❎ 5 of NJ's gubernatorial candidates participated in a business forum ❎ New Jersey will choose a new governor in 2025 ❎ Other candidates were invited to participate WOODBRIDGE — New Jersey's race for governor in 2025 is crowded, with multiple candidates on both sides of the political aisle. Five of those candidates gathered on stage Wednesday in front of hundreds of New Jersey employers and business leaders. Who attended? Taking part in an hour-long conversation hosted by the New Jersey Business & Industry Association: Jack Ciattarelli , a former Republican assemblyman from Somerset County who lost the last gubernatorial election to Gov. Phil Murphy Steven Fulop , the Democratic mayor of Jersey City Bill Spadea , a populist and conservative Republican who hosts New Jersey 101.5's morning show Sean Spiller , the president of the New Jersey Education Association who recently served as the Democratic mayor of Montclair Steve Sweeney , a Gloucester County Democrat and longtime State Senate president who lost re-election in 2021 Who wasn't there? NJBIA noted that other gubernatorial candidates were invited to join, but there were scheduling conflicts. Beyond the panel that appeared at the APA Hotel, declared candidates for governor include: Ras Baraka , the Democratic mayor of Newark Josh Gottheimer , the Democratic congressman from North Jersey's 5th District Mikie Sherrill , the Democratic congresswoman from North Jersey's 11th District Jon Bramnick , an anti-Trump Republican state senator from Union County Ed Durr , a Republican who defeated Sweeney in 2021 but lost his own re-election Key points from 5 candidates Jack Ciattarelli (Republican) ⚫ "We're a sprawl state. Sprawl is terribly expensive. I believe we need to stop sprawl in its tracks. That doesn't mean I'm not going to encourage economic development in suburbs, but we really need to direct our population growth towards our cities." ⚫ "The school funding we currently have — the current administration always wants to brag about the fact that it's fully funded. But why would you want to fully fund a flawed formula?" ⚫ "If you're a New Jersey resident who stays here after you graduate, how about the first year of W2 wages is income-tax free?" ⚫ " We need a hands-on CEO governor in this state . It's a $57 billion enterprise with 65,000 employees and 9.3 million customers." Steven Fulop (Democrat) ⚫ "I think the best example of what type of governor I would be, and what I would change, is what have I done in Jersey City. We have transformed that city to be literally the economic backbone of New Jersey." ⚫ " We know for certain that there's too much government in New Jersey ... and consolidation is necessary. There hasn't been the will or the appetite to do that in Trenton, is the reality. And unless you culturally change how Trenton operates, that will continue to be the common thread there and nothing will get done." ⚫ " At the end of the day, you pay a corruption tax to live and operate in New Jersey. I mean by that, the structure is inherently tainted in a way that it is never incentivized to make those changes that you desperately need and that taxpayers desperately need." ⚫ " New Jersey was not bold when we got to $15 minimum wage ... We have a very, very high cost of living here, and that upward pressure is important to the lowest paid employees." Bill Spadea (Republican) ⚫ "I believe what we really need is a mindset change. We need to be pro-business instead of pro-government." ⚫ " Three things that have to be done immediately: cut taxes, end all of the over-regulation, and create an environment where you can hire the people that you need." ⚫ "When it comes to helping all of you hire the people that you need, we've got to stop this mentality that every kid has to go to college. We've got to develop an investment into career and technical education." ⚫ "You're looking at a $7 billion cost a year to New Jersey because we have nearly 900,000 illegals in our state. You're paying for that." SEE ALSO: How much is NJ's gas tax in 2025? Sean Spiller (Democrat) ⚫ "We've got to take a look at a number of things to make sure that this state remains competitive, continues to draw people to this state , but also looks at your bottom-line expenses and talks about everything in a comprehensive, collective way." ⚫ "We are a well-educated state. That's an important piece of this, we want to make sure to continue that. We want to make sure this is a place where people who are coming here from out of state do want to raise their families." ⚫ "We can't constantly elect the same thing and expect some different outcome. And I think that finally having an educator who could be the next governor is something that would bring a great benefit to this state." ⚫ "Even as a kid, I knew that New Jersey was a hard place for my parents to afford." Steve Sweeney (Democrat) ⚫ "My concern right now is, everyone saying, we've got to find more money, we've got to tax more — we've got to calm down, we've got a spending problem ." ⚫ "When we legalized marijuana, we had the lowest tax rate in the nation — you can't say that many times with New Jersey." ⚫ "We keep saying we want something different, we want lower taxes, but we're not willing to do anything different." ⚫ " We need to invest in higher education. When you talk about migration of dollars leaving, we send more kids out of the state than any other state in the nation." Cordial conversation Before the conversation began, the candidates were reminded that the panel was "a forum, not a debate." Candidates were civil, and each person was given an opportunity to answer each question and offer closing remarks. SEE ALSO: NJ law will mandate salary ranges in job postings When candidates stuck to the questions, the conversation mainly focused on New Jersey's business climate. Moderator Rick Thigpen asked the candidates about their proposed plans related to economic growth, the workforce development pipeline, innovation, and property taxes on businesses. Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom Celebrities who vowed to leave the United States after the election Rumors are flying that Bruce Springsteen has vowed to leave the country if Donald Trump wins the 2024 election. He didn’t say it. But false promises of leaving the country if a celebrity didn’t get their way has been a real thing and not always said in jest. Here’s a list of famous people who promised to leave the country if Trump were elected. I hope you didn't bet money on them leaving since none did. Gallery Credit: Jeff Deminski LOOK: 79 of the Most 1970s Photos You've Ever Seen Step back into the wild, rebellious 1970s with 79 unforgettable photos that capture the era's bold fashions, entertainment and everyday life. Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz

Three Greenspoon Marder Lawyers Bolster Southeast Presence MIAMI , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ice Miller is pleased to announce the addition of esteemed international transactional lawyers Jon Lyman and Gai Sher to help launch the firm's new Miami office . Bringing 30 years of experience counseling corporate and financial institution clients on all manner of deals, often involving cross-border transactions, Miami -based Lyman reinforces Ice Miller's strong transactional roster on both a regional and international scale, while Sher concentrates her practice on representing and providing legal counsel to startups, emerging growth companies, brands, creators, and executives in media, technology, and consumer products in all aspects of commercial transactions. Miami now joins Ice Miller's Naples office as a key component of the firm's strategy to expand its presence in South Florida and better serve clients across the Southeast region. The office will be supported by a local team that includes associate Ariela Benchlouch , as well as other Ice Miller lawyers splitting time among different offices. Reinforced by Ice Miller's national platform, Lyman is positioned to provide comprehensive guidance on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, finance, debt, and equity offerings. Throughout his extensive career, he has regularly been called upon by directors and officers to provide legal counsel in connection with investment transactions, including for private equity, venture capital, and family office clients, as well as international debt and equity securities issues and trading compliance. Sher also counsels on all aspects of commercial transactions, while boasting experience in deal-making and structuring rights, talent, licensing, and production agreements across all facets of intellectual property, media, and entertainment. "The Miami team brings an exciting new dimension of capabilities to our clients," said Ice Miller Chief Managing Partner Michael Millikan . "They not only offer fresh and innovative legal insight, but also amplify our core strengths in dynamic new ways. Their presence in Miami aligns perfectly with our strategic growth objectives." Ice Miller Board Member and Business Group partner Tom Kesoglou also weighed in: " Miami is a key hub in the transactional landscape—critical to both our existing clients and our growth targets," he said. "Jon and Gai's strong reputations and established presence in the region, coupled with their entrepreneurial drive, position them perfectly to help the firm continue its evolution." In a supporting role, Benchlouch guides clients through complex transactions, including conducting thorough due diligence and risk assessments, drafting and negotiating key transaction documents, and navigating regulatory and compliance issues. "This team is excited to hit the ground running at Ice Miller," said Lyman. "As we've gotten to know the firm better, we've been impressed by its robust transactional platform and deep experience. The possibilities here are clear, and we see a tremendous potential for growth. I'm confident that, together, we'll continue to build on this momentum in the months and years ahead." About Ice Miller LLP Ice Miller LLP is a full-service law firm dedicated to helping our clients stay ahead in a changing world. With more than 350 legal professionals across the nation, we advise clients on all aspects of the complex legal issues impacting businesses each day. We serve private equity and venture capital funds, large private and emerging growth companies, FORTUNE 500 corporations, municipal entities, family offices, and nonprofits. To learn more, visit us at icemiller.com . View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/florida-based-international-transactions-team-joins-ice-miller-to-launch-new-miami-office-302330765.html SOURCE Ice Miller LLP

PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain retained a six-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 after a labored 3-0 home win over Toulouse on Friday. The defending champion dominated the first half but it took until the 35th minute to open the scoring. Young Portuguese midfielder João Neves spun to meet a cross from the right and struck a superb half volley from just outside the box. Lucas Beraldo got a second with six minutes remaining when he pounced on loose ball and fired home. Vitinha made it 3-0 in stoppage time when he showed fine footwork inside the box to finish off a quick counterattack. The scoreline was harsh on Toulouse, which came into the game in a more even second half. Only Vitinha’s last-gasp tackle stopped Zakaria Aboukhlal from equalizing after 69 minutes and then Shavy Babicka blazed over from close range a minute later when he should have hit the target. The win was a confidence boost for Luis Enrique’s side ahead of next Tuesday’s Champions League encounter at Bayern Munich. PSG lies in 25th place in the 36-team Champions League table with one win in four matches and outside the playoff spots. The win came immediately after second-placed Monaco beaten Brest 3-2 to briefly close the gap at the top to three points. Brest, which faces Barcelona next week in the Champions League, turned in another inconsistent French league performance and not the sparkling form it has shown in Europe. Brest has struggled in Ligue 1, where it remains 12th, but shone with three wins from four in its first ever Champions League campaign. It was behind after just five minutes on Friday when Maghnes Akliouche scored with a superb airborne volley, and 2-0 down after 24 minutes thanks to Aleksandr Golovin. The Russian striker seized on a poor pass just outside the Brest penalty area and his low shot was perfectly placed to sneak in off the post and give him his first goal in nine league appearances. On-loan Brighton striker Abdallah Sima used his 1.88-meter frame to outjump the Monaco defense four minutes into the second half and cut the deficit but Akliouche restored Monaco’s two-goal cushion when he brilliantly finished a quick counterattack in stoppage time. Ludovic Ajorque got a second for Brest in the sixth minute of added time but it was not enough in a second half most notable for the red card shown to Brest coach Éric Roy. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Liverpool held by Newcastle in thriller, Arsenal and Chelsea close gap

NYC's mayor warms to Trump and doesn't rule out becoming a RepublicanMeta to build $10 billion AI data center in Louisiana as Elon Musk expands his Tennessee AI facility

Pair of original MLS clubs to play for Cup title

NoneIndian benchmark equity indices closed higher on Friday, driven by a rebound in auto stocks, with valuations becoming more attractive after last week's sharp decline. The Nifty 50 rose by 0.27%, finishing at 23,813, while the BSE Sensex gained 0.29%, ending at 78,699. Commenting on the market action, Dhupesh Dhameja, Derivatives Analyst at SAMCO Securities, stated that the Nifty is showing a constrained sideways-to-bullish trend, with narrow price movements and repeated indecisive candlestick patterns indicating a lack of clear direction. "The 23,900–24,000 range, supported by significant call writing, presents a strong resistance. On the other hand, the 200-DEMA and the crucial 23,700–23,600 zone, backed by substantial put writing, form a solid base for the bulls. A breakout above 24,000 could trigger a short-covering rally, pushing the index toward 24,500. Until then, a 'buy on dips' approach remains advisable. However, a breakdown below 23,500 could intensify bearish momentum, potentially pulling the index down to the 23,150–23,000 range, where strong put writing provides additional support," Dhameja explained. Here are 2 stock recommendations for Monday: Buy IPCA Laboratories at Rs 1,632.6 Target Price: Rs 1,715 Stop Loss: Rs 1,594 Stock Trading Masterclass on Value Investing and Company Valuation By - The Economic Times, Get Certified By India's Top Business News Brand View Program Stock Trading Market 104: Options Trading: Kickstart Your F&O Adventure By - Saketh R, Founder- QuickAlpha, Full Time Options Trader View Program Stock Trading Technical Analysis for Everyone - Technical Analysis Course By - Abhijit Paul, Technical Research Head, Fund Manager- ICICI Securities View Program Stock Trading Stock Markets Made Easy By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Stock Trading Renko Chart Patterns Made Easy By - Kaushik Akiwatkar, Derivative Trader and Investor View Program Stock Trading Market 101: An Insight into Trendlines and Momentum By - Rohit Srivastava, Founder- Indiacharts.com View Program Stock Trading Markets 102: Mastering Sentiment Indicators for Swing and Positional Trading By - Rohit Srivastava, Founder- Indiacharts.com View Program Stock Trading Dow Theory Made Easy By - Vishal Mehta, Independent Systematic Trader View Program Stock Trading Market 103: Mastering Trends with RMI and Techno-Funda Insights By - Rohit Srivastava, Founder- Indiacharts.com View Program Stock Trading ROC Made Easy: Master Course for ROC Stock Indicator By - Souradeep Dey, Equity and Commodity Trader, Trainer View Program Stock Trading Heikin Ashi Trading Tactics: Master the Art of Trading By - Dinesh Nagpal, Full Time Trader, Ichimoku & Trading Psychology Expert View Program Stock Trading RSI Made Easy: RSI Trading Course By - Souradeep Dey, Equity and Commodity Trader, Trainer View Program Stock Trading Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By - Dinesh Nagpal, Full Time Trader, Ichimoku & Trading Psychology Expert View Program IPCALAB has broken out from an "Adam & Eve" pattern, signaling that buyers have overtaken the sellers. The surge in volume during the breakout demonstrates strong buying interest at current levels. Moreover, a bullish candlestick has formed precisely near the breakout zone (1610-1612), further reinforcing a bullish setup. From an indicator standpoint, the RSI (14) is currently at the 61 level, supporting the ongoing upward momentum. Buy Mangalam Cement at Rs 981.10 Target Price: Rs 1,050 Stop Loss: Rs 956 On the daily timeframe, MANGLMCEM surged by 7.54%, forming a bullish candle and closing at a one-month high. The stock has successfully broken out of a rectangle pattern, indicating a strong structural foundation. The bullish trend is expected to remain intact as long as the price stays above the 956 level. From a momentum perspective, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) is trending upward and remains above its moving average, signaling sustained positive momentum in the near term. This confluence of factors suggests a continuation of the upward trajectory. (Analyst: Drumil Vithlani, Technical Research Analyst at Bonanza) (Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of Economic Times) (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel )

Jim Harbaugh and Chargers focused on accomplishing more after wrapping up playoff berthGrants of up to £50,000 given to social enterprises in this part of GwentSika AG ( OTCMKTS:SXYAY – Get Free Report ) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 4,700 shares, an increase of 161.1% from the November 30th total of 1,800 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 232,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.0 days. Sika Stock Down 1.4 % SXYAY stock opened at $23.97 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $26.45 and its 200 day simple moving average is $28.85. Sika has a fifty-two week low of $23.40 and a fifty-two week high of $33.52. About Sika ( Get Free Report ) Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Sika Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sika and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

With the election finally over, and America getting ready to celebrate its fall holiday tradition of families not speaking to each other, it’s good to remember that there is one thing that unites us all. In every region of the country, people of every age, race, color, creed, religion and national origin share one common thought: How can California still be counting ballots? For decades, registered California voters would go to the polls in their neighborhood on Election Day, give their name and address to a poll worker sitting at a folding table, sign a paper registry, receive a ballot and vote. Completed ballots were secured in locked boxes and when the polls closed, the ballot boxes would be transported to county offices to be tabulated. County election officials didn’t need weeks to verify the validity of every ballot, because voters had already attested to their identity at the polling places. Vote-by-mail ballots had to be verified, but for a long time that was only a small fraction of total ballots. According to records from the California Secretary of State, mail ballots accounted for just 4.21% of all ballots cast in 1964 general election, 4.5% in 1976, 6.26% in 1980 and 9.33% in 1984. Later, the percentage of mail ballots began to climb. By 2016, more than 57% of ballots were vote-by-mail, and then in 2020, when California began sending a mail ballot to every active registered voter, 86.72% of ballots cast were mail ballots. In 2022, it was 88.64%. California lawmakers fretted that tens of thousands of mail ballots were rejected because they were returned too late, or because the voter had not signed the return envelope, or because the signature did not match the voter registration record on file. So they passed laws that allowed extra time and extra chances for voters to get it right. Counties are now required to accept ballots for seven days after the polls close, even without a postmark, as long as the voter “has dated the vote-by-mail ballot identification envelope or the envelope otherwise indicates that the ballot was executed on or before Election Day.” This and other lenient standards for accepting mail ballots can be found in the California Code of Regulations, Section 20991. In the current election, the counties accepted ballots through Nov. 12. But that’s not the end of the delays. Under state law, counties must notify voters if their ballot hasn’t been accepted due to a missing or mismatched signature and inform them that they can “cure” their signature by signing a form. This year, California enacted another law, Assembly Bill 3184, to ensure that voters are given the maximum amount of time to respond to the notice. Voters have until Dec. 1 to return the signed form. This week, several close races remained undecided with hundreds of thousands of ballots statewide still to count. This does not inspire confidence, especially since many changes to voting and election procedures that California has made in recent years have opened apparent vulnerabilities to cheating. In addition to mailing ballots to voters who did not request them and continuing to accept ballots for seven days after the polls close, the state legalized ballot “harvesting,” which enables an individual to return stacks or sacks of ballots to an unattended drop box or county elections office without triggering legal scrutiny. Before Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 1921 in 2016, only a close relative or member of the same household could return a voter’s mail ballot. Then this year, Newsom signed Senate Bill 1174 to prohibit local governments from adopting a voter ID law. Last year he signed AB 969, making it illegal for counties to hand-count ballots in an election. Voters in California were promised paper ballots that could be audited, but it hasn’t worked out that way. Manual verification of machine-tabulated vote totals has become virtually impossible in the wake of the 2016 Voter’s Choice Act, SB 450, which threw out the local polling place model and allowed voters to cast their ballot in person at any “vote center” in the county. Returned ballots are no longer sorted by precinct. The state’s method of confirming the accuracy of a machine tally was always a manual tally of 1% of the precincts where in-person voting occurred, randomly chosen. That was changed in 2018 to substitute “batches” of ballots for precincts. But how can the public know if those numbers really match? What about recounts? Anyone who is willing to pay the cost may request a recount of any race, but retrieving the paper ballots requires paying county workers for weeks of work to find them. An alternative is to recount optical scans of ballots, but that is costly, too, due to the need for tech workers, computers and monitors. With the previous voting systems, recounts could be conducted by four clerks at a table, and the cost was in the tens of thousands of dollars. But in 2019, then-Secretary of State Alex Padilla decertified all those voting systems everywhere in the state and forced the counties to buy voting technology that counted optical scans. Now recounts cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Some of the state’s actions seem like an engraved invitation to fraud. A 2010 law, SB 1404, required the secretary of state to regulate the tint and watermark on printed ballots. Ahead of every election, an advisory goes up on the state’s website to announce the exact ink color, watermark and printing instructions for official ballots. “The tint for the background and watermark is Pantone 372 U ‘Light Green’ (RGB 212, 238, 141/ CMYK 11, 0, 41, 7),” this year’s advisory explained. Do other states publish instructions for manufacturing official ballots? When so many security vulnerabilities are layered on top of each other, it appears to be possible to steal an election and get away with it. California officials claim they’ve made it easier to vote. It looks like they’ve made it easier to cheat. Write Susan@SusanShelley.com and follow her on Twitter @Susan_Shelley

PSG beats Toulouse 3-0 and Akliouche double gives Monaco home win over BrestSANTA CLARA — When Isaac Guerendo trots onto the field with the first team Sunday at Levi’s Stadium, he will equal the same number of starts he had in five years of college football. Hard to believe, but Guerendo started exactly one time, and it came in his final college game at Louisville. Against USC in the Holiday Bowl, Guerendo carried 23 times for 161 yards and three touchdowns and added five receptions in a 42-28 loss. In 40 other games at Wisconsin and Louisville, Guerendo played in a shared backfield –something he’s done with the 49ers this season behind Jordan Mason and Christian McCaffrey . With McCaffrey on injured reserve with a PCL strain and Mason to follow soon with a high ankle sprain, Guerendo should get his biggest workload since his last college game. “I’m excited, but really it’s whatever it takes to win,” Guerendo said Wednesday as the 49ers (5-7) began preparations to host the Bears (4-8). “Whatever the plan looks like is what we’ll bring.” Guerendo will be backed up by Patrick Taylor Jr., who was on the roster earlier this season when McCaffrey was dealing with bilateral Achilles tendinitis, then re-signed to the practice squad. Taylor was promoted Tuesday, and the 49ers also made a waiver claim on former Jets running back Israel Abanikanda. “I think he’s ready to go,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “He had some ups and downs but got better through everything. I think he’s ready for this.” Guerendo, 6-foot and 219 pounds, has 42 carries for 246 yards and two touchdowns, averaging a gaudy 5.9 yards per carry. His 15-yard run in the third quarter was the 49ers’ lone touchdown in a 35-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The 49ers traded up to get Guerendo in the fourth round, only to see him sidelined with a hamstring strain in his first training camp practice. A speedy wide receiver at Avon High School in Indiana who also ran track and played basketball, Guerendo carried 10 times for 99 yards with a long run of 76 against Seattle and 14 times for 85 yards against Dallas. At Wisconsin, Guerendo played behind Jonathan Taylor, now a star running back for the Indianapolis Colts. He split time as a graduate student at Louisville with Jawhar Jordan, who rushed for 1,128 yards while Guerendo had 810 yards on 132 carries and a 6.1-yard average. The good news is Guerendo’s body hasn’t taken on the normal amount of abuse for a running back. And Guerendo feels he’s up to the challenge after playing 12 games with old-school running backs coach Bobby Turner. “I always give credit to Coach T for preparing everybody like they’re going to be the starter, so that when moments do come, you’re ready for it,” Guerendo said. McCaffrey appeared to have finally gotten untracked against the Bills, gaining 53 yards on seven carries before getting tripped up on a 19-yard burst in the second quarter. But the tackle injured his knee, Mason injured his ankle, and Guerendo became the lead runner for a team that is sixth in the NFL in rushing. Over time, Guerendo has become accustomed to the speed of the NFL game. “I think it takes guys some time,” Shanahan said. “You start to get a feel for it, if you’ve got the right stuff, you get more reps and the more you adjust to it. How hard you’ve got to hit stuff, how quick those holes close, how you have to hit it full speed and can’t hesitate. We’ve seen that stuff get better in practice and we’ve seen it carry over into games.” McCaffrey, meanwhile, took to social media in the form of a lengthy Instagram post to explain how he was feeling after his latest injury. He wrote of his love for football, how humbling it is and his desire to return. “This wasn’t my year, and sometimes when it rains, it pours,” McCaffrey wrote. “You can feel sorry for yourself and listen to the birds, or you can hold the line. I’m grateful for the support of everyone in my corner and promise I’ll work smarter and harder to come back better from this.” For those who dream big, Shanahan said with a six-week time frame, McCaffrey could conceivably return if the 49ers reach the postseason. THE INJURY LIST Those who didn’t practice Wednesday included edge rusher Nick Bosa (hips, obliques), left tackle Trent Williams (ankle), left guard Aaron Banks (concussion), Mason (ankle) and linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (ankle). Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (knee), linebacker Dre Greenlaw (Achilles) and safety Talanoa Hufanga (wrist) were limited. Defensive tackle Jordan Elliott has cleared concussion protocol after missing the Buffalo game. Hufanga joined Greenlaw as practicing during a 21-day window. Shanahan said it’s more likely Greenlaw would be activated before a Thursday night game against the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 12 than against Chicago. HUFANGA AND THE CLUB After recovering from an ACL tear last season, Hufanga has played in just two games this season. First, he was felled by an ankle injury, and then a wrist injury that needed surgery. When activated, he’ll play with a protective club on his right hand. “I was still dealing with the ankle. I was about to get it re-wrapped and for some reason my hand wouldn’t open,” Hufanga said. Hufanga said he’ll try to use the protective device as a benefit rather than a detriment. “I had a good friend back in the day who played with a club who had three picks in one game, so you never know,” Hufanga said. MOORE FARES WELL Left tackle Jaylon Moore acquitted himself well for the second straight game in starting in place of Williams. “It was OK, but you can always get better and that’s what I’m focusing on — the things I can get better at,” Moore said. Tight end George Kittle noted last week that Moore was at left tackle all through training camp during Williams’ holdout, so it’s not like he hasn’t been with the first team. “It definitely did help, especially being comfortable with the group,” Moore said. “The quarterback’s cadence, the guy you’re next to, all the small stuff comes into play.”An Israeli airstrike flattened a multistory building in central Gaza, killing at least 25 people and wounding dozens more, according to Palestinian medical officials, after strikes Thursday across the Gaza Strip killed at least 28 others. The latest deadly strike hit the urban Nuseirat refugee camp just hours after U.S. President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters in Jerusalem that the recent ceasefire in Lebanon has helped clear the way for a potential deal to end the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the deadly strike in Nuseirat. Israel says it is trying to eliminate Hamas, which led the attack on southern Israel in October 2023 that sparked the war in Gaza . The Israeli military says Hamas militants hide among Gaza’s civilian population. The fighting has plunged Gaza into a severe humanitarian crisis, with experts warning of famine in some of the hardest-hit parts of the territory. Israel’s offensive has killed over 44,800 Palestinians in Gaza, more than half of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and around 250 others were taken hostage. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Here's the latest: DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli airstrike hit the central Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing at least 25 Palestinians and wounding dozens more, Palestinian medics said, just hours after President Joe Biden’s national security adviser raised hopes about a ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza. Photos from the scene of the blast that circulated on social media showed a completely collapsed building with people walking through its mangled and charred remains, smoke rising from piles of belongings strewn over the rubble. Officials at two hospitals in the Gaza Strip, al-Awda Hospital in the north and al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza, reported they received a combined total of 25 bodies from an Israeli strike on a multistory residential building in the urban Nuseirat refugee camp. Palestinian medics also reported that over 40 people, most of them children, were receiving treatment at the two hospitals. The al-Aqsa Hospital said that the Israeli attack also damaged several nearby houses in Nuseirat. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the deadly strike. Israel is trying to eliminate Hamas, which led the attack on southern Israel in October 2023 that sparked the war in Gaza . The Israeli military says Hamas militants hide among Gaza’s civilian population. Israel’s war against Hamas has killed over 44,800 Palestinians in Gaza, more than half of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The fighting has plunged Gaza into a severe humanitarian crisis, with experts warning of famine. Israel says it allows enough aid to enter and blames U.N. agencies for not distributing it. The U.N. says Israeli restrictions, and the breakdown of law and order after Israel repeatedly targeted the Hamas-run police force, make it extremely difficult to operate in the territory. UNITED NATIONS – The U.N. food agency is trying to deal with massive needs in Syria not only from escalating war-related food insecurity and an upsurge in displaced people fleeing Lebanon but also the dramatically new environment following the ouster of Bashar Assad, a senior U.N. official says. “It’s a triple crisis and the needs are going to be massive,” said Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the World Food Program, in an interview with The Associated Press late Wednesday. The WFP estimated that 3 million people in Syria were “acutely food insecure” and very hungry. However, that estimate was made before the Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon pushed many Syrian refugees back to their home country, plus the instability caused by the overthrow of Assad. Due to funding cuts, the WFP had been targeting only 2 million of those people, he said. Because WFP has been working in Syria during the 13-year civil war, he said, it has pre-positioned food in the country. It has 500 staff in seven offices nationwide and has operated across conflict lines, across borders, and with all different parties, he said. Skau said Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the main rebel group now in control of Syria, has promised to provide security for WFP warehouses. Humanitarian aid supplies had been looted at U.N. warehouses in the disorder after Assad fell. “We’re not really up and running in Damascus because of the continued kind of uncertainty there,” he said. WFP initially thought of relocating non-essential staff but the situation in Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, has been “quite calm and orderly," he said. In the short term, Skau said, “what we’re seeing is that markets are disrupted, the value of the currency dropped dramatically, food prices are going up, transport lines don’t work,” and it’s unclear who will stamp required papers for imports and exports. This means that a bigger humanitarian response is needed initially, he said, but in the next phase, the U,N. will be looking at contributing to Syria’s recovery, and ultimately the country will need reconstruction. Skau said he expects a new funding appeal for Syria and urged donors to be generous. JERUSALEM — President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters in Jerusalem on Thursday that Israel’s ceasefire in Lebanon has helped clear the way for another deal to end the war in Gaza. He plans to travel next to Qatar and Egypt — key mediators in the ceasefire talks — as the Biden administration makes a final push on negotiations before Donald Trump is inaugurated. Sullivan said “Hamas’ posture at the negotiating table did adapt” after Israel decimated the leadership of its ally Hezbollah in Lebanon and reached a ceasefire there. “We believe it puts us in a position to close this negotiation,” he said. Sullivan dismissed speculation that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was waiting for Trump to take office to finalize a deal. He the U.S. believes there are three American hostages still alive in Gaza, but it’s hard to know for sure. He also said “the balance of power in the Middle East has changed significantly” since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, especially with the overthrow of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, a key ally of Hezbollah and Iran. “We are now faced with a dramatically reshaped Middle East in which Israel is stronger, Iran is weaker, its proxies decimated, and a ceasefire that is new and will be lasting in Lebanon that ensures Israel’s security over the long term,” he said. KHIAM, Lebanon — An Israeli strike killed at least one person Thursday in the Lebanese border town of Khiam, the Health Ministry said, less than a day after Israeli troops handed the hilltop village back to the Lebanese army in coordination with U.N. peacekeepers, Khiam is the first Lebanese town Israel has pull out of since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah militants began two weeks ago, and marks an important test of the fragile truce . Lebanon's Health Ministry and state news agency did not provide details on who was killed, and did not report airstrikes elsewhere on Thursday. The Israeli military said an airstrike targeted Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon, without saying if the strike was in Khiam. Lebanese troops deployed in the northern section of the town on Thursday morning and were coordinating with U.N. peacekeepers to finalize Israel’s withdrawal before fully entering into other neighborhoods. An Associated Press reporter who visited Khiam on Thursday observed widespread destruction, with most houses reduced to rubble. Entire neighborhoods were flattened, with collapsed walls and debris scattered across the streets. Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, sharply criticized Israel for striking the town less than 24 hours after the Lebanese army returned, saying it was “a violation of the pledges made by the parties that sponsored the ceasefire agreement, who must act to curb Israeli aggression.” The truce was brokered by the U.S. and France. Israel has previously said the ceasefire deal allows it to use military force against perceived violations. Near-daily attacks by Israel during the ceasefire, mostly in southern Lebanon, have killed at least 29 people and wounded 27 others. Khiam, which sits on a ridge less than 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the border with Israel, saw some of the most intense fighting during the war. The Lebanese army was clearing debris and reopening roads in the northern section of the town. Civilian access to other areas remained challenging as the army clears roads and works alongside the U.N. peacekeepers to ensure the area is free of unexploded ordnance. AQABA, Jordan -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is urging the many players in Syria to avoid taking any steps that could lead to further violence. Blinken spoke to reporters in Jordan on Thursday shortly after meeting King Abdullah II as he opened a trip in the region to discuss Syria's future after former President Bashar Assad's ouster. Blinken will next visit Turkey, a NATO ally and a main backer of Syrian rebel groups. Blinken called this “a time of both real promise but also peril for Syria and for its neighbors.” He said he was focused on coordinating efforts in the region “to support the Syrian people as they transition away from Assad’s brutal dictatorship” and establish a government that isn’t dominated by one religion or ethnic group or outside power. Blinken was asked about Israel’s incursion into a buffer zone that had been demilitarized for the past half century. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the move is temporary and defensive, but also indicated Israel will remain in the area for a long time. Blinken declined to say whether the U.S. supports the move, but said the U.S. would be speaking to Israel and other partners in the region. “I think, across the board, when it comes to any actors who have real interests in Syria, it’s also really important at this time that, we all try to make sure that we’re not sparking any additional conflicts,” he said. ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalin, arrived in Damascus on Thursday, according to Turkish media reports. Kalin was seen arriving at the Umayyad Mosque to pray, surrounded by a large crowd, according to video shown on Turkish television. The visit is highly symbolic. Turkish officials, who supported the opposition against Syria’s government, had predicted at the start of the civil war in 2011 that President Bashar Assad’s government would fall, allowing them to pray at the Umayyad Mosque. JERUSALEM — Paraguay reopened its embassy in Jerusalem Thursday, becoming one of a small handful of nations to recognize the city as Israel’s capital and marking a diplomatic victory for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel’s international isolation has increased as the war in Gaza drags on, and Paraguay was the first country to move its embassy to Jerusalem since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack that kickstarted the war. The United States, Honduras, Guatemala, Kosovo, and Papua New Guinea are among the few countries with Jerusalem embassies. Israel annexed east Jerusalem in 1967 but it wasn’t recognized by the international community, and most countries run their embassies out of Tel Aviv. Spirits were high at the ceremony marking the embassy’s inauguration Thursday, with Netanyahu and Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar lavishing praise on Paraguayan President Santiago Pena. “My good friend Santiago,” said Netanyahu, addressing Pena. “We’re a small nation. You’re a small nation. We suffered horrible things but we overcame the odds of history...we can win and we are winning.” Paraguay had an embassy in Jerusalem in 2018, under Former President Horacio Cartes. That embassy was moved back to Tel Aviv by Cartes’ successor, Mario Abdo Benitez, prompting Israel to close its embassy in Asuncion. Saar said Israel and Paraguay shared a “friendship based not only on interests but also values and principles.” He and the Paraguayan foreign minister, Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, signed a series of bilateral agreements and Saar said he would soon visit Asunción with a delegation from the Israeli private sector. “Israel is going to win and the countries we are standing next to Israel, we are going to win," Pena said. AQABA, Jordan — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is renewing calls for Syria’s new leadership to respect women and minority rights, prevent extremists from gaining new footholds in the country and keeping suspected chemical weapons stocks secure as he makes his first visit to the Mideast since the weekend ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad . Making his 12th trip to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas war erupted lasted year but amid fresh concerns about security following the upheaval in Syria, Blinken emphasized Thursday to Jordan’s King Abdullah II U.S. “support for an inclusive transition that can lead to an accountable and representative Syrian government chosen by the Syrian people,” the State Department said. Blinken also repeated the importance the outgoing Biden administration puts on respect for human rights and international law, the protection of civilians and stopping terrorist groups from reconstituting. Blinken met with the monarch and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Aqaba before traveling to Turkey for talks with Turkish officials on the situation in Syria and the urgency of securing a long-elusive deal to release hostages and end the fighting in Gaza that has devastated the Palestinian territory since October 2023. Abdullah told Blinken that “the first step to reach comprehensive regional calm is to end the Israeli war on Gaza." GENEVA — The U.N. envoy for Syria is calling on authorities to save evidence from detention centers that were a hub of “unimaginable barbarity” that Syrians have faced for many years and cooperate with international investigators looking into such crimes. Geir Pederson referred to new images from the notorious Saydnaya military prison north of the capital, Damascus, after President Bashar Assad fled Syria as armed groups stormed in to overthrow his government over the weekend. “The images from Saydnaya and other detention facilities starkly underscore the unimaginable barbarity Syrians have endured and reported for years,” Pedersen said in a statement. Documentation and testimonies “only scratch the surface of the carceral system’s horrors,” he added. Pedersen urged authorities to cooperate with U.N. bodies like an independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria, which was created in 2011, and an independent group known as the IIIM that was set up five years later to also compile evidence of crimes. ROME — Leaders of the Group of 7 industrialized nations offered their full support for an inclusive political transition in Syria and invited all parties to preserve the country’s territorial integrity. In a message released by Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni’s office, the leaders said they were ready to support a transition that “leads to a credible government, inclusive and not sectarian, that guarantees respect for the state of law, universal human rights, including rights for women, (and) the protection of all Syrians, including religious and ethnic minorities.” The leaders also underlined the importance that ousted President Bashar Assad’s government is held responsible for crimes, citing “decades of atrocities.” They said they would also cooperate with groups working to prohibit chemical weapons “to secure, declare and destroy” remaining chemical arms in Syria. Italy currently holds the rotating presidency of the G-7, which also includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the United States. JERUSALEM — The Israeli military says it struck Hamas militants in two locations in the southern Gaza Strip who planned to hijack aid convoys. Palestinian Health officials had earlier said that the two strikes killed 15 men who were part of local committees established to secure aid deliveries. The committees have been organized in cooperation with the Hamas-run Interior Ministry in Gaza. It was not possible to independently confirm either account of the strikes, which occurred overnight into Thursday. Israel has long accused Hamas of hijacking humanitarian aid deliveries, while U.N. officials have said there is no systemic diversion of aid . U.N. agencies and aid groups say deliveries are held up by Israeli restrictions on the entry of aid and movement within Gaza, as well as the breakdown of law and order more than 14 months into the war between Israel and Hamas. Israel has repeatedly targeted the Hamas-run police force, which maintained internal security before the war. The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, the main aid provider in Gaza, said a U.N. convoy of 70 trucks carrying humanitarian aid in southern Gaza “was involved in a serious incident,” resulting in just one of the trucks reaching its destination. It did not provide further details on the incident but said the same route had been used successfully two days earlier. Israel’s offensive, launched after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, has caused vast destruction and displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, leaving the territory heavily reliant on international food aid. DAMASCUS, Syria — An American who turned up in Syria on Thursday says he was detained after crossing into the country by foot on a Christian pilgrimage seven months ago. Travis Timmerman appears to have been among thousands of people released from the country’s notorious prisons after rebels reached Damascus over the weekend, overthrowing President Bashar Assad and ending his family’s 54-year rule. As video emerged online of Timmerman on Thursday, he was initially mistaken by some for Austin Tice, an American journalist who went missing in Syria 12 years ago. In the video, Timmerman could be seen lying on a mattress under a blanket in what appeared to be a private house. A group of men in the video said he was being treated well and would be safely returned home. The Biden administration is working to bring Timmerman home, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in Aqaba, Jordan, without offering details, citing privacy. Timmerman later gave an interview with the Al-Arabiya TV network, saying he had illegally crossed into Syria on foot from the eastern Lebanese town of Zahle seven months ago, before being detained. He said he was treated well in detention but could hear other men being tortured. AQABA, Jordan — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Jordan on his 12th visit to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year and his first since the weekend ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad that has sparked new fears of instability in a region wracked by three conflicts despite a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon. Blinken was meeting in Aqaba with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Thursday before traveling to Turkey for talks with Turkish officials on Friday. The meetings will focus largely on Syria but also touch on long-elusive hopes for a deal to end the fighting in Gaza that has devastated the Palestinian territory since October 2023. Blinken is the latest senior U.S. official to visit the Middle East in the five days since Assad was deposed as the Biden administration navigates more volatility in the region in its last few weeks in office and as President-elect Donald Trump has said the U.S. should stay out of the Syrian conflict. Other include national security adviser Jake Sullivan and a top military commander who traveled there as the U.S. and Israel have launched airstrikes to prevent the Islamic State militant group from reconstituting and prevent materiel and suspected chemical weapons stocks from falling into militant hands. Blinken “will discuss the need for the transition process and new government in Syria to respect the rights of minorities, facilitate the flow of humanitarian assistance, prevent Syria from being used as a base of terrorism or posing a threat to its neighbors, and ensure that chemical weapons stockpiles are secured and safely destroyed,” the State Department said. The U.S. would be willing to recognize and fully support a new Syrian government that met those criteria. U.S. officials say they are not actively reviewing the foreign terrorist organization designation of the main Syrian rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, known as HTS, which was once an al-Qaida affiliate, but stressed they are not barred from speaking to its members. JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli forces will remain in a Syrian buffer zone until a new force on the other side of the border can guarantee security. After the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Israeli forces pushed into a buffer zone that had been established after the 1973 Mideast war. The military says it has seized additional strategic points nearby. Israeli officials have said the move is temporary, but Netanyahu’s conditions could take months or even years to fulfill as Syria charts its post-Assad future, raising the prospect of an open-ended Israeli presence in the country. Netanyahu’s office said in a statement Thursday that Assad’s overthrow by jihadi rebels created a vacuum on the border. “Israel will not permit jihadi groups to fill that vacuum and threaten Israeli communities on the Golan Heights with October 7th style attacks,” it said, referring to Hamas’ 2023 attack out of Gaza, which ignited the war there. “That is why Israeli forces entered the buffer zone and took control of strategic sites near Israel’s border.” The statement added that “this deployment is temporary until a force that is committed to the 1974 agreement can be established and security on our border can be guaranteed.” The buffer zone is adjacent to the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed. The international community, except for the United States, views the Golan as occupied Syrian territory. JERUSALEM — Israel’s military said Thursday that the attacker who fatally shot a 12-year-old Israeli boy in the occupied West Bank overnight turned himself in to authorities. The attacker opened fire on a bus near the Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit, critically wounding the boy, who hospital authorities pronounced dead in the early morning. Three others were wounded in the attack, paramedics said. The shooting took place just outside Jerusalem in an area near major Israeli settlements. JAKARTA, Indonesia — The Indonesian government has evacuated 37 citizens from Syria following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad government, officials said Thursday. The evacuees were taken by land from Damascus to Beirut, where they boarded three commercial flights to Jakarta, said Judha Nugraha, director of citizen protection at the Foreign Affairs Ministry. The Indonesian Embassy in Damascus said all 1,162 Indonesian citizens in Syria were safe. Indonesian Ambassador to Syria Wajid Fauzi said the situation in Syria has gradually returned to normal. “I can say that 98% of people’s lives are back to normal, shops are open, public transportation has started running,” Fauzi said, adding that most Indonesian nationals living in Syria had chosen to stay. DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Palestinian medical officials say Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 28 people in the Gaza Strip, including seven children and a woman. One of the strikes overnight and into Thursday flattened a house in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the nearby city of Deir al-Balah, where the casualties were taken. An Associated Press reporter saw the bodies at the hospital’s morgue. Two other strikes killed 15 men who were part of local committees established to secure aid convoys . The committees were set up by displaced Palestinians in coordination with the Hamas-run Interior Ministry. The Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis received the bodies and an AP reporter counted them. The hospital said eight were killed in a strike near the southern border town of Rafah and seven others in a strike 30 minutes later near Khan Younis. The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250 people. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Israel’s offensive has killed over 44,800 Palestinians in Gaza, more than half of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The fighting has plunged Gaza into a severe humanitarian crisis, with experts warning of famine. Israel says it allows enough aid to enter and blames U.N. agencies for not distributing it. The U.N. says Israeli restrictions, and the breakdown of law and order after Israel repeatedly targeted the Hamas-run police force, make it extremely difficult to operate in the territory. UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly approved resolutions Wednesday demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and backing the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees that Israel has moved to ban . The votes in the 193-nation world body were 158-9 with 13 abstentions to demand a ceasefire now and 159-9 with 11 abstentions to support the agency known as UNRWA. The votes culminated two days of speeches overwhelmingly calling for an end to the 14-month war between Israel and the militant Hamas group . General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, though they reflect world opinion. There are no vetoes in the assembly. Israel and its close ally, the United States, were in a tiny minority speaking and voting against the resolutions.