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aviator slots game Newport World Resorts is the first and only EarthCheck Silver Certified integrated resort in the Philippines. Talk about beauty from inside and out. That’s the case with some of the country’s leading hotel groups, which have committed to combine sustainability with luxury. For the five-star City of Dreams Manila, its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) efforts align with the “RISE to go Above and Beyond” sustainability strategy of its parent company, Melco Resorts & Entertainment Ltd. (Melco). The group’s ambitious environmental goals include achieving carbon neutral and zero-waste resorts by as early as 2030. This strategy covers the luxury international hotel brands in the 6.2-hectare luxury integrated resort: Nobu Hotel Manila, Nuwa Manila, and Hyatt Regency Manila that are already receiving local and international recognition for their groundbreaking green initiatives. City of Dreams Manila, for example, was the first among the integrated resorts to use renewable energy, with its solar panels reducing the resort’s reliance on fossil-fuel-based energy and thus contributing to decarbonization efforts. City of Dreams Manila’s P76-million 3,120 solar panels have helped reduce the property’s reliance on fossil-fuel-based energy. The P76-million 3,120 PV solar panels, which generate 1,600 megawatt hour or equivalent to charging over 139 million smartphones, was installed in 2020. To further harness solar energy, an additional P30 million 612 PV solar panels generating 400 MWh annually are currently being installed. The resort has likewise invested in a Nordaq water filtration system and bottling facility worth $370,000 on-site. This has contributed to the reduction of 11.6 million single-use plastic (SUP) bottles, plastic wet amenities, and plastic consumables across the hotel rooms, casino floors, and throughout the resort and its spas and gyms being diverted from landfills. City of Dreams is also focused on food waste, one of the biggest challenges faced by the hospitality industry. So far this year, about three metric tons of food waste (such as vegetable and fruit peelings) have been composted through the on-site vermicomposting facility. The vermicompost system has produced about five metric tons and 3,400 liters of Vermicast and Vermitea, respectively. These nutritious fertilizers nurture the herb garden, which provide about 209 kilograms of fresh herbs for the resort’s kitchens, resulting in a circular and regenerative system. Other efforts to reduce food waste include the installation of a food waste composting machine that harnesses a microbial technology to compost food waste. The byproduct is a form of compost that can be used as soil amendment for various horticulture applications, which the property gives to farmers. This year, City of Dreams has so far turned over about 3.6 metric tons of compost to its partner farmers. For these and other sustainability programs, each of the property’s Forbes Travel Guide-starred hotels bagged the Asean Green Hotels Award, “for upholding sustainable tourism through environment-friendly principles, resource consumption reduction, and local community involvement.” SM Hotels and Convention Corp.’s Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay City has a Giving Garden that supplies the hotel fresh produce. Meanwhile, pioneer integrated resort Newport World Resorts has also integrated sustainable practices across its operations through its I Love Earth (ILE) campaign. “We believe sustainability is not just a trend—it is a long-term commitment to the future of the industry. We will continue to strengthen and expand our commitment to sustainability with the full support of our chairman, Kevin Tan, not just in sourcing, but also in renewable energy, waste reduction, emissions, and other crucial areas,” said Bruce Winton, Newport World Resorts’ ILE Green Council chair and Marriott Manila general manager. Among its notable programs is the development of an on-site machine farm in collaboration with Malaysian agricultural technology company BoomGrow Indoor Precision Farming Machine. This technology allows fresh produce to be grown all year-round, producing a higher yield while using 95-percent less land, 95-percent less water, and 95-percent less fuel. These initiatives are part of a broader sustainability strategy that spans across Newport World Resorts’ operations and the different brands it holds across the 25-hectare property. From healthy, responsible, and sustainable sourcing of supplies; water and energy efficiency measures; operational reforms to reduce waste, and holistic transformations through teaching, training, and technology, the property’s entire ecosystem has pitched in to create more environmentally friendly operations. These efforts have earned for Newport World Resorts a number of awards, including the Best Sustainability Program from Asia Gaming Awards and Sustainability Company of the Year during the Asia CEO Awards 2024. As for SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. (SMHCC), its sustainability efforts are anchored on the 7Gs or Seven Green Goals, based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). These include reducing emissions from power consumption, encouraging responsible consumption, recycling water, and promoting sustainable tourism. The overall thrust for sustainability is cascaded to the rest of properties, ensuring that it is embedded at every step of the hotel’s operations, SMHCC said. Since the baseline year of 2019, the hospitality unit of the Sy family-led SM Group of Companies has made considerable progress, with its greenhouse gas emissions cut by as much as 40 percent in five years. Energy consumption per guest has likewise dropped by 40.19 percent since 2019, while food waste has also been dramatically reduced by 60 percent. Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay, for instance, has a Giving Garden that supplies the hotel’s fresh produce. “We have diverted 198 tons of food waste from landfills as of 2019 to 2023. More importantly, food waste prevention is where we take our first steps. We’ve made it our priority through mindful production and simple innovative solutions.” Leah Magallanes, VP for quality and sustainability at SMHCC, said earlier this year. Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . These efforts show that for these hotel groups, sustainability is not just a buzzword, but a way of life that makes perfect business sense.Bwala’s appointment will help Tinubu administration – APC Spokespersons League

WATFORD's late win over Portsmouth ended in farce after one Hornets star was red-carded - for taunting opposition fans with his dance moves. Kwadwo Baah was sent off after the final whistle following a feisty clash at Vicarage Road. Rocco Vata netted a stoppage-time penalty for the hosts to hand Watford a dramatic 2-1 win. Following wild celebrations, Tom Cleverley 's men saw out the game to head back into the Championship playoff places. Baah - who had been booked in the first half - headed towards the Portsmouth away support after the final whistle. He was filmed taunting the video fans, throwing out some moves from video game Fortnite in front of a packed contingent from the South Coast. READ MORE ON FOOTBALL After his teammates tried and failed to pull Baah away, Pompey's Terry Devlin charged over to confront the German. Referee Geoff Eltringham brandished the red card, halting the jiving Baah in his tracks. But plenty felt the punishment was overly harsh, with a host of supporters defending the striker on social media. One Watford fan wrote on X: "Was receiving stick from Pompey all of the first half, had every right to go and give some back." Most read in Football FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS Another said: "Why has he actually been sent off?? He did nothing wrong!!" While a third added: "Kwadwo Baah getting sent off after the FT whistle for taunting Portsmouth fans and doing the Fortnite dance in front of them. This boy is going straight to the top." And a fourth laughed: "To be fair he ran from the halfway line, he was hardly just walking past." While Watford's official X account tweeted: "Baah giving it back to the away end." Cleverley's Hornets are back in the top sixth thanks to the late Boxing Day victory. Watford have lost just two of their last ten games across all competitions. Their success has been built on making Vicarage Road a fortress - but the former Man Utd star wants his players to turn things around on the road. Cleverley said in the build-up to the clash: "At home we've suffered setbacks and responded to them, but away from home we just don't show the same character or mindset to come back from any deficits. "I would never criticise my players for a technical mistake but when I see players shying away from wanting to receive the ball, then we've got a real issue. READ MORE SUN STORIES "To get to the level we want to get to we can't just do it in the home games - we have to do it in the toughest environments. "At the minute we're playing like a team who want to flip a coin and finish between fifth and 10th rather than really grab our own destiny by the scruff of the neck."Reverse Mortgage Second Lien Program Gains Momentum as Essential Financial Tool for SeniorsMysterious data center company inks deal to buy huge amount of power in Montana

WASHINGTON (AP) — One year after the Jan. 6, 2021 , U.S. Capitol attack, Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department was committed to holding accountable all perpetrators “at any level” for “the assault on our democracy.” That bold declaration won't apply to at least one person: Donald Trump. Special counsel Jack Smith's move on Monday to abandon the federal election interference case against Trump means jurors will likely never decide whether the president-elect is criminally responsible for his attempts to cling to power after losing the 2020 campaign. The decision to walk away from the election charges and the separate classified documents case against Trump marks an abrupt end of the Justice Department’s unprecedented legal effort that once threatened his liberty but appears only to have galvanized his supporters. The abandonment of the cases accusing Trump of endangering American democracy and national security does away with the most serious legal threats he was facing as he returns to the White House. It was the culmination of a monthslong defense effort to delay the proceedings at every step and use the criminal allegations to Trump's political advantage, putting the final word in the hands of voters instead of jurors. “We always knew that the rich and powerful had an advantage, but I don’t think we would have ever believed that somebody could walk away from everything,” said Stephen Saltzburg, a George Washington University law professor and former Justice Department official. “If there ever was a Teflon defendant, that’s Donald Trump.” While prosecutors left the door open to the possibility that federal charges could be re-filed against Trump after he leaves office, that seems unlikely. Meanwhile, Trump's presidential victory has thrown into question the future of the two state criminal cases against him in New York and Georgia. Trump was supposed to be sentenced on Tuesday after his conviction on 34 felony counts in his New York hush money case , but it's possible the sentencing could be delayed until after Trump leaves office, and the defense is pushing to dismiss the case altogether. Smith's team stressed that their decision to abandon the federal cases was not a reflection of the merit of the charges, but an acknowledgement that they could not move forward under longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. Trump's presidential victory set “at odds two fundamental and compelling national interests: On the one hand, the Constitution’s requirement that the President must not be unduly encumbered in fulfilling his weighty responsibilities . . . and on the other hand, the Nation’s commitment to the rule of law,” prosecutors wrote in court papers. The move just weeks after Trump's victory over Vice President Kamala Harris underscores the immense personal stake Trump had in the campaign in which he turned his legal woes into a political rallying cry. Trump accused prosecutors of bringing the charges in a bid to keep him out of the White House, and he promised revenge on his perceived enemies if he won a second term. “If Donald J. Trump had lost an election, he may very well have spent the rest of his life in prison,” Vice President-elect JD Vance, wrote in a social media post on Monday. “These prosecutions were always political. Now it’s time to ensure what happened to President Trump never happens in this country again.” After the Jan. 6 attack by Trump supporters that left more than 100 police officers injured, Republican leader Mitch McConnell and several other Republicans who voted to acquit Trump during his Senate impeachment trial said it was up to the justice system to hold Trump accountable. The Jan. 6 case brought last year in Washington alleged an increasingly desperate criminal conspiracy to subvert the will of voters after Trump's 2020 loss, accusing Trump of using the angry mob of supporters that attacked the Capitol as “a tool” in his campaign to pressure then-Vice President Mike Pence and obstruct the certification of Democrat Joe Biden's victory. Hundreds of Jan. 6 rioters — many of whom have said they felt called to Washington by Trump — have pleaded guilty or been convicted by juries of federal charges at the same courthouse where Trump was supposed to stand trial last year. As the trial date neared, officials at the courthouse that sits within view of the Capitol were busy making plans for the crush of reporters expected to cover the historic case. But Trump's argument that he enjoyed absolute immunity from prosecution quickly tied up the case in appeals all the way up to the Supreme Court. The high court ruled in July that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution , and sent the case back to the trial court to decide which allegations could move forward. But the case was dismissed before the trial court could got a chance to do so. The other indictment brought in Florida accused Trump of improperly storing at his Mar-a-Lago estate sensitive documents on nuclear capabilities, enlisting aides and lawyers to help him hide records demanded by investigators and cavalierly showing off a Pentagon “plan of attack” and classified map. But U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case in July it on grounds that Smith was illegally appointed . Smith appealed to the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, but abandoned that appeal on Monday. Smith's team said it would continue its fight in the appeals court to revive charges against Trump's two co-defendants because “no principle of temporary immunity applies to them.” In New York, jurors spent weeks last spring hearing evidence in a state case alleging a Trump scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex. New York prosecutors recently expressed openness to delaying sentencing until after Trump's second term, while Trump's lawyers are fighting to have the conviction dismissed altogether. In Georgia, a trial while Trump is in office seems unlikely in a state case charging him and more than a dozen others with conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state. The case has been on hold since an appeals court agreed to review whether to remove Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis over her romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she had hired to lead the case. ____ Associated Press reporter Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed. Alanna Durkin Richer, The Associated Press

WATFORD's late win over Portsmouth ended in farce after one Hornets star was red-carded - for taunting opposition fans with his dance moves. Kwadwo Baah was sent off after the final whistle following a feisty clash at Vicarage Road. Rocco Vata netted a stoppage-time penalty for the hosts to hand Watford a dramatic 2-1 win. Following wild celebrations, Tom Cleverley 's men saw out the game to head back into the Championship playoff places. Baah - who had been booked in the first half - headed towards the Portsmouth away support after the final whistle. He was filmed taunting the video fans, throwing out some moves from video game Fortnite in front of a packed contingent from the South Coast. After his teammates tried and failed to pull Baah away, Pompey's Terry Devlin charged over to confront the German. Referee Geoff Eltringham brandished the red card, halting the jiving Baah in his tracks. But plenty felt the punishment was overly harsh, with a host of supporters defending the striker on social media. One Watford fan wrote on X: "Was receiving stick from Pompey all of the first half, had every right to go and give some back." FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS Another said: "Why has he actually been sent off?? He did nothing wrong!!" While a third added: "Kwadwo Baah getting sent off after the FT whistle for taunting Portsmouth fans and doing the Fortnite dance in front of them. This boy is going straight to the top." And a fourth laughed: "To be fair he ran from the halfway line, he was hardly just walking past." While Watford's official X account tweeted: "Baah giving it back to the away end." Cleverley's Hornets are back in the top sixth thanks to the late Boxing Day victory. Watford have lost just two of their last ten games across all competitions. Their success has been built on making Vicarage Road a fortress - but the former Man Utd star wants his players to turn things around on the road. Cleverley said in the build-up to the clash: "At home we've suffered setbacks and responded to them, but away from home we just don't show the same character or mindset to come back from any deficits. "I would never criticise my players for a technical mistake but when I see players shying away from wanting to receive the ball, then we've got a real issue. "To get to the level we want to get to we can't just do it in the home games - we have to do it in the toughest environments. "At the minute we're playing like a team who want to flip a coin and finish between fifth and 10th rather than really grab our own destiny by the scruff of the neck."Central Africa needs traction on financial inclusion to advance economic growth

Quest Partners LLC lowered its stake in shares of Garrett Motion Inc. ( NYSE:GTX – Free Report ) by 50.4% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 56,946 shares of the company’s stock after selling 57,870 shares during the quarter. Quest Partners LLC’s holdings in Garrett Motion were worth $466,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Gladius Capital Management LP acquired a new position in Garrett Motion during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $58,000. Seizert Capital Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Garrett Motion by 76.6% in the 3rd quarter. Seizert Capital Partners LLC now owns 659,132 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,392,000 after acquiring an additional 285,918 shares during the period. Royce & Associates LP raised its stake in Garrett Motion by 7.1% in the 3rd quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 1,649,218 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,491,000 after acquiring an additional 109,430 shares during the last quarter. Lummis Asset Management LP lifted its position in Garrett Motion by 49.1% during the 3rd quarter. Lummis Asset Management LP now owns 175,150 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,433,000 after acquiring an additional 57,702 shares during the period. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in Garrett Motion by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,225,850 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,027,000 after purchasing an additional 38,852 shares during the last quarter. 86.27% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Insider Activity at Garrett Motion In other news, SVP Thierry Mabru sold 50,000 shares of Garrett Motion stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $7.47, for a total transaction of $373,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 140,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,049,602.23. The trade was a 26.25 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website . 0.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Garrett Motion Price Performance Garrett Motion ( NYSE:GTX – Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $0.24 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.30 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $826.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $854.00 million. Garrett Motion had a negative return on equity of 31.48% and a net margin of 6.54%. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.23 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Garrett Motion Inc. will post 1.08 EPS for the current fiscal year. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, BWS Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $12.00 target price on shares of Garrett Motion in a report on Friday, October 25th. Read Our Latest Research Report on GTX Garrett Motion Company Profile ( Free Report ) Garrett Motion Inc, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and sells turbocharging, air and fluid compression, and high-speed electric motor technologies for original equipment manufacturers and distributors worldwide. The company offers cutting-edge technology for the mobility and industrial space, including light vehicles, commercial vehicles, and industrial applications. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GTX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Garrett Motion Inc. ( NYSE:GTX – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Garrett Motion Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Garrett Motion and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

COMMERCE, Texas (AP) — Scooter Williams Jr. had 19 points in East Texas A&M's 68-67 victory over Abilene Christian on Wednesday. Williams added six rebounds and three steals for the Lions (2-10). Khaliq Abdul-Mateen added 17 points while going 3 of 8 and 11 of 12 from the free-throw line while he also had five assists and three steals. The Lions snapped a seven-game slide. Quion Williams led the Wildcats (7-5) in scoring, finishing with 17 points and seven assists. Leonardo Bettiol added 16 points and seven rebounds for Abilene Christian. Hunter Jack Madden had 13 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Brentford boss Thomas Frank claimed Brighton forward Joao Pedro should have been sent off during his side’s goalless Premier League draw at the Amex Stadium. Pedro escaped punishment after swinging an arm at Bees substitute substitute Yehor Yarmoliuk without making contact. VAR reviewed the second-half incident but deemed there was no violent conduct. Frank and Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler disagreed about the decision. “As I understand the rules, you can’t swing your arm to try to hit someone,” said Frank. “If you hit them or not, it’s a red, that’s the way I understand the rules.” Frank spoke to the match officials, including referee Andy Madley, about the flashpoint at full-time. “They haven’t seen the situation yet, not on TV afterwards,” said Frank. “To be fair to him, I think the angle can be tricky so that’s why you’ve got VAR.” Asked about Frank’s assessment, Hurzeler replied: “Interesting opinion. I see it completely different. “For me, it’s not a red card. He tried to get free from a person.” Brighton were booed off after their winless run was stretched to six top-flight games. Albion dominated for large periods and hit the woodwork inside four minutes through Julio Enciso. Bees goalkeeper Mark Flekken made some important saves before being forced off injured in the 36th minute, albeit his replacement Hakon Valdimarsson was rarely tested on his Premier League debut. The Seagulls remain 10th ahead of Monday’s trip to Aston Villa, with Brentford a position and two points below moving towards their New Year’s Day showdown with Arsenal. Hurzeler thought the jeers at full-time were unfair. “The team doesn’t deserve that because in all the games we had in the last weeks they were all good, they were all intense, they were all where we thought we deserved more” said the German, whose team have lost to Fulham and Crystal Palace and drawn with Southampton, Leicester and West Ham in recent matches. “We try to work hard to satisfy our supporters, we try to give them what they deserve, we try to make them proud. “But the Premier League is tough. We know there will be (tough) periods we have to go through, especially with this young squad. “We try to stick together, find the positive and keep on going.” Brentford, who remain without a top-flight away win this term, had an early Yoane Wissa finish ruled out for offside following VAR intervention but barely threatened, despite an improved second-half showing. Frank, who is awaiting news on Flekken and defender Ben Mee, who also left the field injured, said: “I thought it was a fair point. “Brighton were better in the first half, no big, clearcut chances, and I thought we were better second half. “Overall, I’m happy with the performance, especially the way we defended. “We haven’t had too many clean sheets this season, so in that context I thought it was very impressive against a good Brighton team. “We know we have a lot of players out – we get two more injuries during the game. “The way the players showed their mentality and character and dug in was hugely impressive.”His name is Dr. Osatohanmwen Osemwengie, the Nigerian-born genius, better known as the ‘American Drone Builder’. He is also described as “an academic juggernaut” boasting of four PhDs and seven Masters Degrees in the areas of robotics and engineering. Since he relocated to the United States in the ‘80s he has become an indispensable asset to the American Armed Forces; shaping the country’s future in military technology. That is according to the ‘Africa Giant’ online portal. In addition, he played a pivotal role in the innovation and production of the Mars Curiosity Rover, which has been exploring the rugged terrains of Planet Mars and unraveling the Martian mysteries long after it was set in motion. Not done, he is currently immersed in developing a military game collision avoidance software for drones. As aptly stated in the portal, “the next time you see a drone zipping across the sky, remember Osemwengie.” Now you understand why he is ranked as one of the most educated minds on Planet Earth and why his people refer to him as the ‘Edo Pride’. But has Nigeria, as a country benefitted from the hi-tech products of his creative ingenuity? That is the billion-dollar question. Yet, there is more to worry about. For instance, only recently, a 12 year-old Nigerian-born girl, Eniola Shokunbi currently in Connecticut, USA designed an air filter to reduce the spread of air – borne diseases in US schools. The unit is constructed using a simple combination of components: a box fan, four furnace filters, duct tape, and cardboard. In her fifth grade at Commodore MacDonough STEM Academy in Middletown, they were tasked with creating a solution to enhance safety in schools during potential future pandemics. Therefore, to combat airborne viruses like COVID-19, she developed a simple but effective air filter system. “Shokunbi’s air filter design showcases both innovation and cost-effectiveness”. The piece of good news is that the Connecticut State Bond Commission approved $11.5 million in funding for the design. But a similar question remains: Will Nigeria benefit from the air filter? The answer is hanging in the wind. It would be recalled that back in June 2023 one was thrilled with the piece of news that three Nigerian lecturers, Dr. Aliyu Isa Aliyu, Tukur Abdulkadir Sulaiman and Abdullahi Yusuf were listed among the top 2% most-cited scientists in the world. That was a few years after another Nigerian-born Silas Adekunle became the youngest and richest robotics engineer in the world, then at the age of 26. As reflected in my related opinion essay urging the government to take note of such sterling achievements, not left out of the praise-worthy exploits of Nigerian-born scientists, inventors, engineers, innovators, lawyers and entrepreneurs is the interesting fact that Nigerian doctors, nurses, hi-tech entrepreneurs rank amongst the best and highest in number in the United States(US). The million-naira question this soul-lifting scenario raises is that why for instance, are we still grappling with lack of stable electric power supply, as the national grid keeps collapsing one month after another? What is responsible for the absence of good access roads, functional and well-equipped hospitals and an educational delivery system to cater for our myriad of challenges? That is where the leadership question comes in. “Truth be told, we have gotten to a point when governments and institutions should charge our scientists and technologists-both at home and abroad-to find solutions to many of our persisting economic challenges, with mouth-watering prizes to the bargain” – Oyoze Baje (April, 2023) It is worthy of note that yours truly made a passionate appeal to Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, as Acting President in February 2017 to consider constituting a Presidential Committee on Impact Creativity. It was through my opinion essay titled: ‘Making the Best Use of Our Best Brains.’ The aim is to bring together the creative works of our inventors, innovators, top scientists/technologists, thinkers, artists and geniuses-both at home and in the Diaspora- to maximally benefit the technological and economic landscape of the country. Such exists in the United Kingdom, the United States, India, China, Cuba and even Brazil where there are deliberate polices for massive funding of researches and their implementation. The governments-both federal and states- should have credible data on these great achievers and their products. Truth be told, governments and institutions should charge our scientists and technologists to find solutions to many of our persisting economic challenges with mouth-watering prizes to the bargain. For instance, in 1795 the French military offered a cash prize of 12,000 francs for a new method, to preserve food which Appert won in January 1810. The private sector should not be left out. How would it feel should Dangote have a prize for solutions to pot-hole riddled roads? His colleagues in more developed countries are already thinking ahead, on who and what would take over from Sean Parker, Mark Zuckerberg and Evan Spiegel. One billionaire called Peter Thiel has a Foundation that gives out $100,000(dollars) each to young inventors. Out of the over 122 beneficiaries, the most notable is James Proud. His ingenious product called ‘Sense’ is a small hardware gadget worth $149 that monitors how well the buyer sleeps. It has been discovered that the quality of our sleep affects our health and longevity. As patriots who believe in the greatness of ‘One Nigeria’, we are proud to be associated with names of Professors Philip Emeagwali, Gabriel Oyibo, Samuel Achilefu, Babajide Alo and Ayodele Olaiya. They ring a loud and crisp-clear bell in the hallowed halls of creativity, globally. Others include Col. Oviemo Ovadje (Retd), Jelani Aliyu, Brino Gilbert, Shehu Saleh Balami, Saheed Adepoju, to name a few. But Nigeria has not benefited much from their immense intellectual resources. Yet, the fault is not theirs but that of our policy makers. For instance, Emeagwali is regarded as one of the Founding Fathers of the Internet. For his feats, he was awarded the prestigious Gordon Bell Prize normally reserved for 18 scientists. He has been able to use super computers to see the inside of oil fields with greater accuracy. With such, he states that if only one per cent more oil is extracted, it pays for itself as it amounts to billions of dollars! But has Nigeria, an oil-producing country leveraged on his great discovery? The answer is obvious. On his part, Gabriel Oyibo, the Kogi State-born engineer, mathematician, researcher and physicist has done what Albert Einstein could not achieve for thirty years! In 2002 he successfully solved the Grand Unification Field Theory. For that he was allegedly nominated for the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2002 and 2003. But has Nigeria recognized or utilized his technological breakthroughs? I am afraid, not. In a similar vein, Nigeria has not benefited from Prof. Samuel Achilefu’s invention. His is the ground-breaking development of a set of high-tech, cancer-visualizing goggles which assist surgeons to see cancer cells in real-time while operating on patients. It won him the prestigious St. Louis Award in 2014. With all these outstanding global achievements in various fields of human endeavor and given our God-given, rich and vast natural resources Nigeria has no reason to be at the bottom rung of the Human Development Index(HDI), as well as among the world capital of persisting poverty. A more creative approach to governance and pragmatic synergy with the best of our brains will place Nigeria amongst the best in the world of science and hi-technology.

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Austin Seibert missed his second extra point of the game with 21 seconds left after Washington’s Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin connected on an 86-yard touchdown, Dallas’ Juanyeh Thomas returned the ensuing onside kick attempt for a touchdown, and the Cowboys pulled out a 34-26 victory Sunday that extended the Commanders’ skid to three games. Seibert, who missed the previous two games with a right hip injury, was wide left on the point-after attempt following a low snap. Thomas then took the kick back 43 yards as the Cowboys (4-7) ended their losing streak at five in improbable fashion. Part of that was the play of backup Cooper Rush, who threw for 247 yards and two TDs in his third start in place of starter Dak Prescott. Part was also the defense forcing two turnovers, as Chauncey Golston ripped the ball out of Brian Robinson Jr.’s hands for what was called an interception of Daniels in the second quarter, and Donovan Wilson stripped John Bates midway through the fourth. KaVonte Turpin provided the fireworks with a spinning, 99-yard kickoff return TD seconds after Daniels found Zach Ertz in the end zone and scored on a 2-point conversion to cut the deficit to three with 3:02 left. In the final three minutes alone, the Commanders (7-5) scored 10 points and allowed Thomas' TD. All that after the score was 10-9 through three quarters before madness ensued. Washington's playoff hopes that looked solid not long ago are now in serious jeopardy after losing to Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Dallas. Before the scoring outburst late, much of this defeat had to do with Daniels and the offense not being able to find any kind of a rhythm. The Cowboys did, despite playing without their two best offensive linemen, top cornerback and starting tight end. Rush's 6-yard pass to Jalen Tolbert was Dallas' first third-quarter TD of the season, and his 22-yarder to Luke Schoonmaker came after Wilson's forced fumble. Daniels finished 25 of 38 for 274 yards, including his second interception of the game on a failed Hail Mary as the clock expired. Rico Dowdle ran 19 times for 86 yards to spring the upset for the Cowboys, who were 10 1/2-point underdogs on BetMGM Sportsbook. Injuries Cowboys: LG Tyler Smith was inactive with ankle and knee injuries. ... RG Zack Martin (ankle), CB Trevon Diggs (groin/knee) and TE Jake Ferguson (concussion) were ruled out prior to game day and did not travel for the game. Commanders: RB Austin Ekeler was injured on a kickoff return in the final seconds. ... Robinson left with an ankle injury in the first half, returned and then left again. ... RT Andrew Wylie was concussed in the third quarter and did not return. ... C Tyler Biadasz was evaluated for a concussion in the fourth. ... CB Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) missed a third consecutive game since being acquired at the trade deadline from New Orleans. Up next Cowboys: Host the New York Giants on Thursday in the traditional Thanksgiving Day game in Dallas. Commanders: Host the Tennessee Titans next Sunday in Washington’s final game before its late bye week. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Stephen Whyno, The Associated PressThe Inner Circle acknowledges, James Carlyle West as a Pinnacle Professional MemberBEREA, Ohio (AP) — The Cleveland Browns have again restructured quarterback Deshaun Watson's massive contract to create salary-cap space and give them future flexibility, a person familiar with the move told The Associated Press on Friday. Watson has been limited to just 19 games in three seasons because of an NFL suspension and injuries with the Browns, who signed him to a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract in 2022. The restructuring allows the team to spread out the salary-cap hit after the 2026 season, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team does not disclose contract specifics. The 29-year-old Watson has two years remaining on his contract with an average of $46 million a year, and with a salary-cap hit of $72.9 million in those seasons. The latest move adds a voidable year for 2028, giving the Browns cap flexibility following 2026, the final year on Watson’s deal. The agreement to restructure Watson's contract will not preclude the Browns from adding talent at the quarterback position in 2025, the person said. Watson played in only seven games this season before suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon. He's 9-10 as a starter with Cleveland. The Browns (3-12) have been a major disappointment after making it to the playoffs a year ago behind Joe Flacco, who was signed as a free agent after Watson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Watson had surgery in October and is expected to make a full recovery. While the team hasn't disclosed its plans at quarterback, it's assumed Watson will be in the mix to be the starter next season. It's also possible the Browns will draft a quarterback in the first round. The team hasn't had a first-round pick the past three years after trading three to the Houston Texans to acquire Watson, who was once considered one of the league's elite QBs. Watson's disappointing tenure — he hasn't thrown for 300 yards in any game — has been a sore spot with Cleveland fans, who had hoped the team had finally resolved its interminable QB issues when they signed the three-time Pro Bowler three years ago. But it hasn't worked out, and the major investment in Watson and the salary-cap ramifications of his contract — the largest fully guaranteed deal in league history — have made it difficult for the Browns to upgrade their roster. Watson has shown flashes of being a competent starting quarterback, but there have been just as many moments in which he's looked hesitant in the pocket or unable to connect with receivers down field. Watson was suspended for the first 11 games of his first season in Cleveland after an independent arbiter ruled he violated the conduct policy after he was accused by more than two dozen women of sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions. Since having surgery, Watson has been rehabbing his Achilles injury. He has not spoken to reporters for months. On Thursday, he posted a photo of himself on Instagram standing without wearing a walking boot. The caption read: “Back on My Feet! MOREGLORY!” Last week, Browns defensive star Myles Garrett caused a stir by saying he did not want to be part of a rebuild in Cleveland. Garrett also made it clear he wanted to know the team's offseason plans, including what the Browns intended to do at quarterback. On Friday, Garrett said he had “a few” discussions this week with the team's front office following his surprising comments. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year didn't reveal any specifics of the talks. “They just wanted to see where my head was at and what I was thinking and just trying to keep things in house, in house,” said Garrett, who will turn 29 on Sunday. Garrett was asked if he got a favorable reaction from teammates. “They want to know what’s coming next as well,” he said. “So I haven’t really heard too many people speak up on whether they liked my comments or not. Everyone’s kind of feeling the same way. But I’m not going to assume and I’ll have my answer at the end of the year.” NOTES: TE David Njoku (knee), DE Ogbo Okoronkwo (knee) and WR Cedric Tillman (concussion) were ruled out for Sunday's game. ... Backup QB Jameis Winston (shoulder) is questionable. If he can't play, Bailey Zappe will be Cleveland's No. 2 QB behind Dorian Thompson-Robinson. ... Coach Jason Tarver said LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is in “good spirits” after sustaining a neck injury on Oct. 27. Owusu-Koramoah was hurt in a collision with Ravens running back Derrick Henry. The Browns have been vague about Owusu-Koramoah's injury and recovery. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

NEW YORK , Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Report with market evolution powered by AI - The global recreational boats market size is estimated to grow by USD 6.28 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.97% during the forecast period. Increasing customer engagement in recreational boating activities is driving market growth, with a trend towards growing population of high-net-worth individuals. However, high total cost of ownership for recreational boats poses a challenge.Key market players include A. H. Wadia Boat Builders, Azimut Benetti SpA, Baja Marine , Bavaria Yachtbau GmbH, Brunswick Corp., Christensen Shipyards LLC, Damen Shipyards Group, Feadship Holland BV, Grady White Boats Inc., Great American Marine, Groupe Beneteau, Halevai Power, Jettec Jet Boats Ltd., Malibu Boats Inc., Marine Products Corp., MasterCraft Boat Holdings Inc., Nobiskrug Yachts GmbH, Shandong Heavy Industry Group Co. Ltd., and Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd.. AI-Powered Market Evolution Insights. Our comprehensive market report ready with the latest trends, growth opportunities, and strategic analysis- View Free Sample Report PDF Forecast period 2024-2028 Base Year 2023 Historic Data 2018 - 2022 Segment Covered Type (Sailboats, Personal watercrafts (PWC), and Inflatables), Product Type (Outboards and Inboard), and Geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa) Region Covered North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Key companies profiled A. H. Wadia Boat Builders, Azimut Benetti SpA, Baja Marine, Bavaria Yachtbau GmbH, Brunswick Corp., Christensen Shipyards LLC, Damen Shipyards Group, Feadship Holland BV, Grady White Boats Inc., Great American Marine, Groupe Beneteau, Halevai Power, Jettec Jet Boats Ltd., Malibu Boats Inc., Marine Products Corp., MasterCraft Boat Holdings Inc., Nobiskrug Yachts GmbH, Shandong Heavy Industry Group Co. Ltd., and Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. Key Market Trends Fueling Growth The Recreational Boats Market is experiencing in demand due to pent-up demand and increasing confidence levels among consumers. Travel restrictions are easing, leading to an uptick in boat sales. Boat options cater to various preferences and budgets, including pontoons, cruises, water sports boats, and personal watercraft. Used boat sales are also on the rise due to cost savings. Boat manufacturers and dealerships are focusing on larger cruises, local tourism, recreational fishing, and sustainable development. Emission norms are a key consideration, with boat engine manufacturers addressing Nitrogen Oxide, hydrocarbons, and particulate matter. Untapped markets and online boat sales are also driving growth. Cost savings and e-commerce giants are impacting production schedules and trade barriers, including import duties and luxury goods. The yacht segment and leisure boating continue to be popular, with luxury features, outboards, speed, and cost-effectiveness driving demand. Safety considerations and emission regulations are important, as are water bodies, tourist hotspots, and overall tourism. Sustainable development, economy, and production schedules are industry dynamics shaping the recreational industry. Leisure activities, tourism activities, personal ships, watercraft sales, rental services, river cruises, and small and large cruises are all part of the market landscape. Battery prices and environmental impact are also key considerations. Organizations are focusing on navigable waters, water sports demand, international tourists, and tourism operators. Sailboats, motorboats, yachts, fishing boats, and cruising boats come in various sizes and engine types, including electric drives and diesel engines. Sports fishing and transportation are also popular uses for recreational boats. The recreational boats market caters primarily to high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), who represent a small fraction of the global population but hold significant wealth. According to the World Bank, HNWIs make up less than 1% of the world's population, yet they control over 40% of its total wealth. This demographic has a growing affinity for leisure activities, including recreational boating. Initially concentrated in the Western world, HNWIs are now found in various regions globally. The expanding population of HNWIs drives demand for luxury boats, thereby fueling market growth. Leisure boating has emerged as a popular recreational activity among this demographic, contributing to the market's expansion. Insights on how AI is driving innovation, efficiency, and market growth- Request Sample! Market Challenges Insights into how AI is reshaping industries and driving growth- Download a Sample Report Segment Overview This recreational boats market report extensively covers market segmentation by 1.1 Sailboats- The recreational boats market is experiencing growth due to the rise in recreational tourism and increasing sailing activities. Europe , specifically, is a significant region for yachts, with popular destinations like Greece , Spain , France , and Italy attracting thousands of tourists, particularly high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), for business events and meetings. The global tourism industry's growth, with Southeast Asia leading the way, is fueling the demand for sailboats. Countries such as China and India contribute significantly to this trend, spending more on foreign tourism than domestic. Sailing races, including the America's Cup and Asian Sailing Championships, further boost market growth. Parasailing, a popular water sport, adds to the market's expansion in various coastal areas. China , particularly Hangzhou , is emerging as a leader in water sports, increasing tourism and recreational activities. These factors collectively drive the growth of the sailboats segment in the global recreational boats market. Download complimentary Sample Report to gain insights into AI's impact on market dynamics, emerging trends, and future opportunities- including forecast (2024-2028) and historic data (2018 - 2022) Research Analysis The Recreational Boats Market is experiencing in demand due to pent-up travel desires and increasing confidence levels as restrictions ease. Boat options cater to various preferences, budgets, and water bodies, including pontoons, sailboats, and motorboats. Tourist hotspots and overall tourism industry dynamics continue to influence market growth. Sustainable development and environmental impact are key considerations, with organizations advocating for eco-friendly practices and technologies. Economy plays a significant role in production schedules and consumer purchasing power. Battery prices and water sports demand are also factors shaping the market. International tourists and tourism operators are major consumers, with navigable waters offering diverse opportunities for leisure activities. Industry dynamics remain influenced by trends, regulations, and technological advancements. Market Research Overview The Recreational Boats Market is experiencing in demand due to pent-up demand and rising confidence levels as travel restrictions ease. Boat options cater to various preferences and budgets, including pontoons, cruises, water sports boats, and personal watercraft. Used boat sales are also on the rise due to cost savings. Larger cruises and luxury yacht segment are gaining popularity in overall tourism, particularly in tourist hotspots. However, emission norms are a significant consideration, with boat engine manufacturers focusing on reducing Nitrogen Oxide, hydrocarbons, and particulate matter. Untapped markets, online boat sales, and e-commerce giants are disrupting traditional boat manufacturers and dealerships. Industry dynamics are influenced by production schedules, sustainability, and economic factors. Leisure activities, including boating and fishing, are essential components of the recreational industry. Navigable waters, such as rivers and lakes, offer diverse opportunities for recreational boating, water sports, and tourism activities. Safety considerations, emission regulations, and maintenance costs are essential factors for consumers. Water bodies and local authorities collaborate with tourism businesses to promote sustainable development and economic growth. Overall, the recreational boating market is a significant contributor to the economy and offers versatility, functionality, and cost-effectiveness for various leisure activities. Table of Contents: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Company Landscape 11 Company Analysis 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/recreational-boats-market-to-grow-by-usd-6-28-billion-2024-2028-rising-boating-activities-driving-revenue-report-on-ai-driven-market-transformation---technavio-302316077.html SOURCE Technavio

NNPC ex-GMDs defend Port Harcourt Refinery overhaul, dismiss criticism

WASHINGTON (AP) — One year after the Jan. 6, 2021 , U.S. Capitol attack, Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department was committed to holding accountable all perpetrators “at any level” for “the assault on our democracy.” That bold declaration won't apply to at least one person: Donald Trump. Special counsel Jack Smith's move on Monday to abandon the federal election interference case against Trump means jurors will likely never decide whether the president-elect is criminally responsible for his attempts to cling to power after losing the 2020 campaign. The decision to walk away from the election charges and the separate classified documents case against Trump marks an abrupt end of the Justice Department’s unprecedented legal effort that once threatened his liberty but appears only to have galvanized his supporters. The abandonment of the cases accusing Trump of endangering American democracy and national security does away with the most serious legal threats he was facing as he returns to the White House. It was the culmination of a monthslong defense effort to delay the proceedings at every step and use the criminal allegations to Trump's political advantage, putting the final word in the hands of voters instead of jurors. “We always knew that the rich and powerful had an advantage, but I don’t think we would have ever believed that somebody could walk away from everything,” said Stephen Saltzburg, a George Washington University law professor and former Justice Department official. “If there ever was a Teflon defendant, that’s Donald Trump.” While prosecutors left the door open to the possibility that federal charges could be re-filed against Trump after he leaves office, that seems unlikely. Meanwhile, Trump's presidential victory has thrown into question the future of the two state criminal cases against him in New York and Georgia. Trump was supposed to be sentenced on Tuesday after his conviction on 34 felony counts in his New York hush money case , but it's possible the sentencing could be delayed until after Trump leaves office, and the defense is pushing to dismiss the case altogether. Smith's team stressed that their decision to abandon the federal cases was not a reflection of the merit of the charges, but an acknowledgement that they could not move forward under longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. Trump's presidential victory set “at odds two fundamental and compelling national interests: On the one hand, the Constitution’s requirement that the President must not be unduly encumbered in fulfilling his weighty responsibilities . . . and on the other hand, the Nation’s commitment to the rule of law,” prosecutors wrote in court papers. The move just weeks after Trump's victory over Vice President Kamala Harris underscores the immense personal stake Trump had in the campaign in which he turned his legal woes into a political rallying cry. Trump accused prosecutors of bringing the charges in a bid to keep him out of the White House, and he promised revenge on his perceived enemies if he won a second term. “If Donald J. Trump had lost an election, he may very well have spent the rest of his life in prison,” Vice President-elect JD Vance, wrote in a social media post on Monday. “These prosecutions were always political. Now it’s time to ensure what happened to President Trump never happens in this country again.” After the Jan. 6 attack by Trump supporters that left more than 100 police officers injured, Republican leader Mitch McConnell and several other Republicans who voted to acquit Trump during his Senate impeachment trial said it was up to the justice system to hold Trump accountable. The Jan. 6 case brought last year in Washington alleged an increasingly desperate criminal conspiracy to subvert the will of voters after Trump's 2020 loss, accusing Trump of using the angry mob of supporters that attacked the Capitol as “a tool” in his campaign to pressure then-Vice President Mike Pence and obstruct the certification of Democrat Joe Biden's victory. Hundreds of Jan. 6 rioters — many of whom have said they felt called to Washington by Trump — have pleaded guilty or been convicted by juries of federal charges at the same courthouse where Trump was supposed to stand trial last year. As the trial date neared, officials at the courthouse that sits within view of the Capitol were busy making plans for the crush of reporters expected to cover the historic case. But Trump's argument that he enjoyed absolute immunity from prosecution quickly tied up the case in appeals all the way up to the Supreme Court. The high court ruled in July that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution , and sent the case back to the trial court to decide which allegations could move forward. But the case was dismissed before the trial court could got a chance to do so. The other indictment brought in Florida accused Trump of improperly storing at his Mar-a-Lago estate sensitive documents on nuclear capabilities, enlisting aides and lawyers to help him hide records demanded by investigators and cavalierly showing off a Pentagon “plan of attack” and classified map. But U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case in July it on grounds that Smith was illegally appointed . Smith appealed to the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, but abandoned that appeal on Monday. Smith's team said it would continue its fight in the appeals court to revive charges against Trump's two co-defendants because “no principle of temporary immunity applies to them.” In New York, jurors spent weeks last spring hearing evidence in a state case alleging a Trump scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex. New York prosecutors recently expressed openness to delaying sentencing until after Trump's second term, while Trump's lawyers are fighting to have the conviction dismissed altogether. In Georgia, a trial while Trump is in office seems unlikely in a state case charging him and more than a dozen others with conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state. The case has been on hold since an appeals court agreed to review whether to remove Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis over her romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she had hired to lead the case. ____ Associated Press reporter Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed. Alanna Durkin Richer, The Associated PressFinal regular-season games loom large in determining conference championship matchups

NoneThe O’Jays lead vocalist, Eddie Levert, has lost his youngest daughter, Ryan Levert. She was 22. Two grandchildren of Eddie Levert, LeMicah Levert and Carlysia Levert, confirmed Ryan’s death this week via Instagram. They are both children of Eddie’s late son, Gerald Levert. In an Instagram post , LeMicah said he knew “something” was wrong when Ryan didn’t answer her phone. “Whenever you didn’t answer the phone, I knew something was wrong, and now I’m going to have that feeling forever,” the post read. " I love you @missryanlevert! I wasn’t prepared for this.” According to an iHeartRadio report, Carlysia posted a tribute to Ryan on Instagram stories , stating, “Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers for my family. Please send extra love up for my papa and nana.” Ryan’s Instagram bio said that she’s a “lupus fighter,” but neither of the posts revealed any more information regarding her death, and the family has not confirmed how or when she died. According to the L.A. Times , this is the third child Eddie has lost after his son Gerald died in 2006 of a heart attack. His second son, Sean Levert, died in April of 2008 after falling ill while carrying out a jail sentence. Sean was 39. Ryan, born in March 2002, is the daughter of Eddie and his second wife, Raquel Capelton. Although she wasn’t very active on Instagram, she shared photos celebrating her 21st birthday last year. Her final post was made at the start of 2024, sharing her hopes for the new year. “Happy 2024, praying for good health, more love, and more laughter,” the Instagram post reads . Eddie Levert has not commented on the death of his daughter. Stories by Kaylyn Greene Hallmark actor opens up about cancer diagnosis and recovery: ‘It’s been a long road’ Is your favorite store open on Christmas 2024? Check this list of what’s closed today When can you find last-minute groceries for Christmas? Here’s what to know

None

WASHINGTON - Call it a very uncivil war, a food fight or even a pig pile. An argument pitting some of President-elect Donald Trump’s biggest supporters against each other has rocked MAGA world in recent days over whether his incoming administration should allow more highly skilled immigrant labor to come to the United States at the expense of American workers. What makes the beef especially awkward - or delicious, depending on who you ask – is that Trump’s D.O.G.E. duo of tech billionaires , Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy , are at the center of it. And the brawl is taking place almost entirely on Musk’s X platform, the informal public square for Trump’s whole Make America Great Again movement. On one side are Musk, the world's richest man, and Ramaswamy, who is worth an estimated $1 billion from his Roivant Sciences pharmaceutical company. The two, and other venture capitalists, say in recent posts that America needs more highly-skilled workers to come to the United States under what’s known as the H-1B program . They argue an expansion of the temporary work visa program is desperately needed to attract global talent for innovation and competitiveness in technology sectors. On the other side are some of Trump’s more traditional hardline conservative backers, who say such a reliance on bringing in foreign workers to the country is a slap in the face to American citizens after immigration served as a critical campaign plank that helped Trump win the White House in November. More: Trump taps Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy to lead new 'Department of Government Efficiency' It also goes against Trump’s “America First” agenda and proposed crackdown on immigration, they argue, for billionaires like Musk and Ramaswamy to argue for bringing in more workers through H-1B instead of investing in training and developing Americans for those coveted jobs. It's one of the first riffs between factions of Trump's MAGA constituency since the 2024 election's conclusion, with Musk, Ramaswamy and other participants trending on X in the days since the dispute began. At issue is the H-1B program, which applies to employers seeking to hire “nonimmigrant aliens as workers in specialty occupations” that require “highly specialized knowledge” and at least a college bachelor’s degree, according to the Department of Labor. The federal agency says H-1B is specifically designed to help employers “who cannot otherwise obtain needed business skills and abilities from the U.S. workforce by authorizing the temporary employment of qualified individuals” from outside the U.S. Trump’s transition team had no comment when asked whether the president-elect was taking sides in the H-1B battle. But it referred USA TODAY to an X post sent Thursday from Trump’s longtime immigration policy czar Stephen Miller, which cited a 2020 Trump speech praising the “miraculous story” of all of the homegrown American heroes who built the country from scratch. What sparked the contretemps? The conflict came to a head Sunday when Trump named Silicon Valley veteran Sriram Krishnan to serve as his senior policy advisor for artificial intelligence inside the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Born and educated in India, Krishnan came to the U.S. in 2007. More recently he's been an associate of Musk’s who reportedly assisted in his revamp of X , formerly Twitter, after Musk bought it for $44 billion in 2022. Krishnan began taking heavy fire on X after MAGA hardliners resurfaced two recent X posts in which he appeared to argue for expanding H-1B and even ditching a current 7% cap that has created huge backlogs in countries like India and China with big pools of highly-skilled workers vying for U.S. jobs. “Anything to remove country caps for green cards / unlock skilled immigration would be huge ,” Krishnan posted on Nov. 14. Asked by an X user that same day whether “ country caps ... might backfire ,” Krishnan doubled down, saying, “simple logic - we need the best, regardless of where they happen to be born.” Fast forward to Christmas Day : Musk made himself a lightning rod for the MAGA critics, saying tech companies need to double the number of the visa to attract “super talented engineers AND super motivated” workers. “It comes down to this: do you want America to WIN or do you want America to LOSE,” Musk wrote in one of many X posts on the topic, this one seen by 9.1 million people. “If you force the world’s best talent to play for the other side, America will LOSE. End of story.” Ramaswamy, a first-generation American citizen whose parents immigrated from India, also drew the rath of some MAGA hardliners when he argued that American culture “has venerated mediocrity over excellence,” beginning in grade school and carrying over into the professional world. That, he posted on X, is the “reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born & first-generation engineers over ‘native’ Americans.” Critics quickly shifted their anger from Krishnan to Musk and Ramaswamy, who Trump tapped six weeks ago to co-lead a new Department of Government Efficiency that will work to slash federal government spending, waste and regulations. Some charged that Musk and Ramaswamy, a former 2024 Republican presidential candidate and Trump rival, had a financial interest, given that their own companies depend on foreign workers to operate. “This is code for: ‘I don’t want to shrink my current piece of the pie to invest in the engines needed to cultivate Americans who can do the job, develop the American human capital here for intangible long-term impacts, and instead import it for at a lower cost and higher return now,” one X poster replied to Musk. Replying to a critic, Musk defended his position by saying, “The number of people who are super talented engineers AND super motivated in the USA is far too low.” That prompted critics to attack Musk for implying that Americans not only lacked the requisite talent to work for people like him, but that they were lazy as well. “Open a school,” one retorted . “We have brains.” MAGA heavyweight and The Federalist CEO Sean Davis described the H-1B program as a kind of cheap pool of indentured servants. “Corporations love H-1B visas,” Davis tweeted , “because they allow the company to pay below market wages AND control the foreigners they hire, because the employers, not the workers, own the visas—if a newly imported foreigner leaves the sponsoring company, he has to leave the country.” MAGA ally and provocateur Laura Loomer also stepped in, saying Musk’s massive business presence in China made him something of an agent of the Communist regime who couldn’t be trusted on immigration issues. “We all know you only donated your money so you could influence immigration policy and protect your buddy Xi JinPing (sic),” the Chinese leader. On Friday, as Musk continued to parry with critics, longtime Trump ally Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene – noting the “ MAGA split over this issue ” - appeared to criticize “some big MAGA voices with large social media platforms throwing down their opinions.” Greene , a Georgia Republican, didn’t name Musk or Ramaswamy by name. But she told H-1B supporters to instead invest “here in the U.S. to educate, build, and facilitate a solid foundation of knowledgeable, highly skilled, talented, well paid, AMERICAN workers.” What does Trump say? While Trump campaigned in 2024 as a hardliner on illegal immigration, his stance on the legal pipeline for entry is less well-formed, especially when it comes to green cards as a gateway to permanent residency in the U.S. Trump has targeted the H-1B program in past remarks and restricted some access to foreign worker visas during his first term. More recently, though, he has suggested he might be more open to more foreign-born workers. So far, Trump appears to be staying out of the current fight. But in a cryptic twist on Friday morning, the president-elect sent out a tweet left open to interpretation, with some musing it was meant as a direct message to Musk instead. The post quickly went viral, which much speculation that Trump was asking his biggest campaign donor and his son X, short for X AE A-XII, to come back to his Palm Beach estate and club. The two have spent much time there as Musk helps Trump with his transition moves since his Nov. 5 election victory. “Where are you? When are you coming to the ‘Center of the Universe,’ Mar-a-Lago,” Trump asks in the X post. “Bill Gates asked to come, tonight. We miss you and x! New Year’s Eve is going to be AMAZING!!! DJT.” Trump’s transition team had no comment as to whether the message was meant for Musk.CM Omar Abdullah meets delegates of World Craft Council

They said it: A young survivor’s sorrow

Bengaluru, Dec 26 (PTI) Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra and other senior party leaders condoled the death of former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Thursday. Dr Singh died in AIIMS Delhi late evening. He was 92. Expressing condolences over the demise of Dr Singh, Vijayendra said that the former prime minister will be remembered for his dignity, his intellect and his unwavering commitment to India’s progress. Taking to social media platform 'X', Vijayendra said, "From pioneering economic reforms that opened India’s gates to global markets, to steering the nation through turbulent times as Prime Minister, his contributions remain monumental." May his soul rest in peace, and may his family find strength in this difficult hour, he added. Former Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said that Dr Singh led the country for ten years as an economist and prime minister. "His passing away is an irreparable loss to the country. I pray that God will grant eternal peace to his soul and grant his family and fans the strength to bear the grief of his passing," he said in a post on 'X'. BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka said that Dr Manmohan Singh, who served the nation in many capacities for nearly five decades as Union Finance Minister, RBI Governor, Economic Advisor, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, and prime minister, has lost a distinguished politician with his passing. "I pray to God that his soul may rest in peace and that his family members may be given the strength to bear this pain," he added. (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)Manmohan Singh’s special bond with Visakhapatnam