, is opening a new subway system, blending ancient archaeological treasures with modern transit technology like driverless trains and platform screen doors. The project, which began in 2003, uncovered over 300,000 artifacts, including a Roman-era thoroughfare and Byzantine relics, many of which are now displayed in its 13 stations. Despite delays caused by preserving these findings, the inaugural line has been completed, with a second line set to open next year. Conor McGregor must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her, civil jury rules LONDON (AP) — A civil jury in Ireland has awarded more than $250,000 to a woman who says she was raped by mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor in a Dublin hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. The jury on Friday awarded Nikita Hand in her lawsuit that claimed McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in 2018. The lawsuit says the assault left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced her to do anything and that Hand fabricated her allegations after the two had consensual sex. McGregor says he will appeal the verdict. At least 15 people are sick in Minnesota from ground beef tied to E. coli recall U.S. health officials say at least 15 people in Minnesota have been sickened by E. coli poisoning tied to a national recall of more than 160,000 pounds of potentially tainted ground beef. Detroit-based Wolverine Packing Co. recalled the meat this week after Minnesota state agriculture officials reported multiple illnesses and found that a sample of the product tested positive for E. coli O157:H7, which can cause life-threatening infections. Symptoms of E. coli poisoning include fever, vomiting, diarrhea and signs of dehydration. Kendrick Lamar surprises with new album 'GNX' LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kendrick Lamar gave music listeners an early holiday present with a new album. The Grammy winner released his sixth studio album “GNX” on Friday. The 12-track project is the rapper’s first release since 2022’s “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” Lamar’s new album comes just months after his rap battle with Drake. The rap megastar will headline February's Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans. The 37-year-old has experienced massive success since his debut album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” in 2012. Since then, he’s accumulated 17 Grammy wins and became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize. Actor Jonathan Majors’ ex-girlfriend drops assault and defamation lawsuit against once-rising star NEW YORK (AP) — Jonathan Majors’ ex-girlfriend has dropped her assault and defamation lawsuit against the once-rising Hollywood star after reaching a settlement. Lawyers for Majors and Grace Jabbari agreed to dismiss the case with prejudice Thursday. Jabbari is a British dancer who had accused Majors of subjecting her to escalating incidents of physical and verbal abuse during their relationship. Representatives for Majors didn’t respond to emails seeking comment Friday. Jabbari’s lawyer said the suit was “favorably settled” and her client is moving on with “her head held high.” Majors was convicted of misdemeanor assault and harassment last December and sentenced to a yearlong counseling program. Hyundai, Kia recall over 208,000 electric vehicles to fix problem that can cause loss of power DETROIT (AP) — Hyundai and Kia are recalling over 208,000 electric vehicles to fix a pesky problem that can cause loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. The recalls cover more than 145,000 Hyundai and Genesis vehicles including the 2022 through 2024 Ioniq 5, the 2023 through 2025 Ioniq 6, GV60 and GV70, and the 2023 and 2024 G80. Also included are nearly 63,000 Kia EV 6 vehicles from 2022 through 2024. The affiliated Korean automakers say in government documents that a transistor in a charging control unit can be damaged and stop charging the 12-volt battery. Dealers will inspect and replace the control unit and a fuse if needed. They also will update software. Christmas TV movies are in their Taylor Swift era, with two Swift-inspired films airing this year Two of the new holiday movies coming to TV this season have a Taylor Swift connection that her fans would have no problem decoding. “Christmas in the Spotlight” debuts Saturday on Lifetime. It stars Jessica Lord as the world’s biggest pop star and Laith Wallschleger, playing a pro football player, who meet and fall in love, not unlike Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. On Nov. 30, Hallmark will air “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.” Instead of a nod to Swift, it’s an ode to family traditions and bonding, like rooting for a sports team. Hallmark’s headquarters is also in Kansas City. Top football recruit Bryce Underwood changes commitment to Michigan instead of LSU, AP source says ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Top football recruit Bryce Underwood has flipped to Michigan after pledging to play at LSU. That's according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share the recruit’s plans to join the Wolverines. Underwood pinned a post on his Instagram account, showing a post in which On3.com reported that he has committed to Michigan. The 6-foot-3 quarterback played at Belleville High School about 15 miles east of Michigan's campus, and told LSU nearly a year ago he intended to enroll there. Emperor penguin released at sea 20 days after waddling onto Australian beach MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The only emperor penguin known to have swum from Antarctica to Australia has been released at sea 20 days after he waddled ashore on a popular tourist beach. The adult male was found on Nov. 1 on sand dunes in temperate southwest Australia about 2,200 miles north of the Antarctic coast. He was released Wednesday from a boat that traveled several hours from Western Australia state's most southerly city of Albany. His caregiver Carol Biddulph wasn't sure at first if the penguin would live. She said a mirror was important to his rehabilitation because they provide a sense of company. Biddulph said: “They’re social birds and he stands next to the mirror most of the time.” Shohei Ohtani wins third MVP award, first in NL. Aaron Judge earns second AL honor in 3 seasons NEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani won his third Most Valuable Player Award and first in the National League, and Aaron Judge earned his second American League honor on Thursday. Ohtani was a unanimous MVP for the third time, receiving all 30 first-place votes and 420 points in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was second with 263 points and Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte third with 229. Judge was a unanimous pick for the first time. Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. got all 30 second-place votes for 270 points, and Yankees outfielder Juan Soto was third with 21 third-place votes and 229 points.Ceramics decorate this porcelain "palace" outside Jingdezhen, a city known as the porcelain capital of China. Ming Dynasty vases and ceramics are used in the rotunda. Doreen Siow JINGDEZHEN, Jiangxi – Driving into Jingdezhen, it looks like any other inland Chinese provincial city that has rampantly urbanised: concrete infrastructure and superhighways sprawled against a rustic landscape of paddy fields and mountains. But I start noticing lamp posts and road dividers clad in blue-and-white porcelain, which look a little out of place in the grey city, but point to Jingdezhen’s past as the world’s porcelain capital. The dusty city in south-eastern Jiangxi province has been producing porcelain wares for more than 2,000 years. It is surrounded by the Gaoling Mountain range, which is rich in the kaolin clay deposits needed for the finest porcelain. According to China’s imperial records, when Emperor Shizong of Liao (947-951) heard that the kaolin here produced ceramics that was “white like jade, bright as a mirror, thin as paper” and “sounds like a bell”, he arranged the Gaoling mines to supply porcelain exclusively to royalty. Royal kilns were built and over time, the porcelain was also exported. Chinese porcelain made its way to Persia around the ninth century. At the same time, Jingdezhen artisans became acquainted with Persian cobalt, which turned a vivid blue when fired under high temperatures. China’s blue-and-white ceramics became a hugely popular colour combination for decorating tableware. From the Tang Dynasty (618-907) onwards, the porcelain became a major export for China that was copied globally. At its peak, Jingdezhen employed more than a million men, women and children in 3,000 kilns in the 18th century. The manufacturing process was split into areas of specialisation. Some workers focused on mixing clay, for instance, while others fired the kilns. Artisans drew patterns, painted and carved. This division of labour continues today, though many processes have changed with the times. In Jingdezhen, even the lamp posts are clad in porcelain. PHOTO: DOREEN SIOW Today, most workshops have abandoned the kaolin from nearby mountains for purer deposits in other provinces. Electric kilns have replaced wood-fired ones. Political upheaval and mass production in factories elsewhere are among the reasons for the diminished dominance of Jingdezhen porcelain. But the craftsmanship never left the city, and the tradition is slowly being revived. While state-owned porcelain factories have shuttered, many have been converted into art hubs housing private studios and workshops. Rising affluence in China has brought new customers, while the government’s move in 2010 to promote tourism has resulted in domestic and overseas visitors flocking in. More than eight million tourists visited Jingdezhen during China’s week-long National Day holiday in 2023, according to the Jiangxi Department of Culture and Tourism. The city has also attracted over 30,000 Jing Drifters – young Chinese migrants escaping the stress of life in major metropolises like Beijing and Guangzhou. They are drawn to Jingdezhen’s lower rents, slower pace and opportunities to pursue art, set up cafes or discover themselves. Here, design lovers, influencers and travellers can marvel at porcelain rotundas, spend time at repurposed brick kilns-turned-art hubs and cafes, and shop for ceramics. Taoxichuan Ceramic Art Avenue is a popular spot to shop for ceramics. PHOTO: DOREEN SIOW Taoxichuan Ceramic Art Avenue is an art mall converted from an old porcelain factory. Parts of the brick kilns and chimneys have been retained, while the original factories have been repurposed into art studios, shops selling ceramics, eateries and open spaces for entertainment. In the evenings, the bustling plaza is filled with stalls helmed by young potters and entrepreneurs selling ceramics. Salesman Wang Xiaowei says: “Most of the factories and workshops in Jingdezhen today are small. The scale is not large because it is still mainly manual production here. There are many small family-run workshops.” He works at Qi He Tang, a porcelain shop outside Jingdezhen Sculpture Porcelain Factory, a ceramics bazaar built on the former site of a state-owned factory. His family runs a factory with some 20 employees, mostly relatives. He says porcelain tableware can be mass-produced by machines in Jingdezhen, but items such as vases and tea sets are still mostly finished by hand. “The tea sets are mass-produced, but the patterns are painted by hand,” he adds. “So, it is more expensive, and the output is low.” Another highlight is the beautiful Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum, located in the restored historical neighbourhood of Taoyangli. Next to it are the ruins of an imperial Ming Dynasty kiln. Designed by Studio Zhu Pei, the award-winning museum was built using recycled kiln bricks and new ones. Recycled bricks are plentiful in the city, as the kilns are demolished regularly to ensure top thermal performance. The archaeological museum is composed of buildings shaped like old Chinese kilns, and houses ceramic relics and shards found in the city. It is popular with tourists and international students keen to learn about pottery and Chinese ceramic culture, says Ms Zhu Ziqi, an English-speaking guide who graduated from the Jingdezhen Ceramics University. “This year also marks the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic relations. So, there are also many French people visiting,” she adds. Ming Dynasty vases and ceramics are used in the rotunda of Yu Ermei’s porcelain palace. PHOTO: DOREEN SIOW Just outside Jingdezhen is a porcelain “palace” built by grandmother and retired ceramicist Yu Ermei. The “palace” features three-storey rotundas covered from floor to ceiling in porcelain shards. More than 60,000 colourful ceramic wares, including a pair of precious Ming vases, decorate the windows, doors, ceilings and walls. The attraction is a hot spot for domestic tourists and youngsters, many dressed in traditional clothing or hanfu for photographs. Jingdezhen, which once made ceramics for royalty and dominated the world stage, has successfully transformed itself to be cool and relevant again in 21st-century China. Visitors dressed in blue and white hanfu to match the decor. PHOTO: DOREEN SIOW Different types of Jingdezhen porcelain Jingdezhen ceramicists today make a huge variety of wares – from delicate Chinese tea sets to modern Western-style tableware to contemporary art pieces commissioned by museums, casinos and other entities. A visit to the studio of ceramic artist Zhu Legeng, a grand master in China’s ceramic art world, shows how he is able to mould and fire clay into fantastical objects of art with vivid colours. Born in Jingdezhen, Zhu studied at the Jingdezhen Ceramics Institute and researched the craftsmanship, history and culture of ceramics. In an interview with China Daily, the artist noted that in ancient China, pottery and agriculture went hand in hand. “Many Chinese ceramics were products of agricultural civilisation,” he said. Oxen and other farm animals are common motifs in Chinese ceramics. PHOTO: DOREEN SIOW Zhu often uses domesticated animals as motifs in his works, and his studio displays many ox and horse sculptures in all shapes and sizes. Some of the ox sculptures are made from a special clay fired to a beautiful rustic orange hue with light gold streaks. The creations have a distinct Chinese aesthetic. Ceramics salesman Wang Xiaowei says the city mainly makes four types of porcelain: qinghua porcelain (blue-and-white porcelain), linglong porcelain with pierced ornamentation, famille rose porcelain and enamel colour-glazed porcelain. Qinghua is regarded as the most famous and popular of the four styles. Many Chinese households have blue-and-white dinner sets and vases. The main raw material, cobalt oxide, turns blue when fired at a high temperature. The patterns in linglong porcelain emerge when viewed against the light. PHOTO: DOREEN SIOW Linglong porcelain features carved patterns filled with a translucent glaze. This technique is used in Chinese tableware, where rice grain-sized shapes are hollowed out and a glaze applied several times to cover them. When held against the light, a pattern emerges. High-temperature colour glazes and colour enamel porcelain are also favoured by Jingdezhen ceramicists, who make teacups and vases with this technique, often using shapes and styles from the Song and Ming Dynasties. A red porcelain teacup in a floral shape popular in the Song Dynasty. PHOTO: DOREEN SIOW Mr Wang’s shop sells handmade, flower-shaped enamel red porcelain teacups, a style from the Song Dynasty. “The five-mouth teacup was from the Song period, when the people loved flowers,” he says. “These cups are made entirely by hand. Our relatives make it in small workshops, so the output is small and only one to two people are involved.” Famille rose porcelain, a technique brought to China in the 17th century from Europe, is when white porcelain ware is fired with a translucent glaze. Colours are applied by hand before the items are fired again. Such porcelain was especially popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. Large quantities of these wares were exported from Jingdezhen to Europe, the United States and Singapore. A Peranakan porcelain cup made in the famille rose style. PHOTO: DOREEN SIOW The famille rose porcelain in Singapore was made specially for the wealthy Straits-born Chinese community. Straits Chinese or Nonya porcelain is characterised by exuberant colours, and often features phoenix and tree peony motifs. The Singapore Peranakan Museum has a small but beautiful collection of Nonya porcelain made in Jingdezhen. There is also a selection for sale in the museum’s souvenir shop, as well as in the household department of Tangs. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel now

A judge sided with T.I. and Tiny in a Los Angeles courtroom Thursday, delaying a defamation trial against the couple that was set to begin next week and ruling there was good cause to drag their accuser into court for a contempt hearing. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Shultz said he would sign an order “charging” Sabrina Peterson with contempt for not forking over the $96,702 in attorneys’ fees she was ordered to pay T.I. and Tiny after an appeals court struck down five of the seven causes of action in Peterson’s lawsuit filed back in March 2021. The judge then warned that if Peterson fails to show up at the March 6 hearing, she could face jail time. “If she doesn’t appear, the presumption is I’m going to issue a warrant for her arrest,” Judge Shutlz said from the bench. The judge then ruled the jury trial for Peterson’s remaining claims of defamation and invasion of privacy would be pushed out to June. The trial was supposed to start next Tuesday, Dec. 10. “It’s our position that there shouldn’t be a trial until they comply with the court’s orders,” T.I. and Tiny’s lawyer, Andrew Brettler, told the court. “We’re interested in hearing Ms. Peterson’s reasons for not complying with the court’s order. I assume we’ll hear that at the [contempt] hearing.” “This has been a very long and very emotionally, mentally, and financially taxing road. I’m heartbroken I’m not able to go to court in five days, but I’m happy it’s moving forward,” Peterson told Rolling Stone after the hearing. “I’m looking forward to my day in court. I’m excited for justice to be served.” In her lawsuit filed more than three years ago, Peterson accused T.I. and Tiny of defaming her with social media posts that called her “strange,” denied her allegation T.I. once held a gun to her head, and disputed her claims T.I. sexually assaulted multiple women. T.I. and Tiny fought the lawsuit up through California’s 2nd Appellate District, which eventually spiked Peterson’s claims for trade libel, intentional and negligent interference with prospective economic advantage and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress. After the five claims were dismissed, Peterson was ordered to cover T.I. and Tiny fees. Editor’s picks The 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time Despite the judgment, the underlying allegations in Peterson’s lawsuit remain at issue. She says she was telling the truth when she stated T.I. held a gun to her head and said, “Bitch, I’ll kill you,” after she got into an argument with his assistant. She posted about the alleged assault on her Instagram account in January 2021 and stands by her decision to share video and screen shots purportedly showing other women in Atlanta accusing T.I. of abuse. According to Peterson, T.I., Tiny and another friend, Shekinah Jones Anderson, defamed her when they subsequently used their own social media accounts boasting a combined 23.6 million followers to issue “demonstrably false” statements that people online “reasonably” understood to be about her. Tiny’s post included a photo of T.I. posing with Peterson’s son, who was eight years old at the time. “Hold up,” Tiny wrote in a Jan. 26, 2021, post. “So you want your abuser to train your sons? He was just uncle 2 years ago... now when did you say my husband assaulted you? Did you change your mind or change it back? What’s up wit you today Pooh?... You strange. Everybody know you been special.” Three days later, T.I. and Tiny posted a joint statement denying Peterson’s claims. T.I. then posted a video to his Instagram that went viral. “Whatever we ever have done has been done with consensual adults who into what we into and like what we like,” he said. “We want something, we know exactly where to go to get it. We ain’t never forced nobody, we ain’t never drugged nobody against their will. We ain’t never held nobody against their will. We never made nobody do anything. We never trafficked anything. Well, sexually traffic, anything. I ain’t ever raped nobody.” Related Content I'm a Georgia Law Professor. The YSL Trial Was a 'Drain on Everybody's Resources' The Meaning of Jay-Z’s Criminal Justice Crusade Axl Rose Settles Sexual Assault Lawsuit, Maintains Innocence Ghislaine Maxwell Prosecutor Joins Sean Combs Sex Trafficking Trial Anderson, meanwhile, posted on Jan. 29, 2021 that Peterson allegedly wanted Tiny to be her girlfriend and was seeking “attention.” Peterson claimed that after the couple and Anderson responded, she was “inundated with harassing and threatening Instagram messages.” She said T.I. and Tiny’s denials caused Peterson “to be shunned by clients” and exposed her to “hatred, ridicule, and contempt.” On Thursday, Anderson appeared at the hearing by video and said the litigations has created a hardship for her. After the parties discussed pushing the trial out to September 2025, she objected. “That’s a long time. This case has been drug out,” Anderson told the judge. “I don’t have money to afford counsel, so I represent myself. It’s really hard.” She said she deserved an earlier date. The judge agreed and set the trial for June 9.YourUpdateTV Speaks with Mia Syn, MS, Registered Dietician Nutritionist, about the Many Ways to ...

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield ( ELV -1.38% ) (BCBS) is backing off of a plan that would have placed a cap on the amount of time it covers for anesthesia used during medical procedures. The change, announced on Thursday, comes after the insurer faced pushback regarding the plan from a professional group as well as intense backlash on social media. “There has been significant widespread misinformation about an update to our anesthesia policy. As a result, we have decided to not proceed with this policy change,” a spokesperson told Quartz in an emailed statement. “To be clear, it never was and never will be the policy of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to not pay for medically necessary anesthesia services. The proposed update to the policy was only designed to clarify the appropriateness of anesthesia consistent with well-established clinical guidelines.” Antehem BCBS announced last month that the now-cancelled policy would have gone in effect starting February 2025 in Connecticut, New York, and Missouri. The changed triggered immediate disapproval from the American Society of Anesthesiologists. “With this new policy, Anthem will arbitrarily pre-determine the time allowed for anesthesia care during a surgery or procedure,” the industrty group said in a statement at the time. “If an anesthesiologist submits a bill where the actual time of care is longer than Anthem’s limit, Anthem will deny payment for the anesthesiologist’s care.” Among the wider public, the rule change received little attention until UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot in New York City on Wednesday, sparking heightened public scrutiny over health insurers . Multiple outlets reported on Thursday that shell casings from the shooting had the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose” written on them. Some have speculated that these words refer to terms industry critics use to describe tactics that insurers employ to deny claims. Several posts on social media brought attention to the rule. On Thursday evening, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Connecticut Comptroller Sean Scanlon posted on the social media site X that they were able to get Anthem to reverse their policy. “We pushed Anthem to reverse course on their decision to strip anesthesia coverage away from New Yorkers and today they will be announcing a full reversal of this misguided policy,” Hochul wrote in the post. 📬 Sign up for the Daily Brief Our free, fast, and fun briefing on the global economy, delivered every weekday morning.