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fb 777 casino WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — First it was Canada, then the Panama Canal. Now, Donald Trump again wants Greenland. The president-elect is renewing unsuccessful calls he made during his first term for the U.S. to buy Greenland from Denmark, adding to the list of allied countries with which he’s picking fights even before taking office on Jan. 20. In a Sunday announcement naming his ambassador to Denmark, Trump wrote that, “For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.” Trump again having designs on Greenland comes after the president-elect suggested over the weekend that the U.S. could retake control of the Panama Canal if something isn’t done to ease rising shipping costs required for using the waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. He’s also been suggesting that Canada become the 51st U.S. state and referred to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “governor” of the “Great State of Canada.” Greenland, the world’s largest island, sits between the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. It is 80% covered by an ice sheet and is home to a large U.S. military base. It gained home rule from Denmark in 1979 and its head of government, Múte Bourup Egede, suggested that Trump’s latest calls for U.S. control would be as meaningless as those made in his first term. “Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale,” he said in a statement. “We must not lose our years-long fight for freedom.” Trump canceled a 2019 visit to Denmark after his offer to buy Greenland was rejected by Copenhagen, and ultimately came to nothing. He also suggested Sunday that the U.S. is getting “ripped off” at the Panama Canal. “If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America, in full, quickly and without question,” he said. Panama President José Raúl Mulino responded in a video that “every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to,” but Trump fired back on his social media site, “We’ll see about that!” The president-elect also posted a picture of a U.S. flag planted in the canal zone under the phrase, “Welcome to the United States Canal!” The United States built the canal in the early 1900s but relinquished control to Panama on Dec. 31, 1999, under a treaty signed in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter. The canal depends on reservoirs that were hit by 2023 droughts that forced it to substantially reduce the number of daily slots for crossing ships. With fewer ships, administrators also increased the fees that shippers are charged to reserve slots to use the canal. The Greenland and Panama flareups followed Trump recently posting that “Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State” and offering an image of himself superimposed on a mountaintop surveying surrounding territory next to a Canadian flag.MAA Announces Increase to Quarterly Common Dividend

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The latter dream came true, at least in a sense. Bissonette has one of the about 650 homes Mankato, Minnesota-based Earth Sheltered Technology has built since it began in 1981. The company, which has houses in the Twin Cities and Wisconsin as well as in California and Alaska, specializes in partly underground structures, basically man-made caves. Underground homes, also known as earth-sheltered homes, have been around for nearly as long as humans have, though the modern incarnation seemed to gain traction in the 1970s after the 1973 oil embargo and ensuing energy crisis, according to an article in magazine Mother Earth News. At the time, people were looking to reduce energy usage, especially when it came to heating and cooling their homes. Underground homes have other benefits, too, including durability — particularly in the face of natural disasters like tornadoes — and low-maintenance needs (no need to paint when dirt and grass cover the whole house). Perhaps that's why Earth Sheltered Technology has produced the bulk of its homes, about 450, in the past 17 years, said owner Jeff Hickok. Besides achieving his childhood dream, Bissonette's other inspiration for building his underground home was the book "Earth Sheltered Housing Design," published in the late 1970s by the University of Minnesota's Underground Space Center. John Carmody, one of the leaders of the underground-home movement at the time as a systems designer and environmentalist, oversaw the center and the book, which sold 250,000 copies, according the to university's website. "I loved every bit of building it," Bissonette said of his house. "I'm glad I made the decision to build it. I have no intention of ever selling it and made it wheelchair accessible so I can get around in case I need one." Weathering any storm Bissonette said he has long worried about tornadoes. An underground home, he thought, would protect against that. Underground homes are known for their durability, Hickok said. He said at least two tornadoes have gone over his Mankato underground home. It's a reason his company has been building so many underground houses in Oklahoma and Texas. Texas averages about 140 tornadoes each year, the most of any state, while Oklahoma ranks in the top five, per CNN. Other clients have reported the structures being able to withstand earthquakes, Hickok said. The U.S. Department of Energy's website said earth-sheltered homes can cost less to insure, as they naturally can withstand high winds, hailstorms, tornadoes and hurricanes. The Australian Broadcasting Co. even published a story last year about such homes gaining popularity because of their ability to withstand high temperatures and bush fires. "The earth is a very good protector for tornadoes," Hickok said. "A tornado can't damage a home unless it can completely surround it, and with most underground homes, they only have south-facing windows." In addition to saving money on a homeowner's insurance policy, an underground home could also save on claims. Hail, for example, does minimal damage to the roof, with only some of the piping up top suffering damage. Earth Sheltered Technology was a retirement job for Jeff Hickok's father, Jerry Hickok. Jeff Hickok said his dad had a fascination with living in a cellar as a child and created the company after finishing at his corporate job. As a kid, Hickok dreaded going to home shows with his father and didn't pursue the business until later in his life, taking it on around 2007. "I didn't realize how forward-thinking dad really was with energy-saving and safety of these things," he said. "I'm so proud to be running the company that my father pioneered." Energy efficiency Another big selling point: An underground home uses about 80% less energy than a traditional home of its size. That's because the ground insulates it to keep it at a stable 50to 60-degree internal temperature. South-facing windows warm it during the day, Hickok said. Dick and Jeanne Newport of Berlin, Wisconsin, remember the '70s energy crisis and how people wanted to be energy independent. They visited a friend's underground home back then and left inspired to have their own one day, which eventually happened in 2016. About 980,000 pounds of solid concrete surrounds their two-bedroom, two-bathroom underground home, and most winters, only a single wood-burning stove heats the 2,000-square-foot property, Dick Newport said. On the roof, the two have planted native grasses. "People thought our house was a septic mound because they didn't know what it was," Jeanne Newport said. "Until you get to the front, you can't tell it's a house. There's tall prairie grass all around it, and it's really hard to see the whole rounded shape." They estimate they pay about $115 in utilities for their highest-usage month. The average Minnesotan pays more than $151 a month for electric and gas utilities, according to Kris Lindahl Real Estate. The Newports estimated it cost about $350,000 to build their house including all the interior design, electrical and plumbing. When adjusting for inflation, that comes out to $465,799 in 2024. Earth Sheltered Technology builds several concrete dome structures with steel beams as support, insulating and waterproofing them for the price of about $150 per square foot, according to Hickok. But the rest is up to the homeowners to DIY or hire contractors. Having to do extra work didn't bug the Newports, and the lower energy bills every month make up for the cost of building the home. "There's not a lot of maintenance because most of the house is covered in dirt, and it's quiet if the windows are closed," Dick Newport said. "We have peace of mind living here." Unique vibe This past summer, a "hobbit house" in Pine Lake Township, Minnesota, listed for about $180,000, drawing attention for its unique underground design. Being different is yet another perk of having an earth-sheltered home for Bissonette, who is working on an art piece made of 5,000 empty wine bottles. Outside of his two-bedroom, two-bathroom, 4,000-square-foot home, there's a large labyrinth in his yard filled with statues from Bali, including one that can identify evil, Bissonette said. There are also tall native grasses growing on the roof among a smattering of solar tubes and ventilation pipes. His home blends into the surrounding vegetation and looks like several hills with trees and shrubs growing on them. It's not until visitors turn a corner that they're able to see two garage doors poking out, alongside a front door, wide driveway and windows. When he built his house in 2001, many of his neighbors thought it looked like a military base because of how hidden it was from the main road. But the rooftop patio makes it perfect for hosting, Bissonette said of the views of rolling farmland and acres of wildlife. Bissonette taught himself and installed much of the electrical work, also repurposing salvaged wood for the interior walls, making it uniquely his own. "What surprises people the most is how light it is in the house," he said. "They expect it to be dark because it is underground, but the curved interior surface of the domes reflect light throughout the space, bouncing it across the inner surfaces, making it bright and light-filled."Chelsea Manning and others arrested outside Speaker Johnson’s office in protest for transgender rightsHow China Became the World’s Largest Gold Consumer and Producer

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CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — KyKy Tandy scored 21 points and Florida Atlantic pulled away late in the second half to beat Oklahoma State 86-78 on Thursday in the Charleston Classic. It was the second straight loss by a Power Four team in the tournament after Miami fell to Drake in the opener. Florida Atlantic (4-2) plays the Bulldogs in the semifinals on Friday, while Oklahoma State (3-1) battles the Hurricanes in a consolation game. Leland Walker completed a three-point play with 4:38 left in the second half to give FAU its first lead, 68-67, since it was 16-14. Tandy made a 3-pointer from the corner to cap FAU’s 11-1 run for a 75-68 lead with 2:41 left. Oklahoma State went five-plus minutes without a field goal late in the second half until Brandon Newman made a fast-break layup with 1:17 remaining. But Ken Evans Jr. answered with a three-point play at the other end for a nine-point lead. The Cowboys turned it over on their next possession with 52.3 seconds left. Evans finished with 13 points, Walker scored 12 and Tre Carroll had 10 for FAU. The Owls attempted 49 free throws leading to three Oklahoma State players fouling out and three others finishing with four fouls. Khalil Brantley had 16 points and Robert Jennings II scored a career-high 14 points to go with 11 rebounds for Oklahoma State. Patrick Suemnick was helped off the floor with 1:40 left in the first half and did not return. Oklahoma State led 39-34 at halftime despite making just 33.3% of its shots. FAU shot a better percentage from the field (47.8) than at the free-throw line (46.7) in the first half. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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3 killed as truck, car collide in GumlaNew York state will adopt new regulations for the middlemen negotiating prescription drug prices between wholesalers and pharmacies. Gov. Kathy Hochul's office says the new rules for pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, will protect access to prescription drugs, prohibit practices that increase costs and help independent pharmacies compete with larger ones, which sometimes operate their own PBMs. Some of the regulations are aimed at increasing transparency of available prescriptions and easier access. "New Yorkers deserve access to affordable and fair-priced prescription drugs, and today's regulations ensure that consumers and small pharmacies are protected from unfair business practices,” Hochul said in a statement. “We are leveling the playing field for independent pharmacies, while promoting competition and empowering consumers. These new measures will improve access to essential medications, eliminate anti-competitive practices, and make certain that the health care system works for everyone, not just the big players." The new regulations can be found here.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday that more than 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed and wounded in Russia's Kursk region and warned that Pyongyang could send more personnel and equipment for Moscow's army. "There are risks of North Korea sending additional troops and military equipment to the Russian army," Zelenskiy said on X after receiving a report from his top military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi. "We will have tangible responses to this," he added. The estimate of North Korean losses is higher than that provided by Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), which said on Monday at least 1,100 North Korean troops had been killed or wounded. The assessment was in line with a briefing last week by South Korea's spy agency, which reported some 100 deaths with another 1,000 wounded in the region. Zelenskiy said he cited preliminary data. Reuters could not independently verify reports on combat losses. Russia has neither confirmed nor denied the presence of North Koreans on its side. Pyongyang initially dismissed reports about the troop deployment as "fake news", but a North Korean official has said any such deployment would be lawful. According to Ukrainian and allied assessments, North Korea has sent around 12,000 troops to Russia. Some of them have been deployed for combat in Russia's Kursk region, where Ukraine still holds a chunk of land after a major cross-border incursion in August. JCS added that it has detected signs of Pyongyang planning to produce suicide drones to be shipped to Russia, in addition to the already supplied 240mm multiple rocket launchers and 170mm self-propelled howitzers. Kyiv continues to press allies for a tougher response as it says Moscow's and Pyongyang's transfer of warfare experience and military technologies constitute a global threat. "For the world, the cost of restoring stability is always much higher than the cost of effectively pressuring those who destabilize the situation and destroy lives," Zelenskiy said.Recently retired spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has chosen India’s 2-1 series triumph in Australia in 2020/21 as the high point from his illustrious international career as well as sharing the ‘one regret’ he holds from his 106 Test matches. Watch every ball of Australia v India LIVE & ad-break free during play in 4K on Kayo | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. Ashwin announced his shock retirement from Test cricket following the drawn Brisbane Test earlier this month, closing the curtain on a stellar career that yielded 537 wickets at 24 to be seventh all-time leading Test wicket taker, four scalps ahead of Nathan Lyon. The right-arm off-spinner only played the pink-ball affair in Adelaide in the current series, but in a fascinating discussion with former England captains Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast, he relived how he caused headaches for the Australian batting line-up four years ago. Ashwin snared 12 wickets at 28.83 in the first three Tests before he sustained a back injury in Sydney which caused him to miss India’s unforgettable three-wicket win in the series decider in Brisbane. But it was his ability to stifle Australia’s batters along with picking up the most valuable wickets that make his performance so revered. He dismissed Steve Smith three times, as well as Marnus Labuschagne twice, with a tactical masterclass. Ashwin regularly bowled around the wicket at the Australian number three and number four, and cramped them for room by bowling at middle and leg stump with a predominantly leg side field, while also having success with the arm ball that slid across them once they were tied down. The planning behind it was years in the making, as Ashwin was on his fourth tour of Australia at the time, and he talked Atherton and Hussain through his evolution, which he described as “an artistic journey” and “an intellectual journey”. “The way I bowled in Australia in 2021 has to be one that I really enjoyed. Australia is a country where, every time I came back from Australia I felt I came back a better cricketer. I started looking forward to those tours,” Ashwin said. “In 2011/12, the only way I knew how to bowl spin was to spin the ball hard. If I got clobbered, I’d spin it harder. I’d spin it harder if I got hit again. That was the only I knew to bowl. “I came off that tour and I learned about how to get my line, length and be extremely ruthless in that first couple of spells when I was in Australia. “The next time I went, I didn’t play the first Test when Nathan Lyon took 12 wickets. I felt very disheartened but I didn’t go away from my game plan, and I knew how to have a game plan and be ruthless at it. “Next time I went back in 2018/19, I went back as a much-more rounded bowler, who knew how to control flight, drift. I used to get the ball to drift in and then out, and also had a lot of subtle variations with good game plans. “When I went there in 2020/21, I knew how to bowl batsman out irrespective of conditions. I actually played with every single batsman’s technique and as a bowler, if you have a game plan, you can get the batsman to dance to your tunes, and also bowl the ball on the spot at will. “I don’t think you can ever ask for a better time in your life. I absolutely loved that tour as a bowler. “My batting also came through later on in that tour. That is one tour that I will keep very dearly.” On the other side of the coin, there was a series in just Ashwin’s second year in the Indian Test side that he has come to regret. In some ways, it is symbolic that the prolific spinner’s career has been almost bookended by India’s two most recent series losses at home. In 2012, Alistair Cook’s England pulled off a 2-1 triumph, while just last month New Zealand completed a historic 3-0 victory in India. The twelve years in between consisted off utter dominance by India at home with Ashwin and his partner in crime Ravindra Jadeja at the forefront. But the success only followed from a massive learning curve during the England series in 2012. In the second Test in Mumbai, Ashwin was smashed by Kevin Pietersen who inspired England to a ten-wicket win with an innings of 186. Ashwin recorded figures of 2/145 and that Test has left a considerable mark on his psyche. “I have one regret in life. I know KP is a very proud man, I’ve seen him talk a lot about how he took us down in Mumbai,” Ashwin said. “Very early in my career, in the formative years, things on the technical side that went wrong put me on the path of excellence. “I wanted to take on KP every single time after that. He’s a wonderful batter but anyone that didn’t have a really sound defence was someone I fancied because I’m very good at picking up players who step out, players who sweep. “In that particular series against KP and Alastair Cook, one of the finest batters I’ve bowled to, my alignments were so bad. My left leg was going so far out that I wasn’t able to get my length right at all. “For the rest of my career, ever since 2012, it was all about finding different solutions. I’m very grateful for the series going that way, because if it hadn’t happened, I might not have set myself on the path to excel as a bowler because to excel as bowler it’s very internal rather than external.” Ashwin will not be lost to cricket with his international retirement. He was bought by his hometown franchise, the Chennai Super Kings, in the recent IPL auction and insists he will “aspire to play for as long as I can” in the lucrative T20 league.Ilera Eko Records 229,455 Enrollment In 1 Year

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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Drake Maye’s arrival in New England coincided with a wholesale reset for the Patriots franchise following the departure of coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Mac Jones this past offseason. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Drake Maye’s arrival in New England coincided with a wholesale reset for the Patriots franchise following the departure of coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Mac Jones this past offseason. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Drake Maye’s arrival in New England coincided with a wholesale reset for the Patriots franchise following the departure of coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Mac Jones this past offseason. In his eight starts since assuming the reins from veteran Jacoby Brissett, the rookie quarterback has provided encouraging examples of what the Patriots’ revamped front office saw in selecting him third overall in the draft last April. While the Patriots enter their bye week with a 3-10 record and just 2-6 with Maye as the starter, both the coaching staff and his teammates feel they have a quarterback they can build around going forward. “I’m just trying to take it one day at a time, one game at a time,” Maye said this week. “I’m trying to learn from negative experiences or negative plays, learn from turnovers, learn from sacks that I take and see if I can get the ball out and do something better. That’s probably the biggest thing. “Hopefully, the work that we’re putting in and the product that we’re putting out can lead to some positive plays and some positive wins down the road.” Maye is coming off his best statistical performance of the season, completing a season best 80% of his passes (24 of 30) for a season-high 238 yards and a touchdown in New England’s 25-24 loss to Indianapolis. He also had a 41-yard run, showing off a running ability that has him averaging 9.1 yards per carry – best among quarterbacks who have played at least nine games. Maye did have one interception off a tipped ball, but showed his best command of offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt’s scheme to date, spreading the ball around to six different players and consistently getting the Patriots into the red zone. The rub is that the Patriots were just 2 of 6 once they got there, including four trips inside the 10-yard line that yielded only one TD. Lackluster play in the red zone has been a hindrance for a unit that ranks 30th in the NFL in scoring touchdowns inside the 20. Maye said it will be one of his main focal points over the final four games. “It’s tough to go out like that,” Maye said. “You can’t win games going four drives in the red zone that end in field goals. We’ve got to focus in on that. I think that’s been an emphasis of improvement for this offense. We know you have to score touchdowns to win in this league.” Though coach Jerod Mayo agrees there is room for improvement for Maye, he also pointed out that the pieces around him need to do a better job supporting him as well. He pointed specifically to the offensive line, singling out rookie left guard Layden Robinson and rookie tackle Caedan Wallace, as well as fellow lineman and 2022 first-round pick Cole Strange, who is working his way back from a knee injury. “You need a guy like Layden Robinson to show what he can do. We need a guy like Cole Strange before the end of the season to see what he can do,” Mayo said. “You can use Caedan in that same bucket. We need to see what the receivers can do and what they’re going to look like going forward, and that’s the hard part for me. You want to win right now, but at the same time, I think it would be a disservice to go to the end of the season and not know exactly what we have.” That’s not lost on Robinson, who wants to play better for his quarterback who he said has grown exponentially as a leader since earning the starting job. “He always has that confidence about him and you know how he takes control of the huddle,” Robinson said. “He gets in there, and he’s like, ‘All right, let’s go to work,’ basically. We rally behind him.” Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Results aside, Van Pelt said there are no regrets about initially waiting to elevate Maye to the starting job. “Absolutely not. I think we had the plan going into place, and I think that it’s showing now that that was a good decision for us,” Van Pelt said. “Would he be as developed had he started the first game? Maybe. Could’ve gone the other way as well. I stated in the spring, this is a marathon, it’s not a sprint. “This is about a career, franchise quarterback, and we’re trying to develop him in the right way. And I feel like we did it that way.” ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Advertisement AdvertisementNew French government named after budget fight collapse