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casino slots win NoneGENEVA Former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero on Tuesday called for an urgent global mobilization for peace. Speaking at the 10th UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) Global Forum in Portugal, Zapatero highlighted the worsening state of global conflicts, emphasizing the growing violence in Gaza, Ukraine, and Africa. "The Alliance of Civilizations must be an Alliance of Civilizations for peace. And Mr. Secretary-General (Antonio Guterres), someone must initiate a global social mobilization for peace in favor of an international community that is about to be destroyed, broken, and shattered in its capacity for dialogue," he said. Zapatero described the UN Alliance of Civilizations as a tool for promoting peace and called on civil society to pressure governments into ending conflicts. Condemning the human toll of war, he criticized the relentless use of bombs, drones, and missiles that claim innocent lives. “Women and children do not know what they are dying for," he said. "Mr. Secretary-General, how many victims will there be this week in the wars we are experiencing? No, we cannot take pride in this. Millions must mobilize." He called for firm action to uphold the principles of the UN Charter signed in San Francisco, stressing that these principles are “trampled on every day.” Zapatero argued that "every instance of international law being violated results in more victims, war, violence, and hatred," adding: "It is difficult to consider democracies that violate international laws as democracies." He also commended Guterres for his “dignity” in addressing the Gaza crisis.None

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The expanded Big Ten is poised to be a major player in this season's College Football Playoff. The 18-team conference had three of the top-four teams in the AP poll this week — No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 4 Penn State. A one-loss Indiana team is ranked 10th but is still very much a contender to make the playoff, given how many Southeastern Conference teams have three defeats or more. Indiana's rise has been perhaps the Big Ten's biggest story this season. Much of the spotlight was on newcomers Oregon, Southern California, UCLA and Washington, but aside from the top-ranked Ducks, that foursome has struggled to impress. Meanwhile, the Hoosiers won their first 10 games under new coach Curt Cignetti before losing at Ohio State last weekend. Oregon beat Ohio State 32-31 back in October, and if the Buckeyes beat rival Michigan this weekend, they'll earn a rematch with the Ducks for the Big Ten title. And it's entirely possible another matchup between those two teams awaits in the CFP. Dillon Gabriel has quarterbacked Oregon to an unbeaten record, throwing for 3,066 yards and 22 touchdowns in 11 games. But don't overlook Iowa's Kaleb Johnson and his 21 rushing TDs, and quarterback Kurtis Rourke has been a big part of Indiana's improvement. Penn State's Abdul Carter has eight sacks and two forced fumbles and could be one of the top edge rushers drafted this year. Oregon (11-0, 8-0), Ohio State (10-1, 7-1), Penn State (10-1, 7-1), Indiana (10-1, 7-1), Illinois (8-3, 5-3), Iowa (7-4, 5-3), Michigan (6-5, 4-4), Minnesota (6-5, 4-4), Washington (6-5, 4-4), Southern California (6-5, 4-5), Nebraska (6-5, 3-5) and Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) have already reached the six-win mark for bowl eligibility. Michigan State (5-6, 3-5) and Wisconsin (5-6, 3-5) can join them. There may not be many firings in general at the top level of college football. The prospect of sharing revenue with athletes in the future might lead schools to be more judicious about shedding one coach and hiring a new one. Who should be most worried in the Big Ten? Well, Lincoln Riley is struggling to stay above .500 in his third season at USC. Purdue is 1-10, but coach Ryan Walters is only in his second season. Maryland's Mike Locksley has been there six years and his Terrapins are 4-7, but this was his first real step backward after guiding the team to three straight bowl wins. Cignetti has shown it is possible for a coaching change to push a previously moribund program to some impressive heights in a short amount of time — but the improvement has been more incremental at Michigan State following Jonathan Smith's arrival. Sherrone Moore wasn't a completely unknown commodity at Michigan after he won some massive games in place of a suspended Jim Harbaugh last year. But in his first season completely at the helm, the Wolverines have declined significantly following their national title a season ago. The Big Ten is home to one of the most dynamic freshmen in the country in Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith. He has 52 catches for 899 yards and nine touchdowns. Highly touted quarterback Dylan Raiola has teamed up with fellow freshman Jacory Barney (49 catches) to lead Nebraska to bowl eligibility. Ohio State is on track to land the Big Ten's top class, according to 247 Sports, but the big news recently was quarterback Bryce Underwood flipping from LSU to Michigan. If the Wolverines do in fact keep Underwood in his home state, that would be a big development for Moore.Arsenal make Mikel Arteta proud after smashing Sporting LisbonLexus: A guide to everything you need to know

US ski star Mikaela Shiffrin said Wednesday that she's "starting to feel a little bit more human" after suffering a puncture wound in a giant slalom crash but confirmed she won't race at Beaver Creek, Colorado, this month. "This is another fairly ambiguous injury and really hard to put a timeline of when I'll be either back on snow or back to racing," Shiffrin said in a video posted on social media. "But I do know that I will not be starting in Beaver Creek." Shiffrin had already said after Saturday's crash she didn't expect to be ready for the Colorado races, a downhill on December 14 and a super-G on December 15. On Wednesday, she said that whatever object caused the puncture in her abdomen also left "tore a cavern" in her oblique muscles. She said she had also undergone further testing to check for possible damage to her colon. "There were some air bubbles where the puncture came pretty close to the colon," she said. "Last night's check confirmed that my colon is, indeed, intact." Shiffrin was closing in on a once unimaginable 100th World Cup victory when she crashed in the second leg of the giant slalom at Killington, Vermont, on Saturday. She hit one gate and tumbled through another before sliding into the catch fencing and was taken from the hill on a sled. She won't miss any races this weekend because the two women's giant slaloms scheduled for Tremblant, Canada, were cancelled because of lack of snow. However, Shiffrin said she would be sorry not to resume her bid for a 100th World Cup win on the circuit's next US stop. "This is a really big bummer, not to be able to race Birds of Prey," Shiffrin said. "But on the other hand I was really lucky and I'm really looking forward to cheering my teammates on racing Beaver Creek." In 2023, Shiffrin broke Ingemar Stenmark's record of 86 World Cup wins, a mark once considered unassailable. Compatriot Lindsey Vonn has the second-most alpine World Cup wins by a woman with 82. bb/js

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Friday hospitals have only two days’ fuel left before they must restrict services, after the UN warned aid delivery to the war-devastated territory is being crippled. The warning came a day after the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant more than a year into the Gaza war. The United Nations and others have repeatedly decried humanitarian conditions, particularly in northern Gaza where Israel said Friday it had killed two commanders involved in Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack that triggered the war. Gaza medics said an overnight Israeli raid on Beit Lahia and nearby Jabalia resulted in dozens killed or missing. Marwan al-Hams, director of Gaza’s field hospitals, told reporters all hospitals in the Palestinian territory “will stop working or reduce their services within 48 hours due to the occupation’s (Israel’s) obstruction of fuel entry”. World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Friday he was “deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of 80 patients, including 8 in the intensive care unit” at Kamal Adwan hospital, one of just two partly operating in northern Gaza. Late Thursday, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, Muhannad Hadi, said: “The delivery of critical aid across Gaza, including food, water, fuel and medical supplies, is grinding to a halt.” He said that for more than six weeks Israeli authorities “have been banning commercial imports” while “a surge in armed looting” has targeted aid convoys -‘Absurd and false’ – Vowing to stop Hamas from regrouping, Israel on October 6 began an air and ground operation in Jabalia and then expanded it to Beit Lahia. Gaza’s health ministry says the operation has killed thousands. The UN says more than 100,000 have been displaced from the area, and an official told the Security Council last week that people “are effectively starving”. Issuing the warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, the Hague-based ICC said there were “reasonable grounds” to believe they bore “criminal responsibility” for the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare, and crimes against humanity including over “the lack of food, water, electricity and fuel, and specific medical supplies”. A furious Netanyahu said: “Israel rejects with disgust the absurd and false actions and accusations made against it.” He said the judges were “driven by anti-Semitic hatred of Israel”. On Friday, he thanked his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban for his show of “moral clarity” in inviting him to visit in defiance of the ICC warrant, which Orban branded “political”. Hungary currently holds the rotating EU presidency. US President Joe Biden, whose country is Israel’s top military supplier, called the warrants against Israeli leaders “outrageous”, but other world leaders supported the court. Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said Netanyahu would be arrested if he set foot in the country. Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday discussed efforts towards a ceasefire in Lebanon, the White House said. – Warrant for Hamas chief – The ICC also issued a warrant for Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, saying it had grounds to suspect him of war crimes and crimes against humanity over the attacks on Israel that sparked the war, and including “sexual and gender-based violence” against hostages. Israel said it killed Deif in July, but Hamas has not confirmed his death. On Thursday, a UN representative said an Israeli raid on Palmyra in Syria this week was “likely the deadliest” by Israel on the country so far. On Friday, a war monitor said the strikes killed 92 pro-Iran fighters. Israel again bombed Gaza on Friday. In Gaza City, just south of Jabalia, one man who said he took his cousins to hospital after a strike urged “the world... to put an end” to the war. Belal, who gave only his first name, said 10 members of his family had been killed. At least 44,056 people have been killed in Gaza during more than 13 months of war, most of them civilians, according to figures from Gaza’s health ministry which the United Nations considers reliable. Hamas triggered the war with the deadliest attack in Israeli history, which resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. The war expanded to Lebanon in late September when Israel escalated air strikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah and later sent ground troops into southern Lebanon, after nearly a year of tit-for-tat cross-border exchanges which Hezbollah said were in support of Hamas. Lebanon says more than 3,580 people have been killed in the country, most of them since late September. Israeli strikes again targeted Hezbollah’s south Beirut stronghold and south Lebanon on Friday, the official National News Agency said. Thousands of UN peacekeepers are based in southern Lebanon and have reported coming under attack numerous times, blaming both Israel and “non-state” actors. On Friday, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Hezbollah was probably behind a rocket attack that lightly wounded four Italian peacekeepers.

By Tony Leys | KFF Health News GLENWOOD, Iowa — Hundreds of people who were separated from society because they had disabilities are buried in a nondescript field at the former state institution here. Disability rights advocates hope Iowa will honor them by preventing the kind of neglect that has plagued similar cemeteries at other shuttered facilities around the U.S. The southwest Iowa institution, called the Glenwood Resource Center, was closed this summer in the wake of allegations of poor care . The last of its living residents were moved elsewhere in June. But the remains of about 1,300 people will stay where they were buried on the grounds. The graveyard, which dates to the 1800s, covers several acres of sloping ground near the campus’s brick buildings. A 6-foot-tall, weathered-concrete cross stands on the hillside, providing the most visible clue to the field’s purpose. On a recent afternoon, dried grass clippings obscured row after row of small stone grave markers set flat in the ground. Most of the stones are engraved with only a first initial, a last name, and a number. “If somebody who’s never been to Glenwood drove by, they wouldn’t even know there was a cemetery there,” said Brady Werger, a former resident of the facility. During more than a century of operation, the institution housed thousands of people with intellectual disabilities. Its population declined as society turned away from the practice of sequestering people with disabilities and mental illness in large facilities for decades at a time. The cemetery is filled with residents who died and weren’t returned to their hometowns for burial with their families. State and local leaders are working out arrangements to maintain the cemetery and the rest of the 380-acre campus. Local officials, who are expected to take control of the grounds next June, say they’ll need extensive state support for upkeep and redevelopment, especially with the town of about 5,000 people reeling from the loss of jobs at the institution. Hundreds of such places were constructed throughout the U.S. starting in the 1800s. Some, like the one in Glenwood, served people with disabilities, such as those caused by autism or seizure disorders. Others housed people with mental illness. Most of the facilities were built in rural areas, which were seen as providing a wholesome environment. States began shrinking or closing these institutions more than 50 years ago. The shifts were a response to complaints about people being removed from their communities and subjected to inhumane conditions, including the use of isolation and restraints. In the past decade, Iowa has closed two of its four mental hospitals and one of its two state institutions for people with intellectual disabilities. After closures in some other states, institutions’ cemeteries were abandoned and became overgrown with weeds and brush. The neglect drew protests and sparked efforts to respectfully memorialize people who lived and died at the facilities. “At some level, the restoration of institutions’ cemeteries is about the restoration of humanity,” said Pat Deegan, a Massachusetts mental health advocate who works on the issue nationally . Deegan, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager, sees the neglected graveyards as symbolic of how people with disabilities or mental illness can feel as if their individual identities are buried beneath the labels of their conditions. Deegan, 70, helped lead efforts to rehabilitate a pair of overgrown cemeteries at the Danvers State Hospital near Boston, which housed people with mental illness before it closed in 1992. More than 700 former residents were buried there, with many graves originally marked only with a number. The Massachusetts hospital’s grounds were redeveloped into a condominium complex. The rehabilitated cemeteries now have individual gravestones and a large historical marker, explaining what the facility was and who lived there. The sign notes that some past methods of caring for psychiatric patients seem “barbarous” by today’s standards, but the text portrays the staff as well-meaning. It says the institution “attempted to alleviate the problems of many of its members with care and empathy that, although not always successful, was nobly attempted.” Deegan has helped other groups across the country organize renovations of similar cemeteries. She urges communities to include former residents of the facilities in their efforts. Iowa’s Glenwood Resource Center started as a home for orphans of Civil War soldiers. It grew into a large institution for people with disabilities, many of whom lived there for decades. Its population peaked at more than 1,900 in the 1950s, then dwindled to about 150 before state officials decided to close it. Werger, 32, said some criticisms of the institution were valid, but he remains grateful for the support the staff gave him until he was stable enough to move into community housing in 2018. “They helped change my life incredibly,” he said. He thinks the state should have fixed problems at the facility instead of shutting it. He said he hopes officials preserve historical parts of the campus, including stately brick buildings and the cemetery. He wishes the graves had more extensive headstones, with information about the residents buried there. He would also like to see signs installed explaining the place’s history. Two former employees of the Glenwood facility recently raised concerns that some of the graves may be mismarked . But officials with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, which ran the institution, said they have extensive, accurate records and recently placed stones on three graves that were unmarked. Department leaders declined to be interviewed about the cemetery’s future. Spokesperson Alex Murphy wrote in an email that while no decisions have been made about the campus, the agency “remains committed to ensuring the cemetery is protected and treated with dignity and respect for those who have been laid to rest there.” Glenwood civic leaders have formed a nonprofit corporation that is negotiating with the state over development plans for the former institution. “We’re trying to make the best of a tough situation,” said Larry Winum, a local banker who serves on the new organization’s board. Tentative plans include tearing down some of the existing buildings and creating up to 900 houses and apartments. Winum said redevelopment should include some kind of memorial sign about the institution and the people buried in the cemetery. “It will be important to us that those folks be remembered,” he said. Activists in other states said properly honoring such places takes sustained commitment and money. Jennifer Walton helped lead efforts in the 1990s to properly mark graves and improve cemetery upkeep at state institutions in Minnesota . Some of the cemeteries are deteriorating again, she said. Activists plan to ask Minnesota legislators to designate permanent funding to maintain them and to place explanatory markers at the sites. “I think it’s important, because it’s a way to demonstrate that these spaces represent human beings who at the time were very much hidden away,” Walton said. “No human being should be pushed aside and ignored.” Related Articles Health | A stroke changed a teacher’s life. How a new electrical device is helping her move Health | Washington power has shifted. Here’s how the ACA may shift, too Health | CDC chief urges focus on health threats as agency confronts political changes Health | New rule allows HIV-positive organ transplants Health | Biden proposes Medicare and Medicaid cover costly weight-loss drugs for millions of obese Americans On a recent day, just one of the Glenwood graves had flowers on it. Retired managers of the institution said few people visit the cemetery, but amateur genealogists sometimes show up after learning that a long-forgotten ancestor was institutionalized at Glenwood and buried there. Former grounds supervisor Max Cupp said burials had become relatively rare over the years, with more families arranging to have deceased residents’ remains transported to their hometown cemeteries. One of the last people buried in the Glenwood cemetery was Kenneth Rummells, who died in 2022 at age 71 after living many years at the institution and then at a nearby group home overseen by the state. His guardian was Kenny Jacobsen, a retired employee of the facility who had known him for decades. Rummells couldn’t speak, but he could communicate by grunting, Jacobsen said. He enjoyed sitting outside. “He was kind of quiet, kind of a touch-me-not guy.” Jacobsen helped arrange for a gravestone that is more detailed than most others in the cemetery. The marker includes Rummells’ full name, the dates of his birth and death, a drawing of a porch swing, and the inscription “Forever swinging in the breeze.” Jacobsen hopes officials figure out how to maintain the cemetery. He would like to see a permanent sign erected, explaining who is buried there and how they came to live in Glenwood. “They were people too,” he said.It’s the Wicked Witch of the East, bro! I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there’s recently been a massive campaign for a new movie called Wicked , starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as an almost-insufferable teacher’s pet and good witch smeared by wizarding PR, respectively. Michelle Yeoh plays an everything-everywhere-all-out witch and Jurassic actor Jeff Goldblum is the un-magical wizard. Well, something happened last week where, after months of pre-release media spots, we all got sick to the back teeth of the press roll-out clogging our feeds. We couldn’t move for pink dresses and green skin, and begged to be released from Wicked ’s Technicolor talons. Then another thing happened: a reset point. A tabula rasa. An interview with a pioneering voice in queer media seized us in an enchanting chokehold. Before we knew it, we were, all of us, holding space for “Defying Gravity,” and feeling power in that. I don’t need to tell you that we live in very cynical times. The cynic in all of us watched, mouth agog, as the two Wicked leads first started gushing over each other in front of the world’s media. These days, we’re used to seeing staunchly media-trained actresses dole out polite platitudes on about their acting roles, nothing burgers that fans gobble up as the rest of our eyes roll. We’re so inured to this glamourous pantomime, this Hollywood-colleague-politesse, that watching Grande and Erivo gently caressing hands and openly weeping because of, well, their parts in a film felt unsettlingly unreal. We saw these high-emotional-intensity interviews, this deep intimacy, before we saw the film, and the yellow brick road that led to their closeness. While these two witches weren’t in Kansas anymore, the rest of us were still firmly rooted to the ground. But rather than grate, all those theatrical feelings started to seep in. We even felt a vicarious joy. The vibes on the Wicked press tour shifted from feeling claustrophobic to aspirational. Women whole-heartedly celebrating a work they’d given so much of themselves to seemed...suddenly magical? They both just seemed completely free, completely in the moment, completely accomplished. Our initial, knee-jerk reactions to these women being utterly themselves suddenly had me questioning that inclination; the impulse to deride people (usually...women!) for using their full emotional vocabulary. What’s wrong with public displays of collegial affection? What’s wrong with saying something with your whole chest? I assume being a woman in the public eye can weigh heavily on the shoulders. Despite the inner cynic telling us to scoff, perhaps we really should —dare I say it—hold space for these women at the top of their games, defying the gravity of a truly gargantuan project? Actresses—and all women, to a degree—are constantly being yanked off their pedestals and back down to earth. Maybe, just this once, we can enjoy watching them soar? Maybe we can lean into the brillant daftness of two theater kids fulfilling their dreams? I don’t know about you, but somewhere over the rainbow, this tin man finally found his heart.Are We Ready for Robots with Paychecks? The Surprising Truth

By MICHAEL RUBINKAM and MATTHEW BROWN Swaths of Pennsylvania and many other states are honeycombed with old, unstable mines that can cause the earth to suddenly give way — a phenomenon known as “ mine subsidence ” that poses a threat to people and property. That’s what searchers in Westmoreland County, just southeast of Pittsburgh, fear led to the disappearance of 64-year-old Elizabeth Pollard . Pollard and a young granddaughter were looking for a lost cat when she went missing Monday evening. At about the same time, a sinkhole appeared roughly 20 feet (6 meters) from where she had parked her car, in an area above an old coal mine. The granddaughter was found safe inside the car hours later, while the difficult and potentially dangerous search for Pollard continues. Mine subsidence has caused billions of dollars in damage in areas of the U.S. where mining once took place. In Pennsylvania alone, coal was mined in nearly half of the state’s 67 counties and there are at least 5,000 abandoned underground mines, leaving behind hazards that officials say can arise at any time. The Marguerite Mine that authorities believe resulted in the sinkhole was last operated in 1952 by the H.C. Frick Coke Co., according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. The coal seam in the area is about 20 feet (6 meters) beneath the surface. The state Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation will examine the scene when the search concludes to see if the sinkhole was indeed caused by mine subsidence, spokesperson Neil Shader said. There are as many as 500,000 abandoned mines in the U.S. — far outnumbering those that are still active, according to the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration. Related Articles National News | Dog food recalled in 7 states for salmonella risk after puppy litter gets sick, FDA says National News | White House says at least 8 US telecom firms, dozens of nations impacted by China hacking campaign National News | A shooter kills UnitedHealthcare’s CEO in an ambush in New York, police say National News | After 1 year, Medicaid expansion in North Carolina nears its enrollment goal National News | Powell: Fed’s independence from politics is vital to its interest rate decisions In many cases their owners simply walked away from coal or precious metals mines when they became uneconomical to operate and declared bankruptcy, leaving behind safety hazards and costly pollution cleanups that public agencies must handle. Old mines pose myriad dangers , with 381 people killed and 152 injured at abandoned mine sites nationwide between 2000 and 2013, according to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Victims can fall into hidden shafts, get lost in underground tunnels or perish from poisonous gases present in many old coal mines. Mine shafts can extend hundreds of feet beneath the surface and often are unmarked. State and federal agencies have sealed off many old mines. But more are discovered every year and officials have yet to conduct basic risk analyses on most of the abandoned mines on federal land. Besides the safety hazards, millions of gallons of water loaded with arsenic, lead and other toxic metals flows daily from contaminated mine sites without being treated. Rubinkam reported form northeastern Pennsylvania and Brown reported from Billings, Montana.Bitcoin topped $98,000 for the first time Thursday, extending a streak of almost daily all-time highs since the U.S. presidential election. The cryptocurrency has rocketed more than 40% in just two weeks. Now, bitcoin is at the doorstep of $100,000 and investors do not appear to be fazed by gravity or any cautionary tales of the cryptocurrencies history of volatility. Cryptocurrencies and related investments like crypto exchange traded funds have rallied because the incoming Trump administration is expected to be more "crypto-friendly" than the outgoing Biden administration. As of 11:02 a.m. ET, bitcoin traded at $96,747 after rising as high as $98,349 according to CoinDesk. Yet cryptocurrency markets remain a wild place and what comes next is impossible to know. And while some are bullish, other experts are warning of investment risks. Here's what you need to know. Cryptocurrency has been around for a while now but have come under the spotlight in recent years. In basic terms, cryptocurrency is digital money. This kind of currency is designed to work through an online network without a central authority — meaning it's typically not backed by any government or banking institution — and transactions get recorded with technology called a blockchain. Bitcoin is the largest and oldest cryptocurrency, although other assets like Ethereum, Tether and Dogecoin have gained popularity over the years. Some investors see cryptocurrency as a "digital alternative" to traditional money — but it can be very volatile, with its price reliant on larger market conditions. Trump's election win boosts crypto A lot of the recent action has to do with the outcome of the U.S. election . President-elect Donald Trump, who was once critical of digital currencies, pledged during his campaign against Vice President Kamala Harris to make the U.S. the "crypto capital of the planet" and to create a bitcoin "strategic reserve." His campaign accepted donations in cryptocurrency and he courted fans at a bitcoin conference in July. He also launched World Liberty Financial, a new venture with family members to trade cryptocurrencies. Crypto industry players welcomed Trump's victory, in hopes that he would be able to push through legislative and regulatory changes that they've long lobbied for. Trump also had promised that, if elected, he would remove the chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government's crackdown on the crypto industry and repeatedly called for more oversight. Spot bitcoin ETFs Digital assets like bitcoin had posted notable gains in the months ahead of the election, mostly due to the early success of a new way to invest in the asset: spot bitcoin ETFs, which were approved by U.S. regulators in January. A spot bitcoin ETF allows investors to gain direct exposure to bitcoin without holding it. Unlike regular bitcoin ETFs, in which bitcoin futures contracts are the underlying asset, bitcoins are the underlying asset of a spot bitcoin ETF. Each spot bitcoin ETF is managed by a firm that issues shares of its own bitcoin holdings purchased through other holders or through an authorized cryptocurrency exchange . The shares are listed on a traditional stock exchange. Inflows into spot ETFs, "have been the dominant driver of Bitcoin returns from some time, and we expect this relationship to continue in the near-term," Citi analysts David Glass and Alex Saunders wrote in a research note two weeks ago. They added that spot crypto ETFs saw some of their largest inflows on record in the days following the election. Bitcoin volatility History shows you can lose money in crypto as quickly as you've made it. Long-term price behavior relies on larger market conditions. Trading continues at all hours, every day. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, bitcoin stood at just over $5,000. Its price climbed to nearly $69,000 by November 2021, in a time marked by high demand for technology assets. Bitcoin later crashed during an aggressive series of Federal Reserve rate hikes aimed at curbing inflation. The collapse of FTX in late 2022 significantly undermined confidence in crypto overall and bitcoin fell below $17,000. Investors began returning in large numbers as inflation started to cool — and gains skyrocketed on the anticipation and then early success of spot ETFs. Experts still stress caution, especially for small-pocketed investors. How bitcoin mining works Assets like bitcoin are produced through a process called "mining," which consumes a lot of energy. And operations relying on pollutive sources have drawn particular concern over the years. Recent research published by the United Nations University and Earth's Future journal found that the carbon footprint of 2020-2021 bitcoin mining across 76 nations was equivalent to the emissions from burning 84 billion pounds of coal or running 190 natural gas-fired power plants. Coal satisfied the bulk of bitcoin's electricity demands (45%), followed by natural gas (21%) and hydropower (16%). Cryptocurrency is making lots of noise, literally Environmental impacts of bitcoin mining boil largely down to the energy source used. Industry analysts have maintained that clean energy has increased in use in recent years, coinciding with rising calls for climate protections. Technology Elections Cryptocurrency Donald Trump Politics Bitcoin

Anthony Albanese pressing hard for a majority at the next election

The holiday season is not just a time for celebration and family gatherings; it is also one of the most intense periods for advertising. Brands, fully aware of the emotional power of this time of year, roll out their most creative strategies to connect with audiences, evoke nostalgia, and reinforce their market identity—just like Target did by reimagining Santa Claus, sparking countless comments from women. Consumers today are not just looking for products; they seek experiences that resonate emotionally. According to a recent Kantar study, 70% of respondents stated that brands generating emotional impact are more likely to be remembered and preferred. In this context, Christmas, with its inherent emotional charge, becomes the perfect stage for such strategies. Target has given Santa a playful seasonal makeover in a series of new and entertaining holiday ads, melting hearts everywhere. The retail chain chose dashing male model Brent Bailey to portray Santa Claus. Eschewing the traditional Santa suit, this muscular version dons a fitted red sweater. In the ads, Bailey plays a Target employee who goes by “Kris K.” The first of nine planned commercials premiered last week. In it, Bailey drives a cherry-red Ford Bronco adorned with a personalized license plate that reads “SLEIGH,” all while “Born to Be Wild” plays in the background. In another ad titled “He’s good, but these Target turkey deals are better,” which has garnered 5 million views, a shopper calls him “oddly good-looking” while picking out a $0.79-per-pound turkey ahead of Thanksgiving. In a third clip, the sexy Santa is seen doing bicep curls with a small tree while moving through a Target store. Lisa Roath, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Target, described this reimagined Santa Claus as “jolly, helpful, and optimistic—qualities that embody the brand.” “He has a clever touch and is charmingly attractive,” she said. “He represents our amazing team members, who are the true heroes during the holidays and beyond.” On social media, viewers admitted to feeling “drawn” to this bold reinvention of Santa Claus, praising Target’s casting choice and jokingly hoping to land on the “nice list” this year. Comments like “Where can I get pictures with THIS Santa? I’d love some,” “Whoever is in charge of marketing deserves a raise,” and “No wonder that kid caught Mommy kissing Santa Claus,” are flooding social media. Others joked, “Target is giving us what we didn’t know we needed this holiday season” and “Target’s sexy Santa—not your mom’s Santa!” Target is just one example of how brands are unveiling their holiday campaigns this season. Another recent buzzworthy case was Coca-Cola’s campaign, created using Artificial Intelligence (AI), which left many consumers unimpressed. This year, holiday ads are evolving to deliver more than just sales pitches. They focus on narratives that appeal to universal values such as unity, gratitude, and solidarity. From grand cinematic productions to minimalist content, campaign creativity has found new ways to surprise and move audiences. Cancela en cualquier momento Acceso exclusivo a rankings y radiografías. Análisis profundos y casos de estudio de éxito. Historial de la revista impresa en formato digital. ¡Disfruta de lo mejor del marketing sin costo alguno por unmes!With a recession deepening and the 1982 midterm elections approaching, Federal Reserve Chair Paul Volcker was summoned to the Oval Office, where Ronald Reagan was sitting with his chief of staff, James Baker. When Baker said Reagan wanted to give Volcker an “order” about interest rates, the 6-foot-7 central banker immediately stalked silently from the room. He did not take orders. Donald Trump is determined to break institutions to the presidential saddle, so people wonder: Could he fire the head of the Fed? (Probably not. Besides, Chair Jerome H. Powell’s term expires in May 2026.) More interesting questions are: What is the Fed for? And is its “independence” a license for mission creep? John H. Cochrane and Amit Seru of the Hoover Institution think the hyperactive Fed has become too ambitious in its interventions in the economy and social policy. Their proposal is the title of their essay “Ending Bailouts, At Last” in the Journal of Law, Economics and Policy. The problematic behavior is a century old and bipartisan: When large financial institutions are in danger of failing, government bails them out by bailing out their creditors. The 1907 financial crisis led in 1913 to the Federal Reserve Act establishing the Fed, which did not prevent the 1933 bank collapse. This led to deposit insurance and many regulations, which did not prevent Continental Illinois Bank’s 1984 failure, the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s and many other bumps on the road to 2008. “Never again, we say, again and again,” wrote Cochrane and Seru. Bailouts multiply, larger each time, spreading to highly leveraged industrial companies, as in the auto bailout of 2009. “Too leveraged to fail,” they wrote, “might be the summary of our new regime.” Too leveraged is a consequence of interest rates too low for too long, combined with confidence that the bailout culture is forever and unlimited. During the pandemic, the market for Treasury bonds became fragile, so the Fed lent bond dealers money to buy the bonds, “then turned around and bought the Treasurys from the dealers a few days later.” Cochrane and Seru wrote that the Fed almost has an implicit policy of buying “whatever quantity” necessary to prop up corporate bond prices. They noted that the Biden administration’s “paycheck protection” program made “forgivable loans” — Washington-speak for gifts — “to small businesses with 500 or fewer employees to cover their business costs, including mortgage interests, rent, utilities and up to eight weeks’ payroll costs.” It is one thing for the accountable political institutions to do this, quite another for the Fed to lend “on lenient terms to the real economy, not just the financial sector.” Throughout the economy, Cochrane and Seru wrote, leverage has been rewarded: “If you saved and bought a house with cash, if you saved and went to a cheaper college rather than take out a big student loan, or if you repaid that loan promptly, you did not get money.” In today’s permanent central-bank-run credit system, “Borrow. Borrow especially if you are big or part of a big and politically influential class of borrowers. As with student loans, borrow from the government.” You might not have to pay it back. When Silicon Valley Bank accepted many large, uninsured deposits, then got in trouble, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. — the government — guaranteed all deposits. So now, wrote Cochrane and Seru, “effectively markets expect all deposits of any size to be guaranteed going forward, at least during any newsworthy event.” The Congressional Budget Office projects budget deficits of 5% to 8% of gross domestic product forever. And this, Cochrane and Seru correctly believe, is too unrealistic. CBO assumes no crises, recessions, wars, pandemaics or — most laughably — spending increases. But even this optimistic debt path “simply cannot happen.” “We have,” Cochrane and Seru wrote, “once-in-a-century crises every 10 years these days.” “Crisis” has come to mean “the possibility that someone, somewhere might lose money.” And “contagion” now denotes a vague fear that “any ripple anywhere might bring down the financial system.” Societies get what they incentivize. Moral hazards — incentives for perverse, risky behaviors — are now sown throughout American life. Cumulatively, they might break the government before Trump’s eccentric Cabinet nominees can. Will writes for The Washington Post. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro was fully aware of and actively participated in a coup plot to remain in office , according to a Federal Police report unsealed Tuesday. Federal Police last Thursday formally accused Bolsonaro and 36 other people of attempting a coup. They sent their 884-page report to the Supreme Court, which lifted the seal. “The evidence collected throughout the investigation shows unequivocally that then-President Jair Messias Bolsonaro planned, acted and was directly and effectively aware of the actions of the criminal organization aiming to launch a coup d’etat and eliminate the democratic rule of law, which did not take place due to reasons unrelated to his desire,” the document said. At another point, it says: “Bolsonaro had full awareness and active participation.” Bolsonaro, who had repeatedly alleged without evidence that the country's electronic voting system was prone to fraud, called a meeting in December 2022, during which he presented a draft decree to the commanders of the three divisions of the armed forces, according to the police report, signed by four investigators. The decree would have launched an investigation into suspicions of fraud and crimes related to the October 2022 vote, and suspended the powers of the nation's electoral court. The navy’s commander stood ready to comply, but those from the army and air force objected to any plan that prevented Lula’s inauguration, the report said. Those refusals are why the plan did not go ahead, according to witnesses who spoke to investigators. Bolsonaro never signed the decree to set the final stage of the alleged plan into action. Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing or awareness of any plot to keep him in power or oust his leftist rival and successor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. “No one is going to do a coup with a reserve general and half a dozen other officers. What is being said is absurd. For my part, there has never been any discussion of a coup,” Bolsonaro told journalists in Brazil’s capital Brasilia on Monday. “If someone came to discuss a coup with me, I’d say, that’s fine, but the day after, how does the world view us?” he added. “The word ‘coup’ has never been in my dictionary.” The top court has passed the report on to Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet. He will decide whether to formally charge Bolsonaro and put him on trial, or toss the investigation. Ahead of the 2022 election, Bolsonaro repeatedly alleged that the election system, which does not use paper ballots, could be tampered with. The top electoral court later ruled that he had abused his power to cast unfounded doubt on the voting system, and ruled him ineligible . Still, he has maintained that he will stand as a candidate in the 2026 race. Since Bolsonaro left office, he has been targeted by several investigations, all of which he has chalked up to political persecution. Federal Police have accused him of without properly declaring them and directing a subordinate . Authorities are also investigating whether he in which his followers ransacked the Supreme Court and presidential palace in Brasilia, seeking to prompt intervention by the army that would oust Lula from power. Bolsonaro had left for the United States days before Lula’s inauguration on Jan. 1, 2023 and stayed there three months, keeping a low profile. The police report unsealed Tuesday alleges he was seeking to avoid possible imprisonment related to the coup plot, and also await the uprising that took place a week later. ___ Hughes reported from Rio de JaneiroAidan Bouman, Quaron Adams rally South Dakota past Tarleton State 42-31 in FCS second-round duelKey deals this week: Shell-Equinor U.K. combination, Hershey, TotalEnergies, GE HealthCare and more

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https://arab.news/rnav3 JEDDAH: South Korean actor Park Sung-hoon, who stars in Netflix’s smash hit “Squid Game,” jetted to Saudi Arabia for the Red Sea International Film Festival and spoke to Arab News about his hopes for Saudi-Korean cultural collaboration. The rising South Korean star, who is also known for his roles in dramas such as “The Glory” and “Queen of Tears,” lauded the popularity of Korean entertainment content in the Kingdom. “I am grateful for this, and this really motivated me to try to pay back for this interest, and here I am at the Red Sea International Film Festival enjoying every bit of it,” he said. The rising South Korean star, who is also known for his roles in dramas such as “The Glory” and “Queen of Tears,” lauded the popularity of Korean entertainment content in the Kingdom. (Getty Images) Globally, three South Korean subscription platforms lead in Korean content offerings: Wavve and Watcha, each with over 4,000 titles, and Tving, with over 3,500 titles, according to data science firm BB Media. Excluding local platforms, Amazon Prime Video currently holds the top position among global subscription streaming platforms in terms of Korean titles with 1,394, though Netflix is close behind and boasts more original K-dramas. The actor touched on the role of streaming platforms in popularizing Korean content internationally, saying “Korea has always put an effort to make good quality movies and dramas because it is a way of bringing joy and comfort to people even during hard times, and I think with the advanced changes in technology, streaming networks and platforms provided ways for Korean movies and dramas to be shown to a wider audience.” As the Kingdom’s entertainment scene continues to expand — with the likes of Film AlUla and the Red Sea Film Foundation offering support to rising filmmakers — the actor said he would like to see more cross-cultural collaboration. “I was very impressed with what I have (seen) here in Saudi Arabia, and I am aware that the movie industry in Saudi Arabia is moving rapidly, and I would love to see more collaboration between Saudi Arabia and Korea in the film industry,” he said. On the question of making a film in Saudi Arabia, the young Korean actor, who plays a contestant named Cho Sang-woo in “Squid Game,” said: “I would love definitely to work here. I am very impressed with the beautiful landscape and architecture. Just last night, I was thinking of how wonderful to be in the screen around this amazing landscape.” He also pointed out that he will convey a positive message to friends and colleagues in Korea about Saudi Arabia, which he is visiting for the first time. “I am so amazed (by) the great hospitality and passion that we felt at the festival. So, I hope that I will come back next year and also hope for future collaboration between South Korea and Saudi Arabia film industry,” he said.

WATERBURY – Alexandria Hall-Mabrouk did not feel right. The 37-year-old mother-to-be at the time juggled two jobs, arriving at her prenatal checkup appointment overwhelmed. “I need help,” Hall said to her doctor. The doctor responded astounded, not sure what to do, Hall recalled. “I was looking for some sort of support during that time and just somewhere I could turn to and they had no answer for me,” she said. “It made me feel hopeless and inadequate. A lot of times you are downplayed and told you are fine and you are just pregnant. ‘That is normal aches and pains.’ ” Hall was not fine. She ended up changing doctors but her health continued to deteriorate, developing pre-eclampsia and having to deliver her baby via cesarean section six weeks early. She ended up in hospital several times after giving birth. She said she believes that had her doctors found support for her early on and listened to her concerns, maybe her child would not have been born premature. “If they had just validated my feelings and known where to refer me, my mental and emotional health would have improved and as a result, my child may have not been born prematurely,” she said. Hall joins many Black and multiracial women in the state and city who face significant health challenges in pregnancy. Those include a higher mortality rate than their white counterparts, an increased rate of Caesareans which raise the risk of unnecessary maternal and neonatal complications. and a higher rate of premature babies. “Waterbury is not faring well with the increase around Caesareans,” said Althea Marshall Brooks, executive director of Waterbury Bridge to Success. “That is a concern for Black women of color. It increases the likelihood of difficult outcomes. ” Brooks said Bridge to Success, a cross-sector partnership with over 250 community and civic leaders, educators, and organizations that work to improve outcomes for kids and families by prioritizing racial equity and Black maternal health, is working to provide more preventive health measures, to educate providers on implicit bias and to include Black women in education on the benefits of breastfeeding their babies. Breastfeeding can been shown to provide long-term health benefits to both mother and baby. The organization launched a campaign in 2021 to offer education, training, and support to Black pregnant women, who are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a survey of 105 women, Bridge to Success found that 56.3% of Black women delivered their last baby via cesarean, more than double that of white respondents and Latino or Hispanic residents. In 2021, the maternal mortality rate for Black women was more than double that of white women, at 69.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, 2.6 times the rate for white women at 26.6 deaths per 100,000 births, according to the CDC. A 2024 March of Dimes report found that 9.3% of all babies born in the state were delivered before 37 completed weeks of gestation. However, the pre-term birth rate among babies born to Black mothers is 1.4x higher than the rate among all other babies, the report found. “The 2024 March of Dimes Report Card shows progress in reducing preterm birth rates in Connecticut, but disparities for Black birthing people remain unacceptable,” said Lisa Morrissey, deputy commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health. “While strides have been made in Medicaid expansion and paid family leave, achieving true equity requires ongoing investment and community collaboration.” The state also ranks 49th out of 52 states in the number of low-risk cesarean deliveries. In Connecticut, the latest data from the state Maternal Mortality Review Committee found there was an average of five pregnancy-related deaths every year from 2015 to 2020. An estimated 90% of pregnancy-related deaths were preventable, with more than half occurring a week or up to a year after giving birth. Of the 31 deaths, six were Black women, equating to about 19%. Their deaths are disproportionately high considering Black residents make up about 10.7% of the total Connecticut population. Medicaid patients and people without a bachelor’s degree were also overrepresented in the data. Black women were more likely to experience an outcome during labor and delivery that resulted in health complications down the line, known as severe maternal morbidity, according to the Connecticut Review Committee. Black women only accounted for 12.8% of all live births. In comparison, Hispanic and white women’s birth rates exceeded the death rates. Discrimination may have contributed to 70% of the deaths from 2018 to 2020, the review committee found. This can include negative patient-provider interactions, lack of care coordination, feeling dismissed, and cultural incompetence. “This national crisis demands immediate federal intervention to save lives and increase the quality of care women of color receive,” said Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-5th District, in an email. Hayes introduced the Social Determinants for Moms Act, which would establish a government task force to address the maternal health crisis, including funding ways to improve social determinants of health during and after pregnancy. The bill currently has 97 cosponsors but has not yet been voted on in the House of Representatives. Advocates from Bridge to Success said the lack of responsive care from health care providers stems from structural racism, which leaves Black women without a voice in their care in the health care setting: the most vulnerable place for many. “What the data shows us is the more we know about infant maternal health there is implicit bias that influences how patient outcomes are reflected,” said Dr. Brooke Redmond, chairwoman of pediatrics at Waterbury Hospital and medical director for Waterbury Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. “My mission is that we are taking that into account and trying to take better care in the neonatal ICU. Knowing that they exist is important so we can come up with ways to combat them.” Lauren Fruehan, lactation services and perinatal navigator at Waterbury Hospital, said she has been educating staff by calling out implicit bias. “We see moms who are not educated on the option of breastfeeding and the benefits for them,” she said. “It is assumed that they are going to use WIC and formula. Sometimes they will mark these mothers as mixed feeding without even asking what their preference is.” Fruehan said it is the implicit bias that Black women do not want to breastfeed. “When we speak about formula in history, Black women would breastfeed for their slave owners but their babies would be left to starve,” Fruehan said. “I think those biases still exist: the assumption that Black women are lazy and don’t want to pump or breastfeed” Brooks said. Breastfeeding has been cited for reducing the risk of hemorrhaging and the risk of reproductive breast and uterine cancer and diabetes, and prevents SIDS, said Fruehan. Reflecting on her pregnancy, Hall said she remembers when her epidural fell out and the immense pain she felt. Doctors again turned a blind eye, reminding her that childbirth is painful. It took her husband to lobby for attention to the matter. “I never thought I would have a premature baby,” Hall said. “It is important to rally for moms to take care of themselves and speak up if they don’t feel OK.”