Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Price Target Raised to $89.00What went wrong on the onside kick that almost cost the Vikings?

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

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

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — When the MLS playoffs began late last month, everyone who follows Inter Miami assumed coach Tata Martino would be preparing his team for the conference semifinals this week. Instead, the runner up for MLS Coach of the Year was in the Chase Stadium interview room on Friday morning announcing his resignation two weeks after the team’s shocking first-round playoff exit. Martino said he wanted to diffuse rumors and stress that he is leaving strictly for personal reasons, that he must return to his hometown of Rosario, Argentina, and that his decision was made before the first playoff game in late-October. He said not even his coaching staff knew of his decision at the time as he did not want it to be a distraction. He informed Lionel Messi, managing owner Jorge Mas, and President of Football Operations Raul Sanllehi last Saturday and told the rest of the players on Wednesday, after they returned from the FIFA break. Martino has no plans to coach another club in the immediate future, saying he cannot take on another job in early 2025 because he needs to focus on personal matters in Rosario. Mas said his conversation with Martino ended at 11 a.m. last Saturday, the search for a new coach began “at 11:01” and that the club had selected a new coach by Wednesday, are finalizing contract details and “will be announcing a new coach for Inter Miami in the upcoming days.” Javier Mascherano, an Argentine national team legend and former teammate of Messi’s, is the leading candidate to replace Martino, according to a few league sources. Media reports from Argentina say it is a done deal. Mas would not confirm or deny the Mascherano rumors but said that the new coach will have a winning history at the highest level as a player or coach, have familiarity with Messi and the other team stars, and will be well-suited to lead Miami’s elite players as well as its young players. “We have a very unique situation at Inter Miami where we have the best player in the world on our team, accompanied by generational talents like Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, accompanied by academy kids like Benja Cremaschi, Noah Allen, Ian Fray, David Ruiz, who have played significant minutes, and also young budding stars like Facundo Farias, Toto Aviles, Diego Gomez, Fede Redondo, so it will take a manager to play the attacking style we want to play with that combination of players,” Mas said. Mascherano, the 40-year-old ex-Barcelona defensive midfielder, has been coaching Argentina’s U-20 team the past three years and coached Argentina in the 2024 Paris Olympics. He has a storied playing career but has never coached a club team and has no experience in MLS, which is quite different from other leagues around the world in everything from schedule to salary structure. Asked how involved Messi was in the coaching search, Mas said: “I spoke to Leo, and he gave his input. Familiarity with Leo and the other stars is an advantage in every aspect. I want Leo to feel comfortable with the new coach, but Raul and I spearheaded the search. “This is not our first coaching search. I have been involved in interviewing some of the world’s best coaches since 2019. We have more experience now. We know exactly what we want. That’s why we were able to accomplish this search in five days. ... This is not the first time I spoke to this individual. We came close [to hiring him] in 2020, and he has been following our team and the league closely.” Mas added that while MLS experience would be a plus, it is not a necessary criteria for the incoming coach, and then repeated that the main attributes they were looking for were a coach who could manage a locker room of stars and youngsters. “We want to thank Tata Martino and appreciate everything he has given this club for the past year and a half,” Mas said. “His fingerprints and success will always be part of our history.” Mas pointed out that the team, under Martino, lifted the Leagues Cup trophy in the summer of 2023, made the final of the U.S. Open Cup, won the 2024 Supporters’ Shield and broke the league’s points record. Martino, 62, led Inter Miami to a league-record 74 points, which also earned the team the Supporters’ Shield for best regular season record. The team scored a league-high 79 goals. Miami, with a star-studded roster including Argentine icon Messi and three of his former Barcelona teammates, fell short of expectations with a first-round exit from the MLS Playoffs after losing the best 2-of-3 series to Atlanta United. Martino had a year remaining on his contract. He joined Inter Miami in July 2023 upon Messi’s arrival and was a natural choice to get the job as he led Atlanta United to the 2018 MLS Cup title in that club’s second season, had coached in two World Cups with Paraguay and Mexico, reached three Copa America finals and, vitally important, coached Messi at FC Barcelona and with the Argentine national team. Martino replaced Phil Neville and took over a team that was in last place in the Eastern Conference with a 5-13-0 record just past the midway point of the season. With the addition of Messi, Busquets and Alba, Martino led the team to the 2023 Leagues Cup title later that summer. Upon announcing his decision on Friday, Martino took time to thank team ownership and management and lamented that he couldn’t continue being part of the club’s growth next season. “It has been a very satisfactory year and a half, I am grateful for the opportunity, and although we ended the season on a sour note, and fell short of what we wanted to accomplish, we had a lot of success and I would have liked very much to have continued being part of this club,” Martino said. “I am happy we transformed this club from one that struggled to make the playoffs to the one that won the Leagues Cup, won Supporters’ Shield, and had the best record in history.” Martino was asked how his players reacted to the news. “It’s clear when you leave a job so abruptly, especially when there aren’t any apparent reasons, it hard to expect people to understand,” Martino said. “There are many coaches out there who would love this job. People would say, `This guy is crazy, working in this team, living in this place, working in this league and he’s leaving where everyone wants to be.’ I have had moments like this in my career. Things happen, and you have to leave. I appreciate that the players respected my decision and the club will go on.” Asked what the team was missing during the playoff series with Atlanta, he replied that Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan was decisive in all three games, that Inter Miami played well and was in position to win all three games, and there were some intangibles and moments that went against Miami. “I know someone from the outside hears that and thinks I am not being self-critical, which is not true. I am. People will debate if we should have played four in back or five, but if I had to do it again, I would line up the same way. In hindsight, it is easy to debate, and everyone has a right to their opinion.” Mas also addressed the futures of Suarez, whose contract expires in December, and Alba, who has an option for next season, and dismissed rumors that sporting director Chris Henderson was headed to another club. “I think Luis Suarez has been an amazing addition to our team and our league,” Mas said. “What he did this year was spectacular. Jordi Alba, my personal opinion is he had the best season of any left back on MLS history and I don’t think it’s close. We’re going to continue to have the best team we can. There are no budget limitations, we will continue to bring top players from all over the world ... and use every single roster mechanism we can.” ©2024 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.The Girls’ School Association has warned that Labour’s plan to charge VAT on private school fees in January could lead to fewer women growing up to have careers in male-dominated industries such as sports or physics. Beth Probert, 27, is an award-winning astrophysicist and PhD researcher at the University of Strathclyde’s Applied Space Technology Laboratory in Glasgow. Here she explains why this isn’t the case . I grew up in the countryside near Alice Holt forest in Hampshire in the south of England. That was lucky because it’s one of the darkest regions in the South. When I was a child, I spent a lot of time outside, just lying down, and staring at the stars. I was completely mesmerised by all these little lights in the sky. I’ve always been a bookworm, so I’d go and get lots of encyclopedia books to learn as much about the sky as possible. I remember giving myself minor existential crises about how big the universe was and how small we were, and just trying to wrap my child brain around that idea. We’re a speck of dust in the universe. I’ve always been fascinated. I went to a state school , and I like to think I’m doing pretty well for myself as a result. I went to Weydon School in Farnham, which is a mixed-gender science specialist school, where I had a lot of exposure to science and we had specialist labs that we received funding for. Today, I’m a PhD researcher with a background in software engineering, looking at satellite communications and automating collision avoidance between satellites. Personally, having a state school education enabled me to experience diversity in broader terms than just gender, but also in background and upbringing in socioeconomic terms, which helped me develop a stronger sense of empathy and understanding for people in circumstances different to me. I made friends with people from a much more diverse set of backgrounds. I’ve carried that with me today and the experiences I had at school have shaped me to become someone who is very passionate about diversity and inclusion in STEM. Even though my school was a specialist school for science, I definitely faced some barriers because I was a girl. I remember telling one of my teachers that I loved physics. He said: “You’d make a really great physics teacher. There’s a shortage of women physics teachers. You should think about going into teaching.” I never had any interest in teaching. I wanted to be a scientist. But I was never encouraged to consider it. Read Next I ditched healthy morning routines – and feel better than ever But that didn’t matter. Instead, the biggest inspiration for me was my upbringing. I grew up in a female-only household. My mum is one of the strongest women I know, and she’s known about my love of space and science pretty much since I was born. She has only ever encouraged me, pushed me and challenged me to go that bit further and to chase my ambition. She’s never tried to box me into anything or tell me I should aim for less. Growing up I had never seen women be limited. I think really helped me push ahead. At university, I studied astrophysics at Bath. There were around 120 people on the course, and around 20 were girls. Barely any of them went to a private school. A friend who did go to private school actually went there on a scholarship. Private education doesn’t dominate the field. Regardless of whether you send your child to a girls’ private school or a mixed-state school, I think there is a bigger problem that needs addressing. Teachers have a huge role to play in encouraging girls to pursue their dreams, whatever school they teach at. There’s so much research that shows children as young as eight have already learned gender stereotypes about what girls and boys can and can’t do. We need to start even younger than secondary school, which is probably where I had my first real exposure to learning science. If we want more girls in physics, we need to be showing girls in primary school that they are capable of anything. There was another piece of research done recently by WISE that showed that in STEM job advertisements, boys relate more to verbs. Such as “You will be programming,” or “You will be problem-solving”. On the other hand, girls respond more to adjectives that describe a person: “You are a logical thinker” or “You are creative.” To get more girls into science, rather than sending them to a private school, we need to stop talking about what scientists do in terms of complex equations and instead ask: What is a scientist like? How does a scientist think? I think a lot of girls don’t realise that they have the right personality for the job. Firstly, you have to be creative to find unique solutions. You need to be resilient because science is all about trying and failing. We assume scientists are introverted and like to work alone, but in reality, to be a good scientist you need to be a really strong communicator. You need to be able to work well with others. The programming skills can be learnt later. There is a stereotype that state schools are limiting. However, the majority of students in the UK still go to state schools and succeed. I don’t regret going to my state school, and I haven’t achieved any less for it.

Sunday, December 22, 2024 As the travel industry continues to evolve, 2025 promises an exciting array of trends that cater to diverse preferences, from eco-conscious vacations to adrenaline-pumping adventures. Travelers are seeking unique, meaningful experiences that align with personal values, wellness goals, and a desire to explore the world beyond the ordinary. Here’s an in-depth look at the top travel trends expected to dominate the industry in 2024. Sustainability has become a cornerstone of modern travel, with more travelers prioritizing eco-friendly options. From staying at green-certified accommodations to engaging in conservation-based activities, eco-conscious tourism offers travelers the chance to connect with nature responsibly. Countries like Costa Rica, Bhutan, and Iceland are leading the way with their robust sustainability initiatives, inviting visitors to experience their stunning landscapes while preserving them for future generations. Destinations are also investing in renewable energy projects, reducing waste, and promoting sustainable transport options such as e-bikes and public transit to lower carbon footprints. Eco-tours, rewilding projects, and plastic-free resorts are setting the standard for a greener travel future. Also Read: Global Travel Predictions for 2025 with New Trends, Emerging Technologies and a Better World Solo travel continues to gain momentum as more individuals seek independence and self-discovery on their journeys. The flexibility and freedom to create personalized itineraries have made solo travel appealing, particularly for millennials and Gen Z travelers. Destinations like Japan, Portugal, and Canada are top choices for solo adventurers, offering safe environments, rich cultural experiences, and a mix of bustling cities and tranquil nature retreats. Tour operators are also adapting by curating group tours designed for solo travelers, ensuring a sense of community while allowing for individual exploration. In an increasingly stressful world, wellness tourism is flourishing. Travelers are seeking escapes that prioritize mental and physical well-being, from yoga and meditation retreats in Bali to detox spas in Switzerland. Wellness-focused vacations often combine healthy living with immersive experiences in nature, promoting mindfulness and relaxation. Thermal baths, Ayurvedic treatments, and plant-based culinary experiences are among the highlights of this trend. Wellness tourism destinations are also integrating cultural and holistic practices, offering tailored programs that cater to individual wellness needs. Cultural and heritage tourism remains a strong trend as travelers look to reconnect with history and tradition. Visits to UNESCO World Heritage Sites, ancient cities, and renowned museums offer an educational and enriching experience. Destinations such as Italy, Greece, and Egypt are popular for their historical landmarks, while others like India and Turkey attract visitors with their vibrant festivals and centuries-old traditions. Heritage tourism also plays a crucial role in supporting local economies, ensuring that cultural practices are preserved and celebrated. How Railway Becomes More Indispensable for 2025 Tourism Season: New Travel Predictions Travelers are venturing off the beaten path to uncover hidden gems that provide unique, crowd-free experiences. Remote locations such as Patagonia, the Faroe Islands, and Kyrgyzstan offer a blend of stunning landscapes, cultural authenticity, and adventure opportunities. Offbeat travel destinations appeal to those seeking something different, such as stargazing in Chile’s Atacama Desert or exploring Icelandic ice caves. These destinations often provide a slower pace of travel, encouraging visitors to immerse themselves in the local culture and environment. For thrill-seekers, adventure tourism offers an adrenaline rush while exploring the great outdoors. Activities such as mountain biking, rock climbing, and white-water rafting are increasingly popular, with destinations like New Zealand, Nepal, and South Africa catering to adventurous spirits. Adventure tourism not only satisfies the need for excitement but also promotes physical activity and exploration of unspoiled natural landscapes. Operators are now emphasizing safety and sustainability to ensure the long-term viability of these thrilling experiences. The rise of affordable luxury has made high-end travel accessible to more people. Boutique hotels, all-inclusive resorts, and curated travel packages offer premium experiences at competitive prices. This trend caters to travelers who want the best of both worlds—luxury and value. Destinations like Southeast Asia, Mexico, and Eastern Europe are gaining popularity for their ability to deliver opulence without breaking the bank. From private villa stays to gourmet dining experiences, affordable luxury ensures travelers can indulge in style without overspending. Transformative 2025 Cruise Travel Predictions: Redefining Luxury, Sustainability, and Emerging Destinations for a Revolutionary Future in Sea Adventures Multigenerational travel is a growing trend, with families planning vacations to bond and create lasting memories. Destinations such as Orlando, Bali, and the Maldives offer family-friendly experiences, from theme parks to beach resorts. Travel providers are tailoring packages to include activities for all age groups, ensuring that every member of the family has a memorable vacation. This trend reflects a growing desire for shared experiences and quality time with loved ones. Discover everything and anything about travel , tourism , trade shows at the Travel And Tour World , including breaking travel news and weekly travel updates for travel trade , airlines , cruise , railways , technology , travel association , DMCs, and video interviews and promotional videos .It could be argued that 2024 wasn't the best year for television. Highly anticipated shows like the final season of “Stranger Things," “The Last of Us” and “The White Lotus” didn't even make it on the calendar and will instead return in 2025. Streamers and networks tightened their budgets by saying yes to less. Writing off this year's selection, however, seems unfair. There were new standout comedies, dramas, reality TV and remakes of old favorites that caught the attention of viewers, awards voters and the zeitgeist. In no particular order, here are 10 new shows from 2024 to check out before the new year. In 2024, pop culture experienced a Brodyssance when Netflix's “Nobody Wants This” reminded many why they had a crush on Adam Brody in the early aughts when he was on “The O.C.” In this rom-com created by Erin Foster, Brody plays a rabbi named Noah who begins dating a gentile named Joanne (the always entertaining Kristen Bell) and their courtship as thirtysomethings unfolds. Before reaching their happily ever after, a number of obstacles — like religious differences, family pressures and career goals — need to be addressed. Hope is not lost, however, and throughout it all Noah and Joanne remain a good match. The supporting cast, by the way, is also a delight. The British series “Supacell” introduced a smart spin on the superhero template. Created and written by Rapman, the show centers on a group of Black, working class people in London who discover they have superpowers. At first, it seems the powerful are linked by just the color of their skin but their real connection is a family history of sickle cell disease. The show addresses themes like the medical exploitation of the Black community , poverty and how the media often overlooks cases of missing people of color. The show has been renewed for a second season and is on Netflix. Another fresh take on the world of superheroes and their villains is “The Penguin,” on Max. The story picks up after the 2022 film “The Batman” starring Robert Pattinson but here, Batman is more a background character to the gangster story of Oz Cobb. Colin Farrell played the criminal kingpin in the Pattinson film and reprises that role here. Cristin Milioti has also gotten positive reviews — and a Golden Globe nomination — for her portrayal of villain Sofia Falcone. When CBS first announced a new “Matlock” with Kathy Bates in the lead role, it seemed like just a gender-flipped remake. Au contraire. Bates plays Madeline Kingston, a wealthy lawyer who comes out of retirement under the alias Mattie Matlock (with a similar folksy demeanor as Andy Griffith's). Her reason for returning to work is that she needs money but, in reality, she's out for revenge. It's also fun to see how the series addresses older people being often overlooked and underestimated, which Madeline sometimes leans into for her own benefit. It streams on Paramount+. (Bates also snagged a Globe nomination.) When “Vanderpump Rules” spinoff “The Valley” debuted on Bravo in spring, some fans rolled their eyes. It follows three former “Vanderpump” castmates — Jax Taylor, Brittany Cartwright and Kristen Doute — now living more settled lives amid a new circle of friends. Taylor and Doute knew the assignment — or just quickly fell into old habits of saying too much and stirring the pot. The new cast also impressed. Janet Caperna positioned herself as both above the drama and very much living for it. Jesse Lally showed vulnerability over the demise of his marriage to castmate Michelle Sanai, while also being an unapologetic snob. Viewers watched Taylor and Cartwright's marriage spiral, too (they're now divorcing). It streams on Peacock. Another adaptation with a twist is Prime Video's “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” starring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine. It shares a title with the film starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, but differs dramatically: Glover and Erskine play spies assigned to pose as a married couple named John and Jane Smith. They quickly go from strangers to co-workers to lovers. Each episode sees John and Jane on a new assignment, with notable guest stars like Alexander Skarsgård, Michaela Coel and Sharon Horgan. The show was nominated for 16 Emmy Awards and three Golden Globes. Andrew Scott stars in “Ripley,” a neo-noir Netflix adaptation about the con artist and serial killer created by Patricia Highsmith. Like the 1999 movie starring Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law, this limited series is based on the Highsmith's “The Talented Mr. Ripley.” Tom Ripley is hired by a wealthy businessman to travel to Italy and encourage his son, Dickie, who is living a life of leisure, to return to the States. Ripley ends up becoming enamored with Dickie's lifestyle and the ruse turns deadly. Brian Jordan Alvarez created and stars in FX's “English Teacher” as Evan, a high school teacher in Texas, juggling the normal demands of the job amid societal changes. In one episode, Evan must show sensitivity to a student who has self-diagnosed herself with a made-up disease. In another, he successfully gets the school's gun safety program shut down but then is told all faculty must receive firearm training. As the adults on the show often struggle with getting it right, it's the students who seem less bothered with labels. The show also has a great soundtrack. It streams on Hulu. “Shōgun” had a triumphant first season on FX, winning a historic 18 awards at this year's Emmys — including best drama series and best actor and actress in a drama for Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai. It's set during the power struggles in feudal Japan and is based on a 1975 James Clavell novel. FX didn't skimp on the production value, netting comparisons to “Game of Thrones.” It was originally planned as a limited series, but now two more seasons are planned. Episodes stream on Hulu. Jake Gyllenhaal starred in his first TV series, “Presumed Innocent,” for Apple TV+. Gyllenhaal is Rusty Sabich, a Chicago prosecutor accused of killing a colleague. Gyllenhaal's real brother-in-law, Peter Sarsgaard, plays Rusty's adversary, another lawyer trying to prove his guilt. The story comes from a Scott Turow novel that was made into a Harrison Ford film in 1990 but doesn't follow either to the letter. It was the streamer's most watched drama series so far and a second season has been ordered, with Gyllenhaal staying on as an executive producer.