golden empire jili download

S&P Dow Jones Indices Announces Dow Jones Sustainability Indices 2024 Review ResultsFlorida knocks No. 9 Ole Miss out of College Football Playoff contention

San Jose Sharks winger Luke Kunin is on pace to set a new single-season career high in goals scored. He is in his second season as an alternate captain and plays the type of north-south game coach Ryan Warsofsky appreciates. Those qualities will also likely make Kunin, a pending unrestricted free agent, an attractive trade target among playoff-contending teams early next year. Kunin scored twice and had 16:31 in ice time for the Sharks on Tuesday in their 3-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Going into Thursday’s date with his hometown St. Louis Blues, Kunin, after 31 games, is now tied for fourth on the team with eight goals, more than halfway past his career high of 15 set during the 2019-2020 season when he played in 63 games with the Minnesota Wild. Now, it’s a matter of whether the Sharks want to try to sign Kunin to a contract extension past this season or trade him for future assets as they did with goalie Mackenzie Blackwood on Monday. Blackwood was traded to the Colorado Avalanche as part of a deal that netted goalie and pending UFA Alexandar Georgiev, 25-year-old forward Nikolai Kovalenko, and two draft picks. After the deal, Sharks general manager Mike Grier said Blackwood likely “played his way out of here” with the season he was having. That means the average annual value of Blackwood’s next contract will probably be significantly higher than the $2.35 million on his current deal. The rebuilding Sharks are only willing to commit so much money to the goaltending position as Yaroslav Askarov’s two-year, $4 million contract kicks in next season. “I hope he gets what he’s looking for,” Grier said of Blackwood. “But I think he kind of played his way out of probably the ballpark figure of what we were looking for, especially with (Askarov) coming up as well.” It’s fair to suggest that Kunin, who turned 27 on Dec. 4, will be looking for a bump from his current AAV of $2.75 million and perhaps some term beyond one or two years on his next contract. He also must decide whether he wants to remain with the rebuilding Sharks, who appear to be at least a couple of years away from being serious playoff contenders. With Kunin a pending restricted free agent in June, he and the Sharks came to terms on a one-year, $2.75 million deal that took him to UFA status. He has 12 points this season and is sixth among Sharks forwards in average time on ice (15:05). Like he will with other pending UFAs before the March 7 trade deadline, Grier must decide whether Kunin fits in with the Sharks in their current state or whether it makes more sense to ship him and collect a future asset. The Sharks’ other pending UFAs are goalies Georgiev and Vitek Vanecek, forwards Mikael Granlund and Nico Sturm, and defensemen Cody Ceci and Jan Rutta. Those players, too, must decide whether to stay or move on. Regardless, Kunin, who sustained a torn right ACL in Dec. 2022 in his first season with the Sharks, appears to be helping his value with his improved skating and production. Kunin had 11 goals and 18 points in 77 games last season. “I think he’s been solid,” Warsofsky said after Tuesday’s loss. “We’re seeing a guy that’s skating more, first and foremost, gets to the inside of the ice, kind of the heart and soul of our team, really. He gives you everything he’s got. To get rewarded with two goals is nice.” MUKHAMADULLIN TO PLAY: Warsofsky said Wednesday in St. Louis that defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin would play against the Blues as the Sharks play the final game of a six-game road trip. After Tuesday’s game, the Sharks announced that Mukhamadullin had been recalled from the AHL and that defenseman Jack Thompson and forward Ethan Cardwell had been loaned back to the Barracuda. Mukhamadullin had six assists in 14 games with the Barracuda this season after the Sharks assigned him to the AHL on Oct. 22. His most recent game was on Dec. 8, when he had two assists in the Barracuda’s 2-1 win over Coachella Valley. Mukhamadullin, acquired from New Jersey in Feb. 2023 as part of the blockbuster trade that sent Timo Meier to the Devils, played in three games with the Sharks last season – all in January – and averaged over 21 minutes of ice time per game and had one assist. The Sharks have lost three straight and are 2-3-0 on the trip that began close to two weeks ago with wins over the Seattle Kraken and Washington Capitals. PULLI OUT: The Sharks on Wednesday placed defenseman Valtteri Pulli on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his NHL contract. “Valtteri requested to play in Europe and we mutually agreed to terminate his contract,” Sharks assistant general manager Joe Will said in a statement. “We want to thank Valtteri for his contributions to the organization and wish him all the best.” Pulli, 23, was signed to a two-year, two-way contract by the Sharks in May 2023 after he played three seasons with TPS Turku of the Finnish League. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Pulli never played for the Sharks, but had 10 points in 59 games for the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL last season. Pulli was healthy again this season but only dressed for two Barracuda games, both in October. He had one assist in an Oct. 19 game against the Iowa Wild.On Saturday, ESPN's "College GameDay" was on set in Bloomington, Indiana ahead of one of the biggest games on the college football schedule this season. No. 5 Indiana (10-0) entered their Week 13 contest against No. 2 Ohio State (9-1) looking to cement their place in the College Football Playoff during their first matchup against a Top 25 team. The Hoosiers have had an incredible start to the season under first-year head coach Curt Cignetti, who signed a contract extension with the program last week. One former coach of the Hoosiers might not like a prediction the "College GameDay" social media team made on Saturday morning. They made a post on X with Lee Corso's face looking at Brutus, the Buckeyes mascot, on the "distracted boyfriend meme. Via ESPN's "College GameDay": "Gonna be a tough day for Coach." Gonna be a tough day for Coach 🫣 pic.twitter.com/xZvSRZK3wt ESPN's analytics departments gave the Hoosiers only a 26.5% chance of beating Ohio State at Ohio Stadium on Saturday. ESPN BET has Indiana as a 10.5-point underdog to the Buckeyes, meaning the network doesn't predict a favorable outcome for Corso's former team. Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Corso served as the head coach of Indiana from 1973-1982. He earned a 41-68-2 record in his 10 years with the Hoosiers. The Cicero, Illinois native led Indiana to a 38-37 win over a previously undefeated BYU Cougars program in the 1979 Holiday Bowl. In a 1976 contest between Ohio State and Indiana, Corso called a timeout so the team could be photographed in front of a scoreboard that favored the Hoosiers 7-6 in the second quarter. (Indiana hadn't led Ohio State in a football game in nearly a quarter century.) The Buckeyes would ultimately win the game 47-7. Related: Lee Corso's Arrival to Indiana for 'College GameDay' Captures Attention

KLM Uses Pilot Controlled Tow 'Taxibot' On First Passenger Flight At Schiphol Airpor

Stock market today: Wall Street ends mixed after a bumpy weekUS-Google face off as ad tech antitrust trial comes to close

WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors moved Monday to abandon the classified documents case against President-elect Donald Trump in light of longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. The announcement in an appeals court filing in Florida came shortly after a similar filing was made by prosecutors in Washington, D.C., where they asked to dismiss the case accusing Trump of plotting to overturn the 2020 election. Related Story: The move amounts to a predictable but nonetheless stunning conclusion to a criminal case that just one year ago had been seen as the most perilous legal threat that he faced. It reflects the practical consequences of Trump’s victory, ensuring he enters office free from scrutiny over his hoarding of top secret documents and conduct that prosecutors said had jeopardized national scrutiny. The dismissal had been foreshadowed in recent weeks by the revelation that special counsel Jack Smith was evaluating how to wind down both that case and a separate pending prosecution he brought charging Trump with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Justice Department legal opinions dating back decades say sitting presidents cannot be indicted or prosecuted while in office.

WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Christopher Wray told bureau workers Wednesday that he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden's term in January, an announcement that came a week and a half after President-elect Donald Trump said he would nominate loyalist Kash Patel for the job. Wray said at a town hall meeting that he would be stepping down “after weeks of careful thought,” roughly three years short of the completion of a 10-year term during which he tried to keep the FBI out of politics even as the bureau found itself entangled in a string of explosive investigations, including two that led to separate indictments of Trump last year as well as inquiries into Biden and his son. “My goal is to keep the focus on our mission — the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day,” Wray told agency employees. “In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work.” The intended resignation was not unexpected considering that Trump had settled on Patel to be director and had repeatedly aired his ire at Wray, whom he appointed during his first term. But his departure is nonetheless a reflection of how Trump's norm-breaking style has reshaped Washington, with the president-elect yet again flouting tradition by moving to replace an FBI director well before his term was up and Wray resigning to avert a collision with the incoming administration. “It should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway — this is not easy for me," Wray said. “I love this place, I love our mission, and I love our people — but my focus is, and always has been, on us and doing what’s right for the FBI.” Wray received a standing ovation following his remarks before a standing-room-only crowd at FBI headquarters and some in the audience cried, according to an FBI official who was not authorized to discuss the private gathering by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press. Trump applauded the news on social media, calling it “a great day for America as it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice" and saying that Patel's confirmation will begin “the process of Making the FBI Great Again.” If confirmed by the Senate, Patel would herald a radical leadership transformation at the nation's premier federal law enforcement agency. He has advocated shutting down the FBI's Washington headquarters and called for ridding the federal government of “conspirators," raising alarms that he might seek to wield the FBI's significant investigative powers as an instrument of retribution against Trump's perceived enemies. Patel said in a statement Wednesday that he was looking forward to "a smooth transition. I will be ready to serve the American people on day one.” It's extremely rare for FBI directors to be ousted from their jobs before the completion of their 10-year terms, a length meant to insulate the agency from the political influence of changing administrations. But Trump has done it twice, placing Wray in the job in 2017 after firing Director James Comey amid an investigation into ties between Russia and the Republican president’s campaign. Despite having appointed Wray, Trump had telegraphed his anger with the FBI director on multiple occasions throughout the years, including as recently as the past week. In an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday, Trump said, “I can’t say I’m thrilled with him. He invaded my home,” a reference to the FBI search of his Florida property , Mar-a-Lago, two years ago for classified documents from Trump’s first term as president. That search, and the recovery of boxes of sensitive government records, paved the way for one of two federal indictments against Trump. The case, and another one charging him with plotting to overturn the 2020 election, have both been dismissed by the Justice Department special counsel that brought them in light of Trump's November victory. Attorney General Merrick Garland praised Wray for having “served our country honorably and with integrity for decades.” He said: “Under Director Wray’s principled leadership, the FBI has worked to fulfill the Justice Department’s mission to keep our country safe, protect civil rights, and uphold the rule of law.” Natalie Bara, the president of the FBI Agents Association, said in a statement that Wray had led the FBI “through challenging times with a steady focus on doing the work that keeps our country safe. ” Throughout his seven years on the job, the self-professed "low-key, understated" Wray brought a workmanlike approach to the job, repeatedly preaching a “keep calm and tackle hard” mantra to bureau personnel despite a steady drumbeat of attacks from Trump and his supporters. He also sought to avoid public conflict when possible with the Trump White House, distancing himself and his leadership team from the FBI's Russia investigation over errors that took place before he took office and announcing dozens of corrective actions meant to prevent the recurrence of the surveillance abuses that plagued the inquiry. But there were other instances when he memorably broke from Trump — he did not agree, for instance, with Trump’s characterization of the Russia investigation as a “witch hunt." He made known his displeasure when the White House blessed the declassification of materials related to the surveillance of a former Trump campaign aide and contradicted a Trump talking point by stating that Ukraine had not interfered in the 2016 election. He repeatedly sought to keep the focus on the FBI's day-to-day work, using the bulk of his resignation announcement to praise the bureau's efforts in countering everything from violent crime and cyberattacks to Chinese espionage and terrorism. Yet as he leaves office at a time of heightened threats , much of the public focus has been on the politically sensitive investigations of his tenure. Besides the inquiries into Trump, the FBI in recent years also investigated Biden's handling of classified information as well as Biden's son Hunter for tax and gun violations. Hunter Biden was pardoned by his father last week. A particular flashpoint came in August 2022, when FBI agents searched Mar-a-Lago — an action officials defended as necessary given the boxes of documents that were being concealed at the Palm Beach property and the evidence of obstruction that the Justice Department said had been gathered. Trump railed against the FBI over that search and has kept up his criticism ever since. Trump was angered by Wray's comment at a congressional hearing that there was “some question about whether or not it’s a bullet or shrapnel” that struck Trump's ear during an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania in July. The FBI later stated unequivocally that it was indeed a bullet. Before being named FBI director, Wray worked at a prestigious law firm, King & Spalding, where he represented former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie during the “Bridgegate” scandal. He also led the Justice Department’s criminal division for a period during President George W. Bush’s administration.

B.C. cities turning to AI to speed up housing approvals Gold standard is for AI to give site-level feedback with human checks and balances. Jami Makan Dec 13, 2024 2:00 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message The City of Vancouver is among those in B.C. tapping AI to help tackle staffing shortages and housing challenges. Dan Toulgoet Listen to this article 00:08:36 Municipalities in B.C. are automating key aspects of their workflow in order to achieve planning efficiencies and accelerate approval timelines. In a market defined by limited housing supply and low affordability, cities are embracing technology and artificial intelligence to interact seamlessly with project proponents and speed up much-needed real estate development. With a federal goal of 3.9 million new homes by 2031, and with short-staffed municipalities facing ambitious provincial housing targets, the goal is to make interactions with city hall far more productive and user-friendly. This way, more projects can come to fruition before the passage of time renders them unviable or uneconomical. As the technology becomes more sophisticated, city staff can be redeployed to perform monitoring, verification and other higher-level tasks. “Say you make an application to re-zone a property today from residential to a mixed-use commercial zoning, and we figure you need to upsize your water and your sewer,” explained Ryan Smith, divisional director of planning, development and climate sustainability with City of Kelowna. “Today, we have someone look at the pipe sizes. Someone has to compile it and put it into a memo which gets sent to the developer. We’re working on automating all of that so that the system’s smart enough to go in and check pipe sizes and know what the standard would be, what the pipe size is today, and be able to figure out, ‘Okay, well you need to upsize your water line to this, you need a new sewer line and it’s got to be this,’ and give you a list of the civil-engineering-related improvements to your property.” Vancouver using new tools to reach “3-3-3-1” goals Digital technology is playing an important role in advancing the City of Vancouver's permitting approval processes. Tools like the Permit Requirements Exploration Tool (PRET), eComply and the 3-3-3-1 dashboard are instrumental in helping the city achieve its goals outlined in the 3-3-3-1 permit approval framework. Vancouver city council adopted the 3-3-3-1 framework at a June 13, 2023 meeting. It includes three days to approve home renovation permits, three weeks for single-family home and townhouse permits, three months for certain multi-family and mid-rise projects, and one year for high-rise or large-scale projects. While the framework will take some time to accomplish, technologies like AI are helping the city get there sooner rather than later. According to a statement provided by city staff, two of the city’s tools, eComply and the 3-3-3-1 dashboard, have used AI-assisted technology. The first, eComply, was developed in partnership with Australia-based Archistar and uses AI-assisted technology to allow applicants to upload drawings and check them against regulations. Meanwhile, the 3-3-3-1 dashboard, which provides an overview of progress toward permitting targets, was supported by AI-assisted technology in its creation. While the tool is still in development and currently available for internal use only, staff said it will eventually be made public. “We remain committed to exploring emerging technologies, including AI, to continuously improve the efficiency, transparency and accessibility of our permitting processes,” said the City of Vancouver’s statement. Chatbots becoming increasingly refined and capable The City of Kelowna, considered a pioneer in its use of technology, began its journey about five years ago, when a provincially funded grant enabled the city to explore ways to search zoning rules in a more efficient and user-friendly manner. The city pitched the idea to Microsoft Corp., which helped the city implement a chatbot that gives advice on zoning and building-related feedback if members of the public are trying to apply for various types of permits, such as upgrades or infill housing. “How do I apply for a swimming pool permit?” said Smith. “It will walk you through the different things you need to know and try to answer your questions about being able to do that.” Kelowna’s next phase is behind the scenes, where the city is replacing its 30-year-old legacy software with improved tools for processing building-permit and re-zoning applications. “We also needed to get better data out of that system so that we could start making better data-driven decisions related to housing, and track progress related to the Housing Supply Act in B.C., our own housing needs assessment and our housing accelerator fund commitments,” said Smith. The new software program, Cityworks, features a chatbot that guides the making of building permit applications, with everything done online. You won’t need to come into city hall for anything or to drop anything off. The software also enables digital plan checking, and building inspectors can even manage their inspections online. Gold standard is for AI to automate site-level decisions “The thing about AI is, the quality of the information that the municipality feeds into the system is the quality of the information that the user can get out the other side,” said Tegan Smith, CEO of Channel Consulting. “The more that the municipality has an updated official community plan, updated zoning bylaws, updated development permit area requirements and updated infrastructure plans, the more they can leverage AI and chatbots to provide specific feedback to applicants right down to the site level.” Right now, infrastructure such as roads, water and sanitary, is assessed on a site-by-site basis. For example, if a single-family lot is being turned into a six-storey apartment building, there may be a requirement to upgrade a water main to allow for adequate fire flows. Right now, all of that is done by engineering studies specific to the project. This is one reason why infrastructure master plans are critical, she said. “If we are able to develop models that can actually be predictive about the implications on a site level, then we’ve got the key with AI to unlock its full potential.” Risks abound but payoff could be huge Today, AI can be used internally by city staff to enhance their workflow and easily consult building, plumbing and electrical codes. It can be used to conduct risk-based building inspections, and can be used to communicate with members of the public during major snow events. ChatGPT can quickly review zoning bylaws and answer whether or not a certain use can be implemented. Tomorrow, AI could be used to make permit approval recommendations, predict market cycles or help optimize the use of public land for affordable housing. It could also make recommendations about how best to re-develop any property based on what’s allowed by the municipality, accompanied by immediate quotes from suitable builders and financiers. In the aggregate, these novel applications could help solve regional and national housing shortages. But AI also has gaps and limitations. For example, coordinated data is needed to ensure you’re measuring apples to apples. Also, AI cannot easily be implemented for planning and development, since there are many more possible journeys with many more variables, necessitating highly complex answers to questions. “While AI can accelerate planning processes and offer fresh insights, its outputs must be combined with other data sources and assessed by professional planners and decision-makers,” said the City of Vancouver in its statement. “Relying solely on AI, or any single source of information, can pose risks when making complex, impactful decisions.” By empowering human decision-makers, redistributing their workflow and training them to interact with and oversee bleeding-edge technologies, precious staff time can be reallocated, scarce resources redistributed and personnel retrained. AI “gets me a lot of the way there because I’m able to have a certain probability of success,” said Smith of Channel Consulting. “I’m able to say it’s probably correct, and then I can go and verify. But you have to actually have the expertise to know what to ask and what to verify. I think the critical thinking and human involvement is going to continue to be important.” [email protected] @JamiMakan Tags: See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Related Kelowna turns to AI to help housing backlog Jan 11, 2024 11:40 AM B.C. receives failing grade as red tape snarls renovations, construction Feb 2, 2024 9:40 AM AI takes centre stage as Vancouver's real estate sector accelerates digital embrace Nov 26, 2024 4:00 PM Featured FlyerShopping 4 a Cause supports local business and holiday spirit

From Piggy Bank to Bull Run: 3 signs that middle class is making money in stock marketTURIN, Italy :Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie scored to lead Juventus to a 2-0 Champions League win over Manchester City on Wednesday, a major blow to the English champions' hopes of clinching a top-eight spot in the group stage of Europe's elite competition. City, who lifted the 2023 Champions League trophy, continued a poor run of form which has brought only one victory in their last 10 games across all competitions. "(Confidence) is a big part of it, obviously it's a mental issue as well. You can see that. You can see that sometimes one action we miss the ball or lose a duel and you can see that we drop immediately," City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan told Amazon Prime. "It has such a big effect on us right now. At the crucial moment right now we are doing the wrong things." Vlahovic scored by the narrowest of margins in the 53rd minute when Kenan Yildiz swung the ball in and City keeper Ederson fumbled the Serb's header from close range and the ball sneaked just across the line, according to the goalline technology. "The whole team played an excellent match, we prepared well and did everything what we had to do," Vlahovic told Amazon. "The result is amazing and can give us a great boost for the rest of the season." City picked up the tempo in a desperate attempt to equalise and sent numbers forward, but Juve capitalised to double their lead against the run of play when McKennie hooked Timothy Weah's cross in with a sumptuous volley in the 75th minute. Pep Guardiola's team squandered several chances, one of the best falling to Erling Haaland late in first half. Kevin De Bruyne sent a beautiful through ball to the Norwegian who got in behind the defence before trying to chip goalkeeper Michele di Gregorio who threw up his arm to block the shot. Gundogan unleashed a blistering strike from long range that Di Gregorio stretched to just push wide. "We have done it really, really well, we didn't lose many balls that happened in the past, and we arrived in the positions," Guardiola said. "But the Italian teams that defend so deep and so compact it is not easy, they are masters of these kinds of situations." With two games remaining in the group phase, Juventus are 14th in the table while City plummeted to 22nd, three places out of automatic elimination from the competition. Since the start of November, City have conceded more goals (21) across all competitions than any other team in Europe's big five leagues, the worst spell in Guardiola's otherwise sparkling managerial career. City, who host Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday, continue their Champions League campaign at Paris St Germain on Jan. 22. Juventus travel to Brugge on Jan. 21.

The Miami Hurricanes, who once appeared to be a near-lock for the College Football Playoff, are not playing for a national title. Instead, they will play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando. That bowl berth against Iowa State is a let-down for fans with dreams of a sixth national title in their minds, as well as players hoping to compete for a championship. However, Miami’s trip to Orlando and the lead-up to it are still crucial periods for the Hurricanes for multiple reasons. First, it’s a chance for the program to achieve something it has not done in more than two decades: win 11 games. Although the 11th win won’t get them closer to a championship, it is a good sign of the program’s progress over Mario Cristobal’s tenure. It would also end UM’s five-game losing streak in bowls. “We’re not satisfied,” Cristobal said. “We want to win every single game. We won 10. We were close on the other two, but close isn’t good enough. We want progress. We’re hungry and driven to get better, and so that’s what our focus is on: to improving as a football program, to getting better, to moving into the postseason with an opportunity against a great football team like this and putting our best on the field.” There are signs the Hurricanes will show up at close to full strength for the bowl game. Running back Damien Martinez announced he was going to play, and star quarterback Cam Ward said in a video call posted on social media that he intends to play, as well. “We’re trying to win our first bowl game in 20 years,” Ward said in the video, mistaking the length of UM’s long bowl losing streak. “We’re going hard.” Playing in the bowl game also provides the opportunity for the Hurricanes to get in several practices between now and the game. That means Miami can develop its young players and prepare them for next season during both the practices and the bowl game itself. “It’s extremely valuable,” Cristobal said. “You really don’t have many opportunities throughout the course of the year — time is limited more and more each season with your student-athletes. I want to state this and be very clear: it’s very important, it’s ultra-important for the University of Miami to continue to develop and grow and progress by stressing the importance of offseason opportunities ... You learn a lot about your team and learn a lot about your people and your program when you head to the postseason.” Of course, there are potential negatives. Players can get hurt; Mark Fletcher Jr. suffered a foot injury in the Pinstripe Bowl last year that cost him all of spring practice. A poor performance can also potentially set the tone for next season, like how Florida State, fresh off a playoff snub last year, suffered a devastating loss against Georgia in the Orange Bowl and went on to a dismal 2-10 season this year. “This is the ending of ’24 and the beginning of ’25,” Cristobal said. “This is the last opportunity to be on the field and carry some momentum into the offseason. So it is, in essence, it is the most important game because it’s the next game. “There’s a lot of excitement in the form of opportunity for our guys. Our guys love to play football. The chance to play one more time with this special group — this is a special group of guys now. They’ve worked hard to really change the trajectory of the University of Miami, and they want to continue to elevate the status and the culture at the University of Miami. So certainly a ton to play for.” ____ Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Giorgio Scalvini celebrated his return for Atalanta just 173 days after a serious knee injury and would not rule out a Scudetto push for this season. ‘We play with more quality now.’ La Dea continued their astounding form with a seventh Serie A win on the bounce, with goals from Mateo Retegui, Ederson and Ademola Lookman. Matteo Cancellieri had got Parma back into it straight after the restart, but after two disallowed goals, Lookman managed to seal it at the back post. The best news was the comeback for Scalvini as a substitute, ahead of schedule considering he underwent anterior cruciate ligament surgery “I am very happy to be back, these were very long and tough months with a lot of work. I couldn’t wait to be back on the pitch with my teammates,” “I’ve been training with the squad for three or four weeks, stepping up the amount of work I do and it was wonderful to be back. Now we’ve got to keep pushing and I can hopefully get back to the fitness levels of my teammates.” Scalvini is effectively a reinforcement for Atalanta, who have been struggling with absences in defence, and the Sky Sport Italia pundits joked with his curls and gentle manner that he is similar to Italian tennis champion Jannik Sinner. Do Atalanta believe they can truly challenge for the Scudetto this season? “We take it one game at a time. The coach always tells us to do that, because if our minds go elsewhere, we cannot focus 100 per cent on the task in hand. He is very good at making us concentrate and the results are coming.” Atalanta are having their best ever start to a season with 28 points and 34 goals scored in the opening 13 rounds, so how have they improved from last term? “This team always had a great deal of intensity, but perhaps more quality now than we used to, the way we play our way out of defence. We have also improved our defensive solidity, the coach has done great work.” Scalvini was forced to miss EURO 2024 for Italy with that injury, but is considered one of Italy’s most promising talents for the future. He has a way of playing out from defence that is similar to Alessandro Bastoni, another Atalanta youth product, so where does that come from? “It was fundamental that I came through the Atalanta youth academy, they teach you that from the very start and want to see players with confidence. That is why so many have made it through to the main team.” . 👑🔙 — Atalanta B.C. (@Atalanta_BC)Google and the US government faced off in a federal court on Monday, as each side delivered closing arguments in a case revolving around the technology giant's alleged unfair domination of online advertising. The trial in a Virginia federal court is Google's second US antitrust case now under way as the US government tries to rein in the power of big tech. In a separate trial, a Washington judge ruled that Google's search business is an illegal monopoly, and the US Justice Department is asking that Google sell its Chrome browser business to resolve the case. The latest case, also brought by the Justice Department, focuses on ad technology for the open web -- the complex system determining which online ads people see when they surf the internet. The vast majority of websites use a trio of Google ad software products that together, leave no way for publishers to escape Google's advertising technology, the plaintiffs allege. Publishers -- including News Corp and Gannett publishing -- complain that they are locked into Google's advertising technology in order to run ads on their websites. "Google is once, twice, three times a monopolist," DOJ lawyer Aaron Teitelbaum told the court in closing arguments. Presiding judge Leonie Brinkema has said that she would deliver her opinion swiftly, as early as next month. Whatever Brinkema's judgment, the outcome will almost certainly be appealed, prolonging a process that could go all the way to the US Supreme Court. The government alleges that Google controls the auction-style system that advertisers use to purchase advertising space online. The US lawyers argue that this approach allows Google to charge higher prices to advertisers while sending less revenue to publishers such as news websites, many of which are struggling to stay in business. The US argues that Google used its financial power to acquire potential rivals and corner the ad tech market, leaving advertisers and publishers with no choice but to use its technology. The government wants Google to divest parts of its ad tech business. Sign up to get our free daily email of the biggest stories! Google dismissed the allegations as an attempt by the government to pick "winners and losers" in a diverse market. The company argues that the display ads at issue are just a small share of today's ad tech business. Google says the plaintiffs' definition of the market ignores ads that are also placed in search results, apps and social media platforms and where, taken as a whole, Google does not dominate. "The law simply does not support what the plaintiffs are arguing in this case," said Google's lawyer Karen Dunn. She warned that if Google were to lose the case, the winners would be rival tech giants such as Microsoft, Meta or Amazon, whose market share in online advertising is ascendant as Google's share is falling. The DOJ countered that it simply "does not matter" that Google is competing in the broader market for online ads. "That is a different question" than the market for ads on websites that is the target of the case, said Teitelbaum. Google also points to US legal precedent, saying arguments similar to the government's have been refuted in previous antitrust cases. Dunn also warned that forcing Google to work with rivals in its ad products would amount to government central planning that the court should reject. If the judge finds Google to be at fault, a new phase of the trial would decide how the company should comply with that conclusion. And all that could be moot if the incoming Trump administration decides to drop the case. The president-elect has been a critic of Google's, but he warned earlier this month that breaking it up could be "a very dangerous thing." arp/dw

Cowboys Cheerleader Zoe Dale and Bengals Kicker Cade York's Timeline

2024/25 Ghana Premier League Week 12: In-form Hearts of Oak host Nsoatreman FC, Kotoko vs. Aduana Stars

PERSONAL FINANCE | TRAVEL In April, the Department of Transportation announced new airline rules requiring prompt automatic cash refunds to passengers when owed. The final rule took effect Oct. 28 and should simplify and speed up the process of receiving your money back due to a canceled or significantly changed flight or delayed luggage. "Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them — without headaches or haggling," said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. "Our new rule sets a new standard to require airlines to promptly provide cash refunds to their passengers." According to the Department of Transportation, under the old rules, airlines were permitted to set their own standards for what kind of flight changes warranted a refund, which made receiving a refund for a canceled or delayed flight a complicated affair. This was seen during the global technology outage in July that disrupted several major airlines and caused thousands of flight cancellations and delays. Many customers were left to wait hours in customer-service lines to start the reimbursement process for their chosen airline. The new rule clearly defines the circumstances in which airlines must provide refunds and how they should be administered, making the reimbursement process much easier if your trip goes awry. According to the Department of Transportation, this is when customers are entitled to a refund: Canceled or significantly changed flights If your flight is canceled or significantly changed and you do not accept alternative transportation or travel credits off ered, you will be refunded. According to the Department of Transportation, significant changes to a flight include departure or arrival times that are more than three hours domestically and six hours internationally; departures or arrivals from a different airport; increases in the number of connections; instances where passengers are downgraded to a lower class of service; or connections at diff erent airports or flights on diff erent planes that are less accessible or accommodating to a person with a disability. Significantly delayed baggage return If you file a mishandled-baggage report, you will be entitled to a refund of your checked-bag fee if your luggage is not delivered within 12 hours of your domestic flight arriving at the gate or 15 to 30 hours of your international flight arriving at the gate. Extra services not provided If you pay for an additional service, like in-flight Wi-Fi or a specific seat selection, and you don't receive this accommodation, you are entitled to a refund. The Department of Transportation has also outlined several rules for how refunds will be processed: ■ Automatic: Airlines must automatically issue refunds. Customers will no longer have to explicitly request a refund — which can be a complicated aff air. ■ Prompt: Refunds must be issued within seven business days of refunds becoming due for credit-card purchases and 20 calendar days for other payment methods. ■ Cash or original form of payment: Airlines must provide refunds in cash or whatever original payment method the individual used to make the purchase. ■ Total amount: Airlines and ticket agents must provide full refunds of the ticket purchase price minus the value of any portion of transportation already used. This includes all taxes and fees. Get local news delivered to your inbox!TORONTO - The Toronto Blue Jays have officially signed right-handed reliever Yimi Garcia to a two-year, US$15-million contract. Read this article for free: Already have an account? As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed. Now, more than ever, we need your support. Starting at $14.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website. or call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527. Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community! TORONTO - The Toronto Blue Jays have officially signed right-handed reliever Yimi Garcia to a two-year, US$15-million contract. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? TORONTO – The Toronto Blue Jays have officially signed right-handed reliever Yimi Garcia to a two-year, US$15-million contract. The Blue Jays announced the deal Friday, two days after multiple media outlets reported the agreement. The 34-year-old Garcia was traded from Toronto to Seattle on July 26 for outfielder Jonatan Clase and catcher/outfielder Jacob Sharp. He had a 6.00 ERA in nine innings over 10 appearances for the Mariners. He was 3-0 with a 3.46 ERA and five saves overall this year in 39 games and 39 innings. Garcia is 22-29 with a 3.59 ERA and 26 saves over 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2014-19), Miami (2020-21), Houston (2021), Toronto (2022-24) and Seattle. He missed the 2017 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 13, 2024. Advertisement