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WASHINGTON (AP) — Trump says he will nominate former George Soros money manager Scott Bessent to lead the Treasury Department.How to fight ageism in the world around you — and in yourselfKansas once required voters to prove citizenship. That didn’t work out so well

As 2024 comes to an end and we reflect on the past year, a trendy quote comes to my mind. “Two things can be true.” I have heard this often in reference to politics and pop culture. As it applies to our work here at United Way, it is true that we are incredibly thankful for those who support the work of our community partners. We are grateful for monetary donations, volunteers who give their precious time, and those who are vocal and proud advocates of United Way. We are also looking to 2025 with a desire for continued and greater impact and the hope for continued support. The need in southern West Virginia is great and our theme for the 2024/2025 campaign is “United for IMPACT!” This theme represents the outstanding impact United Way creates, identifying the needs of our neighbors, and addressing those needs with our community partners. With the advent of a new year, our community partners are a reminder that hope for the future is what our work is about. Parents on tight budgets who receive car seats, formula, or diapers from baby pantries have great hope for the health and future of their children. Home-delivered meals provide nutrition, interaction, and hope to isolated seniors in our communities. Children who have been abused and the loved ones who suffer with them are given hope for healing by child advocacy centers. Recovery programs offer lifelines to those who struggle with substance use disorders. Hope is the common denominator among the agencies who provide services to our friends, neighbors, colleagues, and family members. Our direct services, the 2-1-1 Information and Referral Hotline and the Equal Footing Shoe Fund provide hope to thousands of southern West Virginia residents. Over 1,000 requests are made annually by school personnel for new, athletic shoes for children without proper footwear. Providing shoes offers local children hope for similar learning experiences as their classmates. In southern West Virginia, over 8,000 connections are made yearly by our 2-1-1 resource specialist, providing hope to those who don’t know where to turn when they have unmet needs. Your donation is critical. With your help we can bring significant change to our communities. If you have made your 2025 gift or pledge, thank you. If not, please consider giving today. Every dollar is vital to helping our community reach its $850,000 campaign goal. You can donate safely online at unitedwayswv.org , pledge conveniently and securely by calling 304-253-2111, ext. 105, to speak with a United Way representative, or mail your contribution today to United Way of Southern West Virginia, PO Box 5456, Beckley, WV 25801. Contributions made to United Way of Southern West Virginia stay in southern West Virginia to fund the programs that support our friends, neighbors, family, and colleagues. We are United for IMPACT!( MENAFN - IANS) Manchester, Dec 1 (IANS) Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola revealed he has asked the club's hierarchy for a chance to turn its form around as his motivation to get the Blues back to our usual high standards has never declined, otherwise he would not have agreed to stay. Guardiola, who signed a contract extension woth City for two years last week, currently experiencing the toughest run of form in his managerial tenure with City losing five successive matches in all competitions ahead of table-topping clash with Premier League leaders Liverpool. "I extend because I feel it, I'm not sitting here just for what I've done, it's because still I'm happy and I want to try. But the moment it's going to happen, I don't want to stay in a place where I feel I'm a problem. "I don't stay just because a contract is there. My Chairman knows it, I said to him give me the chance to try and come back and especially when everyone comes back let's see what happens. "After if it's not good we have to change. I never ask my hierarchy to stay, but more than ever I ask them to give me the chance.I have the feeling that I still have a job to do, and I want to do it," Guardiola wa quoted by Manchester City website. The City boss has won 18 trophies since moving to Etihad Stadium in 2016, including six Premier League titles in seven years and the Champions League. Defending Champions City are fourth in the table and face leaders Liverpool on Sunday. The Blues' last win at Anfield came in February 2021, with the previous victory before that triumph coming in 2003. Guardiola admits that Liverpool will go into the tie full of confidence but, when it comes to the big games, being seen as the favourite has never played into his thinking or given his team an edge. Well, we have only won there once in the COVID time when there were no people there,” he added. “Nothing changed my job, of course we are not (favourites), now we don't improve in the recent games, especially for the other one but that is not the point. “When I played in Barcelona with these extraordinary players and we were favourites, I never thought about it giving an extra boost or 'I'm going to start the game from 1-0' or we play bad. We have to perform, read what you have to do and we will see what will happen," he said. MENAFN30112024000231011071ID1108942382 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.

NFL’s decision to punish multiple Texans players makes their week even worse after loss to their divisional rivals the Titans

KHANEWAL: In a shameful incident, Punjab police have arrested a clothing shop owner for filming indecent videos of women customers with a hidden camera, ARY News reported on Saturday. The incident took place in Khanewal where the police have taken a shopkeeper into custody. The accused identified as Moon Raza owns a women’s clothing shop. The police said that Moon Raza had been involved in making videos of women while trying on new clothes inside the fitting room. He shot videos of women customers from a hole in the room. More than 100 videos were recovered from the shop owner’s mobile phone. During the investigation, he confessed to committing this heinous crime for six months, blackmailing the affected women. The police have registered a case and further investigation is being carried out. Earlier, in a separate case, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) successfully dismantled a blackmailing ring involved in creating and distributing inappropriate videos of women to extort money. According to reports, the key suspect, identified as Zainul Abideen Shah, was arrested from a private hotel in Karachi. The accused, reportedly a social media worker, allegedly threatened a couple with releasing their private videos online unless a hefty sum was paid. Read More: FIA busts blackmailing ring targeting women Investigations revealed that the group included self-proclaimed journalists and operators of dummy newspapers, who used unethical content to blackmail individuals. FIA’s lead investigator, Tariq Lashari, disclosed that the suspect had also blackmailed a woman who had left her phone for repairs. Instead of fixing it, the accused stole personal photos and demanded money, threatening to leak the images online. The group has previously targeted a female doctor in a similar scheme, prompting swift action from FIA’s cybercrime unit. The FIA has seized the suspect’s mobile phones, which contain incriminating evidence, including photos already circulated on social media.Jude Bellingham a big brand ... now he needs big performances

A butterfly collector in Africa with more than 4.2 million seeks to share them for the future NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — What began as a childhood hobby more than six decades ago has led to what might be Africa’s largest butterfly collection in a suburb of Kenya’s capital. Steve Collins has a collection of 4.2 million butterflies representing hundreds of species. Now, running out of space and time, he hopes to hand it over to the next generation. One expert familiar with Collins and his work suggests that the collection should be digitized for global access. Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen returns to a tournament after a dispute over jeans is resolved NEW YORK (AP) — Top ranked chess player Magnus Carlsen is headed back to the World Blitz Championship on Monday. That's after its governing body agreed to loosen a dress code that got him fined and denied a late-round game in another tournament for refusing to change out of jeans. The International Chess Federation president said in a statement Sunday that he’d let World Blitz Championship tournament officials consider allowing “appropriate jeans” with a jacket, as well as other "minor deviations” from the dress code. Carlsen quit the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships on Friday. He said Sunday he would play — and wear jeans — in the World Blitz Championship. 'Sonic 3' and 'Mufasa' battle for No. 1 at the holiday box office Two family films are dominating the holiday box office, with “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” winning the three-day weekend over “Mufasa” by a blue hair. According to studio estimates Sunday, the Sonic movie earned $38 million, while “Mufasa” brought in $37.1 million from theaters in the U.S. and Canada. The R-rated horror “Nosferatu” placed third with an unexpectedly strong $21.2 million. Thanksgiving release holdovers “Wicked” and “Moana 2” rounded out the top five. Christmas Day had several big film openings, including the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown,” the Nicole Kidman erotic drama “Babygirl” and the boxing drama “The Fire Inside.” Charles Shyer, ‘Father of the Bride’ and ‘Baby Boom’ filmmaker, dies at 83 An Oscar-nominated writer and filmmaker known for classic comedies like “Private Benjamin,” “Baby Boom” and “Father of the Bride," Charles Shyer has died. He was 83. On Sunday his daughter Hallie Meyers-Shyer told The Associated Press that he died Friday in Los Angeles. No cause was disclosed. Born in Los Angeles in 1941 to a filmmaker father, Shyer's big breakthrough came with co-writing “Private Benjamin” for which he and Nancy Meyers received an Oscar nomination. He and Nancy Meyers were frequent collaborators through their nearly 20-year marriage, including on the remake of “The Parent Trap," starring Lindsay Lohan. LeBron James at 40: A milestone birthday arrives Monday for the NBA's all-time scoring leader When LeBron James broke another NBA record earlier this month, the one for most regular-season minutes played in a career, his Los Angeles Lakers teammates handled the moment in typical locker room fashion. They made fun of him. Dubbed The Kid from Akron, with a limitless future, James is now the 40-year-old from Los Angeles with wisps of gray in his beard, his milestone birthday coming Monday, one that will make him the first player in NBA history to play in his teens, 20s, 30s and 40s. He has stood and excelled in the spotlight his entire career. Belgium will ban sales of disposable e-cigarettes in a first for the EU BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium will ban the sale of disposable electronic cigarettes as of Jan. 1 on health and environmental grounds in a groundbreaking move for European Union nations. Health minister Frank Vandenbroucke tells The Associated Press that the inexpensive e-cigarettes have turned into a health threat since they are an easy way for teenagers to be drawn into smoking and get hooked on nicotine. Australia outlawed the sale of “vapes” outside pharmacies earlier this year in some of the world’s toughest restrictions on electronic cigarettes. Now Belgium is leading the EU drive. Belgium's minister wants tougher tobacco measures in the 27-nation bloc. Charles Dolan, HBO and Cablevision founder, dies at 98 Charles F. Dolan, who founded some of the most prominent U.S. media companies including Home Box Office Inc. and Cablevision Systems Corp., has died at age 98. Newsday reports that a statement issued Saturday by his family says Dolan died of natural causes. Dolan’s legacy in cable broadcasting includes founding HBO in 1972, Cablevision in 1973 and the American Movie Classics television station in 1984. He also launched News 12 in New York City, the first U.S. 24-hour cable channel for local news. Dolan also held controlling stakes in companies that owned Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and the New York Knicks and New York Rangers sports franchises. Snoop's game: Snoop Dogg thrills the crowd in the bowl that bears his name TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Miami of Ohio beat Colorado State in the Arizona Bowl, but Snoop Dogg was the main attraction. The Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop was much a spectacle as a football game. Snoop Dogg seemed to be everywhere all at once, from a pregame tailgate to the postgame trophy presentation. Snoop Dog donned a headset on Colorado State's sideline, spent some time in the broadcast and even led both marching bands as conductor during their halftime performance. Snoop Dogg saved the best for last, rolling out in a light green, lowrider Chevy Impala with gold rims and accents, the shiny Arizona Bowl trophy in his hand as fans screamed his name. Mavs star Luka Doncic is latest pro athlete whose home was burglarized, business manager says DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks is the latest professional athlete whose home has been burglarized. The star guard’s business manager tells multiple media outlets there was a break-in at Doncic’s home Friday night. Lara Beth Seager says nobody was home, and Doncic filed a police report. The Dallas Morning News reports that jewelry valued at about $30,000 was stolen. Doncic is the sixth known pro athlete in the U.S. whose home was burglarized since October. Star NFL quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes of Kansas City and Joe Burrow of Cincinnati are among them. The NFL and NBA have issued security alerts to players over the break-ins. Victor Wembanyama plays 1-on-1 chess with fans in New York Victor Wembanyama went to a park in New York City and played 1-on-1 with fans on Saturday. He even lost a couple of games. Not in basketball, though. Wemby was playing chess. Before the San Antonio Spurs left New York for a flight to Minnesota, Wembanyama put out the call on social media: “Who wants to meet me at the SW corner of Washington Square park to play chess? Im there,” Wembanyama wrote. It was 9:36 a.m. And people began showing up almost immediately.Nitish Kumar Reddy's Sister Tejaswi Reddy Opens Up on All-Rounder's Maiden International Century During IND vs AUS Boxing Day Test 2024 (Watch Video)Sanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Freshpet, Inc. ( NASDAQ:FRPT – Free Report ) in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 2,565 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $351,000. Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. ORG Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Freshpet in the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. raised its position in shares of Freshpet by 3,670.0% in the second quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 377 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 367 shares during the last quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Freshpet in the second quarter valued at about $52,000. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new stake in shares of Freshpet in the third quarter valued at about $54,000. Finally, Quarry LP raised its position in shares of Freshpet by 275.2% in the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 439 shares of the company’s stock valued at $57,000 after buying an additional 322 shares during the last quarter. Freshpet Stock Up 0.2 % Shares of NASDAQ:FRPT opened at $146.36 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $147.34 and its 200 day moving average price is $137.21. The stock has a market cap of $7.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 164.45 and a beta of 1.41. Freshpet, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $82.16 and a fifty-two week high of $160.91. The company has a quick ratio of 3.91, a current ratio of 4.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of brokerages recently issued reports on FRPT. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of Freshpet from $157.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of Freshpet from $161.00 to $163.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of Freshpet from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Freshpet from $157.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Freshpet has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $163.36. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Freshpet Insider Activity at Freshpet In other Freshpet news, President Scott James Morris sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.38, for a total transaction of $786,900.00. Following the sale, the president now owns 122,380 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $19,260,164.40. This trade represents a 3.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link . Also, insider Thembeka Machaba sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.85, for a total transaction of $384,625.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold a total of 12,500 shares of company stock valued at $1,962,175 over the last 90 days. 3.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Freshpet Company Profile ( Free Report ) Freshpet, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, distributes, and markets natural fresh meals and treats for dogs and cats in the United States, Canada, and Europe. It sells dog food, cat food, and dog treats under the Freshpet brand name; and Dognation and Dog Joy labels through various classes of retail, including grocery, mass, club, pet specialty, and natural, as well as online. Read More Five stocks we like better than Freshpet When to Sell a Stock for Profit or Loss S&P 500 ETFs: Expense Ratios That Can Boost Your Long-Term Gains Low PE Growth Stocks: Unlocking Investment Opportunities How AI Implementation Could Help MongoDB Roar Back in 2025 The Significance of a Trillion-Dollar Market Cap Goes Beyond a Number Hedge Funds Boost Oil Positions: Is a Major Rally on the Horizon? Want to see what other hedge funds are holding FRPT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Freshpet, Inc. ( NASDAQ:FRPT – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Freshpet Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Freshpet and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

It was the most reliable car he had ever driven — that's how Kris Trexler remembered his General Motors EV1. "It was just a car that I took home, plugged in at night, got up the next morning — it was like having a gasoline station in the garage," he told NPR Member station Michigan Public in 2010. Trexler was one of the hundreds of people who got to drive an EV1 — the first modern, mass-produced electric vehicle from a major automaker. The little two-door car looked like a cross between a flying saucer and a computer mouse, and it pioneered technology you can still find in today's EVs. GM built just over 1,000 EV1s before ending production in 1999, spawning a community of passionate super fans eager to join the EV revolution. But the EV1 was controversial, and short-lived. It was on the road for less than a decade. Many Americans never knew the EV1 existed — and the fight to keep it alive ended with GM crushing nearly all the cars into scrap. "When it all happened, we just stood there and said, 'What are you guys doing?' " filmmaker and EV advocate Chris Paine told NPR in a 2006 interview about his documentary Who Killed the Electric Car? "The sight of seeing them destroyed before most people ever got to experience them was really quite a shocking moment for us." The story of the EV1 began in 1990, when California passed sweeping regulations aimed at curbing the state's air pollution. The plan mandated automakers build zero-emission vehicles. "It's a very radical strategy, but it's one that looks well into the next century," California Air Resources Board member Brian Bilbray said at the time. "And it's really going to set the standard for air-quality strategies, not in just this state or this nation, but in the world." Under pressure, automakers researched electric vehicles, hybrids and even hydrogen fuel cells to comply with the mandate. In 1992, reporter Paul Eisenstein was assigned by NPR to check out the early results, traveling to Arizona to test drive a GM prototype called the Impact. "As you turn the key, nothing seems to be happening — until you stomp on the Impact's accelerator," Eisenstein reported. "Then with a sudden lurch and an eerie whine, the Impact bursts to life, the speedometer ticking off five, 15, 30, 45 miles an hour." This is the car that by 1996 hit the market as the EV1. It had zippy acceleration, aerodynamic bodywork that partially covered the rear tires, and an innovative braking system that helped recharge the battery. "Regenerative braking works by using the motors — the drive motors — in reverse, and they act as generators," GM engineer Larry Oswald said. "So when you apply the brake pedal, essentially what you're doing is generating electricity and putting it back into the battery and storing it for the next acceleration." The car's battery could take you about 70 miles on a full charge. Battery technology improved over the years, increasing the EV1's range to about 100 miles. But the EV1 gave rise to a new consumer concern: "range anxiety." "The fear of being stranded; running out of power," Consumer Reports researcher Ron Conlin told NPR in 1997. "The anxiety of the consumer is reflected in our studies." The EV1 was only available in a few states. And it was expensive: The suggested retail price was $35,000 (more than $70,000 in today's money) but it never actually was for sale — it was only available for lease. "The car's being marketed to an upscale consumer — very educated, very affluent, as potentially a third vehicle in the household," Conlin said. Only about 800 drivers leased an EV1, according to an Associated Press article from 2005. However, reports indicated thousands more people put their name on a wait list. GM spokesperson Dave Barthmuss told NPR that the company followed up with those people, and found "less than 50 customers" on the wait list were willing to lease a vehicle. Many who did get the chance to lease an EV1 grew to love the way the car — with its plug-in charging and appliance-like charm — made them feel "like we were in the 21st century," said documentarian Chris Paine. GM had spent more than $1 billion on EV development. But over time, California weakened the mandate to build zero-emission vehicles. The EV1 became an unnecessary cost. The cars' three-year lease agreements expired in the early 2000s, but GM canceled the program and took its EV1s back. In 2005, NPR reporter Luke Burbank visited a GM facility in Southern California storing dozens of repossessed EV1s. The car's supporters held vigil outside. "We call that EV1 death row," said Chelsea Sexton, a former GM employee who worked on the EV1 program and was critical of the company's move to stop making electric vehicles. "It absolutely breaks my heart," Sexton told NPR. "I helped put these cars on the road in the first place, and now they're taking them away from me and from all the other drivers that had them at one point." GM loaded the EV1s onto semi trucks, hauled them to Mesa, Ariz., and crushed them. Photos showed flattened EV1s stacked on top of each other. GM said the cars were destroyed because a lack of replacement parts made the EV1 unsafe. "There are 2,000 unique parts to this vehicle," Barthmuss said. "Some of them are computer control modules that control the braking on the vehicle. If that part fails, there are some serious safety concerns." Twenty-five years after EV1 production ended, every major automaker is building EVs — including GM. In October the company said it's on track to build about 200,000 EVs this year. GM set a goal to phase out gas-powered vehicles by 2035. As for the EV1, some of the little cars escaped the crusher . In 2010, former EV1 driver Kris Trexler visited the very car he once plugged in to charge each night. It was in a new home: the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles — one of only 40 EV1s still intact, according to the museum . "Wow, this brings back some serious memories," Trexler said. "This is just amazing to see this car again."The 20-year-old showed off the custom gown at Le Bal des Débutantes in Paris on Nov. 30 Getty(3) is entering her debutante era. The 20-year-old daughter of and attended on Saturday, Nov. 30, wearing a custom Valentino gown, which reports took Valentino Creative Director ’s atelier 750 hours to make. The annual fashion event introduces about 20 women between the ages of 16 and 22 into society — with and among the women who have debuted at Le Bal in recent years. Apple’s strapless blue Valentino gown was “fashioned in six dégradé tiers of silk plissé chiffon, cinched at the waist with a black silk bow” and paired with matching blue Valentino sandals, per Related: Apple is the first Le Bal attendee to ever wear a custom gown by Michele. Apple’s parents and all wore Valentino outfits to the event to support her. Gwyneth, 52, donned a gown from Valentino’s spring 2025 collection while Chris, 47, and Moses, 18, wore custom Valentino tuxedos. Gwyneth shared her maternal pride, posting color and black-and-white photos of Apple in Michele’s creation on her Instagram Stories. “My beautiful daughter in @maisonvalentino,” Gwyneth wrote. Related: Apple has shown an interest in fashion from an early age, making her first appearance on the fashion scene at 18 during Paris Fashion Week in 2023, when she sported a black-and-white dress-and-blazer ensemble from Chanel. Fashion journalist once said that late Chanel designer predicted Apple would be a "Chanel girl" when she was just 4. However, the college student doesn’t consider herself “super trendy.” "I love sweaters and oversized cardigans, loafers, and a good pair of comfy Levis," Apple told in 2023. "The most important thing for me is feeling like my genuine self when wearing an outfit; I'm aiming for a mix of classic ’90s and cool grandpa." When reflecting on her outfit at Paris Fashion Week that year, she said, "My favorite part of the look was the combination of the loafers and the minidress. It's something that felt very true to my own style." When Apple isn’t in school, she’s occasionally assisting her mom with her lifestyle brand . She from the brand back in 2020, and in 2021, she appeared in the campaign for GOOPGLOW Glow Lotion, which she also . "It's so fun to have a daughter that age, especially because she's into clothes and skin and all that kind of stuff," Gwyneth said of her daughter during a 2023 interview with . "She's more girly than I am. She's really good at doing makeup and loves to do it." "She's such an eminently nice person, and her values are in the right place," the actress said.

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (ANK) Mangaluru, Dec 30: As the new year approaches, scamsters may attempt to exploit the occasion by sending malicious APK files via WhatsApp to defraud unsuspecting individuals. The city police has alerted the public to exercise caution and urged them not to click on any APK files, as doing so could lead to their mobile phones being hacked. These files might be shared through various social media platforms. The police have advised that if anyone receives an APK file, they should avoid opening or sharing it with others. Additionally, if such a file is shared in a WhatsApp group by a known contact, the group admin should be requested to delete it immediately. For assistance or to report such incidents, the public can call the helpline number 1930 or visit the website www.cybercrime.gov.in .Politics / Will "Serious" Republicans Block Any of Trump's Freak-Show Cabinet Picks? President-elect Donald Trump at a House Republicans conference meeting on Capitol Hill on November 13, 2024. (Allison Robbert / Getty Images) Maine Senator Susan Collins said she's "shocked" by Donald Trump's nomination of accused sex trafficker Matt Gaetz to be attorney general, the nation's top law enforcement official. At least a dozen GOP senators have declined to say whether they'll support Gaetz. Others have raised questions about Trump's stunning selection of politically inexperienced Fox News host and possible white nationalist Pete Hegseth as defense secretary. The fact that Gaetz, Hegseth, and proposed Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have all been credibly accused of sexual abuse probably won't be disqualifying; their future boss, the president elect, is an adjudicated rapist. I don't know how much damage former Fox host and reality-TV star Sean Duffy can do at the Department of Transportation, but Trump says he'll rid the department of those perilous "DEI" and "woke" pilots that have made our skies a nightmare. Really. No, the real issue is all of these nominees' utter lack of qualification for their momentous jobs—and the likelihood that, if confirmed, Gaetz and Hegseth will be foot soldiers in two crusades Trump is deadly... https://www.thenation.com/authorsBuggs' 15 lead East Tennessee State over Austin Peay 79-57New On The Block Dental supply maker Patterson Companies Inc PDCO announced Thursday that it is exploring strategic options, including a sale or merger, to boost shareholder value. The company disclosed the deal process as part of its second-quarter financial report . Updates From The Block EasyHotel is close to being sold. A billionaire-backed firm called London & Regional Properties is bidding against a fund managed by Tristan Capital Partners . The auction process is in its final stages, according to Bloomberg . Ubisoft Entertainment SA UBSFF is in talks with Tencent Holdings ADR TCEHY over a potential buyout . According to Reuters, the deal would allow Ubisoft’s founders, the Guillemot family, to retain control if the company goes private. This development follows a difficult year for Ubisoft , marked by staff layoffs, disappointing sales, and the closure of several studios. Ubisoft’s stock jumped 14% after news of the buyout discussions emerged, as per Benzinga Pro. Lightspeed Commerce Inc. LSPD is reorganizing. A majority of the restructuring charges will be incurred in the third quarter of fiscal 2025. The focus remains on “reducing the complexity of our business,” said Lightspeed founder and CEO Dax Dasilva said . An analyst told Payments Dive that the intent is to set Lightspeed up for a sale. JPMorgan and RBC are advising the process, according to Bloomberg . See Also: NASA Mission To Land Humans On Moon Delayed – Artemis 3 Now Slated For... Off The Block Novavax, Inc. NVAX agreed to sell its Bohumil, Czech Republic manufacturing facility to Novo Nordisk A/S NVO for $200 million . The deal includes transferring assets, including a 150,000-square-foot factory and the existing workforce . Schneider National, Inc. SNDR disclosed that it has agreed to acquire Cowan Systems, LLC and its affiliates for approximately $390 million in cash, subject to adjustments . The deal also includes a separate purchase of related real estate assets for $31 million . Renewi , a London-listed waste management company, agreed to a preliminary takeover offer from Macquarie Asset Management that values it at 700.9 million pounds ($888.8 million). Renewi had been exploring the sale of certain assets (i.e. its UK Municipal division ) in order to reduce debt and focus on its core recycling business in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Portugal. Bankruptcy Block Eegee's , a beloved drive-through restaurant chain founded in Tucson in 1971, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closed five locations—four in Tucson and one in Phoenix. Despite challenges, Eegee's continues to operate over 20 locations in Tucson and Phoenix. Local media reported that the company owes significant debts, including over $1.2 million to Sysco and hundreds of thousands more to other vendors, with total liabilities ranging between $10 million and $50 million. CEO Chris Westcott cited various pressures as reasons for the restructuring, but local residents blamed 39 North Capital , Eegee's owner since 2018. Trucking company Kal Freight filed for bankruptcy protection, saying its financial condition has been hurt by unprofitable efforts to become a vertically integrated business and a now-questionable investment in additional vehicles during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The closely held company also faces litigation, including foreclosure actions, according to the Wall Street Journal citing a filing Thursday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Houston. Proma Group has acquired Germany’s Recaro Automotive GmbH , enabling the company to exit bankruptcy and resume operations across Europe starting January 2025. Recaro's aftermarket seats will return to the market in January, with OEM production shifting to Italy where Proma is based. Several employees from Recaro’s Sales and Technology departments will remain in the Stuttgart area to ensure a smooth transition and customer support. Recaro’s operations in North America and Japan remain unaffected. Proma Group CEO Luca Pino praised the partnership as a blend of German industrial and Italian manufacturing excellence. Notes From The Block Bain & Company did a swell job putting M&A telecom trends into perspective this week. Here’s what we learned: Global deal value “surged” from about $24 billion in the first three quarters of 2023 to $90 billion in the same period in 2024, the firm noted. The Americas accounted for 63% of the global total. Financial investors are acquiring tower and fixed assets. This trend underscores confidence in digital infrastructure's business fundamentals despite headwinds. The $20.3 billion deal between Frontier Communications Parent, Inc. FYBR and Verizon Communications Inc. VZ is the year's largest transaction so far. Scale deals accounted for nearly half of global deal value year to date; infrastructure divestments accounted for 22% of deal value through the first nine months of 2024 (36% of all deal value over the past five years); mobile and fixed divestments made up about 20% during that period. For the full report, click here . For last week’s Deal Dispatch , click here . Now Read : Bitcoin Flash Crash: Classic Bull Market Shakeout? © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

By JILL COLVIN and STEPHEN GROVES WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working mostly behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role: Helping Donald Trump try to get his most contentious Cabinet picks to confirmation in the Senate, where Vance has served for the last two years. Vance arrived at the Capitol on Wednesday with former Rep. Matt Gaetz and spent the morning sitting in on meetings between Trump’s choice for attorney general and key Republicans, including members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The effort was for naught: Gaetz announced a day later that he was withdrawing his name amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations and the reality that he was unlikely to be confirmed. Thursday morning Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth, the “Fox & Friends Weekend” host whom Trump has tapped to be the next secretary of defense. Hegseth also has faced allegations of sexual assault that he denies. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings in coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., center, and Vice President-elect JD Vance, left, walk out of a meeting with Republican Senate Judiciary Committee members, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, departs the chamber at the Capitol in Washington, March 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, center speaks during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, right, speaks with Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, before testifying at a hearing, March 9, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a classified briefing on China, at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a vote on Capitol Hill, Sept. 12, 2023 in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance R-Ohio speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Vance is taking on an atypical role as Senate guide for Trump nominees The role of introducing nominees around Capitol Hill is an unusual one for a vice president-elect. Usually the job goes to a former senator who has close relationships on the Hill, or a more junior aide. But this time the role fits Vance, said Marc Short, who served as Trump’s first director of legislative affairs as well as chief of staff to Trump’s first vice president, Mike Pence, who spent more than a decade in Congress and led the former president’s transition ahead of his first term. ”JD probably has a lot of current allies in the Senate and so it makes sense to have him utilized in that capacity,” Short said. Unlike the first Trump transition, which played out before cameras at Trump Tower in New York and at the president-elect’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, this one has largely happened behind closed doors in Palm Beach, Florida. There, a small group of officials and aides meet daily at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort to run through possible contenders and interview job candidates. The group includes Elon Musk, the billionaire who has spent so much time at the club that Trump has joked he can’t get rid of him. Vance has been a constant presence, even as he’s kept a lower profile. The Ohio senator has spent much of the last two weeks in Palm Beach, according to people familiar with his plans, playing an active role in the transition, on which he serves as honorary chair. Mar-a-Lago scene is a far cry from Vance’s hardscrabble upbringing Vance has been staying at a cottage on the property of the gilded club, where rooms are adorned with cherubs, oriental rugs and intricate golden inlays. It’s a world away from the famously hardscrabble upbringing that Vance documented in the memoir that made him famous, “Hillbilly Elegy.” His young children have also joined him at Mar-a-Lago, at times. Vance was photographed in shorts and a polo shirt playing with his kids on the seawall of the property with a large palm frond, a U.S. Secret Service robotic security dog in the distance. On the rare days when he is not in Palm Beach, Vance has been joining the sessions remotely via Zoom. Though he has taken a break from TV interviews after months of constant appearances, Vance has been active in the meetings, which began immediately after the election and include interviews and as well as presentations on candidates’ pluses and minuses. Among those interviewed: Contenders to replace FBI Director Christopher Wray , as Vance wrote in a since-deleted social media post. Defending himself from criticism that he’d missed a Senate vote in which one of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees was confirmed, Vance wrote that he was meeting at the time “with President Trump to interview multiple positions for our government, including for FBI Director.” “I tend to think it’s more important to get an FBI director who will dismantle the deep state than it is for Republicans to lose a vote 49-46 rather than 49-45,” Vance added on X. “But that’s just me.” Vance is making his voice heard as Trump stocks his Cabinet While Vance did not come in to the transition with a list of people he wanted to see in specific roles, he and his friend, Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who is also a member of the transition team, were eager to see former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. find roles in the administration. Trump ended up selecting Gabbard as the next director of national intelligence , a powerful position that sits atop the nation’s spy agencies and acts as the president’s top intelligence adviser. And he chose Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services , a massive agency that oversees everything from drug and food safety to Medicare and Medicaid. Vance was also a big booster of Tom Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who will serve as Trump’s “border czar.” In another sign of Vance’s influence, James Braid, a top aide to the senator, is expected to serve as Trump’s legislative affairs director. Allies say it’s too early to discuss what portfolio Vance might take on in the White House. While he gravitates to issues like trade, immigration and tech policy, Vance sees his role as doing whatever Trump needs. Vance was spotted days after the election giving his son’s Boy Scout troop a tour of the Capitol and was there the day of leadership elections. He returned in earnest this week, first with Gaetz — arguably Trump’s most divisive pick — and then Hegseth, who has was been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017, according to an investigative report made public this week. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing. Vance hosted Hegseth in his Senate office as GOP senators, including those who sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee, filtered in to meet with the nominee for defense secretary. While a president’s nominees usually visit individual senators’ offices, meeting them on their own turf, the freshman senator — who is accompanied everywhere by a large Secret Service detail that makes moving around more unwieldy — instead brought Gaetz to a room in the Capitol on Wednesday and Hegseth to his office on Thursday. Senators came to them. Vance made it to votes Wednesday and Thursday, but missed others on Thursday afternoon. Vance will draw on his Senate background going forward Vance is expected to continue to leverage his relationships in the Senate after Trump takes office. But many Republicans there have longer relationships with Trump himself. Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, said that Trump was often the first person to call him back when he was trying to reach high-level White House officials during Trump’s first term. “He has the most active Rolodex of just about anybody I’ve ever known,” Cramer said, adding that Vance would make a good addition. “They’ll divide names up by who has the most persuasion here,” Cramer said, but added, “Whoever his liaison is will not work as hard at it as he will.” Cramer was complimentary of the Ohio senator, saying he was “pleasant” and ” interesting” to be around. ′′He doesn’t have the long relationships,” he said. “But we all like people that have done what we’ve done. I mean, that’s sort of a natural kinship, just probably not as personally tied.” Under the Constitution, Vance will also have a role presiding over the Senate and breaking tie votes. But he’s not likely to be needed for that as often as was Kamala Harris, who broke a record number of ties for Democrats as vice president, since Republicans will have a bigger cushion in the chamber next year. Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.In latest news, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has taken action to save TikTok from a law which would force a sale or ban of the social media platform by Jan. 19, 2025. He filed a brief on Dec. 27 asking the Supreme Court to block the law. Passed on Apr. 20, the bill called for parent company ByteDance to either divest of TikTok, or face a complete ban in the country. The brief acknowledged the "difficult tension between free-speech rights on one side, and foreign policy and national-security concerns on the other". In the light of these facts, Trump opposes banning TikTok in the U.S. "at this juncture", the brief said. However, as the deadline imposed for TikTok to either be sold or shut down falls on Jan. 19 — just a day before his inauguration — Trump requested a delay. This is so he can "resolve the issues through political means once he takes office". Intends to pursue "negotiated resolution" The brief called Trump "one of the most powerful, prolific, and influential users of social media in history" and said he is in a position to evaluate TikTok's importance as a medium for freedom of expression. It said: "Indeed, President Trump and his rival both used TikTok to connect with voters during the recent Presidential election campaign, with President Trump doing so much more effectively." He therefore hopes to pursue a "negotiated resolution" to save TikTok. This is in line with his earlier election promise that he was "gonna save TikTok", shortly after creating his own account on the social media platform. Notably, the brief took no position on the merits of the ongoing debate as to whether banning TikTok infringes on Americans' First Amendment rights, which include freedom of speech. On the same day, TikTok filed a brief attesting that the law is a violation of the First Amendment. Calling it "profoundly unconstitutional", the platform said that it is one of the nation's "most important venues for communication". "Shuttering the platform will silence the speech of petitioners and the more than 170 million monthly American users that communicate there about politics, arts, commerce, and other matters of public concern — as illustrated by the massive interest expressed during the recent presidential election," it said, adding: "The government has banned an extraordinary amount of speech; demands deference to unsubstantiated predictions a future risk will materialise; and gets facts wrong when it bothers to provide them." Previously wanted to ban TikTok During his tenure in 2020, Trump said he planned to ban TikTok, and cited national security concerns. “As far as TikTok is concerned we’re banning them from the United States,” he said in July 2020, calling the action a “severance”. Then-secretary of state Mike Pompeo said that the Trump administration was evaluating TikTok akin to Chinese state-backed tech companies Huawei and ZTE. He previously described both companies as "Trojan horses for Chinese intelligence". Subsequently, in April 2024, amid a backdrop of concerns from U.S. lawmakers about TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, and accusations that it handed over sensitive information to the Chinese government, the bill banning TikTok was passed. Top image from Donald Trump/Facebook and TikTok