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winner 777 J.T. Miller spoke to a speculated rift with teammate Elias Pettersson on Sunday and it wasn’t exactly a fireside chat. It was firm and frank. The Vancouver Canucks centre took the growing outside noise away from the locker room and addressed a widely-reported discord between the star players in the hallway. Miller then pointed the finger of blame at the media. “You guys in a sense of that outer world have created this thing,” said Miller. “This isn’t a thing. So, am I bothered? No. But you guys are just wasting your time. I don’t care. You can ask me all you want. “I can bring in Petey and we can do the interview together, if that will make you guys happy. I have a lot of stuff to worry about right now myself and I’m not worried about any noise and it’s not between my ears. “I’m trying to find out how to play a good 200-foot game.” Miller and Pettersson share the same creative and scoring traits, but are polar opposites. Miller is an alpha male and cut from an old-school cloth. He’s loud and proud, and his stick slams of frustration and F-bombs are often directed at himself for mistakes or missing assignments. Pettersson has a different view of the world. He’s very good at his chosen craft but has other interests and is drawn to music and fashion, among other things. However, that shouldn’t deter the pair from finding common ground to put personalities aside and drive the offence. Miller didn’t have a shot attempt Saturday in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators , has gone seven games without a goal and has four assists in that span. Pettersson is pointless in six games and has but one goal in his last 12 outings. “I really try not to take stock in the points, but they’re definitely harder to come by right now,” admitted Miller. “I’m not driving the play the way I want to on a consistent basis.” If the Canucks expect to improve on a concerning 6-7-5 home record, especially after going 27-9-5 last season to collect 109 points and capture the Pacific Division, they need the best from their best. Right now, they’re in a precious wild-card spot. That was not the plan. “If would be great if we could have 100 points for sure,” agreed Miller. “That would be ideal, right? We’re just trying to play the right way and points with come when they come.” It won’t be that simple if they can’t transfer their remarkable road show — 10-3-2 to tie the Minnesota Wild for fewest regulation losses — because slow starts at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena keep piling up. Rallying to get to overtime and earn a point Saturday against the Senators was commendable, but the game was there for the taking. Miller has had his moments since taking a leave of absence Nov. 19. He matched up well in impressive home-ice wins against the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers and the Colorado Avalanche — shutting down elite centres in Aleksander Barkov and Nathan MacKinnon — but consistency remains the challenge. “We’re doing a lot of good things right now, but we’ve got to stop hurting ourselves with costly mistakes,” said Miller, who accepted blame for not picking up Josh Norris on his shorthand goal Saturday. “I made a mistake,” he said. “Rare to run set plays on the penalty kill and it was my guy, I didn’t even know he was there. I was just trying to pick off that first pass. That’s on me. And same on the overtime goal. Both my fault. S — t happens. It’s a long season.” Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet rationalized Miller’s bouts of inconsistency with the understanding that his leave of absence wasn’t that long ago. “A lot of players have a lot of different things on their plate,” he said. “You always want to coach a player so his mind is free when he leaves the rink. “When you’re cloudy it affects your play. It’s our job to create a safer environment for everybody. We have to try to help all our players. “But it’s about the crest, not an individual player.” bkuzma@postmedia.comTechnology stocks pulled Wall Street to another record amid mixed trading. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% Monday after closing November at an all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. Super Micro Computer, a stock that’s been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared after saying an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or the company’s board. Retailers were mixed coming off Black Friday and heading into what’s expected to be the best Cyber Monday on record. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. On Monday: The S&P 500 rose 14.77 points, or 0.2%, to 6,047.15. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 128.65 points, or 0.3%, to 44,782. The Nasdaq composite rose 185.78 points, or 1%, to 19,403.95. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 0.59 points, or less than 0.1%, to 2,434.14. For the year: The S&P 500 is up 1,277.32 points, or 26.8%. The Dow is up 7,092.46 points, or 18.8%. The Nasdaq is up 4,392.60 points, or 29.3%. The Russell 2000 is up 407.06 points, or 20.1%.

Edwards Lifesciences Corp. stock outperforms competitors despite losses on the dayIndiana should be able to breathe easy this week. It has very little chance of making it into the Big Ten championship game. On the other hand, Georgia's spot in the Southeastern Conference title game is so risky that if the Bulldogs lose they might have been better off sitting it out. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

Insurance Aggregators Market to Garner $130 Bn, Globally, by 2031 at 21.2% CAGR | Benefits, Strategies, Market TrendsMUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — Payton Sparks scored 20 points off of the bench to lead Ball State past Evansville 80-43 on Saturday. Sparks had five rebounds for the Cardinals (5-6). Jermahri Hill added 13 points while going 5 of 14 (1 for 5 from 3-point range) while he also had eight rebounds and four steals. Jeremiah Hernandez had 12 points and shot 3 of 9 from the field, including 2 for 3 from 3-point range, and went 4 for 5 from the line. Michael Day led the Purple Aces (3-9) in scoring, finishing with 13 points. Evansville also got 11 points and seven rebounds from Tanner Cuff. Gui Tesch also recorded five points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .GROVE CITY, Pa., Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fast Casual Concepts, Inc. FCCI ("Company") announces it is acquiring 100% of CK Distribution . CK Distribution is a wholesale and retail distributor of nonalcoholic mixers throughout the State of Florida. The acquisition is the first step towards a new business direction of Fast Casual Concepts, Inc. Prior to this acquisition, the Company underwent a 1 for 4 reverse stock split and the total remaining common shares outstanding are 26,112,754. Management intends to provide the shareholders with the best opportunities possible and the board of directors believes that this acquisition will position the Company well for future growth and opportunity. George Athanasiadis, CEO of Fast Casual Concepts, Inc. stated, "This acquisition is an exciting new opportunity, and I believe we have an opportunity for rapid growth in a very lucrative market." About CK Distribution: CK Distribution sells nonalcoholic mixers through wholesale and retail channels. Some of CK Distributions' products can be found at www.7sinsmixes.com . Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Except for historical matters contained herein, statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as "may", "will", "to", "plan", "expect", "believe", "anticipate", "intend", "could", "would", "estimate," or "continue", or the negative other variations thereof or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risk, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Also, forward-looking statements represent our management's beliefs and assumptions only as of the date hereof. Additional information regarding the factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements is available in the Company's filings with OTC Markets. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. Contact: Office Administrator +1 727-692-3348 info@fastcasualconceptsinc.com fastcasualconceptsinc.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/02bf8f3e-0b1a-4d39-8d56-2412ac31e9de © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Maine’s child hunger advocates prepare to defend federal nutrition programsA year ago seems like an eternity. Imagine how that feels for the Buffalo Bills. Heading into Week 13 last season, the Bills were on their bye. They lost an overtime game to the Philadelphia Eagles after blowing a fourth-quarter lead and another in overtime to fall to 6-6. A playoff berth seemed unlikely and an AFC East championship unfathomable sitting three games behind the Miami Dolphins. And then, of course, the Bills rattled off five consecutive wins to secure their fourth divisional title in a row and the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. Jump ahead to the present and the Bills enter Week 13 coming out of their bye, a 9-2 record and a four-game lead on the Dolphins. This was supposed to be the year the Bills were finally knocked off their throne, but instead, they are a win from clinching a playoff spot and a win and a Dolphins loss from another AFC East banner. While the Bills won’t need to win six in a row to get into the playoffs this time around, they might in order to get home-field advantage and the Dolphins are not quite out of the race for the division yet. This is the time to keep their foot on the gas to avoid any chance of a role reversal. A three-game stretch against the 49ers, Rams and Lions that once seemed to be daunting doesn’t look so tough on paper anymore, but it’s still crucial to come out 2-1. And then there’s the three-game homestretch against the Jets and Patriots (twice). Laugh at the final three games if you will, but the Bills lost to both teams last season and 14 of 27 games within the division have been decided by one score since 2020. And three of their five losses in the AFC East during that span have come against teams that finished below .500. “What we talk about is making sure their habits match our goals as a team and certainly their goals as an individual to be the best version of themselves when they come back,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “We're getting into the back third of the season, if you will. ... It's an important time for sure.” If there is a team to avoid a slump, though, it’s the Bills and McDermott is 7-0 coming off a bye week since becoming the team’s head coach in 2017. And by time the Bills kickoff against the 49ers Sunday, the calendar will have flipped to December and that’s when they shine. McDermott’s first three seasons were a slog in December and January, going 6-8. But since 2020, the Bills are 19-2 in those months and outscored opponents by 11.8 points per game. Some of the late-season success is because the Bills fell into precarious situations in the first half. The Bills went 3-2 in the final month and still needed help to squeak into the playoffs in 2017, then they were 7-6 and trailing the Patriots 13 games into 2021, and then, of course, last season’s run to the finish line. Avoiding a drop-off over the final six games is promising for the same reasons that Bills unexpectedly already have nine wins. This is not a roster laden with stars, but one with many players who battled for jobs during training camp, are still battling and will likely have to do so again next year. The Bills have also fostered an environment where goals and expectations are clear. And the Bills have gone out and acquired players to fit into their mold through the draft, free agency and trades. “Last time I checked, nine wins probably doesn't get you in the playoffs,” quarterback Josh Allen said after beating the Chiefs. “So going into this bye week, get to enjoy ourselves a little bit. But coming back ready. You know, a hungry team.” The Bills may also be coming back a healthier team. Tackle Spencer Brown (ankle), receiver Keon Coleman (wrist) and tight end Dalton Kincaid (knee) were not expected to be out long-term and all could return against the 49ers. Receiver Amari Cooper returned against the Chiefs and played with a cast on his left wrist, so another two weeks of rest can only help him. The Bills can open rookie defensive tackle DeWayne Carter’s (wrist) 21-day window to return from injured reserve Saturday, while the Bills expect defensive end Dawuane Smoot (wrist) back before the end of the season. And then there’s the big fish: linebacker Matt Milano. The All-Pro could make his season debut against the 49ers, but they could sit him one more game before having to decide whether to add him to the active roster or shut him down for the year, which has to be determined after the game. What Milano can bring to the Bills at this juncture of the season is unknown, especially for a 30-year-old who hasn’t played a football game in 13 months. Not only is Milano recovering from biceps surgery, but he hasn’t played a game since fracturing his leg in Week 5 last season, although adding Milano to the mix can’t hurt. “We would want to do it,” McDermott said. “If and when we're given the green light — or he's given the green light — to go about it the right way.”

The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing . But it wasn’t just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin , gold and other investments also drove higher. Here’s a look at some of the numbers that defined the year. All are as of Dec. 20. Remember when President Bill Clinton got impeached or when baseball’s Mark McGwire hit his 70th home run against the Montreal Expos? That was the last time the U.S. stock market closed out a second straight year with a leap of at least 20%, something the S&P 500 is on track to do again this year. The index has climbed 24.3% so far this year, not including dividends, following last year’s spurt of 24.2%. The number of all-time highs the S&P 500 has set so far this year. The first came early, on Jan. 19, when the index capped a two-year comeback from the swoon caused by high inflation and worries that high interest rates instituted by the Federal Reserve to combat it would create a recession. But the index was methodical through the rest of the year, setting a record in every month outside of April and August, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices. The latest came on Dec. 6. The number of times the Federal Reserve has cut its main interest rate this year from a two-decade high, offering some relief to the economy. Expectations for those cuts, along with hopes for more in 2025, were a big reason the U.S. stock market has been so successful this year. The 1 percentage point of cuts, though, is still short of the 1.5 percentage points that many traders were forecasting for 2024 at the start of the year. The Fed disappointed investors in December when it said it may cut rates just two more times in 2025, fewer than it had earlier expected. That’s how many points the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by the day after Election Day, as investors made bets on what Donald Trump’s return to the White House will mean for the economy and the world . The more widely followed S&P 500 soared 2.5% for its best day in nearly two years. Aside from bitcoin, stocks of banks and smaller winners were also perceived to be big winners. The bump has since diminished amid worries that Trump’s policies could also send inflation higher. Related Articles Holiday shoppers increased spending by 3.8% despite higher prices Heavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flights Are religious people more generous than non-religious people? What new study finds Amazon and Starbucks workers are on strike. Trump might have something to do with it JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, BofA facing federal lawsuit over Zelle payment network fraud The level that bitcoin topped to set a record above $108,000 this past month. It’s been climbing as interest rates come down, and it got a particularly big boost following Trump’s election. He’s turned around and become a fan of crypto, and he’s named a former regulator who’s seen as friendly to digital currencies as the next chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, replacing someone who critics said was overly aggressive in his oversight. Bitcoin was below $17,000 just two years ago following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX. Gold’s rise for the year, as it also hit records and had as strong a run as U.S. stocks. Wars around the world have helped drive demand for investments seen as safe, such as gold. It’s also benefited from the Fed’s cut to interest rates. When bonds are paying less in interest, they pull away fewer potential buyers from gold, which pays investors nothing. It’s a favorite number of Elon Musk, and it’s also a threshold that Tesla’s stock price passed in December as it set a record. The number has a long history among marijuana devotees, and Musk famously said in 2018 that he had secured funding to take Tesla private at $420 per share . Tesla soared this year, up from less than $250 at the start, in part because of expectations that Musk’s close relationship with Trump could benefit the company. That’s how much revenue Nvidia made in the nine months through Oct. 27, showing how the artificial-intelligence frenzy is creating mountains of cash. Nvidia’s chips are driving much of the move into AI, and its revenue through the last nine months catapulted from less than $39 billion the year before. Such growth has boosted Nvidia’s worth to more than $3 trillion in total. GameStop’s gain on May 13 after Keith Gill, better known as “Roaring Kitty,” appeared online for the first time in three years to support the video game retailer’s stock, which he helped rocket to unimaginable heights during the “ meme stock craze ” in 2021. Several other meme stocks also jumped following his post in May on the social platform X, including AMC Entertainment. Gill later disclosed a sizeable stake in the online pet products retailer Chewy, but he sold all of his holdings by late October . That’s how much the U.S. economy grew, at annualized seasonally adjusted rates, in each of the three first quarters of this year. Such growth blew past what many pessimists were expecting when inflation was topping 9% in the summer of 2022. The fear was that the medicine prescribed by the Fed to beat high inflation — high interest rates — would create a recession. Households at the lower end of the income spectrum in particular are feeling pain now, as they contend with still-high prices. But the overall economy has remained remarkably resilient. This is the vacancy rate for U.S. office buildings — an all-time high — through the first three quarters of 2024, according to data from Moody’s. The fact the rate held steady for most of the year was something of a win for office building owners, given that it had marched up steadily from 16.8% in the fourth quarter of 2019. Demand for office space weakened as the pandemic led to the popularization of remote work. That’s the total number of previously occupied homes sold nationally through the first 11 months of 2024. Sales would have to surge 20% year-over-year in December for 2024’s home sales to match the 4.09 million existing homes sold in 2023, a nearly 30-year low. The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump dating back to 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. A shortage of homes for sale and elevated mortgage rates have discouraged many would-be homebuyers.As Anupam Mittal celebrates his 49th birthday, the man behind Shaadi.com and a key player in India’s startup boom continues to inspire entrepreneurs across the nation. Born on December 23, 1975, Mittal’s journey from a young visionary to a mentor for future leaders exemplifies the transformative power of innovation and dedication. Pioneer of Digital Matchmaking Mittal’s entrepreneurial journey began in the late 1990s when, as a student at Boston University, he identified a glaring gap in India’s matchmaking industry. In 1997, he launched Shaadi.com, a platform that seamlessly integrated traditional matchmaking customs with modern technology. The platform revolutionised how Indians approached marriage, fostering meaningful connections through user-friendly digital tools. Under Mittal’s leadership, Shaadi.com grew into a household name, continuously evolving to reflect changing societal norms and user expectations. By prioritising user experience and innovation, Mittal redefined the concept of arranged marriages in India. Eye for Opportunities Mittal’s contributions extend far beyond Shaadi.com. His uncanny ability to identify market gaps and develop user-centric solutions has made him a stalwart in the startup ecosystem. From supporting Ola Cabs’ efforts to streamline urban transportation to backing BigBasket in transforming grocery shopping, Mittal’s investments have consistently championed innovative ideas. His early support for ventures like MediBuddy and Sapience highlights his foresight in recognising emerging industry trends. More than just an investor, Mittal plays an active role in nurturing startups, emphasising a customer-first approach to ensure their success. Championing Purpose-Driven Brands Mittal’s brand-building philosophy centres around creating value and fostering strong user relationships. His initiatives consistently prioritise societal impact, supporting projects in healthcare, women’s empowerment, and education. His belief in leveraging business to drive social change underscores his broader vision for entrepreneurship. Guiding Force on Shark Tank India Mittal’s role as a Shark on Shark Tank India has brought his mentorship to the forefront. Beyond financial investments, he offers invaluable guidance to budding entrepreneurs, breaking down complex business strategies into actionable insights. His presence on the show resonates with audiences, reflecting his commitment to empowering young innovators. Through his investments on Shark Tank India, Mittal reaffirms his faith in the potential of India’s startup ecosystem. By nurturing emerging talent, he is shaping the next generation of entrepreneurs and ensuring a robust and dynamic landscape for innovation. As Anupam Mittal marks another year, his journey stands as a testament to the power of vision, perseverance, and customer-focused innovation. From transforming the matchmaking industry to mentoring the leaders of tomorrow, Mittal’s contributions have left an indelible mark on India’s entrepreneurial landscape. On his 49th birthday, Mittal’s story continues to inspire countless individuals to dream big and work relentlessly to achieve their goals.Harry and Meghan’s polo docuseries to highlight ‘grit behind the glamour’